Friday, January 8, 2021   
 
PA program's inaugural class arrives for orientation at MSU-Meridian
This week is orientation at MSU-Meridian for students of the first publicly funded Physician Assistant program in Mississippi. "We pride ourselves as a land grant on being accessible to the students from the state of Mississippi and then also providing critical resources for our community, in this case healthcare," said Terry Dale Cruse, the head of campus for MSU-Meridian. "But in addition to the students from the state of Mississippi, we have students from 6 other states across the nation, literally from coast to coast and so it's exciting to see this come to fruition and to see these students arrive this week for their first week of classes." One of the PA students is from Colorado and she says it is exciting to be a part of an inaugural class. "Not only is it a great opportunity and an honor to be here, but it's awesome to be able to pave the way for the PA's that are going to be coming in after me, and to help with the healthcare in Meridian itself," said Meg Wade. Over 250 people from across the country applied for the 29-month PA program.
 
Virtual Marching Band Event and Martin Luther King Jr. Convocation, Delta Leadership Institute Executive Academy
Four members of the Mississippi State University Famous Maroon Band will take part in a virtual intercollegiate marching band event for the College Football Playoff National Championship game on Monday, Jan. 11. The College Band Directors National Association Intercollegiate Marching Band is facilitating the virtual show, which will include 900 performers representing 200 bands from 45 states and Puerto Rico. The performers will play "End of Time" by Beyonce. The show will premiere on the Intercollegiate Marching Band YouTube channel during halftime of the championship game. Participating MSU students include Emily Morse, a senior clinical exercise physiology major from Cordova, Tenn., playing clarinet; Jessica Huffman, an industrial engineering senior from Nesbit, Miss., performing with the color guard; Joseph Rutherford, a computer engineering junior from New Albany, Miss., playing trumpet; and Gwyen Elizabeth Sutphen, a fall business administration graduate and a graduate student in information systems from Starkville, Miss., playing flute and piccolo.
 
Local organizers plan to proceed with spring and fall festivals
Social distance has put the brakes on local traditions -- including spring and fall festivals. But, organizers across our area hope they can bring back the events this year. This year the people who plan city festivals want to bring them back safely. "Our concern is the community and the health and safety of the community at large so we'll look at that and see what options are available for us and what other festivals are doing" said executive director of Starkville Arts Council John Bateman. "It's affecting the communities at large and so we don't want to create something that's impacting other communities and spreading the virus" said Bateman. Bateman is eager to get the ball rolling for hosting the Cotton District Arts Festival this year. He wants things to go smoothly, but realistically knows there may be some challenges. Despite all the potential complications Bateman is hopeful for a return of festivals and normal events.
 
Peco Foods will close in Brooksville, expand in West Point
Peco Foods will close three plants, including the one in Brooksville, in order to expand three more, including the one in West Point, the company announced Thursday morning in a press release. The chicken processing company currently employs 7,000 people at its 13 locations in Alabama, Arkansas and Mississippi. The plants in Canton and Philadelphia will also close, according to the press release. Peco will also expand its facilities in Sebastopol and Pocahontas, Arkansas, in order to "expand value-added product lines and meet rising demands for customer-driven, innovative foods," according to the press release. The plant in Brooksville employs 275 people, and the one in West Point employs 44 but will add 200 more over the course of three years when the addition of a par-fry facility is complete. Joe Max Higgins, CEO of the Golden Triangle Development LINK, told The Dispatch he supports Peco's repositioning efforts. "The past year has been tremendously difficult for companies all over the Golden Triangle," Higgins said. "We're committed to supporting Peco Foods as they position themselves to be successful and remain committed to our communities to make sure that everyone who wants a job has a job. We're working with the company on the additional investment at the West Point facility and making sure team members in the Brooksville facility get placed quickly."
 
Group commits $1M for Mississippi computer science education
An organization announced Thursday that it is committing $1 million to help Mississippi school districts start computer science classes. The money is coming from C Spire Foundation, a charity connected to the Mississippi-based telecommunications and technology company C Spire. A C Spire news release said the company will ask Mississippi legislators this year to consider making computer science classes available in all elementary schools, middle schools and high schools by 2024-25. The release said 48% of Mississippi high schools currently teach computer science. The release said that Mississippi employers have more than 1,475 unfilled jobs because of a shortage of trained, qualified information technology and computing workers. C Spire has been promoting computer science education in Mississippi since 2015 with coding challenges, coding academies and accelerated degree programs.
 
Mississippi Economic Council holds first virtual Capital Day
Workforce development, the state's brain drain, the new flag and budget were all topics at this year's Mississippi Economic Council's Capital Day. This was MEC's first Virtual Capital Day. A panel discussion was held with members of the State legislature and the Chair of the Mississippi Flag Commission. Judge Reuben Anderson says the retired flag kept many Fortune 500 companies out of the state. House Speaker Philip Gunn also addressed the importance of changing the state flag. Gunn discussed the state's budget and the impact of COVID-19. Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann also participated. He says an announcement is coming next week on a new program to help businesses called MFlex. Lt. Governor Hosemann said, "Our goals were first we want to be as competitive or more competitive with every other southern state, start with that. And the second thing is it needed to be simple and understandable so that people could actually do this at their home offices or where their business was and brought into here. And the third thing that was really important to me is that it emphasized small and medium sized businesses."
 
Mississippi sets new 1-day high of coronavirus cases
Mississippi is reporting a single-day record of new coronavirus cases. The state Health Department said Thursday that the state had 3,255 new cases of the virus as of Wednesday evening. The first time Mississippi reported more than 3,000 cases reported in a single day was Dec. 30. The state health officer, Dr. Thomas Dobbs, has warned that he expects case numbers to continue to grow as people start testing positive after attending holiday gatherings. Mississippi, with a population of about 3 million, has reported at least 5,061 deaths from COVID-19 as of Wednesday evening. The state has had at least 231,490 total cases of coronavirus since the start of the pandemic, the Health Department said.
 
