| Thursday, September 26, 2019 |
| Novice UAS training offered to Mississippi State students | |
 | Mississippi State University students interested in learning about the roles of unmanned aerial systems in agriculture had a chance to get some hands-on training this week. Amelia Fox, an assistant clinical professor in the MSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences and Dennis Lott, CEO of UAS Solutions LLC were on hand along with some of Fox's students to give novice students a chance to fly small UAS for the first time. For the past few years, Fox has taught a class on UAS, and students with flight experience were on hand to assist the novice pilots. She said even though flying model aircraft had been around for almost a century, it was only recently that their potential uses in agriculture were being discovered. She said the technology was just now beginning to be applied in commercial agriculture operations. |
| Community participates in voter registration day | |
| Across Starkville, groups put in place programs to help register young people to vote Tuesday as part of National Voter registration Day. At Mississippi State University, State Auditor Shad White was on hand, discussing the importance of voting with students. Students at MSU were also able to register to vote at a booth on the Drill Field backed by the MSU Student Association. White told those in attendance that the time to start caring is now. He also commended the Student Association and others involved in the registration drive for their efforts. Last year's voter registration efforts on campus earned MSU a designation as a Voter Friendly Campus from the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators and Fair Election Center's Campus Vote Project. The university also reported a 14.3% increase in the student voting rate compared with 2014 midterms. |
| Will Mississippi farmers grow hemp in 2020? Here's why it's doubtful | |
 | Mississippi farmers might soon learn whether they should prepare to grow hemp next year, but officials speaking at the state capitol Wednesday sounded doubtful. Dozens of farmers drove to Jackson to watch the state's Hemp Cultivation Task Force meet for the second time this year. There was standing room only. Researchers sounded optimistic about growing hemp in Mississippi, but cautioned that more research on cultivation is needed, among other concerns. "The take-home point here is -- from an economic standpoint, from a producer standpoint -- hemp has some potential to be a crop that's competitive with our other major commodities," said Wes Burger of Mississippi State University. "It's clearly not going to be a silver bullet." Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics Director John Dowdy said hemp legalization would be a headache for an officer on a traffic stop who is trying to tell the difference between legal hemp and illegal marijuana. Everyone agreed, though, that hemp legalization will cost Mississippi taxpayers -- through research, regulation and law enforcement costs. |
| Task Force Hears Uncertainties of Growing Hemp | |
 | Poultry and eggs top the list of commodities produced in 2018, bringing in $2.9 billion, according to Mississippi State University. A state task force is studying whether industrial hemp could be a profitable crop for farmers as well. It can be used to produce fiber or sold as seeds. Wes Burger with Mississippi State is on the task force. He says there are some drawbacks. "The biggest uncertainty now would be what would be the commodity price for the fiber, or the seed that is produced from an industrial hemp crop and so that's one uncertainty because we don't have the markets well-developed right now," said Burger. Burger says the U.S. Department of Agriculture hasn't established rules for hemp production. He adds there would have to be a system in place from planting the crop to bringing it to market. The Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics says the plant looks just like marijuana and would be problematic to regulate. The task force meets in November and will provide recommendations to the legislature and farmers in December. |
| 29th annual Rice Tasting Luncheon draws a large crowd | |
 | The 29th annual Rice Tasting Luncheon was held at Delta State University Friday with hundreds of rice lovers in attendance. Usually held at the Walter Sillers Coliseum, the luncheon this year was held at the Wyatt Gymnasium as the coliseum goes through renovations. The luncheon is hosted by Delta Rice Promotions Inc., a cooperative of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation and the Mississippi State University Extension Service of Bolivar County. "While some of you might know that we have an insurance company, that's not what we do on a daily basis," said Mike McCormick, president of the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation. "We help support agriculture here in the state and work on behalf of the farmers and ranchers and people who work in rural areas." The luncheon had long tables featuring dozens of locally produced rice dishes. "We really appreciate your support of the rice industry here in the Delta," said Dr. Steve Martin of the MSU Extension Service. |
