| Monday, October 28, 2019 |
| Mississippi State receives $1.6M grant project for STEM education | |
 | A new $1.6 million National Science Foundation Grant to Mississippi State University seeks to develop teaching materials from weather data for secondary students. The project is titled "3D Weather," and will include professional development and instructional materials for activities directly involving and benefitting 44 secondary science teachers and approximately 2,000 middle and high school students across Mississippi. The program will include the Starkville- Oktibbeha Consolidated School District. Faculty involved are the grant's principal investigator, Yan Sun, an assistant professor in the department of instructional systems and workforce development, professor of geosciences Jamie Dyer, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering Jean Mohammadi-Aragh and MSU Northern Gulf Institute outreach coordinator Jonathan Harris. |
| Astronaut to speak Tuesday at Mississippi State | |
 | Mississippi State's Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College and the Office of Prestigious External Scholarships are welcoming Astronaut Fred Gregory to the Starkville campus Tuesday for a special presentation. From 3:30-5 p.m. in Griffis Hall's Honors Forum Room 401C, NASA's first African-American Deputy Administrator will discuss his leadership within NASA, as well as its Space Shuttle program. His talk is free and open to the public. Gregory, also a former test pilot, manager of flight safety programs and launch support operations, will present the prestigious $10,000 Astronaut Scholarship to a pair of students in MSU's Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College and the Bagley College of Engineering. Senior biomedical engineering major Mary Catherine Beard of Lufkin, Texas, and senior mechanical engineering major Jacob Easley of Starkville are among just 52 students nationwide named to the 2019 Astronaut Scholar Class by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation. |
| Brett McCool graduates from Mississippi State leadership program | |
 | Brett McCool of Bailey, harvesting and transportation manager for Weyerhaeuser, is among nine agricultural professionals in the first graduating class of the Thad Cochran Agricultural Leadership Program. Established in 2017 by the Mississippi State University Extension Service in partnership with the Mississippi Farm Bureau Federation, the agricultural leadership program provides 22 months of training for emerging leaders in the state's farming industry. The program provides rigorous and relevant education, increasing the leadership capacity of people working in agriculture and natural resources in Mississippi. Program coordinator Michael Newman said the in-state seminars included instruction on public policy, emerging technologies, leadership fundamentals and economic development. MSU Extension Director Gary Jackson said the program will be vitally important to the future of agriculture in Mississippi. |
| Proposed city code includes zoning changes, architecture review board | |
| Starkville city leaders and members of the public have been focused on one aspect of the rewrite of the unified development code: proposed restrictions on short-term rentals such as Airbnbs in residential neighborhoods. But that only takes up half a page of the 384-page draft code that has been on the city website for public viewing since the end of September, and the ongoing short-term rental debate has "totally eclipsed" other parts of the code that the public should be aware of, city planner Daniel Havelin said. The rewritten code has been in the works since 2017 with the goal of modernizing development in Starkville, and includes goals that the city adopted in its comprehensive plan in 2016. The comprehensive plan and the unified development code are often assumed to be the same thing, Havelin said, but the former is a set of goals and objectives and the latter is the regulatory document that carries them out. |
| Research team releases report on the South | |
 | E Pluribus Unum, an initiative led by former New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, recently released a report on race relations in the South, titled "Divided by Design: Findings from the American South." Beginning in September 2018, a group traveled to 28 communities across 13 states and interviewed 1,800 people as part of a qualitative and quantitative study to discover the perceptions of race and its effects on the economy, community and legacy of America. In a conference call Tuesday, Landrieu called race, "the nation's most traumatic issue." "Unless we work through this issue, the country is never, ever going to reach her potential," said Landrieu. The research group explored the Mississippi Delta, visiting Cleveland, Greenville, Indianola, Drew, Moorhead, and the Louisiana cities of Tallulah and Lake Providence. |
| Political analysts weigh impact of Trump visit | |
 | With President Donald Trump coming to Tupelo on Nov. 1 to campaign for Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves ahead of the state's election for governor, political analysts and elected officials have mixed views on the implications of Trump's visit. Republicans hope that Trump's decision to host the rally in Northeast Mississippi will be a deciding factor in the race. Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood is from the region and has long been able to amass crossover votes in his corner of the state. He likely needs continued and widespread support from typically Republican voters in Northeast Mississippi to win the governor's post. J. Miles Coleman, the associate editor of Sabato's Crystal Ball at the University of Virginia Center for Politics, thinks the decision to rally in Tupelo is rooted in the fact that the area is a majority white and was ancestrally Democratic, but is becoming more conservative. |
