| Monday, May 11, 2026 |
| Bayh-Dole Coalition Unveils 2026 Faces of American Innovation Report | |
 | Today, the Bayh-Dole Coalition released its 2026 Faces of American Innovation report highlighting eight innovators who transformed early-stage research into breakthrough technologies that are improving lives globally. "Each year, the Bayh-Dole Coalition's Faces of American Innovation report spotlights the journey of federally funded discoveries from lab to real-world impact," said Joseph P. Allen, executive director of the Bayh-Dole Coalition. "This year's honorees exemplify the vision, grit, and tenacity that process requires -- and why the Bayh-Dole Act remains essential in driving American innovation, economic growth, and making lives better here and around the world." The 2026 Faces of American Innovation report profiles include Dr. Colleen Scott, chemist and associate professor at Mississippi State University, who discovered a new class of shortwave infrared (SWIR) imaging dyes that have potential to allow surgeons to visualize tumors with greater depth and clarity in real time, advancing precision in cancer surgery. |
| MSU breaks ground on new poultry feed mill | |
| Mississippi State University broke ground Thursday [May 7] on a new poultry feed mill that will strengthen research, teaching and industry collaboration. The modular, containerized system, manufactured by Netherlands-based Ottevanger Milling Engineers, will be located at the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station's H. H. Leveck Animal Research Center, commonly known as MSU'S South Farm. Designed to connect research, education and real-world application, the feed mill will enable MSU teams to produce controlled test batches for trials, provide students with hands-on training in feed manufacturing and offer a scalable platform for future growth as programs and partnerships expand. "Feed and feed manufacturing account for most operational costs for poultry producers, and proper nutrition is essential to poultry health, growth and production," said Kelley Wamsley, MSU poultry science professor and MAFES scientist. |
| Mississippi State breaks ground on poultry feed mill | |
| Mississippi State University broke ground May 7 on a new poultry feed mill that will strengthen research, teaching and industry collaboration. The modular, containerized system, manufactured by Netherlands-based Ottevanger Milling Engineers, will be located at the Mississippi Agricultural & Forestry Experiment Station's (MAFES) H. H. Leveck Animal Research Center, commonly known as MSU's South Farm. Designed to connect research, education and real-world application, the feed mill will enable MSU teams to produce controlled test batches for trials, provide students with hands-on training in feed manufacturing and offer a scalable platform for future growth as programs and partnerships expand. Mississippi's poultry industry -- the state's leading agricultural commodity -- along with allied industries, have supported the project through gifts to the university, technical input and service on the feed mill advisory board. Established in 2020, the board helped evaluate proposals and select Ottevanger to lead the modular mill design and construction. |
| Mississippi State University teams up with National Park Service for barrier island cleanups | |
 | Video: Mississippi State University teamed up with the National Park Service for barrier island cleanups. During these hands-on events, volunteers collect trash along a designated section of the shoreline. |
| Forage wild, edible plants with care for unique foods | |
 | Growing interest in sustainability and becoming self-sufficient has many people learning old skills, including foraging in the wild for food to supplement their meals. This modern homesteading trend and the back-to-the-land movement is a direct response to the challenges of modern life and a desire to reconnect with nature. It is a practical effort to regain control over food quality, reduce waste and build resilience against supply chain disruptions. It also brings people closer to their ancestral roots. Sherry Bell, an environmental educator with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, supports this need for knowledge in a variety of ways. She recently hosted a training session on identifying, harvesting and correctly preparing a variety of easily accessible wild edible plants. Shaun Broderick, MSU Extension horticulturist and researcher with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, said despite how easy it can be made to look on social media, foraging for edible foods requires skill. |
| Dedicated angler shares fishing stories in new memoir | |
 | There are fish stories, and there are fishing stories. One is told with grand exaggeration and a good bit of truth-stretching. The other, the fishing stories, can be funny, educational, parable-like in nature -- and often a combination of the three. A fishing story is, more often than not, grounded in truth. Clarksdale-born Evan Peacock, a dedicated fisherman, may admit to telling a fish story or two. But his new book is filled -- cover to cover -- with fishing stories Peacock has written, drawing from his own experiences. "Return to Elkins Creek: A Fishing Odyssey" is part memoir, part cultural history and part historical vignette published by University Press of Mississippi. Peacock grew up in Choctaw County, the sixth of seven sons. For 21 years, he was a professor in the Department of Anthropology & Middle Eastern Cultures at Mississippi State University. He received a bachelor's degree in anthropology from MSU in 1988. |
