| Thursday, February 25, 2021 |
| Engineering Faculty and Students Meet the Challenges of Remote Engineering Education | |
 | COVID-19 has shifted how the world gathers, communicates, and collaborates. Many industries have adopted new remote solutions to these unprecedented times. Engineering education has not been exempted from these challenges. Many campuses have gone online, challenging instructors to translate what is often a hands-on curriculum to a remote practice. Resilience seems to be a common theme when we look at how universities have been tackling the challenges of COVID-19. The pandemic has been a global challenge and everyone has had to find ways to cope. But amidst this, Robert Green, who is the Assistant Dean at Mississippi State University's College of Engineering, has found that faculty has been positive. The faculty and students at Mississippi State University have been pulling together and finding new ways of working. "It is strange how we feel closer than ever," Green says, "while being physically further apart than ever before." Engineering education may face additional challenges to translating the curriculum to online environments, but it is also a field that excels at creating innovative solutions. |
| Live entertainment returning to MSU Riley Center following tumultuous year | |
 | Following a year of virtually no entertainment due to COVID, the MSU Riley Center has announced its Spring/Summer Performing Arts Series for 2021. "We're so happy to be back open," said Dr. Daniel Barnard, Executive Director of the Riley Center. "We missed our audiences. This is a year of only a few productions. So to be back in business is great for us but we think it's time for the community too. We're very happy about it." Country music fans will get some of the new and some of the old as rising star Chris Janson with four number one hits makes his first appearance in Meridian on April 16th. "I think we're catching him at just the right time," said Barnard. "Probably in another year or two we probably couldn't afford him anymore." Season veterans Sawyer Brown will bring their high energy live show to the Queen City on June 3rd while Southern comedian Leanne Morgan brings her national comedy tour to the Riley Center on May 6th. "A lot of performing art centers aren't open yet," said Barnard. "A lot of the tours are in flux. Even the four that we have six weeks ago are not the same are what I had on the books. We feel good about these. Actually COVID worked for us in at least one of those cases because we're the only ones open. These are people we might not have gotten otherwise." |
| Mississippi Stories: Hagan Walker and Anna Barker | |
| In the third episode of Mississippi Stories, Mississippi Today Editor-At-Large Marshall Ramsey sits down with Hagan Walker and Anna Barker. Walker and Barker, the founders of the Starkville-based company Glo, discuss their company, entrepreneurialism, how their products went from a way to liven up parties to sooth autistic children at bath time and their newly renovated historic new corporate headquarters. Both Walker and Barker talk about why they decided to stay in Mississippi, how they plan to fight Brain Drain in the state and the importance of giving back to the community. The pair recently signed a licensing agreement with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, to produce toys that brighten play and bath time for children. As budding entrepreneurs in MSU's Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach, the duo turned a literal bright idea into a life-changing product. They continue to find new ways to give back to their community and inspire young Mississippians to follow in their footsteps. |
| Glo prepares to move into Rex Theater by Monday | |
 | After nearly a year of restorations, the old Rex Theatre is starting to "Glo." By Monday, the class project-turned-startup business Glo will move its office into the newly renovated space at 101 W. Main St. Tuesday afternoon, Glo CEO Hagan Walker walked through the theater imagining the possibilities this new area entails for his company. Walker partnered with Castle Properties and the Masonic Lodge to revitalize the former theater. The $1.4 million renovations are nearly completed and even a replica of the Rex Theatre awning hangs over to light up Main Street. "It's honestly amazing to see where it was to what it is now," Walker said. Walker announced there's a literal sweet spot coming to the corner of the Rex. Proof Bakery owners, Bonnie and Robbie Coblentz, plan to open a dessert shop. "It's still in the works, but we wanted to do something here," Walker said. "We're taking up this big building and we thought we needed to do something cool for the corner." Since plans are in the early stages, everything is to be determined, but the Proof owner duo is excited about bringing something sweet to Main Street. |
| Mississippi Inland Cleanup Program to host trash pickup in Petal Friday | |
 | The Mississippi Inland Cleanup Program is hosting a trash pickup in Petal Friday. The cleanup is the first of many planned in the Petal and Hattiesburg area. The Inland Cleanup Program is part of the Mississippi State University Extension on the Coast. It aims to get local students and neighbors involved in cleaning up their community. "This program just started in last July, and I've been on as the program coordinator," said Jessi James. "So right now it's just pretty much getting the word out there and making sure people know that we're there to help in any way with their community as far as litter removal and prevention, trash free education and of course, connecting community members to other organizations in the community." |
| The Mag film festival starts today with virtual purchasing options | |
| The 24th Magnolia Independent Film Festival begins today, at least virtually. Also known as The Mag, Mississippi's longest-running film festival is offering a slate of 42 films on its website that viewers can purchase. With a VIP experience, festival director Bailey Berry said, festival-goers can also access exclusive workshops and panels virtually. The festival will conclude March 6 with a drive-in showing at Mississippi Horse Park. The "main event", Berry said, will be at 6 p.m. showing 10 short films and one feature film. The late-night drive-in screening at 10:45 p.m. will include two short films and one feature-length film. "Five Minutes," created by a group of students at Mississippi State University, is one of the short films that will be shown at the Horse Park. It centers on a "gamer guy" getting ready for a date. Jon Taggert, one of the directors, said that the film started as a project assigned by a film teacher and grew to gaining acclamation from credible film evaluators across the state. "We didn't expect 'Five Minutes' to be this well-received," said Taggert, a senior communication major from Hernando. "We are grateful for the opportunity. We're just happy that we're out there." |
| Investigation ongoing into robbery at Starkville apartment complex | |
 | Investigators continue to seek information and locate the individuals involved in two robbery situations in Starkville. Oktibbeha County investigator Lt. Jon Davis says the first incident happened at midnight Tuesday at the 21 Apartments. He says robbers approached a vehicle but the driver managed to flee. The second incident happened approximately an hour later at the Helix Apartments. Both apartment complexes are located near the Mississippi State University campus. Davis says three robbers approached a vehicle there, occupied by two people, and a third individual standing nearby. The robbers used pistols to rob the three victims. As of Thursday morning, no arrests have been made. |
| Starkville Strong keeps building awareness, members through volunteer service | |
| With the majority of Starkville residents confined to their homes last week because of a winter storm, local musician Tahj Mckey sacrificed his safety by delivering goods and supplies to those in need. Mckey became involved with Starkville Strong Facebook group at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic because he was trying to find ways to give back to the community during the difficult time. He said that he has continuously volunteered his time to the organization because it has made an impact not only on the community but on himself. "Being able to drive and deliver things to people made an impact because people couldn't get out of their homes," Mckey said. "People that I was delivering to were literally stuck in their homes, and some didn't even have electricity. For this one order, we had to bring gas to a family, and their power went out, and they were running off of a generator. So, we went to the gas station and pumped two gallons of gas and took it all the way to Macon so this family could survive the rest of the night." Inclement weather invaded the Golden Triangle last week, bringing freezing temperatures, icy roads and extreme winter precipitation. Many community members offered delivery services and rides to those needing to get to appointments, work or other necessary obligations. |
| Absentee voting available for city primary races | |
