| Thursday, October 17, 2019 |
| MSU Police make traffic flow changes ahead of Saturday's game | |
 | Mississippi State University Police are making traffic control changes for the rest of the football season. Police Chief Vance Rice said Hail State Boulevard is the fastest route to get anywhere compared to sitting in heavy traffic on Highway 12. Drivers going westbound on Blackjack Road will have to turn south on Hail State Boulevard. Drivers going eastbound from Highway 12 onto Blackjack Road will not be allowed past Locksley Way. Officers will close Old Mayhew Road at Bardwell Road and will not allow incoming traffic onto Highway 182. Rice said they're blocking off that section of road because drivers ignored the barricades placed at Lee Boulevard in the past. He urges drivers to turn off their GPSs and follow the officers' directions. Traffic flow maps and updates can be found on social media or at HailState.com. |
| Social Media: Parents, young people learning to navigate digital platforms | |
 | Like many parents, Katie Chustz is concerned about how social media affects her sons. As for her youngest, an eighth grader at Jackson Academy, she acknowledges social media can make him feel like he's out of the loop. For instance, by not having Snapchat, one of the most popular social media platforms for middle-schoolers, she knows he is missing out on certain conversations or inside jokes with his friends. Chustz' older son is a different story. As a senior at JA, she said he's become more responsible with his social media usage. However, she still reminds him that certain posts could affect his chances of getting scholarships or landing a coveted internship. Meanwhile, colleges and universities are seeing the impacts that social media can have on students' employment opportunities. "We are seeing more and more employers doing thorough social media checks on individuals they hire," said Thomas Bourgeois, dean of students at Mississippi State University. |
| STEAM workshop series held for local teachers in Meridian | |
 | The Partners in Education Leadership (PIE) in collaboration with the John F. Kennedy Center held a teaching artist workshop series for arts integration at the Riley Center in Meridian. The mission of the workshop was to offer teachers insight on how the arts impact young people academically. This year's goal was to equip teachers in Meridian and Lauderdale County with innovative approaches to science, technology, engineering and math (STEAM), by infusing the arts into learning experiences. Associate Professor of Educational Leadership at MSU Meridian, Dr. Penny Wallin, says this a great kick-off event for the three part series of workshops. "We have a series of three workshops, this is the first today with teaching artist Melanie Rick from the Kennedy Center who flew in from California last night to be with us today. She is a visual artist and a Thespian, and she will bring her workshop which is entitled 'think like a scientist', developing scientific skills using visual arts," says Wallin. |
| SOCSD discussing on-site health clinic with OCH | |
 | The transition from summer to autumn brings with it a crop of illnesses in schools, from sinus infections to strep throat. The number of students seeing school nurses triples at this time of year, and faculty come in as often as the students do sometimes, Overstreet Elementary School Nurse Paige Fremin said. "It's just hard to stay well with this many people in one building sharing everything," she said. A proposed on-site health clinic could make the season, and the school year in general, much easier for students, parents, faculty and staff in the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District, both Fremin and district public information officer Nicole Thomas said. The district is discussing a partnership with OCH Regional Medical Center for a nurse practitioner to provide medical treatment in a central location when students' and employees' needs go beyond what a school nurse can provide. |
| Alderman Roy Perkins claims September aldermen meeting was illegal | |
| The Starkville board of aldermen's Tuesday meeting began with Vice Mayor and Ward 6 Alderman Roy A. Perkins claiming the Sept. 17 meeting was held illegally. The board approves the minutes of previous meetings at the start of every meeting, and Perkins spent half an hour disputing the Sept. 17 minutes and urging his fellow aldermen to vote against them. Perkins said the board's actions violated the state Open Meetings Act because Mayor Lynn Spruill moved the meeting to 9 p.m. when there was no quorum, and therefore no legal capacity to take any action. City attorney Chris Latimer disagreed, saying no official business happened before 9 p.m., and parliamentary procedure allows the board to "take action to obtain quorum" as it did. |
| Fed survey finds US economy being hurt by trade battles; ag conditions deteriorate further | |
