| Tuesday, November 19, 2019 |
| Ad hoc committee aims to promote recycling and increase participation in Starkville | |
 | Less than 10 percent of Starkville residents participate in the city's recycling program, and an informal committee that formed in February wants the city to start an advertising campaign to encourage greater participation. The board of aldermen will discuss the ad hoc committee's three recommendations for the recycling program at its Tuesday meeting, and Ward 2 Alderman Sandra Sistrunk gave the board a preview of the recommendations at Friday's work session. Sistrunk led the effort to form the seven-member committee, with one member from each ward. The committee wants the city to promote the recycling program and keep residents up to date on recycling policies through a $5,000 digital and print advertising campaign. The city would use local organizations and media outlets to spread the word, according to Tuesday's online agenda. |
| Oktibbeha supervisors weigh joining Tombigbee River Valley District | |
| Oktibbeha supervisors decided Monday to further research membership in the Tombigbee River Valley Water Management District before choosing whether to join. The board voted in September to agree that the county would benefit from joining the Tupelo-based state agency, which does flood control, cleanup and repair projects on waterways of all sizes in 12 northeast Mississippi counties. Oktibbeha County could become the 13th, but District 1 Supervisor John Montgomery said he did not want the county to join an agency that does not provide the option of leaving if the board changes its mind. He said he has talked with supervisors in other counties, who told him it could take years for the water management district to bring its services to the county because they work where they determine they are most needed. "The need may be quite evident here in Oktibbeha County, but there's nothing that says they've got to do work here, so I want something with some more guarantees in it," Montgomery told The Dispatch. |
| Mark Coblentz discusses life and cooking at Rotary | |
 | The Starkville Rotary Club heard from one of the community's local celebrities Monday morning, when teen chef Mark Coblentz discussed his experiences as a teen chef and contestant on "Chopped Junior" and "MasterChef Junior." The 16-year-old culinarian is a junior at Starkville High School, where he is also on the football team. In addition to competing on "Chopped Junior" and "MasterChef Junior" in 2015 and 2017, respectively, Coblentz has begun hosting his own cooking show titled "Making a Chef" on Mississippi Public Broadcasting. He also discussed his "Making a Chef" show, which is filmed by his father Robbie Coblentz's production firm Broadcast Media and airs periodically on MPB. "It's all done here in Starkville, Mississippi," Coblentz said. After graduating SHS, Coblentz plans to continue his culinary career path. |
| Gov. Phil Bryant speaker at Delta Council Mid Year session | |
 | Five committees of Delta Council will meet the morning of Nov. 22 at the Charles W. Capps, Jr. Entrepreneurial Center in Stoneville at 10 a.m., followed by a keynote address from Gov. Phil Bryant. The Farm Policy Committee and the Flood Control Committee will meet in Capps Room A beginning at 10 a.m. Concurrently, the Advisory Research Committee, Soil and Water Resources Committee, and Aquaculture Committee will meet in Capps Room B at 10 a.m. Following those committee meetings, a General Session and lunch will convene, highlighted by featured guest Bryant. In the Advisory Research Committee, Soil and Water Resources Committee, and Aquaculture Committee joint session, representative from Mississippi State University, USDA-Agriculture Research Service, MS Department of Environmental Quality, YMD Water Management District, US Geological Service, and the National Sedimentation Lab will give reports on timely issues and initiatives impacting Delta agriculture and national resources. |
| Tate Reeves says he's looking for talented people: 'We have started the process of building our team' | |
| Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, holding his first news conference since his Nov. 5 victory in his campaign for governor, said Monday he is looking for Mississippians "with a heart for service" to work in his new administration. "We need talented people from all backgrounds. We need driven people with all levels of experience... We have started the process of building our team," said a conciliatory Reeves during an about 20-minute news conference in the press briefing room in the governor's offices in the Sillers office building. The press briefing room has not been used often during the administration of outgoing Gov. Phil Bryant but was used routinely during the eight-year tenure of Bryant's predecessor Haley Barbour. Reeves, who currently is transitioning in offices in another Jackson state office building, Woolfolk, said he planned to be accessible to the press as governor. His inauguration is slated for Jan. 14. |