| Reeves up over Hood in latest poll, but Trump factor might not be as big as anticipated | |
| A majority of Mississippi voters -- 58 percent -- say President Donald Trump's decision to endorse Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves for governor will not be a factor or will be only a minor factor in their voting decision, according to a NBC News/Survey Monkey poll released this week. Of that majority, 42 percent said it would not be a factor at all. Among black Mississippians, 51 percent said it would not be a factor at all while 14 percent said it would be a minor factor. On the other side, 21 percent of black voters said it would be a major factor and 13 percent said would be one of several major factors. The poll, conducted Oct. 8 through Tuesday, did not ask the registered voters whether the Trump endorsement would negatively or positively impact their decision to vote for the Republican Reeves over Democratic Attorney General Jim Hood in the Nov. 5 general election. |
| Donald Trump Jr. campaigns in Oxford for Tate Reeves: 'We're going to run this state like Donald J. Trump is running America' | |
| The Mississippi gubernatorial election is 12 days out, and Republican candidate Tate Reeves was in Oxford on the campaign trail. Joining him on Thursday evening at Johnny Morgan's Shop in Oxford was a special guest -- Donald Trump Jr. Reeves was not the only candidate in the Nov. 5 election in attendance at the 2019 Good Ole Boys and Gals rally, but he was certainly the headliner. A handful of other candidates running for state legislative positions spoke for 3 to 4 minutes apiece on Thursday night, before Reeves and Trump Jr. took the stage, speaking for a combined 45 minutes. Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jim Hood was not in attendance. "It's an important election. We as Mississippians have a choice," Reeves said. "We're going to run this state like Donald J. Trump is running America... and the reality is, we're going to elect Republicans up and down the ticket." |
| Vice President Mike Pence coming to Mississippi for Tate Reeves | |
 | Vice President Mike Pence is scheduled to attend a Mississippi campaign rally in support of gubernatorial candidate Tate Reeves before the Nov. 5 election. The Associated Press reports Pence plans to join Lt. Gov. Reeves, the Republican nominee, at a Coast rally on Nov. 4, the day before the election. Additional details were expected to be released Monday by the Reeves campaign. The Pence event will follow a Nov. 1 rally by President Donald Trump in Tupelo, set for 7 p.m. in BancorpSouth Arena. Trump and Pence last traveled to rally in Mississippi before the election last fall, when Republican U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith faced a tough challenge from Democrat Mike Espy. She ultimately won by eight points. |
| Dem bypasses party unity in his run for Mississippi governor | |
 | Republican nominees for statewide offices in Mississippi appeared at a campaign rally in September, making speeches about unity and posing for smiling group photos. Democrats have not done the same, and there are no signs that they'll do so before the Nov. 5 election for governor and other positions. The Democratic Party has been at loose ends for years in Mississippi, a conservative Deep South state where President Donald Trump is popular. Republicans hold seven of the eight statewide offices and control both chambers of the Legislature. That lone statewide Democrat is fourth-term Attorney General Jim Hood, who has been elected with bipartisan support and is now his party's nominee in the open race for governor. Hood eschews connections to national Democratic figures and promotes himself as a candidate who supports gun rights and personally opposes abortion. |
| Analysis: Life experience shapes attorney general candidates | |
| Democrat Jennifer Riley Collins says one of her priorities, if elected Mississippi attorney general, will be ensuring law enforcement officers receive the equipment they need to do their jobs -- items like bullet-resistant vests that can be purchased by combining state or local money with federal funds. She says she also wants to ensure that officers receive training that could help them better connect with communities of color. "For me, it's about making sure everyone comes home safe," Collins told The Associated Press in a recent interview at the state Capitol. Collins, 53, is a military veteran and former executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi. She faces Republican state Treasurer Lynn Fitch, 58, in the Nov. 5 election. The winner will succeed four-term Attorney General Jim Hood, who's now the Democratic nominee for governor. |
| The tip, the raid, the reveal: The takedown of al-Baghdadi | |
| The helicopters flew low and fast into the night, ferrying U.S. special forces to a compound where Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was hiding in Syria. Half a world away, President Donald Trump watched the raid in real time via a video link as troops blasted into the hideout and sent the most-wanted militant running the last steps of his life. The daring raid was the culmination of years of steady intelligence-gathering work -- and 48 hours of hurry-up planning once Washington got word that al-Baghdadi would be at a compound in northwestern Syria. The night unfolded with methodical precision and unexpected turns. |