| Absentee ballots for the April 6 municipal primary elections in Columbus, Starkville and West Point are now available. In Starkville, there are contested party primaries for board of aldermen positions in Wards 2, 4, 5 and 6. The absentee ballots can be picked up at City Hall at 110 W. Main St. between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. All three offices will be open from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. on March 1-5 and from 8 a.m. until noon on March 6 for voter registration. In-person absentee voting ends on April 3 when offices will be open from 8 a.m. until noon. Voters can also call their respective city clerk and request absentee ballots be mailed to them. |
| U.S. Farmers are Planting More Row Crops Than Ever | |
 | U.S. farmers are expected to plant a record amount of acres this year to take advantage of high agricultural prices after years of tough market conditions. The U.S. Department of Agriculture projects that farmers will plant 182 million acres of corn and soybeans in 2021. That is an all-time high and up roughly eight million acres from last year -- driven by a jump in soybean acreage, which is expected to rise nearly seven million acres from last year. "If realized, this would approach the highest planted soybean area figure on record," said Mac Marshall, vice president of market intelligence for the United Soybean Board. That record dates back to 2017, when farmers planted 90.2 million acres of soybeans, according to USDA data. Behind the increase lies a sharp rise in soybean prices over the past eight months -- 69% since June 1. Prices have been lifted by surging demand for U.S. soybeans in China, where the country continues to rebuild a hog herd that was decimated by African swine fever in 2019. "The Chinese are buying even as prices are rising," said Seth Meyer, chief economist for the USDA, at a press conference during the USDA's Agricultural Outlook Forum last week. Dr. Meyer said that he expects China's demand for U.S. products to stay strong throughout 2021. |
| Board: PERS investments show rebound in final quarter of 2020 | |
| The board of trustees for the state's defined benefit pension system held their monthly meeting Tuesday. Among the issues considered by the Public Employees' Retirement System of Mississippi board included bills in the Legislature and returns on investments from the last six months. The performance of the fund's investments in the last six months of the calendar year showed a massive improvement from the the double-digit losses sustained during the COVID-19 related shutdowns. According to numbers supplied by PERS, the plan's investments earned 12.19 percent for the quarter, with international stocks leading the way with 19.03 percent returns, U.S. stocks showing gains of 17.25 percent and global stocks rebounding to 14.43 percent returns. This was after the disastrous first quarter of 2020, when PERS holdings endured losses of 14.11 percent before rebounding to finish with positive returns of 3.35 percent. Trustee Kelly Breland, who chairs the investment committee, said PERS outperformed between 95 to 98 percent of its public pension fund peers in the last six months of 2020. That sparkling performance was still not enough for the plan to meet the plan's expectation for annual returns, which is 7.75 percent. |
| Southern exposure: Cold wreaks havoc on aging waterworks | |
 | The sunshine is back and the ice has melted. But more than a week after a deep freeze across the South, many communities are still grappling with getting clean water to their citizens. For years, experts have warned of the need to upgrade aging and often-neglected waterworks. Now, after icy weather cracked the region's water mains, froze equipment and left millions without service, it's clear just how much work needs to be done. The still-unfolding problems have exposed extensive vulnerabilities. Many water systems have decades-old pipes, now fragile and susceptible to breaking. Many systems in the South were not built with such low temperatures in mind. But with climate change projected to bring more extreme weather, problems like those seen last week could return. The Mississippi capital of Jackson struggled to fix its damaged water grid, with thousands still facing outages. Old pipes in the city have a history of breaking after cold weather, but a declining tax base has Jackson struggling to maintain its infrastructure. Following integration, affluent white families moved to the suburbs, taking their tax dollars with them. Now, more than a quarter of residents in Mississippi's majority-Black capital live in poverty. |
| PSC launches review of state's public utility infrastructure | |
| Following last week's winter weather storm, the Mississippi Public Service Commission is launching a comprehensive review of the state's public utility infrastructure. Announced in a news release Wednesday, the review will begin immediately with the goal of ensuring that all "reasonable steps be taken to protect the reliability of electric, gas, water and sewer service at all times." The PSC stated that while Mississippi utilities are accustomed to extreme weather events like hurricanes and tornadoes, winter storms are much rarer. This presented new challenges to Mississippi utilities that the Commission feels must be addressed "immediately and forthrightly." "Grid resiliency and reliability is an incredibly important issue and we must maintain a proactive approach to protect our systems and infrastructure," Southern District Commissioner & Chairman Dane Maxwell said. "The extreme winter weather last week brought to light many issues throughout the region that must be addressed to ensure forced outages on a massive scale do not happen here in Mississippi like we saw in other parts of the country." |
| Leaders say feds will have to step up to help address state's water woes | |
| Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba has found an ally in at least two public service commissioners in calling for the federal government to help Jackson address its water infrastructure needs. Central District Commissioner Brent Bailey and Northern District Commissioner Brandon Presley agree with the mayor that federal funds will be needed to help cities across the state rebuild their aging water treatment and distribution systems in the wake of severe winter storms. "No doubt our water infrastructure has been woefully neglected when it comes to federal funding," Presley said. "We hope as part of an infrastructure bill, a federal infrastructure bill, we can see some money appropriated for water improvements." Winter storms ripped across the state last week, bringing with them freezing rain, ice, and sub-freezing temperatures, crippling many cities' abilities to provide drinking water to residents.In Jackson's case, freezing temperatures, coupled with the lower water surface temperatures at the Ross Barnett Reservoir, caused equipment at its main treatment plant to literally freeze up. Bailey said apart from raising rates, the federal government could pass a bill much like it did to help states expand broadband service. Nearly $495 million came into Mississippi as a result of that legislation -- not enough to fix all of the state's water problems, but definitely a start. |
| Mississippi State Department of Health reports 920 new COVID-19 cases, 8 deaths | |
 | The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) on Thursday reported 920 additional cases of COVID-19 and eight deaths. Calhoun and Clay counties in Northeast Mississippi each reported one additional death. The statewide total number of cases since March 11, 2020 is now 292,811 with a death toll of 6,613. As of this week, around 273,437 people are presumed recovered from the virus. The seven-day moving average for new COVID-19 cases in Mississippi is 15 per 100,000 people, as of Feb. 21. In Mississippi's 1st Congressional District, the seven-day moving average is 13 per 100,000 people. MSDH also reported 81 ongoing outbreaks in long-term care facilities. All counties in the Daily Journal's coverage area reported new cases: Alcorn (7), Benton (6), Calhoun (9), Chickasaw (1), Clay (3), Itawamba (3), Lafayette (9), Lee (22), Marshall (11), Monroe (3), Oktibbeha (13), Pontotoc (7), Prentiss (10), Tippah (2), Tishomingo (3) and Union (7). |
| Gov. Tate Reeves: State will roll back COVID-19 restrictions next week | |
| Gov. Tate Reeves says he will begin rolling back state imposed restrictions meant to prevent the spread of COVID-19 as early as next week. The governor said he will begin lifting restrictions of social gatherings and mask wearing via an executive order he plans to sign next week. Reeves announced his intention during a press conference on Tuesday. Reeves cited a decrease in average COVID-19 daily cases, hospitalizations and ICU usage as the reason behind the decision. Executive Order 1543, the most recent in a series of coronavirus-related orders the governor has issued since the pandemic began, declares the "key to reducing spread of COVID-19" is continued social distancing, limited capacity of gatherings where people are in prolonged close proximity and the use of face coverings "as Mississippi continues to safely recover." That order, signed by the governor on Feb. 3, also includes guidelines for outdoor sports stadiums at colleges and universities limiting bowl/outdoor stadium ticketed seating to a maximum of 25% seating capacity depending on space available to ensure a minimum of 6 feet of social distancing between people not in the same household and county mask mandates for a vast majority of Mississippi's 82 counties. |
| Amid COVID-19 pandemic, flu has disappeared in the US | |
