| Wednesday, May 5, 2021 |
| MSU continues to offer Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson vaccines | |
 | The Longest Student Health Center continues to provide opportunities for students, faculty and staff to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccine is the most effective way to protect yourself and others from catching or spreading the disease. Additionally, being fully vaccinated will prevent you from having to quarantine if you are exposed to someone with COVID-19. First dose Pfizer appointments are available on May 11, 12, and 13. If you have already received the first dose and need your second dose, you can schedule an appointment on May 20 or 21, or June 1, 2, or 3. The second dose cannot be given earlier than twenty-one days after your first dose. If you prefer to get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, you can schedule an appointment on May 25 or 26. All appointments are available at https://covidvaccine.msstate.edu. If you have questions about the vaccine, please visit the appointment website or call the MSU COVID-19 Hotline at 662-325-2055. |
| Municipalities convened in Starkville to learn ways to fight food insecurity | |
 | City administrators from across the state met at the Mill Conference Center on Tuesday to learn how they can impact the lives of individuals who suffer from food insecurities. David Buys, a state health specialist for Mississippi, said approximately 16% of Mississippians are food insecure, one of the highest in the nation. "A broad concept is that you don't necessarily know where your next food is coming from, but it can range from -- you don't have access to healthy foods -- all the way to -- you have access to nothing." To fight this crisis, Buys and several other speakers met with local leaders. He said 70 administrators attended the educational event. "Mississippi, fortunately, we do have OK safety nets," he added. "We've got a lot of food pantries. People can typically access some food; but enough food and healthy food, you know, is where things fall off." |
| Starkville looks to add juvenile curfew to the city | |
| The Starkville Board of Aldermen held its first meeting of the month on Tuesday. One of the big topics of discussion was whether the city should add a curfew for children under the age of 18. A sergeant at the Starkville Police Department, Brandon Lovelady said the city saw an increase in juvenile crime this past year with most of the action taking place late at night. "The number one felony report that we take in the city of Starkville is an auto burglary," explained Lovelady. "Nearly all auto burglaries are committed by juveniles in the late hours or early morning hours." This year alone, SPD charged ten juveniles as adults for violent crimes. To slow this growing issue, Starkville mayor Lynn Spruill is proposing a curfew. "Our goal is to put the children back with the parent," said Spruill, "so that they can get proper instruction and oversight during times when they should be at home in bed, at home doing homework, something other than our getting into trouble." The proposed curfew goes from 11 p.m.to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 12 a.m. to 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Spruill said through this curfew, the city will also hold parents liable and know it is their obligation to keep their children safe. |
| Flood threats persist as storms continue to drench the South | |
 | Relentless wind and rain keeps pummeling much of the southeastern United States, spawning tornadoes, sparking a flash flood emergency in Alabama and damaging homes from Texas to Virginia. The storms have prompted boat rescues and toppled trees and power lines. Crews were preparing to continue cleaning up debris and assessing destruction across the region early Wednesday, as some schools canceled classes or moved them online due to damage on campuses and surrounding areas. The National Weather Service's prediction center warned Wednesday morning that flash flooding could also now affect the Central Gulf Coast with storms shifting southeast and rain continuing to soak much of the region. Strong winds and heavy rain whipped through Mississippi's capital city of Jackson late Tuesday while thunder rattled windows. The high winds cracked some limbs off trees and sent them onto nearby houses. The storms left streets littered with branches and leaves. In Mississippi, forecasters confirmed 12 tornadoes Sunday evening and night, including the Yazoo City twister, which stretched for 30 miles, and another tornado that moved through suburbs south of Jackson, producing a damage track 1,000 yards wide. |
| Mississippi recovering from severe storms Tuesday | |
 | Much of central Mississippi is recovering Wednesday from a series of severe weather systems that produced two tornadoes and pummeled the region with strong winds and heavy rain. The up to 80 mph wind gusts knocked down trees and uprooted others, in some cases smashing into homes, according to reports, and blocking lanes of travel. The tornadoes were in Hinds and Rankin counties, said meteorologist Latrice Maxie with the National Weather Service in Jackson. One was seen crossing U.S. Highway 49 near Piney Woods and another struck down in parts of north Jackson and Hinds County before crossing Interstate 55 and the Pearl River. National Weather Service survey crews were expected to determine the strength of the tornadoes later Wednesday, Maxie said. Utility work crews remained scattered across the region Wednesday morning as they worked to restore power and clear debris. Over 67,000 customers remained without power Wednesday morning, a majority in counties in the midsection of the state. |
| Bobby Martin's support for career expo remembered as students explore finance pathway | |