| Governor Elect Tate Reeves announces web portal for jobs with new administration | |
 | Monday Governor Elect Tate Reeves announced a new web portal being launched for individuals interested in jobs with the new administration on all levels. Reeves said since the election he has been focused on what areas to tackle to continue moving the state forward, but is now shifting some focus to necessary staffing. "The one thing I have learned serving in public office and also in the campaign is why all of those goals are critical and we can accomplish all of them we cannot do it alone," said Reeves. "That is why we need talented people from all backgrounds. We need driven people with all levels of experience. From interns to executives." Reeves said if you care about the state and have a heart for service he wants you on his team. He encouraged potential employees to apply through the link by uploading a formal intent to apply for the position as well as a resume. |
| Legislators: Mississippi hasn't prioritized education | |
| Funding, whether for pre-kindergarten programs or for the Mississippi Adequate Education Program, was the primary topic of concern at the Columbus Lowndes Chamber of Commerce's annual Education Town Hall Monday night. The 60-plus attendees who crowded into the Castleberry Ballroom at the Courtyard Marriott had the opportunity to ask education-related questions to the panel of four legislators and three representatives from area school districts. Questions touched on topics such as virtual education and state testing for K-12 students, and especially whether the Legislature would fund educational programs once the 2020 session begins. "You look at the numbers, we're constantly fighting for 47th, 48th, as far as being the worst state for public education," said Rep. Cheikh Taylor (D-Starkville). "But I'm here to tell you that is strictly because of political will. When we fully fund the MAEP formula ... we outdo other states almost overnight. ... That puts us back into the game. So if the state is very serious about that, we're going to locate those dollars." |
| It's Official: Dem Shanda Yates Ousts 32-Year Republican in Mississippi House | |
| Shanda Yates, a 38-year-old Jackson-area attorney, has ousted Billy Denny, a top Republican in the Mississippi House of Representatives who first won his seat in 1987---when Yates was just 6 years old. The Democratic political newcomer beat the longtime House District 64 incumbent by about 51% to 49%, the Hinds County Election Commission confirmed to the Jackson Free Press after finishing counting provisional ballots on Monday. In 2015's legislative elections, Democrats did not even field a challenger in House District 64, which includes a precinct in Madison County. Denny's last Democratic challenger was Jackson attorney Dorsey Carson, who lost by about 13 points in 2011. "It's really exciting. It's also a little surreal if I'm being honest. ... Always in the back of my mind, I thought, 'This is probably not going to pan out,'" Yates told the Jackson Free Press shortly after the final vote totals came in on Monday afternoon. |
| Lawsuit: Mississippi voter registration law is unconstitutional | |
 | An immigrant rights group has filed a lawsuit against Mississippi alleging a nearly century-old voter registration requirement is illegal. The lawsuit was filed in federal court Monday by the Mississippi Immigrants Rights Alliance against Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann. It says the state's voter registration requirements are more stringent for naturalized citizens than people born in the U.S. -- a violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment. State law says any naturalized citizen must show their naturalization certificate or similar proof to a circuit clerk, "otherwise he or she shall not be allowed to register to vote." This requirement "treats naturalized citizens -- who are overwhelmingly foreign-born immigrants -- differently from U.S.-born citizens for purposes of voter registration," the lawsuit states. "That is unconstitutional." |
| Congressman Steven Palazzo Cosponsors Legislation to Establish Coastal Climate Centers of Excellence | |
| Congressman Steven Palazzo (MS-4) has signed on as one of the first cosponsors of Rep. Jimmy Panetta's bipartisan legislation to allow the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to establish National Centers of Excellence at coastal institutions of higher education. The Coastal Resilience Research and Education Act provides NOAA the authority to designate public universities and colleges as National Centers of Excellence in Coastal Resilience Research and Education. Such a designation recognizes institutions of higher education that exhibit national leadership in research and education focused on climate and coastal adaptation and mitigation, and formalizes collaboration and partnerships with federal agencies. These relationships will ensure science-based research, information, and policy recommendations are effectively shared with the federal government. "My hope is that introducing this legislation will leverage the coastal research being conducted at universities throughout the United States, including my alma mater, Southern Miss. This bill allows those institutions to be designated as National Centers of Excellence and provide expert advice and guidance for our federal agencies focused on coastal resiliency. It's important to form these partnerships and utilize existing research that will further our understanding of America's coastlines," said Palazzo. |
