| Thursday, October 10, 2019 |
| Tupelo native named Mississippi State homecoming king | |
 | When Tupelo native Spencer Kirkpatrick was named the Mississippi State University homecoming king Tuesday, it culminated a four-year college experience that had allowed him to "grow in life," according to his father Kevan Kirkpatrick. Spencer Kirkpatrick is a senior enrolled in Mississippi State's Access program, a four-year non-degree program for students with intellectual or developmental disabilities, according to Mississippi State's website. Kevan Kirkpatrick said he was "almost speechless" and was amazed by how far-reaching the support was for his son. "The fact is that sending a special needs kid to college, your son, is frightening because you don't know how he's going to be accepted, and then to see him embraced is an incredible feeling," Kevan Kirkpatrick said. Spencer Kirkpatrick video-called his family after the announcement. He enjoyed the journey of the campaign and was prepared to be happy for whoever was named Homecoming winner, said both Kirkpatrick and Spencer Kirkpatrick's friend and longtime ACCESS mentor Susannah Cox. Spencer Kirkpatrick is excited to serve alongside Homecoming Queen Rachel Dumke of Franklin, Tennessee. |
| Research project will study food safety in SOCSD cafeterias | |
 | The Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Board of Trustees approved a research project at its Tuesday board meeting that could make school cafeterias safer. Emily Knight, a senior nutrition student at Mississippi State University, will collect data comparing the traditionally used temperature devices in school cafeterias to the results of using a more sensitive device. The project aims to identify the more accurate thermometer and reduce the likelihood of foodborne illness. Knight and Brent Fountain, an MSU associate Extension professor in the Food Science, Nutrition and Health Promotion Department, received a grant from the Shackouls Honors College to conduct the project. Fountain told The Dispatch that the idea for the project resulted from conversations at a Mississippi Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics meeting earlier this year. "Some foods are different in terms of thickness and consistency, so if you use the traditional method of measuring temperature with a bimetallic stamp thermometer, are you going to get an accurate temperature?" Fountain said. |
| MSU Extension offers training sessions on farm bill | |
| The Mississippi State University Extension Service is hosting three training sessions designed to help Mississippi producers understand the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill. The 2018 Farm Bill Update meetings will be held at the Delta Research and Extension Center Nov. 4, the Mississippi Farm Bureau Conference Auditorium Nov. 5 and the North Mississippi Research and Extension Center Nov. 6. All sessions start at 1 p.m. The sign-up period for the 2018 U.S. Farm Bill began in September and will continue until March 15, 2020. For the first selection, producers will be enrolling for both 2019 and 2020. The primary decision for many producers will be the choice between Agricultural Risk Coverage and the Price Loss Coverage programs. "One of the key differences in this new farm bill is the ability to switch between Agricultural Risk Coverage and Price Loss Coverage every year," said MSU Extension agricultural economist Josh Maples. |
| Lowndes County seeks new 4-H director as work continues at horse park | |
| Mississippi State Extension Service Agent Reid Nevins expects to have a new 4-H director for Lowndes County by the end of the year. The program that person takes over will be far different than it was under the previous director, Sharon Patrick, thanks primarily to the county's new $2.6 million horse park complex on Tom Rose Road. On Monday, the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors authorized payment for up to $50,000 for the 4-H position. The director is an employee of the Extension service, but the county reimburses the state organization for the director's salary. "The board order went out Monday and my boss picked it up (Tuesday)," said Nevins, who oversees operations of the extension service in Lowndes County. "We'll get it over to Mississippi State and they'll advertise the position. Over the next few weeks, they'll get the resumes of the people who applied and pick four or five people to interview. We might make that hire by the end of the year, but if not, certainly we hope to have somebody by January." Nevins said there are currently more than 300 kids who are active in Lowndes County 4-H. He expects that number to increase as the new facility expands programs, especially livestock and horse-related programs. |
| How cotton yields are affected by the weather | |
 | In September we saw extreme heat, everyday above average. With an average high for the month in the middle 90s, the intense dry conditions continued through the month as well with rainfall totals almost 3 inches below normal. he record-breaking weather patterns actually helped cotton farmers though. One farmer, Justin Taylor said he has seen good yields. Dr. Darrin Dodds of Mississippi State University, who specializes in cotton agronomics, said the "excessive rain last fall and this spring prevented any fieldwork, which made the spring very challenging. While we could have possibly used one more rain in September, it is hard to complain about the weather as it pertains to our cotton crop." Mississippi farmers have harvested average yields of more than 1,000 pounds of cotton per acre for each of the past eight years. In three of those years, average yields have topped 1,200 pounds. |
| Mississippi State president responds to PETA | |
 | Mississippi State University's dog named Bully was hit during a play during a football game against Auburn. The school's president Dr. Mark Keenum tells 12 News despite all the controversy, he's proud of the mascot and his program. According to the university, Bully is okay. "We're proud of Jak, we're proud of our long lineage and history of having live mascots for all of our fans and all of our supporters of our football team and our bulldog mascot," Keenum said. |
| Mississippi Governor's Report: Making The World Take Notice | |
