Friday, July 16, 2021   
 
MSU employees eligible for National Championship gear giveaway with COVID-19 vaccine at Longest Student Health Center
MSU employees who receive their first or second dose of COVID-19 vaccine at Mississippi State's Longest Student Health Center between now and July 23 will be eligible to receive an MSU Baseball National Championship T-shirt or hat. Schedule an appointment to receive your shot by calling 662-325-7535.
 
Mississippi State scientist returns to vulture study, relying on 'citizen scientists'
A Mississippi State-led study using "citizen science" is entering its second year of data collection that ultimately could yield solutions to vulture-aircraft collisions. MSU College of Forest Resources Associate Professor Scott Rush said he expects to deliver scientific-based recommendations from the analysis to mitigate this human-wildlife conflict, a frequent challenge for military pilots who encounter the birds during take-off, landing or low-level flying. The study is a partnership with the Naval Air Station in Meridian and the Columbus Air Force Base, explained the researcher in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture. Relying on reports of citizens who visually spot tagged vultures, Rush's data collection was temporarily stifled during the pandemic which impacted time spent by local residents outside the home. Now calling the citizen feedback "crucial" to the project, the MSU scientist needs "more citizens to contact us if they spot a tagged vulture." "If it's possible for the observer to report how many other vultures the observed tagged bird appeared with and their activity, such as feeding on roadkill, roosting, etc., that information is great, too," said Rush, who also does research as part of the MSU Forest and Wildlife Research Center.
 
Labor shortages limit catfish supplies in Mississippi
According to the Mississippi State University Extension Service, many restaurants in the state that serve catfish have had to pay their distributors more to keep the dish on their menus in 2021 or go without. Leaders said pond inventory is not the primary issue, but they said labor shortages at processing plants are more to blame. Industry data show processing is down 9% for the first five months of 2021 when compared to the same period in 2020. "I think labor shortage is the big driver in this number. Although there is some talk about tight fish supply, there are no numbers to support it," Jimmy Avery, Extension aquaculture professor at the Mississippi State University Delta Research and Extension Center in Stoneville said. "When supply gets tight either due to low pond inventories or processing shortages, processors shift available product types and volume to long-time customers with high volume and price." MSU aquacultural economist Ganesh Kumar said the slow recovery in the industry's processing phase can be attributed to several factors related to COVID-19, which includes limits on how many people could work during the same shift while maintaining social distancing, as well as processors finding enough workers willing to work for pay comparable to stimulus checks and unemployment benefits.
 
ORAU awards research grants to junior faculty at member universities
Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) has awarded competitive research grants totaling $175,000 to 35 junior faculty from its member institutions. The annual grants are made through the company's Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards program that provides funds to enrich the research and professional growth of young faculty, an ORAU news release stated. The recipients, each of whom is in the first two years of a tenure track position, will receive $5,000 in seed money for the 2021-2022 academic year to enhance their research during the early stages of their careers. Each recipient's institution matches the ORAU award with an additional $5,000, making the total prize worth $10,000 for each winner. Winners may use the grants to purchase equipment, continue research or travel to professional meetings and conferences. The awards, now in their 31st year, are named for Ralph E. Powe, who served as the ORAU councilor from Mississippi State University for 16 years. Powe participated in numerous committees and special projects during his tenure and was elected chair of ORAU's Council of Sponsoring Institutions. He died in 1996. Recipients of the Ralph E. Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Awards for the 2021-2022 academic year include Prashant Singh, Mississippi State University.
 
Starkville adding parking limits in downtown area
The City of Starkville will put time limits on parking through major parts of the downtown area. City officials will add two-hour parking from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day of the week. The two-hour parking will be enforced on University Drive in the Cotton District, Russell Street, Page Avenue and a few other streets throughout Starkville. Police officers and city leaders have worked on these parking limits for a few weeks, and plan to give people another week before giving out tickets, which Police Sgt. Brandon Lovelady feels is plenty of time for folks to prepare. "If there's no parking for the patrons, then we won't have any customers that can come," parking enforcement officer Curtis White said. White believes the limit will benefit downtown hangouts. "A person will come, they know they've got a parking place, and they're going to stay two hours," he said. "They're not gonna stay any longer than two hours to eat and then they'll leave and it's a cycle. We'll be able to recycle and keep people coming and going."
 
Local leaders exploring deal to offer Lowndes County Juvenile Detention Center services to Starkville and beyond
The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors and the city of Starkville are discussing an agreement that would allow Starkville to regularly use the Lowndes County Juvenile Detention Center. It could be the first step toward the center becoming a permanent resource for the entire Golden Triangle. "If you go over there, it is not 100 percent full all the time," says Ward 2 Supervisor Trip Hairston. "We believe that we have the capacity there from a bed standpoint, where we can help the region out." It was earlier in 2021 during the spring that Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill brought up the possibility of building a regional juvenile detention center to serve all of the Golden Triangle. "To use a detention facility to exercise some impact on these kids and show them how there is a consequence to doing some of the things that they've been doing," Mayor Spruill says. But Hairston, who is also President of the Board of Supervisors, asked, why build one, when there is already a facility in Columbus? "We have a juvenile detention center here," he says. "And we would like to see if we could figure out a way that we can better utilize that to support the surrounding areas." On average, Lowndes County's Juvenile Detention center holds seven to eight people a day, according to a member of the staff. Starkville would like to reserve two of their 24 total beds for their permanent use.
 
