| Friday, August 6, 2021 |
| Mississippi State announces incentives to encourage students, employees to get vaccinated | |
 | Mississippi State University will partner with the Delta Health Alliance to encourage more people at the university and around the state to get a COVID-19 vaccination. According to university leaders, funding from the Delta Health Alliance Mississippi RIVER Project will help with MSU's vaccine adoption efforts both on campus and via MSU Extension. MSU Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt said the communication effort to encourage vaccination is a multi-pronged approach, including a new student team called Vaccine Ambassadors which will work during the school year to provide information to MSU students. "We're hiring 20 students who will work as our VA team going to student events and organization meetings. They will be able to discuss commonly asked questions and encourage fellow students to come to one of our pop-up clinics or the Longest Student Health Center to get vaccinated," Hyatt explained. Student incentives include raffles for $100 flexible dining dollars, $250 bookstore vouchers, $190 parking decal vouchers, and two drawings for $9,000 in tuition. MSU employee incentives have included National Championship gear and meal vouchers, with more planned for the fall semester. |
| Divided soybean crop has good price prospects | |
 | Most soybeans in Mississippi are having a good year to date, with 82-percent of the crop appearing in good or excellent shape past the midway point in the season. Prices also look good, with averages above those of recent years. But Trent Irby, soybean specialist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said the state's soybean scene this year really is a tale of two crops. "Our full-season acres that weren't impacted by flooding look really good right now for the most part," Irby said. "We still have a lot of growing season left, but there are a lot of acres with great yield potential at this point." The remaining acres are not so easy to characterize. Irby said soybeans were still being planted in places as of mid-July. Most of these crops were replants forced by flooding. Irby estimated most of the state's soybean crop was planted in a normal window as early as late March through June after wheat harvest. Because of the devastating rains in late June, there are more late-planted soybeans than normal. Some of these fields were not planted until late July, and Irby said planting may continue. "That leaves the question of how many soybean acres were planted in the state in 2021 still very open," Irby said. |
| To Remember The Moment, Try Taking Fewer Photos | |
 | The sun is setting at the end of a gorgeous day at the beach -- the light is just right, illuminating your kids' faces as they play in the waves. You reach for your phone because you want to remember this perfect moment. But before you do, here's a bit of surprising science that avid photo-takers need to know: Taking photos is not the perfect memory-retention tool you think it is. "As with information, when we take pictures we're offloading the responsibility of remembering onto an external device," says Julia Soares, an assistant psychology professor at Mississippi State University. The other explanation for memory impairment when you snap that pic, Soares found, is attentional disengagement. It's what happens when we're distracted by the process of taking a photo, says Soares: how we hold our phone, framing the photo to make sure people are smiling and the background is to our liking, ensuring the image isn't blurry -- all of which uses up cognitive skills or attentional resources that could otherwise help us encode or retain that memory. There are, however, some memory-retention advantages to taking photos -- when done mindfully. "We know from many studies that photos are good memory cues," Soares says as one example of the benefits of taking pictures, "so the story isn't quite so simple as 'taking photos is bad.' " |
| U.S. added 943,000 jobs in July; unemployment rate at 5.4% | |
 | Hiring surged in July as American employers added 943,000 jobs. The unemployment rate dropped to 5.4% another sign that the U.S. economy continues to bounce back with surprising vigor from last year's coronavirus shutdown. The July numbers exceeded economists' forecast for more than 860,000 new jobs. Hotels and restaurants, reopening and doing brisk business, added 327,000 jobs last month. Local public schools added 221,000. The number of people who reported they had jobs surged by 1 million, pushing the jobless rate down from 5.9% in June. Last month, 261,000 people returned to the job market. Scrambling to find workers as business surges back, companies raised wages: Average hourly earnings were up 4% last month from a year earlier. The coronavirus triggered a brief but intense recession last spring, forcing businesses to shut down and consumers to stay home as a health precaution. The economy lost more than 22 million jobs in March and April 2020. Since then, though, it has recovered nearly 17 million jobs, leaving a 5.7 million shortfall compared to February 2020. "Things are undeniably moving in the right direction," said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate.com. |
| Gulf Coast Businesses Struggle To Stay Open As COVID-19 Outbreaks Surge Among Staff | |
| Big Time Diner in Mobile, Ala., stopped serving on July 23. "We had 12 people test positive, so we shut down," says Robert Momberger, owner of the neighborhood restaurant, which specializes in Southern sides and fresh Gulf seafood. He was among the staff who got sick, and he didn't want it to spread further. "Oh, yeah, and unfortunately, I got through COVID, but during the process of COVID, I got pneumonia," he says. "That's what I'm trying to get over now." Many of his young workers are not vaccinated, Momberger says. He had received only the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Now he's encouraging employees to get vaccinated, as the restaurant reopens Thursday with limited hours and new safety protocols, including masking. Big Time Diner is one on a growing list of businesses on the Gulf Coast that have temporarily shuttered because of outbreaks among staff. Gulf Coast states are hot spots for transmission of the highly contagious delta variant of the coronavirus. Vaccination rates remain low, but the pace of vaccination has picked up during this latest surge in cases. In New Orleans, music venues have canceled shows because of infected staff. And now several popular clubs, including world-famous Tipitina's, will require proof of vaccination or a negative test to attend shows. |
| COVID cases continue rising in Golden Triangle | |
 | As the Delta variant of COVID-19 is spreading across the country, cases are rapidly increasing in the Golden Triangle. Lowndes County has had 445 positive cases since July 24, the most it has seen since January, with 7,314 total cases since the virus began. There have been 306 positive cases in Oktibbeha County over the past two weeks but no deaths, bringing the county total to 5,133 positive cases and 98 deaths. There have been 40,493 doses of the vaccine administered with 19,477 people having been fully vaccinated in Oktibbeha County, the most in the Golden Triangle, making the percentage total 39 percent of people fully vaccinated in the county. Clay County has had 134 positive cases of COVID-19 since July 24 and no deaths bringing its county total to 2,067 cases and 54 deaths. According to MSDH's website, Baptist Memorial Hospital in Columbus has 20 confirmed COVID patients with four patients in the Intensive Care Unit. The hospital has six ICU beds available. OCH Regional Medical Center in Starkville has 11 confirmed COVID patients and four patients in the ICU as of Thursday. There are no ICU beds available at OCH. North Mississippi Medical Center in West Point has four confirmed COVID patients with three patients in the ICU. There are no ICU beds available. |
| More than 2,000 new COVID-19 cases reported in Mississippi Friday | |
 | Coronavirus cases in Mississippi, fueled by the highly contagious delta variant, continue to climb, with Friday's daily total of 2,094 new cases. Within the week from July 30 to Aug. 5, 14,193 COVID-19 cases were recorded, up 4,194 from the previous week. On Tuesday, the state saw the highest one-day coronavirus-related deaths, at 34, since early March when the department reported 44 deaths. There were eight coronavirus-related deaths reported on Friday. Six deaths occurred between July 29 and Thursday, and two deaths occurred between July 27 and July 31, as identified from death certificate reports. Residents between the ages of 25 and 39 represent the largest portion of the infected population in the state, with 79,341 cases reported Tuesday, the latest figure available. Among patients under 18, children between the ages of 11 and 17 have the highest infection rate, with 27,944 cases identified. The 65 and older age group has the highest total number of deaths with 5,734 reported. According to health department data, 1,249,103 people have begun the vaccination process in Mississippi, as of Thursday morning. Since December, about 1,045,849 people are fully immunized against COVID-19. |