Economy loses 140,000 jobs in December as unemployment holds at 6.7% amid COVID-19 spikes
U.S. employers shed 140,000 jobs in December amid COVID-19 surges and new business constraints, closing out a dismal year with the first payroll losses since the pandemic upended the economy last spring. Restaurants and bars hemorrhaged jobs, and the report kicks off a potentially brutal winter as the nation awaits wide distribution of a vaccine that should pave the way for brighter days. The unemployment rate, which is calculated from a different survey, held steady at 6.7%, the Labor Department said Friday. Economists had estimated that 50,000 jobs were added last month, according to a Bloomberg survey. State and local governments, which are coping with massive pandemic-related revenue declines, lost about 50,000 jobs. Private education payrolls fell by 63,000. The losses more than offset surprisingly strong payroll advances in other sectors. The disappointing showing overall was also partly softened by upward revisions of 135,000 to job gains in October and November.
 
Jobs in 2030: Health Care Booms, Employers Want More
Taking care of an aging population -- and their pets -- and working on the nation's digital transformation are likely to offer the most well-paying job opportunities in the next decade. Those filling jobs will increasingly be older adults, and the health-care and high-tech fields are among those poised for the most growth, according to the Labor Department's projections for employment in 2029. For workers to thrive over the coming decade they can expect to need more education and be willing to refresh their skills. Even with the focus on skills, the faster-growing occupations will still require more education. Occupations that require a master's degree will grow the quickest over the next decade, projected to rise 15%. That compares with around 6% growth among jobs requiring all other degree types. Jobs that demand a bachelor's degree for entry-level positions will increase the most in absolute terms, by 2.4 million jobs, compared with an additional 400,000 jobs that require a master's degree. However, employers are increasingly looking for workers who take initiative in updating their skills through, for example, online certification programs.
 
Session Outlook: Lawmaker to focus on economic development, education and criminal justice during session
District 70 Rep. William "Bo" Brown plans to focus on economic development, education and criminal justice reform issues during the 2021 legislative session. "I have some objectives and goals I would like to bring forth this term," said Brown, who plans to get input from his constituents, officials in his district and others about important issues. A former Jackson City Council member whose district includes Belhaven and Belhaven Heights, Brown plans to support issues put forth by Democrats and the Black Caucus. The 2021 session will mark his second term in office. He would like to see more start-up businesses locate in Hinds County and he plans to work on legislation that would provide more opportunities for them and minority-owned businesses. "That's something I'm going to support," he said. He believes additional revenue should be spent to improve infrastructure such as streets, drainage and environmental issues in Hinds County. "A city can't have growth unless infrastructure is in place," he said.
 
US attorney in south Mississippi resigning Jan. 19
The U.S. attorney for the southern half of Mississippi said Thursday that he will step down the day before Joe Biden becomes president. Mike Hurst's last day on the job will be Jan. 19. U.S. attorneys are nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. It's common for the federal prosecutors to leave their jobs when there's a change of administration. Hurst was nominated by President Donald Trump in June 2017 and was confirmed by the Senate that October. Hurst had run unsuccessfully for Mississippi attorney general in 2015. "I have tried to do everything within my power to make our neighborhoods safer, support our law enforcement, engage and empower our communities and citizens, protect victims, prevent and reduce crime and uphold our constitutional rights," Hurst said in a news release.
 
Democrats vow to deliver $2K checks with control of Senate
Democrats are vowing to forge ahead with providing $2,000 stimulus payments after their party won control of the Senate this week with victories in two Georgia runoffs where the checks played a key role. At a rally before Election Day, President-elect Joe Biden said that electing the two Democratic candidates would flip the majority, end a GOP blockade on bigger checks and allow for more coronavirus relief in the form of direct payments. Now, Democrats say they plan to deliver on that pledge. Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.), who is poised to become majority leader when Biden is inaugurated on Jan. 20, said Wednesday that "one of the first things that I want to do when our new senators are seated is deliver the $2,000 checks to the American families." Other Democratic lawmakers have emphasized the $2,000 payments following the projected victories for Jon Ossoff and the Rev. Raphael Warnock in Georgia's elections. In addition to Biden and Schumer, Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has backed the bigger payments, which would come on the heels of $600 payments from the most recent COVID-19 relief bill.
 
Biden introduces Merrick Garland as attorney general pick
President-elect Joe Biden introduced his pick for the nation's top law enforcement official on Thursday, turning to experienced judge Merrick Garland to help de-politicize the Justice Department and restore the rule of law after what the incoming president described as four years of lawlessness under President Donald Trump. Biden also described the pro-Trump mob that stormed the Capitol on Wednesday as "domestic terrorists" and assailed the Republican president for inciting the siege. "The past four years we've had a president who's made his contempt for our democracy, our Constitution, the rule of law, clear in everything he has done," Biden said, vowing a dramatic shift in his administration. "More than anything, we need to restore the honor, the integrity, the independence of the Department of Justice that's been so badly damaged." If confirmed by the Senate, which is likely, Garland would take over as the U.S. attorney general at a critical moment for the country and the agency. He would inherit urgent challenges related to policing and civil rights, an ongoing criminal tax investigation into Biden's son Hunter and Democratic calls to pursue criminal inquiries into Trump after he leaves office.
 