 | Logistics is our cover story topic for this issue, so we had shipping containers, ports and channel depths on our mind when we had an opportunity to chat with Gov. Phil Bryant of Mississippi for BF's exclusive Governor's Report interview. Mississippi also has a long history of being a leader in the aerospace sector. "Mississippi's universities and community colleges are leading the charge in the areas of UAS research, development and testing," Bryant told BF. "Mississippi State University's Raspet Flight Laboratory is the public sponsor of the Certificate of Authorization for flight testing of Stark Aerospace's Heron UAS. Raspet regularly has staff on site to support engineering, design and flight testing of large-scale UAS. MSU also is home of the Federal Aviation Administration's Center of Excellence for Unmanned Aircraft Systems. The FAA designated MSU to lead a coalition of dozens of world-renowned universities and more than 100 government and industry partners who collaborate to safely integrate UAS into the national airspace." |
| Security officers shoot blanks in hallways during SOCSD active shooter training with faculty | |
| The Starkville High School faculty of almost 130 participated in an active shooter drill Tuesday after school that involved security officers shooting blanks from firearms in hallways while teachers practiced training protocols in classrooms. Faculty at Henderson Ward Stewart and Sudduth elementary schools went through the same drill earlier this school year. "Civilians sometimes attribute gunfire to fireworks, so we want to give them a chance to experience the actual sound and smell in the air from (gunfire), just to make them very aware," said SOCSD security chief Sammy Shumaker, a retired police officer and the drill's coordinator. The prevalence of mass shootings nationwide, in schools and elsewhere, means people have to be alert at all times, SHS Principal Sean McDonnell said. Missouri, Arkansas and Illinois all passed laws requiring schools to conduct active shooter drills in 2013, in light of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Connecticut. New Jersey, Oklahoma and Tennessee later did the same. Mississippi joined the group this year after Gov. Phil Bryant asked the Legislature "to pass a comprehensive plan to keep our school children safe" in his State of the State address in January. |
| Multi-agency Golden Triangle crime initiative arrests 149 | |
| A joint federal, state and local law enforcement initiative recently led to the arrest of 149 people on a variety of felony charges, including violent crimes, drug crimes and gang-related activities. Operation Triple Beam, led by the U.S. Marshals Service, kicked off in the Golden Triangle area on July 15 and ran through the end of August. In addition to the arrests, 70 illegal firearms were seized as was $65,820 worth of narcotics and narcotics-related proceeds, according to U.S. Marshals task force deputy commander Mike Quarles. "It took six weeks to round up everyone and make the arrests," Quarles said. "But it usually takes three times as long on the front end to gather all the information. And because this is an intelligence-based operation, there is still a lot more to be done and there will be more arrests based on the intelligence we have already gathered." Operation Triple Beam enlisted the services of several federal and state agencies, along with the sheriff's offices in Clay, Lowndes and Oktibbeha counties; and the Columbus, Starkville and West Point police departments. |
| Chandler Russ tapped as Mississippi Economic Development Council president | |
 | Natchez, Inc. Executive Director Chandler Russ has been selected President of the Mississippi Economic Development Council for the 2019-2020 year. "I'm honored that my peers and colleagues from across the state selected me to lead the organization, especially for this coming year," said Russ, who is in his third year of serving on the MEDC, the past year as president elect. "This year will be an interesting year, since it is an election year," Russ said. "The membership and leadership have chosen to make sure that it has significant participation in the transition team for whomever is elected governor of the state toward economic development, so that will be a big push of our membership this year." The MEDC is made up of some 500 members statewide, consisting of economic development organizations, chambers of commerce and stakeholders in economic development. Russ also is the first person from Natchez and Adams County to serve as president of the MEDC since it was founded in 1937. |
| Mississippi tax revenue collections up $77 million above estimates | |
 | The Legislative Budget Office is reporting that total revenue collections for the month of September FY 2020 are $39,933,319 or 7.99% above the sine die revenue estimate. Fiscal YTD revenue collections through September are $77,013,798 or 6.38% above the sine die estimate. Fiscal YTD total revenue collections through September 2019 are $51,063,705 or 4.14% above the prior year's collections. The graph above compares the actual revenue collections to the sine die revenue estimate for each of the main tax revenue sources. The figures reflect the amount the actual collections for Sales, Individual, Corporate, Use and Gaming taxes were above or below the estimate for the month and fiscal year-to-date. The graph also compares fiscal year-to- date actual collections to prior year actual collections, as of September 30, 2019. |
| State revenue up for first quarter of fiscal year, but still lagging many other states, study finds | |
| State tax collections through September -- the first quarter of the new fiscal year -- are 4.1 percent or $51.1 million above the amount collected during the same period last year. Numbers compiled by the staff of the Legislative Budget Committee and recently released show that most major categories of tax collections, with the exception of use tax collections, have grown during the year over year window. Gov. Phil Bryant, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and other members of the state's political leadership have cited the bump in revenue collections during the past year as proof of a strong economy and strong fiscal condition for the state. On social media, Bryant said Wednesday in response to the latest revenue report, "Great year for revenue in Mississippi. Almost $40 million more in September than projected" by state's financial experts. For the year collections are $77 million or 6.4 percent above the estimate. Experts had made a cautious revenue estimate because collections have been sluggish in recent years. |