| Doc: Delta variant spread 'like a tsunami' in Mississippi | |
| Mississippi's top health official said the delta coronavirus variant is "sweeping across Mississippi like a tsunami" as the state reported more than 3,000 new cases of the highly transmittable virus in a single day Thursday. "If we look at our trajectory, we see that it's continuing to increase without any real demonstration of leveling off or decreasing," State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said during a virtual briefing with press. Dobbs said 90% of new coronavirus cases in Mississippi are now the delta variant. The state's major hospital systems are overwhelmed -- 178 new patients were hospitalized in a single day Wednesday -- with almost no ICU beds available for patients, he said. Public institutions such as the University of Mississippi, Mississippi State and the University of Southern Mississippi announced Wednesday and Thursday that they would require students and staff to wear masks indoors, citing the surge in delta variant cases. The institutions said the decisions were made based on the department of health guidance. Like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Mississippi Department of Health has advised that people learning and working in school settings wear masks to prevent the spread of the virus. Many K-12 public school districts have opted to create their own policies requiring masks before the start of the year, but some have resisted. |
| What you need to know about MSDH's new COVID guidelines for colleges | |
| With the fall semester weeks away, the Mississippi Department of Health has released updated guidelines for mitigating the spread of the coronavirus in colleges and universities. This comes as the delta variant "sweeps over Mississippi like a tsunami," State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said in a press conference on Thursday. "We've seen a phenomenal increase in the number of daily reported cases of COVID," Dobbs said, "and this is entirely attributable to the delta variant." As the "primary health prevention strategy" to stem transmission of the virus, the new guidelines recommend all eligible students, faculty and staff receive the COVID-19 vaccine. It also urges colleges and universities to direct everyone on campus, regardless of vaccination status, to mask-up in all indoor facilities and in crowded outdoor settings. Colleges and universities are further advised to continue contact tracing to identify COVID-19 positive individuals and remove them from the school setting, particularly dormitories where transmission is more likely. Lastly, the guidance also contains strategies that schools can use to manage and respond to an outbreak. Shortly after MSDH released its new guidance in a memo Wednesday afternoon, Mississippi State University and University of Mississippi announced that they would temporarily require masks in all indoor activities and locations on campus. |
| Recommendations announced for universities and colleges to prevent more spread of Delta variant | |
 | Mississippi health officials announce recommendations for colleges and universities, as they warn the seven day average of COVID-19 cases surpasses 2,000. Recommendations for college and universities are the same as schools, if eligible get vaccinated, says State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers. He's encouraging universal masking and: "Physical distancing, as practical while wearing a mask. Continue contact tracing to identify those individuals who may be infected and exclude them from the school setting, as well as identifying those individuals who may be in direct contact," said Byers. State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs says the COVID-19 Delta variant is sweeping over the state like a tsunami with over 3,100 cases and 16 deaths reported Thursday. He suggests those who have COVID-19 should check with their doctor about a monoclonal treatment. "Even if you've been vaccinated, even if you had COVID before, if you get diagnosed with active COVID, please talk to your doctor about antibody monoclonal treatment because it could save your life," said Dobbs. Dobbs says those who are immunocompromised should talk with their doctor about a booster shot. |
| Hospitals pushed to brink as delta variant hits Mississippi 'like a tsunami' | |
| Amid a wave of delta variant COVID-19 infections that State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs said is "sweeping over Mississippi like a tsunami," the state Department of Health reported 3,164 new cases on Thursday, the second highest single-day caseloads the state has seen throughout the pandemic. As of Thursday, there were 1,147 Mississippians hospitalized with COVID-19, with 299 in ICUs and 150 on ventilators. The state is currently averaging 137 new COVID-19 hospitalizations per day. On Thursday, just eight of 827 total adult ICU beds in Mississippi were available. This strain on the healthcare system is not sustainable, health care experts warn, and has created an environment where between 30 patients per day on average -- and as many as 60 -- are receiving care in emergency room settings when they should be in an ICU. Dr. Alan Jones, associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs and COVID-19 clinical response leader at University of Mississippi Medical Center, said on Wednesday that UMMC has not had to turn away any patients yet, but that breaking point is approaching. Health care leaders reiterate one key point: It wouldn't matter if Mississippi had an infinite number of hospital beds if the corresponding number of healthcare workers to weren't able to staff them. On Wednesday, there were 14 unusable beds at UMMC because of this understaffing. Whether nurses, respiratory therapists or certified medical assistants, Mississippi hospitals small and large are reporting they do not have the staffing to meet the current level of need. |
| Mississippi hospitals are at a dangerous 'breaking point' as COVID rages. Is closing possible? | |
 | Mississippi's top health care system sounded the alarm on Wednesday over how flooded they are with skyrocketing COVID-19 cases, indicating a possible shutdown. And they aren't the only hospital facing severe pressure across the state. Dr. Alan Jones, associate vice chancellor for clinical affairs and COVID-19 clinical response leader at University of Mississippi Medical Center, told WJTV on Wednesday that UMMC and other hospital systems in the state are "at a breaking point." "We are not [infinite] resources. We can break. We can have to close," he said. "I think we're rapidly heading to that direction." The Mississippi State Department of Health confirmed the stress on health care systems statewide during a press conference on Thursday -- only eight beds are available in the state across four hospitals. The University of Mississippi Medical Center also runs the state's central transfer system, Mississippi Med-Com, which coordinates all transfers requiring ICU level care for COVID and non-COVID patients. MSDH mandated last Wednesday all licensed hospitals in Mississippi participate in the COVID-19 System of Care Plan, which requires all transfers for critical care services that cannot be accommodated by the normal referral processes will be sent through Med-Com. The best way to relieve the health care system is to get more people vaccinated, said Craig. |
| Mississippi recommends COVID-19 booster shots for vulnerable people | |
 | Mississippi is encouraging COVID-19 booster shots for certain high-risk groups, as one of the least-vaccinated states in the country faces an onslaught from the delta variant of the coronavirus. According to a memo from the state department of health, physicians should consider giving a booster dose of a COVID-19 vaccine to anyone who is immunocompromised, including organ transplant recipients, people taking immunosuppressive drugs, and people with underlying medical conditions such as chronic kidney disease. While the overwhelming majority of cases, hospitalizations and deaths in Mississippi are among unvaccinated individuals, the number of deaths among fully vaccinated people has been increasing. Paul Byers, a physician with the state Department of Health, said in the memo that since April 1, more than 35 vaccine breakthrough deaths have been confirmed. For the deaths where the person's medical history was known, 58 percent had either a known immunocompromising condition or history of kidney disease. Only 35 percent of Mississippi's population is fully vaccinated, and hospitalizations have been increasing. |
