| Wednesday, May 19, 2021 |
| Area farmers experience another wet spring but remain optimistic | |
 | Area farmers are in the middle of a "somewhat difficult spring." Reid Nevins with the MSU Extension Service in Lowndes County said there's been an abundance of rainfall over the last few weeks, which isn't necessarily great for crops. Ideally, crops like corn and soybeans are planted earlier in the Spring, but for the past three years, it's been too wet to plant them early. However, Nevins said many farmers are ahead of where they were last year. "So far the crops, for the most part, look pretty good, you know, what has been planted, but there's a lot of fields out there that need planting. But for the most part, they look pretty good. You know, a few low spots. Personally, my corn there, I plant a few acres, so my corn in some of my low areas... It's been wet on it. So, it hadn't done a lot of growing, but hopefully, it's going to improve and temperatures will warm up and it'll be a little bit dryer but we definitely don't want the rain to stop, I'll tell you that. I'm sure we'll be begging for it later on," said Nevins. |
| Starkville Main Street names Paige Watson as new director | |
 | The Starkville Main Street Association has named Paige Watson as the new director for the Main Street program. Watson currently serves as the special events and projects coordinator for the Greater Starkville Development Partnership. Under her new role, she will continue to assist in the development, planning and coordination for all Partnership and Main Street events and programs. "Paige has been an important part of our organization for some time now," said Starkville Main Street President Hagan Walker in a press release. "We look forward to the continued growth of our downtown business district and, with Paige's vision and energy, the next phase of improvements." Watson gained her bachelor's in communications at Mississippi State University and a master's degree in advertising and public relations from the University of Alabama. |
| Starkville Board of Aldermen holds public hearing about juvenile curfew | |
 | The city of Starkville held a board meeting where they're asking for input from citizens about the potential of adding a curfew prohibiting children from being out during certain hours. Mike Nemeth has lived in Oktibbeha County for over thirty years, but in recent months, he and his fellow Starkville residents saw an increase in juvenile crime. "Unfortunately, we've probably allowed children and I include teens in that age group, to have too much freedom," said Nemeth. The Board of Aldermen proposed a curfew lasting from 11 PM to 6 AM Sunday through Thursday and 12 AM to 6 AM Friday and Saturday for children under the age of 18. Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill believed this curfew could diminish some of the juvenile crime. "Our goal is to put the children back with the parents," said Spruill, "so that they can get the proper instruction and oversight during times when they should be at home in bed, at home doing homework, something other than out getting into trouble." On Tuesday, the board held its first public hearing asking folks for their opinion on the curfew. |
| Starkville physician sentenced for receipt and distribution of misbranded drugs | |
 | A Starkville physician has been sentenced to three years of probation for receiving misbranded drugs in interstate commerce and distributing them with the intent to defraud his patients. In addition to the term of probation, Benjamin Franklin Sanford, Jr. was ordered to forfeit $105,322.53, to pay a fine of $95,000, and to pay restitution in the amount of $377,545.20. According to court documents, Sanford, is a physician who operated Starkville Internal Medicine. From April 2013 to June 2018, foreign versions of prescription drugs, including versions of Prolia, Boniva, and Aclasta, which had not been approved by the FDA, were shipped from overseas to Dr. Sanford's clinic in Starkville. These drugs were administered to patients of Starkville Internal Medicine without their knowledge that the drugs were foreign versions of the subject drugs which were not FDA approved. "U.S. consumers rely on FDA oversight to ensure that the drugs they receive are safe and effective. Health care providers who obtain foreign unapproved medicines and then dispense and administer those drugs to their patients put the health of those patients at significant risk," said Special Agent in Charge Justin C. Fielder. |
| Oktibbeha moves COVID vaccination site to safe room on Lynn Lane | |
| The COVID-19 vaccination site in Oktibbeha County has relocated. The site moved from the Mississippi Horse Park to the Oktibbeha County Community Safe Room at 985 Lynn Lane in Starkville, according to county officials. No appointments are required. Other vaccination locations in Oktibbeha County include Walgreens and Kroger Pharmacy on Highway 12, the Laird Clinic of Family Medicine and OCH Regional Medical Center, according to the Mississippi Department of Health website. Mississippians 12 and older are eligible to receive the Pfizer vaccine, and those 18 and over may receive the Pfizer, Moderna or Johnson and Johnson shot. There have been a total of 34,339 doses administered in the county with 16,745 people fully vaccinated. |
| New Oktibbeha County facility could cost $31 million | |
| If Oktibbeha County decides to build a new headquarters, it could cost about $31 million, according to estimates the board of supervisors received at its meeting Monday. Major Design Studio of Columbus conducted the first stage of a facility assessment of all county-owned facilities, reporting 88,428 square feet among eight buildings with the average age of each building being 58 years. The company also found that a new replacement value would be $350 per square foot. If the county decided to create a building with the total square footage it already uses, the cost would amount to $30,949,800. A new headquarters would likely be located at Felix Long Street in Starkville, where the new construction would replace the facilities that now house the Department of Human Services, the county Extension Service and justice court. Board attorney Rob Roberson said he would like to see a facility with a lifespan of 50 to 100 years and that helps the area in terms of its aesthetic look. "We don't want to build something over there that doesn't mesh into what we've already currently got, whether that looks similar to what's over there," Roberson said. "I'm not saying it needs to look like City Hall, but it needs to be something that meshes." |
| Keto-friendly gourmet bakery opening in downtown Tupelo | |