| Former Miss America executive considers Senate run against Cindy Hyde-Smith | |
 | Josh Randle, the former president of the Miss America Organization, is exploring the idea of running as a Republican against incumbent U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith because he believes the state "deserves better" than how Hyde-Smith is currently representing the state. Randle, whose interest in the race was first reported by Mississippi Today, sat down with the Daily Journal last week where he said he is interested in possibly running for the U.S. Senate because he believes the state needs someone who can offer fresh ideas to advance the state. Randle said it was important to remember that he was only in the exploratory phase before he offered more concrete ideas and said overall, he's running because he thinks he can project a positive image onto the state and "do the right thing" on behalf of Mississippians. While Randle was president of the Miss America Foundation, a series of emails leaked from their CEO, Sam Haskell, that revealed Randle in an email referred to one contestant as a "healthy one," referring to the candidate's weight. When asked by the Daily Journal if he thought his comments cast a positive image onto the state, he declined to comment further and referred to his previous statement. |
| Ole Miss Chancellor under fire | |
| The Chancellor of Ole Miss is under fire for his recent visits to schools in the metro. The university's admissions office recently tweeted that Glenn Boyce had visited the following public schools during his first month on the job: Germantown, Clinton, Madison Central, Northwest Rankin and Ridgeland high schools. A Murrah high school senior responded on Twitter, asking why Boyce visited a school in every major suburb of Jackson, but not one of the seven high schools in Jackson. Maise Brown said Ole Miss has been trying to recruit her. Brown said, "To think that he came down to our city and did not think it was important to stop by one at least one of the seven high schools that we have ... I thought that was kind of disturbing and irresponsible." The university sent out a statement saying the Chancellor's visits to the high schools were scheduled by the admissions team before he was named Chancellor. |
| New Vape Study Shows Effects on the Heart | |
 | Two new studies found that vaping has side effects that can have long-term impacts on the circulatory system. The study also says vaping leads to higher cholesterol levels and lower blood flow compared to cigarettes. Both studies are being presented at the 2019 American Heart Association Scientific Sessions in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Michael Hall is an associate professor of medicine and cardiologist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. He says vaping is not the solution to quit smoking. "There's nicotine replacement products that have been out in the market for years. Gums, patches, those things are definitely, or at least appear to be safer than vaping. And then there's other types of medications that require prescriptions. But certainly, there are other alternatives rather than vaping." |
| Mom of USM student killed in crash: 'She was just a little country girl who liked to fish and hunt' | |
| Breosha Murray of Mendenhall was special from the time she was born, her mother Lawanda Murray said. That's why Unique is her middle name. "I knew she was going to be something," Lawanda Murray said. "She always loved and when she loved, she loved hard. She was very meek and humble. And when you got that type of love like that, you can't help but be loved back." The shy, quiet child grew to be an adult everyone loved, confirming her mother's intuition that her daughter was indeed unique. "She was just a little country girl who liked to fish and hunt and play in dirt," Lawanda Murray said. "But she grew up to be an amazing angel. You don't just meet someone like that." But that special smile, that contagious laugh, that determined young mind will now live on only in the memories of those who knew her. Breosha Murray, 21, was killed Wednesday night in a car crash at the intersection of U.S. 49 and Mississippi 42. A student at the University of Mississippi, Murray was a junior kinesiology student and former member of the Tri Delta sorority. |
| Millsaps College says goodbye to Cabot Lodge Hotel after 50 years | |