| Moderna Recommends Covid-19 Vaccine Booster to Protect Against New Variants | |
 | Moderna Inc. said Thursday it expects people who received its two-dose Covid-19 vaccine to need a booster shot in the fall to keep strong protection against newer variants of the coronavirus. The company said its vaccine remains 90% effective against preventing Covid-19 disease for at least six months, but said it sees a decline in antibody levels after six months, especially against newer strains of the coronavirus including the Delta variant. In a Phase 2 study, a third shot of the original formulation showed robust antibody responses against Covid-19 variants of concern, Moderna said. Moderna Chief Executive Stephane Bancel said in an interview Thursday that the company plans to seek regulatory approval for its booster shots in September, after it analyzes data from ongoing trials. He said the boosters are necessary because immunity will continue to wane over time and some vaccine recipients show a drop in neutralizing antibodies when exposed to some variants, including Delta. "We're playing it safe, not only for Delta but also for what's coming after," he said. "I don't think the virus is done." Moderna, whose vaccine was authorized for emergency use in December, said Thursday it intends to complete in August its submission to the Food and Drug Administration for full approval of its shot. Its larger rival Pfizer Inc. completed its submission in July and the FDA aims to approve it by next month. FDA officials say the vaccines are safe but acknowledge full approval could help combat vaccine hesitancy and ease the way for vaccine mandates as cases in the U.S. fueled by the Delta variant surge. |
| High court allows jury trials to be postponed | |
 | Citing the coronavirus pandemic, specifically the Delta variant of COVID-19, the Mississippi Supreme Court issued an emergency order late Thursday. The new order does not reinstate mandatory masks in all courts, but it does call for limiting the number of people in courtrooms and gives judges permission to postpone jury trials scheduled to start over the next five weeks. Under the order, Chief Justice Michael Randolph gave individual judges the discretion to postpone jury trials scheduled through Friday Sept. 10. The order also allows judges to instruct their clerks to not send out jury summons scheduled to be returned before Monday Sept. 13. In late May, Randolph lifted the bulk of the COVID-related restrictions on courts across the state. "Unfortunately, circumstances have precipitously deteriorated, especially with respect to the Delta variant of COVID-19," Randolph wrote in the order filed Aug. 5. He cited a marked increase in new cases this week and said "unvaccinated Mississippians account for the overwhelming majority of confirmed infections, emergency room visits, hospitalizations and deaths." As with previous COVID-related emergency orders, Randolph said all courts -- city, justice, county, chancery, circuit and appellate -- must remain open. He gave individual judges discretion to call for social distancing, face coverings and capacity limitations. |
| Mississippi lawmakers gather info on redistricting puzzle | |
| Mississippi lawmakers are traveling the state to gather ideas about how congressional and legislative districts should look in the coming decade -- a series of public hearings that was scheduled before the recent spike in COVID-19 cases. Democratic Sen. Hob Bryan of Amory, who is working on redistricting, said Thursday that drawing new political maps involves more than crunching numbers. He said the public hearings provide nuance about communities' interests. "It's not a completely frivolous and silly undertaking," Bryan said of the hearings. "There are things about local areas and local geography ... that we just don't know." Redistricting happens every decade after census numbers show how the population has increased or decreased in different parts of the state. Mississippi will keep four seats in the U.S. House, despite the Census Bureau finding that it was one of three states to lose population between 2010 and 2020. To roughly equalize the population among the four districts, the boundaries must be adjusted. Three of Mississippi's U.S. House districts are majority-white and held by Republicans, and one is majority-Black and held by a Democrat. That partisan balance is unlikely to change. But, the majority-Black 2nd District, which encompasses the Delta and most of the city of Jackson, has lost population and will need to expand to take in more people. |
| As House focuses on China, farm groups see other land buyers | |
 | House appropriators took a bipartisan tough-on-China stance in the fiscal 2022 Agriculture spending bill with language to block acquisition of U.S. farmland and ranchland by companies partly or fully controlled by the Chinese government. The House passed the Agriculture Appropriations bill on July 29 as part of a seven-bill package. But some groups that follow trends in agricultural land ownership and use say lawmakers overlooked other trends such as purchases by pension funds, corporations and wealthy individuals that could lock up land, making it difficult for new farmers to enter the industry or small farmers to expand. Jordan Treakle, national programs and policy coordinator for the National Family Farm Coalition, said his organization has been tracking investments by pension funds such as the Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association of America (TIAA) in agricultural lands. Treakle said there is a global trend of retirement funds adding farmland to their portfolios to hedge against holdings in more volatile stock markets. "One of the key elements that we've seen in the U.S. context specifically is the role of pension funds investing in land as one important player of this broader category of corporate actors," Treakle said. David Haight, programs vice president for the American Farmland Trust, said several trends heighten concerns about major changes in farmland ownership. About 40 percent of agricultural land is owned by people 65 or older, and 370 million acres will likely change hands over the next 20 years, Haight said. Real estate developers are likely to be prime competitors for any land sold to nonfamily members. |
| An Obstacle to Amtrak Expansion That Money Won't Solve | |
 | More than a decade ago, Hurricane Katrina washed away many of the railroad tracks that line the Gulf Coast, leaving the region without a regular route to carry passengers. Now, Amtrak is trying to restore service in the area, but the effort has stalled after bitter clashes with freight rail companies, which control most of the tracks the agency uses outside the Northeast. At the heart of the rancor is the meaning of a law governing which side has priority over use of the tracks and when, a longstanding battle that has spilled into the courts and onto social media. The outcome, experts say, has broader implications for Amtrak's future. The conflict underscores a persistent challenge for Amtrak. Although the infrastructure deal the Biden administration reached with a bipartisan group of senators last week would help fulfill the agency's elusive goal of expanding across the nation, one of the biggest obstacles would be negotiating with private freight rail companies. The issue is coming to the fore as lawmakers seek to pass a crucial part of President Biden's agenda that would inject billions in federal money to bolster the United States' aging public works system. Under the bill, $66 billion in new funding would go to rail, which includes money to help Amtrak expand nationwide and address its maintenance backlog. Restoring rail service on the Gulf Coast has become politically fraught. Joel Daves, a city councilman in Mobile, said any local money spent toward expanding service in the area would fund a "joy ride for the affluent." Senator Roger Wicker, Republican of Mississippi, has expressed support for Amtrak's expansion, which he said would bolster the local economy, but Senator Richard C. Shelby, Republican of Alabama, has sided with freight rail companies. |
| Sen. Lindsey Graham says he's told Trump to 'speak up' on COVID vaccines | |