 | Starkville-based Keto-friendly bakery The Power of the Almond is opening a storefront in downtown Tupelo in a couple of weeks. The bakery will be located in the Fairpark at Main building that's anchored by Park Heights and Fairpark Grill. The Power of the Almond will occupy the space formerly home to Sera+Soul's retail store. Billing itself as a celiac-, diabetic- and keto-friendly gourmet bake shop, The Power of the Almond is the brainchild of Kirk Hutchinson and Adam Pittmon. Hutchinson began baking out of his home in Tupelo under cottage food laws. But most of their customers were in Starkville, so Hutchinson moved there last year to open the bakery there. Now he finds himself back home, so to speak. "I started in Tupelo, and then moved to Starkville because most of my customers were there, which was ironic because I had moved from Starkville to Tupelo when I began the business," he said. Cookies, muffins, pound cake and breads are just some of the items regularly offered. |
| Mississippi casinos are setting revenue records, but they're struggling to find workers | |
| At the Beau Rivage, even a job fair comes with the added razzle-dazzle expected from one of the state's most prominent casinos: sequin-clad show girls, an ice sculpture and a musical performance. And, of course, several dozen open jobs and on-the-spot interviews. Service industry workers for the state's casinos are in high demand. If there was ever a time for some of the state's top revenue earners to put on a show to lure in potential hires, it's now. With COVID-19 vaccinations widely available and the busy summer season quickly approaching, businesses across tourism-focused coastal Mississippi have "Help Wanted" signs in their windows. Despite the number of open positions, some workers have shown they're not eager to return to hospitality and service jobs. "People are more or less demanding to go back to work when it's safe, for one, and when they feel fairly paid," said Sondra Collins, senior economist with the Mississippi University Research Center. "Some have used the pandemic to gain new skills and feel confident asking for more." That hesitancy could help push up the pay of Mississippi jobs, which has consistently had among the lowest median hourly wages in the country. Collins said the market forcing wages up could be the one positive thing to come from the pandemic. |
| Gov. Tate Reeves announces 9 nominees for Mississippi education boards | |
 | Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves on Tuesday announced nine nominations to three boards that govern public education from kindergarten through college. The nominees must be confirmed by the state Senate. Reeves made the nominations after some vacancies had occurred because members' terms had expired -- a situation that meant boards could lack a quorum to conduct business if too many members missed meetings. Six of the nominees are white men. Two are white women, and one is a Black woman. His nominees to the Institutions of Higher Learning board, which oversees the eight public universities, are: Ormella Cummings, of Itawamba County, to represent northern Mississippi; Teresa Hubbard, of Lafayette County, to represent northern Mississippi; Hal Parker, of Hinds County, to represent central Mississippi; and Gregg Rader, of Lowndes County, to represent northern Mississippi. |
| Gov. Reeves finally fills vacancies on key education boards | |
| Gov. Tate Reeves, waiting until after the 2021 legislative session ended, announced nine appointments late Tuesday afternoon to the three boards that govern the state's public education entities. The governor announced four appointments for the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning, two to the Board of Education and three to the Mississippi Community College Board. The appointments come after at least two of the boards struggled to conduct business as usual the past few months because of vacancies that Reeves didn't fill on time. Reeves' four picks to the IHL Board are Ormella Cummings, Teresa Hubbard, Gregg Rader, and Hal Parker, who has been reappointed. "I am confident that each of these appointees have the credentials and unique and diverse experiences to help us continue improving Mississippi's education system in a way that prioritizes students above all else," Reeves said in a press release. |
| Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann supports medical marijuana, initiative rights as voters seethe | |
| Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann on Tuesday said he supports having a state medical marijuana program and voters having a right to change the state constitution, both of which the Mississippi Supreme Court shot down last week. Hosemann said that "If the governor chooses to call the Legislature back into special session, the Senate will be ready." But he said there is more urgency in dealing with medical marijuana than reinstating voters' right to ballot initiatives, and he questioned whether there is a need for a special session for the latter. Conversely, Hosemann's counterpart in the House, fellow Republican Philip Gunn, has called on the governor to call a special session to deal with voters' ballot initiative rights, but has been silent on the medical marijuana program being reinstated. Hosemann said that before the governor calls any special session, lawmakers need to be on the same page with an "organized, clear, common-sense approach" so they don't malinger in Jackson and cost taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars a day in special session expenses. |
| Hosemann sees calls for immediate special session as 'knee-jerk' reaction to court decision | |
| The call for a special session of the Mississippi Legislature to restore the citizens initiative process to amend the state constitution began early Monday, with Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley penning an op-ed urging Gov. Tate Reeves to act immediately. By day's end, Speaker of the House Philip Gunn and Secretary of State Michael Watson had released statements calling for a special session as well. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann did not join in that call, however. In Starkville as part of his statewide tour to review the 2021 legislative session and outline his priorities for the 2022 session in January, Hosemann flatly rejected the idea that a special session is needed. Noting that two other initiatives passed in 2011 under what the supreme court now considers an invalid process, Hosemann said his office is researching whether those initiatives passed in 2011 --- one limiting the state's eminent domain powers, another requiring voter ID --- are voided by Friday's ruling. Hosemann said revising the initiative language to make it comply with the court's ruling through the normal process would allow the Legislature to examine the legislation more thoroughly and possibly make other adjustments to the process. |
| Mississippi political leaders at odds over need for special session of Legislature | |