| Brush Arbor Cemetery Community Advisory Board inaugural meeting held | |
| The inaugural meeting of the Brush Arbor Cemetery Community Advisory Board was held May 2 at the Oktibbeha County Heritage Museum to discuss the cemetery restoration project and get community input. The Brush Arbor Cemetery on University Drive is a more than 200-year-old, historically Black cemetery and is among the oldest cemeteries in Starkville, although it remains widely unrecognized. Sydney Pullen, a cultural and historical anthropologist at Mississippi State University, welcomed advisory board members and individuals from the community before giving a brief update on the restoration project. Pullen indicated 46 graves at Brush Arbor Cemetery are marked, with an estimated 80 to 100 unmarked graves that must be identified later using ground-penetrating radar. New burials ceased around the 1950s, and since that time, a number of groups have led efforts to clean up and care for the cemetery. Pullen said her department, the MSU Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures, had a grant through the National Endowment for the Humanities to train students in research methods and develop an oral history archive related to the cemetery, but that grant has terminated. However, because of the initial work, they do have a core group of individuals working on the project today that includes the Starkville Black Panthers, Starkville Town and Country Garden Club and the City of Starkville. |
| Compass Datacenter officials answer questions about upcoming plans | |
 | Community members and business leaders had the chance to learn more about the upcoming Compass Datacenter being built in Lauderdale County. Vice president of campus strategy at the Compass Datacenter, Sarah Ridgely, was the guest speaker at a Lunch and Learn event on Thursday. During the Q&A portion of the event, WTOK asked Ridgely if the company would look to the community when beginning the hiring process. Ridgely confirmed, that would be the place to start. "We do try to hire people that are qualified, and that's why we set up the program. Usually the partnership with the technical college or the community college nearby, so that we can kind of think strategically about how to train folks up to kind of spin them up for the work that will be happening at each of the data centers," said Ridgely. |
| Compass addresses concerns over data center electric, water usage | |
 | East Mississippi residents concerned large data centers will cause their utility bills to skyrockets can put their worries aside, Meridian and Lauderdale County leaders were told Thursday. At a lunch and learn event at the MSU Riley Center, Compass Datacenters Vice President of Campus Strategy Sarah Ridgely said the company works hard to minimize environmental disruption to the community. The company wants to "be a good neighbor," she said. "And that phrase, 'Be a good neighbor,' influences decisions that we make about building design, hiring, everything from noise ordinance compliance all the way down to landscaping," she said. "And it's how we engage in the communities that we operate in." |
| A Changing Job Market Leans Against Men | |
 | The American labor market is tilting away from men. Over the past year, nearly all net job growth has come from healthcare and social assistance, a sector with a dearth of men. Sectors with heavily male workforces have been losing jobs. The postpandemic period has seen an influx of women in their prime working years into employment. The share of men working has flatlined. The divergent path might widen in the years ahead. As the needs of an aging population stack up, occupations that men have historically been loath to enter, such as jobs as home health aides and medical assistants, will likely play a bigger role in the labor market. A growing educational divide is also part of the equation: Women now earn bachelor's degrees at a substantially higher rate than men, and employment rates among people who are college-educated are substantially higher than those who aren't. Lauren Bauer, a fellow at the Brookings Institution, characterizes the job market not so much as weaker for men so much as it is much better for women. |
| Older Americans say it's a good time to find a job. Younger people aren't buying it, new poll finds | |
 | For years, younger Americans have been more optimistic about the job market than older Americans, even through the depths of the Great Recession. But in an abrupt shift, a new poll released Monday finds young people's confidence has plummeted over the past two years -- while their elders remain more upbeat. The gap between young and older Americans' views of the job market now is greater than in any other country among the 141 surveyed, according to the Gallup World Poll. In the United States, 43% of those aged 15-34 believe it's "a good time" to find a job in the area where they live, well below the 64% of those aged 55 and over who say the same. Around the world, it's the opposite. Globally, the median share of younger people who say it's "a good time" to find work in their local job market is 48%, compared with 38% among older people. The findings reveal a generational rift in Americans' views of economic opportunity, with young people feeling increasingly downtrodden about job prospects, while older people still largely think it's a good time to find work. |