 | The U.S. economy was expanding at a modest pace in September and into October despite the fact manufacturing was being hurt by rising trade tensions and weaker global growth while adverse weather was affecting farmers. The Federal Reserve, issuing its latest assessment of business conditions around the country, reported Wednesday that "persistent trade tensions and slower global growth" were weighing on the economy. The survey, known as the beige book, will be used by Fed officials when they meet Oct. 29-30 to decide whether to cut interest rates for a third time this year. Financial markets are expecting another rate cut as the central bank seeks to protect the economic expansion from the fallout from a trade war between the world's two biggest economies, the United States and China. "Agricultural conditions deteriorated further due to the ongoing impacts of adverse weather, weak commodity prices and trade disruptions," the Fed report said. |
| Continental celebrates grand opening of Clinton plant | |
| Continental Tire celebrated a major milestone Wednesday as it held a grand opening for its new manufacturing facility in Clinton. The celebration marks the completion of the construction process, which began in 2016. An estimated 300 guests, including state and local officials, community members, customers and suppliers joined 250 Continental employees for the event. The new plant is located on a 1,000-acre greenfield site in Hinds County, approximately two miles east of Clinton. Continental has committed nearly $1.4 billion and expects to employ 2,500 people when the plant reaches full capacity in the next decade. "Mississippi welcomes Continental to our great state and looks forward to many years of job creation and synergy with the company," Gov. Phil Bryant said. "This advanced facility helps position our state and our people as champions of manufacturing excellence." |
| Record $11.7 million in new waterfront projects, improvements coming to Coast, state says | |
 | A record $11.74 million from the Tidelands Trust Fund is coming back to the Coast for new boardwalks, boat ramps, waterfront parks and other improvements in South Mississippi. "You'll see it spread all over the Mississippi Gulf Coast," said Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, who presented a ceremonial check Wednesday as local officials and state legislators applauded. The money is collected from casinos and other businesses that sit on leases of land owned by the state, as well as from casinos that moved on-shore after Hurricane Katrina in lieu of tidelands leases. The money goes into a trust fund for use by all Mississippi residents. Hosemann, whose administers the Tidelands Trust Fund, said $6.4 million will pay for public access projects. Another $3.5 million goes to support the operations of the Department of Marine Resources and $1 million is for bond repayment. |
| Mississippi candidates swap accusations of favors for donors | |
| The major-party nominees for Mississippi governor on Wednesday accused each other of doing political favors for campaign donors. Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood said Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves helped enact laws that expand companies' ability to offer high-interest loans, and Reeves received campaign contributions from people who work for payday lenders. "This is just an example of how the loan sharks and the money changers have taken over the temple of government, and it needs to be addressed," Hood said during a news conference at the state Capitol. "You know, for those Trump supporters out there, there's nothing conservative about this." For months, Reeves has said that Hood hired private attorneys to represent the state in lawsuits and then received campaign contributions from them. "Jim Hood is desperately spinning a web of lies because he was caught red-handed funneling taxpayer money to his campaign donors," Reeves said Wednesday on Twitter, citing 2008 reports by the Wall Street Journal. |
| Donald Trump Jr. coming to Mississippi for a Tate Reeves fundraiser | |
 | Donald Trump Jr. is coming to a hunting lodge near Hattiesburg this month for a fundraiser for Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, the Republican nominee for governor. The event costs $500 to attend. According to an invitation for the event, Trump Jr. and his girlfriend Kimberly Guilfoyle are "special guests" at the Oct. 24 reception, which will be hosted at Longleaf Plantation in Purvis. Guilfoyle is a former Fox News personality. "We're excited to have Donald Trump Jr. coming to campaign for us next week, and to have Donald Trump's support!" Reeves said in a statement. "They understand how important it is to defeat Jim Hood --- who supported Hillary Clinton and continues to oppose Trump daily. It should be a fun day on the trail!" Trump Jr. came to Mississippi in 2016 to speak at the Neshoba County Fair. |
| Fact checking Jim Hood and Tate Reeves in the 2019 gubernatorial debates | |