| With Baghdadi in their sights, U.S. troops launched a 'dangerous and daring nighttime raid' | |
 | As President Trump and senior advisers settled into the Situation Room on Saturday evening, elite U.S. forces more than 6,000 miles away launched one of the most significant counterterrorism operations in the campaign against the Islamic State. Taking off in eight helicopters from Iraq, the troops flew over hostile territory for hundreds of miles in the early Sunday morning darkness. Their target, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the brutal founder and leader of the Islamic State, was holed up in a compound in northwestern Syria with family members and terrorist associates, and the United States had been watching him for days. And it was a tip from a disaffected Islamic State militant that set the operation in motion, according to a U.S. official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive operation. |
| Longest Table event gathers Ole Miss community for dinner and discussion | |
 | Chancellor Glenn Boyce made one of his first public appearances last night at The Longest Table, an event intended to create a space for conversation among the many different voices on campus. Boyce gave opening remarks at the event but did not comment for this story. During his remarks, he said he wanted to turn The Longest Table initiative into an Ole Miss tradition. "I hope tonight that everybody here will speak freely, and enjoy the conversation and learn from each other," Boyce said. "And so as we go about this to strengthen our community, to make new connections and new friends this evening, I would just suggest to you: Let's start talking." Boyce emphasized his commitment to listening to students, as he did after it was announced that he would be the next chancellor. |
| EMCC'S Marilyn Ford named two-year faculty association's president | |
| East Mississippi Community College humanities instructor Marilyn Ford has been named president of the Mississippi Faculty Association of Community and Junior Colleges. Ford, who assumed the two-year position Sept. 27, will represent faculty at community and junior colleges across the state. "One of my main goals as president will be to promote unity among, and support for, all stakeholders in our community and junior college system," Ford said. The MFACJC serves as an advocacy agency for faculty and other non-administrative employees who provide instructional support. Among other things, the MFACJC facilitates an open dialogue among legislators and other educational organizations to promote the mission of the state's community and junior colleges. The MFACJC also coordinates Capitol Day, an annual spring event in which students, faculty and staff gather at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson to stress the role that community and junior colleges play in providing educational and economic opportunities to residents in the state. |
| Auburn University professor doesn't let anything intrude on her poetry | |
| For Rose McLarney, Associate Professor of Creative Writing at Auburn University, poetry is more important than air ducts. She'll tell you that directly -- especially on Monday mornings since those are her writing mornings. Wednesday mornings are also writing mornings ... and maybe Thursday and Friday. And if the world doesn't get in the way, McLarney might write on Saturday and Sunday mornings too. "I've always woken up early and smarter than I will be by the end of the day," she said. Thankfully, as the sun set over the Jule Collins Smith Museum's garden hedges, which were ripe with monarch butterflies headed south for the winter, McLarney took a break from writing to talk about her education, writing habits and prolific career. McLarney's third collections of poems, Forage, was released in early September 2019, from Penguin Books. |
| South Carolina HBCU takes hit to host Trump after complaints about speech, award | |
 | Benedict College President Roslyn Artis was willing to take a hit for HBCUs by having President Donald Trump use the Columbia school for a speech to brag about his criminal justice record. For all of his racially tinged comments since taking office, such as comparing his impeachment inquiry to a lynching last week, Trump has helped boost federal funding for HBCUs used to provide more student financial aid. "We have had a confusing relationship with this White House," Artis told The Post and Courier. Artis and her college of 2,200 students found themselves a hub of presidential politics over the weekend by hosting a criminal justice forum that included Trump and 10 top Democrats. But the forum run by the 20/20 Bipartisan Justice Center did not turn out as planned. |
| Colleges squawk over endowment tax | |
 | A provision in the 2018 budget law aimed at shielding a college in Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's home state of Kentucky from new taxes hasn't actually done that. In comments filed on a Treasury Department-issued guidance on the new endowment tax last month, Berea College said it believed Treasury's interpretation of the tax would force it to pay $1 million a year. The college is asking Treasury to reconsider before finalizing the rules. McConnell led the effort to spare Berea from the new endowment tax, a 1.4 percent levy on income from wealthy schools' endowments even though the GOP Congress of 2017 created it in that year's tax law. The tax only applies to those institutions with at least 500 students and at least $500,000 in assets per student. The other colleges hit with the new tax, mostly prominent research institutions and prestigious small colleges, are also hoping to minimize its impact. |
