| Thursday, January 14, 2021 |
| Starkville-Based Company Heads to Sesame Street | |
 | What began as a college project leveraging technology to spark up parties and other gatherings has led to an entrepreneurial Mississippi startup company lighting up lives through creativity, technology and philanthropy. Hagan Walker and Anna Barker are the founders of Glo, an innovative technology company based in Starkville, where the two attended Mississippi State University. The pair recently signed a licensing agreement with Sesame Workshop, the nonprofit organization behind Sesame Street, to produce an imaginative toy that brightens play and bath time for children. As budding entrepreneurs in MSU's Center for Entrepreneurship and Outreach, the duo was working on a senior project when they hit on an innovative technology that generates light when mixed with liquid. They leveraged the discovery to create colorful cubes that, when dropped in drinks, light up in bright party colors. Neither could have predicted that the company they founded to manufacture and market the cubes to restaurants, venues and other event-driven outlets would quickly take them in a very different direction. Today, Glo is a premier contributor to a robust children's market focused on encouraging imaginative learning and celebrating the wonder of discovery. |
| This AWS Machine Learning Manager is Rooting Out Bias in AI Programs: Nashlie Sephus is also working to transform her Mississippi hometown into a tech hub | |
| Growing up in an all-female household, Nashlie Sephus was a do-it-yourselfer from a young age. She learned to do household repairs and other odd jobs around her Jackson, Miss., home. "We had to do everything, whether that meant getting on top of the roof to hang the Christmas lights or putting up a new ceiling fan," the IEEE member says. "It was little things like that which really got me into being curious about how things work." Sephus went to sleepaway camps that focused on a variety of topics including math and science. One of those was an engineering camp exclusively for girls. The program was short -- two weeks long -- but it introduced her to computer engineering, and she decided it was the field she wanted to work in. Today Sephus is an applied scientist who manages the Amazon Web Services (AWS) machine-learning group, in Atlanta. She also has been working to give back to her hometown by financing the creation of a tech hub in Jackson's downtown. Mathematics was Sephus's favorite subject in school. One day her eighth-grade math teacher pulled Sephus aside after class and encouraged her to check out an engineering camp for girls at Mississippi State University. Sephus, who was more excited about the opportunity to spend some time away from home, recognizes that the camp changed her life. |
| Unity Park names honorees for 2021 | |
 | Things were supposed to be different Monday at Unity Park in downtown Starkville. No crowd will gather at the park on Douglas L. Conner Drive to witness the formal dedication of two new honorees whose lives helped promote racial unity and understanding. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic took care of that local Martin Luther King Jr. Day tradition. Even the plaques bearing the names of this year's honorees are arriving late, another consequence of the pandemic, said Unity Park Committee Chair Jeanne Marszalek. All the same, some time next week, two new names -- those of the late George W. Evans and the late Fenton Peters -- will be added to the park's wall to permanently recognize their work as trailblazers for their community. "Because of the rising (COVID) case numbers, we didn't think it was safe to have the crowd there," Marszalek told The Dispatch. "But we thought it was important to honor these two people whose life's work was uniting people and making their community a better place." The committee announced this year's honorees on Wednesday, following a public nomination period that ran from Sept. 1 through Nov. 1. Founded in 2013, Unity Park includes plaques honoring Martin Luther King Jr., Former Gov. William Winter, Medgar Evers, Fannie Lou Hamer, as well as local honorees Dr. Douglas L. Conner, Rosa Stewart, Sadye Weir, Wilson Ashford Sr., Adelaide Jeanette Elliott, Dorothy Bishop, Carole McReynolds Davis and the Mississippi State University's "Game of Change" with the University of Loyola-Chicago. |
| Mississippi Fire Chiefs Conference comes to Starkville as first responders adapt to how COVID-19 is changing fire service | |
 | Close to 100 different leaders from fire departments across the state of Mississippi came to Starkville Monday for the annual Mississippi Fire Chiefs Conference. The three-day event featured vendors displaying the latest in equipment for first responders and guest speakers that included Mississippi State Women's Basketball Coach Nikki McCray and Atlanta Fire Chief Randal Slaughter. It gives area fire chiefs the opportunity to collaborate with their peers on issues facing their departments. Especially how to keep doing their jobs safely and effectively during the COVID-19 pandemic. Finding ways to adapt and succeed amid those changes is what brings fire chiefs together for the conference year after year. "Bring other chiefs in from across the state and you get a chance to network with them and see what they're doing maybe in South Mississippi," said Starkville Fire Chief Charles Yarbrough. "May be a little different from what they're doing in the central or north side of Mississippi." |
| 1883 Smokehouse expanding to West Point | |
| Business owner Mark Welch is doing everything he can to survive. With COVID-19, Welch said restaurant-goers are simply staying in, putting local restaurants through critical times. Welch, who owns 1883 Smokehouse on Highway 12 in Starkville, has tried to fill the gap by expanding. He's already opened a food trailer in Louisville and by Feb. 2. he'll open his second food trailer in West Point. "Because of COVID, because people do not want to come inside and eat at restaurants right now, everybody is scared," Welch said. "I am trying to make it easier for them to still go out to eat. We're preparing everything to go." The food trailer will be stationed at 6140 Hwy 45 Alt. S and will serve 1883-style food, including its hand-cut steaks, every day from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Welch said the food trailer will largely be for pick-up, but once we get through this cold patch, he hopes to add outdoor dining for those wanting to picnic outside. |
| 6 companies with total $2.3B investment eyeing Lowndes | |