Mississippi CEO Lex Taylor testifies before Senate Commerce Committee on supply chain resiliency
The Senate Commerce Committee hosted a hearing on "Implementing Supply Chain Resiliency" and a Mississippi CEO testified before the committee this morning. As the ranking member of the committee, U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., invited William "Lex" Taylor III of Louisville, Miss., to testify. Taylor is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Taylor Group of Companies, Inc., based in Louisville, Miss. He has also served in multiple economic development roles in Mississippi, including as Chair of the Mississippi Economic Council for 2019-2020. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Mississippi Economic Council, Business & Industry Political Education Committee, and the Mississippi Manufacturers Association. His companies, which manufacture a variety of heavy industrial equipment for the private sector and the U.S. military, have seen costs skyrocket for transportation and sourcing of key components, if they are available at all. The extra costs and extended delays have spread throughout much of the U.S. manufacturing base.
 
Sen. Roger Wicker Highlights Manufacturing Supply Chain Woes
U.S. Senator Roger Wicker, R-Miss., ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, today participated in a hearing to consider the challenges to the U.S. economy, especially manufacturers, as a result of supply chain interruptions. These problems have persisted despite the return of demand for products and services after the COVID-19 pandemic. In his opening remarks, Wicker highlighted the significant decline of American manufacturing capacity and the risk it posed to U.S. supply chains. Wicker invited Mississippi business leader William "Lex" Taylor III of Louisville, Miss., to testify at the hearing. Taylor is the Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of the Taylor Group of Companies, Inc. He has also served in multiple economic development roles in Mississippi, including as Chair of the Mississippi Economic Council for 2019-2020. "The supply chain is very interwoven and the companies within it depend on each other to keep industry and thus the wider economy going," Taylor said. "The supply chain is a disaster, it's in disarray. That's why we're here. Delays in deliveries have forced manufacturers like Taylor to resort to unorthodox and expedited methods of getting critical supplies. This situation is causing inflation to run rampant throughout the supply chain."
 
Nissan unveils 2022 Frontier truck at manufacturing plant in Canton
Since 2003, the Nissan Canton manufacturing plant has been a powerhouse in providing jobs around the state. The auto manufacturer is now hoping a new vehicle can help keep them competitive and keep Mississippians working. The unveiling of the 2022 Nissan Frontier truck at the Canton plant was more of a celebration. State and local leaders on hand to see what's next in the Nissan lineup. Tim Fallon, V.P. of Manufacturing at Nissan Canton, said, "Truck enthusiast should be excited about this lineup because it's got that big and bold, but it also has ride comfort. If you ride in this thing, it's like riding in any other car on the road." Governor Tate Reeves said, "It just shows the commitment that Nissan has had to our state. Three-and-a-half billion dollars invested in this facility in the last 20 years. We're just so proud of it, we're so proud of the over 5,000 Mississippians who work here." Nissan hopes to reinvigorate truck sales after a drop of 19 percent in the last quarter of 2022. Covid and finding parts along the way were challenges they had to overcome to get the truck rolling off the assembly line in Canton.
 
Section of Natchez Trace Parkway to close Monday
A nine-mile stretch of the Natchez Trace Parkway in Lee County will close Monday, July 19 for much-needed repairs that could take up to five months. The construction project will not only mill and overlay the parkway, it will also resurface the historic and informative pullouts. The work will also include the exit ramps connecting the parkway to public roads. According to Parkway Acting Director of Interpretation Mandi Toy, the parkway and the hiking trail will be closed to all traffic including vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. During the first phase of the road work, the parkway will be closed between mileposts 257 and 262. Traffic will detour from Pontotoc Parkway (Milepost 257) via Highway 45 to McCollough Boulevard (Milepost 262). The closure includes the Cliff Gookin Boulevard and Main Street access ramps to the parkway. The second phase of the work will be north of Milepost 262 and near Park Headquarters later this year. "The weather will be key to this project," Toy said. "If the weather cooperates, we hope to have both phases completed in about five months." Motorists won't be the only folks affected by the parkway closures; the work will also close off access to portions of the Trace to both hikers and cyclists. The roadwork will also close down the bulk of the Blackland Prairie section of the parkway's hiking trail.
 
Mississippi casinos post highest ever June revenue, continue to break pre-pandemic records
Mississippi casinos posted their highest ever combined gross gaming revenue for June, as they continue to consistently beat their pre-pandemic records. The state's casinos reported about $2.47 million in gross gaming revenue in June, just ahead of last month's total, according to the state Gaming Commission. The casinos have reported a 23% increase in gross revenue so far this year compared to the same period in 2019. Mississippi casinos reported $1.8 billion in gross gaming revenue in 2020, which included the roughly two months they were forced to shut down. In 2019, when the casinos operated as normal, that figure was $2.2 billion. Mississippi casinos, with the Gulf Coast leading the surge, are on pace to have the highest gross gaming revenue this year since they began operating in the 1990s. Gross gaming revenue -- the amount of money players wager minus what they win -- is similar to traditional businesses' sales figures. The gaming revenue numbers do not account for the cost of doing business, which have also been rising. Casinos and resorts have been struggling to attract workers, with some raising wages to fill jobs from housekeepers to table game dealers. At the same time, the costs of some food and beverage items have increased due to the pandemic's supply chain disruptions.
 
