| Wednesday, April 28, 2021 |
| Plan accordingly for graduation-day parking | |
 | Four commencement ceremonies will be held Thursday [April 29] and Friday [April 30] in Humphrey Coliseum on Mississippi State's Starkville campus. Each day, the first ceremony will be held at 8:30 a.m. and the second ceremony will be at 1:30 p.m. Doors open at 7 a.m. and noon. Additionally, the graduation ceremony for the College of Veterinary Medicine will be held May 5 at 1 p.m. Doors open at noon. Increased traffic volume and decreased parking availability will be experienced on the north side of campus, so those navigating campus are encouraged to plan accordingly as increased travel times are expected. To view the commencement parking map, please click here. If you have any questions about commencement parking, please call the Parking and Transit Services Office at 662-325-3526. |
| Walk At Lunch Event Planned For Starkville | |
 | A Starkville company is doing its part to promote healthy living. Camgian, a leader in advanced information technologies, is hosting its 4th annual Walk At Lunch Day Wednesday. The two-hour event will be held in the Thad Cochran Research Park. Vendors will be set up throughout the park with information on healthy lifestyle changes. Participants will also be able to donate canned goods to be distributed to Starkville food banks. Camgian is partnering with II-VI, Power of the Almond, MSU Office of Technology Management, and MSU ROTC for the event. The Walk at Lunch is Wednesday from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. The public is invited to participate. |
| NAACP gathers Starkville officials, citizens to tackle teen crime | |
 | "See something, say something," Ward 7 Alderman Henry Vaughn called out to the crowd at the Oktibbeha County branch NAACP's program "Become a Village maker" at J.L. King Memorial Park Tuesday night. In regards to the recent violence over the past month in town, Vaughn said one of the biggest problems is people who see something suspicious but don't report it to police. They "just let it go on." He encouraged the audience to speak up whenever they see misconduct or wrongdoings. Tuesday's program saw community members gathered to discuss juvenile delinquency in Starkville. Oktibbeha NAACP President Yulanda Haddix, who spearheaded the meeting, said its purpose was to connect with the community and find ways to eliminate crime committed by area teenagers. Mayor Lynn Spruill said she cares about all areas of Starkville, including the part of town where the program was being held --- not far from where two fatal shooting incidents within one month claimed three lives. The city has also seen recent incidents of violence in other areas, including an April 20 shooting at McKee Park where no one was injured. Tuesday's meeting examined issues that could be causing the spike of crime in the area. Vaughn and Spruill both said a large problem is the lack of parent oversight. |
| US farmers finally see better outlook after 2 odd years | |
 | In 43 years of farming, Morey Hill had seen crop-destroying weather, rock-bottom prices, trade fights and surges in government aid, but not until last year had he endured it all in one season. Now, as Hill and other farmers begin planting the nation's dominant crops of corn and soybeans, they're dealing with another shift -- the strongest prices in years and a chance to put much of the recent stomach-churning uncertainty behind them. The return to something more akin to normal will be a welcome change from the last two seasons that likely will be remembered as among the most unusual in U.S. agricultural history. Pauline Van Nurden, a University of Minnesota extension economist, said farmers were relieved the outlook seems so bright after years of low prices, followed by two tumultuous years. "It will be something they'll never forget," Nurden said. "It's a welcome change for them, looking at more of a normal year and realizing that support hopefully will be less needed, and they'll get their profit from their own production." |
| Sales tax collections boost Mississippi cities | |
 | Ridgeland Mayor Gene McGee points to plenty of positives from the steady uptick of sales tax collections in his Mississippi hometown. Despite the pandemic, shoppers keep flocking to the Renaissance at Colony Park and spending at dozens of brand-name retailers across the city. It's a case of several municipalities in the Magnolia State seeing a resurgence at cash registers after the COVID-19 health crisis slammed the USA economy for over a year. McGee uses the word "robust'' to describe trends with sales tax diversions rising this spring. Encouraging residents to spend locally is the message that Mississippi mayors constantly preach. Sales tax dollars are invested to strengthen budgets of the state's municipalities year-round. Clinton alderman-at-large Ricki Garrett sees sales tax collections trending upward. "Tax collections in the city of Clinton have primarily increased during COVID,'' Garrett said. "This is due to increased business at big box stores such as Walmart, Home Depot and Kroger. Hardware stores and liquor stores have also done well.'' Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker is pleased. The last four months of 2021 tax revenue numbers showed a year over year increase. "The credit for our strong retail economy goes entirely to our business community.'' They responded effectively during "a hard year for everyone.'' |
| Lora Hunter named Mississippi Homeland Security director | |
| Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell has appointed Lora Hunter to serve as Director of the Mississippi Office of Homeland Security. Prior to the appointment, Hunter served as a general counsel to DPS as well as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi and an Assistant District Attorney for Hinds County. Hunter earned her law degree in 2009 from the University of Mississippi and a bachelor's degree in 2006 from Mississippi College. She is licensed to practice in all Mississippi courts, the Northern District Court of Mississippi, the Southern District Court of Mississippi, and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. While an AUSA, Hunter served as lead counsel in the prosecutions of various violations of federal law, including multijurisdictional Organized Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) cases, firearms, civil rights, narcotics, white-collar, and violent crimes. In 2018, Hunter received HIDTA's National Outstanding Team Investigation Award for a three-year, multijurisdictional OCDETF case. |
| GOP Leaders Clash on Trump at Annual Retreat | |
 | House GOP leaders presented clashing views at their annual gathering over the 2020 election, the best way to win back control of Congress and the role former President Donald Trump will play in the party's future. At a retreat roughly 100 days into President Biden's administration, House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California and House GOP Conference Chairwoman Liz Cheney of Wyoming charted out different paths for the GOP. Ms. Cheney has urged the party to distance itself from the former president, while Mr. McCarthy has emphasized unity, including with Mr. Trump. The split intensified after a mob of Mr. Trump's supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 in protest of Congress certifying Mr. Biden's electoral victories. Nearly four months later, House GOP leaders are largely united on economic and social policies but divided over the role Mr. Trump should play, as the party enters the midterm election cycle and whether Republicans should publicly criticize him. Mr. Trump has continued to state, without evidence, that he won the presidential election last fall. "We have to learn the lessons from 2020. It's one of the reasons why it's so damaging to perpetuate the notion that in 2020, the election was stolen," said Ms. Cheney in an interview. She was one of 10 Republicans to vote to impeach Mr. Trump in January over the allegation he incited the mob. He was acquitted in the Senate. |
| Tim Scott, the Senate's only Black Republican, will deliver the G.O.P. rebuttal to President Biden. | |
 | After President Biden delivers his first joint address to Congress Wednesday evening, the task of pushing back against the president's vision will fall to Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina. Mr. Scott, 55, offers a brand of unapologetic conservatism that has helped him rise from a seat on the Charleston County Council to national prominence in the Republican Party. More than a decade ago, Mr. Scott raised his profile as a vocal critic of the Obama administration and rode a wave of Tea Party support into Washington, winning a House seat in 2010, and endearing himself to conservative groups with a strong small-government philosophy. As the sole Black Republican in the Senate, Mr. Scott has also become a pioneering figure within his party, breaking through a number of historical barriers and ascending in an environment that has often been hostile to Black politicians. Mr. Scott was tapped to deliver the rebuttal by the Republican leaders -- Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky and Representative Kevin McCarthy of California -- at a time when the G.O.P. has been eager to bolster its support with people of color. And during his years in the Senate, Mr. Scott has often provided guidance for his colleagues on matters of race. While many of the policy proposals Mr. Biden is expected to discuss on Wednesday have drawn sharp opposition from Republicans, Mr. Scott has said he does not intend his rebuttal to be an excoriation of the president's agenda akin to the highly charged rhetoric that has become common on Capitol Hill. |
| Republican doctors in Congress try to boost vaccine confidence | |
 | A group of Republican doctors and health care providers in Congress, led by Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall, launched a public service campaign Tuesday to encourage COVID-19 vaccine participation among constituents. Polling shows that Republican voters have some of the highest rates of vaccine skepticism of any demographic in the country. More than 50 percent of self-described conservatives said they would not get the COVID-19 vaccine or were still unsure if they would get a shot once it becomes available to them, according to a new poll from CBS and YouGov. These conservatives cited government distrust, skepticism of science and concern about side effects as the top reasons for avoiding the vaccine. Nearly 60 percent of conservatives who want to avoid the shot said the vaccine was too untested and they are waiting to see what happens before making a decision. The Republican doctors on the Hill are trying to convince these Republicans that they should not be afraid. Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso said he participated in the video because he believes getting a vaccine is the only way out of the pandemic. Wyoming has some of the highest vaccine hesitancy rates in the country, according to a new survey from the U.S. Census Bureau. More than 33 percent of adults in the state said they were reluctant to get the vaccine. |
| Johnson and Johnson vaccinations approved for use in Mississippi again | |