| February is usually the peak of flu season, with doctors' offices and hospitals packed with suffering patients. But not this year. Flu has virtually disappeared from the U.S., with reports coming in at far lower levels than anything seen in decades. Experts say that measures put in place to fend off the coronavirus -- mask wearing, social distancing and virtual schooling -- were a big factor in preventing a "twindemic" of flu and COVID-19. A push to get more people vaccinated against flu probably helped, too, as did fewer people traveling, they say. Another possible explanation: The coronavirus has essentially muscled aside flu and other bugs that are more common in the fall and winter. Scientists don't fully understand the mechanism behind that, but it would be consistent with patterns seen when certain flu strains predominate over others, said Dr. Arnold Monto, a flu expert at the University of Michigan. The numbers are astonishing considering flu has long been the nation's biggest infectious disease threat. |
| C.D.C. Traces Covid Outbreaks in Gyms, Urging Stricter Precautions | |
 | Public health officials on Wednesday urged gym-goers to wear masks when they work out and to remain six feet apart, as new research described the rapid spread of coronavirus infections during high-intensity exercise classes at gyms in Honolulu and Chicago. Researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised fitness centers to take a variety of measures to prevent outbreaks, including enforcing proper mask use and reminding gym and staff members to stay home if they have symptoms of illness or have tested positive for the virus. Heavy breathing during intense physical activity in confined indoor spaces increases chances of transmission, and fitness teachers who shouted exercise instructions to members may also have contributed to the spread, the C.D.C. research found. Exercising outdoors or taking virtual fitness classes could help reduce infection risk, the authors noted. The C.D.C. researchers emphasized that a multifaceted approach to safety is required in fitness facilities, including good ventilation, consistent and correct mask use, persistent reminders that employees and patrons are to stay home when sick, and additional hand washing stations. |
| Mississippi income tax: Economic, business leaders hesitant on overhaul | |
| Michael Callahan went to bed early Monday night -- so early that the CEO of Mississippi's electrical cooperatives trade organization didn't realize an overhaul of the state's tax system was speeding through the House of Representatives until the next morning. By Tuesday afternoon, House Bill 1439 had cleared the floor of the House, less than 24 hours after being filed and approved by the Ways and Means Committee with little notice. On Wednesday, Callahan was among the ranks of business interests, trade groups, policy advocates and Capitol watchers cramming to read a 317-page bill that could eliminate the state's income tax in 10 years while upping almost all sales tax rates. "We're still trying to figure it out," Callahan said, adding later, "I wish we'd had more time to look at the bill. If we'd had a few more days to look at it, we could have run our numbers and been in a better place." Farmers are also showing some anxiety. “We’re still digging into the bill. It was kind of a surprise,” said Mike McCormick, president of the Mississippi Farm Bureau. “But we’re very concerned with the impact on farmers.” The farming equipment sales tax would rise from 1.5% to 4%. The biggest problem, in McCormick’s eyes, is that farmers don’t have anywhere they can pass those additional costs. “We don’t get the chance to set the price on anything,” McCormick said. “We are price takers, not price setters.” |
| House leaders want to raise Mississippi sales tax. Here's how neighboring states stack up. | |
| The Mississippi House of Representatives passed a sweeping proposal Tuesday that would completely phase out the personal income tax over 10 years and immediately, starting on July 1, put in place the largest statewide sales tax in the nation at 9.5% on most retail items, excluding groceries. Mississippi already has the second highest statewide sales tax at 7%, trailing only California at 7.25%, according to the Tax Foundation. But most states, including California, either have a lower sales tax on groceries or completely exempt the tax on groceries. In Mississippi, the current full 7% tax applies to groceries. The bill, beginning July 1, would lower the rate on food to 4.5% and over a five-year period reduce it to 3.5%. And, importantly, Mississippi in most cases prevents local governments from imposing an additional sales tax. Jackson has a 1% tax and Tupelo has a .25% tax, but other local governments have no authority to levy a sales tax with the exception of a so-called tourism tax on restaurants and hotels. With a 9.5% sales tax rate, excluding that on groceries, Mississippi still would be competitive with the sales tax rates of its contiguous states when factoring in local sales tax rates, according to Tax Foundation numbers. |
| Mississippi House kills proposal for gas tax election | |
| The Mississippi House is backing away from a proposal for a statewide election on increasing gasoline and diesel fuel taxes to pay for improvements to state highways and local roads. House Bill 1364 died Wednesday when the House did not vote on it before a deadline. It was the last day for the House to pass the bill and send it to the Senate for more work. Ways and Means Committee Chairman Trey Lamar offered no explanation as he asked the House to kill the bill. But the move came a day after the House passed a separate bill that would make broad changes to the state tax structure, increasing some and decreasing others with the goal of eventually phasing out the personal income tax. Mississippi's motor fuel tax has been 18.4 cents a gallon since 1987, and transportation officials have said for years that the tax fails to generate enough money to cover the costs of highway construction and repairs. |
| Bill could expand services provided by optometrists in Mississippi | |
| A bill passed by the Mississippi House of Representatives would allow optometrists in the state to perform more procedures and prescribe more medications. Optometry is an occupation regulated by the state Legislature, meaning optometrists can only perform procedures and prescribe medications the Legislature designates. "The optometrists have been seeking the ability to do more and more procedures and Mississippi has been fairly restrictive in what we've allowed them to do," said Sen. Joey Fillingane of District 41. Officials say the push to pass House Bill 1302 stems from optometry regulations in surrounding states. "This bill basically mirrors the Tennessee law, I understand," Fillingane said. Some optometrists agree. "We're just trying to get Mississippi law updated to the level of our neighbors," said Dr. Ryan Wally, optometrist and partner at Oxford Eye Clinic & Optical. House Bill 1302 now moves to the Senate. |
| Mississippi's first wind farm planned for Tunica | |
| Two major renewable energy projects are planned for Mississippi, including the state's first wind-power farm. Lawmakers said Wednesday that a $250-million wind farm is planned for Tunica County and a $140-million to $160-million solar farm for Chickasaw County. The state Senate approved allowing the local counties to provide tax breaks for the projects. The Tunica project, Tunica Wind Power LLC, would be the state's first wind farm, state Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley said. The Chickasaw solar farm would be that area's third one, and several others are operating across the state. With recent wind-power debate from widespread power outages in Texas, Presley pointed out that the projects would only sell power wholesale to the Tennessee Valley Authority or nationally, not directly to any customers. Presley said the Tunica project has applied for PSC approval, but the Chickasaw solar project has not. "(The wind farm) will have 100 wind turbines on 13,000 acres in Tunica, be a 200-megawatt facility, able to power at max capacity 7,000 homes," Presley said. "In light of what we've seen in Texas, we will be asking them about their winterization efforts," Presley said. |
| Democratic fury with GOP explodes in House | |
 | Democratic fury over the mob attack on the Capitol and its aftermath is spilling into nearly every aspect of life in the House, squashing hopes for comity and threatening even mundane legislative tasks like the naming of a local post office. Democrats accuse Republicans of nothing short of sabotaging the nation's democracy with false claims that November's election was "stolen" from former President Trump. Already angry that the refusal by some Republicans to wear masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 was endangering lives, Democrats now see the GOP as directly putting lawmaker lives on the line with dangerous rhetoric that feeds outlandish conspiracy theories. Bad blood reached a new level Tuesday night when Rep. Sean Casten (D-Ill.) took the highly unusual step of forcing a full floor vote on an uncontroversial bill to name a Mississippi post office because it was authored by a Republican who voted to overturn the election. The Illinois Democrat derailed the bid by GOP Rep. Trent Kelly (Miss.) to fast-track a bill to rename a post office in his district. Kelly had met with a group of protesters on Jan. 6 and later voted to overturn the election results. Still, an overwhelming majority of Democrats opposed Casten's gambit, with many explaining it was simply the wrong vehicle for holding lawmakers accountable. |