| Mississippians watched Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and Democrat Attorney General Jim Hood square off in two debates in the span of less than a week -- first in Hattiesburg and later in Columbus. These could be the only debates to take place before the Nov. 5 election. In these televised debates, the gubernatorial candidates sparred over the topics of teacher pay, Medicaid expansion, healthcare and the economy. Mississippi Today fact checked each candidate's statements and provided context for several of their claims. |
| 'It All Starts With Education': The JFP Interview With Jay Hughes | |
| On Aug. 24, Democratic Mississippi House Rep. Jay Hughes thought he had "struck gold" at an antique store in the southwest Mississippi town of Columbia, when he found a freshly wrapped moon pie and an RC Cola, a snack combination that was once widely popular and easy to find. Hughes was in town for a meeting he had just had that day with a group of local teachers. ... when he posted that he had found the prized snack on Facebook, a local teacher who had not been at the meeting left a comment. "Oh, I wish I knew you were in town," she wrote. Hughes sent her a private message, and she asked when he was going back. He would be happy to adjust his schedule to stay in town a little longer and meet with her the next day, Hughes wrote. He did, meeting with her and several other local educators and community leaders. The Democratic nominee, who says he "likes to keep a fluid schedule," adjusted it once more that day to make room for a long interview with the Jackson Free Press. |
| Subcommittee to Hold Hearing on Research and Innovation | |
| U.S. Sen. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., chairman of the Subcommittee on Science, Oceans, Fisheries, and Weather, will convene a hearing titled, "Research and Innovation: Ensuring America's Economic and Strategic Leadership," at 2:15 p.m. on Tuesday, October 22, 2019. This hearing will examine the role that research and innovation play in ensuring U.S. leadership in the global economy. Witnesses: Dr. Rebecca Blank, Chancellor, University of Wisconsin-Madison; Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan, Executive Vice President, Arizona State University Knowledge Enterprise; Dr. David Shaw, Provost and Executive Vice President, Mississippi State University; and, Dr. Diane Souvaine, Chair, National Science Board. This hearing will take place in the Dirksen Senate Office Building 562. Witness testimony, opening statements, and a live video of the hearing will be available on www.commerce.senate.gov. |
| U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, key figure in Trump impeachment inquiry and longtime Baltimore advocate, dies at 68 | |
| U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings of Baltimore, a committee chairman known for his devotion to Baltimore and civil rights and for blunt and passionate speechmaking, died of longstanding health problems early Thursday morning, his office said. He was 68 years old. The Democrat, a key figure in the impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump as chairman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, died at Gilchrist Hospice Care at approximately 2:45 a.m., a spokeswoman said. Cummings, who had been absent from Capitol Hill in recent weeks while under medical attention, had health issues in recent years. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, called Cummings "a fierce advocate for civil rights and for Maryland for more than three decades. Congressman Cummings leaves behind an incredible legacy of fighting for Baltimore City and working to improve people's lives." |
| Rep. Bennie Thompson mourns passing of friend & colleague Rep. Elijah Cummings | |
 | Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS), Chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, sent a statement mourning the death of Rep. Elijah Cummings. Cummings passed away on Thursday morning due to a longstanding illness. He was 68. "I am deeply saddened by the passing of my colleague and brother, U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings. We are never truly prepared for the death of a loved one. Congressman Cummings was a man that was not afraid to speak truth to power. Our nation is better because of his years of service and commitment. May God comfort his wife, children, staff, family, and friends during this difficult time. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." (Mathew 5:4) |
| Oktoberfest to be held on MUW's campus Friday | |
| Mississippi University for Women will host its 40th Oktoberfest for students and the Columbus community. The annual fall festival, first held in 1979, begins at 5 p.m. Friday at the Bryan Green Gazebo near Hogarth Student Union on MUW's campus. "Oktoberfest is one of the longest standing traditions at The W," said Mea Ashley, assistant director of Student Life which is organizing the event, in a press release issued Wednesday. "The event offers a chance for our students to raise money so they can continue to do great work for the campus and the community. It's a great family-friendly event and we have something for everybody." Director of Student Life Jessica Harpole said while students, staff and faculty at MUW have always attended the event, organizers wanted to market it more to families throughout the community this year. |