 | Healthcare providers in Mississippi are being given the green light to offer patients the Johnson and Johnson coronavirus vaccine. The single-dose vaccination was paused earlier this month over concerns for blood clots in several women. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs talked about the update during a virtual town hall hosted by Jackson State University. He says doctors will need to disclose this extremely rare symptom when discussing coronavirus vaccine options with patients. "It's about 7 in 1,000,000 if you're a young woman under 50. And if you don't want to take Johnson and Johnson, hey that's fine. We've got plenty of Pfizer, plenty of Moderna," says Dr. Dobbs. "We want to protect you, we want to protect your family, and the best way for us to do that is to get as many people as possible to get protected to get immunized and stop the COVID-19 pandemic." Dr. Dobbs is also encouraging fully vaccinated Mississippians to get active outdoors. New guidance from the CDC says those who are fully vaccinated can gather in public and non-crowded outdoor areas without a mask. Clayton Whitehead, with the CDC, says examples of crowded spaces where masks are still needed include sporting events, live concerts or parades. |
| Researchers answer questions about COVID-19 vaccines in virtual town hall | |
 | A panel of researchers answered questions about the COVID-19 vaccine students from all eight Mississippi public universities submitted at a virtual town hall meeting Jackson State University coordinated and broadcasted on Facebook April 27. "Our universities want to give students an opportunity to have their questions about the COVID-19 vaccines answered in hopes they will get vaccinated," Casey Prestwood, the associate commissioner for academic and student affairs of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning, said. "Having everyone in the campus community do their part and get vaccinated will enable our campuses to lift COVID-19 guidelines." Researchers included Thomas Dobbs, the state health officer for the Mississippi State Department of Health, Samuel Jones, director of the Jackson State University Student Health Center, Clayton Whitehead, health communications specialist for the Centers for Disease Control and Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention and Shanice White, Director of JSU's Latasha Norman Center for Counseling Services. |
| Free 2021 summer classes for college students in Mississippi: Which schools will offer them | |
 | Three Mississippi community colleges and a state university will be offering free summer classes to help students and families during the ongoing pandemic, according to school officials. During a period when national unemployment rose from 3.8% in 2019 to 8.6% in 2020, with young adults between the ages of 16 to 24 being hit the hardest, according to an April 2021 Pew Research Center survey, institutes of higher education are stepping up to help students. Jackson State University, Hinds Community College, Northeast Mississippi Community College and East Mississippi Community College have all announced they will be offering free summer classes. At Jackson State University, the free classes align with efforts to alleviate some financial strain, according to a news release. "We have been exploring strategies and ways to help make education more attainable for students and potential students, and by extension their families," JSU President Thomas K. Hudson said in a news release. The summer classes will be funded by Higher Education Emergency Relief funds. |
| Grandmother and Grandson to graduate together Saturday from MVSU | |
 | On Saturday, May 1, 2021, Cynthia Ann Watson Tyler will attend the 69th commencement exercises for Mississippi Valley State University, but not as a guest. The 67-year-old mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother will be sitting with the other graduates on the MVSU Track awaiting her bachelor's degree in Business Administration (Organizational Management). he day is an extreme celebration for the Tyler family because Cynthia will not only realize her dream but also share the moment with her grandson JaCorian Dandrell Tyler. He will also earn his bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice from MVSU. The 24-year-old Clarksdale native is pleased to have the opportunity to graduate with his grandmother. "I have such fun memories with her as a young boy. I can remember so vividly spending the summers and weekends at my grandparent's house, not knowing the details of how she put her educational goals on hold to make sure our family succeeded," he said. Likewise, Cynthia shared similar sentiments regarding watching one of her grandchildren walk across the stage in the same ceremony as her. |
| Tougaloo College receives State Historical Marker | |
| The State Historical Marker at Tougaloo College is a recognition by the Mississippi Department of Archives and History of the significant events that took place on the campus. Tuesday, a historical marker was unveiled during ceremonies on the campus. Tougaloo College was established in 1869 by an off-shoot of a New York abolitionist society. The Department of Archives and History authorized the marker to recognize the school's role as an academic institution and as a center for organizing and planning protests during the Civil Rights Movement. That rich history is being passed on to the next generation seeking higher education. While the marker unveiling ceremony was underway, high school students, like Kabrel Johnson of New Orleans, were touring the campus, learning more about Tougaloo College's role in fighting for equality in the state. One-stop was Woodworth Chapel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke, and Medgar Evers organized protests, fighting segregation and discrimination. "Dr. Martin Luther King was important for our history, and I feel as though to be able to walk into a building that he walked into is a very important experience I would like to have." |