| Higher fertilizer prices pressure Trump-loyal US farmers | |
 | Fertilizer costs have increased during the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, putting pressure on American farmers who have been politically loyal to Donald Trump, as Democrats draw a direct connection between the president's actions and suffering farms. In his successful 2024 White House bid, 77.7 percent of the country's farm-dependent counties went to Trump, according to one analysis based on U.S. Department of Agriculture data and elections results. Already hit hard by Trump's tariff and trade war with the rest of the world, farmers now are facing increased costs of the materials that make their crops grow. And the midterm elections that will determine control of the House and Senate are just six months away. Faith Parum, an American Farm Bureau Federation economist, in a summary of a survey of more than 5,700 American farmers conducted in April, wrote that rising input costs tied to the conflict in the Middle East "are adding strain to an already challenging farm economy." "Fertilizer affordability challenges are most acute in the South and Northeast but remain a concern for farmers across all regions," Parum wrote. "Around 70 percent of respondents report being unable to afford all the fertilizer they need." |
| Trump calls Iran's response to peace plan 'unacceptable' as ceasefire is tested | |
 | President Donald Trump called Iran's response to the latest U.S. proposal to end the war "totally unacceptable." Trump's comments Sunday came hours after Tehran said, according to state media, that it sent a response to the peace plan through Pakistani mediators. The back and forth follows an exchange of hostilities around the Strait of Hormuz in recent days that highlighted the fragility of a ceasefire the two sides reached more than a month ago. "I have just read the response from Iran's so-called 'Representatives.' I don't like it -- TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE! Thank you for your attention to this matter," Trump said in a post on Truth Social, without providing details. Trump, in a separate Truth Social post on Sunday, accused Iran of "playing games with the United States" and of "laughing at our now GREAT AGAIN Country. They will be laughing no longer!" The Iranian document was in response to a 14-point proposal transmitted last week by the Trump administration that included nuclear program demands. |
| Judges must follow letter of law, Supreme Court Justice Amy Coney Barrett tells Bentonville crowd | |
| Her duty as a judge is to follow and apply the letter of the law whether she agrees or believes the law is fair or not, U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Amy Coney Barrett told a sold-out crowd of at least 700 Saturday evening in Bentonville. Statutes are enacted by a democratic process, Barrett said. If judges take room for interpretation beyond what a statute says, they infringe on the people's right to govern themselves. "We are a self-governing people, and we go through the trouble of passing statutes and have a constitution that is our fundamental law," she said. Judges should "stick to that," she said. The U.S. Constitution itself is very basic, leaving the bulk of self-government to a democratic process, she said. Barrett spoke at the Heartland Whole Health Institute in Bentonville. The event began at 6 p.m., taking place as part of the Building Bridges series on civic dialogue hosted by Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art. |
| Fears of an AI breakthrough force the U.S. and China to talk | |
 | Three years ago, in the idyllic town of Woodside south of San Francisco, the United States and China held their first high-level talks on the dangers posed by artificial intelligence. President Xi Jinping and his longtime foreign minister appeared serious in their conviction that a channel should be a established between Beijing and Washington -- a red phone for AI in case of emergencies. They authorized a diplomatic effort that would begin in 2024 in Switzerland, only months before the U.S. presidential election. A large U.S. delegation arrived with high hopes that were abruptly dashed, according to four sources who attended the talks. The Chinese contingent dismissed American concerns over runaway AI as academic, almost theoretical, quickly turning the conversation to export controls seen in Beijing as yet another U.S. effort to hold China back. "They naturally view any American diplomatic initiative involving limitations or restrictions of one flavor or another on a capability as being a trap," Jake Sullivan, U.S. national security advisor under President Biden, said in an interview. "It was a breaking of the seal that we could actually do something on AI," Sullivan said. "In the transition, I told the incoming Trump team that they should really pick up that dialogue. But the Trump administration's view was just far more laissez-faire, and they didn't seem particularly interested in it." "That's all changed in the past few weeks," he added. |