| Key political figures are charting different paths as they navigate the fallout of a state Supreme Court ruling that voided a popular medical marijuana program and struck down the ability of voters to directly amend the state constitution. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann said on Tuesday that he supports legislative action to create a medical marijuana program as a replacement for the Initiative 65 program voters approved last year. According to video, Hosemann told reporters there may be some "urgency" to address medical cannabis. He is much less keen on quick action to begin the revival of the voter initiative process. But as a policy goal, Hosemann does "support re-enacting the ballot initiative process," according to a statement the first-term Republican lieutenant governor released Monday. By contrast, House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, has openly called for a special session to kickstart the restoration of the voter initiative process, but has been silent as to his preferred course of action on medical marijuana. Only Gov. Tate Reeves can actually call a special session and would set the terms of what would be discussed in such a session. Speaking with Y'all Politics on Monday, the GOP governor struck a tone that sounded more like Hosemann. |
| Medicaid expansion ballot initiative campaign in Mississippi suspended | |
 | A coalition of Mississippi medical experts, patients, small business owners and nonprofits -- Yes On 76 -- initiated a statewide campaign May 11 to get a ballot initiative expanding Medicaid on the 2022 ballot. On Wednesday morning, it suspended its campaign. Initiative 76 seeks a constitutional amendment that would require Mississippi to supply low-income residents with medical assistance under the state's Medicaid program. The majority of program costs would come from federal funding, the proposed initiative notes. The coalition's decision comes after the Mississippi Supreme Court's ruling Friday that overturned a voter-approved Initiative 65. That initiative, which was overwhelmingly passed by voters, created a medical marijuana program in the state. "Yes on 76 is reluctantly suspending our campaign to put Medicaid expansion on the ballot in the wake of Friday's State Supreme Court decision -- until there is once again a functional ballot measure process in Mississippi," a Yes On 76 statement read Wednesday. "We fully support the call for a special legislative session to restore the constitutional right of Mississippians to vote directly on issues of importance, including Medicaid expansion, and we will pursue every avenue possible to restore the rights of voters in this state," the statement read. |
| Poll: 60% oppose Court's medical marijuana ruling, support special session | |
| A strong majority oppose last week's state Supreme Court decision striking down both a voter initiative that approved medical marijuana and the entire process that Mississippians can gather signatures to place an issue on the ballot for voters to decide. The poll also found strong support for Gov. Tate Reeves calling a special session to give legislators the opportunity to reverse the actions of the Supreme Court. While Reeves has not called a special session, a diverse set of politicians ranging from Republicans Speaker Philip Gunn and Secretary of State Michael Watson to Democratic Northern District Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley to House Democratic Leader Robert Johnson have voiced support for one. Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann, who presides over the Senate, has not commented on whether he supports a special session. The Supreme Court took the rare step of releasing the controversial decision on Friday afternoon. The poll was conducted quickly after that by Mississippi-based Chism Strategies. Chism had done work for supporters of the medical marijuana initiative that was approved by voters this past November. The poll found almost 60.9% of respondents opposed the Supreme Court decision while 22.3% support it. In addition, 59.6% support the governor calling a special session on medical marijuana while 20.2% oppose such an effort. |
| Watchdog reviews Mississippi's dilapidated, troubled state parks | |
| The state's legislative watchdog agency has released a report on Mississippi's troubled, dilapidated state park system after lawmakers this year debated but failed to reach agreement on funding and fixes. The Joint Legislative Committee on Performance, Evaluation and Expenditure Review (PEER) found Mississippi's park system pales to those of surrounding states that capitalize on them to draw tourists and generate income. PEER found that only five of Mississippi's 25 state parks turn a profit. The system on whole is losing money when about $4 million a year in state general fund spending is backed out, the state lacks any strategic marketing of them and parks are in need of major renovations with no real plan to fund or carry out the maintenance. PEER found that surrounding states have dedicated sources of revenue for parks, which Mississippi lacks, and that these states spend at least double what Mississippi does on state parks, with Tennessee spending seven times more. As a result, Mississippi parks generate only a fraction of the revenue and tourism of surrounding states. The PEER report recommended lawmakers consider removing the park system from the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, and either creating a new agency to oversee tourism, state parks and history; placing parks under the Mississippi Development Authority's tourism division; or creating a stand-alone agency to oversee parks. |
| Speaker Philip Gunn comes to Oxford to discuss removal of state income tax | |
| Mississippi Speaker of the House Philip Gunn is touring the state this summer to, as he put it, "convert" people towards his bill proposal to remove the state income tax. Last Friday, the Speaker came to Oxford to discuss his proposal, which he calls The Mississippi Tax Freedom Act of 2021.The bill would repeal income tax for all Mississippians, and also cut the grocery tax in half from seven percent to 3.5 percent. If the bill passes, it would create a $1.9 billion hole in the state's revenue with $1.7 billion from the loss of an income tax and another $200 million lost from cutting the grocery tax in half. During his visit with Oxford and Lafayette County elected officials, businesses owners and community leaders, Gunn spent over an hour selling his proposal and explaining how the Mississippi Legislature would replace the lost revenue. "That's a key factor of the plan. We want to make sure any revenue we lose is replaced," Gunn told the EAGLE. "That's a concern for many citizens. It differentiates this plan from the Kansas plan, which just eliminated income tax without any replacement revenue. Our is replaced through a combination of growth and a cap on spending and increasing the sales tax." |