| The Golden Triangle Development LINK will ask the Lowndes County supervisors Friday for a sewer line extension at the county's industrial park, in preparation for an automotive company to potentially make its home there, LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins said. It's one of six companies seriously considering locations in Lowndes County, with a total capital investment of $2.3 billion if all six seal the deal, Higgins first mentioned to the Columbus Rotary Club on Tuesday and confirmed to The Dispatch on Wednesday. "With the exception of one, maybe two, they're deep, deep into the process," Higgins told The Dispatch. "In other words, if they pick us, they're going to start building this year." Five prospects are aiming for the Lowndes County Industrial Park near Golden Triangle Regional Airport, and the sixth is looking at the Lowndes County Port, Higgins said. Supervisors say they are looking forward to the industrial growth. Higgins described two of the prospects at the industrial park as "whales," one with a capital investment of $1 billion and the other with just less than $900 million. The automotive plant Higgins is presenting Friday is among the smaller of the six prospects. |
| USDA, Mississippi sign agreement to improve forest conditions | |
 | A shared stewardship agreement between the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the State of Mississippi was signed on Wednesday. The agreement establishes a framework for federal and state agencies to collaborate better, focus on accomplishing mutual goals, further common interests and effectively respond to the increasing ecological challenges and natural resource concerns in Mississippi. "Through shared stewardship, the Forest Service and Mississippi have unprecedented opportunities to do the right work in the right places at the right scale," said USDA Under Secretary of Agriculture James Hubbard. "Working together, we can better decide where to make the investments needed to achieve the cross-boundary outcomes desired by all." The new agreement also centers on USDA's commitment to work with states and other partners to use the best available science to identify high-priority forests that need treatment and to ensure the long-term sustainability of public and private lands. |
| Yazoo pumps face legal challenge from environmental agencies | |
| Earlier this week we told you about the Environmental Protection Agency now allowing the Army Corp of Engineers to begin work on a backwater pump project to prevent flooding in the lower Delta. Environmental groups are now trying to block that by filing a lawsuit in federal court. The Sierra Club, the National Audubon Society and others are challenging the overruling of a previous E.P.A. veto that had halted progress on the pumping project. Although the E.P.A. says they have a new pumping station design, environmental groups say the impacts could be detrimental to wetlands and wildlife in the lower Delta. The pumping project would still need funding approval from Congress. Opponents to the project are hoping the incoming Biden administration will side against pushing it forward. |
| Engines for 'most powerful rocket ever' will shake ground near Stennis Space Center | |
 | Anyone close to Stennis Space Center on Saturday may feel the ground shake and hear the roar of rocket engines for as long as 8 minutes. For the first time, NASA will test-fire all four engines at once on its new Space Launch System, which will hopefully be ready to fly to the moon in 2022. It's the only rocket that in a single mission will be able to send the Orion spacecraft, astronauts and cargo to the moon -- nearly 1,000 times farther than the space station in Earth's orbit. Once assembled, the system "will stand taller than the Statue of Liberty and have about 15% more thrust at liftoff than the Apollo program Saturn V rocket, making it the most powerful rocket ever built." The test is happening at the B-2 test stand, originally built in 1960s to test Saturn rocket stages that took astronauts to the moon during the Apollo Program. The new Artemis Program aims to send astronauts back to the moon by 2024. Anchored in the ground with 144 feet of steel and concrete, the stand has been renovated with a new steel superstructure to test the massive SLS core stage, which is the central backbone of the launch system. The renovation extends the test stand to almost 350 feet, "ranking the stand as one of the tallest structures in the state of Mississippi," according to NASA. |
| Mississippi Lottery leader: Don't fall victim to scams | |
 | The president of the Mississippi Lottery Corporation is warning people not to fall victim to scams. Tom Shaheen said in a news release Wednesday that fake communications about lottery winnings are common. "We were informed today of a scam going around where Mississippians have received telephone calls regarding a second chance at winning the Mega Millions jackpot," Shaheen said. "If you should receive such a call, you should immediately hang up. In addition, if you receive this information by email, text, social media message or any other method of communication, do not respond. This is a scam." The news release said that the Mississippi Lottery does not contact winners because the corporation does not know a winner's identity until that person claims a prize. |
| MSDH reports 1,948 new COVID-19 cases, 41 deaths | |
 | The Mississippi State Department of Health on Thursday reported 1,948 additional cases of COVID-19 and 41 deaths related to the virus as of 6 p.m. Jan 13. Calhoun, Chickasaw, Itawamba, Lafayette, Monroe and Pontotoc counties in Northeast Mississippi each reported one additional death. The statewide total number of cases since March 11, 2020, is now 245,847, with a death toll of 5,356. Around 198,888 people are estimated to have recovered from the virus as of Jan. 10. There are currently 220 outbreaks in long-term care facilities across the state. All counties in the Daily Journal's coverage area reported new cases: Alcorn (31), Benton (1), Calhoun (9), Chickasaw (6), Clay (18), Itawamba (17), Lafayette (38), Lee (63), Marshall (17), Monroe (24), Oktibbeha (30), Pontotoc (18), Prentiss (20), Tippah (23), Tishomingo (17) and Union (17). |
| Mississippi vaccine appointments fill up as demand surges | |
| The Mississippi Health Department said Wednesday that the state cannot take any more appointments for COVID-19 vaccinations because of a "monumental surge" in demand after Gov. Tate Reeves announced that more people were eligible. Officials said all doses of the vaccine are matched with appointments that have been booked. Reeves announced Tuesday that the state was making vaccinations available to anyone 65 and older or people of any age with underlying health conditions. Before the governor's announcement of expanded availability, doses were already available for health care workers, people living in long-term care facilities and anyone 75 and older. People already scheduled for their first or second shot in the coming weeks will still be vaccinated. Officials hope Mississippi will receive a large shipment of vaccines in mid-February. That would allow new appointments to be made. |
| Mississippi State Department of Health: No new COVID-19 vaccine appointments until February | |