| The Factory Town Known as China's Furniture Capital Is Fighting to Survive | |
| At the beginning of this century, China's rise as the world's factory floor devastated furniture manufacturers in the foothills of North Carolina, part of a phenomenon known as the "China Shock" that put swaths of Americans out of work. These days, it is China's furniture capital, Foshan, that is fighting to survive. Hit by new tariffs from the Trump administration last year, China's exports of furniture and related products declined 6.8% in 2025. The economy of Foshan, a factory town in the heart of southern China's Pearl River Delta, grew just 0.2% last year, dragged down by a contraction in manufacturing, compared with China's overall 5% growth, according to government data. Furniture and other low-end, low-margin goods have been easier to move out of China than high-tech products. Manufacturing these goods isn't easily automated, and labor costs are lower in surrounding countries in Southeast Asia. Beijing has been prioritizing cutting-edge technologies, such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors and robotics. While China is increasingly dominating high-tech industries, the low-value manufacturing sectors that powered the country's rise are becoming less important economic drivers. |
| Committee to revisit MSMS funding, potential relocation | |
| Columbus representatives intend to make funding, facility improvements and enrollment expansion for the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science a focus during upcoming meetings of the newly formed House Select Committee on specialty schools. District 43 Rep. Rob Roberson, R-Starkville, also a member of the committee, said he has other ideas, including potentially relocating the school or opening up a separate specialty school on Mississippi State University's campus next to the new Starkville High School. In a press release issued Wednesday, Speaker of the House Jason White announced the creation of six new House select committees to develop policy ideas on key issues before the 2027 legislative session, including one specific to specialty schools. Along with MSMS, the state operates Mississippi School of the Arts and Mississippi Schools for the Deaf and Blind. Roberson, District 37 Rep. Andy Boyd, R-Columbus, and District 39 Rep. Dana McLean, R-Columbus, were all named to the 16-member committee. While House members agree in broad strokes on what the select committee should prioritize over the next seven months, they diverge on approaches. |
| Young inspires new Ole Miss alumni to chase dream | |
| The Grove was blanketed by a sea of navy gowns and mortar boards during the University of Mississippi's 173rd Commencement exercises on Saturday. More than 6,000 graduates and their families sat beneath powder blue skies and the majestic oaks and elms that just a few short months ago were devastated by ice during winter storm "Fern." Chancellor Glenn Boyce told this year's Class of 2026 that they are equipped to change the world, he said. Boyce also encouraged the new alumni to lead. "Leadership is a choice," he said. "I want you to dare to tackle the challenge awaiting you in the future. This nation's got to have you." But along the way, graduates may have to pivot to build success. That is what former Ole Miss baseball player and diamond-certified country artist Brett Young had to learn. Since pitching for the Rebels in 2000, Young returned to Ole Miss several times to film music videos, propose to his wife and perform in concert. This time, he returned as the guest speaker for Commencement. |
| Mississippi rare disease task force is formed as families travel out of state for care | |
| Mississippi is preparing to launch a new Rare Disease Task Force as families across the state continue to make difficult decisions about where to find care, how far to travel and how to pay for treatment when specialists are not close to home. For families dealing with rare diseases, those decisions can mean leaving Mississippi for appointments, missing work, paying for travel or waiting for referrals to specialists trained to diagnose and treat uncommon conditions. To offset those burdens, Gov. Tate Reeves approved Senate Bill 2474 on April 8, creating the seven-member task force within the Mississippi Rare Disease Advisory Council. The group is expected to study gaps in care access, insurance coverage, funding and treatment options, then advise state leaders on ways to improve rare disease care in Mississippi. Dr. Paulo Borjas, a metabolic geneticist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, said most rare disease referrals in Mississippi go through the center. "We are also aware that many of these primary care providers might be unaware or might not see these conditions very often, so there is an important need for education so they can recognize them and refer patients to the proper specialist," Borjas said. |
| Southern Miss drives $1.3 billion economic impact | |