| Republicans divided on Democrats' push to restore earmarks | |
 | Republicans' family discussion on earmarks is starting to spill into public view, with top GOP lawmakers backing "congressionally directed spending" while staunchly conservative members stake out their opposition. The division sets up another fissure as the party continues to struggle with its identity in the shadow of Donald Trump's presidency. Senate Appropriations ranking member Richard C. Shelby, R-Ala., said he backs earmarks that are "meritorious and transparent," adding lawmakers' authority over the federal budget is spelled out in the Constitution. "If they are frivolous requests, they should go by the wayside," Shelby told reporters. Shelby, who is retiring at the end of this Congress, is a longtime supporter of "congressionally directed spending," but his caucus in recent years has opposed restoring the practice that was initially banned in 2011. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., another veteran appropriator, deferred to Shelby on Wednesday when asked if he'd support a return to earmarks. But McConnell, no stranger to earmarks himself, also knows Shelby's view on the topic and what he'd likely say. |
| President Biden, facing resistance in Congress, courts GOP governors | |
 | President Biden called Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey on her iPhone hours after she toured the site of a tornado that killed a 14-year-old boy in her state. Biden almost instantly signed disaster declarations sought by Govs. Greg Abbott of Texas and Kevin Stitt of Oklahoma. He invited Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson to the White House to discuss the coronavirus pandemic. All are Republicans. None are from states Biden came close to winning. In his first five weeks in office, Biden is spending as much time -- if not more -- courting Republican governors as he is wooing the senators he needs to pass legislation. It is part of a strategy that lays the groundwork to make something of an end-run around Republicans in Congress, who may be resistant to his ideas, as he looks for outside-the-Beltway allies who might help him make good on his promises of bipartisanship. In some cases, Biden and his administration have leaned on state Republican officials to support his policies, including a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief bill that includes $350 billion in funding for cities and states. In other instances, he has opened a more general dialogue, picking up the phone to offer help after a disaster or to engage longtime friends. Governors may be more pragmatic than senators, the White House believes, their desire for funding and other help from Washington making them more open to cooperation. |
| Space command will be in Alabama, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville vows | |
 | U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville said Wednesday that, despite a coming review of the decision, Alabama will ultimately be home of the new headquarters of America's Space Command. "Once they look at this, look at the money they'd have to spend to put it somewhere else, it's obvious it will be there," Tuberville told Alabama reporters in an issues briefing. Tuberville has said the Air Force has told his staff in several meetings that Alabama ranked highest in the headquarters competition. "We knew that because of the chance of administrations it would be looked at," Tuberville said, "but it was a merit-based decision." "The big thing is that Lloyd Austin, the new secretary of defense, supports how the Air Force handled the whole scenario of getting to the point of awarding it to Huntsville," Tuberville said. "This wasn't a political decision. This was a decision based on facts, based on money, the infrastructure we have in Huntsville, the cyber security that's moving in with the FBI." Tuberville said it "would be a huge burden to the American taxpayer" to put the base elsewhere. |
| Campus Walk at UM suffers property damage from winter storms | |
 | On-campus apartments at Campus Walk suffered from property damage last week as a result of the winter storms, and much like residents at the Retreat and the Domain, the students who live there are still dealing with the impact of this damage. A sprinkler pipe burst in the third floor ceiling of apartment building H on Feb. 16. The floors beneath flooded and caused the evacuation of that building and surrounding apartments. University of Mississippi spokesperson Rod Guajardo said that a member of the Student Housing maintenance staff was stationed on campus during the weather closures to handle emergency situations, and additional Student Housing staff were on site within minutes of this emergency to provide support. "All impacted students were relocated to a new apartment within two-and-a-half hours of the initial pipe burst," Guajardo wrote. Guajardo added that during relocation efforts, the time frame to allow residents to collect their belongings was shortened to keep students safe from the building damage, and to also minimize impact on their personal belongings. |
| USM's University Archives, Downtown Hattiesburg Association Collaborate on Black History Month Project | |
| Faculty and staff in University Archives at The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) recently assisted the Downtown Hattiesburg Association in commemorating Black History Month with the production of window exhibits currently on display through the end of February in the front windows of the building that once housed the Kress Department Store, located at 500 North Main Street. The window exhibits feature images from the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement, along with political campaign memorabilia of Black Mississippians who sought elected office, as well as material from University Archives' Oseola McCarty collection. McCarty was a Hattiesburg washerwoman and famed USM benefactor who gave the bulk of her life's savings to fund scholarships at the University. "When I contacted the archives staff, they immediately agreed to do an exhibit even though they didn't have much time to put it together," said Leigh Ann Underwood, a member of the Association's Promotions Committee. "They are an asset to Hattiesburg and a pleasure to work with, and we couldn't have accomplished it without their help." Lorraine Stuart, an associate professor who serves as head of University Archives' Special Collections and curator for Historical Manuscripts and Archives, said that although the opportunity to install the displays came at a hectic time, "we of course jumped at the chance." |
| East Central Community College's Brent Gregory receives PTK's prestigious Paragon Award | |
| East Central Community College President Dr. Brent Gregory has been selected to receive Phi Theta Kappa's Paragon Award for New Presidents during the honor society's annual convention in April. The Paragon Award is given to new college presidents who have shown strong support of student success by recognizing academic achievement, leadership, and service among high-achieving students at their college. Recipients were nominated for the award by students on their campus. More than 500 college presidents were eligible to receive the award. Gregory will receive the Paragon Award virtually along with 21 other two-year college presidents during PTK Catalyst 2021, the society's annual convention broadcast live from Orlando, Fla., April 8-10. A native of Nanih Waiya, Gregory began his tenure as the ninth president of East Central Community College in Decatur on July 1, 2020. He is a 1996 graduate of East Central and also earned his bachelor's degree in physical education and master's degree in workforce training and development from the University of Southern Mississippi and his doctorate in community college leadership from Mississippi State University. |
| East Mississippi Community College to use federal funds to improve walkways, courtyards on campuses | |
| East Mississippi Community College (EMCC) will use almost $3 million in federal funds to improve walkways and courtyards on its home and Golden Triangle campuses. The Local Public Agencies division of the Mississippi Department of Transportation administered the funds. The Golden Triangle campus received $1 million. The college's Scooba campus received $1.9 million. "Both of these projects are going to make it much more convenient for our students to get around campus," EMCC President Dr. Scott Alsobrooks said. "The courtyard areas will also provide outdoor spaces for students to relax between classes when the weather is nice. This will improve the aesthetics of the two campuses while enhancing the quality of our students' experiences while they are here." The college hopes to begin construction next year, with a tentative completion date of late 2022 or early 2023. |
| Black Greek-lettered organizations carry on the legacy to uplift their communities | |