| College of William & Mary is teaching its business students how to automate | |
 | "We're driving toward a robot on every desktop," said Tom Clancy, senior vice president of learning at UiPath. "Automation and robotic process automation is the fastest-growing enterprise software in the industry today." UiPath might be a long way from putting a robot in the hands of every American worker, but the company is putting one in the hands of 800 undergraduate business majors and minors at the College of William & Mary. The three-year partnership and the software gift, valued at $4 million, will allow each business student to access robotic processing automation software and training. Robotic process automation (RPA) software -- the "bots" that UiPath specializes in -- focuses on automating rote computer tasks, such as opening folders, copying and pasting data, reading and writing databases, and scraping the web. Ryan Craig, managing director at University Ventures, a higher education investment firm, said he thinks the project is remarkable and similar to what Amazon Web Services is doing in higher education. |
| George Washington faculty disconnected from decision to cut enrollment | |
| George Washington University faculty members are unhappy about being left out of the process that led to a plan to reduce undergraduate enrollment. They are determined to learn more about how university administrators arrived at the decision in which faculty members say they had little to no input. Thomas LeBlanc, the university's president, announced in July that the university would move to decrease the undergraduate population and increase the number of students majoring in STEM subjects. The move surprised and concerned many faculty members, who publicly questioned the wisdom and long-term implications of such a far-reaching decision. More than 200 faculty members attended an unusually crowded faculty assembly last week to discuss their continuing efforts to learn more about the planned 20 percent cut from the undergraduate population and 11 percent increase in STEM majors by 2024. There was nearly unanimous agreement for the Faculty Senate to dig deeper into the methods that determined the enrollment shifts as part of the university's five-year strategic plan. |
| East Carolina U.'s Interim Chief Resigns Amid Investigation of His Drinking at Student Hangout | |
 | Dan Gerlach has resigned as East Carolina University's interim chancellor amid an investigation by the University of North Carolina system into videos that showed him drinking and dancing with students, the News & Observer reported. Gerlach was placed on leave after the videos surfaced in late September. They showed him socializing and putting his arms around young women. At the time, Gerlach said he was trying to be "present and approachable." Some students and others defended Gerlach, saying the controversy over his conduct had been blown out of proportion. In a written statement on Saturday, William L. Roper, interim president of the North Carolina system, said Gerlach's resignation was effective immediately. "I believe that this action is in the best interests of the entire East Carolina University community," Roper's statement said. |
| For some college roommates, emotional support animals are becoming emotional pains | |
 | At 18 years old, the Johnson County teen was already a bit stressed about moving to college in Illinois -- unknown place, new people and all that. But never did she anticipate that when she arrived this semester, not only had one of her suite mates brought a rambunctious 30-pound dog as an emotional support animal, or ESA, but the dog, barely 6 months old, seemed all but trained. It may be an emotional support for one uncertain student, but for some suite mates it's been an emotional pain. Colleges nationwide are seeing a significant rise in the number of students arriving on campuses not only with books and bedding, but also with therapists' letters requesting they be allowed to keep all manner of emotional support animals in their rooms. Unlike service animals, such as those used for visually impaired students, emotional support animals act as living salves to help students deal with everything from generalized anxiety to serious mental illnesses like depression and bipolar disorder. |
| Two dead, 12 hurt, manhunt underway after rampage at party near Texas A&M University-Commerce | |
 | A manhunt was underway Sunday for the man who walked into a packed party near a Texas A&M campus and opened fire, killing two people, injuring 12 more and igniting "complete chaos" as hundreds of panicked partygoers scrambled for cover. Hunt County Sheriff Randy Meeks said the gunfire broke out just after midnight at The Party Venue in Greenville, a town of 27,000 people 50 miles northeast of Dallas. Meeks said at least 750 people were at a Halloween party that was also celebrating homecoming weekend at Texas A&M University-Commerce, although it was not a university-sanctioned event. About 90% of the partygoers were in their late teens or early 20s, he said. No suspect had been identified, no description was immediately released, and authorities had no motive, Meeks said. Deputies had been called to the scene to deal with parking complaints about 15 minutes before the shots rang out. Some of the first people they encountered appeared to be drunk, Meeks said. |
