| Monday, February 1, 2021 |
| Mississippi State students in need to receive $1,000 grants | |
 | Mississippi State University is offering $1,000 one-time grants to students in need during their last year of college to help them complete their degrees. Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt said the grants are meant to bolster students who may be struggling financially during the coronavirus pandemic and "to help them get over the finish line." "We don't want to see any of our students forced to drop out of school when they are this close to accomplishing their goal," Hyatt said. Students will be eligible for the benefit if they are a resident of Mississippi, a full-time undergraduate student, eligible for a federal Pell grant, have an unmet financial need, a 2.0 or higher grade point average and have completed 75% or more of class hours required for graduation. The grant award process did not require eligible students to submit applications, according to a university press release. The university selected enrolled students who met eligibility requirements and automatically awarded those with the highest unmet financial need. |
| Roses and thorns: 1/31/21 | |
 | A rose to Mississippi State University, which will provide $1,000 for undergraduate students to help them make ends meet during their final year before graduation. MSU announced its first completion grants Tuesday, given to students in financial need who have completed at least 75 percent of their credit hours and are within a year of graduation. The money will help those students that were experiencing financial challenges in the last two semesters of college, according to John Daniels, financial literacy coordinator with the university's student financial aid office. "As with COVID, we realized that oftentimes those needs were amplified," Daniels said. "Not only were the needs amplified, but we began to find out more funding opportunities related to COVID relief and programs through the governor's office that we wanted to participate in so that we could get these funds to the students that needed them in a timely fashion." |
| University Partners with MSU to Advance Pharmacy Education | |
 | The University of Mississippi School of Pharmacy is strengthening its Preferred Admissions Program, as Mississippi State University becomes the fifth in-state college to collaborate with the pharmacy school. The partnership offers admission for first-year MSU students who excel in pre-pharmacy classes and demonstrate a passion for service activities. Students who are part of the program will complete pre-pharmacy coursework at one of the five partner institutions before coming to Ole Miss to continue working toward a Doctor of Pharmacy degree. "This exciting program is just one of many academic partnerships and relationships we have with the University of Mississippi," MSU President Mark E. Keenum said. "We take great pride in preparing students for success in a wide array of health-related fields, including biomedical engineering. This partnership should ultimately boost health care outcomes throughout Mississippi, which is a goal both universities share." |
| Survey: Heterosexual men like sports more than all other groups | |
| Most Americans like sports at least a little bit, but according to new survey data, no demographic enjoys sports quite as much as heterosexual men. Of the 4,000 survey respondents asked about their interest in sports, just 11 percent said they weren't at all interested in sports. Nearly 90 percent of the country, it turns out, is at least a little bit of a sports fan. In fact, results showed 40 percent of respondents deemed themselves passionate sports fans. For heterosexual men, the number was 60 percent. Researchers detailed the results of their survey in a new study, published online Friday in the Sociology of Sport Journal. The survey also featured a large number of responses from people identifying as nonbinary in terms of their gender identity. "It allowed us to show that while heterosexual men are particularly likely to identify as strong sports fans, there are substantial numbers of people across gender and sexual identities who are also passionate fans," said lead study author Rachel Allison, an associate professor of sociology at Mississippi State University. |
| MSU alumni show their appreciation for frontline workers | |
 | Some Mississippi State Alumni are showing their appreciation to the frontline workers at OCH Regional Medical Center. The Oktibbeha County chapter of the MSU Alumni Association provided meals to the staff in the ER, on the Covid floor, and in the ICU Thursday. The group dropped off lunch and goodie bags for workers. Members say they want the healthcare staff to know their hard work and sacrifice has not gone unnoticed -- especially during the pandemic. "We just feel like they need to know that the community and MSU is behind them for all the work that they're having to do. And they are mentally strained and emotionally drained, so we just want them to know that they're appreciated," said Mary Ann Latham, of the Oktibbeha County MSU Alumni Association. |
| Monday Profile: Le'Roy Davenport brings passion for unity, spiritual growth to church leadership, community activism | |
| Barbara Williams put all 10 of her children and several of her grandchildren through music school. They all learned to play piano, but none of them were truly passionate about it. But one grandson, Le'Roy Davenport, turned out to be "the one" with both the talent and the passion for music, he said. So his grandmother taught him to play piano, starting at the age of 6, while he was growing up in Greenwood. "Her father was a pastor, and I never met him, but I think she saw a lot of him in me," said Davenport, now 31 and the pastor of Sixteenth Section Missionary Baptist Church, which has four choirs. He was a full-time musician for a local church in Greenwood from the age of 12 until high school graduation, and he was minister of music at Sand Creek Chapel Missionary Baptist Church north of Starkville while working on his bachelor's degree at Mississippi State University. After completing a business degree at MSU in 2013, Davenport went to seminary school and then returned to Starkville in 2016. He spent about two years working on grant-funded racial equity initiatives at MSU, and in the process, he launched MSU Thrive, which helps students that grew up in the foster care system adjust to college and get the resources they need. He now works in MSU's Holmes Cultural Diversity Center. |
| Attention to detail keeps clothes safe | |
| Clothes manufacturers have made upkeep simple for many items of clothing, but owners may not always know how to handle pieces that need special care in the wash. Amy Walsh, Mississippi State University Extension Service agent in Amite County, said sorting clothes before washing is an important first step. The label inside clothes often spells out whether an item needs bleach, cold or hot water, or high or low heat in drying. "Clothing should be sorted by color and how dirty the item is," Walsh said. "You should separate colors by whites, lights, medium colors and darks. You can also sort by fabric types, especially when dealing with delicate items, to give your clothes the best care." Terri Thompson, MSU Extension agent in Jackson County, said clothing care does not end with washing. "Use the label inside clothing to learn if an item of clothing should be hung to dry, laid out to dry or can be put in a dryer," Thompson said. "If an item can be dried in the dryer, check the label to see if it says to tumble dry or use another setting on your dryer." |
| Aldermen consider allowing food-less brewpubs citywide | |
| Starkville aldermen have reset the public hearing process on whether to exempt brewpubs that make and sell craft beer and wine on-site from food sale requirements. If passed, the new change would apply citywide, not just in the Leisure and Entertainment District that includes downtown and the Cotton District. Aldermen held an initial hearing Jan. 19 on whether to exempt brewpubs in the city's Leisure and Entertainment District from a city ordinance requiring any establishment serving alcoholic beverages to have food account for at least 25 percent of its gross sales. The board was set for a second hearing on that change Tuesday, followed by a vote. But in a work session Friday, aldermen decided to deem Tuesday's hearing a "first hearing" on a new draft, since the amendment had "substantially changed" from its first version. That pushes the second hearing to Feb. 16, the earliest the board will consider a vote on the change. As a custom, aldermen hold two hearings for any proposed ordinance change. The crux of the change would simply apply state law to what constitutes a brewpub and what those businesses can do. Starkville's current ordinance mandates that any establishment selling alcohol also meet the 25-percent food sale requirement, and that includes those selling beer, light wine and light spirits. |
| SOCSD invites parents to discuss potential move to year-round school | |