 | After 50 years of hosting students, alumni and parents, the Cabot Lodge Hotel at Millsaps College is scheduled to close by the end of the year, according to a news release. The hotel's management, MMI Hotel Group, notified employees of the changes. Based on the age of the property with market changes in the area plus newer hotels opening or scheduled to open caused management to move forward with closing, according to the release. Robert W. Pearigen, president of Millsaps, said he is excited to see what will become of the space when the building is removed. Cabot Lodge is located at the intersection of Woodrow Wilson Avenue and North State Street on a 15-acre parcel of land. "Our goals remain to develop the corner in a way that reinforces our mission, attracts and engages students, connects our campus with the community and the medical corridor, and produces revenue," Pearigen said. |
| New $11.5M residence hall under construction at EMCC Scooba campus | |
| As East Mississippi Community College continues to grapple with declining enrollment and financial issues, construction on a new residence hall is underway on the college's Scooba campus. The $11.5 million, 148-bed dormitory will house male students initially, and is under construction on the site of the school's former Sullivan-Windham Field. The project is funded by $5.5 million from capital improvement funds allocated by the state to Mississippi's colleges and a $6 million local bond issued by EMCC to make up the difference. EMCC President Scott Alsobrooks said the condition and age of the men's housing on the Scooba campus was a driving factor in the decision to build the hall. "They're really, really, really old," Alsobrooks said. "We actually put together this bond package with state bond money a couple years back, and we had bid it out, and it came in over bid. We had to re-bid it. We had some administrative stuff going on that drug it out longer than we would've wanted, but the bond money was available for doing this through the state a while back." |
| Foreign student total falls in Arkansas | |
| The number of international students in undergraduate and graduate programs decreased in the 2018-19 academic year, according to a report from the Institute of International Education made public Monday. Several universities in Arkansas also have reported declines in their international enrollments. Information published online by the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville lists the international student total as 1,433 in fall 2018, or 5.2% of its total enrollment. The total was down less than 2% compared with the 1,461 international students enrolled at UA in fall 2017. This fall, UA's international enrollment has fallen again, by about 3% to 1,384, according to preliminary enrollment totals. China is the top country of origin for UA's foreign students, according to information provided to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. |
| U. of Missouri study: Women, minorities on boards don't get leadership posts | |
 | More women and minorities are being elected to corporate boards, but leadership positions on the boards remain dominated by white men in most corporations, according to a new study co-written by a University of Missouri business faculty member. The study found that women and minorities are less likely to be elected board chairperson or chair of the boards' audit, compensation, nominating or governance committees, despite having as much or more experience and qualifications as white men elected to the leadership positions. "Our first natural inclination was to look at their qualifications," said Adam Yore, assistant professor of finance in the Trulaske College of Business at the university. Public corporations are required to file a lot of information with the Securities and Exchange Commission about candidates for board leadership positions, which is what the study relied upon. The research analyzed 2,000 public corporations over 11 years, beginning in 2006. "We really couldn't find any evidence that they were less qualified," Yore said of the women and minority candidates for board leadership positions. |
| U. of Memphis celebrates grand opening of new Culinary Institute | |
| Over 100 people gathered Thursday afternoon for the official grand opening of the new University of Memphis Kemmons Wilson Culinary Institute. The culinary institute, located in a state-of-the-art, 32,000 square-foot culinary training facility features eight kitchens, eight classrooms, a computer lab, a library, a student-run restaurant and special event space. The facility is located at 1245 N. Germantown Pkwy, Suite 101 in Cordova. Programs are available not only for University of Memphis students, but also for the general public. Continuing Education non-credit courses will be available in the culinary arts, baking and pastry. ServeSafe Manager and ServeSafe Alcohol certification classes will also be offered. "This is totally a game changer not only for the university, but our community," said Ernie Mellor, president of the Memphis Restaurant Association and owner of HogWild – Real Memphis Barbecue and A Moveable Feast catering companies. |