 | When Bobby Martin, longtime president and CEO of the Peoples Bank of Ripley, died on Nov. 4, 2020, he left behind a legacy of support for education in Northeast Mississippi. A lifelong advocate of education for local children, he especially supported, "programs he felt were beneficial to students to broaden their education and help them to get a career path, to know what they needed to do with their lives," Martin's daughter Mary Childs, who serves as president and CEO of the Peoples Bank of Ripley, said. Since the Imagine the Possibilities Career Expo first began, Martin supported it financially and always encouraged schools in Tippah County to participate. "Education was, he felt, one of the most important things to improve quality of life for families and for communities," Childs said. The Peoples Bank will continue to support the career expo well into the future, Childs, who serves as treasurer for the CREATE Foundation, said. Northeast Mississippi students interested in a finance career have had the opportunity to explore the pathway during April as part of the ongoing Imagine the Possibilities Career Expo virtual experience. |
| South Mississippi residents pumped to welcome Buc-ee's | |
| Travelers stopping for gas, snacks, clothing, and more at Buc-ee's, noticed the supersized gas station in Texas branched out to states like Alabama, Georgia and Florida. The popular convenience store along Southern interstates will transport countless gas pumps, tasty barbecue sandwiches, and ultra clean restrooms to a new spot in South Mississippi. With 39 locations, Buc-ee's is setting up shop just north of Pass Christian. That's fabulous news to the company's many customers along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It will take two years to build the giant convenience store near the Menge Avenue exit 24 off I-10. That can't happen fast enough for folks eager to welcome the first store in the Magnolia State. The South Mississippi location is part of a building boom for Buc-ee's with other giant convenience stores-gas stations being constructed in Tennessee, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina and South Carolina. Seeing the face of the company's friendly beaver on signs is a good thing, loyal customers say. Harrison County should prove to be a popular stop as motorists travel to cities like New Orleans, Tallahassee, Houston, El Paso and San Antonio. Other travelers are making treks to Mississippi Gulf Coast beaches, casinos, malls and restaurants. |
| 25% of Mississippians are vaccinated against COVID. 'Step up,' state doctors say. | |
 | Many Mississippians have been taking a wait-and-see approach to getting a COVID-19 vaccine, but now is the time to step up so the state can reduce transmission, State Health Officer Thomas Dobbs said during a news conference Tuesday. "We've got a lot of people sitting on a bench," Dobbs said. " . . . We want to get those folks off the bench." Vaccinations are helping reduce cases and prevent deaths with minimal side effects, Dobbs said. Vaccines can also help reduce the likelihood that more COVID-19 variants will spring up, he said. Under any scenario, he said, contracting COVID-19 is much worse than getting a vaccine. More than 800,000 Mississippians, or 25%, are fully vaccinated and 950,000 residents have received at least one dose. Vaccinations greatly reduce the risk of severe illness or death from COVID-19, Dobbs and state Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers said. Vaccine rates in Mississippi and the Deep South are generally lagging behind other parts of the country, Dobbs said. He said that he could see a return to normal, for the most part, by July if people get one of the three vaccines available: two-dose Moderna and Pfizer vaccines, or the one-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Dobbs does not foresee any compulsory COVID-19 vaccination rules, for school children or adults. |
| State Health Officer: We're getting gradually closer to normalcy and a mask-free future | |
 | Live music and fans back in seats at sporting events... reminders of pre-COVID normalcy. Dr. Thomas Dobbs mentioned getting back to 100% normalcy and a mask-free Mississippi in a tweet Tuesday morning. So we asked when he foresees that happening. "I'm just really hopeful that we hit July, we can be saying, 'OK, let's just do normal stuff,'" explained Dobbs. "There might be some small restrictions like wearing a mask on the airplane or something like that." But Dobbs says it will require the state continuing to ramp up vaccine efforts. "Get the vast majority of our vulnerable folks vaccinated and a significant majority of everybody else protected, then we're not going to have to have masks on," said Dobbs. "But we've got a little ways to go. The fate is in our hands." State epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers expects the Pfizer vaccine to get approval for 12-15 year olds this month. So, what impact could that have on the vaccination rates? "We will see some uptick," noted Byers. "We've got somewhere in the range of 160,000 or more kids who fall into those age groups and we want to get as many of them vaccinated as we can. I hope that we will see some higher demand." |
| President Biden aims to vaccinate 70% of American adults by July 4 | |