| Officials with Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District plan to hold two meetings with parents next week to discuss modifying the 2021-22 calendar to year-round school. Superintendent Eddie Peasant sent an email to parents Thursday that said district officials and employees have been in talks "both formal and informal" about potentially moving to a modified schedule next school year. The email contained a survey for parents to complete and information on how to log in to two Zoom meetings, one at 6 p.m. Tuesday and one at noon Thursday, to further discuss the schedule. "We have an opportunity to rethink the traditional school calendar and to determine if a modified school calendar could offer a more personalized school experience with additional enrichment opportunities for learning," Peasant wrote in the email. Public Information Officer Nicole Thomas said district officials have been in talks with Corinth School District, which has held year-round school since 2016, and other school districts about how the potential transition to the new calendar would work. |
| Kevin Daniels qualifies as Ward 4 alderman candidate, creating three-person race | |
| A third candidate has entered the race for the open Ward 4 seat on the Starkville board of aldermen. Kevin Daniels, a Republican, qualified Friday to run for the seat that incumbent Alderman Jason Walker will not defend after serving two terms. Daniels joins fellow Republican Austin Check, a longtime member of Oktibbeha County's volunteer fire services, and Democrat Mike Brooks, the Planning and Zoning Commission chair. Daniels, 36, said he has "always believed in public service" and wanted to capitalize on the opportunity to serve his hometown and Ward 4, which he described as "exciting and dynamic." He has lived in the Timbercove neighborhood west of South Montgomery Street for more than a decade. A lifelong Starkville resident and a graduate of Starkville Academy and Mississippi State University, Daniels completed an industrial and systems engineering bachelor's degree in 2008 and a master's degree in 2016. He works as the materials manager for Motus Integrated Technologies in Columbus. The deadline to qualify for candidacy is Feb. 5. Daniels and Check will face each other in the April 6 Republican primary before the June 8 general election. |
| 4-County secures $35M in federal funds for broadband | |
| On a "good day," the internet connection speed at Hebron Christian School in Pheba reaches 3 megabits per second, Headmaster Bobby Eiland said. On a "really good day," it pulls about 6. By March, when the school hooks up to FASTnet broadband, it will be hundreds of times faster. "It will be like going from a dirt road to a four-lane highway," Eiland said. Hebron Christian sits in one of the areas included in FASTnet's pilot program, which covers west Clay, northeast Choctaw and north Noxubee counties -- a small way for 4-County Electric Power Association to "test the waters" for building out a far more ambitious broadband infrastructure project, CEO Brian Clark said. But news 4-County announced Friday all but assured the association's goal of offering high-speed internet to its entire electric membership. 4-County secured more than $35 million from a Rural Development Opportunity Fund auction held in late 2020, according to a press release it issued Friday. It will receive the funds in equal installments over 10 years. The auction win, along with $6 million in state grant funds for the ongoing pilot program, makes up more than one-third of the $110 million 4-County will need for a full broadband buildout. Clark said those funds, along with what 4-County expects in customer revenue over the first five to 10 years, should be enough to pay for the project. |
| Major projects in Meridian on course to open in 2021 | |
 | The downtown portion of Meridian with other areas in the city will see a lot of changes and major improvements in 2021. At least four major projects are all expected to be completed this year, including the Threefoot Marriott Hotel, a downtown brewery, the Mississippi Children's Museum Meridian as well as major upgrades to 22nd Avenue/Sela Ward Parkway. Laura Carmichael, Community Development Director for Meridian, says these additions and the likes of the MAX, the MSU Riley Center and the Temple Theater will make the Queen City very attractive to visitors. "It's a transformation year, yes.," said Carmichael. "All these projects that have been ongoing for the last few years that's had that moments you're going to see come to completion and that's exciting. To have a brewery downtown and a Threefoot Hotel where people can come and stay. We're going to become a weekend destination place." |
| Tupelo native Sam R. Hall to lead Daily Journal newsroom | |
 | Tupelo native and former executive editor of the Clarion Ledger, Sam R. Hall, will lead the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's newsroom, publisher William Bronson announced Monday. Hall, a Tupelo native and 1994 graduate of Tupelo High School, replaces Elizabeth Walters as the Daily Journal's executive editor. Walters left in January. Hall has more than 20 years' experience in journalism and communications, including eight years at the Clarion Ledger, where he was executive editor for five years. Hall, who will officially begin work on Feb. 8, said he's excited about returning to Tupelo and the opportunity to lead the newsroom of his hometown newspaper. In addition to the Journal and associated weeklies in Northeast Mississippi, Hall will also oversee the Mississippi Business Journal with MBJ editor Ross Reilly. "Ross and his crew do great work. Running a business journal is no easy task, and I'm excited to work with him as we continue to grow and develop coverage not only in the metro-Jackson area, but all across the state," Hall said. |
| Lottery money used to repave state highways in Mississippi | |
| New funds from the Mississippi Lottery are helping to lower a backlog in the state's road maintenance projects and have aided in the repaving of more than 250 miles of highway across the state, the Mississippi Department of Transportation said. Officials said the roughly $80 million in lottery funds helped the Mississippi Transportation Commission put a priority on pavement restoration, focusing on upgrades to aging infrastructures, WLBT-TV reported. "We don't gamble on safety. MDOT wasted no time putting these funds to use and awarded numerous projects throughout the state, many are already underway," said Commissioner Tom King, chair, of the Mississippi Transportation Commission. "MDOT is very appreciative of the legislature for designating a portion of the lottery proceeds to Mississippi's maintenance needs." As of December, a total of 281 miles have been or will be repaved, and so far, a total of $73.4 million has been awarded for these projects statewide. |
| Bill would require Tate Reeves and future governors to reveal who paid for inaugurations | |
| Gov. Tate Reeves would be required to publicly disclose who funded his inauguration festivities and how the money was spent under a bill that cleared a House committee this week. House Bill 1019 says Reeves and any future governor-elect would need to report inauguration financial information to the Secretary of State's Office, just as Mississippi politicians do with their campaign funds. "It came to my attention that we are one of the few states that did not require disclosure of those receipts and disbursements," said Rep. Trey Lamar, R-Senatobia, the bill's author. The bill unanimously passed the House Apportionment and Elections Committee on Thursday. Its advancement follows recent stories in the Daily Journal and Clarion Ledger detailing how Mississippi does not regulate inauguration fundraising like many other states and the federal government. Lamar -- who has at times had an icy relationship with Reeves -- said the legislation was not meant to target the current governor. The bill's language specifically covers gubernatorial inauguration funds, but Lamar said he expects it will be amended to apply to any politician who raises money for inaugural activities. Both Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann and Attorney General Lynn Fitch raised money for inaugural nonprofits after they were elected in 2019. |
| Bill would withhold state funds from any Mississippi school teaching The 1619 Project | |
| A bill introduced into the Mississippi Senate would withhold state funds from any school teaching from The 1619 Project curriculum. If passed, the Saving American History in Mississippi Schools Act would require that any school which does teach from The 1619 Project curriculum to have their state funding reduced by 25 percent. The controversial, Pulitzer-Prize winning 1619 Project, developed by journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, sought to reframe the reader's perception of America; that it was not birthed in 1776 with the signing of the Declaration of Independence but rather in 1619, when the first slaves were brought to Jamestown, Virginia. Some historians, though, have been critical of Hannah-Jones' work, calling it "disturbing" and "very unbalanced." Sen. Angela Burks Hill, writer of the Saving American History in Mississippi Schools Act, agrees, describing the project as "racially divisive." She also writes that it is a "revisionist account of history that threatens the integrity of the Union by denying the true principles on which it was founded." |
| Mississippi senator introduces bill to allow seven-day sales of distilled spirits | |