| Debate night arrives: Governor candidates set for primetime showdown | |
| Debate night is finally here. For the first time on television, Lt. Governor Tate Reeves (R) and Attorney General Jim Hood (D) will square off during primetime television. The one-hour Mississippi Governor's Debate is set for 7 p.m. It's their first meeting ahead of the statewide election in November. The debate will air on five Nexstar Broadcasting, Inc., stations across the state, including WJTV-TV (CBS), WHLT-TV (CBS), KZUP-CD (Ind), WREG-TV (CBS), and WFNA-TV (CW), in addition to select television broadcast partners including WMDN-TV (CBS) and WTVA-TV (ABC), and WXXV-TV (NBC), and radio partners SuperTalk, Mississippi Public Broadcasting, and Jackson State University. Local viewers may also access a live-stream of the debate online by visiting their local Nexstar station's website (see table below for more information).Mississippi Governor's Debate is scheduled to take place on the campus of The University of Southern Mississippi at the Joe Paul Theater in Thad Cochran Center, 121 West Memorial Drive, in Hattiesburg. The debate will be moderated by Byron Brown, anchorman and political reporter for WJTV-TV, and Greg Hurst, anchorman for WREG-TV Greg Hurst. |
| Lt. governor candidate Delbert Hosemann proposes plan to raise state employee salaries | |
 | Secretary of State and Republican nominee for lieutenant governor Delbert Hosemann was in Waynesboro on Wednesday visiting community leaders, law enforcement and supporters in the area. Along with his plan to speed up the process of getting a Mississippi driver's license, Hosemann also talked at length about his proposal to raise state worker's salaries. Under the plan, state employees would receive up to a 3% pay increase, which would be funded by a 1% savings in administrative and overhead expenses in almost every state agency. However, departments in education, mental health, Child Protective Services, corrections along with district attorneys and trial judges would be exempt. Hosemann said that he turned back nearly $1.5 million to the general fund this year from his lower budget and is asking other departments and agencies to do the same. "Reduce your budget by 1%, and then what we're going to do is give that money back as pay raises to our employees that work so hard in Mississippi," Hosemann said. |
| Tate Reeves comes to Gulfport to lay out plan for increasing teacher pay | |
 | Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, who is running against Attorney General Jim Hood in the race to be Mississippi's next governor, wants to raise the starting salary of Mississippi teachers to about $47,000 a year in the next four years. Reeves made a campaign stop in Gulfport on Wednesday to discuss his plans to improve teacher pay. Reeves said the starting salary for teachers in other Southern states is about $4,200 a year more than Mississippi, and that he hopes if elected to convince the Legislature to spend $52 million more on teacher salaries. "I have a plan, a timetable," he said. "We've crunched the numbers to determine how to ensure that our teachers make much more in the coming years." The Republican also said he wants the state to provide a $10,000 bonus to attract teachers to critical areas in Mississippi, and pay Mississippi National Board teachers the highest supplement in the nation, from $6,000 to $10,000. Per capita, this would allow the state to have the highest number of National Board Certified Teachers. |
| Tate Reeves says education agenda includes teacher pay raises | |
 | Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves released his education proposals Wednesday, saying he has a four-year plan to increase Mississippi teacher salaries if he's elected governor. He said the plan will not require a tax increase because Mississippi's economy is good and state tax collections are exceeding expectations. Reeves discussed his proposals at a news conference in Gulfport. On Thursday, Reeves and the Democratic nominee for governor, Attorney General Jim Hood, are debating each other for the first time. The one-hour debate begins at 7 p.m. at the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg and is being carried on statewide TV and radio. Hood released his education proposals, including a teacher pay raise plan, in mid-September. Hood said Wednesday that teachers have struggled with low pay during Reeves' time as lieutenant governor. |
| Tate Reeves talks teacher pay in new education plan unveiled on the Gulf Coast | |
| On Wednesday, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves unveiled his plans for K-12 education should he become the next governor of Mississippi. His opponent in the Nov. 5 election, Democrat Attorney General Jim Hood, announced his education plan at an elementary school in Greenville in September. Unlike Hood, Reeves did not make any commitments to fully fund education, but both candidates had multiple proposals in common, including: Raising teacher pay. Addressing the teacher shortage. Creating education committees or task forces. Investing in early education. Reeves announced his plan flanked by teachers in Gulfport, where he boasted of fiscal responsibility he said put Mississippi's "financial house in order." Increased revenue collections will allow him to raise teacher pay and invest in other programs without raising taxes, he said. |
| Jim Hood: Deal should bring Mississippi better internet service | |
| Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood says the state will settle its part of a lawsuit that opposed the merger of cellphone companies T-Mobile and Sprint. Fourteen states and the District of Columbia have been part of the lawsuit. The merger awaits final federal approval. Hood said Wednesday that under the Mississippi agreement, the new company will make a next-generation "5G" network available to at least 62% of Mississippi's general and rural populations within three years of the merger. He said that by six years, the company will make the fast service available to 92% of Mississippi's general population and 88% of its rural population. |
| SPLC says it registered 1,379 new voters in Mississippi in time for November elections | |