OMB officials back off against proposed Metropolitan Statistical Area definition change
Officials from the Office of Management and Budget in Washington, D.C. have decided against a proposal to change the current definition of a Metropolitan Statistical Area, which would have eliminated that status from more than 140 cities across the country -- including Hattiesburg -- making funding and other matters more difficult. The decision not to implement the change -- which would have doubled the minimum population requirement for a MSA from 50,000 to 100,000 -- was made on July 13. Local and state officials had previously spoken out against the proposal, saying the definition change could cause cities like Hattiesburg -- with a population of slightly more than 50,000 in its urbanized area -- to receive a negative effect in federal funding and would hinder economic development opportunities. Among those officials was Mayor Toby Barker, who testified before the Senate Commerce Committee in March. "During my testimony -- it was clear that this potential change was one that raised concerns for policymakers on both sides of the aisle," Barker said. Also back in March, a bipartisan group of 25 U.S. Senators -- including Mississippi's Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith -- sent a letter encouraging OMB acting director Rob Fairweather to abandon plans for the definition change.
 
Legislature expands optometrists' services
The state Legislature passed Mississippi House Bill 1302 on March 17 and went into effect July 1 to lengthen optometrists' medical procedures. According to the bill, optometrists who pass the Board of Optometry can perform optometric YAG laser posterior capsulotomy procedures, minor surgical procedures and prescribe certain drugs. Eyedok Medical Clinic's owner Patricia O'Kelley said that these procedures are taught while in school, however, optometrists are still required to pass the board certification exam before getting certified. "Many of us were taught were taught this in our optometry school," said O'Kelley. "Within the past four months, we've put in hours for both in-person and online training. Last weekend, we traveled to the Southern College of Optometry in Memphis to take the board. I'm happy to say all four of our optometrists passed the board." "Your eyesight is important, and it's important for you to get it checked. We can often detect systemic disease just by looking at their eyes. I tell people that your eyesight won't come back once it's gone. So now we can diagnose, and potentially fix issues that we see," said O'Kelley.
 
Former Meridian councilwoman to run for state Senate
Former Meridian city councilwoman, Kim Houston, will be a candidate for state Senate District 32. Houston posted her intentions to Facebook Thursday afternoon. The Democrat served two terms on the Meridian City Council and ran unsuccessfully for mayor this year. Houston will make her formal announcement Tuesday, July 20, with a series of appearances in the four counties that make up the district. Sampson Jackson resigned his office June 30 with 2 and a half years remaining in the term. Jackson told Newscenter 11 that his son, Keith, will run for the office. The qualifying deadline for candidates is Monday, Sept. 13.
 
Mother Nancy New, son Zachary New face additional charges of defrauding state
A federal grand jury has brought additional charges against a mother and son accused of improperly obtaining millions of dollars from the state of Mississippi. Nancy New and Zachary New were charged with 17 counts of conspiracy, fraud, identity theft, and money laundering on March 18. They were accused of defrauding the state Department of Education by more than $2 million from 2017 to 2020. That total has now been increased to $4 million and 21 felony charges, according to court documents filed Tuesday. The indictments accuse Nancy New and Zachary New of conspiracy to commit wire fraud by saying they created and submitted documents to the Mississippi Department of Education to receive state money to pay teachers at New Summit School in Jackson, North New Summit School in Greenwood and South New Summit School in Hattiesburg. State Auditor Shad White announced in February 2020 that Nancy New, Zachary New, former Mississippi Department of Human Services executive director John Davis and three other people had been indicted on state criminal charges in what White called a "sprawling conspiracy" related to misspending of money in the Department of Human Services. White said then that investigators believe at least $4 million in federal welfare money was stolen.
 
GOP ramps up attacks on teaching critical race theory to military
Congressional Republicans are attempting to tie the Biden administration to the argument, made by many progressives in the Democratic Party, that the United States is "systemically racist," and the GOP is focusing its attention on the Pentagon. The concept of critical race theory, which emerged in academic circles decades ago, holds that inequities in society, in areas such as education, the workplace and wealth, stem from America's history of racism. That history, the theory goes, continues to lead to disparate outcomes and must be countered with "anti-racist" programs aimed at helping minorities. The debate over its teaching has become controversial in K-12 school systems, with some GOP states seeking to ban it and proponents of the theory responding that those efforts seek to cover up the history of racism in the United States. But as Republicans have noticed that the controversy has touched a nerve among conservatives, they've begun talking about it more in Washington. Senate Armed Services member Tom Cotton of Arkansas went on Fox News last week to call for the resignation of Air Force Academy associate professor Lynne Chandler Garcia, who wrote in a July 6 Washington Post op-ed that she teaches critical race theory to cadets. Cotton's fellow Arkansas Republican, Sen. John Boozman, who sits on the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee, took a similar view.
 
