| Tuesday, May 17, 2016 |
| Tyonek Corporation expands aircraft maintenance, cyber warfare wing to Mississippi | |
 | Tyonek Native Corporation's aviation services wing is expanding its aircraft maintenance and cyber warfare business with the acquisition of a new facility in Mississippi. Tyonek Native Corporation CEO James Hoffman says work at the Selex Galileo Stennis Facility will focus on military intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance areas, in addition to unmanned aircraft systems -- commonly referred to as drones. "It's quite an expanding field and we feel its proximity to Mississippi State University -- which is actually the center of excellence for all of the six other FAA unmanned facilities sprinkled around the United States," Hoffman said. The Mississippi-based business will generate 26 new jobs this year, and potentially another 150 jobs within the next three years. |
| New Study Sees Opportunities for State's Farmers In Cuba | |
 | A new report by a group that advocates lifting the U.S. embargo on Cuba says Mississippi would see significant economic benefits from increased trade with its island neighbor. The Engage Cuba Coalition says Cuba imports as much as 80 percent of its food. Brian Williams is an agricultural economist at Mississippi State University. He says, the high quality of U.S. products is likely to help Mississippi suppliers get into the Cuban market quickly if trade barriers are lifted. "If we could get trade opened up with Cuba, it could definitely stand to benefit Mississippi," he says. "The commodities that I see benefiting most are poultry and what I would consider more of the Southern commodities, particularly cotton and rice, and probably even soybeans for that matter." |
| Starkville High's 'Year of the Eagles' -- Scouts, that is | |
 | With all due respect to the Yellow Jackets that are their high school's mascot, 2016 is the year of the Eagles in Starkville. An impressive 12 members of the 2016 Starkville High School graduating class are Eagle Scouts. These young men reached Scouting's highest honor and are going on to college -- many to nearby Mississippi State and one to the U.S. Naval Academy. The 12 and their college destinations are Aaren LaFrance, MSU; Marshall Adair, U.S. Navel Academy; David Usher, MSU; Cameron Maddox, MSU; Matt Comish, MSU; Ben Griffith, MSU; Isaiah Knox, undecided; Daniel Liffrig, MSU; Mathew Gent, EMCC or MSU; Nathan Smith, MSU; Parker Simpson, Hinds Community College; and Jamie Forrester, EMCC or MSU. |
| Mississippi lawmakers: Schools should ignore fed bathroom directive | |
 | A group of Republican lawmakers has joined Gov. Phil Bryant in calling on the state Department of Education to ignore new federal guidelines on bathroom policy for transgender students. A spokeswoman for MDE last week said: "The Mississippi Department of Education will adhere to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, as well as the joint guidance issued today by the U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Justice." But Bryant argued that the federal directive is "outrageous," and "is nonbinding and does not carry the force of law." A group of 11 state lawmakers on Tuesday released a letter to state Superintendent Carey Wright, reiterating Bryant's call for MDE to not follow the federal guidelines. |
| Bryant vetoes Ed Department personnel board exemption | |
| Gov. Phil Bryant has vetoed a measure the Legislature passed that would have extended an exemption from civil service protection for Mississippi Department of Education employees, saying the agency has used the exemption to hand out big raises instead of restructuring for efficiency and improved services. In his veto message, Bryant said MDE has given 331 raises to 247 employees -- some increases of $20,000 or more. He said the agency also has hired 203 new people, with some making as high as $195,000 a year "which is well over the statutory maximum." |
| Mississippi's 'religious freedom' law drafted out of state | |
| Ron Matis flew home to Mississippi from Washington the day after the U.S. Supreme Court legally recognized same-sex marriage with one goal in mind: getting a bill to the Mississippi Legislature by the 2016 session that would protect pastors and other Mississippians. As political director for the United Pentecostal Church of Mississippi, Matis is one of the prominent religious officials in the state who regularly lobby for the denomination in the Mississippi State Capitol. He had been in Washington June 26, 2015, when the high court handed down its decision. Matis was among many people in Mississippi who thought state legislation addressing the ruling should be discussed in 2016. But as it turned out, an out-of-state religious group made the first move. |
| Tax bill aimed at helping small businesses | |
 | In a rarity for a freshman lawmaker, Rep. Robert Foster, R-Hernando, not only got one of his first bills through both chambers of the Mississippi Legislature but it's been signed into law by Gov. Phil Bryant. The bill, which doesn't feature a "catchy' name like many bills, is simply known as House Bill 1560. The bill, which will go into effect as a new law on July 1, 2016, is aimed at relieving small businesses from having to undergo costly and in many cases unnecessary audits every four years by the Department of Revenue, according to Foster. Small businesses are required to list any additions and deletions on proper tax forms and that information will be presumed to be accurate unless the County Tax Assessor has reason to believe the list does not adequately reflect the extent of that taxpayer's personal property and the value of the property. |