 | The Southern Poverty Law Center said it's registered 1,379 new voters in Mississippi in time for the Nov. 5 statewide elections. All statewide elected positions -- including the Legislature, governor and lieutenant governor -- are up for grabs. The deadline to register for this year's general election was Monday. Caren Short, a senior staff attorney with the SPLC, said the organization reached its goal of registering more than 1,000 voters. She said the SPLC spent $500,000 on canvassing. People knocked on doors and went to heavily trafficked areas primarily in Hinds County to register voters, Short said. Short said they also focused on registering voters at community colleges and historically black colleges and universities in Mississippi. But she said there's still a long way to go. |
| Mississippi ICE raids: Rep. Bennie Thompson plans Nov. 7 congressional hearing for Tougaloo | |
 | A U.S. congressional hearing on the immigration raids of Mississippi chicken plants will take place on Nov. 7 at Tougaloo College. That's exactly three months after federal agents descended on seven chicken plants in central Mississippi, as part of the largest single-state immigration raid. Hundreds of agents arrested 680 workers suspected of being in the country without permission, according to federal authorities. Two days after the raids U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson and other federal lawmakers sent a letter to the U.S. Attorney General and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, requesting documents and announcing an investigation into the raids. Thompson said in a press release Wednesday that major questions remain unanswered. "We still don't have a proper explanation of why the federal government planned and executed these raids without accounting for the impact on children, families, and the community," Thompson said. "Because of this negligence, dozens of children went home after their first day of school to find that one or both of their parents were nowhere to be found." |
| Trump's Syria decision tests the bounds of Republican support as he demands solidarity on impeachment | |
 | President Trump's decision to suddenly withdraw U.S. troops from northern Syria has angered evangelical Christian leaders and Republican hawks, cleaving his political coalition at the very moment he is trying to fortify his standing to survive the intensifying impeachment inquiry in Congress. Instead of enjoying uncontested GOP support as he plunges into a constitutional showdown with House Democrats and prepares for a bruising reelection campaign, Trump is now fighting on two fronts within his party. The president simultaneously has been laboring to silence dissent over his conduct in pressing Ukraine to investigate a domestic political rival and over his Syria decision -- a move critics blame for Wednesday's Turkish offensive. The past few days have tested the bounds of Trump's Republican support at an unusually frenzied political crossroads that has brought uncertainty for elected officials. |
| President Trump struggles to win back Iowa farmers with new ethanol plan | |
 | President Trump faces an uphill battle in his effort to win back Iowa farmers who have been hit hard by his trade and energy policies. After months of promises, a betrayal, and then a renewed vow to revise a federal ethanol program, the Trump administration last week unveiled its proposal for ensuring corn-based ethanol gets blended into the nation's fuel supply. The proposal earned high praise from corn and ethanol groups that spent months pressuring the White House for a more favorable policy. But farmers here say they are still angry at Trump for destabilizing agriculture markets, a move they say cost some farms hundreds of thousands of dollars. "President Trump has irritated me and cost me so much money with all of these policies," said Tim Burrack, who farms 2,000 aces near Arlington, population 402. "This is not what we signed up for when we voted Trump in." Last week's announcement was designed to appease farmers like Burrack who have been fuming for months after the EPA in August exempted 31 small refineries from adding the biofuel to their product -- an order that came directly from Trump. |
| Senate Intelligence Committee in focus on C-SPAN and the big screen this fall | |
 | It's going to be a big couple of months for the Senate Intelligence Committee, both on Capitol Hill and at the box office. Chairman Richard M. Burr and ranking Democrat Mark Warner find themselves once again at the epicenter of the biggest political story in Washington, tasked with leading the Senate's review of President Donald Trump's interactions with Ukraine that seem all but certain to result in impeachment by the House. Like his 1974 Volkswagen Thing, Burr's committee is not built for speed. Rather, its staff specializes in careful interviewing and review of evidence, most often in classified settings. Burr and Warner released the second volume of the Russia investigation on Tuesday that made even more clear that Russia engaged in a coordinated social media campaign to both support Trump and undermine American democracy. The Intelligence panel tends to find itself in these kind of sticky issues. Even so, you wouldn't think the sort of investigation it conducts would have the makings of a Hollywood thriller, but Hollywood appears to disagree. |
| Community connection: Fall shaping up for MUW culinary outreach | |
| While the primary focus of the Culinary Arts Institute at Mississippi University for Women is to inspire and train the next generation of chefs, strengthening the university-community connection is another aim. The CAI, with its commercial kitchen and experienced faculty, is a resource aspiring community cooks and food fans can periodically access to boost skills. One-time classes or workshops are generally offered each semester. And through its Project CHEW -- Cook Healthy, Eat Well -- program, The W is out and about in Columbus, encouraging healthier food choices and cooking techniques, often using its 24-foot, fully-equipped mobile culinary unit to help spread the message. This semester's university outreach includes two Passport to Wellness events set for this Saturday and next Tuesday. Passport to Wellness, funded through a grant from Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi, is designed to address the problem of unhealthy lifestyle choices relating to diet and physical activity. |
| Oxford University Transit facing challenges amid growth | |