| As he recovers from a breakthrough infection of the coronavirus, Sen. Lindsey Graham said Thursday that he has urged former President Donald Trump to press his supporters to get the COVID-19 vaccine, which the South Carolina Republican called "the antidote to the virus that's wreaking havoc on our hospitals." "I've urged him to be aggressive and say, 'Take the vaccine,'" Graham said in an extensive interview with The Associated Press, his first since disclosing this week that he had tested positive for the virus, months after being vaccinated. On Monday, Graham said he had tested positive days after gathering with a handful of Senate colleagues on Sen. Joe Manchin's houseboat. That same night, Saturday, Graham said he began experiencing flu-like symptoms. Asked Thursday if President Joe Biden planned to highlight pro-vaccine comments from Republicans like Graham, White House press secretary Jen Psaki said vaccination "is not political to us" but added, "We think it's great that he's out there talking about the impact of the vaccine." Graham is a longtime ally of Trump, who received the vaccine earlier this year. This week, former Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar wrote in an op-ed for The New York Times that he wished that Trump had gotten the shot publicly, so that his supporters could "see how much trust and confidence he has" in the vaccines. |
| U. of Mississippi Appoints David Whitcomb as General Counsel | |
| David Whitcomb, an attorney with more than 25 years of experience across the corporate, governmental and higher education sectors, has been appointed as chief legal officer and general counsel at the University of Mississippi. Whitcomb comes to Ole Miss from the University of Tennessee System, where he served as deputy general counsel. In his new role, Whitcomb will report to Chancellor Glenn Boyce and provide advice and counsel on a wide array of matters including governance, research, athletics, student affairs and finance. A member of the chancellor's senior leadership team, Whitcomb also will coordinate with the University of Mississippi Medical Center on legal matters, working closely with its general counsel. He has experience with constitutional and civil rights matters and the anti-discrimination statutes, including Title IX, Title VII and the Americans with Disabilities Act. Additionally, he has handled matters involving reasonable accommodations and program accessibility; the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, known as FERPA; free speech; and public records. Whitcomb is a graduate of the University of Michigan Law School. He also holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Ohio State University. |
| Downfall of a Dean: How accusations of courting a racist donor derailed a career and disrupted a program. | |
 | Part of Will Norton's job was appeasing donors, and he was good at it. At least for a while. As dean of the School of Journalism and New Media at the University of Mississippi, Norton dealt with them often. He attended football games and dinners. He thanked alumni for their sometimes-unsolicited input. He weathered bouts of public anger at the school, which was sometimes perceived, in the political ecosystem of Mississippi, as too liberal. All of it he did well, it seemed, until an uglier side of being dean cascaded into view. In March 2020, a mysterious group calling itself Ole Miss Information acquired and started sharing emails between Norton and a real-estate investor whose support he seemed to have been courting. The investor had made racist comments to Norton. The public airing of those private exchanges was embarrassing and raised questions: When a potential donor or an influential alumnus expresses views that are antithetical to the stated values of a university, what should an administrator do? How much moral flexibility is required to raise money in higher ed? Where should the dean have drawn the line? These questions feel especially urgent at the University of Mississippi, a place that has tried to extricate itself from Confederate symbols it once embraced, a place known more often by the plantation-era term "Ole Miss," a place that many wealthy white donors wish would stay the same as it was when they were young. |
| Southern Miss to require masks indoors, recommends COVID vaccination | |
 | Some students at the University of Southern Mississippi started classes this week ahead of the fall term, which begins Aug. 23. But days into the early session, new COVID-19 protocols were announced late Wednesday. Also on Wednesday, Hattiesburg Mayor Toby Barker announced both Forrest and Lamar counties reported their highest number of new cases since March 2020, when the first case of the coronavirus in Mississippi was discovered. "Our focus must be on increasing vaccination numbers," he said in a video update shared on social media. "If you are hesitant, talk to your physician about safety concerns and efficacy rates." The new protocols at Southern Miss take effect Friday and are based on new guidelines issued this week by the Mississippi State Department of Health. The new protocols include: COVID-19 vaccinations for all eligible students, faculty and staff are recommended. Anyone on campus must wear face coverings indoors, regardless of vaccination status, unless an individual is in an isolated space. Face coverings are strongly recommended in any other setting in which people are in close contact. Events should be scheduled in large spaces or outdoors when possible. |
| Jimmy A. Payne Foundation gifts $571,000 to Southern Miss | |
| The Jimmy A. Payne Foundation recently made a $571,000 gift to support multiple areas of Southern Miss through the USM Foundation, benefitting all four corners of the institution's academic landscape. There are very few areas of the University that Jim Payne's generosity has not impacted. Since its establishment in 1989, the Jimmy A. Payne Foundation has provided $2 million to benefit Southern Miss. Since his passing in 2015, Jim's children, Jonathan Payne and April Payne Nall, have continued their father's philanthropic legacy by overseeing the Foundation. The support of each program allows important and impactful programs to bolster the already exceptional reputation of USM, while enabling students to navigate their pathways to earning a college degree. A native of Newton, Miss., Payne served in the U.S. Army National Guard before attending USM. After graduating in 1964 with a Bachelor of Science in business administration, he began working for Proctor & Gamble. He later earned a Master of Business Administration from Mississippi College and become a pioneer in the pharmaceutical industry founding UAD Laboratories. |
| Jackson State to require masks indoors for everyone on campus | |
| Jackson State University will require mask in all public indoor campus spaces, regardless of vaccination status, to begin the fall semester. Masks will not be required outdoors, but are recommended in crowded settings or when in contact with others for a long period of time. All fall 2021 classes will be in person, with a limited number of virtual options. School officials say they have modified all of their classrooms to accommodate social distancing. "We recognize that Mississippi is currently experiencing an influx in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations, and our recommendations are made with this in mind. We ask that the JSU community remains diligent in its efforts to protect itself and others," a statement from school officials reads. |
| JSU pays tuition balances, cover textbook fees through program | |
| On Thursday, Jackson State University President Thomas Hudson announced the university would cover the textbook fees for undergraduate students this fall through the JSU V.I.B.E (Virtual, Interactive Technology, Books, and Educational Supplies) program. According to the university, the program's support will total $2.3 million in savings for undergraduate students. "This global pandemic has been extremely challenging on our student scholars who have persevered despite the stress of the past year," said Hudson. "The administration was able to use the government funding to clear approximately 3.2 million dollars in balances for our students from spring 2020 to summer 2021. This relief allowed nearly 3,000 students to have the means to clear their balances and continue their matriculation at Jackson State. This fall, we will provide relief in the form of a textbook waiver as another way to help our students afford the increasing costs of higher education." In partnership with the JSU Campus Store, the JSU V.I.B.E. program allows students to rent or purchase digital textbooks at a reduced cost. Leaders said the university will cover these textbook fees for the semester. |