| State's Fusion Center gets new director to fight crime | |
| The crime-fighting center that shares local, state, federal, and tribal resources has a new director. Commissioner Sean Tindell has appointed Joshua Bromen to oversee the Mississippi Analysis and Information Center (MSAIC) or Fusion Center. It's the central location where law enforcement from all levels partner to prevent criminal and terrorist activity. Mississippi Department of Public Safety says Bromen is a seasoned law enforcement officer with 13 years of service with the Gulfport Police Department. He received the rank of Commander of Professional Standards and served as the supervisor of Public Information, Community Relations, and the Patrol, Traffic, and Support Divisions. He also served as a SWAT Crisis Negotiator, Accident Reconstructionist, and member of the Gulfport Police Department Diversity and Community Outreach team. "I am honored to have the opportunity to work with the dedicated men and women of the Mississippi Analysis and Information Center," said Director Joshua Bromen. "I would like to remind the citizens of Mississippi that no piece of information is too small and, most importantly, if you see something, say something." |
| 'There's no turning back': President Biden gets behind the wheel to promote electric cars | |
 | President Joe Biden test-drove an electric-powered Ford F-150 pickup truck on Tuesday and declared, "this sucker's quick." The quick spin in the new truck came as Biden traveled to the heart of car country Tuesday to promote his plans for accelerating America's production and adoption of electric vehicles. "The future of the auto industry is electric," Biden said at Ford's Rouge Electric Vehicle Center in Dearborn, Mich. "There's no turning back." Boosting the usage of electric vehicles would help the United States make good on Biden's international commitments to significantly reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. That's why his $2 trillion infrastructure proposal includes $174 billion for EV's. That includes money to build out a national network of charging stations, offer cost-lowering consumer incentives and transition public transit and school buses. While key to its climate goals, the administration has hammered the idea that taking such steps will create high-paying union jobs. "The American auto industry is at a crossroads," Biden said Tuesday. "And the real question is whether we'll lead or we'll fall behind in the race to the future. Or whether we'll build these vehicles and the batteries that go in them here in the United States or rely on other countries." |
| New York state investigation into Trump is now a criminal probe | |
 | The New York state attorney general's examination of the Trump Organization is now also a criminal investigation, a spokesperson for the attorney general said on Tuesday night. The investigation is "no longer purely civil in nature," Fabien Levy, the spokesperson for New York Attorney General Letitia James, confirmed to POLITICO by email. "We are now actively investigating the Trump Organization in a criminal capacity, along with the Manhattan D.A. We have no additional comment at this time." James' office is undertaking a sweeping probe of former President Donald Trump and his family over allegedly misstating property values to get tax benefits. In February, the Supreme Court paved the way for Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.'s team to get eight years of Trump's tax returns and financial records as a part of Vance's criminal probe into potential tax, insurance and bank fraud. The new development appears to expand the potential liability for Trump, who is now facing separate criminal probes from prosecutors in New York, and also suggests collaboration in the two investigations. |
| Russell Moore, Southern Baptist Official Who Criticized Trump, Resigns | |
 | Russell Moore, one of the top-ranking officials in the Southern Baptist Convention, is resigning his post, ending an eight-year tenure during which he had served as a lightning rod within evangelical Christianity. In a statement on his website, Mr. Moore said he would leave the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, the SBC entity that he has led since 2013, and begin work this summer as a theologian for Christianity Today, a magazine founded by the famed evangelist Billy Graham. Mr. Moore's departure follows a spring full of upheaval within the Southern Baptist Convention, the country's largest evangelical Christian denomination. Beth Moore, no relation, a famed Bible teacher and frequent critic of misogyny in the church, said in March that she was no longer a Southern Baptist. Several prominent Black churches have left the SBC in recent months. While in charge of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, Mr. Moore won many admirers, particularly among young evangelicals. He came under fire from conservative Southern Baptists for some of his public stances. During the 2016 presidential campaign, Mr. Moore emerged as a vocal critic of Donald Trump, saying the then-candidate's personal behavior meant he was unworthy of the office. He endorsed no one and criticized evangelicals who unreservedly backed the Republican nominee. |
| White House brings back climate scientist forced out by Trump administration | |
 | The Biden administration has reinstalled the director of the federal climate program that produces the U.S. government's definitive reports on climate change, after the Trump administration removed him in November. Michael Kuperberg, the climate scientist who ran the program for six years during Democratic and Republican administrations, was reinstated Monday, the White House confirmed. As the executive director of the U.S. Global Change Research Program, Kuperberg coordinates climate change research across 13 federal agencies and production of the program's National Climate Assessment, the nation's most important report on climate change science and its consequences. "I'm really excited to be back," Kuperberg said in an interview, calling the timing of his return "perfect," considering the Biden administration's emphasis on global warming. "I think [the program] is a critical component for advancing the climate agenda of this administration. We have an opportunity to put that science to work in informing decisions on our response to climate change." Now that he's back, Kuperberg stressed that he considers his job responsibilities nonpartisan. "We're coordinating science and we're trying to get to the nation the very best possible science," he said. "This is not politics." |
| USM study shows increase in mental health issues in students since pandemic began | |