McConnell will now lead a fractious GOP minority, but he still wields real power
The anarchy that overran the U.S. Capitol this week obscured another seismic event that shifted Washington power: For the first time in six years, Mitch McConnell will no longer run the U.S. Senate. At the same time, with Donald Trump on his way out as a defeated former president, McConnell will essentially be elevated to the most important Republican in the nation's capital. The Kentuckian's formal loss of congressional power at the same time he gains influence within his party is a paradox that will help define the next two years of governing and the initial direction of the GOP as it navigates a fractious new environment. "He can still be very effective. His goal is really going to be to obstruct and gridlock the Senate. He has no interest in furthering President Biden's agenda. He has a lot of power," said Julian Zelizer, a Princeton University professor of political history who has authored numerous books on congressional power. "He's very effective in keeping Republicans on board for what he wants, even when he's taking tons of flak." McConnell has not yet addressed his new role, but there's historic precedent to inform the posture he's likely to take. He was in a similar position in 2009, when it was President Barack Obama beginning a new administration and Democrats boasting majorities in both the House and Senate.
 
'This is going to come back and bite 'em': Capitol breach inflames Democrats' ire at Silicon Valley
Social media is poised to pay a price for President Donald Trump's supporters' rampage through the Capitol. Democratic lawmakers channeled much of their fury at tech companies' role in the assault on Congress, an attack organized across a plethora of online platforms and livestreamed by rioters who echoed Trump's baseless charges of a rigged election. And they're vowing action against dangerous extremism on the internet as they prepare to take full control of Congress and the White House. Liberal policymakers for years have urged Silicon Valley to stamp out election disinformation and incitements to violence on their platforms. But they said Wednesday's invasion proves the industry has done far too little. "This is going to come back and bite 'em because Congress, in a bipartisan way, is going to come back with a vengeance," Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, told POLITICO. The result is that Democrats, whose ire at the tech industry had already dramatically risen since the 2016 elections, are talking about bringing new levels of scrutiny and consequences to the companies, including stepping up efforts to narrow or overhaul liability protections for sites that host violent or dangerous messages.
 
'Trump is a Direct Threat to the Homeland': Rep. Bennie Thompson Backs Impeachment
Congress should take immediate action to remove President Donald Trump from office after yesterday's insurrection at the nation's Capitol, U.S. House Homeland Security Chairman Bennie Thompson, Mississippi's most powerful congressman, said in a statement Thursday afternoon. House Democrats introduced articles of impeachment today, charging the president with inciting an insurrection. "Never in my life did I ever expect to see a sitting president incite violent extremists at a rally and, after they stormed both the House and Senate chambers, raised the Confederate flag and erected a noose, tell them in a video that he loved them," Thompson, a Black Democrat who represents Mississippi's 2nd Congressional District, said in a House Homeland Security Committee statement. "What occurred yesterday at our nation's Capitol was -- pure and simple -- domestic terrorism incited by President Trump, his enablers, and those seeking to overturn the results of a legitimate election," Thompson said
 
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith chairs key committee amid calls for Capitol Police investigation
Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, chair of a key subcommittee over Capitol Police, was noncommittal Thursday as other lawmakers called for investigations into Wednesday's riot at the U.S. Capitol and response from police and military. Hyde-Smith, Mississippi's junior senator and a Republican, serves as chair of the Legislative Branch Subcommittee of Senate Appropriations, which has budget and spending oversight authority over Capitol Police. The Democratic chair of the same subcommittee in the House on Thursday announced a "review of the law enforcement response to yesterday's coup attempt." In a written statement on Thursday, a Hyde-Smith spokesman said: "Senator Hyde-Smith continues to monitor the situation closely. Committees of jurisdiction, the U.S. Capitol Police and others will examine these events thoroughly in terms of how this tragedy occurred, how to prevent a repeated occurrence, and how to improve the security of the Capitol campus while ensuring orderly and appropriate public access." Hyde-Smith's statement stands in contrast to the public comments of the ranking Democrat on the subcommittee, Sen. Chris Murphy of Connecticut. Murphy on Wednesday was more vocal in calling for investigation and reform after the takeover of the Capitol.
 
Publisher Cancels Book By Sen. Hawley, Citing His Role In Inciting Capitol Attack
Simon & Schuster says it has decided not to publish a forthcoming book by Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, citing the lawmaker's role in fomenting this week's "disturbing [and] deadly insurrection" at the U.S. Capitol. Hawley quickly fired back at the publisher, calling the move "Orwellian" and an "assault on the First Amendment." In a statement issued via tweet Thursday evening, Simon & Schuster said it was canceling publication of the book, The Tyranny of Big Tech, following Wednesday's assault on the Capitol by supporters of President Trump who aimed to upend the certification of President-elect Joe Biden's Nov. 3 election victory. Hawley, a Republican and outspoken Trump ally, has been accused of helping incite the throng of rioters who stormed the House and Senate chambers, smashing windows, ransacking offices and forcing frightened lawmakers to take shelter in secure locations. Hawley was also one of six senators who raised objections to the certification of Electoral College votes confirming Joe Biden as the next president. "We did not come to this decision lightly," Simon & Schuster said.
 
Internet detectives are identifying scores of pro-Trump rioters at the Capitol. Some have already been fired.
As he strolled past gold-framed portraits of past Congressional leaders, one rioter who stormed the Capitol in a pro-Trump mob on Wednesday wore a red Trump hat, a commemorative sweatshirt from the president's inauguration and a lanyard around his neck. When a photo of him went viral, it didn't take Internet sleuths long to realize that the lanyard held his work badge -- clearly identifying him as an employee of Navistar Direct Marketing, a printing company in Frederick, Md. On Thursday, Navistar swiftly fired him. He's not alone among the rioters who wreaked havoc in Congress. While police and the FBI work to identify and arrest members of the mob, online detectives are also crowdsourcing information and doxing them -- exposing the rioters to criminal prosecution, but also more immediate action from their bosses. Since most of the rioters stormed the Capitol maskless, online detectives had a unique opportunity to easily identify them. And many made it even easier -- they live-streamed their participation and later bragged about their escapades.
 