| Oxford's public transit system is growing, but with that growth comes challenges. Between the months of June and August, the Oxford University Transit system had over 4,600 more riders than they did in the same period in 2018. A lot of that is due to OUT offering free rides during June and July, in hopes to get Oxford residents back on the buses. With that growth, OUT has experienced some growing pains due to mechanical issues and a lack of buses to serve the demand of riders. In her report to Oxford's Board of Aldermen during their Oct. 1 meeting, OUT general manager Donna Zampella outlined those issues. "I feel that we're growing," Zampella said. "We do know that Oxford transit is a work in progress as well. We do know that there are problems we are trying to solve. One is the quality of our buses. A lot of them are old and way past their useful life." Another issue Zampella said the transit department faces is communicating with Oxford residents about OUT and relaying route information to them in a timely and efficient manner. |
| U. of Mississippi law school institutes implicit bias training for students, faculty | |
 | University of Mississippi Law School Dean Susan Duncan said that after a forum last spring, it was clear that law school students wanted a stronger focus on diversity. "We hosted a community conversation for law students in the spring to have their voices heard about campus climate at UM Law, and students voiced that they wanted us to continually address diversity and inclusion," Duncan said. "The students had a large role in bringing this event to life." So, the law school decided to host an implicit bias training session led by Laura McNeal of the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville. Duncan said that this was the best way for the law school to tackle bias issues. "We all have our own subconscious blind spots in our thoughts and behaviors," Duncan said. "The only way to become more aware of these and how our attitudes and beliefs impact our behaviors is to confront our implicit biases head on through engaged training. We want to be proactive at the law school." |
| UM responds to blackface photo | |
| n honors college student who wore blackface self-reported the incident, according to a statement from the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College Dean Douglass Sullivan-Gonzalez. Sullivan-Gonzalez released the statement to honors college students explaining how the organization's process works. "The Honors College is aware of an image posted on social media by an honors student wearing blackface and wearing an SMBHC t-shirt," the statement read. "The student self-reported his post and has acknowledged the racist and hurtful impact of his poor judgment." The statement said the student is going through the restorative justice process, which allows students who have negatively impacted certain groups to engage with those groups and learn from the experience. Vice Chancellor for Diversity and Community Engagement Katrina Caldwell and Provost Noel Wilkin also released a statement titled "My Culture is Not a Costume" that said the student in the photo was wearing a costume. |
| Jackson State and Tougaloo College students to be recognized | |
| Jackson State University and Tougaloo College students will be honored at a special dinner Wednesday evening. The Metro Jackson Heart Association will host the HBCU Scholars Recognition Dinner at Char Restaurant from 6 to 8 pm. Students participated in a year-long program to give them a better understanding of the cardiovascular disease, how it impacts the community and how to treat it. |
| Mississippi, first in school-age vaccines, lags in immunization rates for teens, adults | |
| For years, the one bright spot on Mississippi's otherwise bleak health care landscape has been its reputation as a leader in childhood immunizations. Last year, 99.6 percent of kindergartners were fully immunized, by far the highest rate in the country. "In a state where there are not a lot of health care statistics that we brag about, it's one of the things that we do really well," Dr. Mary Currier, the former state health officer, told Mississippi Today last year. The reason for the state's success is a 40-year-old law that, unlike those in other states, has remained impenetrable to the loopholes requested by the anti-vaccine movement. But Mississippi's reputation as a leader in immunizations masks a more complex reality---when it comes to young children, teenagers and adults, Mississippi lags far behind the national average, in some cases coming in dead-last, according to data from the CDC. |
| Lexington Woman Sentenced to 6 Months for Communicating False Information about Explosives to U. of Kentucky | |
| A Lexington, Kentucky, woman, who previously admitted to sending false information concerning explosives threatening the University of Kentucky campus was sentenced Tuesday to 6 months in prison. U.S. District Court Judge Danny Reeves sentenced 20-year-old, Haily Loriane Duvall for communicating false threats regarding explosives. Duvall previously admitted of using Snapchat to communicate threats to the University of Kentucky community on November 7 and 8 of 2018. According to the plea agreement, Duvall created a second account and used it to further disseminate the created threats. Duvall also informed other University of Kentucky students about the Snapchat communications, contacted the University of Kentucky Police Department and reported the threats, and also made contact with a local news reporter to attempt to publicize the alleged threat. After being confronted by law enforcement, Duvall admitted to being responsible for the threats and that the threats would be seen as a serious expression of intent to commit harm to University of Kentucky students and faculty. |
| Newsman Jim Lehrer, Intel chair Andy Bryant to join U. of Missouri Hall of Fame | |
 | A well-known former PBS news anchor and the chairman of Intel will be inducted into the University of Missouri Hall of Fame this Homecoming weekend. Jim Lehrer is an alumnus of the School of Journalism and a broadcast journalist of five decades. He covered the Watergate hearings and moderated 12 presidential debates from 1988 to 2012. He co-anchored The MacNeil/Lehrer NewsHour with Robert MacNeil, which became NewsHour with Jim Lehrer in 1995 and PBS NewsHour in 2009. He retired in 2011. Lehrer in a phone interview said the MU School of Journalism prepared him for his career "in every way that mattered." "The number one thing I learned is to get it right and get it done on time," Lehrer said. "I learned it big time and it's lasted." He also learned another lesson at MU. "Journalism matters to Americans," Lehrer said. "The only way to get informed is a free press." |