 | Mississippi State Senator Joel Carter introduced Senate Bill 2173, which would strike down the state's prohibition-era ban on distilled spirits sales on Sundays. "The overwhelming majority of states give adult consumers the option to purchase their favorite distilled spirits any day of the week they choose," said David Wojnar, Senior Vice President of State Government Relations. "Unfortunately, the same is not true for Mississippians who are prohibited from making distilled spirits purchases on Sundays. It's well past time Mississippi consumers had the freedom to choose when to make their spirits purchases. We applaud Senator Carter for introducing this bill which will provide increased convenience to consumers and additional revenue to the state." According to Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, Sunday sales in Mississippi would generate between $3.8 to $5.8 million in new state tax revenues. |
| Analysis: Mississippi debates quicker purge of voter rolls | |
| Mississippi residents who skip some elections would risk being purged from voter rolls, under bills being considered at the state Capitol. Critics say the proposals would endanger constitutional rights in a state where some older Black residents still remember facing violence or economic repercussions for registering to vote. Supporters of House Bill 4 and Senate Bill 2588 say keeping voter rolls up to date can be difficult, and poorly kept rolls can make it challenging for courts to find enough people for jury duty. Under current Mississippi law, county election commissioners may remove a person's name from a voter roll if that person has died, moved away, been judged mentally incompetent or been convicted of a disenfranchising crime. The bills say commissioners also would be required to remove the name of a person who fails to vote at least once during a four-year period and fails to respond to certified mail from the election commission that seeks to confirm the person still lives at the address where he or she is registered. |
| Newly released study gives state grade of 'F' for tobacco education, prevention | |
 | A newly released report card by the American Lung Association found Mississippi isn't spending nearly enough to support tobacco prevention and control programs. Ashley Lyerly with the Mississippi office says the state spends $9.9 million but the CDC recommends funding programs at about $36 million. The report gives Mississippi an "F" for not having a statewide smoke-free air policy to protect all workers and residents. Most governmental buildings don't allow smoking. But Lyerly is concerned about businesses that do. Lyerly says a smoke-free law also sends a message to high school students, nearly 28 percent of whom vape and use flavored tobacco products in the state. Democratic Representative Bryant Clark of Ebenezer authored a bill that prohibits smoking in workplaces, enclosed spaces and certain outdoor areas. "We're not trying to punish the smoker but we're trying to protect the non-smoker, so to speak but I do think that you've got a public facility where the general public is coming in and out that it should be a little bit more regulated than it presently is," said Clark. Clark doesn't think the bill will make it out of committee. |
| Supreme Court will hear oral arguments in Madison's marijuana appeal | |
| The Mississippi Supreme Court on Thursday granted oral arguments in the constitutional challenge by Madison Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler against the medical marijuana initiative passed by voters in November. The argument date has been set for Wednesday, April 14, at 10:30 a.m. Oral arguments can be viewed online. An appeal to consider the constitutionality of an initiative legalizing medical marijuana is about the plain language of the state Constitution and a reduced number of Congressional districts, not the wisdom of legalizing medical marijuana itself, Hawkins-Butler has asserted since late-October. The state Supreme Court agreed in December to hear the appeal filed by Hawkins-Butler and the city of Madison in October before Initiative 65 was passed overwhelmingly by voters in November. Hawkins-Butler says Initiative 65 was put before voters unconstitutionally. Her appeal technically challenges the sufficiency of the petition itself, not the marijuana language. Initiative 65 is not what voters in the Nov. 3 election thought they were voting for, the mayor insists. Ridgeland's Spencer Flatgard, a partner at the law firm Watkins & Eager PLLC and the original drafter of Initiative 65, is confident they will prevail. He previously told the Journal he is grateful that Mississippi patients will have access to medical marijuana like most of the nation, and that Mississippi voters overwhelmingly supported Initiative 65 with 74 percent of the vote, carrying all 82 counties including Madison and the city of Madison. |
| Behind on rent? The waitlist for $200 million in assistance is now open. | |
| Mississippi Home Corporation has opened a waitlist for tenants seeking some of the $200 million allocated in the latest stimulus package from Congress for rental assistance in Mississippi. To get on the Rental Assistance for Mississippians Program (RAMP) Emergency Rental Assistance waitlist, renters may fill out an application on ms-ramp.com. The program hasn't officially launched, but the Home Corporation announced that Gov. Tate Reeves had chosen the organization to administer the funding from the U.S. Department of Treasury. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control eviction moratorium will remain in place until March 31 under an extension the agency announced last week. To avoid eviction, a renter must provide a declaration to their landlord or property manager, certifying that the order applies to them. Mississippi has also yet to begin pushing out its additional $38 million in Community Development Block Grant funding, which Reeves committed entirely to rental assistance in October, Mississippi Today reported. By last week, HUD had yet to provide guidance to states for how to use those funds to pay off past rent debts, according to a spokesperson from the federal agency. "That component is expected soon," an email read. |
| President Biden's push for stimulus checks sparks income eligibility debate | |
 | President Biden's push for more direct payments is sparking a debate over what the income thresholds should be for the stimulus checks. Many Republicans and some centrist Democrats say any additional payments need to be more targeted toward lower-income households, arguing they are most in need of relief and are more likely to spend the money quickly, providing a boost to the economy. On Sunday, a group of 10 GOP senators made that argument in a letter to Biden announcing their own coronavirus relief proposal, one that includes payments "for those families who need assistance the most, including their dependent children and adults." The senators are now slated to meet with Biden on Monday to discuss coronavirus relief. Progressives, meanwhile, insist that broad eligibility would ensure the money gets out the door swiftly, while providing help to people whose income has dropped during the coronavirus-induced recession. Biden has signaled he is open to discussing income limits for additional checks in his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package. The wide-ranging proposal does not specify any income eligibility requirements for new $1,400 payments. |
| Trump Appointees Poised to Influence Legal Outcomes for Decades to Come | |
 | The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has a longstanding reputation for liberalism, but some of its recent rulings have been cheered by conservatives. The San Francisco-based court, home to 29 active judges, has invalidated a California gun law banning magazines that can hold 10 or more bullets, upheld Trump administration immigration rules that denied visas to people unlikely to obtain health insurance and allowed regulations forbidding federal family-planning grants to health clinics that provide abortions. Judges appointed by former President Donald Trump were in the majority in each decision. In New Orleans, the 17-member Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was already considered one of the nation's most conservative appeals courts before an influx of Trump appointees. The new members have been involved in rulings that cast a cloud over the Affordable Care Act and gave Texas room to limit abortions as well as drop-off locations for absentee ballots during the pandemic. They have also embraced stronger protections for gun ownership and the exercise of religion. The two courts illustrate the range of ways that Mr. Trump's life-tenured appointees -- three Supreme Court justices, 54 appeals court judges and 174 district court judges -- could influence the law for years to come. They also underscore a central achievement of Mr. Trump's four years in the White House: Thanks to Republicans' focus on the judiciary, his impact on the courts was that of a president who served two terms. |
| Trump left Biden a $30 billion fund used for trade wars. Biden has other plans for it. | |