OCH investigates ICU director for tweets supporting D.C. violence
OCH Regional Medical Center's leaders said Wednesday they will investigate tweets posted by hospital intensive care unit director that seemed to support rioters who stormed the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. In multiple tweets posted Tuesday and Wednesday, Dr. Cameron Huxford falsely claimed the 2020 U.S. presidential election was rigged and expressed a desire to join Wednesday's riot led by supporters of President Donald Trump, some of whom were armed. "If I didn't have to man the Covid wards on 1/6/2021, I'd be in the caravan headed to Washington!" Huxford tweeted Tuesday in reference to the planned protests at the U.S. Capitol during Congress' vote to certify President-elect Joe Biden's win in the Electoral College. As Wednesday's demonstration became violent -- with throngs of Trump supporters breaking into the Capitol, fighting police and temporarily forcing Congress to stop the Constitutional process and go into hiding -- Huxford replied to someone else's tweet that stated the violence "feels like terrorism" with a doubled-down support of the riot. "What's happened on November 3 by the stealing of the election was domestic terrorism!" Huxford tweeted at 2:14 p.m. "Wish I was there (with) them. Freedom isn't free!" The Dispatch obtained a screenshot of the tweets that Huxford later deleted. Linda Breazeale, president of the OCH board of trustees, told The Dispatch that Huxford's tweets "will be addressed" but offered no further comment.
 
Trump will not attend Biden's inauguration after stoking U.S. Capitol riots
President Donald Trump on Friday said that he will not attend the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden, who will take charge in less than two weeks. Trump is not the first outgoing president to skip the inauguration of his successor. Presidents John Adams, John Quincy Adams and Ulysses S. Grant did not attend the inauguration of the incoming president, according to the White House Historical Association. "To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th," Trump wrote in a tweet. Trump's decision to not attend Biden's inauguration comes one day after he conceded the presidential election. In a nearly three-minute video posted on Thursday, Trump, without mentioning Biden by name acknowledged that "a new administration will be inaugurated on January 20th." "Now tempers must be cooled, and calm restored. We must get on with the business of America," Trump said in his first address to the nation following the riot that left five people dead, including a Capitol police officer.
 
Angie Thomas Writers Scholarship to be awarded for 2nd time
A private university in Mississippi is preparing to award a second scholarship to an incoming freshman who will major in creative writing. The Angie Thomas Writers Scholarship will cover tuition, room and board at Belhaven University in Jackson. The program might also provide smaller scholarships to other students. Belhaven established the scholarship to honor Thomas, who earned her degree there in 2011. She wrote the bestselling novels "The Hate U Give" and "On the Come Up." Her new novel, "Concrete Rose," is being published this month. "The pandemic has affected so many families financially, and suddenly many students may not know how to pay for college," Thomas said in a Belhaven news release Friday. "I'm thankful that the Angie Thomas Writers Scholarship exists so that it's no longer a concern for a young person and their family."
 
MGCCC opens new residence hall at Perk campus
Some Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College students will start their spring semester with a brand new place to call home. Thursday, school leaders officially opened a new, 57,331-square-foot residence hall at the Perkinston campus, which can house up to 206 students. Administrators said the $15 million project was funded by county district supervisors from Harrison, Stone, Jackson and George counties. As soon as the ribbon was cut, eager student began moving in. Resident Assistant Nejai Spencer was excited to move in after feeling stuck in her house due to COVID-19. She's looking forward to enjoying time away from home and with her peers, instead. "It's good that we all can stay on campus; we don't have to be home. We can have some real type of interaction with other students during the whole COVID, and everything," said Spencer. MGCCC President Mary Graham explained that student interaction, getting the full college experience, and recruiting more students were the goals of the residence hall. "We're always looking to bring in more students. You know, it's important that people know that they can get that traditional college experience within 30 minutes of their home," said Graham.
 
Declining enrollment, increased absences threaten public school funding
Schools across the state saw massive drops in student attendance in the fall semester, and more than half of Mississippi school districts appealed to the state superintendent of education with concerns about their funding as a result. School districts are funded based on a calculation known as average daily attendance. This figure is a snapshot of attendance for the school year taken by averaging daily attendance for the second and third months of the academic year. Students must be present for at least 63% of a school day or they are marked absent. While enrollment in public schools decreased around 23,000 students from last year to this year, absenteeism among enrolled students was on the rise due to quarantining, positive COVID-19 infections and connectivity issues. Though the total amount schools stand to lose is unclear, superintendents from 80 school districts asked Carey Wright, the state superintendent of education, to consider whether their funding can be adjusted based on an "inordinately large number of absences" as the result of an epidemic or natural disaster.
 
Auburn University Provost facing no-confidence vote Tuesday
Lingering tensions between Auburn University faculty members and Provost Bill Hardgrave could reemerge Tuesday. The University Senate will stage a no-confidence vote Tuesday afternoon regarding Hardgrave, who has been the target of several faculty members dissatisfied with his handling of class scheduling around the coronavirus pandemic. As of Thursday, the no-confidence vote is the only thing on the meeting's agenda, according to Greg Schmidt, senate secretary. Hardgrave is expected to participate in the meeting. Schmidt didn't speculate on a possible outcome in an email response to the Opelika-Auburn News, but he did credit the provost for reaching out to the campus in recent weeks. "The Provost has done numerous town halls since November and I think that has helped significantly in garnering a greater 'we're in this together' spirit and a greater appreciation for the complexity of COVID-era operations on campus." Neither Hardgrave nor University Senate President Don Mulvaney responded to requests for comment Wednesday.
 