| President Joe Biden set a new vaccination goal to deliver at least one shot to 70% of adult Americans by July Fourth as he tackles the vexing problem of winning over the "doubters" and those unmotivated to get inoculated. Demand for vaccines has dropped off markedly nationwide, with some states leaving more than half their available doses unordered. Aiming to make it easier to get shots, Biden on Tuesday called for states to make vaccines available on a walk-in basis and he will direct many pharmacies to do likewise. His administration for the first time also is moving to shift doses from states with weaker demand to areas with stronger interest in the shots. "You do need to get vaccinated," Biden said from the White House. "Even if your chance of getting seriously ill is low, why take the risk? It could save your life or the lives of somebody you love." Biden's push comes as his administration has shifted away from setting a target for the U.S. to reach "herd immunity," instead focusing on delivering as many shots into arms as possible. Officials said Biden's vaccination target would result in a significant reduction in COVID-19 cases heading into the summer. |
| Pay raises for state employees yet to be determined | |
| How many of Mississippi's roughly 26,000 state employees will receive raises and the amounts they receive will not be known until later this year. Brittany Frederick, a spokesperson with the state personnel board, said there is currently a process to determine "a fair market" pay scale for state employees based on salaries for similar positions in other states and in the private sector. Until that process is complete, exact information on which state employees will receive pay raises and how much will not be known. "We are currently in the phase of Project SEC where we ensure every state employee is properly classified," she said in an emailed response to questions from Mississippi Today. "We must make sure employees are classified accurately, so they can be compensated fairly and equitably. Later this summer, we will establish market-based, data-driven salary recommendations, and the pay increases referenced in each agency's appropriations bill will be based on these recommendations." Even with the pending pay raises, Mississippi will be near the bottom nationally in terms of compensation for public employees, both those working for the multiple state agencies and those who work in education. |
| Hospitals will soon kick off Medicaid expansion ballot drive | |
| A nonprofit backed by the Mississippi Hospital Association plans next week to kick off its petition drive to put Medicaid expansion before voters on the 2022 midterm ballot, hoping to override a recalcitrant Legislature and put expansion in the state constitution. Healthcare for Mississippi next week will hold two yet-to-be announced press conferences -- one in central Mississippi and one in the north -- announcing the drive and naming numerous other groups that are supporting the campaign. Tim Moore, president of MHA and a founder of Healthcare for Mississippi, said the nonprofit has inked contracts with two Mississippi companies to gather petition signatures and is "getting print materials ready, lining up speakers for next week's opening and there will be an educational campaign starting relatively quickly." "I've been amazed at the number of people who have called, and the other groups asking how to get involved and who to give money to," Moore said. "We're not going to name them until next week, but we have a wide assortment of groups that are involved in this. I think the numbers are growing even faster than we expected." |
| New ballot initiative could bring early voting to Mississippi | |
 | Early voting could be headed for Mississippi soon. Some are working to gain support for a ballot initiative that would create no less than 10 days of early in-person voting. The Mississippi Early Voting Initiative is currently gathering signatures on a petition so the measure can be filed with the Secretary of State's office in hopes of appearing on ballots statewide by the 2023 election year. There are currently five ballot initiatives that are live right now but Secretary of State Michael Watson believes the topic of early voting will generate a lot of discussion. "It is one that is going to generate a lot of attention. I think you'll see some outside dollars come in trying to push that in to Mississippi. It is a discussion we will have," said Watson. "Again, we saw what happened in 2020. When you look at early voting, there is a way to get it right, if you look at states like Florida and others. So I am not saying there is no way it can work; what I am saying is Mississippi has not implemented it at this point and time." Once filed with the Secretary of State's office, the initiative would require a minimum of 106,190 certified signatures. If that happens, the initiative would appear on ballots across the state in 2023. |
| Midwest farmers look to plow through President Biden's electric-vehicle push | |
 | President Joe Biden's infrastructure plan outlines his vision for a low-emissions future based on massive investments in electric cars. The biofuels industry wants Biden to bankroll them, too. Corn growers and producers of ethanol -- the corn-based renewable fuel that has long enjoyed special status as a government-mandated ingredient in gasoline -- would get only a tiny slice of the funds proposed in the infrastructure package, despite Biden's assurances that he views them as key to reducing dependence on fossil fuels. So now they're turning to their traditional allies in Congress to get themselves written in. The pushback illustrates the political challenge facing Biden as vehicle technology changes and environmental concerns mount. The biofuels industry is influential among both Democratic and Republican lawmakers from farm states. Federal support for ethanol remains politically sensitive, given the industry's outsize influence in farm states. Biden has tried to make inroads among farmers and rural voters, but agricultural groups remain skeptical of his climate agenda. |
| GOP's earmark schism evident in 'earmark' disclosures | |