 | The Trump administration used it to bail out farmers suffering from its trade wars. Now the Biden administration wants to deploy a $30 billion pot of money in the Agriculture Department to tackle climate change, support restaurants and kickstart other programs without waiting for Congress. Long hidden in obscurity as a Depression-era financial institution, the Commodity Credit Corp. is shaping up as one of the first focal points for how the Biden administration is quickly revamping flexible programs left behind by former President Donald Trump. Biden officials have their own ideas about how the money should be spent, setting up a tug of war over its limited resources. The trick will be convincing Congress that the USDA has the authority to use funds from the CCC to create a "carbon bank" to pay producers for using sustainable farming practices to capture carbon in soil. "Secretary Sonny sure made a strong play for the CCC, and it certainly seems like Secretary Vilsack ought to have that kind of influence on how it's spent," an agriculture lobbyist told POLITICO who was granted anonymity in order to speak freely. But Vilsack could run into some problems before the USDA can start writing checks. |
| 77 Days: Trump's Campaign to Subvert the Election | |
 | A New York Times examination of the 77 democracy-bending days between election and inauguration shows how, with conspiratorial belief rife in a country ravaged by pandemic, a lie that Donald Trump had been grooming for years finally overwhelmed the Republican Party and, as brake after brake fell away, was propelled forward by new and more radical lawyers, political organizers, financiers and the surround-sound right-wing media. In the aftermath of that broken afternoon at the Capitol, a picture has emerged of entropic forces coming together on Trump's behalf in an ad hoc, yet calamitous, crash of rage and denial. But interviews with central players, and documents including previously unreported emails, videos and social media posts scattered across the web, tell a more encompassing story of a more coordinated campaign. Across those 77 days, the forces of disorder were summoned and directed by the departing president, who wielded the power derived from his near-infallible status among the party faithful in one final norm-defying act of a reality-denying presidency. |
| MUW School of Education to support educators with GEER | |
| Educators and students impacted by the coronavirus pandemic will receive support and training from Mississippi University for Women's School of Education due to a grant from the Governor's Emergency Education Relief (GEER) Fund. The $244,035 grant will establish the OWL-STAR (Strategic Training for Academic Results) Project to improve student achievement and enhance teacher effectiveness by providing a comprehensive program of online professional development. "It's a stressful time for everyone as we navigate through these unprecedented times caused by COVID-19, but in the midst of it all, academic learning doesn't hit the pause button. The W's School of Education envisions strengthening and expanding its current professional learning experiences to embrace the governor's desire to implement high-quality training for students, parents and educators to support effective online learning," said Melinda Lowe, School of Education coordinator of education and OWL-STAR Project director. The online professional development from the program will support the personal and professional growth of The W's School of Education faculty, staff and students; PK-12 teachers and administrators; and PK-5th grade parents. |
| U. of Mississippi holding two in-person graduations | |
| The University of Mississippi will be holding two in-person graduation ceremonies this spring. One event will celebrate this year's 2021 graduating class, and another the Class of 2020, which saw its ceremony delayed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Commencement exercises for this year's graduating class will be held April 29 to May 2. Events for the class of 2020 are slated for May 6 to May 8. "We are particularly pleased to uphold our commitment to the Class of 2020 by welcoming them back to campus and celebrating them in person," Chancellor Glenn Boyce said in a statement. Noel Wilkin, provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs at the university, said the ceremonies will look different than in years past, but that the school is working hard to make them "in-person, wonderful and memorable." |
| UM's student veteran services relocate to George Street House | |
 | The Ole Miss Veterans and Military Services building was officially unveiled at the recently renovated George Street House last week. The building will now also house the Veterans Resource Center. Veterans and Military Services' move to the George Street House from the third floor of Martindale was meant to increase accessibility to students, according to a press release. Additionally, the Veterans Resource Center's move from the basement of Yerby Hall is expected to cut down on a walking commute from the two buildings, which used to be 10 minutes. The services of the office of military services vary widely, from assistance with GI Bills to Veterans Assistant insurance. According to Andrew Newby, the assistant director of veteran's services, the Martindale office was too small for the number of students utilizing it. With the limited space and reduced resources in their separate Martindale and Yerby hall offices, Newby felt the move would be a "great improvement." "(This) would bring the university at least on par with the Southeastern Conference," Newby said. |
| Campus Union Demands UM Reinstate Garrett Felber As Part of 'A Broader Reckoning' | |
| Yesterday, the United Campus Workers of Mississippi responded to University of Mississippi Provost Noel Wilkin's Jan. 7 letter to former American Historical Association president, Dr. Mary Lindeman, regarding the dismissal of Dr. Garrett Felber. In a letter addressed to the UM provost and Chancellor Glenn Boyce, the union criticized Wilkin for writing that Felber's termination was not a firing, but a notice of non-renewal, characterizing the specification as evasive semantics. "However it is phrased," the union response states, "we stand firm on this point: Professor Felber was fired without adequate review." Wilkin's letter offers "little comfort for untenured faculty" and the precedent Felber's termination sets is "detrimental to academic freedom," the union warns in its letter. "What it makes clear is that untenured faculty should understand themselves as subject to dismissal without a review process in which they and their colleagues can participate," the union said. The union letter insists that Felber's firing did not meet reasonable standards of transparency and fairness, then calls for his reinstatement. "We also insist that his dismissal be reversed as part of a broader reckoning with the University's ongoing failures of equity and justice and the development of genuine dialogue between upper administration and all other members of the UM community," the letter states. |
| Jackson Free Clinic serves those who are uninsured and underserved | |
| One local health care clinic is giving back to those who are in underserved communities. Every Saturday the Jackson Free Clinic provides healthcare services to those who don't have health insurance, including David Wright. "They're going to do some blood tests on me today, and they've already done a physical on me," said Wright. The Jackson resident currently doesn't have health insurance, and it prevents him from being treated at most places, but not at the Jackson Free Clinic. "It's free and in my position I kind of need all the help I can get right now, so it really takes a lot of burdens off me," Wright expressed. The clinic aims to give quality healthcare to the thousands of Mississippians who are uninsured. Michael Hohl is a student worker at the clinic and said this is their way of standing in the gap, providing help to those who need it most. The non-profit medical clinic is run by students at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. "It's an educational opportunity for you as well as providing care to those who need access," said Hohl. "You get to learn with these patients, not only about medical conditions, and how to provide medication for patients, but you get to learn about the socioeconomic factors that impact why they fell out of insurance coverage, or what brought them here today and I think that allows us to build these meaningful relationships with patients." |
| Diabetes, COVID-19 combination poses high risk for Black and Hispanic patients, study finds | |
 | Black and Hispanic diabetics infected with COVID-19 have a higher risk of hospitalization for diabetic ketoacidosis according to a University of Mississippi Medical Center study. Dr. Osagie Ebekozien, an assistant professor of population health at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, found that Black patients are four times as likely as white patients to be hospitalized with the life-threatening condition. Diabetic ketoacidosis occurs when a Type 1 diabetes patient's blood sugars are very high, but their insulin levels are very low. "It gets worse if you are a Black man or woman with diabetes, in terms of COVID," Ebekozien said in a news release. The study also found Hispanic people with Type 1 diabetes and COVID-19 are twice as likely as white people to be at risk of getting diabetic ketoacidosis. When diabetic ketoacidosis happens, it blocks the body from getting the sugar it needs for energy and instead burns fat, according to the release. This causes a buildup of blood acids known as ketones. If left untreated, it could lead to coma or death. |