 | A study conducted among University of Southern Mississippi students showed an increase in mental health issues for students in 2020 compared to 2019. A psychology professor at USM, along with her research team and a colleague at the University of Texas-El Paso, surveyed a group of 643 students in the fall of 2019, spring 2020 and fall 2020. According to the university, the study found higher rates of mental health issues, stress and substance abuse in college students in 2020 compared to students in 2019, which was before the COVID-19 pandemic began in the United States. "In spring, when everything was just starting, people were reporting increases in things like perceived stress. So how stressed out they feel, as well as some mood disorder symptoms -- things like depression -- and they were also reporting more indicators of risky alcohol use," said Nora Charles, assistant professor of psychology at the USM School of Psychology and director of the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program. Considering the pandemic essentially eliminated most social gatherings, the increased rates of mental health issues among college students may stem from the social scene, or the lack thereof. "We think that that's at least a component of why people are feeling worse, that they kind of lost that source of happiness and lost that feeling of being connected to other people," Charles said. |
| U.S. Senators Roger Wicker Cindy Hyde-Smith Mark Alcorn State's 150th Anniversary | |
 | U.S. Senators Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Miss., introduced a resolution to recognize Alcorn State University's 150th anniversary. The resolution acknowledges the valuable education programs offered at Alcorn State and the University's contributions to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and higher learning. It also commemorates the work of important faculty and alumni, including the university's first president and former U.S. Senator, Hiram R. Revels. "Alcorn's history is a story that is linked to the history of our state and nation," Wicker said. "Just as Alcorn's first president, Hiram Revels, helped to carve a path for Alcorn graduates as the first Black U.S. Senator, I am confident that future Alcorn graduates will help to carve the path for this nation. I offer my compliments on 150 extraordinary years of higher education achievement and success." |
| Applying for financial aid is hard. A new rule could make it harder. | |
| The onerous application working-class students in Mississippi must complete to receive college loans and grants could require an extra step under a new rule proposed by the state office that oversees financial aid. Starting Oct. 1, the Mississippi Office of Student Financial Aid may ask students applying for the Higher Education Legislative Plan for Needy Students (HELP) grant to provide additional documents if their state and federal financial aid applications describe a different household size and parental marital status. Those documents could be a rental agreement, a marriage license, a divorce decree or a death certificate. The HELP grant is intended for students from working-class families --- those that make $39,500 or less. To qualify, students have to fill out the Mississippi Aid Application. But before they can do that, students must first complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and be found eligible for a full or partial Pell grant. Both applications ask students to describe their household size. In the event a student submits conflicting information, OSFA will need to verify which description is right, said Jennifer Rogers, OSFA's director, because her office uses household size to determine family income. |
| Auburn University's Rane Center reaches construction milestone as AU aims to create world's best hospitality program | |
 | Auburn University's bid to create the premier hospitality program in the world celebrated an important milestone Friday afternoon. University officials hosted Gov. Kay Ivey and a slew of other dignitaries Friday afternoon to celebrate the "topping off" of the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, the $110 million center now midway through construction at the corner of Thach Avenue and College Street in downtown Auburn. The ceremony included hoisting the final steel girder to the top of the in-progress edifice, which was toasted and celebrated by a crowd of well over 100 people. Jimmy Rane, the Auburn University trustee who is reputed by Forbes to be the state's wealthiest businessman, bought the name to the building for $12 million to honor his parents. "My father (Tony) was in restaurants and hotels all of his life," said Rane, who was accompanied by his wife Angela. "He started as an employee of Elysee Hotel in New York in 1937, as head maitre'd. He just loved food, he loved cooking and hospitality and entertainment, so it's something I think he would be very proud of, him and my mother (Libba) both." The 142,000-square-foot facility is on schedule for completion next spring. |
| National Institutes of Health awards Auburn University $1.5 million grant | |
| The National Institutes of Health awarded Auburn University a $1.5 million grant to support the increase of traditionally underrepresented students pursuing doctoral degrees in the biomedical sciences. The five-year training grant is the first one the University has ever been awarded. The grant, called G-RISE, will begin with four scholars in the fall 2021 semester. It is designed to create a diverse pool of scientists earning a doctorate and will transition into the biomedical research workforce. The program will focus on first-generation, low-income, African American, Latino/a and American Indian students, but will welcome all applicants from other traditionally underrepresented communities. The students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. The grant will offset the cost of stipends, tuition and fees, as well as training-related expenses like health insurance, for the trainees. Additional students will be admitted on successive years, based on the availability of funding. Students will be fully supported for up to three years. The G-RISE program will also provide professional development in diversity, equity and inclusion for faculty mentors. |
| New UF COVID-10 policies met with excitement and apprehension | |
| Over a year after the initial COVID-19 shut down, University of Florida faculty and students will be able to see each others' unmasked faces again. UF announced May 17 that face coverings are no longer required on UF property, as all operations prepare to transition to pre-pandemic norms. The updated policies were announced through an university-wide email, which also announced that classroom, recreational and athletic activity will return to full capacity. Normal activity on campus will resume June 28, the start of Summer B, according to UF's COVID-19 page. The update followed a university announcement that three quarters of students have been vaccinated. The university did not provide further comment about protocol regarding tailgates, quarantine dorms, dining hall operations and sanitation services. UF spokesperson Cynthia Roldan, UF Health director of Screen, Test & Protect Dr. Michael Lauzardo and UF Health spokesperson Ken Garcia also did not respond to questions regarding the university's plans to respond to potential spikes in cases, how to encourage mask use among unvaccinated students, or include vaccination data on the university's COVID-19 dashboard. |