 | More than 100 years ago, young African American women strived to uplift their community in a positive way. Black Greek-lettered organizations known as the 'Divine Nine' allowed them to do that. Here on the Gulf Coast, there are many people involved in those organizations that serve their community and carrying on the history. You hear the chants mainly on college campuses and you see the strolls, but most importantly for the organizations, it's the service Black Greek-lettered sororities provide to communities nationwide. All this made possible after a young woman in 1908 paved the way. "Our founder is Ethel Hedgeman Lyle who had a vision of creating an organization to represent the African American woman," said Bridgette Parks, Vice President of the Theta Zeta Omega chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. There were no sororities available at that time for us to be a part of." Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. is the first of four Black sororities. A few years later came, Delta Sigma Theta, Zeta Phi Beta, and Sigma Gamma Rho, all with a vision to promote scholarship, sisterhood, and service. "Our very first public act was to participate in the women's suffrage march," said Dr. Carla Evers. "And you can still see us doing those types of efforts today." Evers serves as the President of the Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Mississippi Gulf Coast Alumnae chapter. All three women said the organizations continue the legacy of uplifting Black communities through countless service hours. |
| Standardized tests are back. They'll feel different and many students won't take them. | |
 | When the world of K-12 education spiraled into confusion last spring, many teachers and students quietly delighted in the disappearance of high-stakes tests. The multiple-choice questions and hours spent monitoring exams were suddenly gone. Schools pivoted to finding students and connecting everyone digitally. The Department of Education dropped the requirement for states to administer annual achievement exams in reading and math, which usually happens in spring. "We're living in a time we all dreamed about -- there's no standardized testing," said Randal Lutz, superintendent of Baldwin-Whitehall schools, a district of about 4,700 students in suburban Pittsburgh. "We told teachers: Go have fun with kids. Go teach the things you wanted to teach however you want to do it, within the state standards." But now those tests are coming back. President Joe Biden's administration this week decided against another blanket waiver on federally mandated achievement exams this year, saying instead states can delay or shorten the tests or give them virtually -- or skip testing remote learners. |
| Can an Active Lifestyle Help Ward Off Alzheimer's? | |
| The shutdown of schools, libraries, gyms and extracurricular activities due to the Covid-19 pandemic has parents and teachers worried about the toll on children's learning and development. But children aren't the only ones at risk. Young people need enrichment to build cognitive capacity, while adults, especially older ones, need it to maintain cognitive capacity and prevent neurodegeneration. In particular, decades of research show that mental, physical and social stimulation is one of the potential ways to ward off Alzheimer's disease. Studies have compared the cognitive performance of mice who live alone in empty cages with those who live in large houses equipped with colorful Lego blocks for mental stimulation, running wheels for exercise and other mice for social engagement. When mice lived in rich environments, their brains underwent physical changes: More neurons were generated in the brain's memory center, the hippocampus, and strong synaptic activity supported learning. The human need for enrichment isn't that different. For us, mental stimulation takes various forms, from pursuing higher education or working at a mentally challenging job to reading a book, playing cards or doing puzzles. |
| Alabama Cooperative Extension System announces new director | |
| Mike Phillips has been named director of the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, the primary outreach organization for Alabama A&M and Auburn universities, both of which are land-grant institutions with the mission of providing real-life solutions and helping improve the lives of all Alabamians. Phillips will begin his new role March 1 with the joint system -- referenced generally as Alabama Extension -- which was created in 1995 when the universities' Extension programs were combined. "What an exciting time for Alabama Extension as it continues to reinvent itself to meet the needs of Alabama citizens," Alabama A&M President Andrew Hugine Jr. said. "Dr. Phillips' professional background enables him to shape Alabama Extension's future. We look forward to his leadership and wish him well." Auburn President Jay Gogue echoes that sentiment. "Dr. Phillips has a tremendous background and the excellent leadership skills needed to meet the everchanging role of Extension, both in rural and urban areas," Gogue said. Phillips, an agronomy professor, has served since 2018 as Alabama Extension assistant director for agriculture, forestry and natural resource programs and as associate dean in Auburn's College of Agriculture. Prior to joining Alabama Extension and the Auburn faculty, Phillips was head of Mississippi State University's Department of Plant and Soil Sciences. |
| Auburn University raises event attendance limit to 100 | |
| Events with up to 100 attendees will be allowed once again at Auburn University starting March 1. The announcement came in an email to students and faculty from the AU COVID-19 Resource Center on Wednesday afternoon. University events have been capped at 50 people since Jan. 22, 2021. The email says that the change comes in response to current campus and community health trends. According to the COVID-19 Resource Center, self-reported positive cases of COVID-19 on Auburn's campus have declined over the spring semester. East Alabama Medical Center reports both low hospitalizations and ventilator usage for COVID-19 as of publication. All events must have prior approval and comply with Auburn University protocols, the email says. Exceptions to the policy require approval from the executive vice president or provost. |
| Lower Pay. Less Job Security. More Covid-19 Risk? | |
 | Lower-ranked instructors bear a disproportionate share of the risk of Covid-19 exposure while teaching at Auburn University, where only about half of the classrooms have the capacity to achieve physical distancing in accordance with public-health guidelines, a preliminary study has found. The unpublished paper, written by two Auburn economics professors and a graduate student, suggests that inequities in the academic labor force have been exacerbated by a hard push for in-person instruction that places contingent faculty members and graduate students in the riskiest teaching environments. Nonwhite and female instructors at Auburn are more likely to be in classrooms ill suited for physical distancing, according to the research, although those findings were based on an imperfect imputation of race and gender that the economists concede needs more work. Like colleges across the nation, Auburn paused in-person instruction at the start of the pandemic and resumed some face-to-face classes last fall. With an undergraduate enrollment of about 24,500, Auburn sought to mitigate risk by capping in-person classes at 50 percent of standard classroom capacity. That helped, according to the researchers, increasing by 10 to 15 percentage points the share of classes compliant with social-distancing best practices. Still, it wasn't enough, according to the analysis. |
| Auburn University earns 2021-2022 Military Friendly School designation | |
 | Auburn University has been nationally recognized as a 2021-2022 Military Friendly School. The recognition was awarded after extensive research and a data-driven survey by Viqtory -- a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business and Military Friendly's advisory council. The designation is a standard that measures an organization's commitment, effort and success in creating sustainable and meaningful benefit for the military community, the Military Friendly website reads. Over 1,200 schools participated in the 2021-2022 survey, with 747 earning the designation, according to the list. Paul "Puck" Esposito, director of the Auburn University Veterans Resource Center and a retired U.S. Navy captain, said in an Auburn University press release it's "great" to have Auburn listed as a military friendly school but his office works "hard daily to go even further, providing service above and beyond the standards of such rankings" and offering a "holistic approach" for the military clients they serve. "There's so much more to it that doesn't go into that rating that we offer," he said, adding that everyone on his office's staff has past military experience or is the spouse of a veteran. |
| LSU fall 2021 semester is likely to operate as 'pre-COVID-19,' president says | |