| Southern Miss alumna makes generous donation to USM School of Social Work | |
 | University of Southern Mississippi alumna Dr. Lynn Hagan and her husband, Don, are making a donation to the School of Social Work. The planned donation totals $1.1 million dollars. Officials say it will benefit the Lynn Purnell Hagan Social Work Support Endowment and the Lynn Purnell Hagan Social Work Scholarship Endowment. Dr. Hagan, who graduated from USM with two master's degrees in 1994 and 1996, says she wants to contribute to the school to help students. "They gave me assistantships to complete my studies and so I wanted to be able to pay that forward in some way especially to the School of Social Work so that's what I did just paying it forward," said Dr. Hagan. |
| Could artificial oyster reefs help threatened Gulf sturgeon? | |
| Scientists in the Army Corps of Engineers and the University of Southern Mississippi are looking at a possible way to improve artificial oyster reefs and how such reefs affect threatened Gulf sturgeon - big, toothless fish that nose out worms, shrimp and other food from the mud and sand in the Gulf of Mexico and nearby estuaries. Gulf sturgeon are among nine sturgeon species and subspecies native to North America and among at least five listed as endangered or threatened. People have been creating artificial reefs at least since the 1830s to attract fish for commercial catches and recreational anglers and to create hard surfaces where tiny, free-floating oyster larvae can latch on and grow to marketable size. But because they cover some of the muck where Gulf sturgeon search for prey, artificial oyster reefs have been considered bad for the armored dinosaurs, said Read Hendon, director of the University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory. That makes it difficult to get permits for such reefs in areas designated critical habitat for the fish, said Hendon, who is working on the three-year project with research ecologist Safra Altman and fisheries biologist Todd Slack, both of the Corps' Engineer Research and Development Center. |
| Tougaloo College to host panel on COVID-19 impact on minorities in Mississippi | |
| State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs announced there will be a virtual panel discussion on the impact of COVID-19 on minorities in Mississippi. The event will be hosted by Tougaloo College. Dobbs will be joined by Dr. Anthony Fauci, chief medical advisor to President Joe Biden, Dr. Obie McNair and Dr. Myrna Alexander Nickens. The event will be livestreamed on the Tougaloo College YouTube channel. The event starts at 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 12. |
| U. of Alabama and Tuscaloosa City Hall take on blight | |
 | After making efforts to tackle the effects of blight for almost five years, City Hall is now looking to automate the fight in Tuscaloosa. In partnership with the University of Alabama, city and UA officials have developed a new, camera-based system to streamline the battle against deteriorating properties. This patent-pending technology as developed by Erik Johnson, assistant professor of economics in UA's Culverhouse College of Business, and Brendan Moore, the city's executive director of urban development will cameras mounted on city vehicles, primarily garbage collection trucks, to spot the problems. These images will, in turn, be fed into a computer model trained to spot blighted properties and nuisances. The intended result, officials said, is to head off small problems before they become bigger, and more expensive, ones. "Efforts to address blight are not new or distinct to Tuscaloosa," Moore said, "but it is a constant problem that is difficult to appropriately staff and address. This technology allows us to create early, equitable interventions that can enhance communities, prevent neighborhood decline and connect underserved populations to social services to generate long-lasting change." |
| Masks, testing still causes for concern for AU medical experts | |
| In a meeting with Auburn student media, Dr. Fred Kam, director of the AU Medical Clinic, delivered the same message he's given since the outbreak of the pandemic in early 2020: Wear a mask. Wash your hands. Stay away from large crowds. Kam and Dr. Kimberly Braxton Lloyd, associate dean of clinical affairs and outreach for the Harrison School of Pharmacy, fielded questions about the University's response to COVID-19, vaccine distribution, future plans and student activity, but consistently returned to repeating those simple steps. "We're asking [students] to put on a mask -- that's all we're asking. It's that simple, and we're making it more complicated than it has to be," Kam said. "It's disappointing. I'll be honest, it's very disappointing. It's very frustrating for us in health care, very frustrating." Kam said he's struggled to understand why mask compliance has been such an issue on campus. Kam said he believes more in-person classes can be done safely if mask wearing and physical distancing is enforced more strictly on campus. |
| U. of South Carolina's plans after accreditation probe, COVID outbreak: Q&A with board leaders | |
 | Months after the University of South Carolina went through a troubled presidential search that led to a probe by accreditors, the state's largest college closed its campus to prevent a huge COVID-19 outbreak and worked to bring students back to the classroom after a projected $165 million revenue shortfall. In the midst of the turmoil, the leadership of USC's governing board changed with Williamsburg County heart surgeon Dorn Smith taking over as chairman for Charleston tax attorney John von Lehe. Smith, along with new board vice chairman, Lexington County attorney Thad Westbook, have begun working with school leaders to direct the university system, which has 50,000 students on eight campuses. They first had to face a final cloud hanging over the presidential search that had ended with the divisive hiring of retired West Point Superintendent Bob Caslen: a review of board behavior and structure by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, the school's accreditors commonly known as SACS. The accreditors expressed concern about how the board could prevent outside interference after Gov. Henry McMaster lobbied trustees to hire Caslen. SACS reported in January that the board made enough changes, especially in trustee conduct, to end its scrutiny of USC. |
| Texas A&M students persevere in push for Matthew Gaines statue | |
 | A decadeslong effort to place a Matthew Gaines statue on Texas A&M's flagship campus is nearly over as student leaders prepare for the monument's unveiling this year. A statue of the former slave and Washington County's first black state senator is set to be erected on a patch of grass close to the south side of the Student Services Building, near Rudder Plaza. Gaines was instrumental in passing Senate Bill 276, which created the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas under the Land Grant College Act of 1862, also known as the Morrill Act. A&M senior Erica Pauls, president of the Matthew Gaines Society, said the statue artist -- who was selected in November from a group of about 70 applicants -- will be revealed in the coming months. She said the statue design will be teased leading up to the unveiling, which was originally planned for this semester but due to delays related to the COVID-19 pandemic will be later in the year. To Pauls, the late senator embodied the university's core values of selfless service, integrity, excellence and leadership, so she hopes that students passing the statue will feel motivated by him. |
| International students reflect on a lonely pandemic year | |
 | When John Bonilla, a doctoral student from Colombia, South America, came down with a fever, he thought it was because of the change in seasons. He had been sick over the Thanksgiving break before, so he wasn't worried. Then his roommate started complaining of muscle aches. Pretty soon, both of them got tested for COVID-19. Positive. "We did not interact with many people, just with that one particular friend on that one day and we got sick," Bonilla recalled. "And it was very challenging ... if I had to pick one word." The outbreak of COVID-19 and the subsequent transition to online learning was a challenge for students everywhere. But for international students living and studying in a foreign country, it has taken a special toll. The enrollment rate for international undergraduate students for fall 2020 declined by 9% compared to the previous year at MU, said Liz McCune, associate director of MU's News Bureau. The pandemic has created an insurmountable obstacle between students and their families on the other side of the world. And when students become ill, they don't have family support close by -- no comfort foods, no quick runs to the drugstore. |
| Changes in FAFSA May Reduce College Aid for Some Families | |