| Vanderbilt requiring students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 for 2021-22 year | |
 | Vanderbilt University announced Monday it is requiring all students to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 to enroll for the 2021-22 academic school year. University officials stated: "COVID-19 vaccines have been shown to be safe and effective at preventing infection by the virus, and experts believe getting the vaccine prevents serious illness and reduces potential transmission to others even if you do get infected." This rule applies to both new and returning students in undergraduate, graduate and professional programs. Accommodations for medical exemptions can be requested through the student access office and religious exemptions through the equal opportunity and access office. The announcement comes days after the university's in-person graduation ceremonies Friday and Saturday. Vanderbilt University Medical Center is offering free vaccinations by appointment and will be offering Johnson & Johnson's vaccine beginning May 24. All World Health Organization-authorized vaccines will be acceptable for proof of vaccination. Additional information will be provided for international students with difficulty accessing vaccines before they come to campus this fall. |
| Students protest mandatory Covid vaccinations at colleges | |
| Across the country, a growing number of colleges and universities have said vaccinations will be mandatory for the fall of 2021. Now, hundreds of thousands of students will be required to get the Covid-19 vaccine, whether they want to or not. For the most part, students will get vaccinated if it means campus life can return to a pre-pandemic "normal" by September. But not everyone feels that way. Roughly 88% of college students plan to get the coronavirus vaccine and nearly 3 in 4 students believe vaccinations should be mandatory, according to a recent survey of more than 1,000 college students by College Finance. However, Jackie Gale, a rising sophomore at the University of Alabama-Birmingham, is not one of them. For religious reasons, Gale has never been vaccinated. The 19-year-old attended Alabama public schools and received a religious exemption from the Alabama state health department. The University of Alabama-Birmingham also exempted Gale from its vaccine requirements during the 2020-2021 school year but won't apply the same exemption for the upcoming year, according to her lawyer. |
| Report: state funding for public higher education closely linked to student success | |
 | State funding for public higher education institutions and student financial aid have a direct impact on student success, a new report by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association concluded. The report examined 100 empirical research studies that measured the impacts of state appropriations on institutional and student outcomes. State appropriations feed directly into revenues for public higher education institutions. When states pass budget cuts, doctoral institutions are more likely to fill resulting budget gaps through tuition increases. Meanwhile, two- and four-year institutions often cut expenditures on instruction, academic support and student services, the report said. Decreases in state funding also lead to enrollment declines and lower graduation rates. When appropriations are cut, in-state undergraduate enrollment falls and more students turn to the for-profit sector, the report said. Enrollment drops and lower graduation rates lead to decreases in statewide bachelor's degree attainment, the report said. "Many states have set ambitious attainment goals, and meeting these goals is necessary for ensuring that states have an educated workforce. Ultimately, states won't be able to meet their attainment goals and workforce needs without additional investment in public higher education institutions," Robert E. Anderson, president of SHEEO, said in a statement. "Money matters, regardless of the appropriation mechanism, but we can't sacrifice one area of funding for another." |
| Research paints disappointing picture of online internships | |
| College students who participated in online internships during the COVID-19 pandemic did not get as much out of the experience as peers who participated in in-person internships, a new study found. Academics at the Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions, which is housed within the University of Wisconsin at Madison's Wisconsin Center for Education Research, published the findings of their research into online internships yesterday. The study, which included survey data from nearly 10,000 students at 11 colleges and universities, found just 22 percent of respondents participated in an internship in the past year. Of these internships, half were in person and the remainder online. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation's Rapid Response Research program, known as RAPID. When the pandemic hit the U.S. in spring 2020, interest in online internships grew, said Matthew T. Hora, co-author of the report and director of the Center for Research on College-Workforce Transitions at UW Madison. Many people naturally assumed that most in-person positions would be shifted online, he said, but that does not appear to have been the case. |
| Is a Fair Title IX System Possible? | |
 | Three political administrations have sought to hold colleges accountable for their handling of campus sexual assault under Title IX, the 1972 law that prohibits sex-based discrimination in education. Under President Barack Obama, the Education Department opened hundreds of investigations and threatened to pull colleges' federal funding if they failed to support victims. Under President Donald Trump, sweeping reforms mandated a court-like judicial process with live hearings and cross examination in an effort to protect the rights of the accused. Now, President Biden -- who, as vice president, led the Obama-era campaign against campus rape -- has ordered another federal review that will upend the rules yet again. Biden's Education Department will hold a five-day public hearing about Title IX in June. Colleges and policy makers have already devoted a great deal of time, resources, and energy to trying to combat campus sexual assault. But have colleges actually gotten safer? Are disciplinary processes fairer? It depends on whom you ask. |