| LSU down to three finalists for new president; Jay Dardenne isn't among them | |
 | Jim Henderson, William F. Tate IV and Kelvin Droegemeier were chosen as the finalists for the top job at LSU. The LSU Presidential Search Committee met for three hours behind closed doors after two days of interviews of eight semi-finalists. Henderson is president of the University of Louisiana System, which has nine state colleges serving about 90,000 students. Droegemeier was the director for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy for part of President Donald Trump's term. Tate is the provost at the University of South Carolina. Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne, who was interviewed Monday, was not one of the finalists. The three finalists will be interviewed further and may visit the LSU campus. The search committee is hoping to deliver to the LSU Board of Supervisors a recommendation by Friday. |
| University accrediting agency asks about politics in Georgia chancellor search | |
| The agency that accredits Georgia's 26 public universities and colleges is asking whether there has been undue political pressure to appoint former governor Sonny Perdue as chancellor of the University System of Georgia. Belle Wheelan, the president of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, told The Associated Press in a Tuesday telephone interview that she sent a letter Monday to the Board of Regents, who oversee the 340,000-student system, after reading news coverage suggesting that regents were being politically pressured to name Perdue to head the system. The Republican Perdue was a two-term governor and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture under President Donald Trump. Regents announced last week that they were pausing the search, not saying when or under what circumstances it would resume. The pause makes it likely that the system will choose an interim leader if outgoing Chancellor Steve Wrigley retires on time at the end of June. Wheelan said she was not questioning Perdue's qualifications, saying that "having been governor and secretary in a U.S. cabinet could very well make them qualified." She said Gov. Brian Kemp and others are welcome to nominate candidates, but that regents must ultimately make the decision on their own. |
| Student environmental group Sustain Mizzou becoming a full campus program at U. of Missouri | |
 | Sustain Mizzou was established in 2003, operating on a shoestring budget ever since. But in the upcoming fall semester, it will become a campus program with paid staff and $90,000 in University of Missouri funding. "The biggest thing is we'll have funding," said University of Missouri senior Zoe Westhoff, president of Sustain Mizzou. "Generally, we don't have any funding." It will allow the organization to accomplish more, Westhoff said. "We're just expanding and the funding will give us a lot more resources," said Westhoff, of Lancaster, Calif. "It takes us to a new level." Sustain Mizzou will replace the MU Sustainability Office in the fall semester, she said. After its inception 18 years ago, the organization currently boasts around 370 active members and is one of the largest organizations on campus, Westhoff said. There are 1,100 people following it on the social media site Instagram. As an MU program, Sustain Mizzou will have a paid, full-time director and two part-time student positions. Funding will come from the student sustainability fee and the Missouri Student Association. |
| 'One of the most special homecomings': Missouri hosts postponed 2020 commencement | |
 | The 2020 graduates sat in distanced chairs on the floor of the Mizzou Arena. Family and friends were dispersed in groups of six. The arena looked empty compared to the many events it hosted before COVID-19. Reminders for social distancing and other precautions were everywhere. Signs in the concourse, staff holding signs and even the advertisement banner around the stadium all reminded families to keep their masks on. *About 1,500 members of the 2020 graduating class returned to the university this weekend to experience in-person commencement ceremonies after the originals were postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. This ceremony involved 206 returning grads. "I was surprised we got so many people coming back," graduate Vivian Wang said. "We have this special tradition that we call Homecoming," Vice Provost for Undergraduate Studies Jim Spain said in the commencement speech. "This is one of the most special homecomings we get to celebrate." Although University of Missouri President Mun Choi attended in person, his remarks to the graduates were prerecorded as part of a video that played on the screens. The video also included messages from other members of the Board of Curators. |
| As Travel Restrictions Lift, International Enrollments Could Rebound. Do Visa Backlogs Stand in the Way? | |