 | An accelerated statewide COVID-19 vaccination plan unveiled Tuesday has led to massive surge in demand, resulting in all of Mississippi's available vaccine doses being committed to immunization appointments. In a statement Wednesday, the Mississippi State Department of Health said all doses that have been distributed to hospitals, private clinics and its 18 drive-thru locations are now dedicated to appointments. Additional vaccine and appointment slots will likely not be available until mid-February, according to the statement. "Mississippians should understand that we can only vaccinate residents based on vaccine availability," the statement reads. "We will open additional vaccination appointments as we receive more vaccine." The health department's online system, created in partnership with the University of Mississippi Medical Center, implemented a waiting system Wednesday morning to accept appointments. At its peak, more than 8,000 residents were in line to try to make appointments through the site. The queue has since been eliminated and residents can now see the remaining available appointments at the state's 18 drive-thru locations in real time. |
| State Health Department announces all of its vaccine appointments are booked | |
| The state Department of Health announced Wednesday that all of its appointments to administer vaccines are booked and no additional doses are available at this time. "The Mississippi State Department of Health had a vaccine distribution plan in place that has been significantly altered in the last few days – especially in the last 24 hours," MSDH said in the notice. "Neither the county health department drive-through sites, nor the UMMC vaccine scheduling website was designed to accommodate the monumental surge we are currently experiencing. At this time, we have no additional vaccine, and every appointment is tied to an actual vaccination." The notice went on to say that MSDH hopes to receive a large shipment of vaccine in mid-February. A MSDH spokesperson clarified that the announcement only refers to department's availability, and that private clinics and hospitals schedule their own vaccinations. As of Wednesday, the state had administered 73,931 vaccines out of the 264,650 doses it had distributed; about 90,000 of those doses, or 34%, went through the federal pharmacy partnership with CVS and Walgreens. |
| Mississippi Legislature again mulling teacher pay increases | |
| Mississippi legislators are once again mulling pay increases for the state's teachers. Senate Bill 2001, which unanimously passed the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday, would give certified teachers with three or more years of experience a $1,000 pay increase. Teachers with two years of experience and less would get a $1,110 bump, bringing them to a starting salary of $37,000 a year. Assistant teachers would receive a $1,000 pay increase. The bill is similar to legislation proposed last year that was stalled after the coronavirus pandemic started and caused uncertainty about state spending. The bill must now pass the Appropriations Committee before going to the floor of the full Senate for a vote. |
| Mississippi Senate committee pushes $1,000 teacher raise, considers teacher shortage factors | |
| Mississippi teachers are on track to get a $1,000 pay raise after identical legislation failed last year due to state budget problems caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Senate Bill 2001, which would grant the pay increase to all teachers and set starting pay at $37,000, passed unanimously out of the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday. The bill would also set the minimum salary for assistant teachers at $15,000, also up $1,000. Mississippi teachers are the lowest-paid in the nation on average and have for years pushed for money that at least matches their colleagues in surrounding states. "I do realize it's still below the southeastern average (pay for teachers), but it's a start," Senate Education Chairman Dennis DeBar, R-Leakesville, told his colleagues. "And I think it's what we can afford at this point in time." "I wish it could be more," Sen. Chad McMahan, R-Guntown, told the Daily Journal. "But it's important to me as a Republican that we do get a raise out this year, and that we also get a raise that the taxpayers can afford." |
| Legislative Black Caucus announces top priorities for session | |
 | Medicaid expansion continues to be at the top of the list for the Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus but there hasn't been enough bi-partisan support. Democratic Senator Angela Turner-Ford of West, chairs the caucus. She says the coronavirus pandemic is devastating communities and shows the need to make healthcare access a priority. "But there's been opposition to it. Hopefully there is a desire to look on people with compassion and try to create systems for them to get healthcare as the need," said Turner-Ford. Turner-Ford says they also want to increase the number of Medicaid waivers to provide more access to care for the elderly, disabled and those with traumatic brain injuries. Fully funding the Mississippi Adequate Education program is on the list as well as increasing teacher pay. "Mississippi teachers need to receive a pay that reaches the southeastern average and we need to develop a plan for that rate of pay to be maintained," said Turner-Ford. Members also say more mental health services are needed along with criminal justice reforms. |
| Black lawmakers: Medicaid expansion, criminal justice reform needed | |
| Gathered outside the state Capitol Wednesday, with three of the state's new magnolia-themed flags nearby, Angela Turner-Ford, a Democratic lawmaker from West Point, noted the moment. "We're happy to join in the celebration that has changed," she said of the new flag. Mississippi's leading Black lawmakers last held an outdoors news conference in June as they made a final plea for a new state flag. They had gathered then on a sweltering day as the old flag and its Confederate battle emblem flapped above their heads. On Wednesday, many of the same legislators again gathered on the Capitol steps. But this time, the Confederate imagery was gone, replaced with the new design approved by voters last year and ratified by lawmakers last week. But Turner-Ford didn't dwell on the victory. Top Black lawmakers have a slew of other priorities this session. Some ,such as addressing low teacher pay and the teacher shortage, appear aligned with Republican legislative leaders. Others are long shots, but Black lawmakers plan to keep hammering on them, anyway. |
| Legislatures boost security after insurrection, FBI warnings | |