| 'We're here, we're engaged, we are energetic': College voters yearn to be part of quest for presidency | |
 | There's at least one thing young Democrats and Republicans can agree on: 2016 changed everything. For college-aged liberals, President Trump's victory motivated them to get involved in the political process so they can vote him out of office, said Kara Kline, president of an organization for Democrats at George Mason University in Virginia. For those on the conservative side, Trump's win proved they could elect a president who reflects their interests. "It's made young voters realize that elections have consequences and that if you want a certain outcome, you have to get out and vote," said Michael Klein, a 21-year-old Catholic University student who describes himself as politically conservative. "It's a very real process. It's not some far-off concept that doesn't really affect us." Voter participation among 18- to 29-year-olds surged between 2014 and 2018 --- from 20 percent to 36 percent of registered voters in that group, according to the Census Bureau. Now, college students in the District, many of whom selected their schools to be closer to national politics, have a message for the candidates they plan to support in 2020: Use us. |
| Senate Report Examines China's Pursuit of U.S. Science | |
 | A U.S. Senate subcommittee published a report Monday that explores China's efforts to become the world's dominant research power, in part by targeting -- in ways legal and "extralegal" -- American scientists and U.S. research universities. The report, by the U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, among other things calls for U.S. government agencies to "develop a comprehensive strategy to combat both illegal and extralegal transfers of U.S. intellectual capital." Even as it calls for more rigorous protection of American research, it emphasizes the "critical importance of foreign students and researchers in the United States and the importance of international research collaboration." These issues were aired last week at the annual meeting of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities. |
| California remains the top U.S. destination for foreign students, yet enrollment is slipping | |
 | California remains the top U.S. destination for foreign students, who primarily come from China and India, with enrollment dipping slightly in the 2018-19 school year for the first time in at least a decade, according to a survey released Monday. Nationally, new enrollments of international students declined for the third year in a row although overall numbers are at a record high of nearly 1.1 million, according to a survey of 2,800 U.S. colleges and universities released by the Institute of International Education and the U.S. State Department. The number of students from China, who account for one-third of all international students in the United States, increased by 1.7% while those from India grew by 2.9%. Some university officials have questioned whether the Trump administration's harder line on immigration and China is driving international students toward more welcoming environments in other countries. But U.S. college costs are the single largest concern expressed by prospective foreign students and their families, Allan E. Goodman, the Institute of International Education's president, said in a recent teleconference to preview the report. |
| Diversity Statements as 'Litmus Tests' | |
| December's Notices of the American Mathematical Society contains a surprising column on Page 4, given that mathematicians have not been on the front lines of debates about diversity and campus speech. The column, by Abigail Thompson, chair of math at the University of California, Davis, and one of the society's vice presidents, says that today's diversity statements are like the political litmus tests of the McCarthy era. "In 1950 the Regents of the University of California required all UC faculty to sign a statement asserting that 'I am not a member of, nor do I support any party or organization that believes in, advocates, or teaches the overthrow of the United States Government, by force or by any illegal or unconstitutional means, that I am not a member of the Communist Party,'" Thompson says. Those who refused to sign were fired. Now, "Faculty at universities across the country are facing an echo of the loyalty oath, a mandatory 'Diversity Statement' for job applicants." |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State faces off against Abilene Christian before Egg Bowl showdown | |
| Mississippi State plays against Alibene Christian on Saturday. An FCS test right before the Egg Bowl. Joe Moorhead says this game is an opportunity for the offense to start clicking before their big match up against Ole Miss. After this game they also have a short week leading up to their battle for another year with the Golden Egg. "We need to get that back clicking. We need to get Osirus Mitchell going a little bit more, along with Deddrick Thomas and Stephen Guidry. We need to get the quarterbacks to being confident. This is a good opportunity run game and pass game wise to work on some of those things in a game setting and get those back to being effective, heading into the last week of the regular season," said Moorhead. Moorhead was once a coach in the FCS and says they will be focusing on the process instead of who they are playing. The coach also talked about what it was like being an FCS coach playing against a team like MSU. |