Pope reverses Benedict, reimposes restrictions on Latin Mass
Pope Francis cracked down Friday on the spread of the old Latin Mass, reversing one of Pope Benedict XVI's signature decisions in a major challenge to traditionalist Catholics who immediately decried it as an attack on them and the ancient liturgy. Francis reimposed restrictions on celebrating the Latin Mass that Benedict relaxed in 2007. The pontiff said he was taking action because Benedict's reform had become a source of division in the church and been used as a tool by Catholics opposed to the Second Vatican Council, the 1960s meetings that modernized the liturgy. Francis issued a new law requiring individual bishops to approve celebrations of the old Mass, also called the Tridentine Mass, and requiring newly ordained priests to receive explicit permission to celebrate it from their bishops in consultation with the Vatican. Under the new law, bishops must also determine if the current groups of faithful attached to the old Mass accept Vatican II, which allowed for Mass to be celebrated in the vernacular rather than Latin. These groups can no longer use regular parishes for their Masses; instead, bishops must find an alternate location for them. In addition, Francis said bishops are no longer allowed to authorize the formation of any new pro-Latin Mass groups in their dioceses. The pope's rollback immediately created an uproar among traditionalists already opposed to Francis' more progressive bent and still nostalgic for Benedict's doctrinaire papacy.
 
UMMC: If you work or learn here, either get vaccinated or wear your mask at all times
In a policy shift, the University of Mississippi Medical Center is now requiring anyone who works or learns in a UMMC-controlled space to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 "with limited exceptions" or wear an N95 mask at all times. The policy will go into effect July 26 and will be phased in over three months, beginning with managers/supervisors, followed by direct-patient-care employees and then all others not covered in the earlier phases. A statement by UMMC read that everyone who works or learns in a UMMC-controlled space should be fully vaccinated or wearing an N95 mask at all times on or by November 1. "When we became health care professionals or chose to work or study in a health care environment, we accepted the responsibility to always do what's in the best interests of our patients," stated Dr. LouAnn Woodward, vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine. "Once the Food and Drug Administration lifts the emergency use authorization designation from any vaccine that UMMC administers, the option to decline a vaccine other than for certain accommodations will no longer be available," the statement also read. "At that time, receiving the COVID-19 vaccination will become a condition of employment or enrollment -- similar to the UMMC policy requiring employees and students receive the flu vaccine annually."
 
U. of Mississippi Libraries to Receive Multimillion-Dollar Gift
Ralph Vance tries to talk about the late Bill Morrison's generosity to the University of Mississippi, but the words catch in his throat. "We've all been meeting and putting our heads together about how to do the right thing with this gift, but mostly we just keep saying, 'Oh my god: the things we could do! Things we haven't even thought about,'" said Vance, his eyes welling with tears. "I'm so thankful. It's just spectacular." Vance is president of the Friends of the Library at Ole Miss, the support society for the University of Mississippi Libraries. The gift in question is a 7.2-acre undeveloped parcel of prime real estate in the heart of metropolitan Atlanta, in the affluent and historic Brookhaven neighborhood -- a picturesque area dotted with golf courses amid beautiful, old homes and tree-shaded streets. Morrison, a 1970 College of Liberal Arts graduate who majored in English, sociology and anthropology, bequeathed the land to the University Libraries with the understanding that it would be sold for millions. It's a fitting gift, friends and family say, because Morrison visited his local public library every day. "Sometimes twice a day," said Debbie Landers, of Atlanta, Morrison's friend of the past two years. "If he got bored, he would just go to the library. He would use the computer there and, of course, he went to read. He really loved the library in general and when it closed during the pandemic, he missed it terribly."
 
Alabama's student financial assistance programs receiving extra funding through two legislative bills
Two student financial assistance programs administered by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) will be receiving additional funding this fall following the signature of Gov. Kay Ivey on two bills passed during the legislative session. The Alabama Math and Science Teacher Education Program (AMSTEP) is available for public middle through high school teachers in the state teaching math, science, or computer science. The original AMSTEP bill was passed by lawmakers four years ago, but has been amended to expand the eligibility requirements due to the shortage of teachers in those fields. Last December commissioners approved the 2021 ACHE legislative agenda which weighed heavily on helping students pay for college. "We asked for more money to help students starting college, as well as assisting STEM educators already in an Alabama classroom paying off student loans," said Dothan businessman and ACHE Chairman Charles Buntin. Another ACHE legislative item has been signed into law that makes eligibility changes to the Police Officer's and Firefighter's Survivor Educational Assistance Program. Tuition, fees, books, and supplies are covered in the grants. Eligible recipients include spouses and dependent natural and dependent adopted children under the age of 21.
 