| Fisheries disaster declared in Gulf states over Bonnet Carre opening, river flooding | |
 | The U.S. Department of Commerce has declared a federal fisheries disaster for Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana over freshwater flooding in the Gulf of Mexico from the prolonged opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway. The spillway opening to relieve flooding on the Mississippi River is being blamed for high mortality rates of oysters, dolphins, sea turtles and other aquatic life. A fisheries disaster declaration also followed the Bonnet Carre's opening in 2011, freeing up federal funds for replanting oyster beds that have now died again. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, who has been working to secure disaster relief, said in a separate news release: "Recovering from the damage caused to the Mississippi Sound this year will take time, but we're fortunate that funding is already in place to implement disaster assistance. "The Commerce Department should use those funds to help us overcome the significant economic hardships experienced by Mississippi's boating, tourism, fisheries, shrimp, and oyster industries." |
| U.S. Farmers Get A Much-Needed Break Under Partial Trade Pact With Japan | |
 | U.S. farmers, who have been hard hit by President Trump's trade wars, got some relief Wednesday, when Trump signed an interim trade deal with Japan. The agreement calls for lower Japanese tariffs on U.S. farm exports such as beef and pork. It also locks in tariff-free digital commerce. But it does not address the president's threat to level punishing tariffs on imported cars from Japan. A top trade negotiator says Trump has no plans to act on that threat for now. Trump signed the partial trade agreement along with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in New York, where the two men are attending the United Nations General Assembly. Trump was flanked by American farmers and ranchers whose exports have suffered as a result of the president's hard-edged trade policies. China, in particular, has curtailed its purchases of pork and soybeans, putting downward pressure on prices. "What we need in the future is more agreements like this all around the world," said Zippy Duvall, president of the American Farm Bureau Federation. "What we need is trade. That's what makes rural America grow." |
| Whistleblower describes White House trying to cover up Ukraine phone call | |
 | An intelligence community whistleblower raised alarms that President Donald Trump used his office to pressure a foreign government to influence the 2020 U.S. election and his staff orchestrated a coverup to keep details of a phone call with Ukraine's president off normal channels. The whistleblower's nine-page complaint describes White House officials intervening to "lock down" all records of the president's July 25 telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy. In a sign of aides' potential concern about the call, the records were moved to a system used for classified materials even though they "did not contain anything remotely sensitive." The intelligence official wrote to a top government inspector general about being "deeply concerned" that the president's conversation with Zelenskiy amounted to "a serious or flagrant problem, abuse, or violation of law or Executive Order." The official used wording directly from the United States criminal code to raise concerns about the commander in chief's conduct. |
| Trump impeachment inquiry could affect Mississippi's governor's race | |
| Gov. Phil Bryant, a self-described "close friend" of President Donald Trump, talked earlier this month about the importance of a Trump endorsement to 2019 Republican candidates in ruby red Mississippi. "We'll be reaching out to the White House," Bryant said on Sept. 9 at a GOP unity luncheon. "He's got a lot of jobs to do, but I hope there will be an opening somewhere along the schedule before November. I hope and I intend to welcome him here when he comes to campaign for Republicans." In the three states hosting gubernatorial elections this year -- Mississippi, Kentucky and Louisiana -- Republican leaders are banking on campaign visits from Trump. The president's rallies on behalf of candidates in red states have become a hallmark of his presidency. In 2018, Trump stumped in Mississippi three times for U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith. But as Democratic leaders in the U.S. House of Representatives this week launched an impeachment inquiry of Trump, the true effect of the "Trump bump," as it's become known since he was elected in 2016, is an open question. |
| How Mississippi officials are reacting to the impeachment inquiry of President Trump | |