 | The U.S. Department of State announced that student-visa holders from Brazil, China, Iran, and South Africa will be exempt from Covid-related bans on travelers from those countries to the United States, lifting a significant obstacle to the return of international students this fall. The inclusion of China in the so-called national-interest exemption, which applies to programs of study that begin after August 1, is significant -- China accounts for one in every three international students studying in the United States. Some academics and researchers from those countries will also be able to travel here. It's the second piece of good international-enrollment news this week: On Monday, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security said it would extend pandemic guidance to give international students flexibility to study online for the 2021-22 academic year. Prior to Covid-19, foreign students were required to take almost all of their classes in person. Still, hurdles remain. Worldwide, only about 40 percent of U.S. consulates are routinely scheduling appointments for visa interviews. In China and India, the two top-sending countries, consular services are closed or operating only on an emergency basis. And as visa processing resumes, there will be enormous backlogs of applicants, including two classes of international students as well as other travelers. |
| Academic Libraries Led Universities Into the Socially Distant Era. Now They're Planning for What's Next. | |
| When the pandemic hit in March of last year, administrators at Davidson College approached the library, which had instructional designers on its staff. Could those designers and other librarians help shift Davidson's courses to an online format in the middle of the semester? "It was all hands on deck," said Lisa Forrest, director of Davidson's library. Within a week, those courses were online. Within another week, the library had moved its student- and faculty-research consultations online, while working on other resources: The library ramped up its digitization efforts, book-retrieval and contactless book pick-up services, and self-checkout, including a service that allowed people to check out books from their phones anywhere in the library. Forrest has been working to push the library to establish more digital collections and online services, and to do more outreach since she arrived at Davidson three years ago. The pandemic put those plans into overdrive. In fact, over the past year, academic libraries across the country helped lead their institutions into the socially distant era -- in part because libraries had already spent decades figuring out how to offer online services and get information to people who rarely came into the building. In that time, campus librarians have also grappled with the symbolism and role of the campus library, a structure usually situated in a prominent place on campus. |
| Federal relief aid is complicating budget season for some public colleges | |
| Congress has approved three major coronavirus relief bills, sending billions of dollars to colleges. The latest, the American Rescue Plan, sets aside about $40 billion specifically for higher ed institutions, though the U.S. Department of Education has yet to release it. Policy experts say the funds are necessary to shield institutions, particularly public schools, from the pandemic's financial fallout. They predict that cuts to colleges' state appropriations would have been much more drastic without it. However, lawmakers in some states see the federal cash infusions as a reason not to fund colleges at higher levels. Legislators in Iowa's House of Representatives don't want to increase funding for the state's regent board, according to a student media report. House Republicans justified the move by saying the federal aid could compensate for the funding increase the regents requested. Lawmakers in the Florida Senate wanted to base budget cuts for colleges in the state on the amount of aid they got from the first relief package, according to local media. Despite receiving federal aid, it's "critically important" that states maintain their higher ed funding right now, said Tom Harnisch, vice president for government relations at the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association. Colleges missed out on key auxiliary revenue because of the pandemic and more losses are expected, he said. |
| President Biden proposes free community college and more | |
 | President Biden on Wednesday proposed a plan to make good on his promise for free community college -- and much more for higher education. Included in his American Families Plan is $109 billion for two years of free community college "so that every student has the ability to obtain a degree or certificate." DREAMer students would be included. "American workers need and deserve additional support to build their skills, increase their earnings, remain competitive, and share in the benefits of the new economy," says the plan. President Biden's plan stresses that the spending will help the economy. "It is not enough to restore where we were prior to the pandemic. We need to build a stronger economy that does not leave anyone behind -- we need to build back better. President Biden knows a strong middle class is the backbone of America," the plan says. "He knows it should be easier for American families to break into the middle class, and easier to stay in the middle class." The plan is likely to face opposition from Republicans in Congress. |
| President Biden to propose $1.8 trillion 'families plan' with paid leave, child care, universal pre-K, free community college | |