U. of Missouri announces plans to restructure its 22 research farms and centers
The University of Missouri announced plans Wednesday to consolidate and reorganize its 22 research farms and centers into a set of centralized hubs, a project that will take nine months to accomplish. Restructuring the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station will require sorting its statewide properties into eight research hubs and centers, said MU spokesperson Christian Basi. Four research hubs will be administered by the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, and four extension and education centers will be managed by MU Extension. The CAFNR hubs will be operated as laboratories with a full-time director. The extension and education centers will have part-time directors. The restructuring will improve efficiency and save approximately $800,000 per year by centralizing administrative and field operations positions, Basi said. The project is scheduled to begin Aug. 1 and end April 30. To date, plans have been solidified for 14 of the 22 farms and centers. Basi said decisions about the remaining properties will be made as the restructuring unfolds over three phases. The new, more efficient system will help farmers who rely on local research, said Eric Bohl, director of public affairs and advocacy for the Missouri Farm Bureau. "We are where the research meets the road," he said. "It actually makes a difference in how people operate."
 
The Plan Is 'Not Perfect,' but Pa.'s Public-College System Will Turn 6 Campuses Into 2
After a decade of falling enrollments and shrinking state appropriations, Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education is taking a major -- but controversial -- step meant to stem the system's fiscal woes, shore up academic offerings at struggling institutions, and work more collaboratively with elected officials. The system's Board of Governors on Wednesday unanimously approved a plan to consolidate six of the 14 universities into two institutions. In the western part of the state, the campuses at California, Clarion, and Edinboro will merge, and the campuses at Bloomsburg, Lock Haven, and Mansfield will become one institution. "The steps we are finalizing are things we have been talking about since I joined the board eight years ago," said David M. Maser, a lawyer and board member. "The plan, while not perfect," he said, "is a good plan." The two institutions that result from the merger will each be led by a single president and leadership team, including enrollment-management and student-support services, and a unified faculty with academic programs shared across all of the three combined campuses in each new college. Several board members said the vote to consolidate was difficult but necessary, given the state's demographic trends and the continuing inadequacy of state appropriations. Among the remaining problems are issues of accreditation.
 
Clemson to give $5.6M in employee bonuses propelled by enrollment growth, pandemic aid
With Clemson University's growth in enrollment along with federal and state stimulus funding putting it in a strong fiscal position, the school's staff and faculty can expect a one-time bonus at the end of the month. The Board of Trustees, which during its July 15 meeting elected its first female chairwoman, approved $5.6 million for the bonuses, along with a host of capital projects. Approximately 5,200 of the university's faculty and staff -- about 80 percent of the total headcount -- can expect to see a one time, 1.5 percent bonuses after the board approved the program. The bonuses do not extend to part time or student employees. The university's faculty and staff have "performed very, very well under difficult circumstance," Executive Vice President for Finance and Operations Tony Wagner said. The school has not seen a bonus program like this in recent history. Wagner called it a "unique program" due to the "unique circumstances" of the pandemic. The board elected Kim Wilkerson as the first woman chair. Wilkerson, South Carolina president and managing director for Bank of America, will serve a two-year term, succeeding Smyth McKissick III.
 
Scarce Flights, Visa Issues Snarl Students' Plans to Reach U.S.
Students from around the world are eager to study at U.S. colleges in the upcoming fall semester after the Covid-19 pandemic confined many of them to their home countries and left some attending virtual classes in the wee hours of the morning. Now, getting to campus is the hard part. In China, which accounts for a third of the roughly 1 million foreign students that flock to the U.S. in a typical academic year, the decline in available flights to American cities has been so severe that some students and their parents have resorted to lining up charter planes. Others, including from India, are caught up in visa purgatory because the State Department reduced personnel at embassies and consulates due to the pandemic. And that's to say nothing of fast-changing Covid-19 vaccine guidelines. It all adds up to tangle of challenges that has created uncertainty for students and a potential headache for schools that are looking to blunt last year's sharp drop in international enrollment and the attending financial hit. International students bring a worldly perspective to campuses and, crucially, often pay full tuition. Widespread deferrals would be a blow to colleges and universities, which dealt with a 16% decline in international student enrollment in this year's spring term from the previous year because of the pandemic.
 
A 'Breaking Point' in Campus Mental Health
This spring, after the third undergraduate student death at Dartmouth College in one academic year, Martha Aguirre began to notice a pattern in the emails the college sent to its grieving campus. They seemed to follow a template: Name. Date of passing. Class. College and concentration. Achievements. Frustrated by what she saw as inaction to address a cluster of suicides on campus, Aguirre, a rising senior, felt the emails' formality was callous. "What are you even talking about, dude? People are literally killing themselves," she said of the emails. The spate of deaths at Dartmouth left students like Aguirre looking for answers and reignited conversations about mental health in higher education. Other campuses have been grappling with similar tragedies during the past year: West Virginia University lost two students to suicide, and Cornell University saw five students die unexpectedly. Clusters of suicides -- multiple deaths in close proximity -- have raised concerns of "suicide contagion" on campuses. Research has shown that exposure to suicide can increase suicidal behavior in others, especially those who are already at risk. "It can happen at small places like Dartmouth [or] big places like the University of Washington," said Kevin Kruger, president of Naspa: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education. "They're even more tragic when you have a series of deaths like this because it really affects the community. Every institution ought to look at the root causes of this. We know that mental-health issues are a significant challenge." Experts say there are ways colleges can improve their suicide prevention and response protocols to help stop the tragic cycle.
 