| The University of Southern Mississippi generated an estimated $1.3 billion in total economic impact in fiscal year 2025, according to a newly released study, reinforcing its role as a key contributor to Mississippi's economy. The report outlines the university's economic contributions through operations, student and visitor spending, capital investment and alumni outcomes. Altogether, these activities supported approximately 10,245 jobs statewide and generated $438 million in labor income. "Southern Miss is transforming lives through education while strengthening Mississippi's economy in tangible and lasting ways," said Southern Miss President Dr. Joe Paul. "This report highlights the impact our university has on communities throughout the state and reflects the collective contributions of our students, faculty, staff and alumni." Conducted by the Trent Lott National Center for Economic Development and Entrepreneurship, the study highlights the university's role as both a major employer and a catalyst for sustained economic growth. |
| Dozens walk the stage for WCU College of Osteopathic Medicine's Class of 2026 | |
 | Dozens of new physicians will be beginning their residencies after graduating Saturday from the College of Osteopathic Medicine at William Carey University. More than 160 graduates received their Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine degrees in a ceremony on the Hattiesburg campus. The graduates began their medical careers at WCU four years ago. "There's no one in my family who's a doctor, so I'd be the first one, and also, it was always a dream," said Raehanna Ahmed, a graduate from Michigan. "I love science, I love medicine, I love helping people." Most of the graduates will now do a period of residency at a hospital or other medical facility. About 1,400 students have graduated from the WCU School of Osteopathic Medicine. The College of Osteopathic Medicine was founded in 2010. |
| SC higher ed agency needs $25M more to pay for scholarships already awarded | |
| Miscalculations have left South Carolina's higher education agency $25 million short of what it needs to pay colleges for state-sponsored scholarships awarded this school year. It's a flip from revelations of a $152 million surplus in scholarship money less than three years ago, also due to bad projections. The state Commission on Higher Education, which oversees the scholarships' dispersal, learned about the deficit this week, said Executive Director Jeff Perez. The shortfall in lottery profits needed to fund scholarships through this summer came to light when colleges started invoicing the agency in April. It won't impact students directly, as colleges have already credited the scholarships against tuition owed at the beginning of the fall and spring semesters. But it leaves colleges waiting longer for the funds they're owed. And it throws a wrench in House and Senate negotiations to finalize a state spending plan for the budget year beginning July 1. |
| Governor Stitt signs bill reforming Oklahoma higher education grading | |
| Governor Kevin Stitt has signed legislation impacting higher education grading in Oklahoma. The new bill, House Bill 3700, requires all state institutions to implement policies ensuring grades are evaluated solely on an academic basis. It bars a student's grade from being determined based on opinions, beliefs, or conduct of the student in matters unrelated to academic situations. Any institution that fails to comply with the new measure will face potential action from the State Regents, who could withhold state-appropriated funds. The signing of the bill follows a grading dispute that occurred last year involving University of Oklahoma student Samantha Fulnecky, who received a zero on a Bible-based essay last year by a graduate teaching assistant, which sparked a national conversation on academic and religious freedom. |
| USDA Orders IU to Lock Down Lab Associated With Chinese Biologist | |
 | Indiana University Bloomington closed access to several biology labs on Thursday evening following orders from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to secure the spaces, according to multiple reports. The labs are directed by Roger Innes, a microbiologist who has criticized the government's recent persecution of Chinese scientists and accused it of generating "anti-Chinese hysteria." In an email to the biology department on Friday morning, IU Vice President for Research Russ Mumper said IU was "notified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture that they will be engaging in activity in a laboratory associated with the biology department." The lab is where IU post-doctoral researcher Youhuang Xiang carried out USDA-sponsored research on crop resistance to fungal diseases. Last month Xiang pled guilty to secretly importing biological materials from China in 2024. The FBI has described Xiang as a "domestic threat," but Innes has defended him, telling Indiana Public Media: "It's perfectly legal to bring plasmid DNA into the country. There's no health risk, no safety risk." |
| The New Rules of Sorority Rush, According to a Top Consultant | |