 | On Tuesday, U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced that the House will launch a formal impeachment inquiry against President Trump. Pelosi's move to begin the formal process came months after pressure from the Democratic Party. Since the announcement several Mississippi officials have also spoken out. Congressman Michael Guest: "Democrats in this Congress have repeatedly relied on unfounded claims to fulfill their desire of impeaching a president who was democratically elected by the American people. I have little confidence that this inquiry is motivated by anything other than the political games that so many in the Democratic Party prefer over their responsibility to this nation. Americans deserve an infrastructure bill, immigration reform, and solutions to the opioid drug crisis." |
| Trump impeachment inquiry: Mississippi congressmen respond | |
 | Mississippi elected officials are sounding off after House Democrats announced Tuesday they would launch a formal impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump. The inquiry stems from a July phone call between Trump and the president of Ukraine regarding Democrat presidential candidate Joe Biden and his son. A whistleblower came forward with a complaint in August. According to a transcript of the call released Wednesday morning, Trump repeatedly pressed the president of Ukraine to reopen an investigation into a Ukrainian energy company to focus on any involvement by Joe Biden and his son, Hunter, USA Today reported. The transcript released by the Justice Department is not, according to the administration, a verbatim transcript. The Clarion Ledger reached out to each of Mississippi's representatives and senators. All of the statements below were provided via email. |
| Mississippi Leaders React to Trump Impeachment Inquiry | |
| After months of resisting calls for impeachment, including from Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson, U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced the start of a formal inquiry against President Donald J. Trump on Tuesday. The impeachment inquiry comes after revelations that Trump repeatedly urged Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky in a July 25 phone call to investigate former Vice President Joe Biden, one of the president's possible 2020 opponents, in order to hurt him politically. Thompson is Mississippi's only Democrat in Congress. The state's Republican representatives leapt to the defense of Trump, with U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith avoiding the Ukraine issue altogether in a statement Wednesday morning. Republican Congressman Steven Palazzo, who represents areas of South Mississippi including Hattiesburg and Biloxi, also avoided discussing the Ukraine issue, instead calling it "the lowest political attack I've witnessed since coming to Congress." |
| Senators fret over prospect of Trump trial | |
 | The launching of a House impeachment inquiry against President Trump is raising the prospect of a Senate trial -- unnerving senators already anxious about an election-year battle where the Senate majority could be up for grabs. The worries cut both ways for Democrats and Republicans in the Senate. Senators in both parties predict impeachment will further polarize the electorate, a troubling development for Republicans running in states won by Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential race such as Sens. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine). Yet for GOP candidates running in states where Trump has a higher approval rating, such as Sens. Thom Tillis (N.C.), Joni Ernst (Iowa) and Mitch McConnell (Ky.), the polarized electorate could help drive Republicans to the polls. And impeachment proceedings could spell doom for Sen. Doug Jones, a Democrat up for reelection in Alabama, one of the nation's most pro-Trump states. Jones told The Hill on Wednesday that he's not thinking about the impact on his reelection. |
| Tommy Tuberville secures farmers' backing for Senate; some opponents question 'celebrity' influence | |
 | Former Auburn University football coach Tommy Tuberville scored his first major endorsement in the 2020 Senate campaign from the state's largest agricultural organization. The Alabama Farmers Federation's political action committee, or FarmPAC, endorsed the political newcomer who coached the Tigers for 10 seasons from 1999-2008. The endorsement will carry through into the general election, according to the PAC's public announcement. Tuberville's endorsement followed a whirlwind day on Tuesday in which eight of U.S. Senate candidates – including incumbent Democratic Sen. Doug Jones -- gathered in Montgomery to be interviewed by more than 100 ALFA members. Most Republicans running for the Senate seat participated in the event. Former Alabama Supreme Court Chief Justice Roy Moore, the party's 2017 nominee during the special election which Jones won, did not. A Moore spokesman did not respond to a request for comment. |
| Starkville police charge juveniles with car burglaries | |