| Itawamba Community College will require face masks to start fall semester | |
| Itawamba Community College will require masks indoors at all three of its campuses, beginning next week. ICC President Dr. Jay Allen announced the policy, meant to stave off the potential spread of COVID-19 among the school's students and staff, on Thursday. "For months, we have planned to resume 'normal operations' this fall, but there is significant concern regarding the current wave of the pandemic, which is especially affecting the younger segment of our population," Allen said in a statement. "Many efforts were made over the summer to assist with the full transition; however, as I have continually stated since March 2020, the safety of our employees and students is of utmost importance." The policy takes effect on Aug. 9; classes will resume on Aug. 16. Allen said there is currently no end date for the masking requirement. "We believe that this mask mandate will be temporary, but ICC will continue to review MSDH and CDC guidelines to ensure a safe environment," Allen said. Allen also encouraged students to get vaccinated, saying it's "the best precautionary measure to protect ourselves, families, friends and communities." While vaccinations are not required, ICC will partner with Access Family Health Services to offer voluntary and free on-site vaccinations to students, faculty, staff and their family members. |
| MGCCC releases fall plans, requires masks to be worn on all campuses | |
 | A new semester will soon begin at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College, but many COVID-19 safety measures will already be in effect. On July 30, MGCCC announced that masks will be required in all indoor spaces and in outside spaces with large crowds effective Aug. 2. This includes all students, employees and guests at all MGCCC campuses and centers. "We made numerous adjustments to classrooms and spaces last year that would allow for social distancing, and we'll continue to do that this year," read a statement from MGCCC. The school also outfitted 151 classrooms with HyFlex technology, which will allow for synchronous, remote learning if needed. They also purchased laptops and student kits for student use. They are currently working on a vaccine incentive plan for all students and employees that will go into effect this fall. Such plans may include offering students a $25 gift card for each dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccine or a $50 gift card for those who get the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. "We take the health and safety of our students, employees and guests very seriously," read a statement from MGCCC. The fall semester starts on Aug. 19. |
| Mississippi governor OKs state takeover of Holmes schools | |
| Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said Thursday that he is authorizing a state takeover of a troubled school district in one of the poorest parts of the state. He announced his decision two days after the state Board of Education recommended that the state take control of the Holmes County Consolidated School District. An audit showed problems with financial management, academic achievement and student safety. "This isn't a decision I take lightly nor one I make with any delight," Reeves wrote on Twitter. Classes for the new school year started Thursday in the Holmes district, which has about 2,500 students. The school district filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday seeking to block a takeover by arguing that the state Department of Education, the state Commission on School Accreditation and the state Board of Education had conducted "sham, unconstitutional proceedings" that violated the state's own procedures and that had a predetermined outcome. A hearing on the lawsuit had not been scheduled before the governor acted Thursday. |
| U. of Alabama to reinstate required masks indoors | |
 | The University of Alabama will once again require masks indoors regardless of vaccination status on campus according to an email sent to university faculty Thursday afternoon. This announcement comes nearly two weeks after updates to the university's health and safety plan which did not require masks indoors for vaccinated students, faculty and staff. "The indoor masking requirement is intended to be temporary and will be reviewed after the first two weeks of classes," the email reads. Masks will only be required indoors where physical distancing is not possible. These areas include: Classrooms and classroom buildings (regardless of distancing). Personal meeting spaces. Common spaces (such as the Student Center). Campus transportation. Earlier Thursday Alabama football coach Nick Saban said the Crimson Tide program would be returning to the same protocols it used in the 2020 season for at least the next six weeks. In the meantime, the university is encouraging all students, faculty and staff to get their shots as soon as possible, if they haven't already. |
| U. of Alabama reinstates indoor mask rule | |
 | The University of Alabama has reinstated its indoor mask rule, effective Friday. According to a message sent Thursday to faculty, staff and students, UA will require face coverings indoors for everyone on campus, regardless of whether they are vaccinated or unvaccinated. UA said the indoor mask rule was reinstated to "further protect the fall 2021 semester." The message also cited the increase in COVID-19 cases and recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Ricky Friend, dean of the College of Community Health Sciences, urged all members of the UA community to get vaccinated. "Vaccinations are the key to a successful fall semester and the key to moving beyond these types of requirements," Friend said. "Everyone is strongly encouraged to be vaccinated. Data continue to show the vaccines provide very strong protection against serious illness and hospitalization." UA has an online link where students, faculty and staff can schedule an appointment to receive a vaccination. Students can receive $20 in Bama Cash, which can be spent at a variety of businesses on and off campus. "Our vaccine numbers among faculty and staff are strong -- the percentage vaccinated more than doubles the statewide number," Friend said. "We are still learning about students who were vaccinated over the summer and will be offering expanded opportunities for vaccination as classes approach. Again, vaccination is key." |
| Do college students perform worse in online courses? One study's answer | |
 | The quest to figure out just how much the COVID-19 pandemic affected college-level learning is understandable, not least so that colleges and universities can address any potential setbacks students have suffered as many hope to return to more "normal" learning environments this fall. With that goal in mind, more researchers will probably try to follow the lead of economists at Auburn University, the University of Southern Mississippi and American University, who published a working paper through the National Bureau of Economic Research this week, in which they use a large-scale data set from one public research university to compare how studying in person and online affected students' course completion rates and grades before and after the pandemic. They find that when accounting for certain differences in student and instructor traits, students in face-to-face courses "perform better than their online counterparts with respect to their grades, the propensity to withdraw from the course, and the likelihood of receiving a passing grade." The researchers say their findings hold steady both before and after the pandemic descended in spring 2020. Duha T. Altindag, an associate professor of economics at Auburn and the study's lead author, said the onset of COVID-19 motivated the researchers to revisit the long-standing debate about the efficacy of online versus in-person education, given predictions that the industry's broad (if temporary) pivot would lead to wider embrace of virtual learning in the future. (The co-authors are Elif Filiz, assistant professor of economics at the University of Southern Mississippi, and Erdal Tekin, a research associate at American University.) |
| Bill Richardson, longtime dean of LSU's College of Agriculture, to step down, president says | |