| A new, shorter version of the federal student aid form is aimed at encouraging more families to complete it and qualify for financial help. But tweaks to its underlying formula could reduce aid for some families, particularly more affluent ones with more than one child in college. The huge legislative package passed in a hurry by Congress in late December included changes aimed at simplifying the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA. A main gateway to grants, loans and other financial help for higher education, the FAFSA uses details of parent and student finances to compute eligibility for need-based financial aid. But in recent months, fewer students -- especially those from low-income families -- have submitted the notoriously complex form for the 2021-22 academic year, meaning they are less likely to get aid and attend college. But while the form is leaner, the calculations behind it remain complex. The revised formula still considers overall family size in computing potential aid and, among other changes, increases the income sheltered from the calculations. But it no longer offers a break for having multiple students in college at the same time. The result? A slight increase in aid eligibility for lower-income families with multiple siblings in college, and a significant drop in eligibility for middle- and upper-income families with two or more students on campus. |
| The Full Story On Admissions Isn't Just What You've Been Reading | |
 | Last week, many top colleges and universities were celebrating their successes in admissions during the pandemic. The Washington Post noted that Harvard University saw applications rise by 42 percent, while the University of Virginia was up 15 percent. The Post credited the fact that many of these colleges were -- for the first time -- test optional this year, meaning students didn't need to submit SAT or ACT scores. The headline: "Applications Surge After Big-Name Colleges Halt SAT and ACT Testing Rules." In the West, the headline in the Los Angeles Times was "UC's Record-Smashing Applications Put Long-Held Diversity Goals Within Reach." The story detailed the University of California's systemwide increase of 16 percent in applications. But it noted the Black applicants increased by 48 percent at both Berkeley and UCLA. Latinx applicants increased by 33 percent at UCLA and 36 percent at Berkeley. The University of California is test blind this year, meaning that it won't look at test scores in admissions. Both articles are entirely accurate about what is happening in the top sector of admissions. But both give minimal mention to other realities this year. Many colleges outside the top ones -- public and private alike -- are not having a good year in admissions. This appears to be especially the case in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic and Midwest. |
| Number of undergraduate college degrees, certificates stalls: report | |
| The number of undergraduates who earned credentials stagnated last academic year for the first time in at least eight years, according to new National Student Clearinghouse Research Center data. There were 3.7 million new graduates in the 2019-20 school year, the same as in the prior year. A slight decrease in first-time graduates offset an increase in completions by people who already had a credential. A downturn in associate degree and certificate recipients in late spring 2020 accounts for the decrease in first-time graduates, which the center said is related to the pandemic's disproportionate impact on community college students. The number of first-time bachelor's degree earners also grew by about 2% during the 2019-20 academic year, accounting for some 28,000 graduates. This increase was only among traditional-age students, however, the center notes. Fewer students earning credentials amid the pandemic could have long-term repercussions for higher education. The national six-year completion rate for undergraduates continues to slow, the Clearinghouse reported last month, though it noted that older students tend to be faring better than their traditional-age peers. |
| A steady stream of Latino students was arriving on college campuses. Then the pandemic hit. | |
 | The steady stream of Latino students arriving on college campuses in recent years has been a bright spot in higher education, but some worry the pandemic could threaten those gains. The most recent enrollment data disaggregated by race showed a 5.4 percent drop in the head count of Latino undergraduates in the fall, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. What's more, 26.4 percent fewer high school graduates from schools with a high percentage of Black and Latino students went straight to college this year compared with 2019. Meanwhile, data about next year's incoming class is mixed, with signs of promise but also areas of concern. A Washington Post analysis of federal education data found staggering declines in the number of Latino students applying for financial aid to attend college in the fall -- a critical step for those who are college-bound. Minorities and lower-income Americans have contracted the coronavirus at higher rates and suffered higher levels of job losses. The financial disruption is forcing many Latino students to choose between their education and helping their families weather the recession. |
| 'We're the Guinea Pigs': Despite appearances, many students worry about COVID-19 | |
| Since the first days students returned to campuses in August, they've been getting in trouble. The University of Connecticut, days into the semester, sent several students home for partying during a mandatory quarantine. Over the course of the fall term, Ohio State University handed out more than 1,500 suspensions to students for breaking COVID-19 guidelines. It would seem easy to say that students don't care about COVID-19 when they're holding pool parties and rush events. But recent data suggest that, on the whole, students are worried. In a recent survey of over 1,000 college students nationwide, conducted by the think tanks Third Way and New America, COVID-19 ranked as a top concern. More students said they were concerned about catching and spreading COVID-19 than said they were concerned about their own mental health, paying bills or getting a job after graduation. "College students in particular have gotten a really bad rap for potentially not caring about coronavirus or social distancing or some of these guidelines," said Tamara Hiler, director of education at Third Way. "It's clear from our data that that's not the case. Students are worried about their own safety and their own health, particularly the health of their families." |
| Swift Vaccinations, a 'Normal' Spring, and Other Wishful Thinking | |
 | Today The Chronicle unveils its list of colleges' spring-reopening models, and you'll probably notice a few changes from our fall tracker. More notable, however, are the changes still pending because so many institutions have either delayed in-person starts or have yet to commit to a plan for navigating yet another tricky semester of pandemic learning. As with our fall tracker, the spring version is fueled by data collected and crunched by the College Crisis Initiative, or C2i, a scrappy team of students and professors at Davidson College, in North Carolina. C2i searches colleges' websites for information about their learning model, and then places each institution into one of 17 categories. The Chronicle then merges those groupings into seven categories, with the biggest being "primarily online," "hybrid," "primarily in person," and -- until the semester fully shakes out -- "undetermined." C2i owns the data and shares it by courtesy with The Chronicle to help guide higher education through the pandemic. Christopher R. Marsicano, C2i's director and an assistant professor of the practice of higher education at Davidson, and Madeline Buitendorp, a junior at the college who serves as a project manager, explained the new data and what's on their minds as institutions head into the spring. |
| North Carolina's Richard Burr to Be Senate's Top Republican on Education | |
| Senator Richard Burr, from North Carolina, expects to be named Lamar Alexander's successor as the Senate's top Republican on the education committee, a source familiar with the senator's thinking said Friday. A press release from Patty Murray of Washington, the Democratic chair of the committee, on Friday also referred to Burr as the incoming ranking member, or the head of the minority party on the panel. Burr does not have much of a record on higher education issues, said lobbyists and advocates, who said he will likely not have as great an interest in those issues as Alexander, a former president of the University of Tennessee who retired from the Senate earlier this year. A spokeswoman for Burr said she had no immediate comment on his priorities for higher education. As Inside Higher Ed reported in November, Burr, according to research done by Third Way, has sponsored only two higher education bills in recent years. In 2019, he and Tammy Baldwin, a Democratic senator from Wisconsin, co-sponsored a bill aimed at scammers who obtain Education Department data to robocall student loan borrowers, falsely promising to eliminate their student debt. The bill would have made it a federal crime to access Education Department databases in order to commit fraud or gain commercial advantage or private financial gain. Burr in 2019 also co-sponsored a bill with conservative Republican senator Ted Cruz, of Texas, which would have created tax write-offs for making cash contributions to scholarship-granting and workforce training organizations. |