| UM Faculty Senate will consider bills calling for Glenn Boyce's removal, abolition of IHL | |
 | The University of Mississippi Faculty Senate will consider two resolutions [today]. One calls for the declaration of no confidence in the Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees and the appointment of Chancellor Glenn Boyce. The other calls for a coalition of post-secondary institutions to initiate a constitutional amendment to abolish the IHL and create a more representative form of government. The Faculty Senate will also review the materials that the IHL sent about the search process that led to Glenn Boyce's selection as the 18th chancellor at the university. "Therefore, be it further resolved that the Faculty Senate recommends that (Boyce's) appointment be vacated and that the search process be reinstituted," the proposed resolution for no confidence votes said. Faculty Senate Secretary Brice Noonan emphasized the wording of the bill for a vote of no confidence, saying that it is a vote of no confidence in the IHL and the appointment of Boyce, not in Boyce himself. |
| Faculty group takes UGA to task over slave burials | |
 | University of Georgia President Jere Morehead and the university's Office of Media Communications should apologize for their actions in removing presumed slave burials from a UGA construction site and for published comments about what a faculty member said regarding the graves unearthed at Baldwin Hall, according to the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences Faculty Senate. The Senate is elected by faculty from departments of UGA's largest college, which includes such disciplines as English, history, art, chemistry, physics and other hard sciences and social sciences such as sociology and anthropology. Morehead should also "authorize public, robust consultation" about graves known to remain under the parking area around Baldwin Hall -- and about "the best method for publicly discussing and providing genetic analysis to identify, where possible, direct descendants of the persons whose remains were removed to Oconee Hill Cemetery." |
| Florida Fired Him. Now, He's U of L's Title IX Coordinator | |
| In April, David Parrott was fired from his job as the vice president of student affairs at the University of Florida following an investigation into misuse of funds. By September, he was on the job at the University of Louisville as its interim Title IX and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) coordinator. In that role, Parrott is responsible for handling investigations and discipline related to on-campus sexual assaults, investigating complaints of gender discrimination and ensuring compliance with the ADA. Parrott held the top job in the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Florida since 2016, earning $300,000 a year. He was fired, and the associate vice president for student affairs resigned, three months after the university opened an internal investigation into the misuse of public money, according to the Gainesville Sun. Parrott told KyCIR he was given the choice between resigning and being "non-renewed." He said he took that option because it came with a three-month buyout. |
| Industry 'service orders': Less money, more control | |
 | Not all industry money is funneled toward basic research or the development of new products. And most of it does not come in the form of multi-million-dollar grants. More often, the funding comes in small chunks sometimes referred to as service or task orders. This differs from research because the sponsor provides specific protocols that the grantee follows. Lee Miller, a University of Missouri Plant Sciences professor whose research area is turfgrass, described it this way: "If they're coming out with a new pesticide or new biological control or something ... that's going to hit the market, then we will evaluate it and make sure that it works." Some of Miller's service work is done on behalf of the National Turfgrass Evaluation Program, a nonprofit that partners with the USDA. Indeed, service work is not exclusively done for private entities. But that's an exception for Plant Sciences researchers. Most of the department's service orders are funded by industry, according to data analysis conducted by the Missourian. |
| Colleges see declines in Chinese student enrollments | |