 | President Joe Biden will propose a sweeping $1.8 trillion plan Wednesday for national paid family leave, universal pre-kindergarten, free community college and subsidized child care in what would be a dramatic federal expansion of the social safety net for families and children. Biden is set to formally introduce his American Families Plan at his first address before a joint session of Congress Wednesday night. It's the second piece of his "Build Back Better" economic agenda following the release of a $2.3 trillion infrastructure and jobs plan released earlier this month. Billed as "generational investments in our future" to out-compete China and transform the U.S. economy, the families plan includes $1 trillion in spending over the next 10 years, according to senior administration officials. The plan takes steps to make college more affordable for students of color. It sets aside $85 billion for Pell grants that would provide $1,400 in additional assistance to low-income college students; $62 billion for a grant program aimed at improving college completion for low-income students; and $46 billion for historically black colleges and universities. The latter includes at least two years of subsidized tuition for students enrolled in four-year HBCUs from families earning less than $125,000 a year. |
| President Biden faces mounting pressure on forgiving student loan debt | |
 | Progressive groups are vowing to raise the heat on President Biden to cancel student debt, a priority issue for a number of Democratic lawmakers including Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.). It's an issue that Biden has failed to deliver on so far, say the groups. Biden has shot down calls to immediately cancel up to $50,000 in student loans and instead supports $10,000 in debt forgiveness. Nearly 100 days into a term that has generally been applauded by progressives, the groups say Biden needs to make student debt forgiveness a bigger priority in the next 100 days. Schumer has pushed Biden on the issue and argues that it's harder to tackle student debt through legislation than it is for Biden to act through executive order. Biden has punted to Congress, calling for lawmakers to present legislation on the issue. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) last week introduced legislation that would make community college tuition free and four-year public colleges free for families making up to $125,000 annually. Bipartisan legislation from Sens. Mitt Romney (R-Utah) and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) would tackle student loan debt by allowing low-income students to pay for college-related expenses through a college-matched savings program. Advocates argue that Biden has authority to cancel student loan debt under the Higher Education Act of 1965, which gave the Education secretary authority to back student loans. |
| Lengthy confirmation process could slow progress on higher education issues | |
| As President Biden approaches his 100th day in office, only one of his Department of Education nominees has been confirmed by the Senate, leaving over a dozen positions vacant and likely delaying his higher education agenda. Education Secretary Miguel Cardona is the lone nominee to complete the confirmation process of the department's 16 presidentially appointed, Senate-confirmed positions. Three positions, including under secretary nominee James Kvaal, are awaiting further action by the Senate. Biden has yet to choose nominees for 11 other positions. "These are subcabinet people who actually run the agencies on a day-to-day basis," said Terry Hartle, senior vice president for government relations at the American Council on Education. "Getting things done in the executive branch requires that you have the positions filled out." The lack of confirmed nominees in executive branch positions isn't unique to the Department of Education, with only 36 positions across all departments permanently filled. Nor is it surprising -- the slow-moving process is a part of a trend, as confirmation times doubled between the Reagan and Trump administrations, said Max Stier, president and CEO of the Partnership for Public Service, which has been tracking the progress of political appointees with The Washington Post. |
| Climate-friendly farming strategies can improve the land and generate income for farmers | |
| Agriculture has not been a central part of U.S. climate policy in the past, even though climate change is altering weather patterns that farmers rely on. Now, however, President Biden has directed the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to develop a climate-smart agriculture and forestry strategy. As a scientist focusing on agricultural land use and adviser to several farm organizations, I have the privilege of working alongside farmers who have figured out how to do just that. I am enthusiastic about farmer-led solutions to climate change. What does this look like? ... When I think of climate-smart agriculture, I picture farmlands with lots of perennial vegetation smartly integrated as prairie strips, wetlands and crops. Federal policies and programs that can make such landscapes a reality are already in place. With concerted efforts and investments, they could be expanded to achieve a pace and scale that will help address climate change. |
| Marshall University president announces he's stepping down | |
| Marshall University President Jerome "Jerry" Gilbert announced on Wednesday that he would be stepping down from his position when his current contract runs out on July 15, 2022. Gilbert released the following statement: "Dear Marshall students, faculty and staff, I am writing to let you know that after considerable personal reflection, I have decided to define the endpoint of my term as president of Marshall University. For a variety of personal and professional reasons, I have informed the Board of Governors that I will not seek an extension of my current contract and will be stepping down from my position effective July 15, 2022. I am announcing my decision now to give the board ample time to make plans to search for the next president. Serving as your president for the past five years has been a tremendous honor and privilege. I have put my whole self into the job and have always done what I thought was in the best interests of the university. I look forward to continuing to work with all of you over the next 14 months." Gilbert became the 37th president of Marshall when he joined the university in January of 2016. |