 | More than a half-dozen juveniles have been detained and charged with car burglaries over the last two weeks. According to Starkville Police Department spokesman Sgt. Brandon Lovelady, since Sept. 11, the department has charged a total of seven juvenile males with auto burglary. "One of the individuals was arrested for auto burglary twice during this time frame," Lovelady said. "All but one juvenile have been previously arrested for auto burglary. Two arrestees have auto burglary arrests dating back to 2016." The juveniles ranged in age from 13 to 16. Since late August, SPD has responded to 58 car burglaries. Officials believe more were never reported or noticed. The bulk of the crimes happen during the overnight hours involving unlocked cars. "It's usually someone pulling on a door handle," Lovelady said. |
| Ex-MDOT senior official, deputy arrested for stealing state-owned gift cards | |
| Two former employees of the Mississippi Department of Transportation, including a former senior administrative official at the department, were arrested this week after allegedly using gift cards that were owned by the state for personal use. Jarrod Ravencraft, former public affairs director at MDOT, and Selena Standifer, former deputy public affairs director at MDOT, were indicted in Hinds County earlier this month on embezzlement charges following a months-long investigation by the Mississippi Attorney General's Office. Ravencraft, 49, is accused of converting to his own use more than $10,000 in gift cards between June 2017 through March 2018 while employed by MDOT. He turned himself in to authorities on Wednesday. If convicted, he could serve up to 20 years in prison. Standifer, 40, is accused of converting to her own use more than $1,000 in gift cards in December 2015 while employed by MDOT. Standifer was arrested on Friday and is out of jail on bond. If convicted, she would serve up to 20 years in prison. |
| Buffers, noise: Proposed ordinance targets abortion protests at clinic in Jackson | |
| The Jackson City Council will consider approving an ordinance on Thursday that aims to protect the rights of residents seeking medical treatment and limit the ability of protesters to get near them. Although the ordinance would apply to all health care facilities in the city, it appears to be centered on the Jackson Women's Health Organization in Fondren, where there are frequent anti-abortion protests. The facility is the only one in Mississippi that performs abortions. The issue has intensified with neighbors and nearby businesses saying the protests have become a public nuisance and facility patrons who say they are being harassed. It also comes in response to increased calls to the Jackson Police Department over those protests, the city's legal office said. |
| USM students, faculty react to announcement of impeachment inquiry | |
 | University of Southern Mississippi students are reacting to the announcement of a formal impeachment inquiry into recent actions by President Donald Trump. Some students say they've been following the latest developments with great interest, while others say they haven't been paying much attention to what has been happening in Washington. Meanwhile, one Southern Miss faculty member isn't sure the inquiry will yield any results, unless hard evidence of illegal activity can be discovered. "In terms of the overall outcome, probably nothing will happen," said Heather Stur, an associate professor of history and an expert in domestic American politics. "This will probably not lead to the removal of president Trump from office. What it likely will do is take some attention, take some media attention, take some public attention for awhile and there won't be any massive change." |
| Men of Excellence inducts 116 new members at Jackson State University | |
 | A new organization came to the campus of Jackson State University. Men of Excellence inducted 116 new members to the organization. JSU is the first Historically Black College or University to charter the organization. Jaquan Powell the president of Men of Excellence said the campus will be better with the addition the group. "It's an organization built of mentoring and service and brotherhood and so we basically mentor each other there's nobody ahead of nobody there's no body on top, and we're all here to help each other be into better men , better students and just better people in general in life," Powell said. |
| UT interim president announces route to free tuition for Tennessee students | |