| Trisha Addicks knows the pain of being rejected from a sorority. As a freshman at the University of Georgia in 1986, she went through her first rush, a competitive process of talking to strangers with the hope of becoming lifelong sisters by the end of the week. She showed up unprepared and didn't get any bids. "It was devastating to me," Addicks, 58, said. She never forgot the feeling -- not when she made it into Chi Omega the next year and not all these decades later. That feeling has fueled her to build a successful business in a surprising niche: getting women into their dream sororities. She founded her consulting firm, It's All Greek to Me, in 2017 after spending over 20 years performing similar services pro-bono for her friends' kids. Then and now, Addicks helps young sorority hopefuls fine-tune their networking skills, clean up their social media, learn how to chat with strangers and perfect their style. Now she's sharing her expertise with the masses in "The Rush Bible," a new book out May 12 that offers a road map for getting into Greek life. Addicks believes sorority recruitment should be approached with the same rigor as job interviews and college admissions. |
SPORTS
| Men's Tennis: Mississippi State Advances to NCAA Elite Eight with Super Regional Win Over Georgia | |
| With the pressure of a Super Regional and a trip to the Elite Eight hanging in the balance, No. 6 Mississippi State rose to the occasion once again, defeating No. 12 Georgia at the A.J. Pitts Tennis Centre to punch a ticket to Athens, Ga. and the NCAA Championship Final Site. In front of another electric home crowd, the Bulldogs delivered a performance worthy of the moment. Fearless in doubles, relentless in singles, and composed when the stakes reached their highest point. Mississippi State seized momentum immediately by capturing the doubles point for the third consecutive NCAA Tournament match. After Georgia struck first on Court 1, the Bulldogs answered emphatically. Bryan Hernandez Cortes and Petar Jovanovic leveled doubles play with a clutch victory on Court 3. Mario Martinez Serrano and Niccolo Baroni once again delivered under pressure, clinching the doubles point on Court 2. From there, the Bulldogs never looked back. |
| Softball: State Makes 20th NCAA Tournament, Bound For Eugene | |
| Mississippi State's softball program will play in the NCAA Tournament for the eighth time in the last nine tournaments. The Bulldogs (38-18, 9-15 SEC) will start their road to Oklahoma City as a No. 5 seed in the Eugene Regional. MSU will open the double-elimination regional on Friday, May 15 at 6:30 p.m. CT against Saint Mary's (CA) at Jane Sanders Stadium. Along with the Bulldogs and the Gaels, the Eugene Regional features host Oregon, which earned a No. 4 seed and is the No. 14 overall national seed, and Idaho State. State last played in Eugene in 2012. "We are excited to be back in the postseason and be one of the remaining 64 teams competing across the country," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "We're looking forward to getting out to Eugene and preparing for three quality opponents that we may face in the regional." The Bulldogs' first game of the regional will stream on ESPN+. Television assignments for the remaining games of the regional will be announced later this week. |
| SEC lands 6 of top 8 seeds in NCAA softball tournament bracket | |
| The SEC received six of the top eight seeds in the NCAA Division I softball championship when the 64-team field was revealed Sunday, including Alabama at No. 1 and defending national champion Texas at No. 2. In all, the SEC got 12 of its 15 teams into the field. Regional play starts Friday, with the top 16 seeds hosting. The eight teams that get through super regionals the next week will play in the Women's College World Series, which starts May 28 at Devon Park in Oklahoma City. Alabama (49-7) didn't catch a break in the seeding -- the Crimson Tide could face Belmont superstar pitcher Maya Johnson in regional play. Johnson leads the nation with a 0.66 ERA and was the No. 3 pick in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League draft. Texas (42-10) returns pitcher Teagan Kavan, who was the Most Outstanding Player of the WCWS last year and led the Longhorns to the SEC tournament title this season. The Longhorns beat Alabama in the SEC championship game. |
| No. 17 Women's Golf Begins NCAA Tournament Journey In Chapel Hill | |
| Mississippi State women's golf will begin their sixth-straight NCAA Tournament as the three seed in the Chapel Hill Regional on Monday, May 11, with the tournament concluding on Wednesday, May 13. State will field a familiar lineup as they begin their journey to a fifth consecutive NCAA Championship birth. The Bulldog five include Avery Weed, Ines Belchior, Samantha Whateley, Moa Stridh and Izzy Pellot. Weed, Whateley and Pellot have become accustomed to playing in the NCAA Tournament. Weed and Whateley will be making their third appearance in the tournament, while Pellot becomes the first Bulldog in program history to appear in the NCAA Tournament in all four seasons of their career. Belchior and Stridh will be making their first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The freshman duo have found success in regular season play this year, as they both recorded three rounds in the 60s on their freshman campaign. They are the only freshman teammates in program history to have recorded three or more rounds in the 60s. |
| Local decorated runners highlight Gum Tree 10K | |