 | Bill Richardson, the veteran dean of the LSU College of Agriculture, is leaving his post, officials said Thursday. LSU President William F. Tate IV made the announcement. "I'm writing to let you know that Bill Richardson has informed me he is stepping down from his position as vice president for agriculture and Dean of the College of Agriculture effective Aug. 4, 2021," Tate wrote. "He will return to faculty as the Chalkley Family Endowed Chair and professor in the College of Agriculture, Department of Agricultural and Extension Education and Evaluation," he said. "I'd like to thank Dr. Richardson for his decades of service and leadership to both LSU and the AgCenter," Tate said. Tate said an interim vice president and dean will be named shortly. Richardson could not be reached for immediate comment. |
| U. of Kentucky reports cyber breach in database with student information | |
 | Limited information for more than 350,000 students and teachers was accessed through a website hack of a database at the University of Kentucky College of Education, officials announced Thursday. UK officials said the breach was detected during an "annual cybersecurity inspection." The compromised College of Education database, Digital Driver's License, is a free resource used by Kentucky K-12 schools and colleges for online teaching, learning and testing. Digital Driver's License contained names and email addresses of more than 355,000 students and teachers in all 50 states and 22 countries. However, the hacked database did not contain financial, health or Social Security information, which makes the risk of identity theft "significantly limited," according to Jay Blanton, UK's chief communications officer. Brian Nichols, the university's chief information officer, said the server involved did not belong to UK's main computer system or link to other university or college systems. "Foreign actors were able to exploit a vulnerability in a website to likely acquire a copy of the Digital Driver's License database," UK officials said. University representatives said they took the server offline in June, notified the affected school districts and reported the incident to the "appropriate regulatory authorities." |
| SC high court asked to decide if state law bans mask mandates at U. of South Carolina, other colleges | |
 | A South Carolina state senator and a University of South Carolina professor have asked the state's Supreme Court to weigh in on an ongoing dispute about masks on campus. State Sen. Dick Harpootlian, a Democrat whose district includes USC, filed documents Thursday on behalf of USC astrophysics Professor Richard Creswick seeking clarification on a one-year rule in the state budget that the state attorney general says prevents USC from requiring everyone on campus to wear masks indoors. Creswick's wife has a health condition that puts her at increased risk of severe COVID-19 complications, according to the filing. The filings name USC and S.C. Attorney General Alan Wilson as respondents. The court filings follow a back-and-forth that began earlier this week when Wilson sent a letter to USC urging it to revoke its planned rule to mandate masks inside campus buildings. After receiving Wilson's letter earlier in the week, USC changed its planned policy, which had been implemented by the university's interim president, Harris Pastides, who has a doctorate in the study of infectious diseases and is a public health expert. "During my training in epidemiology, there was a maxim about transmissible diseases like COVID-19 that stated, 'No one can be safe until everyone is safe,'" Pastides said in the statement, explaining his rationale for initially requiring masks. "Because vaccination cannot be required in South Carolina, I felt that face coverings would go a long way in preventing the spread of the Delta variant of COVID-19, which is highly contagious, on campus. I did not think that the law precluded this action." |
| COVID-19: UF unions demand action and transparency from administration nearing start of Fall with record-breaking cases statewide | |
| UF faculty and staff are dissatisfied with the university's limited response to COVID-19 as Florida shattered its record for the highest-ever daily total of new cases. Almost one year and a half since the outbreak began, the brunt of nearly 11,000 total UF COVID-19 infections weighs down on the university community. UF faculty and staff demanded and petitioned for transparency and more efforts from the university to stop the spread of the virus. In Florida, even vaccinated people are recommended to wear masks due to high virus transmission, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's July 27 updated guidelines, which cite data showing fully vaccinated people can spread the Delta variant. Meanwhile, over a week later, UF has not changed its masking policies, which remain optional with no updates. UF's faculty and graduate unions are demanding the university require masks in all indoor facilities, require vaccinations for all students, staff and faculty, and provide virtual course options until the rate of infections declines significantly. "We expect the University of Florida to revise its masking policies to reflect the Centers for Disease Control's findings," United Faculty of Florida at UF President Dr. Paul Ortiz said. "The union is making these demands based upon the science." |
| Texas A&M to implement consequences, incentive program to encourage COVID-19 testing, vaccines this fall | |
 | Texas A&M University will not require masks or COVID-19 vaccinations but strongly encourages both as officials plan to continue in-person classes at full capacity this fall, President M. Katherine Banks announced Thursday. Students, faculty and staff will be required to participate in the mandatory COVID-19 testing program at intervals that the school determines. Anyone who tests positive or has close contact to someone who tested positive for COVID-19 must fill out a report form, cooperate with the A&M COVID-19 Investigation Operations Center, and quarantine or isolate in line with Centers for Disease Control guidance. As the school year kicks off, the campus community will have to submit a COVID-19 test provided by A&M between Aug. 23 and Sept. 10. Tests from other entities will not be accepted, Banks said in her announcement. If students don't comply with the reporting and testing guidelines, Banks said, they will go through the Student Conduct Process, which could lead to suspension or expulsion from the university. A student could also be considered "not in good standing," which would make them ineligible to hold office in any recognized student organization and ineligible to represent the university in any capacity including intercollegiate sports. Faculty and staff members who don't comply could also face stiff consequences -- at minimum, they will receive a written reprimand that could impact their eligibility for merit increases. The announcement says they could also be subject to more severe disciplinary action "as appropriate." |
| U. of Missouri receives $5 million commitment to help under-represented business college students | |
 | A $5 million commitment to the University of Missouri's Trulaske College of Business will support under-represented minority students with financial need. The donation from Pinney Allen and her family to establish the Allen Access Program was showcased Thursday during an event in Jesse Hall. The funds will provide scholarships and programs to support the business students. The donation is split between $3 million from Pinney Allen and her husband, Charles Miller III, and $2 million from Allen's brother, W.D. Allen. The College of Business plans to raise another $12 million over 10 years to bolster the Allen Access Program. The program will form the umbrella for other MU access programs, including Vasey Academy and Heartland Scholars. "For far too many students, the odds of achieving a college education are overwhelming," Pinney Allen said during the event. The university must seek out the students, she said. Speaking after the presentation, she said many young people are in families who never consider a university education for their children because of the cost and because no one in their families has one. "A lot of these families, they don't understand what a university education means," Allen said. |
| Quinnipiac Poll Finds Divided Opinions on Covid Vaccine Mandates at Universities | |