| The University of Tennessee interim president Randy Boyd stopped in eight counties, nine high schools and six community events to announce a way for students to attend college at any UT campus through a scholarship program that guarantees free tuition. Starting in fall 2020, the UT Promise is free tuition for Tennessee families with income under $50,000. The undergraduate scholarship program will cover student's tuition and mandatory fees -- such as facilities, maintenance, library, student services, technology and transportation fees -- after other financial aid is used, including the state HOPE scholarship, which students must qualify for in order to get the UT Promise aid. As long as those requirements are met and students are accepted into either UT Knoxville, Chattanooga, Martin or Memphis, they can go to any one of them tuition- and fee-free. UT Promise should help more students afford to go, afford to stay in school and graduate with less debt, Boyd said. |
| UGA to name college of education for Mary Frances Early, first black graduate | |
 | The University of Georgia moved Wednesday toward naming its college of education for Mary Frances Early, the university's first African American graduate. Naming an academic unit such as a college for a person requires Board of Regents approval, UGA President Jere Morehead said in a meeting of his cabinet of high-level administrators, who voted unanimously to approve naming the college for Early. The late Hamilton Holmes and Charlayne Hunter (now Charlayne Hunter-Gault) were UGA's first black students when they enrolled as undergraduates in the winter of 1961. Early transferred from the University of Michigan as a graduate student later that year. All three went on to distinguished careers, but Early was the first to get a diploma when she received a master's in music education in 1962. She later earned a Specialist in Education degree from UGA. The naming of the college for Early is "honorific" -- in contrast to naming colleges, schools or buildings for donors who have given large sums of money, such as buildings in the university's new Terry College of Business complex. |
| Texas A&M veterinary team dispatched to aid animals in need | |
 | Over the past two weeks, Texas A&M University System agencies have helped nearly 5,000 animals in the Rio Grande Valley and along the Southeast Texas coastline. The Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team (VET) was deployed to San Benito on Sept. 12 to assist the Cameron County Animal Control after 270 dogs and one cat were seized and rescued from a warehouse. Then, after a week of medical attention and adoption events for the animals, the team was asked to deploy again as it was headed back to College Station. On Sept. 20, the team was sent to Chambers and Jefferson counties following the flooding caused by Tropical Storm Imelda. As the team returned to College Station on Wednesday, VET Director Dr. Wesley Bissett estimated his team had helped a total of about 400 animals. |
| Student Loan Default Rate Continues to Decline | |
 | Data released by the Education Department Wednesday showed that the share of borrowers defaulting on their student loans has declined for the sixth straight year. Of borrowers who entered repayment in 2016, 10.1 percent had defaulted on their loans by 2018 -- down from 10.8 percent from the previous year. For-profit colleges had the highest rate of defaults at 15.2 percent compared to 9.6 percent at public and 6.6 percent at private colleges. Borrowers enter default when they go more than 270 days without making a payment on their federal student loans. That outcome leads to damaged credit scores and can mean wages or government benefits are garnished. Borrowers in default are also barred from accessing additional federal student aid until their loans are repaired. |
| How a Chicago college student ended up in the middle of an FBI investigation into Chinese spying | |
| Ji Chaoqun easily blended in among the 2,900 international students at the Illinois Institute of Technology, a private school just off the Dan Ryan Expressway near White Sox park. Except Ji was not just any student on campus. Federal authorities allege he was secretly working for a Chinese spy agency. Ji now finds himself in the middle of an ongoing national security investigation that also led to the arrest and unprecedented extradition to the U.S. last year of Ji's handler, a senior intelligence officer in China's main spy agency. It marked the first time a Chinese spy has been brought to this country to face criminal prosecution. His case symbolizes a growing area of worry for U.S. authorities: a sophisticated and far-flung mission by the Chinese government to have spies and foreign agents steal ideas and technology from firms and defense contractors across the country. Chinese intelligence officers, the FBI says, typically focus their recruiting efforts on ethnic Chinese because of their culture and language. |
| Caltech Gets a Windfall for Climate Research: $750 Million | |