 | The number of students from China who attend American colleges and universities more than quadrupled over a decade, fueled by an unprecedented boom in Chinese students going overseas for their undergraduate study. But now some colleges that had come to count on the steadily growing stream of full-tuition-paying students from China are seeing those numbers begin to contract. Rahul Choudaha, an international education analyst, said universities -- in particular public land-grant universities that were big beneficiaries of the China boom -- are "resetting the growth in expectations at the undergraduate level." "It pretty much is a plateauing of the growth," Choudaha said. "If this is the mature plateauing of the demand from the Chinese undergraduate side, then universities have to now rethink what does it mean in terms of their budgets, in terms of their structures." |
| Under New Rule, Chinese Diplomats Must Notify State Dept. of Meetings in U.S. | |
 | The United States has begun requiring Chinese diplomats to notify the State Department before any meetings they plan to have with local or state officials and with educational and research institutions, the State Department said Wednesday. The move was a reaction to the Chinese government's rules for American diplomats in China, a senior State Department official said. American diplomats are generally required to obtain the permission of Chinese officials in Beijing before they can travel to official meetings in the provinces or to visit institutions, the official said. The new State Department requirement was still less onerous than that imposed by China. Chinese diplomats are not required to seek permission for the meetings; they need only to notify the State Department in advance. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State's Darryl Williams showcases versatility at center | |
 | Mississippi State's Elgton Jenkins made the move from guard to center last year and that versatility helped Jenkins become a second round draft pick back in April. Darryl Williams has made the same position change for his senior season and hopes to follow in the footsteps of his friend who has been rated one of the NFL's top offensive linemen as a rookie for the Green Bay Packers. "Being a communicator is a big role that Elgton Jenkins told me I had a take on," Williams said. "That's something I'm continuing to try to develop on that aspect of my game. We talk on a daily basis and he's always telling me to do the little things and to get my hands in the right spot at the right time to move guys out of their gaps. "He's continuing to give me great leadership and advice." Williams is earning a solid reputation of his own. The 6-foot-3, 310-pounder from Bessemer, Alabama, has started 31 of the last 32 games for the Bulldogs and only surrendered one sack over that span. |
| Mississippi State's passing woes hinder Kylin Hill's production | |
| Mississippi State's lack of a consistent passing attack is hampering running back Kylin Hill's production. With opposing defenses loading up to stop the ground game, Hill has been held below 50 yards in each of Mississippi State's last two games. Teams began focusing on Hill after he rushed for over 100 yards in each of his first four games this year. It's not going to get any easier: Next up is No. 2 LSU (6-0, 2-0 Southeastern Conference), which has the SEC's second-ranked run defense. Hill opened the SEC season with a bang, rushing for 120 yards and three touchdowns in a 28-13 victory over Kentucky last month. But it's been a different story lately as Mississippi State (3-3, 1-2) has dropped two straight games. In a 56-23 loss to No. 11 Auburn, Hill was held to just 45 yards on 17 carries. Last week, things went backward again for Hill with just 13 yards on 11 carries as Mississippi State fell 20-10 to Tennessee. |
| Mississippi State Q and A: LSU beat writer analyzes, predicts Tigers vs. Bulldogs | |
 | During his meeting with the media Monday night, LSU quarterback Joe Burrow said he had a cowbell in his room while growing up because his father rooted for Mississippi State. Wait, what? Yeah, Burrow was once high on the Bulldogs. His grandparents still reside up the road from Starkville in Amory, Mississippi. This weekend, the Dawgs are his enemy. And perhaps, his latest victim. Burrow has torched opposing defenses all season as he's built one of the best Heisman Trophy resumes in the country. His completion percentage of 79.6 and passer rating of 218.1 are higher than any other quarterback in the nation. Burrow has also thrown for 25 touchdowns and 359.5 yards per game with only three interceptions. How high will the numbers go against Mississippi State this week? Glenn Guilbeau of the Daily Advertiser answers that and more in this week's MSU Q and A. |
| Ed Orgeron: LSU injury updates, history with Mississippi State, more in SEC teleconference | |