Auburn receives its first doses of the COVID vaccine
On Wednesday, Auburn University announced in a release that it had received its first shipment of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. The University received 3,500 doses and began initiating a phased approach in administering the vaccine. "This is tremendous news for our university campus as we are now able to begin our first phase of inoculating first responders on campus and those who have the potential for direct or indirect exposure to patients or infectious materials and are unable to work remotely," said Dr. Fred Kam, director of the Auburn University Medical Clinic. Auburn has developed a three-phase vaccination program based on the highest risk level and the current information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Homeland Security and the Alabama Department of Public Health. Wednesday saw Auburn start distributing the vaccine to "frontline" healthcare workers. The University plans to send out more information to the campus community soon on risk level assessment and scheduling appointments.
 
CDC study suggests virus fueled by Greek life at U. of Arkansas, Fayetteville
Women made up 70% of a surge of covid-19 cases late last summer at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and an analysis found links to fraternity and sorority activities, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A CDC study examined fraternal organizations and concluded that "more virtual activities, including those related to fraternity and sorority rush week, might help minimize the risk for transmission on university and college campuses." The findings, published as part of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report dated today, include that a rapid rise in cases at UA from Aug. 22 through Sept. 5 "was likely facilitated by on- and off-campus congregate living settings and activities." The dates roughly corresponded to Greek organization recruitment periods at UA, with sorority rush week held Aug. 17-22 and a similar week for fraternities Aug. 27-31. UA officials at the time emphasized changes because of the pandemic, with many recruitment events held virtually and a campuswide face-covering directive and social distancing in place for any in-person events.
 
U. of Tennessee announces temporary COVID-19 restrictions for spring semester
When University of Tennessee at Knoxville students return to campus this spring, some of the changes from last semester will again be in place. Weekly saliva COVID-19 testing will continue, as well as some temporary restrictions from the fall. Dining will be carryout only, visitors will not be allowed in dorms or Greek housing and in-person events will be limited, Chancellor Donde Plowman said in an email to students. "As we return to our work and studies, our country and communities are experiencing a surge in cases, and we must continue to be vigilant in preventing the spread of the virus," Plowman said. "We learned a lot this fall about how to help keep our campus safe, and we will be expanding some of these programs and strategies this spring." Classes begin on Jan. 20 with in-person, online and hybrid classes. UT has canceled its scheduled spring break and will hold classes that week to reduce the number of students traveling and returning to campus. The campus-wide mask and social distancing requirements will also continue. UT reported 58 active COVID-19 cases and 186 people in isolation on Wednesday.
 
Texas A&M renaming bus route after former state senator Matthew Gaines
Texas A&M's Matthew Gaines Society announced this week that the university will rename bus route 36 the "Matthew Gaines" bus route after a semester-long effort from the Gaines Society and A&M's Student Senate. The route name change is made in conjunction with the A&M Transportation Services Department and the A&M Student Senate. The Transportation Services Advisory Committee gave final approval to change the bus route's name during a meeting Nov. 4. Gaines was a former slave who became Washington County's first black state senator. He was instrumental in passing Senate Bill 276, which created the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas under the Land Grant College Act of 1862, also known as the Morrill Act. In June, the Matthew Gaines Initiative exceeded its goal of $350,000 to build a statue of Gaines on A&M's campus. The goal is to have the statue completed by May. "It is fitting for Matthew Gaines to be the namesake of a route because of his contributions during his time in the 12th Legislative Session," wrote Erica Pauls, president of the Matthew Gaines Initiative, in a letter. "He and his fellow senators passed the Morrill Land Grant Act, which resulted in the founding of our beloved university."
 
U. of Missouri law professor, legal experts blast Hawley for Capitol riot
Local attorneys and a legal scholar say the takeover of the U.S. Capitol by Trump supporters is the responsibility of the president and his allies in Congress, including U.S. Sen. Josh Hawley. "It was a horrifying and shocking intrusion on the democratic process, plainly incited by the president of the United States," said Frank Bowman. A Curators Distinguished Professor in the University of Missouri Law School, Bowman is author of "High Crimes and Misdemeanors: A History of Impeachment for the Age of Trump." The MU law school's Student Bar Association has issued a statement calling for Hawley, a former professor there, resign for his role in what it termed an attempted coup. Bowman called Trump "mentally unstable" and said Hawley bares a substantial amount of the blame because unlike the president, he knows the law. Hawley objected to the election results in Pennsylvania. "Josh's claim, remarkably, is it's not the job of the state of Pennsylvania or even the Pennsylvania Supreme Court to determine the election results, but the job of a Missouri U.S. senator," Bowman said.
 
HBCU leaders take active role in coronavirus vaccine education
Howard University, a private historically Black college in Washington, D.C., released a public service announcement Wednesday showing its president getting the coronavirus vaccine. Public health and higher education experts said Howard's PSA serves as an example for other colleges hoping to promote the vaccine and other coronavirus prevention measures. The university joins a handful of HBCUs whose leaders have gotten the shots to encourage others to do the same once they can. And some higher education institutions are holding information sessions and helping administer the vaccine to surrounding communities. Although most college students are in the back of the line for the coronavirus vaccine, schools should begin educating them about why getting the shots is important, said Anita Barkin, co-chair of the American College Health Association's COVID-19 task force. Howard's PSA featured several healthcare workers sharing why they're getting vaccinated and showed the president receiving his shot. It also encouraged students to continue social distancing and wearing masks while they wait for their doses.
 
Federal Stimulus Won't Offset Higher Ed Budget Pressures
New federal aid for colleges and universities provided in the Consolidated Appropriations Act (CAA), the federal stimulus package and omnibus bill signed into law on Dec. 27, will provide some support for colleges and universities, but will not be sufficient to fill budget gaps caused by the pandemic, Fitch Ratings says. The law provides $22.7 billion in aid to colleges and universities, more than the $14.3 billion already provided under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act, but is still far short of what industry leaders say is needed. Federal funds will help provide crucial revenue, but these funds will only address a portion of short-term needs. Higher education institutions are facing challenges that will persist beyond this academic year, including declining incoming and international student enrollment, tuition affordability and discounting pressures, and flat or reduced state funding. Enrollment volatility and declines in key student-driven revenues are expected to worsen in 2021, following significant declines in new student enrollment in fall 2020 across the sector. Continued expense reductions are expected to be necessary despite this additional federal support. Public universities may face further cuts in state funding, as state budgetary flexibility has been materially reduced since the start of the pandemic, and states did not receive direct aid in the recent stimulus package.
 