| Lieutenant governor race key for Republicans | |
 | Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: The key election for Mississippi Republicans on November 5th is not the race for governor, rather it is the race for lieutenant governor. Two reasons. First, as we learned during Tate Reeves' tenure, a strong lieutenant governor can command the agenda of state government. Second, Republican nominee Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann can turn the party's focus back toward conservative problem solving. As Mississippi Today wrote, "The lieutenant governor has the sole ability to appoint members, vice-chairmen, and chairmen to the various Senate committees, regardless of which party has control of the chamber. Given that power, it is argued that the office is more powerful than the governorship." Or, as one wag put it, for a bill to become a law, it needs the governor's signature but for a bill to even get a vote it needs the lieutenant governor's blessing. |
| Democrats chart a path to achieve modest goals in upcoming legislative elections | |
| Bobby Harrison writes for Mississippi Today: Mississippi Democrats, after a litany of setbacks, have modest goals for the Nov. 5 legislative elections. Only Democrats wearing the most rose-powered glasses would have any hope of garnering a majority in the 122-member House or the 52-member Senate. Their goal is to win enough seats to strip Republicans of their so-called super majority (or three-fifths majorities) in both chambers. A three-fifth majority gives legislators the votes to pass a tax bill -- cut or increase -- without any Democratic votes. "We are not under any illusion we can take majorities in either chamber this election cycle," said House Democratic Leader David Baria, of Bay St. Louis, who is not seeking re-election. Baria said Democrats believe overcoming the legislative super majorities is a "doable project." |
SPORTS
| Inside the College Football Game-Day Housing Boom | |
| Earlier this month, more than 59,000 college football fans descended on Mississippi State University's campus in Starkville, Mississippi, to watch the Louisiana State Tigers take on the home team. The visitors dealt the Bulldogs a harsh defeat, 36-13. It's been a tough season so far for MSU's program. But game-day weekends are still good business for short-term rentals in a college football town like in Starkville. In a city of just over 25,000 souls, hundreds of places to stay are available to book across Airbnb, VRBO, Homeaway, and other online booking platforms. The vast majority of rentals units are single-family homes in residential neighborhoods near campus. But as in many larger cities grappling with tourism spikes, some college communities are also dealing with the downsides of their seasonal magnetism. Disruptive noise, safety concerns, and scant parking are common refrains among locals besieged by weekend football crowds. Taylor Shelton, a MSU geosciences professor, is researching this phenomenon in Starkville. |
| Mississippi State-trained architect admitted to Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame | |
| Sitting at her office desk at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, Janet Marie Smith's phone rang. Normally on the move, it was unusual that she'd even be in her office. In retrospect, she was plenty enthused to stick around for the impending call. It was Bill Blackwell -- the executive director of the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. He'd called to notify Smith that she had been elected as a member of the Hall of Fame's 2020 class. "I think it's more than appropriate and perhaps a little overdue," former Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles President Larry Lucchino told The Dispatch. A Jackson native and a Mississippi State graduate, Smith's career in ballpark architecture has spanned nearly five decades. Now settled living in Los Angeles as the senior vice president of planning and development for the Dodgers, it was the call from her hometown that put it all in perspective. "I've never had an honor like this so I didn't know what to say," Smith said. "It's incredible. I can't believe I've done anything to be worthy of being in that class of American citizens." |
| Dodgers Senior Vice President Of Planning And Development Janet Marie Smith Among Inductees To Mississippi Sports Hall Of Fame Class Of 2020 | |
| The Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame announced the newest members selected to its Hall of Fame, with the six-person class including Los Angeles Dodgers senior vice president of planning and development Janet Marie Smith, who is renowned for her work across MLB. Smith is accompanied by record-setting high school baseball coach Jerry Boatner; trail-blazing and late professional golfer, Pete Brown; former NBA player Antonio McDyess; long-time Mississippi State athletic director Larry Templeton; and former NFL linebacker Patrick Willis. Though Smith, a Mississippi State University graduate, considers her path to sports unconventional, she's honored to be inducted, per Rowan Kavner of Dodger Insider: "It's just amazing," Smith said. "Mississippi's full of such colorful characters. In the baseball world, you had everyone from Dizzy Dean to Cool Papa Bell, so it's just kind of a real kick for me." |
| Mississippi State outlasts South Alabama in exhibition | |