'Case for Campus Housing' Study Finds Benefits to Living on Campus
First-year students who live on campus are 2% more likely to continue on to their second year than those who do not, according to a new report, "The Case for Campus Housing," from the Association of College and University Housing Officers-International (ACUHO-I). ACUHO-I says that difference could be due to the proximity of learning experiences and opportunities while in residence halls, including "the ability to attend classes, interact with faculty, meet with advisors, study and do projects with other students, use academic support services, and attend social, diversity-related, and wellness activities." Among other findings, the study also found that many students of color (Asian, Black, and multiracial) who picked their roommates perceived a "significantly and substantially more" welcoming campus environment. However, the study notes, only 25% of students of color choose their own roommates as compared to 40% of white students.
 
U. of California to require student COVID-19 vaccines for fall term
The University of California announced Thursday that COVID-19 vaccinations will be required before the fall term begins for all students, faculty and others, becoming the nation's largest public university system to mandate the vaccines even though they don't have full federal approval. As the highly contagious Delta variant spreads amid lower vaccination rates among younger people, unvaccinated students without approved exemptions will be barred from in-person classes, events and campus facilities, including housing -- and not all classes will be offered online, a UC memo outlining the mandate said. Physical distancing and mask wearing are expected to continue. "Vaccination is by far the most effective way to prevent severe disease and death after exposure to the virus and to reduce spread of the disease to those who are not able, or not yet eligible, to receive the vaccine," UC President Michael V. Drake said in a letter to the system's 10 chancellors. California State University is still hashing out its requirements and currently plans to mandate vaccinations only after the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gives full approval to at least one of the vaccines. The differing policies among three California public higher education systems, which collectively educate more than 1 million students, underscore the continued uncertainty around campus health and safety protocols at colleges across the nation. In addition, questions remain over whether public educational institutions have the legal right to require inoculations of vaccines that have not received full federal approval.
 
Governor signs bill to ban requiring COVID-19 vaccine at Ohio public schools, universities
Gov. Mike DeWine signed a bill that will prevent public schools and universities from mandating COVID-19 vaccines for students and staff until they receive full approval from federal officials. Language added to House Bill 244 will prevent schools and universities from requiring vaccines that haven't received full U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval. All three COVID-19 vaccines were approved under emergency use authorization, a rigorous protocol that includes clinical trials. The new law doesn't take effect for 90 days, and the vaccines might receive full FDA approval in that window, making the language moot. "We are confident the three main COVID vaccines -- the Pfizer, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson -- will receive full FDA approval," said DeWine spokesman Dan Tierney, adding that the full approval will help reduce vaccine hesitancy. The bill doesn't apply to private universities or the hospitals connected to public universities.
 
What's fueling COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in young adults? One barrier is a 'youthful sense of invincibility'
Starting next week, 150 Connecticut college students will begin training to go out into communities in their state that are lagging in vaccination rates and try to combat COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among young adults. The program comes as the nation enters a period where the delta variant is surging in some locations and officials are having difficulty convincing millions of Americans to get vaccinated -- currently the best hope of averting yet another wave of COVID-19. Officials nationwide are trying to reach unvaccinated people -- in particular those between the ages of 18 and 24, who have lower rates of getting the shot when compared to older age groups and the highest rates of COVID-19 cases. "It really is meeting people where they are, giving them the important information for them to be able to make the decision for themselves," Janelle Chiasera, dean of the School of Health Sciences at Quinnipiac University, which is working with the state health department on the Connecticut Public Health College Corps program, told ABC News. "What we're trying to do is to get those people who are on the fence, over that fence to get the vaccine." Unvaccinated adults are "significantly younger," according to the Kaiser Family Foundation's latest vaccine monitor report; 29% of the unvaccinated are 18- to 29-year-olds, compared to 17% of those vaccinated, for the smallest percentage of adults vaccinated.
 
All eyes on vaccination rates at colleges mandating COVID shots
Stockton University in New Jersey is one of hundreds of colleges requiring students get vaccinated against COVID-19 before returning to campus this fall. Students have until Aug. 1 to provide the university with proof of vaccination status or to request an exemption on medical or religious grounds. There's an incentive for Stockton students to submit their paperwork early: students who submitted proof of vaccination by July 8 were eligible for a drawing to win a year of free tuition or room and board, and university officials are planning for two additional drawings in August. But just two weeks before the Aug. 1 deadline, the percentage of students who have submitted proof of vaccination or an exemption request is hovering right around a third. Stockton officials report that about 90 percent of the 3,500 students who have submitted documentation so far have provided proof of vaccination status, while about 10 percent have requested an exemption. "Anyone who has required the vaccine is facing the dilemma: How many are vaccinated, and what is the next step for those who don't get vaccinated?" said Susan Davenport, Stockton's executive vice president and chief of staff. "Anecdotally," she said, "what we're hearing is students are waiting us out a bit. Do we really mean it?"
 