 | Second-term Florida Rep. Greg Steube sums up Republicans' soul-searching when it comes to earmarking federal dollars for their home states and districts. Steube signed a March 10 letter to top Democrats spearheaded by Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rep. Ted Budd, R-N.C., urging them to stop their efforts to bring back earmarks for the fiscal 2022 budget cycle. Yet before last week's deadline to submit line-item requests to the House Appropriations and Transportation and Infrastructure committees, Steube asked for 10 projects, ranging from $500,000 for a study of shoreline erosion in Charlotte County to $21 million for road-widening to ease congestion near the entrance to Interstate 75. Steube's aides didn't respond to requests for comment. But his apparent change of heart when it comes to earmarks epitomizes the sentiment conservative columnist George Will expressed in his latest opinion piece. Citing House Republicans' 102-84 vote in March to change their conference rules and allow earmarking, Will wrote: "It will be interesting to see how many of the 84 stick to abstinence while the majority of their caucus returns to sinning." |
| Facebook ban on Trump upheld by Facebook Oversight Board, but decision opens door to his possible return | |
 | Four months after his ouster from Facebook and Instagram, the suspension of former president Donald Trump has been upheld by the Facebook Oversight Board. But the company-funded tribunal of outside experts ruled that it was not appropriate for Facebook to impose an "indeterminate and standardless penalty" of indefinite suspension and instructed the company to review the matter within six months, possibly opening the door to Trump's return. "Facebook's normal penalties include removing the violating content, imposing a time-bound period of suspension, or permanently disabling the page and account," the board said in its decision. The board also recommended that Facebook institute clear and proportionate policies "that promote public safety and respect freedom of expression." In speaking to reporters following the decision, Oversight Board co-chair and former Danish Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt denied the board was punting the decision to Facebook. "I don't think we are just passing the buck back to Facebook here." The board says Facebook can decide to impose a limited suspension, permanently ban him or appeal again to the board. |
| Search suspended for Southern Miss student missing in Gulf of Mexico | |
| The Coast Guard said Tuesday it was suspending the search for a University of Southern Mississippi student missing since Sunday in the Gulf of Mexico off the Alabama coast. Crews searched nearly 1,800 square miles without finding any sign of Robert Brent, 20, of Yazoo County, Mississippi. He was last seen while swimming off the southern shore of Dauphin Island, and a friend reported him missing after he disappeared from sight. The U.S. Coast Guard joined local authorities in a search, which has included aircraft, boats and teams combing the shore. "Unfortunately we have not been able to locate this young man, who was loved by his family and community. Our deepest sympathies are with the family right now," Lt. Cmdr. Erica Brewton, who coordinated the search Coast Guard Sector Mobile, said in a statement. Southern Mississippi, located in Hattiesburg, issued a statement saying it is saddened by Brent's disappearance and is offering support to his family and friends. |
| Northwest Mississippi Community College summer registration now open | |
 | Registration for summer classes at Northwest Mississippi Community College is now open, along with Fall 2021 priority registration for current students. Students enrolling in summer or fall classes with the college can expect a pre-COVID experience. In keeping with the college's new "Forward Together" initiative, traditional face-to-face instruction will resume, with a small online component. Additionally, masks and social distancing will now be voluntary in most areas of the campus, though face coverings will still be required this summer in classrooms or other instructional areas where social distancing is difficult to maintain. In the Fall 2021 semester, most academic classes will also begin operating on a new four-day schedule, with two 50-minute classes, either Monday/Wednesday or Tuesday/Thursday. The campus, however, will remain open five days a week, with all campus services available for students. This fall will also see the opening of Calhoun Hall, Northwest's newest residence hall, the opening of the first phase of the Panola Concourse in Batesville, the introduction of the college's Coding Technology program at technology hub Everest in Water Valley, and the kickoff of Northwest's new, long-awaited Physical Therapist Assistant program. |
| 'I Used to Like School': An 11-Year-Old's Struggle With Pandemic Learning | |
 | By the time Precious Coleman returned home from her overnight shift at a casino, it was past 9 in the morning. It had been another night of dealing with belligerent patrons who refused to wear their face masks and drunks who needed to be escorted to the curb. Her eyes stung. More than anything, she wanted to fall into bed. But her 11-year-old son, Jordyn, was waiting for her. Or, more specifically, for her cellphone: Because their Mississippi apartment has no internet, Jordyn uses her phone to log into his virtual classroom two days a week. By the time Jordyn signed in, he had already missed two periods of class. And he would miss more. By the sixth period, he had fallen asleep, cheek smushed into his palm. His mother, who tries as hard as she can to stay awake so that she can supervise him, was also sound asleep in the next room. And so neither of them heard Jordyn's math teacher announce an upcoming test, one that was particularly critical for Jordyn, who was failing the class. "If you don't make at least a C," the teacher said, in a tone both playful and serious, "we're going to fight." Jordyn is at risk of becoming one of the lost students of the coronavirus pandemic in the most disrupted American school year since World War II. By one estimate, three million students nationwide, roughly the school-age population of Florida, stopped going to classes, virtual or in person, after the pandemic began. |