| Report: Federal policy, not servicers, to blame for many student loan failures | |
 | During a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee hearing on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program last month, Democrats held a seat open for the top executive from a loan servicer responsible for managing the program. The servicer, the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency, has been under fire for its alleged mismanagement of the program. And the absence of PHEAA's president and CEO, who noted in a letter to the committee that the company was bound by federal laws and regulations, didn't do anything to mollify concerns of lawmakers on the committee. The scrutiny of PHEAA is emblematic of the place servicers have come to occupy in the debate over the federal student loan program. In recent years, many consumer advocates and elected officials at both the federal and state level have identified loan servicers, which contract with the federal government to collect borrower payments, as among the worst actors in higher ed. But a report published Wednesday says much of the anger over student loans is mistakenly assigned to loan servicers. While there are real customer service failures at servicers, much of borrowers' frustration stems from the design of the federal loan program, argues the report, from the American Enterprise Institute. |
| Where 4-Year Schools Find a Pool of Applicants: 2-Year Schools | |
 | Community colleges are the workhorses of higher education. They don't charge a lot and they take everybody. It's why nearly a third of college students in the United States attend one. They often are treated as places where workers retrain, add technical skills and earn job certifications. But they also have a quieter role, helping students earn two-year degrees that prepare them to transfer to a four-year college. In our status-conscious higher education hierarchy, however, the firepower of those campuses and their students is often overlooked. But now, amid worry about affordability and a tone around college admissions that feels more about branding than learning, students are feeding a counternarrative to the privileged, overanxious jostle for prestige. And it is compelling. Who doesn't love students who bet on their own drive? Who have worked as landscapers and cashiers, care for parents or children, study in their cars between shifts and feel grateful for -- rather than entitled to -- the education they get? That is one reason these students are being courted by private colleges, even elite ones. |
| Dual enrollment helps student success but strains college resources | |
| Participation in dual enrollment programs has grown steadily since the early 2000s, with more high school students getting a head start on college -- and not just wealthy ones. But while dual enrollment has broad support from students and policy makers, it can place a financial strain on colleges. "The research shows that students who participate in dual enrollment programs are more likely to graduate and go on to postsecondary education," said Amy Williams, executive director of the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships. The flip side is the financial burden often placed on already underresourced community colleges. Juston Pate, president and CEO of Elizabethtown Community and Technical College in Kentucky, said the extra pressure of student services and additional outreach costs are difficult, though "worth it." Another concern is that dual enrollment is reducing freshmen enrollment at community colleges. Williams said she's heard about the issue "on an anecdotal basis," but there's not much formal research on it. |
| Food Security Is Fluid, Report Says | |
| Food security is a fluid issue for some students, according to a report from the nonprofit Trellis Company, which aims to help student borrowers repay loans and promotes access to higher education. In the report, "Studying on Empty: A Qualitative Study of Low Food Security Among College Students," Trellis followed 72 students in Texas and Florida for nine months to see how food security affected them. In that time, 36 students were either low or very low food secure at least once. The research found that stable employment with a living wage, access to supplemental aid, support from social networks, time and personal finance information improved food security. The reverse was also true -- loss of a job or financial aid, changes in support networks, or unexpected bills all impaired food security. |
| Diet And Depression: What You Eat Can Help Improve Mood, New Study Finds | |
 | There's fresh evidence that eating a healthy diet, one that includes plenty of fruits and vegetables and limits highly processed foods, can help reduce symptoms of depression. A randomized controlled trial published in the journal PLOS ONE finds that symptoms of depression dropped significantly among a group of young adults after they followed a Mediterranean-style pattern of eating for three weeks. Participants saw their depression "score" fall from the "moderate" range down to the "normal" range, and they reported lower levels of anxiety and stress too. Alternatively, the depression scores among the control group of participants -- who didn't change their diets -- didn't budge. These participants continued to eat a diet higher in refined carbohydrates, processed foods and sugary foods and beverages. Their depression scores remained in the "moderate severity" range. |
| Study identifies a key reason black scientists are less likely to receive NIH funding | |