Covid-19 School Mandates for Masks, Vaccines Are Blocked in More States
More states are blocking K-12 schools and college campuses from requiring vaccines and masking, bucking recent federal recommendations that eligible students should be vaccinated and that unvaccinated students should wear masks when in-person learning resumes in coming weeks. Bans blocking schools and colleges from requiring Covid-19 vaccination or proof of vaccination have passed in at least eight states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Montana, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah. In some cases, the bans extend to other public entities and private businesses. At least three states -- Arizona, Arkansas and Oklahoma -- have outlawed the required use of masks in schools. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last week recommended that students, teachers and staff who aren't fully vaccinated continue to wear masks indoors. It also urged schools to reopen in person while maintaining 3-foot social distancing and encouraging more families to be vaccinated. Detractors say the bans could drive more infection. Supporters say the laws allow families to make their own choices about precautions. Nearly all recent Covid-19 cases and deaths from the disease are among unvaccinated people, according to the CDC.
 
Without statewide orders, Mississippi schools to set their own COVID policies as cases surge
As infections continue to increase and in some cases hospitalize children, Mississippi schools are grappling with what COVID-19 restrictions, if any, should be made for the upcoming school year. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs recently expressed his concerns about a "surge of cases in kids" as a result of the spread of the Delta variant. This week seven minors were hospitalized after becoming infected with the variant, and the state on Wednesday saw its highest single-day caseload since March. Gov. Tate Reeves has signaled he will not be issuing any mandates around masks or other COVID-19 protocols in schools, so Mississippi districts are left to grapple with what restrictions to put in place in a state where only 31% of the population is vaccinated. Of that, just 6% of children ages 12-15 and 12% of kids ages 16-17 are fully vaccinated, according to the Mississippi Department of Health. At the same time, the Mississippi State Board of Education on Thursday passed a policy stating schools must return to in-person learning as the primary mode of learning in the 2021-2022 school year. The board also approved policies outlining how the district can offer school- or district-wide virtual instruction during a COVID-19 outbreak, weather event or other situation, and outlined requirements for students who are learning virtually due to a medical condition or other reason.
 
Be interested in interest rates
Steve Turner, director of the Southern Rural Development Center and a professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics at Mississippi State University, writes in The Northside Sun: Interest rates are the cost of money. Remember that money serves as a medium of exchange, a store of value, and an accounting unit. Currencies backed by governments are usually considered money (dollars and euros) and used to standardize prices. In the modern world, everyone is either a borrower or a lender and often we are both. For instance, many have a home mortgage where they are a borrower and at the same time a lender with either a savings account or investment portfolio. The key to a successful economic life is to borrow at a lower interest rate than what you earn as a lender or investor. The earlier you learn and practice this axiom, the more prosperous you will be. Some points clarify why this is crucial to a successful business, government, and personal life. Have you ever wondered why "the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer"? A major explanation comes from interest rates.


SPORTS
 
Scouting the Schedule, Game 1: Mississippi State hosts Louisiana Tech in season opener
Mississippi State blew out Louisiana Tech 45-3 the last time the two teams played in 2018. But Skip Holtz's squad hopes to pose a greater challenge when the two packs of Bulldogs meet at 3 p.m. Sept. 4 to open the 2021 football season at Davis Wade Stadium. Here's a look at the first opponent on MSU's schedule this fall. Mississippi State has won its past four games against Louisiana Tech, including a 2017 contest in Ruston featuring the infamous "third-and-93" play where a fumble rolled nearly the entire length of the field, setting up the home team with third-and-goal at its own 7-yard line. The other three of the previous four matchups between the two have been in Starkville, as will this year's contest. Louisiana Tech finished the shortened 2020 season at 5-5 after blowout losses to TCU and in the New Orleans Bowl to Georgia Southern. But the Bulldogs picked up a few solid victories along the way, edging Southern Miss by one point, routing Houston Baptist and beating UTEP, UAB and North Texas. Louisiana Tech has finished .500 or better in every season since 2013, its first season under Holtz.
 
Not just the champs: Ranking every sports program at Mississippi State in 2020-21
There isn't too much mystery about who will rank No. 1 on this list. The 2020-21 athletic calendar ended in a big, exciting way for Mississippi State. But the ending wasn't the only impressive achievement for Mississippi State athletics over the last year. Before summer and fall camps roll around for football and the fall seasons for soccer, volleyball and cross country start up, let's take a look back at every NCAA sport Mississippi State hosted in 2020-21 and rank them in order of what sport achieved the most. For the sake of brevity, sports like track and field that have indoor and outdoor seasons are not separated. The best team on campus earned that moniker. Outfielder Tanner Allen and pitchers Will Bednar and Landon Sims led Mississippi State to a College World Series championship, the first NCAA team sports championship in school history. The Bulldogs won 20 SEC games, earned a national seed, swept the Starkville Regional and beat Notre Dame in the Starkville Super Regional before taking down perennial powers Texas, Virginia and Vanderbilt in Omaha.
 