| Kenneth Kelly tells Auburn University graduates how to 'fly from this nest' | |
 | Banking executive Kenneth Kelly urged the newest batch of Auburn University graduates Friday to remember where they came from and who they represent. "Auburn has been a nest for each of you. ... To fly from this nest, you need the three virtues: confidence, challenges and character," said Kelly, a member of the Class of 1990. Kelly spoke at Friday night's commencement ceremony in Jordan-Hare Stadium, to an audience of graduate degree recipients and academic honorees. Undergraduate degrees will be handed out Saturday, starting at 8 a.m. in Jordan-Hare. Those three virtues are essential to success in the workplace and the surrounding world, according to Kelly. "You'll be graded on daily behaviors, results and, just as importantly, your teamwork," he told the graduates. Kelly told the students to appreciate the help they've received along the way -- from family members, friends, classmates, teachers and bosses -- and he reminded them that they also represent Auburn University, now and forever. "I challenge you graduates to show your gratefulness today. ... It is an honor to welcome you to this great family," Kelly concluded. Kelly received an electrical engineering degree from Auburn University in 1990 and later completed the executive MBA program at the University of Alabama. He is now chairman and CEO of First Independence Bank in Detroit, and serves as a director of the American Bankers Association board. |
| U. of Arkansas, Fayetteville opts to raise teaching stipends | |
| Minimum stipends paid to graduate assistants at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville will increase to $1,250 per month beginning in August, the university announced Tuesday. The pay boost falls short of amounts called for by some students and faculty members. Cost of living concerns and pay at other universities have been cited as reasons to provide greater support for students who, as part of their assistantships, often teach college courses. Increasing minimum pay for master's students to $11,250 over nine months and for doctoral or Master of Fine Arts students to $13,500 falls short of a push from some students to see minimum stipends rise to $20,000. Last July, Mar Stratford, a creative writing Master of Fine Arts student, joined with 81 other graduate assistants in signing a letter addressed to Chancellor Joe Steinmetz calling for the $20,000 minimum stipend. Stratford on Tuesday described having "mixed emotions" at the university's announcement. "I know that for students who were previously getting $12,000 a year, this is going to make a big difference for them," Stratford said. "At the same time, I'm disappointed that the university thinks this is OK, that this is something that can be addressed incrementally, when student poverty is a crisis that needs an immediate solution." |
| Vanderbilt taps New York University leader Cybele Raver as new provost | |
 | Vanderbilt University named Cybele Raver, a psychologist and deputy provost at New York University, as its new provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs. Raver will take over for provost Susan Wente, who was named president of Wake Forest University after her 19-year career at Vanderbilt. Vanderbilt Chancellor Daniel Diermeier announced Raver's appointment Wednesday morning. She will begin her new role on July 1. Wente will take over leadership at Wake Forest at the same time. "Professor Cybele Raver is one of the most accomplished academic leaders working in higher education today," Diermeier said in a statement. "She has deep experience in graduate and undergraduate programs and shares Vanderbilt's vision of wanting to usher in a new era of achievement. I'm pleased to welcome her as provost and look forward to working together as we explore new ways to enhance learning and discovery at Vanderbilt." Raver has been a faculty member at NYU for 13 years, most recently as a professor of applied psychology. Her research focuses primarily on early learning and development in the contexts of poverty and policy. |
| Texas A&M's Veterinary Emergency Team unveils small animal evacuation trailer | |
 | Protecting pets ahead of disasters is getting easier for the Texas A&M Veterinary Emergency Team, also known as VET, now that it received a new vehicle that will help evacuate small animals in times of emergency. The 28-foot trailer -- a donation from the Banfield Foundation nonprofit organization -- is equipped to transport 44 small animals to safety during the evacuation phase of events such as hurricanes and flooding. The 44 kennels are designed with drains in the back to make disinfecting each pet's space easy. It has an onboard generator, two rooftop air conditioning units, a 30-gallon fresh water tank and exterior flood lights. There is enough space to allow for ill, injured or anxious animals to be separated from others while being cared for. The VET designed the trailer and Banfield Foundation -- which funds programs that enable veterinary care, among other things -- provided about $135,000 to pay for it and a Ford F750 truck to pull it. At an unveiling on Tuesday, VET Director Dr. Wesley Bissett said the truck is scheduled to arrive in July but the trailer could be deployed sooner if needed. Bissett said he is happy that the vehicle can be used not just for transporting animals, but also as a sort of emergency shelter if needed. |