| A Quinnipiac University national poll of adults released on Thursday found that Americans are split on whether universities should requires students to receive a Covid-19 vaccine. The poll found that 48 percent of respondents supported a vaccine requirement; 49 percent opposed one; and 3 answered that they didn't know or "N/A." The poll was conducted July 27 through August 2, with 1,290 adults nationwide participating. The results found more-divisive results by political opinion and gender: 18 percent of Republican participants said they supported a vaccine requirement, compared to 86 percent of Democratic participants and 45 percent of independent participants; 42 percent of male participants supported the mandates, compared to 53 percent of female participants. The age group most supportive of vaccine requirements were participants 65 and over -- 63 percent supported vaccine requirements. The 18-34 and 35-49 age demographics both had 43-percent support rates; 46 percent of people between 50 and 64 supported a vaccine mandate. Among racial and ethnic groups, 46 percent of white participants supported vaccine requirements, compared to 58 percent of Black participants and 43 percent of Hispanic participants. Meanwhile, colleges across the country continue to modify mask and vaccination policies as the start of classes nears. |
| Colleges split on tracking coronavirus vaccination as school year nears | |
 | The University of Virginia requires its students in Charlottesville to get vaccinated against the coronavirus, and they are complying in overwhelming numbers: More than 90 percent are now inoculated ahead of the fall term. The University of Idaho strongly recommends vaccination, but it is unknown how many students have followed that advice. "We do not track who is vaccinated," Jodi Walker, U-Idaho's spokeswoman, wrote in an email. These two flagship public universities illustrate a wide gulf in approaches to the pandemic as higher education approaches another gut-check moment. Both want a normal school year despite the summer surge of the dangerous delta variant that is leading campuses across the country to ask students once again to wear masks indoors. One is avoiding vaccination metrics and mandates. The other is keeping close tabs on vaccinations. A Washington Post survey of a number of prominent universities found several that publicize vaccination rates, even among schools that are not mandating shots. The University of Kentucky, which doesn't mandate vaccines, reported that 69 percent of its students, faculty and staff had been immunized as of July 30 or were in the process of doing so. "It is a tremendous effort," President Eli Capilouto wrote to the Kentucky community. "But our goal is to move that number to at least 80 percent early in the new school year." Health experts and education leaders lament that political pressures often limit how colleges respond to the pandemic. |
| Universities Face Student Lawsuits Over Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate | |
| Hundreds of thousands of college and graduate students at public universities have been given a choice: Get fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or don't show up to campus in the fall. More than a dozen students have opted for a third option: Sue their school. Students have brought federal lawsuits challenging the vaccination requirements at major public university systems in Indiana, Connecticut, California and Massachusetts. The students, in several cases backed by antivaccine groups, are insisting they have a constitutional right to go to college in person and unvaccinated. The odds against the lawsuits are considerable, public-health law scholars say. Already a federal appeals court has affirmed Indiana University's vaccine requirement, a decision cited by other school defendants. When balancing public-health interests against individual liberties, courts historically have given state entities much deference. Still, the antivaccine legal effort represents one of the most significant tests in recent years of the government's power to press adults to get vaccinated, legal scholars said. The battle over campus policies has become a flashpoint amid a resurgence of Covid-19 cases in the U.S. and contentious debate about how to lift the national vaccination rate. Judicial challenges to governmental vaccination policies have a long history. Just a few years after English physician Edward Jenner discovered the smallpox vaccine in the late 1700s, a Vermont resident went to court in protest of a tax his town levied to help pay to inoculate its residents. By the turn of the 20th century, state courts had upheld compulsory vaccination in public schools. But it was Jacobson v. Massachusetts, a 1905 U.S. Supreme Court case, that set the most influential precedent. |
| Facebook disabled NYU researchers' accounts over alleged terms violation | |
| Facebook disabled the accounts of several New York University researchers Tuesday, effectively ending a research project that examines how political advertisements target specific audiences on the popular social media platform. The NYU Ad Observatory project launched in September, two months before the 2020 presidential election, the lead-up to which was riddled with misinformation campaigns. Researchers asked more than 6,500 volunteers to install a browser plug-in that allows the team to see which political ads are shown to each volunteer on Facebook. The goal of the project was to better understand how Facebook's political advertisers target different audiences, but without access to the platform, the project has been forcibly paused. "It's disgraceful that Facebook is trying to silence independent research in the public interest," said Laura Edelson, a Ph.D. candidate in computer science at NYU and lead researcher on the project. "We will not allow Facebook to silence us or our work." Online privacy experts say Facebook's justification for banning the researchers is a disingenuous excuse. They say the private user information that Clark refers to in his statement belongs to advertisers, not to individual users. The browser plug-in employed by the NYU volunteers looks at the accounts of political advertisers, which includes their names and profile pictures, Protocol, a technology news site, explained. Facebook's recent action against NYU researchers highlights the fraught relationship between the tech giant and the colleges and universities using its data for research. Institutions have struggled to strike a balance between independent research and collaboration with the company. |
SPORTS
| 'Football at the Fair' draws big crowd | |
| Head football coaches from Mississippi State, Ole Miss and Southern Mississippi took time to update fans about their teams' upcoming seasons last week at The Neshoba County Fair. The "Football at the Fair" gathering was a first for the Fair as a big crowd turned out at the Pavilion in Founders Square. For Lane Kiffin of Ole Miss and Mike Leach of Mississippi State, this was their first visit to the Fair. Southern Mississippi's Will Hall grew up in Mississippi and was familiar with it. At the time, with little more than a week away from the start of fall practice, all briefly discussed their programs and answered questions. Leach is leading the Bulldogs toward their season opener at home against Louisiana Tech, also on Sept. 4. The Bulldogs compiled a 3–7 record in a 10-game all-SEC schedule but were competitive, never knowing who was going to be available for the next game. They ended the season on a high note by taking a 28-26 win over Tulsa in the Armed Services Bowl. "We had a great season," said Leach as he looks forward to his second season in Starkville. "We are excited to start practice and see where our players are. Ready to get to work and get started." Leach was asked if he agreed that the SEC West Division was college football's toughest. "I think that is pretty accurate, that it is the toughest division," Leach said. "That goes around some, but right now, it is." |
| SEC Announces TV Games for Soccer, Volleyball | |
| The Southeastern Conference has announced the TV schedule for both the soccer and volleyball seasons, with Mississippi State's programs being featured on both ESPNU and the SEC Network. Two soccer matches and five volleyball matches will be broadcast on the networks. The State soccer program's home matches against Kentucky on Sept. 30 and Texas A&M on Oct. 21 will both be broadcast on the SEC Network. One of volleyball's matchups will be broadcast on ESPNU: the away match at Kentucky on October 6. The rest of State's volleyball matches will be on the SEC Network. This includes an away match at Ole Miss (Oct. 17), home matches with Texas A&M (Oct. 24) and Alabama (Nov. 3), as well as an away match at Arkansas (Nov. 21). The soccer season will get underway with two exhibition matches, one held at home at the MSU Soccer Field on Aug. 10 against UAB and the second against South Alabama on the road on Aug. 14. The first regular-season match will be on the road in Nashville, Tennessee, against Lipscomb. Volleyball's season starts on Aug. 20 with an exhibition against Southern Miss in Hattiesburg. Their regular-season begins with the StarkVegas Classic, hosting Southeastern Louisiana and Gonzaga inside Newell-Grissom from August 27 through the 28. All of volleyball's home matches, besides those on the SEC Network and ESPNU, will be streamed on SECN+. All home Mississippi State soccer and volleyball matches are free admission. |