| Mississippi Delta district ordered to merge schools | |
 | After 51 years of litigation and three earlier plans to desegregate schools in a Mississippi Delta district, a federal judge says more work is still needed. U.S. District Judge Debra Brown ruled Friday that the town of Cleveland must merge its two high schools and two middle schools. "The delay in desegregation has deprived generations of students of the constitutionally guaranteed right of an integrated education," Brown wrote in a 96-page opinion. "Although no court order can right these wrongs, it is the duty of the district to ensure that not one more student suffers under this burden." |
| Mississippi School District Ordered to Desegregate Its Schools | |
 | A federal court has ordered a town in Mississippi to desegregate its high schools and middle schools, ending a five-decade-long legal battle over integrating black and white students. The United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi ordered the Cleveland School District to consolidate the schools after rejecting two alternatives proposed by the school district, saying they were unconstitutional. "This victory creates new opportunities for the children of Cleveland to learn, play and thrive together," said Vanita Gupta, the head of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division, in a statement published on Monday. |
| State to close all juvenile delinquent programs | |
 | The state plans to close all of its Adolescent Opportunity Programs, which serve at-risk juveniles, effective July 1, following an order by the federal government that restricts Mississippi's use of federal welfare dollars. "It's devastating," said Harrison County Youth Court Judge Margaret Alfonso. "At a time when alternates to the incarceration of children are being examined throughout the country, we are getting ready to lose the most valuable tool we had in this effort. If this state is serious about addressing the needs of children, this loss of funding needs to be reversed immediately." Alfonso expressed her disappointment Monday with a letter she received from the Mississippi Department of Human Services, saying the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is no longer allowing MDHS to fund the programs with subsidies from the federal Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. |
| Sen. Burton gets DUI charge after wreck | |
| The second-ranking leader of the Mississippi Senate has been charged with DUI after a one-vehicle wreck. Republican Sen. Terry Burton of Newton was charged after running a sport utility vehicle off of Interstate 20 and hitting a sign about 10 p.m. Saturday in Scott County, according to a statement Monday from a Mississippi Highway Patrol spokesman, Capt. Johnny Poulos. Burton, 60, has been in the Senate since 1992. He represents District 31 in Lauderdale, Newton and Scott counties. |
| Mississippi Today startup pursues role of government watchdog | |
| A new politics site in Mississippi officially kicked off May 2 with plans to deliver aggressive government watchdog reporting, bolstered with backing from foundations and major financial supporters. Founded by Andrew Lack, chairman of NBC News and MSNBC, Mississippi Today's financial contributors include politicians, journalists, philanthropists and foundations who've donated upwards of $200,000. Lack raised the money before charging two longtime USA Today journalists, Fred Anklam Jr. and Dennis Moore, with managing the newsroom as co-editors. "We just found this big nest egg sitting there, and a desire to get something going," Anklam said. |
| U. of Alabama shuts down Tom Brokaw: Tide responds to Ole Miss commencement insult | |
 | The University of Alabama has delivered its own message to broadcaster Tom Brokaw. Brokaw prompted a flood of criticism for comments he made during a Saturday morning commencement ceremony at the University of Mississippi. Speaking to the graduates, Brokaw quipped "I'm so relieved to be speaking to a graduating class from Ole Miss. If I were speaking at Alabama, I would have to use smaller words and shorter sentences." That didn't sit well with folks from UA. The university's Sunday statement was accompanied by a series of social media messages detailing other academic achievements at the university. |
| U. of Alabama graduate school dean named | |
 | The dean of the graduate school at the University of Kentucky has been named to the same position at the University of Alabama, beginning in July. Susan Carvalho, a professor of Hispanic studies and interim associate provost and dean of UK Graduate School, has been named associate provost and dean of UA's Graduate School, effective July 1. UA announced the appointment on Monday. Carvalho will replace current Graduate School Dean David Francko, who is retiring. Carvalho earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame and her master's degree and Ph.D. in Hispanic studies from the University of Virginia. |
| AUPD Chief Melvin Owens recalls highs, lows in 35-year Auburn law enforcement career | |
 | Melvin Owens always felt there were two callings in his life, law enforcement and ministry. This month, one of those callings came to an end. Owens retired from Auburn University as the executive director of the Department of Public Safety, ending a 35-year career in law enforcement, but he will continue his career in ministry. Owens is the pastor of Mount Zion Baptist Church in LaFayette. He began his preaching career while he was a detective in 1984. "There had been so many situations that just convinced me that there was more," Owens said. "I grew up in the church, so I was always a child of the church." In the 35 years since he first put on a badge, Owens has seen a lot of change sweep across the Plains. Student enrollment in 1981 was 18,603, according to the Auburn University office of institutional research. Today, student enrollment has grown by nearly 10,000 to 27,287. |