| Over 5,000 students set to participate in 27 U. of Missouri graduation ceremonies | |
 | Over the next two weekends, 5,547 students earning 6,115 degrees will participate in 27 in-person and socially distanced graduation ceremonies inside Mizzou Arena and the Hearnes Center. The first ceremony takes place at 9 a.m. Friday, with the final ceremony ending at 7 p.m. Sunday, May 16. "Our class of 2021 has overcome enormous challenges to succeed," MU Chancellor and UM System President Mun Choi said in a news release. "We are so proud of their strength, dedication and commitment to excellence. Last year, we could not be sure that we would be able to honor their remarkable achievements appropriately. "We are so excited and grateful to be able to do so now." Last month, 2020 MU graduates returned for in-person graduation ceremonies. The degrees awarded to 2021 graduates include 4,235 bachelor's degrees, 1,080 master's degrees, 329 doctorates, 82 law degrees, 58 education specialist degrees, 115 veterinary medicine degrees, 122 medical degrees and 105 professional degrees. Honorary degrees will go to Dan Hagan, a Columbia real estate entrepreneur, and John D. Graham, chairman of public relations and marketing agency FleishmanHillard and 1959 graduate of the MU School of Journalism. |
| Five new college presidents reflect on their first years in pandemic | |
 | When Bentley Wallace became president of South Arkansas Community College in February of last year, he planned to embark on a listening tour that would connect him with faculty and staff members, students, community members, and elected officials in the college's home of El Dorado, Ark. He and his wife, Darby, were eager to get to know their new home after moving 120 miles south from North Little Rock, Ark. Wallace has years of experience at community colleges in Arkansas, but he'd never been a college president before. However, his priorities for the small public, two-year college quickly shifted last spring to focus on managing the COVID-19 pandemic. "I had this grand vision of what the first 100 days might look like," Wallace said. "Then it all came tumbling down with the pandemic. My experience went from the uncertainty about what I was supposed to be doing to the uncertainty of what we were all going to do." Keeping students and employees safe and their institution afloat through the past year was the top priority for most first-year college presidents who stepped into their roles right before or during the COVID-19 pandemic. |
| Faculty Report Threats and Hate Mail After Appearing in 'Campus Reform' Articles | |
 | A year and a half ago, Isaac Kamola, a political scientist at Connecticut's Trinity College, heard about a friend who received such severe threats after appearing in a Campus Reform article that she needed security to escort her on and off campus. He was familiar with the conservative news site and its mission to expose "liberal bias and abuse" in higher education, and he decided to study it. Kamola and the research assistants he hired reviewed more than 1,500 articles the site published in 2020 and identified about 338 faculty members who appeared in them. The researchers then worked with the American Association of University Professors to survey the faculty members. The findings were published on Tuesday. The information the researchers collected paints a bleak picture of the consequences of appearing in a Campus Reform article, including threats of violence and decisions to self-censor out of fear. "They're not telling trolls to go out there and harass these faculty members," Kamola said of Campus Reform. "However, they're creating the conditions in which that's possible. And they're not bearing the responsibility." |
| As Campus Life Resumes, So Does Concern Over Hazing | |
 | There were zero reported deaths from college hazing incidents in 2020, but as campuses reopen to students, there have already been two hazing-related deaths this year. Eight men face a range of charges, including involuntary manslaughter, reckless homicide, evidence tampering and failure to comply with underage alcohol laws, after Stone Foltz, a sophomore at Bowling Green State University, died on March 7 of alcohol poisoning. At a news conference on April 29, Wood County Prosecutor Paul Dobson described the fraternity event in which initiates were told to drink 750 milliliters of hard alcohol -- or about 40 shots, according to Hank Nuwer, author of Hazing: Destroying Young Lives. Dobson said Foltz's death was "the result of a fatal level of alcohol intoxication during a hazing incident." Experts like Nuwer are concerned that as students return to in-person learning and are eager to take part in "the college experience," more hazing-related deaths may be on the way. "There seems to be a disconnect -- not seeing that alcohol-related hazing can kill," he says. |
| More colleges are requiring coronavirus vaccines. How will they enforce them? | |
| A little less than half of the students at Fort Lewis College, a public liberal arts school tucked away in mountainous rural Colorado, are Native American. The pandemic has hit this population particularly hard nationwide, which factored into the college's move, a spokesperson said, to become one of the first U.S. higher education institutions to mandate that students receive the coronavirus vaccine in order to participate in on-campus activities this fall. It's a decision the school weighed heavily. Meanwhile, a partisan debate is raging nationwide about whether employers, businesses and other entities can require people to get the shots. A fast-growing contingent of public and private schools are requiring the vaccine this fall. They range from prominent research universities including Rutgers and Cornell to small private liberal arts colleges such as Hampshire and Sarah Lawrence. Public colleges may face more hurdles when trying to issue a mandate. Some states are blocking public agencies, including those institutions, from mandating the vaccine. |