Democratic Senate majority raises hopes for increasing affordability
The Democratic capture of the Senate, after sweeping two runoff elections in Georgia on Tuesday, increases the chances that Congress will take up the incoming Biden administration's proposals to lower the cost of attending college, particularly increasing the maximum size of Pell Grants. But with Democrats holding only the barest of majorities in the Senate -- with incoming vice president Kamala Harris breaking a 50-50 tie in the chamber -- it is unclear how far they will go on issues like eliminating tuition or canceling student debts, say higher education advocates. For the new Senate majority leader, Chuck Schumer, to shepherd anything through the body, he will not be able to lose the support of any single Democrat in an ideologically diverse caucus that ranges from progressives like Vermont Independent Bernie Sanders and Massachusetts' Elizabeth Warren to moderates like Joe Manchin, of West Virginia, or Jon Tester, of Montana. Schumer, of New York, will have to find a "balance," said Beth Stein, senior adviser to the left-leaning Institute for College Access & Success and a former Democratic counsel on the Senate education committee.
 
A Democratic-Controlled Senate 'Will Change Everything' but 'Guarantee Nothing' for Higher Ed
A Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate spells some good news for the higher-education agenda of President-elect Joseph R. Biden as well as more emergency money for colleges to offset the financial losses of the pandemic. But a closely divided Congress will make it hard for the majority party to pass any major legislation, like a reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, or push through enough money for widespread student-loan forgiveness or a federal free-college program. Two Democratic candidates for the Senate have won their runoff elections in Georgia this week, which would mean both parties will hold 50 seats. Control of that chamber, however, will go to the Democrats because of the tie-breaking vote of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, also a Democrat. The party also has a narrow majority of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives. "If the Democrats take control of the Senate, it will change everything, but it will guarantee nothing," said Terry W. Hartle, senior vice president of government relations at the American Council on Education. One clear advantage of having a Democratic majority in the Senate, Hartle said, is that they should be able to confirm all of Biden's cabinet choices and other positions that require the chamber's approval. The president-elect is nominating Miguel A. Cardona, currently Connecticut's commissioner of education, to be the U.S. secretary of education.
 
University leaders who supported Trump shy away from naming him after Capitol attack
College and university leaders widely condemned Wednesday's storming of the U.S. Capitol by President Trump's supporters. But in a handful of cases, the words they didn't say might have been louder than those they did. Leaders at some universities that gave Trump a platform in higher education when he was first running for president -- along with legitimacy in the conservative Christian movement that helped propel him into office -- initially said nothing at all. Most notably, the president of Liberty University, Jerry Prevo, issued no statement Wednesday. Liberty, located in Lynchburg, Va., gave Trump a prominent platform early in his 2016 presidential campaign, and he has appeared at the university multiple times, including speaking at its commencement in 2017. A spokesman for Liberty said the university was largely shut down for the Christmas holiday and pointed to social media statements from its Falkirk Center think tank, which called for prayer and ending violence. Then, Thursday, Liberty's former president, Jerry Falwell Jr., a key Trump backer who was ousted from the Liberty presidency last year, said, "There is no way to defend the actions of those rioters" during a telephone interview with Inside Higher Ed. Shortly afterward, Prevo -- who was Liberty's longtime board chair before becoming its president -- issued a statement that did not mention Trump.
 
DeVos Resigns Over Trump's Incitement of Capitol Mob
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has submitted her resignation to President Trump after he incited a mob to breach the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday, several news outlets reported on Thursday evening. DeVos, a billionaire philanthropist whose resignation is effective on Friday, is the latest high-level official to resign -- while citing Trump's newest attempt to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power -- in his administration's waning days. The Wall Street Journal first reported the news that DeVos, one of Trump's longest-serving cabinet members, was stepping down. In her resignation letter, posted by Politico, DeVos referenced Trump's incitement of the Capitol insurrection. She wrote, in part: “We should be highlighting and celebrating your administration’s many accomplishments on behalf of the American people. Instead, we are left to clean up the mess caused by violent protesters overrunning the U.S. Capitol in an attempt to undermine the people’s business. That behavior was unconscionable for our country. There is no mistaking the impact your rhetoric had on the situation, and that is the inflection point for me.”
 
DeVos resigns as education secretary, citing Trump's role in storming of Capitol
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos resigned Thursday night in the wake of President Trump's role in encouraging the storming of the Capitol by protesters on Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal first reported. The department confirmed her resignation. "Impressionable children are watching all of this, and they are learning from us. I believe we each have a moral obligation to exercise good judgment and model the behavior we hope they would emulate. They must know from us that America is greater than what transpired yesterday. To that end, today I resign from my position, effective Friday, January 8, in support of the oath I took to our Constitution, our people, and our freedoms," she wrote in the resignation letter to Trump, which was obtained by Inside Higher Ed. DeVos had earlier strongly condemned the violence Wednesday night as Congress certified President-elect Joe Biden's election. "An angry mob cannot be allowed to attack our Capitol and impede this process," she said. "The disruptions and violence must end, the law must be upheld, and the work of the people must go on."
 