| State will try to fix passing woes against FCS foe | |
| One of the things that Joe Moorhead was most disappointed about during Mississippi State's 38-7 loss to Alabama on Saturday was the Bulldogs' lack of success in the vertical passing game. Quarterback Tommy Stevens completed 12 of 21 passes against the Crimson Tide but only for 82 yards. MSU's longest pass play of the day went to tight end Farrod Green for 30 yards while running back Kylin Hill grabbed a 19-yard reception out of the backfield. No Bulldog wideout had a catch that exceeded 10 yards. "Some of it was protection, some of it was routes and some of it was their coverage," Moorhead said. "We took a number (of shots) down the field and weren't able to connect on a lot of them. We hit the big one to Kylin but they've got two long cover corners and a ferocious pass rush. They made it very difficult to push the ball down the field and you've got to fit the ball into small windows. We had some that tipped off the hands or were just out of reach." |
| 'Everyone knows what's looming': Mississippi State tries to get right before Egg Bowl 2019 | |
| Joe Moorhead didn't have many positive things to say about his team's performance against Alabama on Saturday. "Certainly not the outcome we were looking for," he said. So in what felt like a tactic employed to lighten the mood, Moorhead spent his opening statement of Monday's press conference talking about players that don't even wear maroon and white anymore. Jeffery Simmons and Elgton Jenkins were at Davis Wade Stadium to watch Mississippi State lose to the Crimson Tide, 38-7. Moorhead said it was "great for everyone" to see Simmons and Jenkins, who are both starters in the NFL as rookies, on the sideline supporting the Bulldogs. It wasn't great for everyone to watch MSU fall behind 14-0 to 'Bama in the first three minutes of the game. But it was great for Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott to throw for 444 passing yards against the Detroit Lions Sunday. Moorhead made sure to mention that, too, even though Prescott last played for MSU 1,419 days ago. |
| NOTEBOOK: Bulldogs will be cautious with injuries | |
| Mississippi State entered this year knowing that 10 players would miss a majority of the season as punishment from the NCAA for to their involvement in academic misconduct. Making matters worse for the Bulldogs' depth, especially on defense, has been a rash of season-ending injuries. Defensive linemen Fletcher Adams, Cameron Young and Allen Love have all been lost for the year along with cornerback Maurice Smitherman and most recently safety C.J. Morgan. MSU coach Joe Moorhead will be as careful as he can from a substitution standpoint this week with FCS opponent Abilene Christian coming in. "Going into the season with 10 guys already out and compounding that with the injuries throughout the season, I think we've got to do a really good job on two fronts this week," Moorhead said. "One, with how we control the physicality at practice and making sure that we're able to get to the game with the available bodies and then seeing how the course of the game plays out." |
| No. 10 Mississippi State nearly matches record-setting score | |
| No. 10 Mississippi State set a new school record by scoring 124 points in a victory over Murray State on Friday. The Bulldogs nearly matched that mark on Monday in a 122-82 win over Troy and had five players reach double figures in the scoring column. However, MSU head coach Vic Schaefer did not earn the moniker of "The Secretary of Defense" by surrendering 82 points -- 32 of which were fast break points - and being out-rebounded, 51-48. "There's a big picture for me," Schaefer said. "We won by 40 and I guess you can be all fired up and happy about it or you can really see it for what it is. I've got to do better with these kids because to me, we're not better today than we were when we played Friday night." In all, 11 of the 12 players on Mississippi State's roster scored in the contest. Ironically, the lone player that did not was starting forward Chloe Bibby, but she did collect nine rebounds and three assists. The Bulldogs will hit the road for the first time this season as they travel to Jackson State on Thursday at 7 p.m. |
| No. 10 Mississippi State routs Troy 122-82 | |