| Amid Second Amendment 'sanctuary' movement, high court to hear gun rights case | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: Taking an ironic cue from the "sanctuary" movement used by mostly liberal communities that decided to take stands against enforcement and implementation of federal and state immigration laws and policies with which they disagreed, the Second Amendment Sanctuary movement was born in recent years. The original sanctuary community movement on the immigration issue held that cities or counties that declared themselves as "sanctuary cities" would simply decline to enforce immigration laws and policies or use public local tax dollars to be expended to enforce those same laws. In the so-called Second Amendment Sanctuary movement, proponents take the same strategy on federal or state gun laws which local government officials believe are in violation of the Second Amendment. They adopt local resolutions or take other steps to declare that they will simply not recognize or enforce gun laws they believe violate the Second Amendment. In 2020, Mississippi House Bill 753 sought entry into an intrastate compact with other Southern states to do just that. The bill died in committee, but to date more than a third of Mississippi counties have adopted some form of Second Amendment Sanctuary resolution. |
SPORTS
| Diamond Dawg Gameday: at The Citadel | |
| For the third time this season, the No. 2 Mississippi State baseball program will add a new opponent to the all-time ledger. The Diamond Dawgs will travel to Charleston, South Carolina for a midweek tilt versus The Citadel on Wednesday (May 5) at Joseph P. Riley, Jr. Park. On the season, Mississippi State (32-10) own a 10-0 mark in midweek games and has lost just once in the midweek under head coach Chris Lemonis. This midweek game carries a little extra meaning for Lemonis, as he spent four years on campus as a student-athlete and coached for 12 seasons at the military academy. The Citadel (11-25) is led by head coach and Lemonis' teammate during his time wearing the Citadel Blue, Tony Skole. The Bulldogs are 3-14 in Southern Conference play after losing all three games to VMI over the weekend. Jeffery Brown leads the offense as one of three Bulldog starters hitting over .300 on the season. Brown leads the team with 45 hits, while Ryan McCarthy owns a team-best 24 runs scored and 24 RBIs to go along with a .303 average. The Citadel is a current member of the Southern Conference, where Mississippi State was a charter member of the conference from 1921-33, before joining the Southeastern Conference. All-time, State is 55-19 against the current alignment of the SoCon. |
| Citadel grad Chris Lemonis returns with one of college baseball's best teams | |
 | Chris Lemonis came to The Citadel to hit baseballs and study electrical engineering. But three weeks into his knob year as a cadet, Lemonis had a change of heart. "I called my dad and said, 'I don't want to be an engineer, I want study physical education and be a coach,'" Lemonis recalled. "I had to turn back an academic scholarship, and my dad was worried. He didn't know what type of future I would have in the game." To complicate matters, Thomas Lemonis was himself an electrical engineering major at Mississippi State, earning that degree in 1973. Some 33 years after that fateful decision, Thomas Lemonis can rest easy. His son has one of the best jobs in college baseball -- head coach at his alma mater, tradition-rich and baseball-crazy Mississippi State, where some 13,000 fans packed the stands for a recent game against rival Mississippi, pandemic or not. Chris Lemonis brings his 32-10 Mississippi State squad, ranked No. 4 in the nation by Baseball America, to Riley Park on May 5 to play against The Citadel, where he spent 17 years as a player and an assistant coach. He'll face off against Citadel coach Tony Skole, his teammate on the military school's storied College World Series team of 1990. "It's a special place to me, and I've already talked to our team about it," said Lemonis, whose team will travel from Charleston to Columbia for a key SEC series with South Carolina this weekend. "I talked to them about The Citadel and how tough it is and my memories there." |
| How Brad Cumbest emerged in left field for Mississippi State baseball and has had fun doing it | |
| Brad Cumbest means what he says. Moments after recording three hits, three runs and three RBIs in Game 3 of a series sweep over Texas A&M last week for No. 4 Mississippi State (32-10, 14-7 SEC), the junior outfielder didn't delve too deep into his breakout performance. "You just can't complicate it," Cumbest said. "It's a kid's game. You just got to go out there and have fun." Cumbest kept it simple -- like a kid would do. Perhaps it's no coincidence that a week and a half earlier Cumbest stood in shallow left field tossing a ball back and forth with a 12-year-old fan watching Mississippi State beat UAB 19-7 at Dudy Noble Field. Mississippi State's left fielder -- whether it's Cumbest, senior Brayland Skinner, sophomore Drew McGowan or sophomore Kyte McDonald -- usually warms up for a half inning of defense by throwing the ball to a teammate near MSU's dugout. Cumbest, who entered the game to replace McDonald in the latter stages, didn't bother pulling a fellow Bulldog out of the dugout. He found the youngster with a glove on the berm. It's a kid's game, after all. It might be that easy-going, stress-free mindset that has Cumbest on the verge of winning the full-time starting slot in left. Cumbest has started four games in a row. In those games, all of which have been against SEC competition, Cumbest has gone 5-for-12 (.417). He's hitting .375. |