 | Nose tackle Tyler Shelvin and offensive lineman Donavaughn Campbell may both be available for LSU's game at Mississippi State on Saturday, Tigers coach Ed Orgeron said Wednesday morning. "Tyler's gonna be fine; he's going to practice," Orgeron said on the Southeastern Conference teleconference. "Donavaughn Campbell had a slight injury that's hampering him a little bit. I do believe he'll be available for the game if needed." Orgeron has an interesting tie to Mississippi State. At least twice, former Bulldogs coach Dan Mullen (now at Florida) attempted to hire Orgeron to his staff in Starkville. Orgeron cleared the record Wednesday and said he was never offered a job by Mullen in 2014. "I interviewed with Dan," Orgeron said. "He never offered me the job. But I had a lot of respect for Dan. I had gone up there and went to speak at their coaching clinic. I spent three days there. I liked it. I really enjoyed it. I thought there was great people up there. I loved the players." |
| A behind-the-scenes look at the Mississippi State men's basketball team at SEC Media Days | |
| The Dispatch's Garrick Hodge writes: Ben Howland, Reggie Perry and Tyson Carter's Wednesdays began with a brisk 25-minute flight from Starkville to Birmingham, Alabama. The Mississippi State men's basketball trio had an appointment at Southeastern Conference Media Days at the Grand Bohemian Hotel Mountain Brook. To give you a brief overview, the basketball version of Southeastern Conference Media Days is a lot less chaotic than its football counterpart held in the summer. Less local media that cover each of the SEC's 14 teams are in attendance, mostly because football is still in season, and that content reigns king for most markets not named Lexington, Kentucky. With a few exceptions, the media corps is made of mostly national writers, and it's really more of a made-for-television event. Instead of the suits football players Darryl Williams, Erroll Thompson and Farrod Green donned while representing the Bulldogs at SEC Media Days in Birmingham in July, Perry and Carter chose comfort over style, arriving to the lobby in sweatpants and MSU men's basketball long-sleeve shirts. The fifth-year Bulldogs coach Howland followed suit, going with a business-casual approach of a MSU polo and black pants. |
| New SEC Faces Get Opportunity After Offseason Talent Drain | |
| There will be plenty of new faces with an opportunity to make an impact in the Southeastern Conference now that the upperclassmen who dominated the league last year have departed. Auburn coach Bruce Pearl is confident the league will remain strong, even after losing 12 of its top 13 scorers from last season. "We had a terrific, terrific group of kids in this league a year ago," Pearl said Wednesday during the SEC media day event. "While I'm not sure the individuals list is as strong as it was, the coaching continues to get stronger and I don't think it will have any effect on the quality of teams. This is a really, really balanced league." The SEC certainly will have a different look. Twelve of its players were selected in the NBA draft, second only to the Atlantic Coast Conference's 13. No other league had more than six players drafted. |
| Mississippi State Baseball announces 2020 schedule | |
| Fifty-six games over four months await the Mississippi State baseball program and head coach Chris Lemonis when the 2020 season kicks off in February. The Diamond Dawgs will play 30 of those contests against programs that either won conference championships or advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2019. The schedule features 31 games at Dudy Noble Field, along with four other games played across the state during the season. The Diamond Dawgs travel to the West Coast for the first time since 2017, with games in California for the first time since 2016. Season ticket renewal for all reserved chairback seats will begin on October 21, with the deadline to renew being December 2. The reserved seating at Polk-Dement Stadium has been sold out for 34-straight seasons and helped the Diamond Dawgs open the new Dudy Noble Field with a school-record average attendance of 8,899 during the 2019 season. General admission tickets will also go on sale October 21 at $199 for the season. |
| Mississippi State Baseball set for return to MGM Park | |
 | For the first time since 2018, MGM Park will host a college baseball game involving an SEC team. On Wednesday, Mississippi State released its 2020 baseball schedule, and it includes a trip to the Coast for the Bulldogs. Mississippi State will visit Biloxi for games against Louisiana Tech and Nicholls State on March 10 and 11. With the Biloxi Shuckers and team general manager Hunter Reed taking the lead in scheduling, the Bulldogs also agreed to come back to MGM Park for a pair of games in 2021. "The two year commitment was something that both parties were very excited about and ready to get going," said Reed. "We really want to make this successful for multiple years." The scheduled Bulldog games at MGM Park fall during Mississippi State's spring break. The Shuckers hope that means fans not just from the Coast will buy tickets. |
| 2020 Mississippi State baseball schedule analysis | |