 | State legislatures and law enforcement officials are boosting security at capitol complexes around the country after the violent insurrection in Washington, D.C., last week and in the face of FBI warnings of armed protests in the coming days. Legislators say they are increasingly anxious about the armed protests, which began last year in response to lockdowns imposed to stem the coronavirus pandemic and are mounting over President Trump's false allegations about election impropriety. Mississippi law enforcement has been preparing safety precautions ahead of expected protests next week in Jackson. "I strongly support anyone's right to peacefully protest," Gov. Tate Reeves (R) told reporters at a press conference. "But I want everyone to understand, in Mississippi we are prepared and we will be prepared." Lawmakers have been rattled by the increasing number of protestors who show up with long guns, body armor and military fatigues. Heavily armed demonstrators gathered at Kentucky's state Capitol in Frankfort, where they rallied against Gov. Andy Beshear (D) -- as well as both Sens. Mitch McConnell (R) and Rand Paul (R). |
| Majority of Mississippi's House delegation votes against Trump's second impeachment | |
| After opposing a resolution that urged the vice president to remove the president from office, the majority of members representing Mississippi in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday voted against impeaching President Donald Trump on charges of inciting an attempted violent insurrection against the U.S. Capitol last week. The state's delegation split along partisan lines with all three GOP members -- Reps. Trent Kelly, Michael Guest and Steven Palazzo -- voting against the measure, and Rep. Bennie Thompson, a Democrat, supporting it. Even though all three of the state's Republican officials voted against impeachment, the House voted 232 to 197 in favor of the measure, making Trump, a Republican, the first president in the nation's history to be impeached twice. U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly, who represents north Mississippi in Congress, said that the actions to impeach the president are "not helpful to our nation." "This is a time for healing and not division," Kelly said in a statement released prior to Wednesday's vote. "I will vote no on impeachment." |
| Trump impeached for second time; Mississippi House Republicans stick with president | |
| In the second impeachment vote of President Donald Trump in less than a year, all three of Mississippi's Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives voted with the minority Wednesday not to impeach President Donald Trump for "incitement of insurrection." The U.S. House of Representatives voted 232-197 on Wednesday to impeach Trump after his supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 in efforts to overturn the presidential victory of Democrat Joe Biden. Though 10 House Republicans voted on Wednesday to impeach Trump, Republican Reps. Trent Kelly of the 1st congressional district in north Mississippi; Rep. Michael Guest of the 3rd district in central Mississippi; and Steven Palazzo of the 4th district in south Mississippi all voted not to impeach the president. Mississippi's lone Democratic U.S. representative, Bennie Thompson, whose 2nd district includes much of the Delta and the Jackson area, voted with the majority to impeach the president for his role in inciting rioters who attacked the Capitol in an attempt to force lawmakers to reject the vote count overwhelmingly awarding the November election to Biden. |
| Biden Taps Former U.N. Ambassador Samantha Power To Lead USAID | |
| President-elect Joe Biden has tapped former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power to head up the U.S. Agency for International Development, putting the high-profile former journalist in charge of the foreign-aid agency that has been crippled by budget cuts and mismanagement over the past four years. NBC News first reported that Power, an Irish immigrant who first came to prominence for her Pulitzer Prize-winning study of U.S. responses to genocide, had been named to the job, which has since been confirmed by the transition team. The move signals that foreign aid could be a significant part of the incoming team's response to the coronavirus pandemic, as the new administration will elevate the USAID chief to membership on the National Security Council. As U.N. ambassador, Power led the Obama administration's response at the institution to the chemical weapons attacks in Syria, the Russian invasion of Crimea, and the Ebola crisis. A self-described idealist, Power was deeply affected by her experiences as a journalist in the Balkans in the 1990s. (To get her first press pass in the region, a young Power forged a letter of endorsement from Foreign Policy magazine, which at the time was owned by the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, where Power was an intern.) |
| Jobless claims surge to highest weekly total since August | |
| First-time claims for unemployment insurance jumped to 965,000 last week amid signs of a slowdown in hiring due to pandemic restrictions, the Labor Department reported Thursday. The total was worse than Wall Street estimates of 800,000 and above the previous week's total of 784,000. Markets reacted little to the number, as the decline in economic activity is expected to be met with more stimulus from Washington. President-elect Joe Biden later Thursday is announcing his hopes for another package likely in excess of $1 trillion. Futures prices continued to indicate fractional opening gains on Wall Street. Still, the jobless number for the week ended Jan. 9 was another sign of economic turmoil brought on by restrictions in activity aimed at combating the pandemic. The total was the highest since the week of Aug. 22, when just over 1 million claims were filed. Continuing claims also were higher, rising 199,000 to 5.27 million. That figure runs a week behind the weekly claims total and increased for the first time since late November. |
| Huntsville Chosen as Home to U.S. Space Command | |
 | Military officials selected Huntsville, Ala., as the preferred location for the headquarters of the U.S. Space Command, delivering a coveted prize to an area with a long aerospace history and vibrant economy. Secretary of the Air Force Barbara Barrett chose the city from among six finalists, including Colorado Springs, Colo., and Cape Canaveral, Fla. The headquarters is slated to be housed at Redstone Arsenal, an Army post that also is home to tenants including the Marshall Space Flight Center of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The secretary's office highlighted Huntsville's "qualified workforce, quality schools, superior infrastructure capacity and low initial and recurring costs" in its announcement. In addition, Redstone offered a facility to support the headquarters at no cost while a permanent home is built. Sen. Richard Shelby (R., Ala.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, said he was "thrilled that the Air Force has chosen Redstone and look forward to the vast economic impact this will have on Alabama and the benefits this will bring to the Air Force." |
| Army's COVID-19 vaccine may hold key to beating coronavirus mutations | |