| State Hosts No. 15 Tennessee For Midweek Conference Doubleheader | |
| In a throwback to the 2000s, Mississippi State softball will play a midweek doubleheader in conference play on Wednesday, May 5. The Bulldogs are set to host No. 15 Tennessee as they make up two-thirds of the originally-scheduled series from April that was postponed due to COVID-19 within the Tennessee program. MSU (27-22, 3-15 SEC) is coming off a series victory on the road at South Carolina. The Bulldogs won the final two games of the series after being walked off on Friday night, outscoring the Gamecocks, 13-3, in the final two matchups. Tennessee (38-8, 11-7 SEC) has won its last four SEC series and has only lost one non-conference game. The Lady Vols add to MSU's No. 13 strength of schedule and will be the Bulldogs' eighth ranked opponent this season. With the addition of No. 22 Georgia later this week, MSU will finish the regular season with 18 games against NFCA-ranked competition. MSU's final regular-season series comes at home this weekend as the Bulldogs host No. 22 Georgia for three games on May 7-9. The Friday night contest will include a pregame graduation ceremony for those Bulldogs who earned their degrees this semester, and first pitch is set for 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network. |
| Deion Sanders, Jackson State coach, angry that HBCU players were passed over in 2021 NFL draft | |
| Deion Sanders hopes it never happens again. The Pro Football Hall of Famer and Jackson State football coach shared his disgust on social media after NFL teams passed over HBCU players in last week's draft. "We have the Audacity to Hate on one another while our kids are being NEGLECTED & REJECTED," Sanders wrote on Instagram. "I witnessed a multitude of kids that we played against that were more than qualified to be drafted. My prayers are that This won't EVER happen again. Get yo knife out my back and fight with me not against me!" Sanders recently wrapped up his first season at the helm with the Tigers (4-3, 3-2 SWAC). Four of Jackson State's games were on ESPN or ESPN2, and Sanders said the nationally broadcast games weren't only wins for his players, but players from opposing teams in the SWAC as well. He added that exposure from national TV makes scouts aware of certain athletes who might have been previously overlooked. When Jackson State announced Sanders as its 21st football coach in September, the former two-sport pro athlete said he wanted to level the playing field for HBCUs. |
| Vanderbilt baseball falls to Louisville for first 3-game losing streak since 2018 | |
| No. 2 Vanderbilt baseball suffered its first three-game losing streak since 2018, falling 7-2 to No. 15 Louisville Tuesday in their Battle of the Barrel game. Granted, it came against good competition. The Commodores lost back-to-back games to No. 9 Florida on Saturday and Sunday. It marks Vanderbilt's longest losing streak since dropping six straight three years ago, a skid that also included a loss to Louisville in this annual rivalry game. Since then, the Commodores won the 2019 national championship and went 13-5 last season, which was canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic. Vanderbilt (32-10, 14-7 SEC) and Louisville (24-14, 14-9 ACC) play in a midweek game each May in the Battle of the Barrel, a name adopted in 2012. An oak barrel, symbolizing Tennessee whiskey and Kentucky bourbon, is given to the winning team. Vanderbilt will get a chance to snap its losing streak with a more manageable four-game homestand. It will play Alabama (28-15, 11-10 SEC) in a three-game series on Friday (6:30 p.m.), Saturday (2 p.m.) and Sunday (1 p.m.) and North Alabama (7-34) in a nonconference contest on May 11. |
| Inside 27 Months of Playoff Expansion Discussions and the Arduous Path Ahead | |
| Bill Hancock has been here before. It's not exactly deja vu, but it's close enough. To him, talk of expansion is old hat. As the director of the NCAA Final Four, he experienced it. When will the men's NCAA tournament grow to more teams?! It expanded, of course, rising by one to 65 when he was director and then, years later, to 68. As the executive director of the BCS, he found himself at the center of an annual expansion conversation. When will we have a playoff!? It expanded, of course, to the current four-team model. Even dating back to his days at the Big Eight, Hancock has been around the topic (the Big Eight became, as you probably know, the Big 12). And now, here in the spring of 2021, he's back talking about -- you guessed it -- expansion. This time, there is no speculation or conspiracy theories. In fact, he himself sparked the latest expansion discussion, setting the college football world ablaze by releasing in a statement on April 23 that College Football Playoff decision-makers were exploring expansion models -- a public unveiling of what many presumed is the logical next step. "Did we take a risk by opening the curtain? I don't think so," says Hancock, the executive director of the CFP. "People need to know." Hancock only gave the people a taste of the ongoing discussion through three bits of information: (1) that a CFP working group is exploring models; (2) that those models range from a six- to a 16-team playoff; and (3) that the playoff will remain at four for at least the next two seasons. There is much more, of course. |
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