The Capitol riots: A failure to educate?
There's no shortage of lenses through which to examine this week's Capitol riots: politics, history, race, gender, economics, media studies and more. Perhaps the through line in all these perspectives is education, and the liberal arts in particular. And many scholars say that education is at the heart of what went wrong in Washington -- as well as the tunnel through which the U.S. can exit a dark place. "If we needed a reminder of the fragility of our democracy, we got one," said Andrew Delbanco, president of the Teagle Foundation, which promotes liberal arts education, and Alexander Hamilton Professor of American Studies at Columbia University. "In the long run, the only force that can save democracy is an educated citizenry -- citizens, that is, who know enough to resist the kind of lies and incitements spewed out by the current president and his enablers." Quoting President Madison, who told the U.S. Congress some 200 years ago that "a well-instructed people alone can be permanently a free people," Delbanco said the idea is truer than ever.
 
Bright new spring
Angela Farmer, an assistant clinical professor in the Shackouls Honors College at Mississippi State University, writes: As the students tenuously return to the classroom this spring, it is paramount that everyone involved appreciate the uniqueness of this semester. While returning to school from the winter break is by no means unusual, returning to a climate where the coronavirus vaccine is beginning to be witnessed in select populations in unique. It is important to realize that students have been housed in their individual ecosystems since the fall term closed. Some have family climates where there remains an overarching fear of the pandemic. Perhaps they have lost family members. Other students may return entirely relaxed, devoid of any concerns of the virus or its impact. There are others whose concerns may reside somewhere in between these two. However, in light of the anticipation for a more normal sort of semester, it is definitely worthwhile to congratulate all involved for their ingenuity, tolerance, and perseverance. The students have adapted to a restricted normal and still seem to offer an eagerness to return to their school communities. Whether covered in a superhero mask or a big smiley face mask, they are returning. They know to sanitize their hands and limit personal contact. They know to keep their desks clean and to respect personal spaces. What they need help with from the adults is to remember that they are children, forced to make some very unnatural adaptations. These alterations may mask their appearance, but they do not remove their individuality.


SPORTS
 
Carter leads No. 14 Mississippi State women past Gators
Jessika Carter scored 25 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for her 16th career double-double and No. 14 Mississippi State turned back Florida 68-54 on Thursday night. The Bulldogs took the lead for good when six different players scored, three of them hitting 3-pointers, in a 15-2 run in the first quarter. But the Gators hung around by getting to the foul line while the Bulldogs only shot 44% (23 of 63) from the field, hitting 5 of 18 behind the arc. Rickea Jackson added 14 points for Mississippi State (7-2, 2-1 Southeastern Conference), which has won eight straight in the series. Carter was 11-of-18 shooting while her teammates combined to go 17 of 45 (38%). Lavender Briggs scored 23 points for the Gators (7-4, 0-3), who played their third-straight Top 15 opponent to open league play. The lead was still a dozen heading into the fourth quarter when Briggs scored the first five points. She had back-to-back buckets to pull Florida within 56-49 with 3:23 to play. But Jackson hit a 3-pointer, ending a streak of six Carter points, and Carter scored again before Sidney Cooks iced it with a 3.
 
Jessika Carter dominates as Mississippi State ekes out road win over Florida
Jessika Carter is Mississippi State's forgotten all-American. On a team in which sophomore forward Rickea Jackson receives the bulk of headlines, Carter's dynamism is sometimes lost in the day-to-day. But in Thursday's 68-56 win over a scrappy Florida team, Carter led MSU offensively with a 25-point, 15-rebound display that helped the Bulldogs through a sloppy close in Gainesville. "Coach Nikki (McCray-Penson) wanted them to get the ball inside, and that's what they did," she explained postgame. "I took a lot of forced shots on the outside, and I should've stayed in the paint -- it was working for me in the paint." While Carter was largely dominant Thursday, it was another chapter for the ever-perplexing player in how effective she can be when clicking yet how inefficient she's been when challenged with stiff competition over the past year-plus. Squaring off mostly with 6-foot-4 Gators forward Faith Dut, Carter was aggressive in getting to the hoop for much of Thursday's contest after a slow first quarter. She forced her way into opportunities for layups while grinding off errant shots to earn MSU extra possessions en route to her fifth double-double of the year.
 
Basketball championships appear headed to Jackson
The MHSAA basketball championships are likely headed back to Jackson this year. As with football, the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the Mississippi High School Activities Association's plans to hold championships on an SEC campus. This season's basketball title games were scheduled to be played at Mississippi State University on March 3, 5 and 6. But that window of time has been carved out by the SEC for any makeup games that need to be played. "I don't feel personally that we need to take the chance of keeping it at Mississippi State, or at Ole Miss, with the chance of not getting to play there because they have a makeup game," new MHSAA executive director Rickey Neaves said. Last year's championships were played at Ole Miss, the first time in over 50 years they weren't played at the Mississippi Coliseum in Jackson. The football championships left Jackson in 2014, with a rotation between Ole Miss, MSU and Southern Miss. But the 2020 games were played at 70-year-old Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium because of a COVID-induced scheduling conflict at MSU.
 
Alabama AD Greg Byrne talks COVID-19, finances and football
Since March 2020, Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne has had to deal with unprecedented challenges, including his own bout with COVID-19. With one game remaining in the college football season, Byrne discusses the challenges and decisions that led to this point in an exclusive Q&A with The Tuscaloosa News.
 
Josh Brooks' vision for UGA athletics: Innovation and not settling for status quo
The call Josh Brooks hoped for came Tuesday night from UGA president Jere Morehead. Brooks shared the news with only his immediate family -- wife Lillie, 11-year old twin sons James and Jackson, 8-year old son Davis and Brooks' older brother Chad -- that Georgia's rapid search to find its next athletic director had ended with him getting the job he had eyed for years. The kids had questions. "What kind of seats are they going to sit in during the game, and things like that," Brooks said. "They want to be able to meet players. I think one of my children's first question was, 'Can we have players over to the house when COVID is over?" Brooks' children were all born in Athens and attend Clarke County public schools. It became official early Wednesday afternoon. Brooks already was working out of the Butts-Mehre building's athletic director's office because he started as interim AD on Jan. 1 after Greg McGarity's retirement after more than 10 years. Now he can start to decorate it for the long haul. He began to lay out his long term vision on day one. "We can never rest on our laurels, we want to continuously get better," Brooks said.
 