 | Despite another lopsided win where Mississippi State put up over 120 points, coach Vic Schaefer wasn't happy. Only four of his players were on time for the afternoon shootaround and his team gave up way too many points in a 122-82 rout of Troy on Monday night. "Our immaturity really shows. It's glaring. Almost to a point that it's embarrassing," Schaefer said. "It's on me. It's not their fault. It's my job to teach and coach these young ladies to do the little things. There's a big picture for me." Schaefer was proud of the leadership of his point guard Myah Taylor who threw in a career game and also kept the coach from earning a technical foul prior to the opening tip when he was contemplating starting just those four players. Instead, Taylor helped lift the team up and get them going. The sophomore point guard had a career-high 20 points in the game and added seven assists, five steals, three rebounds. She was also 8 of 11 shooting. |
| 'It was embarrassing': Vic Schaefer maligns Mississippi State's 'immaturity' following rout of Troy | |
| Expecting his entire 14-woman roster at the arena for 1:30 p.m. pregame shootaround, just four players graced the floor as Mississippi State coach Vic Schaefer entered the playing surface at Humphrey Coliseum Monday afternoon. Irritated with his squad's tardiness, Schaefer said he was tempted to start four players on the floor and take a technical foul in Monday's 122-82 win over Troy until sophomore point guard Myah Taylor talked him out of it. Visibly perturbed by his team's inattention to detail postgame, Schaefer maligned his "immature" squad while taking the blame for not having his players ready to play against a Trojan team that outrebounded the Bulldogs 51-48 and scored 32 points in transition to MSU's 24. While Schaefer's frustrations marred his postgame press conference, Monday night did offer a look at an MSU offense that notched its second-highest scoring output in program history just three days after torching Murray State for a school record 124 points. |
| Why Vic Schaefer was distraught after Mississippi State's 40-point win | |
| Vic Schaefer was so mad Monday night that he didn't even know how many points his team won by. Mississippi State beat Troy by 40. In his post-game press conference, Schaefer said 30. He also made sure to mention how upset he was by his Bulldogs. Not just for what they did during the game but for what they didn't do before it. Mississippi State has a shoot-around session roughly five and a half hours before every home game. When Schaefer walked onto the court at Humphrey Coliseum Monday afternoon, only four of his 13 players were present. The other nine were late. "I've never had that happened," said Schaefer, who has coached in the college ranks for over three decades. "Usually your leadership will get people out on time. Usually on game day everybody is fired up and out there." Schaefer likened the tardiness to "immaturity." "It's glaring," he said. "Almost to a point where it's embarrassing, to be honest with you." |
| Lawmaker wants Fair Pay to Play bill introduced next session | |
 | One Mississippi lawmaker would like to see the state's college athletes get paid for the use of their name, likeness and image sooner rather than later. Sen. Joel Carter saw California pass their version of a similar bill -- the Fair Pay to Play Act -- just a few months ago. Now, he and others would like to establish a similar law during the next legislative session. Carter said they are still beginning the process of putting the bill together. "It's based off an athlete's likeness and image," explained Carter. "Basically, if the college uses their image on billboards or any type of advertising, or even if Nike were to do an ad featuring this athlete... You also have EA Sports that has a video game with all these college athletes, so it's going to center around all that." Carter says if passed, this version of Fair Pay to Play would take some time to fall into place. "This bill has a task force built into it so it doesn't become active until 2022," he said. "It gives us a year to really dive in and see how to make this legislation work." |
| Ole Miss softball coach Mike Smith placed on administrative leave | |
| Ole Miss softball head coach Mike Smith has been placed on administrative leave pending what has been described as a non-financial, external audit of the program. Smith was placed on leave Friday. Assistant head coach Ruben Felix is serving as the interim head of the program until the external audit is completed. The Spirit spoke with Ole Miss interim athletics director Keith Carter about the situation on Monday. "At this time we are conducting an external audit of our softball program, and Coach Smith has been placed on administrative leave until the conclusion of the audit," said Carter. "At this time it is a personnel matter and that's really all that we can share. We hope to complete this audit...our investigation...in a timely manner. Until we do, Coach Ruben Felix will lead the program until we get finished." Carter provided no additional details about the suspension. Sources, however, have told the Ole Miss Spirit the audit centers around "cultural" concerns associated with the program and that players and staff will be interviewed during the investigative process. |
| Ole Miss softball coach Mike Smith placed on leave | |