| It's been a fun year for Kiplin Loprinzi, and he added to it on Saturday. Loprinzi finished first in the 50th anniversary run of the Gum Tree 10K, winning in 33 minutes, 18 seconds. Loprinzi -- a sophomore at Lafayette High School -- is less than a week removed from winning the MHSAA Class 5A state championship in the boys 3200-meter run. Less than three minutes behind Loprinzi – finishing ninth overall and first among women – was Rhianwedd Price-Weimer, who finished in 35:46. Price-Weimer, a native of Wales, ran track and field and cross country at Mississippi State from 2013-2018. In her time there, she set four school records, won two SEC championships and was the 2015 NCAA outdoor 1500-meter run champion. Price-Weimer was also a five-time All-American, a four-time All-SEC selection and two-time All-South Region selection. Today, Price-Weimer is the head cross country coach and an assistant track and field coach at Starkville Academy. "I mostly did a whole bunch of prep for a marathon in January, and then kind of just picked up on doing some more speed stuff to break down into the 10K thing," she said. |
| Nonresident turkey hunters may see changes for Mississippi 2027 season | |
 | If a proposal made in the April meeting of the Mississippi Commission on Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks is finalized, nonresident turkey hunters will see big changes in the 2027 spring turkey season. "We're doing this in a way to impact how hunting pressure occurs and how the harvest happens in the early season," said Caleb Hinton, Wild Turkey Program coordinator for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks. "We're doing this to decrease the pressure we get early in the season. We're trying to move that pressure on into later in the season." Turkey hunters enjoy a three-bird bag limit and a little more than six weeks of hunting in spring, which is similar to some other states. What is at issue is when it opens. March 15 is the typical opening date for the regular season, making it one of the earliest in the nation. That early opening date combined with a growing trend among turkey hunters is where the problem lies. Possibly more than any other group of hunters, turkey hunters like to travel. For some, it may be a matter of seeing a different landscape and hunting birds under condions they don't encounter in their home state. For others it may be a quest to harvest each of the subspecies in North America. |
| How Tennessee pays for Neyland Entertainment District, G10 garage | |
 | The University of Tennessee will rake in revenue from the Neyland Entertainment District while bearing no financial risk in the $280 million project, UT Chief Financial Officer David Miller says. "Importantly, the developer is fully responsible for financing, construction and operating the entertainment district. So the university is putting no money into this," Miller said when the UT Systems Board of Trustees approved the project on May 4. "We have no financial risk, and we're not operating it." It's a critical selling point for UT to a portion of the fan base that has questioned the feasibility of the ambitious on-campus project, which includes a mixed-use sports entertainment district, hybrid condo-hotel and a rebuilt G10 parking garage. Chancellor Donde Plowman believes the long-term benefits outweigh the temporary inconvenience. But Miller said UT has no financial concerns in the public-private partnership. |
| The Future of Elite Youth Sports Is Here -- and It's a Mess | |
| Ah'Mari Stevens, a 16-year-old football player from South Florida, boarded a helicopter with a videographer one day last spring. As the chopper circled Miami, the cameraman explained the purpose of the shoot: "Everybody and their mama wants to know where he's going to play ball next year." Ah'Mari, a whip-fast sophomore wide receiver with two state championships under his belt, peered out the window as various high-school campuses passed below. He listed their attributes -- NFL alums, college stars, state titles -- and then pointed out Edison High, an inner-city public school whose coach at the time boasted of negotiating multimillion-dollar deals, where he planned to enroll. "Sometimes a man gotta create their own path," he said in the video, made by social-media company Footballville. Edison would be Ah'Mari's third high school, but not his last. After a few games, he switched to a rival Catholic powerhouse known for star receivers. Suiting up for four different high schools would be impossible in most of the country, thanks to state interscholastic rules that can require transfer students to sit out a year of competition. Florida is different. |
| NCAA House Settlement Multimedia Rights at Issue in Key Hearing | |
| The House v. NCAA settlement sometimes relies on roundabout wording and dense jargon, but its future could turn on two blunt principles: a deal is a deal, and a judge can't change a deal. Those simple statements are crucial to the NCAA's interpretation of the House settlement's language regarding "associated entities." U.S. Magistrate Judge and House settlement administrator Nathanael Cousins will review this term during a hearing on May 27, and his decision could change the trajectory of NIL deals. As Sportico explained, class counsel Steve Berman and Jeffrey Kessler assert multimedia rights companies including Learfield, Playfly Sports and JMI Sports -- and third-party brand sponsors including banks, apparel companies, airlines and car dealerships -- aren't associated entities. That's an important assertion. |
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