 | Scientists at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research have promising new data indicating their vaccine will work against significant mutations of COVID-19, as well as entirely different coronaviruses, an achievement that other vaccines so far have not accomplished. The data has yet to be peer reviewed. But the Army lab is hopeful that a pan-coronavirus vaccine is achievable after testing the drug on SARS, a coronavirus that emerged in 2003 with significant biological differences from the current pandemic disease known as SARS-CoV-2. Tests of the vaccine against both SARS as well as emerging variants of COVID-19 have shown "very good responses," said Dr. Kayvon Modjarrad, director of Walter Reed's Emerging Infectious Diseases Branch. The initial results of the vaccine's ability to counter both COVID-19 and SARS "gives us very good confidence that we can start making strides towards the other coronaviruses," Modjarrad said. |
| UM Breaks Silence on Prof Felber's Termination, Says Outcry Tied to Racist Stereotypes | |
| The University of Mississippi administration has broken its silence on the firing of Dr. Garrett Felber, a professor known for his anti-racism and prison decarceral work, suggesting that the national outcry within academia against the termination is "tied to the stereotypes of our institution's past." Yesterday the university sent the Mississippi Free Press a Jan. 7, 2021, letter that Provost Noel Wilkin wrote to Dr. Mary Lindemann, distinguished professor of history and former president of the American Historical Association. She had criticized the termination of Felber in a recent open letter to UM Chancellor Glenn Boyce and Wilkin. In his response, Wilkin defended the department head, emphasizing that Felber, who is on tenure track and currently a fellow at Harvard University's Hutchins Center for African and African American Research, was not really fired. His appointment there was not renewed, the provost emphasized. |
| Southern Miss entrance sign getting video and infrastructure upgrades | |
| The electronic message board near the Hardy Street entrance of the University of Southern Mississippi campus in Hattiesburg is currently undergoing renovations. The work started on Oct. 5. University officials said the original structure -- which dates back to 1998 -- was in a state of disrepair and required extensive repair. The renovations will protect the university's electronic equipment -- and embedded Mississippi Department of Transportation traffic control components -- from potential failure due to internal conditions, including water infiltration and lack of climate-controlled space. According to officials, the project includes an installation of new LED video boards, a new brick exterior and a new copper roof. The new video boards will display digital messages on each of the sign's three sides, and the new brick will match the color, texture and size of the existing brick used on the construction of the adjacent fence and other campus structures. |
| Port of Gulfport still searching for new director as new research center rises | |
 | It's been more than six months since Jonathan Daniels left as executive director of the Port of Gulfport, and port commissioners are still in the process of interviewing candidates. But progress certainly hasn't stopped and that includes the new Roger Wicker Center of Ocean Enterprise, which officials believe will be the next step in the blue economy initiative that will help put Gulfport in the spotlight. Make no mistake, Port of Gulfport corporate Administrator Nick Foto is proud of the building. "This is a great opportunity for South Mississippi in the fact that this will be a center for research and development," said Foto. "It will be a very high-tech technological center. It will house not only education, research. But it will also handle maintenance and repair of research vessels." The center, in partnership with the University of Southern Mississippi, will be doing oceanographic research along the Mississippi Gulf Coast and beyond. "Currently, we are the homeport for USM's Point Sur," said Foto. "USM will be adding an additional vessel and we are currently in discussions with NOAA to locate operations here inside of this building." |
| JSU: 5 employees, 19 students test positive for COVID-19 | |
| Jackson State University reported new COVID-19 cases recently. University officials said that 24 people have tested positive for COVID-19 since January 4. It is reported that 5 employees and 19 students are currently in quarantine. JSU says the campus will undergo a thorough cleaning and sanitizing to ensure the safety of all. The University is expected to hold a virtual roundtable with Dr. Thomas Dobbs and U.S. Surgeon Dr. Jerome Adams later this month. |
| WCU School of Education offers STEM endorsement | |
 | The School of Education at William Carey University is now approved for a new endorsement in STEM. Assistant Professor and Chair of Curriculum and Instruction Katie Tonore said the course is for certain categories of students. The first is undergraduate students. "If they would like to get a STEM endorsement, they can take the four classes over the course of their two-year program," Tonore said. Tonore said this endorsement can help teachers with licensure renewal, or to receive a master's degree in elementary or secondary education. "If you are already a practicing teacher and you want to integrate some STEM into your classroom, this is the perfect endorsement to get," Tonore said. Torone said the WCU School of Education is recruiting students and teachers who could become the next educators and leaders of STEM. |
| U. of Kentucky starts to give COVID-19 vaccine to some faculty and staff | |
 | The University of Kentucky is beginning to vaccinate faculty and staff against COVID-19 who work outside of health care settings, a university spokesperson said on Wednesday. Along with continuing vaccinations for health care workers and providers, UK spokesperson Jay Blanton said the university has begun to invite members of campus who are outside of the initial vaccine healthcare groups in an effort to follow "state guidelines which include the direction to distribute the vaccines you receive as quickly as possible each week..." Blanton said those outside of healthcare settings receiving vaccine invitations include "faculty and staff over the age of 65, custodial and facilities staff who have high levels of in-person interactions on campus each day and members of our student services staff who support students in a number of critical roles." Students could also receive a vaccination invitation if they work in a health care or other clinical setting, Blanton said. |
| U. of South Carolina investigating whether student was involved in storming the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 | |