| President Biden's Plan to Help International Students Stay After Graduation Could Help Recruit Them in the First Place | |
| On his very first day in office, President Joe Biden proposed immigration reform that, among other provisions, would make it easier for international students who earn graduate degrees in science and engineering fields to stay in the United States after graduation. The legislation was hailed by higher-ed groups, which have long called for stapling a green card to every Ph.D. A key reason: Measures that permit international graduates to stay and work could go a long way toward helping American colleges recruit them in the first place, particularly as institutions face increasing global competition from countries like Canada and Australia that offer an easy pathway from study to work. Keeping the talent pipeline flowing is especially critical in STEM fields, where more than half of all doctoral degrees are earned by student-visa holders. "It's both an investment in our institutions because we want to have strong recruitment and an investment in our students," said Miriam Feldblum, executive director of the Presidents' Alliance on Higher Education and Immigration, a nonpartisan group of college leaders. "Their success is our success." |
| End of Trump's 'Muslim ban' a relief to researchers, but obstacles remain | |
| In the spring of 2019, Sara Mashhadi Nejad was ready to embark on a new chapter of her life. The aspiring environmental engineer in Iran had just been accepted to the University of Toledo, where she would conduct doctoral research on how Lake Erie pollutants harm children. But she became ensnared in a byzantine visa process that has left her marooned in Tehran -- separated from her husband at Bowling Green State University and endangering her spot at Toledo. Now, Mashhadi Nejad has reason to hope her agonizing wait may have a happy ending. Last week, President Joe Biden revoked former President Donald Trump's so-called Muslim ban, imposed in 2017, which barred citizens of Iran and six other Muslim-majority nations from entering the United States---leaving thousands of students and scientists in limbo. The Trump administration's controversial policy "jeopardized our global network of alliances and partnerships" and was "a moral blight," Biden wrote in a 20 January proclamation abolishing it. Many researchers from affected nations welcomed the news. "It's a great development," says Nasser Zawia, a Yemeni-born pharmacologist and naturalized U.S. citizen at the University of Rhode Island, Kingston. "It's like life is back to normal." Well, not quite. |
| What Will President Biden's Anti-Systemic Racism Executive Order Mean? | |
| For years, researchers and higher education advocates have been frustrated by the lack of good Education Department data on how students of color and those with lower incomes are being let down by the nation's higher education system. "It's hard to solve racial equity problems if you can't see them," said Clare McCann, deputy director for federal higher education policy at the progressive think tank New America, and formerly a senior policy adviser at the department during the Obama administration. However, progressive advocacy groups say an executive order President Biden signed on his first day in office instructing the Education Department and all federal agencies to examine whether they are perpetuating systemic racism could have profound effects on the experience of students from underrepresented groups at colleges and universities. Biden's Executive Order on Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities Through the Federal Government, signed hours after his inauguration on Jan. 20, most clearly reverses some of the Trump administration's more racially insensitive orders. But it went further. |
| Mississippi senator proposes new teacher loan repayment program while honoring William Winter, Jack Reed | |
| Bobby Harrison writes for Mississippi Today: In the 1990s, legislators passed innovative proposals to forgive student loan debt for college graduates who agreed to teach in Mississippi schools. The proposals, shepherded through the Legislature by then-education committee chairs Billy McCoy in the House and Grey Ferris in the Senate, were the first of many similar proposals passed by legislators over the decades to deal with the shortage of educators. Today, those proposals have a couple of things in common: None of them are currently funded, and they put the state in the position of having to be a collection agency when the teachers -- often for legitimate reasons -- don't complete their commitment to teach in Mississippi. And, oh yeah, the teacher shortage still exists. Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson, the vice chair of the Senate Education Committee, believes there is a better way to help pay for a new teacher's college education. Blount has proposed the William F. Winter and Jack Reed Sr. Teacher Loan Repayment Program. Blount's proposal is different. The other programs help fund students' college education as they progress toward their degree in exchange for a commitment they will teach so many years in the state's public schools after graduation. |
SPORTS
| Dudy Noble Field to be at 25 percent capacity for 2021 baseball season | |
| Dudy Noble Field will be at 25 percent capacity for the 2021 baseball season. Mississippi State announced the limited attendance number in a release Friday afternoon after school officials gave reporters a tour of the field and ran through new operating procedures related to the COVID-19 pandemic Thursday morning. "We're not saying we all love the picture," Executive Senior Associate A.D./Internal Affairs Jay Logan told reporters Thursday. "But we've got to live with it." Though MSU did not name an exact figure as to what capacity will be due to ongoing conversations and modeling, the stadium will be at roughly 25 percent of 15,000-plus available seating, while clubs and suites will be limited to a maximum of 75 percent seated capacity (indoor and outdoor). Those capacity limits fall in line with COVID-19 related restrictions from both the governor's office and the Center for Disease Control. MSU begins its season on the weekend of Feb. 19 in Arlington, Texas as part of the State Farm College Baseball Showdown. The Bulldogs will take on No. 3 Texas Tech, No. 9 Texas and No. 10 TCU over the course of three days. MSU's first home game is slated for Feb. 23 against Jackson State as part of a two-game slate. The Bulldogs' first Southeastern Conference series will take place between March 26 and 28 against No. 8 Arkansas. |
| Iverson Molinar helps Mississippi State race past Cyclones 95-56 | |
| Iverson Molinar scored 20 points and Mississippi State poured it on in the second half to defeat Iowa State 95-56 on Saturday in the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. The Bulldogs (10-8) scored their most points in a game this season, opening the second half with a 9-0 burst as Tolu Smith scored seven and Molinar two. That rally was followed by a 15-1 run that pushed the lead to 35 points with 12:47 left to play. D.J. Stewart Jr. scored 17 points, Tolu Smith finished with 16 and Deivon Smith added 10 points. The Bulldogs shot 51% (37 of 73) and scored 34 points off 21 Iowa State turnovers. The 39-point margin matches their largest this season (versus Mississippi Valley State Dec. 21). Mississippi State travels to Arkansas on Tuesday. |
| Mississippi State decimates Iowa State in SEC/Big 12 Challenge | |
| A Cyclone warning was issued for the area surrounding Humphrey Coliseum Saturday evening. But just as Vegas meteorologists forecasted, the visiting Iowa State Cyclones barely had enough gust to blow over a stray Starkville tumbleweed, let alone escape Mississippi with a victory. Mississippi State (10-8) snapped a three-game skid by dismantling the hapless Cyclones (2-9), seeing four players reach double figures in a 95-56 victory as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. While the result itself really only matters for conference bragging rights, the Southeastern Conference captured the challenge by a score of 5-4. "I thought we came out and played really hard," MSU coach Ben Howland said. "My heart goes out to Iowa State, too, because they're without two of their starters," Howland said. "They have some guys coming off of COVID protocol; it's really obviously been a tough experience for them dealing with all the COVID issues." MSU is back in action in a road matchup against Arkansas at 8 p.m. Tuesday. |
| Mississippi State men's basketball blows by depleted Iowa State Cyclones | |