| Colleges grapple with resuming study abroad | |
| Few sectors of higher ed have been hit as hard by the pandemic as study abroad. The rapid spread of COVID-19 in spring 2020 forced colleges and study abroad providers to suspend their in-person programs and embark on an unprecedented worldwide effort to bring students home. A small number of colleges resumed limited study abroad options this year. But at many colleges, study abroad simply disappeared. Now, as some colleges plan to restart their study abroad options, they are grappling with an unanticipated variable: recent revisions to the U.S. Department of State's travel advisories intended to better align the country-level advisories with travel health notices issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The changes, announced in mid-April, resulted in a substantial jump in the number of countries that bear the State Department's highest warning, Level 4: Do Not Travel. About 80 percent of countries -- nations as disparate as Austria and Afghanistan, Iran and France, North Korea and Canada -- are now rated Level 4: Do Not Travel. The State Department explained in an April 19 announcement that a changed rating "does not imply a reassessment of the current health situation in a given country, but rather reflects an adjustment in the State Department's Travel Advisory system to rely more on CDC's existing epidemiological assessments." |
| Senate Weighs Investing $120 Billion in Science to Counter China | |
 | An expansive bill that would pour $120 billion into jump-starting scientific innovation by strengthening research into cutting-edge technologies is barreling through the Senate, amid a rising sense of urgency in Congress to bolster the United States' ability to compete with China. At the heart of the sprawling legislation, known as the Endless Frontier Act, is an investment in the nation's research and development into emerging sciences and manufacturing on a scale that its proponents say has not been seen since the Cold War. The Senate voted 86 to 11 on Monday to advance the bill past a procedural hurdle, with Democrats and Republicans united in support, and a vote to approve, along with a tranche of related China bills, is expected this month. The nearly 600-page bill has moved swiftly through the Senate, powered by intensifying concerns in both parties about Beijing's chokehold on critical supply chains. Despite the bipartisan support for the endeavor, the road for the legislation has not been without challenges, and on Tuesday, Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the minority leader, warned that the measure was "not ready for prime time," suggesting it would benefit from a "robust" round of changes during Senate debate. |
| Contradictions abound in Mississippi Medicaid expansion debate | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: When it comes to the provision of public health care in Mississippi, the partisan political considerations have changed little since Democratic former President Barack Obama signed his Affordable Care Act into law. Democrats favor it. Republicans oppose it. Republicans have generally opposed Medicaid expansion in Mississippi, citing budget considerations and fears over future changes in Medicaid coverage and reimbursement rates. Mississippi Democrats have generally supported the health care policy initiatives of their party under the ACA. Still, both parties have worried about how such possible fiscal impacts would influence an old legislative truism. Once state government agrees to provide a service and constituents come to depend upon it, it's politically difficult to take that service away. Historically, Mississippi lawmakers have been fine with the federal government paying the lion's share of health care provision for the poor, the aged, the blind, and children, but they are wary of being left holding the fiscal bag should Congress or a future White House administration change the Medicaid rules. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State baseball wins rain-shortened midweek contest with Jacksonville State 6-1 | |
| On the night of Mississippi State baseball's regular season home finale, the rain continued to fall. Whatever wages were paid to Dudy Noble Field's grounds crew were well earned, as the infield was raked incessantly in-between innings after Mother Nature's skies refused to relent. Neither did MSU's bats. While the droplets of water didn't quite wash away the stink of Mississippi State's series loss to Southeastern Conference bottom feeder Missouri last weekend, the No. 10 Bulldogs took the first step toward righting the ship with a 6-1 midweek win over Jacksonville State Tuesday. The game only lasted five innings and was called after a 30-minute rain delay after Jacksonville State batted in the top of the fifth. Getting the start in the final midweek contest of the year was Parker Stinnett, who had an adventurous day on the mound. Stinnett walked four, hit a batter and had a batter reach on an error in two innings of work, albeit scoreless innings. The right-handed hurler stranded the bases loaded twice in his two frames, not allowing a run to cross while striking out four batters. "We wanted to give Parker the chance to start his own innings," MSU coach Chris Lemonis said. "We wanted him to get comfortable and get some innings in because lately it feels like every time we put him out there there's runners in scoring position and the game's on the line. So we just wanted to get him some work out there." |
| No. 10 Bulldogs down Jacksonville State in rain-shortened game | |
| Mississippi State was in the middle of taking out its frustrations on Jacksonville State on Tuesday night before the weather ended things early. No. 10-ranked Mississippi State beat Jacksonville State, 6-1, in the Bulldogs last home game of the regular season. The game was called after five innings due to weather, but was ruled an official Mississippi State win due to MSU leading after four and a half innings. Mississippi State improves to 37-13 and 17-10 in the SEC and will travel to Alabama on Thursday for a three-game SEC series to wrap up the regular season. "I was happy with the way our guys came out and responded today," head coach Chris Lemonis said. "They've been great all week at practice. We had good energy tonight and we will probably have another good practice tomorrow." After losing three of its last four games, Luke Hancock made sure Mississippi State took an early lead. After Tanner Allen was walked, Hancock launched a 2-1 pitch over the right field fence to put the Bulldogs up, 2-0, in the first inning. MSU doubled its score in the second inning when Rowdey Jordan hit a two-run single that scored Kellum Clark and Brad Cumbest to put MSU up, 4-0. |