| John Grisham's 'Sooley' is an intriguing novel about hoops, Third World realities | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: Professional book critics usually squirm uncomfortably in their reviews when author John Grisham gets out of the more familiar mold of legal thrillers with unexpected plot twists or more gothic looks at a South that is evolving on questions of race, equality or social justice. His novellas that center on sports often engender particular angst in that crowd. But as one who has followed Grisham's remarkable career since "A Time to Kill" was published in 1989, the truth is that in many ways, I enjoy those nuanced, often-surprising paeans to sports more than the legal thrillers that are the sturdy foundation of the literary House That Grisham Built. Grisham, the former Mississippi lawyer/legislator who once dreamed of a career as a college and professional baseball player, has famously written about sports before. ... "Calico Joe" is my favorite of the Grisham sports novellas. It is the fictional story of Joe Castle's childhood in real-life Calico Rock, Ark., and of his storybook journey from the minor leagues to dominating the majors in 1973 as a 21-year-old rookie first baseman for the Chicago Cubs. ... Grisham's "Sooley" is South Sudan phenom Samuel Sooleymon, for whom basketball was a ticket out of his war-torn country and an exciting new life in America, replete with first college and then professional basketball adulation. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State men's basketball notebook: Howland optimistic, Brooks and Jeffries breakdowns, Ado's status | |
| Mississippi State men's basketball coach Ben Howland normally stays even keeled. Bold declarations are few and far between from the coach entering his seventh year in Starkville. But that changed after the addition of two impact graduate transfers, three incoming freshmen and the retention of most of the core pieces of the 2020-2021 team. "I will tell you this: Buy your season tickets now," Howland said "Get on board now. We are going to be good and this is going to be fun. The Hump is going to rock ... I think we have a great chance to be a tournament team this year." Much of the optimism stems after North Carolina transfer Garrison Brooks and Memphis transfer D.J. Jeffries both signed with the Bulldogs last week, giving MSU a projected starting five of Brooks, Jeffries, Tolu Smith, Iverson Molinar and D.J. Stewart (if he doesn't stay in the NBA draft). Brooks averaged 10.2 points and 6.9 rebounds for the Tar Heels a season ago and will be coached by his father, George, an assistant on Howland's staff. The 6-foot-10 forward originally signed with the Bulldogs in 2017 but will finally play for them four years later. Even though he only took eight shots from beyond the arc a season ago (making four), Howland views Brooks as a player that can stretch the floor. |
| Arkansas AD Hunter Yurachek appointed to NCAA football committee | |
| Arkansas athletics director Hunter Yurachek will begin a four-year appointment to the NCAA Division I Football Oversight Committee in June. Yurachek will replace Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne as the SEC's representative on the committee. Byrne was appointed as a replacement on the committee after Jeff Long was fired as Arkansas' athletics director in November 2017. Long had been appointed to the committee earlier that year. Yurachek was nominated for the role by the SEC office. Each of the 10 conferences within the Football Bowl Subdivision has a representative on the committee. The oversight committee includes 15 voting members and is responsible for supervising matters related to postseason play for the two subdivisions within Division I. The oversight committee also provides recommendations to the NCAA's football rules committee. In a statement, Yurachek said it was "an honor" to be selected for the committee. |
| NCAA president Mark Emmert's contract extended through 2025 | |
| NCAA president Mark Emmert has received a contract extension through 2025, the association's board of governors announced Tuesday. Emmert, who has served as NCAA president since November 2010, had been under contract through October 2023 with an option through 2024. The NCAA announced the extension within a news release that included other action items from the board, including a commitment to modernize rules around name, image and likeness (NIL). Emmert's extension received unanimous approval from the board. In March, Georgetown president Jack DeGioia, the chair of the NCAA's board of governors, gave Emmert a vote of confidence amid mounting criticism about inequities during the men's and women's Division I basketball tournaments. Several commissioners and athletic directors voiced concerns about Emmert's leadership in media reports in late March and early April. Emmert has also been facing scrutiny and political pressure for the NCAA's inability to move forward with proposed reforms to its rules prohibiting athletes from earning money off their NIL. |
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