 | It will take huge efforts, according to experts, to avert disasters related to climate change. Commitments from reluctant leaders to reform the global economy. Shifts in the daily routines of citizens. And research from the world's greatest minds --- lots of it. To help pay for that research, the billionaires Stewart and Lynda Resnick are set to announce on Thursday the second-largest donation ever to an American university: $750 million to the California Institute of Technology for environmental study, much of it focused on technological solutions to combat climate change. The Resnicks own the Wonderful Company, whose brands include Fiji Water, Pom Wonderful, Wonderful Pistachios and Teleflora, the flower delivery service. Their businesses are large consumers of water and plastic, and have at times been criticized by environmentalists. David Hart, director of the Center for Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy at George Mason University, said private donations could be most helpful in finding real-world applications for new technologies -- ones that can make daily activities, like farming or using air-conditioning, less damaging to the climate. |
| Start early planning future dreams | |
| Angela Farmer, an assistant clinical professor in Mississippi State University's Shackouls Honors College, writes: A common exercise for kindergarten classes across the country is to have a day devoted to what students want to do when they grow up. They usually attend the day costumed in their imagined future role. There are nurses and doctors, teachers and soldiers, business men and women, entrepreneurs and scientists, just to name a few of the interests represented. Often times parents and family members attend to listen to the students' monologues, followed by a group photo. Unfortunately, as charming and entertaining an event as this presents, it is often one of the few times that students actually are asked to imagine their future selves. The next time that students are asked to imagine their futures, they are in high school and trying to decide which classes to take to align with their future career or college major. This comes as a shock to many. |
SPORTS
| How Mississippi State O-line is preparing for physical Auburn defense | |
| The Auburn defense just simply couldn't lose against Texas A&M at Kyle Field last Saturday. No play proves that point better than the first one from scrimmage in the second half of the Tigers' 28-20 win over the Aggies. Texas A&M running back Isaiah Spiller found enough running room through the left side of the line to gain 13 yards. On a day in which A&M only gained 56 yards on 21 carries, it must've seemed too good to be true. It was. A combination tackle from Auburn linebacker Owen Pappoe and defensive back Daniel Thomas caused Spiller to fumble. The Tigers recovered and scored six plays later to take a 21-3 lead. It was one of the rare instances in which Auburn needed second-level defenders to tackle an Aggie rusher. Spiller went into the game averaging over 8 yards per carry. Auburn held him to six rushes for 9 yards. That's 1.5 yards per pop. "It's an aggressive, penetrating front," Mississippi State offensive line coach Marcus Johnson said. "Their job is to cause havoc and live in backfields all night. So it's going to be a challenge, but what an opportunity for us as well." |
| Mississippi State's Malik Dear reviving his career in the backfield | |
| Malik Dear began his Mississippi State career with a bang. Dear starred as a wide receiver and returner during his true freshman and sophomore seasons racking up 947 all-purpose yards and six touchdowns across 23 games and six starts. But in the spring of 2017, Dear tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee and was forced to redshirt the following fall. When he was finally cleared to return, an entirely new coaching staff had arrived and Dear only touched the ball six times last season. Instead of sulking on the sideline or transferring elsewhere, Dear went back to work and has been able to revive his career this year. The former four-star prospect has played both receiver and running back in addition to being the team's primary punt returner. "I'm having fun, the most fun I've had in a long time," Dear said. |
| Auburn preps for Mississippi State duo of dual-threat quarterbacks | |
| With Mississippi State in a "fluid" quarterback situation, Gus Malzahn said Auburn is preparing for two quarterbacks on Saturday in the 6 p.m. game at Jordan-Hare. At the beginning of the season, Mississippi State named Tommy Stevens its starter, but he was injured in the second game against Southern Mississippi and freshman Garrett Shrader led the Bulldogs to the win. Stevens returned in the third week to play against Kansas State, but Shrader replaced him in the third and then started the next game against Kentucky. Shrader went 17-of-22 for 180 yards and rushed for 125 yards on 11 carries against the Wildcats. His performance earned him SEC freshman of the week and had reporters asking Moorhead if he has to decide during the week leading up to the Auburn game who his starter is. "It is a fluid situation," Moorhead replied. He said he wasn't trying to be evasive, but the injury Stevens is recovering from this week is different than the one he sustained against Southern Mississippi. |
| Auburn's improved run defense in for toughest test to date against Mississippi State | |