 | The University of South Carolina is investigating social media posts claiming a USC student stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, an official said Wednesday. USC's police and student conduct office "are aware of social media and other reports that a student may have been present during last week's assault on the U.S. Capitol," USC spokesman Jeff Stensland said in a statement. "We are currently coordinating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation -- the lead law enforcement agency -- and will take the appropriate action warranted." While USC did not release the name of the student, USC is aware of the student's identity, Stensland said. South Carolina officials have said they will investigate anyone locally who was involved in the riot and who may have committed a crime, according to a previous article from The State. |
| Some UF faculty upset by app change that lets students report virtual classes | |
 | Incensed University of Florida professors have taken to Twitter to protest a new button feature on students' Gator Safe phone application for students to report "course concerns" about their instructors if a class isn't being held in person. After being arm-twisted to teach in-person classes during the COVID-19 pandemic, some faculty members suggested the UF administration's move is a last nail in the coffin and said they are considering resigning. "It is causing great outrage in the community," said Paul Ortiz, president of the university's faculty union and director of the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program at UF. "It really smacks of McCarthyism." The button is listed on the Gator Safe app under the "UF COVID-19" menu. When a student clicks on the virus page, a series of banners pops up with "Report Face-to-face/Online Course Concern" listed second. Professors vented online that they were particularly bothered by the virtual modification option, writing that it pitted students against their professors and only prioritized COVID-19 health concerns for students, not faculty. |
| Complaints about professors' protected speech turned into investigations into their classroom conduct | |
 | Texas A&M University in College Station reportedly disciplined one professor and terminated another for classroom misconduct, following investigations that originated with speech complaints against them. Filipe Castro, Frederick R. Mayer Fellow II of Nautical Archaeology, who was reportedly fired, was found to have failed to meet his responsibilities to A&M and students, and to have created a negative learning environment, according to records first obtained by The Eagle. The university determined that Michael Alvard, the associate professor of anthropology who was censured, failed to teach in an "unbiased and respectful" manner. Both professors attracted attention last summer with their criticism of A&M's long-standing statue of a Confederate army general, Lawrence Sullivan Ross. Alvard was arrested in June for crossing a line the university set up to separate protesters against the statue from counterprotesters who want the statue to remain, citing Ross's roles as former Texas governor and president of A&M's precursor institution, the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas. |
| U. of Missouri begins testing arriving on-campus students for COVID-19 | |
 | Arrival COVID-19 testing has begun for on-campus undergraduate students at the University of Missouri and will continue through the first week of classes. All students living in university-owned housing must be tested for COVID-19 before officially moving in for the spring semester, according to a late December email from the university. Students must meet this requirement within five days of returning to campus. Arrival testing has a dual purpose, said John Middleton, chief of operations for MU's incident command related to COVID-19. It allows for data collection as well as targeted surveillance of cases in the on-campus student population. "We're using what we learned in the fall to target the testing at the time of arrival to campus for the spring," Middleton said. |
| They're Called #TeamNoSleep | |
 | By now, everyone in higher ed is familiar with burnout; student-affairs staffers and administrators are no different. Often referred to as the backbone of an institution, these workers have job descriptions that ensure an especially trying semester. These employees deal with Maslow's hierarchy of needs, said Smita Ruzicka, dean of student life at the Johns Hopkins University. Everything from shelter and safety to civic engagement and cultivating a sense of belonging falls under their purview. Pressure? Yes. Long hours? Yes. Recognition? Sometimes, but not enough. Now, when supporting students is crucial to their success and to the health of institutions, experts worry that some employees might leave the field for good, through layoffs or burnout. By nature, student-affairs professionals deal in crisis, said Martha Compton, president of the Association for Student Conduct Administration. But "nobody's meant to deal with a crisis for 10 months straight." Even in "normal times," a job in student affairs will frequently follow you home, after hours. Add a pandemic, plus a national reckoning over racial injustice, plus demands to keep enrollment stable and students satisfied, and you've got a recipe for overwork and stress. |
| Report Highlights COVID-19 Impact on College Students' Mental Health | |
| A new report found that one-third of college students reported emotional distress brought on by the coronavirus pandemic. The report, titled "Constant Stress Has Become the New Normal: Stress and Anxiety Inequalities Among U.S. College Students in the Time of COVID-19," analyzed how the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the mental health of college students across the nation. Over 700 students from 374 colleges across the United States participated in the research, which began in April. A majority of the sample size also engaged in a follow-up survey in July. "There was that hashtag going around that we are all in this together," said Dr. Lindsay Till Hoyt, an assistant professor of psychology at Fordham University and co-author of this report. "In some ways we are, this is a global phenomenon. But the experiences are a lot more nuanced than that. Students are going to be experiencing different levels of stress and anxiety because of the pandemic. And that is what we are finding." |
| When Your Alumni Incite an Insurrection | |
| Colleges typically relish their associations with powerful people. They welcome departing administration officials with fellowships to their institutes, and they tout alumni who are elected to state or national office. But in a national crisis, some of the country's most prestigious universities are being forced to confront their connections to lawmakers who endorsed and amplified the conspiracy theories that resulted in a violent attempt to take over the U.S. Capitol last week. At the University of Pennsylvania, Amy Gutmann, president, and Wendell Pritchett, provost, released a statement the day after the attempted insurrection, saying they "join together with everyone who raises their voices and condemns threatening incitements and assaults on the political freedom of all citizens." The statement did not mention Trump, who graduated from the university in 1968. And it came after the editorial board of the student newspaper, The Daily Pennsylvanian, had called on university officials to "forcefully speak out against Trump in order to completely repudiate the president's actions from any connection to the school." |