Auburn hires former Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason as defensive coordinator
Auburn has hired a former SEC head coach as its next defensive coordinator. Former Vanderbilt head coach Derek Mason has been hired as the Tigers' defensive coordinator, the program announced Thursday. Mason comes to Auburn after a seven-year run with the Commodores and replaces Kevin Steele, who spent the last five seasons in that role. "Auburn University is a special place with special people, and I've witnessed this in my time in the SEC," Mason said in a statement. "I admire the school, the facilities, the traditions and the uniqueness of the community. Auburn has everything. Auburn embraces all that I believe in, and I'm very appreciative of coach Harsin, director of athletics Allen Greene and the university administration for this opportunity. I've always had a tremendous amount of respect for coach Harsin, and I'm excited to hit the ground running." Mason posted a 27-55 record at Vanderbilt, which was his first-ever head coaching position. The Commodores played in two bowl games during his tenure and beat rival Tennessee three years in a row from 2016 to 2018, Vanderbilt's longest winning streak in the series since the 1920s. Mason's final Vanderbilt squad was 0-8 when he was fired as head coach on Nov. 29.
 
Williams, Texas A&M basketball players to further conversations from the events of Wednesday
On any normal game day, Texas A&M head coach Buzz William seldom checks his phone. His typically low social media digest is relegated to obscurity in preparation for the upcoming game. Wednesday, Williams said he couldn't ignore a string of text messages from his wife that were meant to inform the coach of the news the rest of the world was watching unfold. In Washington D.C., approximately 479 miles away from the Aggies' hotel in Columbia, S.C., protesters invaded the U.S. Capitol, holding congressmen at siege for hours. The protest initially was in response to Congress' certification of the electoral ballots, officially naming President-elect Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States. The team, like Williams, was mostly sheltered from the news of the day as they prepared for Wednesday's Southeastern Conference matchup with the Gamecocks. Prior to the pregame shoot-around, Williams had a brief message with the team -- one which he hoped to expound upon after the Aggies returned to College Station. "We will have a conversation specific to what is going on in our country, but, whatever all those things are, I don't know all of them," Williams said he told the team. "I know that, whatever you have seen, arguably, it's the same things that South Carolina's team has seen. We know what we can control tonight. Let's do our best to focus on that."
 
Tennessee-Chattanooga Mocs fire assistant football coach Chris Malone after racist tweet
Tennessee-Chattanooga on Thursday fired assistant coach Chris Malone after a racist tweet in which he mocked Georgia politician and voting rights activist Stacey Abrams. Head coach Rusty Wright and athletic director Mark Wharton both issued statements admonishing Malone, who has deleted the tweet. Malone, Tennessee-Chattanooga's offensive line coach, tweeted Tuesday night about the Georgia senate runoff elections and Abrams' role in increasing voter turnout. Malone since has deleted his Twitter account. "Our football program has a clear set of standards," Wright said in a statement posted to social media. "Those standards include respecting others. It is a message our players hear daily. It is a standard I will not waiver on. What was posted on social media by a member of my staff is unacceptable and not any part of what I stand for or what Chattanooga Football stands for." Wharton called Malone's tweet "appalling."
 
NCAA votes on name, image and likeness rules changes could be delayed
Just days before the NCAA is scheduled to consider landmark legislation to allow college athletes to monetize their name, image and likeness, there have been conversations among college presidents, conference officials and athletic administrators about delaying the vote until there's more clarity about federal government action. Though the NCAA's Board of Governors created a mandate on Oct. 29, 2019 to put new name, image and likeness rules in place "no later than January 2021," there are three primary reasons why the NCAA might now punt on the issue until later this year according to nine people with knowledge of the discussions. Six of those people spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to do so publicly. The first reason would be the Supreme Court's decision last month to hear the NCAA's appeal of a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruling that the NCAA cannot limit benefits related to education that college athletes can receive. The second involves uncertainty about what kind of bill Congress might vote on to regulate name, image and likeness issues, the scope of which could change given the results of the runoff elections in Georgia on Tuesday that will flip the Senate from Republican to Democratic control this session.
 
High School Student-Athletes Must Be Protected From 'Name, Image, Likeness' Issues
Dr. Karissa L. Niehoff, executive director of the National Federation of State High School Associations, writes: Since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down high school sports and performing arts last March, we have been looking forward to that day when normalcy returns. While there are challenging days ahead, the turning of the calendar to 2021 and the approval of vaccines provide the first ray of sunshine in 10 months. Although it may be summer or fall before anything resembling nationwide normalcy occurs, we believe there will be a day when education-based activities programs return to their previous form. There is a troublesome issue on the horizon, however, that if not addressed appropriately could have a longer-term negative impact on education-based interscholastic sports and performing arts than the terrible, but more temporary, impact of any novel coronavirus. While the governance process is still uncertain, it seems possible that at some point in 2021, in some form or another, college athletes could be earning money from their "Name, Image and Likeness" (NIL) through endorsement deals, sponsorships and other opportunities. ... What is missing in all of these proposals? The potential effect on high school students in interscholastic education-based sports through completion of their senior years and preservation of the most sacred and fundamental aspect of high school sports in the United States -- the concept of amateurism!



The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
Mississippi State University  •  Mississippi State, MS 39762  •  Main Telephone: (662) 325-2323  •   Contact: The Editor  |  The Webmaster  •   Updated: January 8, 2021Facebook Twitter