| In 2011, a study led by economist Donna Ginther of the University of Kansas in Lawrence found that black applicants were significantly less likely than white applicants to be funded by the National Institutes of Health. Since then, NIH officials have examined a host of factors that might cause the disparity, from the historical advantages that white men enjoy to overt discrimination by grant reviewers. But the picture remains cloudy. Now, NIH scientists have identified a key factor they hadn't previously considered: the topics that black scientists want to study. Specifically, black applicants are more likely to propose approaches, such as community interventions, and topics, such as health disparities, adolescent health, and fertility, that receive less competitive scores from reviewers. And a proposal with a poorer score is less likely to be funded. The finding is already prompting discussion about whether that disparity is rooted in NIH's priorities -- and whether those priorities should be rethought. |
| The Future of Campus Libraries? 'Sticky Interdependence' | |
 | Campus libraries are anticipating a new era -- a codependent one. Librarians at universities in the Big Ten athletic conference wrote recently that they would work toward managing their separate collections "as if they were a single, shared" one. They said they must move away from a mind-set of independent libraries, motivated by self-interest, cooperating only sometimes. The Big Ten Academic Alliance's statement, posted last month, is notable for its scope -- its members' collections represent 22 percent of North American print titles -- and focus on prospective collections development. Outside of the Big Ten alliance, known as BTAA, groups nationwide are sounding similar notes. The Association of Research Libraries last month started a two-year task force on digital content, trying to provide "barrier-free access to information." |
| Nobel Prizes In Literature Go To Olga Tokarczuk And Peter Handke | |
| In an unusual move, the Swedish Academy doled out Nobel Prizes in literature to two authors on Thursday: Polish writer Olga Tokarczuk, who won the postponed 2018 award, and Austrian author Peter Handke, who won the prize for this year. The academy's permanent secretary, Mats Malm, announced the winners at a press briefing in Stockholm. Tokarczuk, 57, was recognized "for a narrative imagination that with encyclopedic passion represents the crossing of boundaries as a form of life," according to the judges' citation, released Thursday. And judges said Handke, 76, won "for an influential work that with linguistic ingenuity has explored the periphery and the specificity of human experience." This year's winners join Kazuo Ishiguro (2017), Bob Dylan (2016), Svetlana Alexievich (2015) and Patrick Modiano (2014) as the most recent laureates to win the prize. Altogether, 114 individuals have won the Nobel in literature since its institution in 1901. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State's Kylin Hill wants to be a neighborhood hero | |
| Kylin Hill was considered one of the top running back recruits in the country coming out of Columbus High School in 2017. The former four-star prospect had no shortage of scholarship offers but chose to attend Mississippi State, a short 30-minute drive from his family. "It was very important for me to stay close to home so my entire family can come see me play and cheer me on," Hill said. "The people in my hometown and even here in Starkville tell me how happy and glad they are I chose to stay. I could've went anywhere but I chose to stay and basically be a neighborhood hero." Hill hit the field right away in the Bulldogs' backfield as a true freshman and took on a starting role as a sophomore last season, rushing for 734 yards and totaling eight touchdowns despite missing two games to injury. This fall, however, Hill has taken his game to another level. |
| Mississippi State's Bob Shoop ready to face his former team | |
| Mississippi State defensive coordinator Bob Shoop will see familiar faces Saturday when the Bulldogs visit Tennessee. Shoop was Tennessee's defensive coordinator in 2016-17, the final two years of Butch Jones' coaching tenure. Shoop's son, Jay, is a walk-on defensive back for Tennessee. Shoop, who is in his second year on Mississippi State's staff, coached several current members of Tennessee's defense. "I think Coach Shoop was a great coach, first of all," Tennessee safety Nigel Warrior said. "Second, what I remember from him is being a great coach, putting all his guys in position to make a play. I'm pretty sure that's what he's doing at Mississippi State." Shoop wasn't made available to the media this week as Mississippi State (3-2, 1-1 SEC) and Tennessee (1-4, 0-2) look to get back on track inside conference play. |
| Mississippi State football Q and A: Breaking down Bulldogs vs. Volunteers | |
| Standing at the podium inside Mississippi State's football facility for his weekly session with the media Tuesday night, freshman quarterback Garrett Shrader rocked a pair of jean shorts. Or, as they're commonly referred to these days, "jorts." Shrader seemed relaxed ahead of Mississippi State's (3-2, 1-1 SEC) impending battle against Tennessee (1-4, 0-2) this Saturday at Neyland Stadium, but he's always that way. Just how comfortable and confident should the Bulldogs be as a whole? The Clarion Ledger caught up with Tennessee beat writer Blake Toppmeyer of the Knoxville News Sentinel to get a different perspective on this weekend's game. This is a full transcript of the interview. |
| How Jeremy Pruitt will handle Tennessee quarterbacks vs. Mississippi State | |
 | Jeremy Pruitt was taken aback by the question Wednesday evening when asked if he was prepared to name a starting quarterback for Tennessee's game against Mississippi State. "Well, I mean, Brian will be the starting quarterback Saturday. I mean, I think everybody would know that, right?" Pruitt said at his news conference. OK, so that's out of the way. No surprise there. Maurer, a freshman, made his first career start last week. He replaced Jarrett Guarantano, who was benched for ineffective play after making 18 consecutive starts. Maurer completed 14 of 28 passes for 259 yards with two touchdowns and an interception in a 43-14 loss to No. 3 Georgia. I think Brian has practiced good this week," Pruitt said on his "Vol Calls" radio show. "He seems to be a little more relaxed." Pruitt said Tennessee "probably will have a plan to play" Guarantano, too. |
| UT Welcomes Fans to Mississippi State Game Saturday | |