| Trump seeks scrutiny of Chinese funding at U.S. schools | |
| The Trump administration is trying to push through a last-minute policy to heighten scrutiny of Chinese government funding in American education, according to multiple administration officials familiar with the rule. China's influence in U.S. classrooms -- particularly through Confucius Institutes -- has long concerned Republicans. The outgoing administration has been particularly outspoken, labeling them Chinese foreign missions last summer. The rule would require colleges and K-12 schools that are certified to have foreign exchange programs to disclose any contracts, partnerships or financial transactions from Confucius Institutes or Classrooms (the Confucius Institute offshoot for primary and secondary schools). The rule would also apply to any other cultural institutes or student groups, such as Chinese Students and Scholars Associations, that are funded directly or indirectly by China, according to a Department of Homeland Security official. A report from the Senate's Permanent Select Committee on Investigations found that nearly 70% of schools receiving more than $250,000 from organizations related to the Chinese government did not report the funding as legally required. |
| Trump administration tries to hamstring Biden on student loan forgiveness | |
 | The Trump administration on Wednesday sought to throw up a bureaucratic roadblock to progressives' push for the incoming Biden administration to cancel large swaths of outstanding student loan debt through executive action. Education Department officials released a memo, signed by an outgoing political appointee, that concludes that the agency lacks the power to unilaterally forgive federal student loan debt on the scale that some Democrats want. The legal opinion is not necessarily binding on the Biden administration, which could reverse or change its interpretation of the laws that govern federal student loans. But the memo comes as President-elect Joe Biden is already signaling that he will not accede to growing progressive demands that he employ executive action to cancel student loan debt. The document was signed on Tuesday evening by Reed Rubinstein, who is serving as the acting general counsel of the Education Department. It was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. |
| College presidents ask many questions before speaking about issues like Donald Trump, but what does that say about their values? | |
| A once-rapid flow of statements from higher education leaders has slowed in the days since President Trump's followers rioted in the U.S. Capitol last week. Whether you think the bulk of college presidents' words were mealymouthed or insightful, understanding the steps they took when crafting statements can shed light on what role the sector will play in this time of societal disruption. Communications professionals counsel leaders to ask a series of questions when deciding whether to issue a statement. Why should a higher education leader and his or her institution contribute to the conversation? What is the goal of issuing a statement? What are those who see their statements supposed to do with the words? Could a statement damage an institution or its leader, either in reputation or financial standing? Leaders also might consider if their institution is in a unique position to comment for one reason or another. Is it known for a specific area of expertise that applies to the crisis at hand? Does it have a connection to people who are involved? Answering these questions can cool the urge to speak, although they aren't necessarily intended to stop leaders from addressing important issues. Instead, they drive home the fact that words matter. Statements can't be taken back once they're out in the world. If they don't hit the mark, they'll invite their own scrutiny and controversy. |
SPORTS
| 3 things to know about Mississippi State women's basketball before Alabama game | |
| If Mississippi State women's basketball coach Nikki McCray-Penson could have her players do it over again, she would. Most of the Bulldogs arrived at Humphrey Coliseum at 9 a.m. Sunday for a 5 p.m. game against Ole Miss. By the time the ball was tossed in the air, and especially by the fourth quarter, they were gassed. And it showed. McCray-Penson said MSU's pace of play was compromised in its 60-56 win over Ole Miss. "I think because they started so early they ran out of gas when it came to game time," McCray-Penson said. "That's not something we want to do. We want to continue to stay in routine with our kids. You don't have to come to the gym early. Just stay in routine even though I know it was against a rival team." No. 14 Mississippi State (8-2, 3-1 SEC) now goes against an Alabama (10-1, 3-1) team that defeated the Bulldogs 66-64 last year in Starkville. Thursday's 7 p.m. game at Humphrey Coliseum will not be an easy task once again. |
| Early losses aside, Nikki McCray-Penson and Mississippi State outpacing 2019-20 squad offensively | |
| Nikki McCray-Penson has long preached patience. From the time she arrived at Mississippi State in April, McCray-Penson has attacked expectations but offered a refreshingly transparent glimpse into the daily battles of building a program into her own mold. From maintaining a roster that seemed on the verge of mass exodus to reeling in five-star pledge Madison Hayes, the former Old Dominion head coach masterfully navigated the treacherous waters in the days following Vic Schaefer's departure. Now 10 games into the season, though, speed bumps have arisen. Overtime losses to No. 16 South Florida and No. 12 Kentucky brought out the worst in fans, calling McCray-Penson unfit for the job or worse. But as the growing pains of a new coaching staff coupled with a still incredibly young ball club continue to mesh, the Bulldogs' offensive identity is starting to take shape. "I think it's an offense where anybody can score," McCray-Penson explained of her system Wednesday. "The ball finds who should score. When we're getting to the third and fourth side, I mean, that's where we should be able to punish people and we should be in position." |
| Pressed out: Mississippi State can't convert at buzzer, drops one-point affair to Texas A&M | |