| Derrick Brown is still bothered by Auburn's last meeting against Mississippi State, and rightfully so. The Tigers were "embarrassed" in Starkville, Miss., last October, ceding 349 rushing yards -- including 195 to quarterback Nick Fitzgerald -- in a 23-9 loss to the Bulldogs. It was the most rushing yards allowed by Auburn since LSU gashed the defense for 411 in Death Valley in 2015. As No. 7 Auburn (4-0) prepares for a rematch with Mississippi State (3-1) on Saturday at 6 p.m. in Jordan-Hare Stadium, the Tigers seem laser-focused on avenging that loss from a year ago -- and much improved against the run entering Week 5. Auburn is coming off one of its best defensive performances against the run in SEC play since Gus Malzahn took over as head coach, having held Texas A&M to just 56 rushing yards on 21 carries during last week's 28-20 win in College Station, Texas. That effort boosted Auburn to second in the SEC and 20th nationally against the run. |
| Mississippi State women's basketball coach Vic Schaefer to speak at Starkville Quarterback Club | |
 | Mississippi State women's basketball coach Vic Schaefer will speak at this week's meeting of the Starkville Quarterback Club at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Starkville Country Club. Schaefer is going into his eighth season as the head coach of the Bulldogs and owns a 194-56 record at MSU. The team has finished as the national runner-up twice under his tenure. Parker-McGill Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram is sponsoring Schaefer's remarks. At the meeting, Schaefer will join MSU offensive line coach Marcus Johnson, who will give the Scouting Report. A dinner of fried or grilled pork chops, macaroni and cheese, cabbage and rolls will be served along with a salad bar and dessert at 6:30 p.m. |
| Mississippi State sophomore Reggie Perry earns three All-America honors | |
| Mississippi State sophomore forward Reggie Perry earned three All-America honors Wednesday in preseason publications. Lindy's named the Thomasville, Georgia, product to the first team; Street & Smith listed Perry among its second team; and Athlon Sports dubbed Perry a third-team All-American. All three publications as well as Blue Ribbon named Perry to the All-Southeastern Conference First Team. Lindy's also named junior guard Nick Weatherspoon to the All-SEC Third Team and ranked Weatherspoon among its top 100 players. Perry was named to the All-SEC Freshman Team last season and won MVP honors at the FIBA U19 World Cup this summer. He averaged 9.7 points per game and 7.2 rebounds per game as a freshman at MSU. |
| Mississippi State's Reggie Perry collects trio of Preseason All-America honors | |
 | Mississippi State's Reggie Perry secured three preseason All-America selections as the Bulldogs prepare for their first official team practice of the 2019-20 campaign on Thursday. Perry collected first-team status from Lindy's, second-team honors from Street & Smith and third-team accolades from Athlon Sports. He also was tabbed Lindy's SEC Preseason Player of the Year and earned a consensus All-SEC First-Team nod from the three publications above and Blue Ribbon. Perry, a 2019 All-SEC Freshman Team pick, captured Most Valuable Player and garnered All-Star 5 Team honors at the 2019 FIBA U19 World Cup in Greece. He poured in 13.1 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 1.0 blocks per game to spearhead Team USA's gold medal efforts. Mississippi State is offering a pair of new fan-focused season ticket options for the 2019-20 season which includes the addition of general admission seating to men's basketball. A traditional general admission season ticket for seats in designated areas of the 200 level are available for only $155, while reserved seat season tickets are available for $275. |
| No Rush: SEC Teams Joining In on Spread of Air-Based Offense | |
 | The Southeastern Conference built its reputation for punishing ground games with one-name tailback megastars like Herschel, Bo and Emmitt -- all larger-than-life performers who pounded the rock, piled up the yards and gave the SEC a down-in-the-dirt toughness no other league could match. These days, the SEC action is not in the trenches but on the outside -- where lightning-quick wideouts catch passes from quarterbacks making split decisions on the fly, often from empty backfields. "It runs counter-intuitive to what (SEC) coaches will tell you about wanting to be balanced," CBS Sports college football analyst Gary Danielson said. "But things have changed." That's an understatement for the SEC. An eye-opening 12 of the league's 14 teams are gaining more yards this season in the air than on the ground. The shift is based on the talented quarterbacks at the helm, said ex-Arkansas and Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt. |
| NCAA prez calls name, image and likeness rights an 'existential threat' to college sports | |