| Mississippi State used a balanced offensive attack with four players in double figures and fended off a late rally from South Alabama to secure a 78-75 victory during Sunday's charity exhibition contest at Humphrey Coliseum. The Bulldogs raised money to benefit the United Way of West Central Mississippi for those affected by the flood waters in the South Delta. There have been over 500 homes and approximately 225,000 acres of farmland damaged by the record floods. Tyson Carter pumped in a team-leading 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting aided by a trio of three-pointers. He also dished out five assists over 35 minutes of court time. The Bulldogs will carry a SEC-best, 22-game non-conference home winning streak into their season opener versus Florida International on Nov. 5 at Humphrey Coliseum. Tipoff is on-tap for 7 p.m. |
| Mississippi State volleyball snaps eight-game losing streak | |
| Mississippi State volleyball is back in the win column. The Bulldogs (12-9, 1-8 SEC) picked up their first SEC win of the season Friday, defeating Auburn (6-13, 0-8 SEC) 3-1 in a nationally televised four-set contest at the Newell-Grissom Building in Starkville. It was MSU's third-straight win at home against Auburn. Set scores were 19-25, 25-22, 25-15, 25-16. "Tonight was a huge moment for this program," MSU volleyball head coach Julie Darty said in a news release. "In that second set, when we were down 8-2, I called a timeout and I just let the team decide that they were just going to find a way to gut it out and get a win tonight if they wanted to. They found that will to win, and they found that fight and I'm super proud of this team's effort." A total team performance led State to victory Friday night, but Callie Minshew's third double-double of the season stood out. The freshman tallied 11 kills and 15 digs for her first SEC double-double. |
| Hogs like job done by QB John Stephen Jones | |
| Could the University of Arkansas have its sixth different starting quarterback in the last two seasons when the Razorbacks play Mississippi State this Saturday? Arkansas Coach Chad Morris didn't rule out the possibility of giving John Stephen Jones his first start after the redshirt freshman led the Razorbacks to their only touchdown in a 48-7 loss to No. 1 Alabama on Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium. Junior Nick Starkel made his fifth start with senior Ben Hicks, who has started three games, still banged up after injuring his left shoulder in a 51-10 loss to Auburn. After Starkel had three interceptions and a fumbled Shotgun snap that was a little high in the first half and helped Alabama take a 41-0 lead, Jones played the entire second half. He also got some work in the first half. Morris said Arkansas -- which started three quarterbacks last season who are no longer are on the team in Cole Kelley, Ty Storey and Connor Noland -- will re-evaluate the position again this week. "Yeah, I think right now everything's open," Morris said. |
| New No. 1: LSU rises to top of AP Top 25 poll for first time since 2011 | |
 | For the first time since 2011, the LSU Tigers football team is the No. 1 team in the country, according to the AP Top 25 poll released Sunday afternoon. The Tigers (8-0, 4-0 Southeastern Conference) leapfrogged now No. 2 Alabama (8-0, 5-0 SEC) in the poll on the heels of their 23-20 win over No. 11 Auburn (6-2, 3-2 SEC) 23-20 on Saturday in Tiger Stadium. The win over Auburn, which came into the game ranked No. 9, gave LSU its third Top-10 win of the season -- the first time a team has achieved that mark in the AP Top 25 era. The new ranking sets up the "Game of the Century" between the Tigers and Alabama on Nov. 9 at Bryant-Denny Stadium to be a big one. |
| Georgia-Florida game to stay in Jacksonville through 2023 | |
| The city of Jacksonville sweetened the pot yet again, so Georgia and Florida will continue to play their football games there. Jacksonville Mayor Lenny Curry announced Friday morning that the city struck a deal with the two schools that will keep the SEC rivals playing at TIAA Bank Field through the 2023 season. The new contract will net the UGA and Florida athletic departments an additional $3.5 million in guarantees, according to a memo of understanding obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The agreement also includes a two-year option to extend the deal through 2025 and increase the guarantees to $1.5 million, if the schools so choose. That option would have to be exercised by May 15, 2022. "It boils down to finances and the long-standing tradition of a game that's been going on since 1933," Georgia Athletic Director Greg McGarity said of the decision to keep the game in Jacksonville. "In the grand scheme of things, it's the best thing for the total sports program." |
| 'Lock him up' chant greets Trump at World Series | |
 | The stadium greeted him with boos and chants of "Lock him up!" -- a nod to the motto his supporters used against former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in 2016. President Donald Trump on Sunday was one of the many spectators at Game 5 of the World Series between the Houston Astros and Washington Nationals. He and first lady Melania Trump took their seats alongside several lawmakers, including Sen. Lindsey Graham, Rep. Matt Gaetz and Rep. Kevin McCarthy. Trump was introduced to the crowd shortly after the third inning during the salute to veterans. At that point, the booing and chanting began. The crowd did that on what had been a pretty good day for the president; in the morning, Trump announced the death of Islamic leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. This is the first year since 1933 that Washington has had a team in the World Series. |
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