| Not so fast: Massive 18-story apartment complex proposed near LSU put on hold | |
 | A massive, 18-story apartment complex proposed near the LSU campus was put on hold Monday when the city-parish planning commission delayed voting on the development plan after concerns were raised about parking and other issues. The East Baton Rouge Parish planning staff found some problems with the proposal, giving planning commissioners pause about approving it on Monday. The most discussed concern was parking after a report from the planning staff said the complex would require 1,341 parking spots but had only proposed 609. More than 2,400 apartment units have been completed around LSU since 2007, The Advocate reported in January, citing Wesley Moore, of Cook, Moore and Associates. The figure includes 786 apartment units that opened near the start of the fall 2015 semester. "Enough of the student apartments," said Carol Steinmuller, who lives on LSU Avenue near campus. |
| U. of Missouri expected to no longer allow protest camps | |
 | Large-scale protests at the University of Missouri probably will not happen in the future quite like they did last fall. An ad hoc committee is expected soon to publish its recommendations to administrators related to protests and free speech, including a recommendation that officials enforce two policies that went unused during November's protests. In March, the university said it no longer will allow protests that disrupt campus operations, and last week, MU police Chief Doug Schwandt told radio station KFRU that a policy that bans overnight sleeping on campus outside of dorms or other designated areas also will be enforced. Both decisions were in response to protests Concerned Student 1950 conducted in November against a perceived lack of action by university leaders in response to racism on campus. |
| Professors urge Department of Education to revise sexual assault guidance | |
 | Citing an erosion of free speech and due process on college campuses, a group of 21 law professors on Monday released an open letter alleging that the U.S. Department of Education has unlawfully expanded how colleges must define and respond to allegations of sexual assault and harassment. The same argument has been made frequently in recent months by Republican lawmakers who say that the department's Office for Civil Rights illegally created new regulations through a series of documents instructing colleges how to handle cases of sexual misconduct. Monday's letter comes at a time when the department is also facing two lawsuits making the same claim. And a third lawsuit is on the way. The legal argument is an important one, because many colleges revised procedures based on the Education Department guidance -- sometimes saying that they had no choice but to do so. |
| A First: Pell Grants For High School Students Who Take College Classes | |
 | This week, the U.S. Education Department said it will make Pell Grants available to 10,000 high school students who are enrolled in courses at 44 colleges. It's an ambitious experiment aimed at closing the attainment gap between rich and poor students in higher education. The Obama Administration wants to give students a head start on college. The new program will allow high school students in 23 states to access up to $20 million in federal money to pay for a semester of college credit. Four out of five of the chosen sites are community colleges. The institutions have proposed programs that offer not just academics, but supports like advising and counseling, plus a "clear pathway" onward to a degree. |
| Catholic campuses give culture wars a different twist | |
 | Freshman Sean P. acknowledges the objections to having Bill Clinton speak at his school's commencement ceremony this year -- the former president's record on abortion and same-sex marriage hardly make him a role model for graduates of a Roman Catholic institution, critics have said. But to Sean, Mr. Clinton's politics and policies have little to do with his presence at Loyola Marymount University on graduation day. "The president [came] here to speak," not promote an agenda, says Sean, an international relations major who asked that his last name not be used. And, if anything, Sean adds, the Jesuit-run institution welcomes a variety of people and opinions in a way that encourages debate about tough issues. LMU is one of a number of Catholic institutions facing criticism this commencement season for inviting and honoring guests whose positions on issues such as abortion and contraception could be perceived as opposing Catholic teaching. At a time when the broader national discussion around religious freedom has become more pointed, the moves offer a different picture. |
| For the poor in the Ivy League, a full ride isn't always what they imagined | |
 | To reach the Ivy League after growing up poor seems like hitting the jackpot. Students get a world-class education from schools that promise to meet full financial needs without making them take out loans. But the reality of a full ride isn't always what they had dreamed it would be. At Columbia University, money pressures lead many to cut corners on textbook purchases and skip city excursions routine for affluent classmates. Some borrow thousands of dollars a year to pay bills. Some feel obliged to send money home occasionally to help their families. Others spend less on university meal plans, slipping extra food into their backpacks when they leave a dining hall and hunting for free grub through a Facebook network called CU Meal Share. Such challenges are widespread in higher education, and at many schools far more severe. But awareness of them has grown in recent years at top colleges seeking to diversify what were once bastions of exclusivity and privilege. |