| With name, image and likeness rights becoming a boiling point for college sports, NCAA president Mark Emmert said Tuesday that granting athletes such rights would be an "existential threat" to the collegiate model. Emmert on Tuesday, while speaking to a group of Division I athletic directors, called the current debate over name, image and likeness rights the "single biggest issue" in his almost-decade on the job. California governor Gavin Newsom is expected to sign into law the Fair Pay to Play Act, a bill that would grant athletes in that state the ability to profit off their name, image and likeness. That would include the ability for players to earn money from commercials, endorsements and other business ventures. When Newsom signs the bill, Emmert said he would like to see California officials "tone down some of the rhetoric." Resolution on name, image and likeness is complicated. Emmert continued to call any further athlete compensation from it "pay for play." |
| NCAA names Gina Lehe as managing director of communications for strategy and branding | |
| The NCAA has tapped a seasoned and respected college sports communications professional to oversee its branding and strategy efforts at the national office. Gina Lehe, senior director of external relations and branding for the College Football Playoff, will begin her role as managing director of communications---strategy and branding, on Nov. 4. She will report to Bob Williams, senior vice president of communications, and work closely with Erik Christianson, managing director of communications, as part of the NCAA communications leadership team. Lehe will oversee efforts to continually frame the mission of college sports in the context of higher education and support the core purpose, goals and values of the NCAA. Before joining the College Football Playoff in 2014, Lehe was director of media for the Rose Bowl Game and previously served as director of public relations for the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl and public relations manager for the Insight Bowl. |
| Two students sue U. of Kentucky for too few women's sports | |
| Two students are suing the University of Kentucky, claiming the school is violating federal law by failing to offer women enough opportunities in varsity athletics. The lawsuit says UK has to add about 183 women to its athletics programs to comply with Title IX, the civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in federally funded education programs. The suit was filed in federal court Wednesday morning against UK, its board of trustees, athletic director Mitch Barnhart and university president Eli Capilouto. UK responded Wednesday afternoon with a statement defending its athletic programs. "The University of Kentucky fully complies with Title IX and its regulations concerning participation in intercollegiate athletics. As a campus community, we care deeply about these issues," spokesman Jay Blanton said. "With 22 sports, UK has the broadest based athletics program in the Southeastern Conference. Based on our surveys of our students, the current sports offerings fully accommodate the interests and abilities of our undergraduate students." |
| Hard Seltzer Moves Into College Sports Sponsorship Market | |
| Natural Light Seltzer is being announced as the Official Hard Seltzer of the Big 12 Conference, a first of its kind partnership in college sports as the hard seltzer market continues to explode. Natural Light capitalized on the popularity of hard seltzer when it launched late this summer with two flavors: Catalina Lime Mixer and Aloha Beaches. For the 52 weeks preceding September 7, 2019, the hard seltzer category saw $1.1 billion in sales, according to Nielsen data, up 190.4% year-over-year. The partnership is at the conference level, not with individual Big 12 schools, and was secured by the Big 12 Sports Properties of Learfield IMG College, the Learfield College team dedicated to the Big 12 as its sponsorship rights holder. "The Big 12 welcomes Anheuser-Busch to its sponsorship program," said Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby. |
| U. of Iowa band claims verbal, physical abuse by Iowa State fans | |
| The fate of a 125-year tradition is unclear after a dustup between the marching band of the University of Iowa and fans of Iowa State University's football team. Members of the Hawkeyes marching band say they were roughed up by Cyclones fans as they exited the field after the yearly matchup between the rivals on Sept. 14. Their claims of verbal and physical abuse were investigated, but officials couldn't determine who was at fault. The two teams' athletic directors agreed on some policy changes and agreed it was best to move forward. That's when the finger-pointing ensued. Now fans of both teams are wondering if the annual tradition will continue. Things heated up on Sept. 23 when University of Iowa president Bruce Harreld told the student newspaper that the two universities may have to stop the "Cy-Hawk" game altogether if safety can't be guaranteed. |
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