| Mississippi State knew what defensive look was coming. With the Bulldogs trailing by a point with 6 seconds remaining out of a timeout on its own end of the court, Texas A&M deployed a suffocating full-court press. It was a defensive alignment that was utilized for much of Wednesday's contest and disoriented the Bulldogs the majority of the second half. Buzz Williams utilized the press to throw MSU out of whack one final time in a crushing 56-55 loss at Humphrey Coliseum. On the final possession, D.J. Stewart, one of the Southeastern Conference's leading scorers, caught the inbounds pass and was instantly swarmed near halfcourt. With the clock ticking down to 3 seconds, Stewart fired a pass to freshman point guard Deivon Smith near the top of the key, who immediately noticed a cutting Tolu Smith. The pass-first point guard fired a rocket to the 6-foot-10 forward, but the pass was harmlessly deflected out of bounds as time expired, ending all hopes of salvaging a victory. MSU coach Ben Howland later lamented his talented freshman should have taken a would-be game-winning shot. |
| NYT confuses Mississippi State's Mike Leach with Joe Biden appointee | |
| Coach Mike Leach got his new job at Mississippi State just over a year ago. Wednesday, a major media outlet made a mistake in reporting Leach had taken on a new, vastly different undertaking. President-elect Joe Biden has been busy filling out the staff he will bring to Washington D.C. when he is sworn into office next week. The New York Times has been busy tracking that progress -- but not without error. Biden hired Michael Leach, a former senior manager of labor relations for the NFL Management Council and assistant to the head coach for the Chicago Bears, as his chief diversity and inclusion director. The Times' original mini biography of Michael Leach said he was also a former coach at Texas Tech. That Leach, of course, is the one who currently coaches at Mississippi State, not the one who will work for Biden. Maybe one day the Leach who resides in Starkville will make a foray into politics. You never know. Look at former Ole Miss, Auburn and Texas Tech coach Tommy Tuberville, who is now a U.S. Senator. That day is not now for Leach, however. |
| Mississippi State kicker Brandon Ruiz announces his return | |
| Mississippi State received a major boost to its 2021 fortunes Wednesday night. Redshirt junior kicker Brandon Ruiz announced via Twitter that he would be returning to MSU for his senior season. A former Arizona State graduate transfer, Ruiz started 10 games at placekicker last season. "After considering all my options I have decided to return for my senior year at Mississippi State," he wrote. "And I am excited to hear the cowbells at Davis Wade Stadium with full capacity!" With program kicking points leader Jace Christmann -- whom Ruiz beat out for the starting job in fall camp -- announcing his intention to transfer from MSU on Tuesday, Ruiz's return gives the Bulldogs another valuable offensive weapon and less uncertainty at the position. Entering bowl season, Ruiz ranked No. 17 in career field goals made in the FBS (47) and No. 24 in points per game (7.2). He finished his inaugural season in Starkville 10 of 12 with a long of 43 yards. Ruiz also averaged 64.9 yards on his 43 kickoff attempts this season. |
| Madison deer hunter harvests MSU Deer Lab study buck | |
| A Madison man harvested one of the few remaining collared bucks in Madison and Yazoo counties and the deer was no stranger to him. "He's been here for almost five years or so," said Bob Lloyd. "We had him on trail cameras and we even saw him out the back window of the camp house quite a few times." The deer is simply known as Buck 335 because of the number on his ear tags. He was a part of a study to better understand the movements of mature bucks. The study was conducted by the Mississippi State University Deer Lab and the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks. It focused on determining how mature bucks react to hunting pressure. More than 50 bucks along the Big Black River east of U.S. 49 in Madison and Yazoo counties were captured and outfitted with orange collars with GPS tracking units and ear tags. Movement data was collected in 2017 and 2018, and the collars were programmed to drop off last year, but that didn't happen in all cases. Malfunctions left collars on several of the bucks and hunters were asked to target these bucks and return the collars. Steve Demarais of the MSU Deer Lab said there are a few remaining collared bucks in the area. Demarais said while some of the data was transmitted by satellite, most of it is stored in the collars. The information is important because it is still being analyzed and additional data will help paint a clearer picture of how mature bucks react to hunting pressure as well as how their patterns differ as individuals --- information that can help hunters be more successful. |
| 'It's unacceptable:' Deion Sanders rants about uneven playing field at Jackson State, HBCUs | |
 | Deion Sanders isn't in the NFL anymore. He's not even at Florida State anymore. He's in the Southwestern Athletic Conference, where he's discovering that all football programs are not created equal. Sanders addressed the media at SWAC Media Days Wednesday for the first time as Jackson State's football coach. The NFL and college football Hall of Famer was asked about his first impressions about coaching in the SWAC at a historically black university, and Sanders said the big adjustment is realizing that Jackson State doesn't have the same resources as the major power players in college football. "The playing field is horrible," Sanders said. "It's not a level playing field. It's unacceptable. Thank God that God called me to change the game, to open their eyes, to open the door. Not just for Jackson State, but for everybody." Forget billionaire boosters and 100,000-seat stadiums for the moment. Sanders says the real disadvantage for smaller schools comes in the details. Rickety training tables. Uneven practice fields. Outdated helmets, pads and practice equipment. |
| Sports betting thriving again at Pearl River Resort | |
 | Sports betting had been a steady business for the Silver Star and Golden Moon casinos in Philadelphia before the COVID-19 pandemic. Last March, the Pearl River Resort was forced to close because of the pandemic, and as sports at all levels across the U.S. shut down around the same time, there wouldn't have been much on which to bet had the resort stayed open. Finally reopening in late August, business resumed almost two years to the date of the opening of the Sportsbook sports betting lounge at the resort. Soccer and baseball were in the midst of their seasons, and the NBA had also resumed in Orlando, Florida, with college football and the NFL right around the corner. "When college football came back, followed by the NFL, we had everything going on, and that's when everything started picking up for us," Director of Sportsbook Chris Hopwood said. "All of the customers started coming back, and it became fun again." Sportsbook opened in August 2018 following a Supreme Court decision that struck down a law prohibiting sports gambling in most states. Since then, it has seen approximately two million bets taken and more than $70 million paid out to bettors, Hopwood said, and close to $25 million has been paid out since reopening last August. |
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