| UT welcomes fans and visitors to campus Saturday for the football game against Mississippi State University. Kickoff is set for noon EDT. Gates open at 10 a.m. The SEC Network will televise the game. Fans should note that artificial noisemakers are not allowed in Neyland Stadium and will be confiscated at the gates and inside the stadium. Fans are encouraged to arrive on campus early to minimize congestion. Construction on the new engineering complex southeast of Neyland Stadium will mean restricted or altered pedestrian paths in that area. Look for signage. As required by the SEC, fans are allowed to bring to the stadium only one clear plastic bag no larger than 12 inches by 6 inches by 12 inches or a one-gallon clear resealable plastic bag. They also will be allowed a small clutch purse not to exceed 4.5 inches by 6.5 inches. The university reminds visitors that anyone attempting to enter the stadium with alcohol will be denied entry. |
| Sports agent Bus Cook to speak at Starkville Quarterback Club | |
| Sports agent Bus Cook will be the speaker at the Starkville Quarterback Club's meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Starkville Country Club. Cook, who attended Ole Miss, was the agent for former NFL stars Brett Favre and Randy Moss. He currently represents players including Russell Wilson, Cam Newton and Myles Garrett. He will be joined by Mississippi State defensive line coach Deke Adams, who will give the Scouting Report. Cook's speech is sponsored by Shipley Do-Nuts and Cadence Bank. Social hour starts at 6 p.m., and a dinner of fried or baked catfish, black-eyed peas, turnip greens and cornbread will be served with a salad bar and dessert at 6:30 p.m. |
| Mississippi State tennis player Giovanni Oradini opens ITA All-American Championships with a win | |
| Mississippi State tennis player Giovanni Oradini won his first match Wednesday to start the ITA All-American Championships in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Oradini, ranked No. 24, waited out a rain delay of more than three hours and beat TCU's 86th-ranked Luc Fomba 1-6, 6-3, 6-4. Oradini will face No. 29 Gabriel Decamps of UCF in the next round at a time to be determined Thursday. He is the only Bulldog competing at the event. |
| Policy-violating EMCC hype videos contain violence, sex, drug, gang references | |
| Pregame "hype" videos shown to the East Mississippi Community College football players for at least three seasons violated copyright law and the college's acceptable use policy, President Scott Alsobrooks told The Dispatch. In August, three reporters for The Dispatch viewed as part of a Mississippi Public Records Act request hype videos school officials confirmed were shown to the football team during the 2016, 2017 and 2018 seasons, a total of more than 30. The videos show game and practice footage of EMCC football players and coaches interwoven with clips from movies, television shows and rap music videos that Alsobrooks said the college doesn't have the proper licenses to use in that manner. Further, the music lyrics in the videos, as well as some of the movie and television clips, contain graphic language -- including profanity, references to violence, sex, drugs and gang activity. EMCC players and coaches were shown in the videos, but for highlight purposes only, and no one affiliated with the school is shown using foul language. |
| Michael Thompson Jr. Named Deputy AD for External Relations and Business Development | |
| Michael Thompson Jr. has been named Deputy Athletic Director for External Relations and Business Development, Texas A&M Athletic Director Ross Bjork announced Wednesday. Widely recognized for his innovative practices in business development and revenue advancement, Thompson comes to Texas A&M following a nine-year tenure at Ole Miss where he most recently served in a similar role alongside Bjork since 2018. As Deputy Athletic Director, Thompson will provide oversight and leadership of Texas A&M Athletics interests through unified efforts designed to maximize revenue potential, expand the brand both nationally and globally and further enhance opportunities for engagement. Additionally, Thompson will lead collaborative initiatives with multiple entities regarding external communications and marketing, ticketing, licensing and merchandising, information technology and multi-media rights. |
| Sen. Cory Booker proposal would protect athlete labor rights | |
| Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) introduced a raft of proposals Thursday to protect athletes' labor rights, including requiring compensation for college athletes for the rights to their names, images and likenesses (NIL). In a statement, Booker called for the establishment of a commission to address "issues of economic justice" for student athletes, including health and safety standards and transparency around academic outcomes. Booker also pledged to push for a federal law to ensure athletes benefit from sponsorships or NIL rights as well as hire agents or business managers. The New Jersey senator also pledged to sign the Athletics Fair Pay Act, under which national governing bodies for professional sports would be required to compensate female athletes equally and fairly. Booker also pledges to end "anti-competitive and anti-worker practices" such as the collusion by NFL team owners to keep them out of the league alleged by former players Eric Reid and Colin Kaepernick. While a student at Stanford University, Booker played as a tight end. |
| SEC making millions upon millions on TV football, but fans jacked around in process | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Football coaches always tell us you have to play them one game at a time, as if there were any other way. So football coaches should stop reading now, because we're about to look ahead a week. A week from this Saturday, fifth-ranked LSU will head to Starkville to play Mississippi State. We don't know what time that game will start. Might be 11 a.m. Might be 2:30 p.m. Might be 5 p.m. We won't learn the starting time until late Saturday night or early Sunday morning when the TV networks, which televise SEC games, decide. LSU and State fans must wait until then to make their plans. ... These TV contracts were negotiated long ago. And, yes, CBS and ESPN pay dearly for the right to set starting times for their broadcasts. Each conference school received a check for $43 million and change this year. Much of that -- probably 75 percent of it -- came from the networks. As one SEC athletic director put it: "You go around the league's campuses and you look at all the new athletic facilities. ESPN and CBS built most of those." |
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