Jerry Carter named chief of Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks Law Enforcement Bureau
Leaders with the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Parks (MDWFP) announced Lt. Col. Jerry Carter has been promoted to colonel and chief of the Law Enforcement Bureau with the agency. He will oversee the daily operations of MDWFP's law enforcement organization. Carter is the first African American to become chief of the Law Enforcement Bureau since the creation of the agency in 1932. "I am truly grateful for this opportunity afforded me by the Executive Director Dr. Sam Polles, and my predecessor Colonel Steve Adcock, and the trust placed in me to move the Law Enforcement Bureau forward. I am totally committed to the agency's mission, and to providing quality law enforcement services to the citizenry of our great State," said Carter. His previous assignments include Boater/Hunter Education Administrator, Coordinator of Communications, Commander of the Honor Guard, Emergency Management Coordinator, and Commander of the North Mississippi Law Enforcement Region.
 
NCAA's Mark Emmert says 'this is the right time' to consider decentralized, deregulated college sports
NCAA President Mark Emmert said Thursday the time is right to consider a decentralized and deregulated version of college sports, shifting power to conferences and campuses and reconsidering how schools are aligned. Emmert said the recent Supreme Court ruling against the NCAA, along with the lifting of restrictions on athletes monetizing their fame, should be a catalyst to "rethink" what college sports is about. In a 30-minute interview with a small group of reporters, Emmert stressed he was not putting forth a mandate or even a recommendation. But he laid out a vision for the future of college sports that puts fewer limitations on athletes and deemphasizes the role of a national governing body like the NCAA, which was founded 115 years ago and oversees more than 450,000 students who play sports. "When you have an environment like that, it just forces us to think more about what constraints should be put in place ever on college athletes," Emmert said. "And it should be the bare minimum." Emmert said the NCAA's more than 1,100 member schools should consider a less homogenous approach to the way sports are governed and reexamine the current three-division structure, which includes 355 Division I colleges.
 
Senate hopeful Jake Bequette's ads rile Razorbacks; UA asking candidate to cool it
University of Arkansas officials are asking U.S. Senate candidate Jake Bequette to modify his campaign videos so they contain less Woo Pig Sooie. Bequette, a former all-SEC defensive lineman, is challenging Sen. John Boozman, a one-time Razorbacks offensive lineman, in the 2022 Republican primary. The challenger's introductory video refers to Bequette as a "Patriot. Veteran. Razorback." It features numerous images and video of Bequette playing for the Hogs. "We have asked the campaign, initially by phone and then through a formal request, to modify its videos related to the unauthorized use of the Razorback trademark for political purposes," university spokesman Mark Rushing said in an email. "So the campaign is aware of the issues, but they are not yet resolved." Asked about the objection, the Bequette campaign Thursday defended his use of the Razorback label. "Jake Bequette is proud of his time at the University of Arkansas where he was an academic All-American and All-SEC defensive end," the campaign said in a statement. "He will continue to proudly call himself a Razorback." On Wednesday, Harold Evans, the university system's associate vice president, legal and research, wrote to an attorney for the Bequette campaign expressing concerns about the videos. In the request, Evans noted that board of trustees policy 100.7 limits the use of the university's name or trademarks.
 
NIL influence with Mizzou sports to grow further after bill's signing
Nearly two weeks after the NCAA adopted a policy for student-athletes to benefit from their name, image and likeness, the momentum behind that movement in Missouri only continues to grow. Gov. Mike Parson on Tuesday signed the state's NIL bill in Jefferson City, with Tigers athletic director Jim Sterk and UM System President Mun Choi in attendance. Missouri became the 27th state to adopt an NIL bill. Parson's signature made the Show-Me State the final one in the Southeastern Conference's footprint to put pen to paper. The law officially goes into effect on Aug. 28, by which time Missouri football will have begun preseason camp and be just a week from its season opener against Central Michigan. The rest of the Tigers' fall sports will have started formal practices, too. Every student-athlete has a chance to profit from Missouri's NIL law. Missouri student-athletes such as Columbia native Martez Manuel and freshman quarterback Tyler Macon already have created their own logos to represent their personal brands. In the lead-up to the bill's signing, Missouri head football coach Eli Drinkwitz was in Jefferson City a few times to meet with legislators, making it an apparent priority during a busy offseason.
 
Florida-UCF football series reportedly about to become a reality
UCF coach Gus Malzahn said he'd be willing to play Florida in a parking lot. It appears the schools have come up with more traditional venues. They are expected to finalize a three-game series in the next few days, according to the Orlando Sentinel. The contract would call for UCF to play at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium in 2024 and 2033, and the Gators will play at UCF in 2030. Florida officials declined to comment on the report Thursday, but the schools have had sporadic talks for the past few years. Both expressed a desire to play, but they didn't see eye-to-eye on the details. Florida does not schedule home-and-home series against schools that aren't in a Power 5 conference. The Gators were willing to play a two-for-one, with UCF visiting Gainesville twice. UCF is a member of the American Athletic Conference, which has been pushing to be regarded on par with Power Five conferences. A two-for-one was seen as an admission of inferiority. "Top 10 programs don't schedule two-for-one series where the balance is not in their favor," former UCF athletics director Danny White said. Florida AD Scott Stricklin said the Gators offered to play at UCF's stadium, but the Knights insisted on an equal number of home games. That impasse was broken when White became Tennessee's AD in January.



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