| Shane Power sat inside Humphrey Coliseum on Saturday night and watched the two former programs he played for go against each other. Power played 62 games for ISU from 2000-02 and 64 games for MSU from 2003-05. The team Power finished his college career with got the best of the one he started with, and it wasn't close. Mississippi State beat Iowa State 95-56 to score a victory for the SEC as part of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge. The Bulldogs improved to 10-8 overall and snapped a three-game losing streak while the Cyclones dropped to 2-9. "We needed to get a win desperately," MSU coach Ben Howland said. Redshirt sophomore forward Tolu Smith, Mississippi State's third-leading scorer, wasn't much help in the Bulldogs' loss Tuesday to Tennessee because of foul trouble. He was at full force against Iowa State. Smith chipped in 16 points on 6 of 9 shooting. He also went 4 of 4 from the free throw line and had seven rebounds. He helped MSU outrebound the Cyclones 41-34. "Coach emphasized getting the ball inside early, so that's what we did," Smith said. "It allowed the defense to come inside more and opened up some shots." |
| Bulldogs blast Iowa State in SEC-Big 12 Challenge | |
| Iowa State had no answer for Mississippi State's big three on Saturday afternoon. Mississippi State beat Iowa State, 95-56, in the SEC-Big 12 Challenge at Humphrey Coliseum. DJ. Stewart, Iverson Molinar and Tolu Smith, the SEC's second-highest scoring trio, finished the game with a combined 53 points and were 19 of 38 from the floor. Molinar scored 20 points, Stewart added 17 and Smith had 16. None of them played over 26 minutes and all exited the game with eight minutes left. With the win, Mississippi State broke a three-game losing streak and helped the SEC win the SEC-Big 12 Challenge, 5-4. "I thought DJ was fantastic, he and Iverson both," MSU head coach Ben Howland said. "They really did a great job for us offensively. Tolu was very good, especially starting the second half. He really did a great job." Iowa State (2-9) entered the game without two of its normal starters due to COVID-19 protocol, and Mississippi State took advantage early. The Bulldogs controlled both the rebounding and turnover battle. Mississippi State out rebounded Iowa State, 41-34, and the Bulldogs grabbed 17 offensive rebounds. Those led to 20 second-chance points. |
| Arkansas freshman Jaylin Williams day to day with knee injury | |
| University of Arkansas Coach Eric Musselman said he's hopeful Jaylin Williams will be able to play against Mississippi State on Tuesday night, but that the 6-10 freshman from Fort Smith is day to day because of a right knee injury. Williams, who has been a physical player inside, suffered a bone bruise when he and Oklahoma State guard Cade Cunningham bumped knees hard in the Cowboys' 81-77 victory over the Razorbacks on Saturday in a Big 12/SEC Challenge game played in Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla. The play occurred when Williams was called for fouling Cunningham with 3:41 to play in the first half. Williams came out of the game immediately and didn't play again. "At halftime he was visibly upset, visibly could not more laterally. Couldn't jump," Musselman said Sunday night on his radio show. "He met with the Oklahoma State doctors. It was a severe bone bruise. Our doctors got to look at it [Sunday]. Same diagnosis." Musselman said Williams didn't participate in any part of Sunday's practice and did not do any shooting work. Musselman said it's unclear when Williams will be able to practice or play. Mississippi State beat Iowa State 95-56 at home to help the SEC go 5-4 in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, which had the Kentucky-Texas game canceled because of positive covid-19 tests and contact tracing within the Kentucky program. |
| Analysis: Mississippi State women have dropped three straight, but it's not quite time to panic | |
| Mississippi State isn't quite in panic mode, but it's getting close. After being run off the floor by No. 4 South Carolina Thursday, the MSU women's basketball team has dropped three consecutive games and sit below .500 in Southeastern Conference play for the first time since the 2013-14 season. Let's call Sunday what it was: downright ugly. The Bulldogs were bullied on their home floor after an inspired first quarter. MSU shot a combined 5 of 15 from the floor over Thursday's second frame as South Carolina sprinted out to a 12-0 run that broke the game open. As pressing, the Bulldogs were out-rebounded 51-38, marking the sixth time in seven SEC games they've been beaten on the boards. "They're going to do what they do," head coach Nikki McCray-Penson said of South Carolina following the loss. "And they did that tonight. They rebounded. They pushed tempo and that's what they did." But as disastrous as Thursday's throttling in Starkville was, there is some reason for optimism. Over the next week-and-a-half, MSU meets No. 20 Tennessee and No. 19 Arkansas -- fresh off an upset of No. 3 UConn -- with a chance to charge back toward the top of the conference and all-but secure a bid to the NCAA tournament assuming the Bulldogs take care of business down the stretch. |
| Kylin Hill fought to change the Mississippi flag. Next up: the NFL. | |
| If Kylin Hill has a regret about last year, it's that he wasn't able to run into Davis Wade Stadium carrying Mississippi's new state flag, waving it for all to behold. Hill was the one who put himself out there in June, declaring in a 98-character tweet that he wouldn't play another game for Mississippi State unless his home state changed its flag. He was the one who had to see those hate-filled replies on social media, who had to fear for his mother and grandmother when the racist backlash spilled into their homes in Columbus, Miss. He was the one who risked his college football career -- and maybe his NFL draft prospects -- by taking a stand. But on Nov. 3, the same day voters in Mississippi approved a new flag, Hill announced he was opting out of his senior season to prepare for the draft. So four days later, when the new flag -- with those menacing stars and bars replaced by a magnolia blossom -- made its public debut at a Mississippi State home game, it was linebacker Kobe Jones who raised it high. "That should've been my baby," says Hill's mother, Karenda. |
| Greg Sankey on SEC COVID-19 response: 'Proud of flexibility and collaboration' | |
 | Southeastern Conference Commissioner Greg Sankey made his first on-campus regular-season appearance of the 2020-21 school year Saturday at Mizzou Arena. Sankey had attended only championship events for the SEC so far this school year, including the football title game last month in Atlanta, and also traveled for bowl games after passing a COVID-19 test. Columbia was Sankey's first stop this weekend, as he planned to fly to watch Tennessee host Kansas in the nightcap of the SEC/Big 12 Challenge on Saturday night. Sankey held an in-person, socially distant news conference with reporters before Missouri men's basketball played TCU. The commissioner discussed the SEC's response to COVID-19, finishing the basketball season and whether he expects fuller football stadiums this fall. |
| Here's how you can to play golf in UGA football's Sanford Stadium | |
 | Golf is coming to Sanford Stadium this summer. The Topgolf Live Stadium Tour, which brings the Topgolf experience to sports venues around the country, is set to stop at Sanford Stadium June 18-23, according to a press release from the University of Georgia Athletic Association. Participants will be able to hit balls from inside the stadium onto the field with targets set up 60-150 yards from the hitting bay, according to the release. The event will also include technology used for scoring and shot tracing featured at regular Topgolf locations. "We are excited to offer a brand new experience within the confines of our iconic Sanford Stadium," UGA Athletic Director Josh Brooks said. "We have been working on ideas for people to enjoy and experience everything that Athens and our facilities offer, and we believe this is a big step towards doing just that. Similar to the first-ever concert we had in Sanford with Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan in 2013, this is another opportunity for us to showcase a stadium that we believe is second to none." Sanford Stadium joins other venues such as Soldier Field, Chase Field and Williams-Brice Stadium at the University of South Carolina as stadiums the Topgolf live tour is visiting in 2021. |
| It just could be that more folks are walking more during the pandemic | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: Over coffee recently, we were discussing long-range ramifications, almost all bad, of this COVID-19 pandemic. Someone asked if there might be anything positive to come from it. There was a long pause. I said I might have something. And I might. See what you think. Some background: I live in the Fondren/Woodland Hills area of Jackson. Funky Fondren, we call it, and we love it, nearly everything about it. We love the old houses, the glorious old trees, the mostly wide streets, the diversity of our neighbors, the terrific restaurants, the taverns, the coffee shops, all of it. Now I am a walker. I walk a lot. I was once a runner, but lower back and knee issues changed me into a walker. We'll get to that. Here's what I have noticed over the last few months of the pandemic: I have so much more pedestrian company. More people are walking and jogging. Families are out taking morning walks and evening walks. People are walking more at all times of the day -- from before dawn until well into the night. I have no scientific evidence but would guess foot traffic easily has tripled, perhaps more, in the past year. That's a good thing. |
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