| Ole Miss softball coach Mike Smith has been placed on administrative leave while the school conducts an external audit of the program, interim athletics director Keith Carter has confirmed Monday. Smith did not immediately return a call seeking comment. Assistant coach Ruben Felix will serve as interim head coach for the duration of the audit. Practice for the 2020 regular season will begin in January. Carter would not give a reason for the audit and would not say if it is related to Smith's suspension for the opening weekend of the 2019 season in Orlando. Smith was back with the team for the second weekend, a tournament at UCLA. "We are conducting an external audit of our softball program, and coach Smith has been placed on paid administrative leave until its conclusion," Carter said in a prepared statement. "We hope to conclude the audit by the end of the fall semester." |
| Commissioner Greg Sankey: Arkansas beneficial for SEC | |
| SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said Monday that he's confident the University of Arkansas will make the right head coaching decision for its football program. Arkansas Athletic Director Hunter Yurachek fired coach Chad Morris on Nov. 10 after Morris was 4-18 in a year and a half with the Razorbacks. "It has been great working with Hunter the last two years," Sankey said at the Little Rock Touchdown Club's meeting Monday at the DoubleTree Hotel. "He has been very easy to work with and will make the right hire for the football team." Sankey said with any coach that an SEC school wants to hire -- head or assistant -- that school should let the SEC know so it can do background checks on the prospective hires. Sankey said that despite the football program's struggles over the past eight seasons, the Razorbacks are a viable member of the conference with their success in baseball, softball, women's soccer and track and field. "Arkansas absolutely belongs in the SEC," Sankey said. |
| New bald eagle announced at Auburn's Southeastern Raptor Center | |
| On the sidelines of Jordan-Hare or on educational demonstrations across the state, fans may be surprised to see a new eagle among the usual birds. On Veteran's Day, the Southeastern Raptor Center officially introduced the center's newest bird, a bald eagle named Independence, or Indy for short. Andrew Hopkins, the center's assistant director of raptor training and education, said Indy came to Auburn from a rehabilitation center in Florida. "While she was there, she became a human imprint," Hopkins said. "Which means she got too used to people, so she was deemed non-releasable." According to Hopkins, Indy's future at the SRC will include more educational presentations and training to potentially fly around Jordan-Hare stadium during games. "She's got about a year underneath her belt right now and she's looking pretty good," Hopkins said. "But it's still a little too early to say whether she will be able to fly around in front of all those crowds -- all those people." |
| Georgia photographer injured at Auburn game eager to return to sidelines | |
 | University of Georgia sports information director Claude Felton on Monday provided an update on the status of Chamberlain Smith, the photographer who was injured in a collision with Georgia's Brian Herrien during a Saturday contest with Auburn University. Smith, who works as an intern under Felton in the sports information department, is resting at home with her parents in Ringgold, Ga., where she will be recovering for several days. Felton added that Smith was anxious to get back to work. Smith was attended to at East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika, Ala., and was released shortly after Georgia's 21-14 win with a concussion, eye bruise and a cut above her right eye. Smith was shooting action about 10 feet off the sidelines on Saturday when Herrien caught a ball in front of her and was shoved out of bounds just prior to halftime. His knee knocked her camera up into her face and spun her around where she hit her head on the ground, knocking her unconscious. |
| Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech to play at Nissan Stadium in 2024 | |
 | Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech football will play in the 2024 and 2025 season openers, both universities announced Tuesday. The first game will be at Nissan Stadium, the home of the Tennessee Titans, on Aug. 31, 2024. The second game will be Aug. 30, 2025, at Lane Stadium in Blacksburg, Virginia. "We are excited about opening the 2024 and 2025 seasons against one of the nation's leading programs for the last 25 years in Virginia Tech," Vanderbilt coach Derek Mason said in the release. "Those openers will be great opportunities for our football program." To schedule Virginia Tech, Vanderbilt has moved two games against Stanford from 2024 and 2025 to 2032 and 2033. But the Commodores will still play the Cardinal on Sept. 18, 2021, at Vanderbilt and Sept. 11, 2027, at Stanford. |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