| Mississippi State baseball wins rain-shortened regular-season home finale | |
| Mississippi State baseball's regular-season home finale didn't last very long Tuesday night at Dudy Noble Field. The No. 6 Bulldogs' game against visiting Jacksonville State entered a weather delay in the middle of the fourth inning. Mississippi State left the park with a 6-1 victory after the game was called after a 30-minute delay. Mississippi State (37-13, 17-10 SEC) snapped a two-game losing streak. "I was happy with the guys came out and responded today," MSU coach Chris Lemonis said. The Bulldogs scored two runs in each of the first three innings. Junior catcher Luke Hancock hit a two-run home run in the first. Senior center fielder Rowdey Jordan scored two on a single in the second. "As soon as (Hancock) hit that homer, I was like, 'All right. There's our stride. We're back,'" said MSU senior right fielder Tanner Allen, who upped his batting average to .389 and extended his season-best hitting streak to 13 games. Mississippi State hits the road for its final regular season SEC series. The Bulldogs are at Alabama (29-19, 12-14) for a three-game set starting at 6 p.m. Thursday (SEC Network+). |
| 'Cool Papa' Bell, a Starkville native, honored by his hometown at Mississippi State | |
 | Legendary pitcher Satchel Paige is credited with the often-told line, "Cool Papa Bell was so fast he could turn off the light switch in his hotel room and be under the covers before the room got dark." Bell never played in "white" Major League Baseball, as he was well into his 40s when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in 1947. Although Negro League records are somewhat spotty (his career batting average is said to be .331, plus he hit .391 in exhibitions against white teams), what's not as much in dispute is that no one was faster – regardless of color – in the sport's history. "Let me tell you about Cool Papa Bell," Paige was also quoted as saying. "One time he hit a line drive right by my ear. I turned around and saw the ball hit his rear end as he slid into second base." That quote now adorns the wall of a concourse at Dudy Noble Field, home ballpark of the Mississippi State Bulldogs. It is part of a display that honors Bell, as the university dedicated that area of the park as "Cool Papa" Bell Plaza prior to their 5-4 win over Missouri on May 13. John Cohen, a former Bulldogs baseball player and coach and current athletic director at Mississippi State, was born in Alabama to a father who fancied himself a baseball historian. "Growing up, he would tell me bedtime stories of the exploits of the great players from the South. That included Cool Papa Bell," Cohen tells USA TODAY Sports. "He's arguably the best player to come from our state," Cohen says. |
| As July 1 Nears, Congress Making Critical Progress on NIL and College Athletes' Rights | |
| Months ago, while discussing the impending chaotic scene in college athletics, Tom McMillen, himself a former Congressional lawmaker, reminded NCAA president Mark Emmert that chaos is a mechanism for change. "It is a fertile legislative ground," says McMillen, now the president of Lead1, which represents the athletic directors of the Football Bowl Subdivision. "Sometimes you need chaos to get people focused in Washington." More than a year later, chaos is nearly here. And so too is, maybe, a Congressional bill governing athlete compensation, most often referred to as name, image and likeness (NIL). A group of U.S. senators, led by Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), are in deep negotiations on bipartisan legislation that could help college sports avoid a chaotic quandary: schools and their athletes operating under differing state laws related to NIL. The discussions have birthed a proposed bill, circulating among key legislative staffs, that reflects several Congressional NIL bills already introduced, taking components from both Democrat and Republican-leaning legislation. This months-long process is described to have made significant strides recently, with high-profile leaders from the two parties agreeing to concessions as a bevy of state laws threaten to create an uneven playing field across college athletics. |
| Texas A&M AD Ross Bjork says CFP likely to expand in future | |
 | Texas A&M athletics director Ross Bjork said expanding the College Football Playoff is "inevitable" on his monthly town hall Facebook Live session Tuesday. "It's just a matter of how it's formatted and when does it take place because we know we have an existing contract that runs through the [2025]-26 cycle," Bjork said. "I think it's going to happen. Does it happen early? I don't know. I think there's a lot of things that have to be analyzed before that happens." Bjork said he thinks an expanded playoff should either have eight or 12 teams. "Sixteen, I think, is too big. It's too long. Doing six, I don't know if that makes sense," Bjork said. "The cool thing about where we are is that we're talking about it, so that means four has actually worked, because there's a debate and there's interest." He said one question to consider is who gets automatic bids, adding that discussions seem to lean toward the Power Five conferences each getting an automatic bid, plus one from the Group of Five schools. Having eight teams would provide only two at-large bids, while having 12 would have six automatic and six at-large berths. |
| Vanderbilt's highest compensated employees in 2019 got $10.7 million. And now they're gone. | |
| Vanderbilt's three highest compensated employees of 2019 -- totaling $10.7 million -- are no longer in their positions less than 18 months later. That's a lot of turnover in a short period of time. And university federal tax returns show that it came at a high price. Football coach Derek Mason, who was fired in 2020, was credited with $4.3 million in total compensation in 2019. Basketball coach Bryce Drew, who was fired in March 2019, was credited with $3.2 million in total compensation, including $2.5 million severance. And Chancellor Nicholas Zeppos, who stepped down in August 2019, was credited with $3.2 million in total compensation. His net compensation was $2.1 million because $1.1 million had been listed as deferred compensation on a tax return from a previous year. But it was still money earned by Zeppos, who now serves as a law professor at Vanderbilt. Turner, a first-time athletics director, started Feb. 1, 2019, and resigned Feb. 4, 2020, amid accusations of lavish spending of university funds. Vanderbilt's 2019 tax return is the most recent available. Private institutions are not required to disclose public records such as employee salaries upon request. However, they must file a 990 federal tax return about 18 months after the reported calendar year, which was obtained by The Tennessean. |
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