 | After nearly a year of virtual learning with Zoom classes and socially distanced classrooms, LSU leaders say they're planning for the university's fall 2021 semester to look like things did before the coronavirus pandemic. Students should expect that "fall 2021 will operate similarly to fall 2019," wrote Interim President Tom Galligan and Executive Vice President and Provost Stacia Haynie in a letter to the LSU community Wednesday, as students prepare to register for their fall classes. "Assuming that vaccinations proceed as expected, we anticipate that by fall, we will be able to operate the way we did before the onset of the pandemic," the letter said. "In other words, we expect the vast majority of courses to be delivered face-to-face once again, and for the majority of campus operations to be back to normal." No official decision has been made about the summer session and intersession, but the university will closely follow Louisiana's COVID-19 response, Galligan and Haynie wrote. The university is also working on how its spring 2021 commencement will work. The letter only applies to the outlook for fall classes on campus and not the potential for fans in the stands at LSU football games, said LSU spokesman Ernie Ballard. Decisions about football season will involve the state and the Southeastern Conference, Ballard said. |
| UGA expert: How to talk to skeptical relatives about the COVID-19 vaccine | |
 | As the new COVID-19 vaccines become more widely available, healthcare providers are encountering a familiar obstacle: people who don't want to take the shot. Reasons range from distrust in the pharmaceutical companies to the impression that the vaccines were developed too quickly to possibly be safe. The University of Georgia's Glen Nowak knows a thing or two about getting people to come around to vaccination. A professor in UGA's Grady College of Journalism and director of the Center for Health and Risk Communication, Nowak spent 14 years at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, six as the communications director for CDC's National Immunization Program and another six as director of media relations for CDC. Got a friend or family member who is eligible for the COVID-19 vaccine but not sure they want to get it? Nowak has a few strategies to get them to reconsider. If you are considering not getting a COVID-19 vaccine, you're making the assumption that you either won't get COVID or that it won't be a big deal if you do, Nowak said. But a better assumption is that it's actually more likely that you'll get infected and become sick with COVID-19 than experience a serious adverse reaction to the shot. |
| U. of Florida spring 2021 graduation to be in-person | |
 | The University of Florida class of spring 2021 will have in-person graduations, marking the first physical ceremonies in over a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fourteen commencement events will be held between April 29 and May 3 at the Stephen C. O'Connell Center, UF announced Friday in an email to students and an online press release. Coronavirus precautions like wearing masks and social distancing will be required, and the center will be sanitized between ceremonies. "We're glad that we were able to have some kind of recognition through the virtual ceremonies. Throughout all of those, we heard from the students and families saying how much they wanted this in-person ceremony. Now, we've determined a safe way to do that," said UF spokesman Steve Orlando. "It should be a joyous occasion, and it will be. A maximum of 2,000 people will be allowed in the building for each graduation to keep capacity at the CDC-recommended 20%. This means 584 students, each with two guests, can attend while still allowing room for event staff. Orlando said the 584 number was calculated to accommodate both the 20% cap and historic rates of student attendance from pre-pandemic years. |
| U. of Missouri dedicates new laboratory and scholarship to Henry Kirklin | |
 | Henry Kirklin is widely believed to be the first Black teacher at the University of Missouri -- though he never taught one of his gardening or horticulture classes indoors due to restrictions that kept African Americans out of university buildings. University of Missouri System president and MU chancellor Mun Choi affirmed that part of Kirklin's illustrious agricultural career on Wednesday, as the university's College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources (CAFNR) dedicated its newest laboratory in Kirklin's honor. "Let's make it official," Choi said during the dedication. "(Kirklin) is the first Black instructor at the University of Missouri." The Henry Kirklin Plant Sciences Learning Laboratory was one of two honors the university bestowed on Kirklin. Christopher Daubert, the Vice Chancellor and Dean of CAFNR, also announced the creation of Henry Kirklin Memorial Scholarship. The laboratory was created to help inspire the next generation of CAFNR students and the scholarship will help make that education more accessible for students of color interested in plant sciences. |
| Wofford College receives $150M gift from former Carolina Panthers owner Jerry Richardson | |
 | Jerry Richardson, former owner of the Carolina Panthers, is giving $150 million to Wofford College, the college announced Wednesday. It is the largest gift in school history. Richardson graduated from Wofford in 1959. The money will go toward student financial aid, raising the college's minimum wage to $15 per hour, upkeep of campus buildings, and supporting research and learning opportunities for its 140 faculty members and 1,773 students. The donation is among the 100 largest in higher education since 1967, according to a list by The Chronicle of Higher Education. Richardson's total contributions to the college, located in Spartanburg, now exceed $262 million, with $257.3 million of that being given since 2014 as part of the "For Wofford" campaign. That makes it the single largest campaign gift made to a national liberal arts college. Wofford religion professor A.K. Anderson said he glanced at his email and saw the words "special announcement." "I thought there would be a speaker on campus or something," Anderson said. "When I opened it, my jaw dropped. I was so excited." |
| More States Turn to Public-College Mergers, but Easy Fixes May Remain Elusive | |
| With a single paragraph, the governor of New Hampshire announced his intention to combine the state's 13 four- and two-year public colleges into one unified system. Gov. Chris Sununu, a Republican, included the proposal in the executive summary of his budget for the 2022-23 fiscal years, released this week. New Hampshire joins a growing number of states, including Pennsylvania, Maine, and Connecticut, that are turning to different forms of public-college mergers in response to ebbing numbers of high-school graduates and increased competition for the students that remain. But the experiences of other states have shown that college mergers are complex and time consuming even in the simplest of circumstances, and the benefits they create are far from assured. The budget promised a "glide path to full integration by fiscal-year 2023," only two years away. It also proposes an accompanying 9-percent cut in state support over two years for the combined system, from $151 million in the 2020 fiscal year to $138 million in 2023. System leaders and others in the state are now waiting for the devil in the details of how the mergers would be accomplished. The governor's office did not respond to an email before press time. |
| Unions, policy groups push for more accountability from colleges and universities | |
 | When the American Association of University Professors and the American Federation of Teachers recently launched a campaign to hold the nation's colleges and universities more accountable for how they treat workers, the groups' leaders had an ambitious goal in mind. "It's time to go big," said Irene Mulvey, president of the association of professors. At a time when unions representing faculty and staff are calling out some colleges and universities for laying off workers without dipping more deeply into their budget reserves, or for spending money on things such as renovating a football stadium, the associations are pushing the federal government to impose more strict requirements on colleges and universities that receive federal funds. Meanwhile, the Institute for College Access and Success, run by James Kvaal until he was nominated last week by President Biden to be the nation's top official on higher education policy, is also calling for toughening expectations on institutions getting federal dollars. |
| National Labor Relations Board ruling potentially limits which adjuncts can form unions | |
| Unions are somewhat discomfited by last week's National Labor Relations Board decision regarding Elon University, even though it was good news for adjuncts at that particular campus. That's because the decision could restrict some adjuncts' rights to collective bargaining under the National Labor Relations Act going forward. At the same time, union advocates note that the current NLRB is something of a lame duck, with its Trump-appointed majority scheduled to end by summer. That means a more union-friendly board, with new members appointed by President Biden, is probably on the way. This could change adjuncts' status under the labor act once again. The story of the Elon decision starts back in 2014, when the Obama-era NLRB decided in another major case -- concerning Pacific Lutheran University -- that adjuncts at many private institutions could form unions because they were not in fact managerial employees. Pacific Lutheran had argued that non-tenure-track professors were managers of sorts, like their tenure-track and tenured counterparts. Under a long-standing legal precedent, these tenure-line professors are not entitled to collective bargaining rights. |
| Americans and Mississippians are on the move | |