| A challenging schedule awaits Mississippi State's baseball team this spring as the Bulldogs seek to reach the College World Series for the third consecutive season. MSU will play 30 games against opponents that either played in the NCAA Tournament last year or won their conference championships. Highlighting the Diamond Dogs' non-conference is a visit from perennial powerhouse Oregon State on Feb. 21-23 and three-game series at Long Beach State the following weekend. Mississippi State will play 31 games at Dudy Noble Field during the regular season opening against Horizon League Champion Wright State on Valentine's Day to begin a nine-game homestand. The Bulldogs will also begin their SEC slate in Starkville against Arkansas on March 13-15. MSU will also host Kentucky, Texas A&M and Missouri in conference play and take on archrival Ole Miss on Super Bulldog Weekend April 9-11. |
| MSU Deer Lab: Deer tracking collars needed to collect data for a study | |
| As a study of mature bucks winds down, multiple malfunctions in tracking collars have prompted the Mississippi State University Deer Lab to ask hunters to target bucks wearing the orange collars. "We were telling people at the start of the study not to shoot them," said MSU Deer Lab's Steve Demarais. "Now, we're telling people to shoot them." The study focused on determining how mature bucks react to hunting pressure. More than 50 bucks along the Big Black River east of US 49 in Madison and Yazoo counties were captured and outfitted with orange tracking collars and ear tags. Movement data was collected from 2017 to 2018 and the collars were set to drop off this year, but that didn't happen in all cases. "The main reason we want the collars back is about 90% of the data is stored in the collars," Demarais said. "We have about 10% of the data. That was transmitted by satellite." |
| Alabama freshman accused of Tiger Stadium bomb threat booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison | |
| A University of Alabama freshman accused of making a bomb threat to Tiger Stadium was booked into East Baton Rouge Parish Prison, booking documents show. Connor Croll, 19, of Crozet, Virginia, was booked at 8:02 p.m. Wednesday on an unknown charge. Bond was set at $100,000. Croll was reportedly arrested in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, by school police Saturday morning for the threat. Police say he confessed to making the threat in an attempt to halt the LSU-Florida game because "his friend was on the verge of losing a large bet." LSU won the game, 42-28. A statement released Tuesday by an LSU spokesperson to WBRZ regarding the incident said: "LSU Police and officials... have protocol in place to respond immediately and appropriately to real and perceived threats at Tiger Stadium and all campus facilities. In this case, protocol was followed efficiently and effectively to quickly ascertain the source of the threat. That protocol including an immediate sweep of the stadium and a multi-agency investigation, which led to the suspect being identified within minutes and arrested soon thereafter." |
| NCAA: 89 Percent of Division I Athletes Graduate | |
| Division I college athletes' Graduation Success Rate reached the highest level recorded for athletes who enrolled in 2012, according to data released Wednesday by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The rate jumped one percentage point, from 88 percent in 2018, to 89 percent this year, meaning nearly nine in every 10 college athletes in the NCAA's top division received their college degree within six years. The GSR among college athletes has been steadily increasing by one to two percentage points each year since 2012. The NCAA measures the graduation rates of athletes differently than the federal government to produce what it says is more accurate data on athletes who transfer. Federal graduation data count students who leave an institution as nongraduates, while the NCAA factors in transfers who leave their original institution in good academic standing. The GSR for college athletes is consistently higher than the government's measure. |
| Mitt Romney tells NCAA 'we're coming for you,' says Congress will act on name, image, likeness | |
| Name, image and likeness legislation has taken the NCAA by storm at the state level, but Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) said Wednesday that national legislation is also on its way. Romney reassured student-athletes that Congress was going to act to help them despite resistance to state legislation from the NCAA. Current NCAA rules forbid student-athletes from profiting off of their name, image or likeness in order to maintain eligibility as an amateur. "You know something is seriously awry," Romney said, per The News & Observer. "The reality is Congress is going to act. We're coming for you. We're coming to help these athletes." Romney's comments came at a roundtable with former Duke standout and current ESPN analyst Jay Bilas and Rep. Mark Walker (R-NC) who introduced a federal statute that would apply across every state, among others. Walkers' Student Equity Act would bring above-board payments for name, image and likeness to college athletes at the national level. |
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