| SEC commissioner Greg Sankey agrees to contract extension through 2026 | |
| SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has agreed to a contract extension through 2026, the league office announced Thursday. Sankey, 57, has been on the job since 2015. His previous contract was set to expire in 2023. Sankey has stepped to the forefront in college athletics in recent months, notably holding fast to the SEC's plan to play a complete football season in 2021 despite other conferences at least temporarily canceling their seasons due to COVID. He also helped negotiate the SEC's movement of its football and basketball television home from CBS to ESPN/ABC beginning in 2024-25, a deal worth a reported $3 billion. Last month brought the bombshell news that Texas and Oklahoma would leave the Big 12 for the SEC by 2025. The schools were formally admitted to the league last week. "I am grateful for the support of the SEC's presidents and chancellors, and for the continuing opportunity to serve our universities while supporting the student-athletes of the Southeastern Conference," Sankey said. He joined the SEC as associate commissioner in 2002, becoming the league's eighth commissioner upon the retirement of Mike Slive six years ago. |
| College Football Officials Coordinator Aiming for 100% Vaccination Rate Among Refs | |
| Steve Shaw took over as the national coordinator for college football officials in March 2020. Days later, the pandemic stopped the sports world. "COVID hit and I joke that all I did was cancel everything we had scheduled," Shaw says during an interview while appearing this week at the Bowl Season's annual convention in this Phoenix suburb. "Right now, we're in that process again of determining protocols. Four weeks ago, I thought we were kind of behind it." More than 16 months from the first surge of COVID-19, Shaw finds himself like many within college athletics -- determining how the delta variant's spread will impact his own group, an often overshadowed entity of the college sports world: game officials. College football's fight to encourage vaccination isn't only relegated to teams and administration. With similar incentives, Shaw and his national organization are strongly encouraging officials to get the shots. Officials who refuse to get vaccinated will be responsible for paying for their weekly COVID-19 tests, Shaw says. One unnamed conference is even exploring the possibility of not agreeing to independent contractor deals with unvaccinated officials. It's another example of college sports leaders not requiring but heavily incentivizing vaccination, which many are resisting for unfounded reasons despite proven medical data. |
| Paul Finebaum eviscerates Washington State president's 'predatory SEC' comments | |
| Paul Finebaum understands hard feelings. But the SEC Network analyst said the past week's comments surrounding conference re-alignment have been nothing short of "ridiculous." "I love people who pander to the home base," Finebaum told me and Lee Shirvanian on Thursday during "The Opening Kickoff" on WNSP-FM 105.5. "You have the president of Washington State who accused the SEC of being predatory. ... I know it sounds like we're all homers down here when we defend the SEC, but I think it's a fact that I have yet to have anyone show anything to the contrary where the SEC raided the Big 12." Washington State's Kirk Schulz didn't hold back Tuesday. "What the SEC has done is unify the other conferences in a way that nothing else could have, in terms of working together," Schulz said. "A lot of people now are very concerned about the predatory nature of the SEC. More presidents are talking. There's a lot of back and forth." Finebaum ripped the university president this week on his show. "I also seem to remember the Pac-12 going after Colorado and (Utah) a couple of years ago. Maybe you're the one who's predatory. Did Colorado and (Utah) help your bottom line significantly? All those television sets in Salt Lake and Boulder now watching your games? But I need to know more about Schulz, because the idea of accusing the SEC of being predatory -- Dr. Schulz, do you remember 10 years ago when your league tried to hijack the Big 12? That's what's so funny about all this." |
| Texas A&M baseball program adds director of player and program development | |
| The Texas A&M baseball program hired 32-year coaching veteran Chuck Box as the program's director of player & program development, head coach Jim Schlossnagle announced Thursday. "We are so very blessed to have Chuck and his great family in Aggieland," Schlossnagle said. Box was 735-326 as a coach in 25 years in the high school and collegiate level. Box spent the last four years at Hartfield Academy in Jackson, Miss. Prior to his high school coaching career, Box served in multiple positions at his alma mater, Freed-Hardeman University. He is a six-time Mississippi Association of Independent Schools Coach of the Year. Box is currently a Task Force Scout for USA Baseball and has been a featured clinic speaker at various coaching conferences across the American South. Box at Hartfield led the Hawks to two runner-up finishes in the state playoffs. In his previous position at the Jackson Preparatory School, Box guided the Patriots to 10 consecutive playoff berths with six state championships. Box at Freed-Hardeman University spent two seasons as the institution's director of athletic advancement preceded by a seven-year head coaching stint which included a conference championship. He also spent four years at Itawamba Community College, leading the program to a 148-57 record. |
| Florida to spend training camp in hotel to combat COVID-19 | |
| Florida will spend at least part of its training camp in a hotel as coach Dan Mullen searches for ways to avoid another COVID-19 outbreak within the program. The Gators begin three weeks of fall practice Friday, with Mullen understanding much more about the coronavirus than he did a year ago or even a month ago. "We're going to have some protocols that we put in place," Mullen said Thursday. "I think everyone's a little bit more educated about it now moving forward. ... I think there's a lot more familiarity with it right now. When you look at our protocols, how we're going about it within the ability to wear a mask, when we're wearing them, what situations, indoor compared to outdoors, how we're managing guys that have been vaccinated compared to non-vaccinated, I think we're just a lot more educated on how we adjust within what we're doing to keep everybody as safe as possible." A COVID-19 outbreak threatened to derail Florida's season last October. Mullen, at least two assistants and about 30 players tested positive for the coronavirus following a road trip to Texas A&M. Everyone on the team plane -- about 75 in all -- was quarantined. It forced the Gators to shut down team activities and work remotely. |
| SEC move on horizon, Texas and Oklahoma coaches focus on '21 | |
| Steve Sarkisian has yet to make his debut in the Big 12, but the new Texas coach was asked to ponder life in the Southeastern Conference. So was Oklahoma's Lincoln Riley, who -- like Sarkisian -- would much prefer to look ahead to this season. Texas and Oklahoma will move to the SEC no later than July 2025. For now, the Longhorns begin practice Friday, and Sarkisian has more imminent concerns, among them choosing a starting quarterback and making sure his talented running back, Bijan Robinson, receives enough work. Not that Sarkisian won't face SEC-related issues. Players, coaches, fans and administrators of the eight other Big 12 schools face uncertainty with the eventual loss of Texas and Oklahoma. People are angry. Some no doubt will let the Longhorns hear about it during games. "You've got to recognize the elephant in the room," Sarkisian told reporters in Austin, Texas. "We can't be naive to that. But we also can't put so much emphasis into it that we don't focus on ourselves and do what's necessary for us to have success." In Norman, Oklahoma, Riley knew the questions about the SEC would come and he patiently answered them before saying he wants to focus on leading his team to a seventh straight Big 12 title. "Right now, we're a member of the Big 12 and I think we've represented the conference well in these previous years and we intend to do so throughout the duration of our agreement," Riley said. |
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