| Columnist Phil Hardwick writes for the Mississippi Business Journal: Americans continue to migrate to southern and western states. Mississippians continue to move to the Jackson suburbs, the Gulf Coast, and college towns. There are plenty of media stories about people buying houses, moving out of crowded cities, etc. The data is coming fast and furious from a variety of sources, along with no shortage of analysis. Much of it is anecdotal but useful. As with all data, caution must be used to draw meaningful conclusions. Also, it should be remembered that percentage growth is not the same as number growth. Moving companies' annual reports offer some excellent insight, not only where people are moving to and from, but why they are doing so. United Van Lines just releases its 2020 National Migration Study. Idaho was the state with the highest percentage of inbound migration (70%) among states experiencing more than 250 moves with United Van Lines for the second consecutive year. Topping the list of outbound locations was New Jersey (70% outbound), which has held the spot for the past three years. Among the top inbound states were South Carolina (64%), Oregon (63%), South Dakota (62%), and Arizona (62%), while New York (67%), Illinois (67%), Connecticut (63%) and California (59%) were among the states experiencing the largest exoduses. Mississippi had 48.1% Inbound and 51.9% Outbound. |
SPORTS
| Eased restrictions could mean more fans at college sporting events | |
| The governor's plans to roll back the state's COVID-19 restrictions in light of increased vaccinations and decreased cases could soon put more fans in seats at college sporting events. Currently, the state is limiting attendance at sporting events to 25% capacity. Should the governor ease those restrictions, officials with the state's two largest universities say they are prepared to modify seating at their venues to accommodate additional fans. John Cohen, director of athletics at Mississippi State University, said his department has tried to make the best of the state imposed restrictions, but is eager to begin seating more fans. "Nothing would make us feel better than to be able to fill up our facilities," Cohen said. "The restrictions are difficult for all of us. It's a real challenge, but it's something we had to do." Cohen said his department is ready to make a change should the governor pull back on some of his safety measures. "I do think things are getting better and hopefully in the near distant future, we can pivot to a different ticket structure especially for a sport like baseball and we are totally prepared to do that," he said. |
| Mississippi State men complete sweep of South Carolina | |
| In consecutive years, Mississippi State coach Ben Howland has likened facing Frank Martin's South Carolina teams to undergoing a root canal. If results of this season's two-game series are to be believed, the Bulldogs aren't going to need dental work any time soon. For the second time this month, the Bulldogs dominated the Gamecocks on the boards and stifled their offensive attack, winning a 69-48 contest Wednesday at Humphrey Coliseum. Looking at the stat sheet, Mississippi State coach Ben Howland beamed with glee noticing his team held South Carolina to 29 percent shooting and 4-of-21 beyond the arc. "We passed the ball well and played great defense," Howland said. "... We really built on our momentum from (Saturday's win against Ole Miss)." After getting destroyed 46-30 on the glass on Feb. 6 in Columbia, the rebounding battle in the rematch was even worse for the Gamecocks. |
| Mississippi State jumps out early, beats South Carolina 69-48 | |
| D.J. Stewart Jr. scored 15 points, Abdul Ado had 11 and Mississippi State jumped out early and cruised to a 69-48 victory over South Carolina on Wednesday night. Tolu Smith added nine points and 13 rebounds for Mississippi State (13-11, 7-8 Southeastern Conference). Iverson Molinar also chipped in nine points. Stewart added five assists and Ado had eight rebounds and three blocks. Keyshawn Bryant scored 14 points for South Carolina (5-12, 3-10), which has lost six straight. AJ Lawson had 10 points. The duo entered averaging a combined 35.5 points per SEC game, which is the third-ranked tandem in league play. Mississippi State opened on a 21-7 run and led 38-23 at the break. Stewart had 12 points and five assists in the half, and the Bulldogs made all 11 of its free throws. South Carolina cut the deficit to 12 points early in the second half but didn't get closer. Mississippi State, which has won consecutive games, hosts sixth-ranked Alabama on Saturday. |
| Defense helps Mississippi State basketball beat South Carolina for second SEC win in a row | |
| Mississippi State has won back-to-back SEC games for only the second time this season. Coming off a win on the road against rival Ole Miss over the weekend, the Bulldogs returned home to Humphrey Coliseum on Wednesday to face South Carolina. Mississippi State jumped ahead from the start and rolled to a 69-48 victory. The Bulldogs nearly led from wire to wire. South Carolina only held a lead for 30 seconds. Mississippi State held one for nearly 39 minutes. "It was a really good team win," MSU coach Ben Howland said. "We built on what we did Saturday in Oxford. We put together back to back great efforts." Howland's team improved to 13-11 overall and inched closer to .500 in conference games at 7-8. Howland's Bulldogs are heating up at the right time as they host No. 7 Alabama (18-5, 13-1 SEC) Saturday at 5 p.m. t was the Mississippi State defense that made the difference, though. Howland praised his team's defense in the win over Ole Miss. Mississippi State's effort in that area against South Carolina, by the numbers, was even better. |
| Bulldogs beat South Carolina, win second straight game | |
| The Mississippi State men's basketball team made quick work of South Carolina on Wednesday night. Mississippi State beat South Carolina, 69-48, at the Humphrey Coliseum. The Bulldogs, which have won two straight for the first time since the first week of January, are now 13-11 with a 7-8 record in conference play. South Carolina was without starting point guard Seventh Woods due to a concussion, and the Bulldogs took advantage of the Gamecocks being short-handed. The Bulldogs took a 12-point lead just five minutes into the game and never let South Carolina get any closer than 10 points the rest of the way. "I was really worried about this game because I have so much respect for Frank (Martin)," head coach Ben Howland said. "Our guys came out and really built on what we did Saturday in Oxford and took a positive step putting back-to-back great efforts. That was the key." Freshman point guard Deivon Smith started in place of Iverson Molinar, who showed up late to a team function. He, along with Derek Fountain and D.J. Stewart, each had a 3-pointer in the first three minutes of the game and MSU took an early lead, 11-5. |
| Alabama vs. Mississippi State men's basketball game time changed | |
| The Southeastern Conference announced a new start time for the men's basketball game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and Mississippi State on Saturday, Feb. 27. The game is now scheduled to start at 5 p.m. CT. It is still scheduled to be broadcast on the SEC Network. Saturday's start time moved as a result of the postponement of the Missouri vs. Texas A&M men's basketball game on Saturday. The Mizzou/TAMU game was "postponed due to a combination of positive tests, contact tracing and subsequent quarantining of individuals within the Texas A&M basketball program," according to the SEC. The Alabama vs. Mississippi State game is scheduled to be played in Starkville. |
| Seven pitchers combine for two-hitter in No. 5 Mississippi State's home-opening win over Jackson State | |
| Mississippi State's pitching staff continued to toss heat. Inning after inning. Zero after zero. MSU's flamethrowing bullpen, one that head coach Chris Lemonis said boasts as many as 15 players who've touched 95 miles per hour this offseason, flashed its stuff as it combined for five perfect innings and held Jackson State to two hits in the Bulldogs' 7-3 home-opening win over the Tigers. After two innings of hitless ball from starter Brandon Smith followed by a pair of perfect frames from freshman Davis Rokose, the Bulldogs carried a collective no-hitter into the seventh inning before Jackson State finally found a hole. With four wild pitches and three errors on the day, MSU slogged through the latter stages of Wednesday but turned in its first win at Dudy Noble Field since March 8 of last year. "Mississippi State baseball -- it's like Christmas Day on opening day in Starkville," MSU head coach Chris Lemonis said. "You just don't get this in a lot of communities. Everybody was fired up." MSU has made a living on demolishing midweek competition since Lemonis arrived as head coach in 2019. The Bulldogs bludgeoned all 14 of their midweek opponents during his first season in Starkville, before going 1-1 in such games during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign. Wednesday added a new layer to MSU's recent dominance in midweek contests. |
| How to watch No. 6 Mississippi State vs. Tulane baseball on live stream | |