SPORTS
| Offensive turnaround 'contagious' for Mississippi State's veterans | |
| Mississippi State clubbed seven home runs against Auburn last weekend, the most in a series in six years. The offensive fireworks pushed MSU's season total to 41, the most since the Bulldogs hit 68 home runs in 2010. A .312 average, which is the best by an MSU squad since 2007 (.316), has complemented the power. The production is a stark contrast to last season where the Bulldogs hit .271 as a team with 22 home runs. "Just a little more experience a little more playing, just a little bit more confidence," Reid Humphreys said. "I don't feel like anything is different. I feel like the skill level is the same and it's always been there. It's just a matter of getting comfortable." |
| 3 Mississippi State players among Ferriss Trophy finalists | |
 | Three Mississippi State players are among the five finalists for the C Spire Ferriss Trophy, which is presented annually to the top college baseball player in Mississippi. Junior pitcher Dakota Hudson, junior outfielder/pitcher Reid Humphreys and freshman outfielder Jake Mangum will represent the Bulldogs while Ole Miss outfielder J.B. Woodman and Delta State outfielder/pitcher Will Robertson, from Falkner, are the other two finalists. Finalists were selected by scouts who cover the Magnolia State and Mississippi's college coaches. The winner will be announced next Monday at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame and Museum in Jackson. |
| Former Bulldog great and MLB All-Star Sammy Ellis passes away at 75 | |
 | Former Bulldog great and MLB All-Star Sammy Ellis died Friday in Temple Terrace, Fla., at the age of 75. Ellis lettered for the Maroon and White in 1961, a season in which he led the Southeastern Conference with 73 strikeouts and also led the Bulldogs with 57 2/3 innings pitched. After leaving Starkville, Ellis went on to play seven years in the big leagues. He posted a 63-58 record over 229-career games, and owns a 4.15 ERA. He tallied 677 strikeouts and 18 saves. His career reached the pinnacle in 1965 when he was named an MLB All-Star while with the Cincinnati Reds after posting a 22-10 record with two saves. Ellis tossed 15 complete games that season for Cincinnati. Ellis is one of just eight former Diamond Dawgs to receive the honor. |
| Attorney requests Ole Miss' Matt Luke deposition restricted in Laremy Tunsil lawsuit | |
| Coach Hugh Freeze's attorney requested last week for restrictions to be placed upon a potential deposition related to a lawsuit filed against former offensive tackle Laremy Tunsil. Matt Luke, Freeze's assistant coach and Tunsil's former position coach, would like the same. B. Blake Teller filed a motion Friday in Lafayette County Circuit Court asking that Luke not be subjected to an expedited deposition after one was requested by Matthew Wilson, who is representing Tunsil's stepfather, Lindsey Miller, in a lawsuit filed against Tunsil last month. Judge John Kelly Luther was assigned the case and would rule on those requests, though it's uncertain when that would occur. |
| Calipari plans to stay at U. of Kentucky until his coaching career ends | |
 | John Calipari wrote Monday that he plans for his coaching career to end at Kentucky, where he wants to put the men's basketball program on track for surpassing UCLA's record of 11 national championships. "How long can I coach here? My plan is to coach here for the rest of my career," Calipari wrote in a posting on his CoachCal.com website Monday. "I want this to be my final coaching position." The posting, titled The Vision of the Program: What We're Chasing, also included a call for scholarships for life (enabling players who leave the program for the NBA to return at any future year to complete work on a degree) and continuing improvements on Rupp Arena -- he also hinted at a new arena someday -- to make Kentucky basketball about an overall experience in addition to a mere game. |
| LSU, Wisconsin set for 2:30 p.m. kickoff at Lambeau Field | |
| LSU and Wisconsin won't be playing under the lights of Lambeau Field. The Tigers' season opener against the Badgers at the Packers' home field kicks off at 2:30 p.m. and will be televised on ABC, ESPN announced on Tuesday. It's the first college game at Lambeau since 1983. The Sept. 3 game is part of ESPN and ABC's season-opening tripleheader on each network. |
| U. of Alabama football players Cam Robinson, Hootie Jones arrested in Louisiana | |
| University of Alabama starting left tackle Cam Robinson and reserve safety Laurence "Hootie" Jones were arrested early Tuesday morning in Monroe, La. on weapons and narcotics charges. Robinson, a junior who has started every game at left tackle in each of his first two seasons for the Crimson Tide, was arrested on felony possession of stolen firearms. He was also arrested on charges of possession of a controlled dangerous substance and illegal carrying of weapons, a misdemeanor. According to the arrest report: The pair sat in a parked car in Forsythe Park in Monroe, La., after the park closed. An officer approached the vehicle and detected the strong odor of marijuana. The officer found a handgun sitting in Jones' lap in the front seat. |
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