 | The Tulane baseball team is scheduled to make the trip to face Mississippi State for a three-game non-conference series from Friday, Feb. 26, to Sunday, Feb. 28. Mississippi State, ranked No. 6 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association Poll, enters Friday's game 3-1 overall. On Wednesday, Mississippi State beat Jackson State 7-3. Tulane comes into the series 2-2 overall. On Tuesday, Tulane beat New Orleans 7-1. Entering Friday, Mississippi State leads the all-time series 25-5 vs. Tulane. The games are available for live stream through SEC Network+, which requires the viewer to already subscribe to a cable or satellite package that includes SEC Network. |
| Mississippi State softball capitalizes on miscues to run-rule Mississippi Valley State | |
| The Mississippi State softball team didn't need any help to beat visiting Mississippi Valley State on Wednesday at Nusz Park. The Bulldogs got it anyway. No. 24 MSU (6-1) took advantage of a whopping six errors by the Devilettes (0-4), scored a pair of runs on wild pitches and stole seven bases en route to a 10-2 win on the run rule in six innings Wednesday. Redshirt senior third baseman Montana Davidson continued her hot streak to pace the Bulldogs, going 2 for 3 with a triple and an RBI. She followed up her third-inning three-bagger to center with her first-ever steal of home plate. "I've watched (fifth-year senior outfielder Christian) Quinn do it in practice all the time, and I never got to do it," Davidson, who leads the team with a .522 batting average, said in a news release from Mississippi State. "Right when it happened I was like, 'What would Quinn do?' and it worked. That was basically it." She and junior center fielder Anna Kate Segars each had two stolen bases, while graduate student first baseman Fa Leilua, sophomore second baseman Paige Cook and sophomore outfielder Brylie St. Clair all had one. The Bulldogs will have a day off before heading to Texas for the Lone Star State Invitational this weekend. |
| PREVIEW: Women's Hoops at LSU | |
| Mississippi State will play on its final road game of the season on Thursday, as the Bulldogs take on LSU at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center at 6 p.m. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+ with Lyn Rollins (play-by-play) and Victor Howell (analyst) on the call. The matchup can also be streamed on the MSU Radio Network with Jason Crowder. The Bulldogs enter the game on the heels of an 81-68 win against Auburn on Tuesday night. Four players finished in double-digit scoring to fuel the victory. Rickea Jackson led the way with 20 points and nine rebounds in the contest. State has won eight straight meetings in the series against LSU, including a pair of victories last year against the Tigers. In the most recent matchup, MSU bested LSU 79-49 in the SEC Tournament. Jackson scored a game-high 23 points and recorded a double-double by adding 10 rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. Myah Taylor nearly finished with a double-double in the game, dropping 10 points and eight assists. |
| LSU senior Khayla Pointer looking to make the most out of home finale against Mississippi State | |
| LSU will line up against Mississippi State in what will be the final game of the regular season, and perhaps the last in the career of one of its best players. Khayla Pointer is one of six seniors suiting up in the Maravich Assembly Center when the Lady Tigers play host to Mississippi State at 6 p.m. in front of another sparse, COVID-19 pandemic depleted crowd. The quieter crowds are in stark contrast to the way Pointer has played and excelled in the past four seasons, playing hard on both ends of the court with her signature drives to the hoop often resulting in baskets, assists or free throws. Pointer and her fellow seniors have an option to stay with the NCAA having granted athletes a waiver on this season against their eligibility. Pointer said she will make that decision after the season, although she seems ready to move on to the WNBA. Rickea Jackson, a 6-2 perimeter player, leads State with a 16.1 scoring average and gets 5.0 rebounds per game. "Jackson who is a phenomenal player," LSU coach Nikki Fargas said. |
| Hogs deny 'disrespectful' celebration on home floor | |
| Alabama will have to wait to celebrate an SEC basketball championship. The No. 20 Arkansas Razorbacks beat the No. 6 Crimson Tide 81-66 on Wednesday night in Walton Arena to avenge a 31-point loss at Alabama on Jan. 16 and prevent the visitors from winning their first outright SEC regular-season title since 2002, at least for a few more days. "Their tickets came in or whoever they're bringing to the game, and they brought everybody's wife and the AD [Greg Byrne] and everybody," said University of Arkansas freshman guard Moses Moody, who scored 24 points. "They were ready to come celebrate on our floor. "That was disrespectful. That's how I felt -- that's how we felt. There ain't no disrespect without retaliation." Arkansas (18-5, 10-4) won its eighth consecutive SEC game since losing to the Tide (18-6, 13-2) in Coleman Coliseum 90-59 on Jan. 16. The Razorbacks remained mathematically alive to win their first SEC regular-season title since 1994 -- when Arkansas won the national championship. Alabama will get another shot to win the SEC championship when it plays at Mississippi State on Saturday. |
| Les Miles reached a secret settlement with an LSU student, sources say. It has now surfaced. | |
| Former LSU head football coach Les Miles reached a settlement with a former student who accused him of harassment several years ago, and the settlement has surfaced as investigators probe the university's handling of sexual misconduct and domestic violence complaints, multiple sources with direct knowledge of the situation have confirmed to The Advocate | The Times-Picayune. The episode goes back about a decade, when a former LSU Athletic Department student intern accused Miles of "hitting on her," three of the sources said. "As part of the Husch Blackwell review and our internal investigations, we have heard about a settlement, but LSU is not a party to it and we have not seen it," Jim Sabourin, the university's vice president of strategic communications, said when presented with the allegations Wednesday. Husch Blackwell is the law firm LSU hired to scrutinize the university's handling of sexual misconduct and other complaints. Reached by phone Wednesday, Miles, now the coach at the University of Kansas, denied he made advances toward a student intern. "That's not true," he said. |
| NIL bill would allow college athletes to return from draft | |
| The latest federal bill related to college sports would allow athletes to earn money from endorsements, loosen restrictions around transfers and permit players to return to school after entering a professional league's draft. The proposed legislation introduced Wednesday by Sen. Jerry Moran, R-Kan., also would require the wealthiest athletic programs to increase spending on long-term medical care for athletes. "The Amateur Athletes Protection and Compensation Act would create a national standard of guidelines to make certain student athletes can benefit from the use of their name, image and likeness without hurting their eligibility to compete as a student athlete," Moran said in a statement. The bill is the fourth to emerge from the Senate since December and second from a Republican. Most recently, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., introduced a bill narrowly focused on giving college athletes the right to earn money off their names, images and likenesses. In December, Sens. Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., introduced the College Athlete Bill of Rights, a sweeping proposal that could undercut the NCAA's ability to govern college sports if passed. That came after Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Roger Wicker, R-Miss., announced he was sponsoring a bill that opened the door for athletes to be compensated for endorsement and sponsorship deals but largely protected the NCAA's ability to set its own rules. |
| Debate about kneeling during anthem continues at Bluefield College | |
| When Ayanna Strother, a junior on the Bluefield College women's basketball team, heard that the men's team had been suspended for kneeling during the national anthem before games, she and her teammates weren't surprised. The decision to kneel was not a spur-of-the-moment gesture. Like college and professional athletes of color across the country who had done the same thing, the mostly Black men's team wanted to make their presence felt and raise public awareness about police brutality against people of color and racial injustice in society at large, said Strother, who has since been participating in other protest actions led by the college's athletes, including non-Black athletes. he athletes are also trying to make a larger point about diversity and inclusion on a campus where Black people are the majority of the members of sports teams but are not as well represented within the larger student body. Black people also make up a small fraction of faculty or professional staff members and are rare in the ranks of administrators. The college's Office of Public Affairs said in an email that 21 percent of faculty members and 15 percent of staff members are "ethnically diverse," without providing a breakdown of races and ethnicities represented. The athletes believe discussions about racial equity that have been taking place at American colleges and universities in the aftermath of the police killing of George Floyd should also be occurring at Bluefield, a small Baptist institution in southwest Virginia. |
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