| Monday, August 14, 2023 |
| Mississippi State professor conducts clinical trial to treat hoarding disorder in older adults | |
 | A professor at Mississippi State University hopes to improve the lives of Northeast Mississippians bogged down by excessive clutter. Dr. Mary Dozier, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology at Mississippi State University, is conducting a clinical trial testing a new method to treat hoarding disorder in adults age 60 and older. Project RECLAIM, which stands for "Reduce Clutter and Increase Meaning in Your Life," is the name of the clutter assessment and treatment program. Dozier, a licensed clinical psychologist, has guided a team of graduate clinicians through a six-session pilot study version of the intervention. They're now conducting a 16-week clinical trial funded by the National Institute of Mental Health with monthly assessments to evaluate patient change as it's happening. It consists of two groups: a control group that receives 16 weeks of sorting assistance in which a clinician spends one hour per week helping patients declutter their home and the RECLAIM group, which includes motivational interviewing on top of the sorting assistance. Motivational interviewing is an intervention originally developed for substance abuse and that has since been used across a variety of health fields. Dozier described it as "a conversational technique for helping people change behaviors they want to change." "We definitely still anticipate people in that control condition are going to improve just by having that help, but it's without the same intensity of the motivational interviewing," Dozier said. "So the person is there and helping them sort but they're not using the same pointed conversational skills to guide people through it. That's going to help us see how much of what we're seeing in this intervention is because we just have somebody in the home." |
| MSU-Meridian physician assistant program advances toward accreditation | |
| The Mississippi State University campus in Meridian is well on the way to achieving accreditation goals for the new Master of Physician Assistant Studies degree program. Associate Vice President and Head of Campus Terry Dale Cruse recently congratulated PA Program Director Shey Washburn and faculty for achieving continued provisional status of accreditation. The rigorous 29-month program at the Riley campus in downtown Meridian first welcomed students in early 2021. Accreditation involves a multi-year, formal process administered by the Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant, or ARC-PA. The second of three site visits occurred earlier this year, and MSU-Meridian leaders recently received an official report confirming the commission's continued confidence in the state's only publicly funded program. "Mississippi State University -- and particularly our Riley campus at MSU-Meridian -- is devoted to meeting critical health care needs within our state and region. The university has made this commitment a high priority, as have our generous supporters like the Riley and Phil Hardin foundations which have helped make this program possible," Cruse said. "I'm extremely grateful for the additional support of our local medical centers, physicians, excellent faculty and university leadership through this intensive process." Cruse said MSU-Meridian's program specifically has a mission "to prepare PAs to practice and promote empathetic, primary care-focused medicine that serves the culturally diverse state of Mississippi." |
| MSU Riley Center announces new season | |
 | Patti Labelle, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Wayne Newton are among the performers highlighting the upcoming season at the Mississippi State University Riley Center for Education and Performing Arts. The MSU Riley Center announced its new season lineup Thursday night during a pre-show social in the Grand Lobby before the Sister Hazel concert. Guests were treated to heavy hors d'oeuvres and a cash bar as they learned of the new season lineup and waited for the doors to open for the show. "We appreciate you joining us tonight for dinner and drinks before the show. I think it was a resounding success," said Dr. Terry Dale Cruse, associate vice president and head of Mississippi State University-Meridian Campus. He said the center is excited to introduce a full year of performances that cover a range of musical genres. In the past, the Riley Center has offered bi-seasonal lineups, but the new Performing Arts Series will run through next July. "This is a little bit different for us," Cruse said. "We are doing a year long versus two individual seasons." One of the biggest advantages of having a year-long season is it will allow the Riley Center to take advantage of routed artists who schedule their tour dates together geographically to save time and money. "Our hope is that ... by having a year-long season, locking in those dates, knowing when our season is going to fall, it will provide a greater opportunity for us to take advantage of routed artists, which means when they are passing through the area and want to pick up a date, we can do that and make it a lot more affordable for you as ticket buyers," Cruse said. |
| The Gulf of Mexico is hot. Could that help produce another Hurricane Katrina? | |
 | Extremely hot weather has plagued Mississippi and the South this summer with some temperatures breaking records and waters of the Gulf of Mexico are heating up, too. With the peak of hurricane season just around the corner, are conditions setting up for the possibility of another Hurricane Katrina? "The ocean itself, the Gulf of Mexico, is very favorable for a hurricane," said Johna Rudzin, Mississippi State University Department of Geosciences assistant professor. "It's a question of if the atmospheric conditions are favorable enough to sustain a hurricane." It's somewhat like a battle between the current El Niño weather pattern and above average water temperatures and according to Rudzin, it's unclear which side will win. "The main component for the Atlantic and the Gulf of Mexico is increased vertical wind shear the El Niño produces," Rudzin said. "It helps disrupt the storms. "It's not just about the ocean. The wind shear is one of the most significant factors." While they aren't felt at the surface, Rudzin said there are strong vertical winds aloft that are associated with El Niño and they can prevent a storm from reaching its full, destructive potential by causing disorganization. But El Niño doesn't always prevent a monster hurricane from forming. Hurricane Katrina formed during a mild El Niño weather pattern. Mississippi and other southern states have seen record-breaking temperatures recently, but the overall pattern has been excessive heat for weeks. "It has been brutal," Rudzin said. |
| How will PFAS regulations affect Mississippi's water providers, ratepayers? | |
| As public pressure mounts to reduce the threat of PFAS in drinking water, local utilities around the country are unsure how soon they can comply with pending regulations from the federal government. The Environmental Protection Agency, which legally enforces water quality standards in the United States, recently proposed its first limit on PFAS, sometimes referred to in the news as "forever chemicals." The EPA expects to finalize a rule around the end of 2023, giving local water systems three years from then to come into compliance. But those in the water utility world fear the agency's proposal is asking for too much, too soon, especially from smaller, rural systems. Chris Moody, regulatory technical manager with the American Water Works Association, said the proposal could mean rate increases that disproportionately affect customers of those utilities. In Mississippi, about 70% of the water and sewer systems in the state are rural utilities that serve a population of 3,300 or less, according to the Mississippi Rural Water Association. How utilities will handle new PFAS rules largely depends on what funding the state and federal governments make available. Jason Barrett, a Mississippi State University professor who specializes in water utilities, said the new regulations might force smaller systems to consolidate if there's not enough financial support. "That may just be the straw that breaks the camel's back, and they go, 'Alright ... we just need to merge with the adjacent system,'" Barrett said. |
| Local farmers are expecting a plentiful yield this fall | |
 | At the North Farm at Mississippi State University, rows and rows of soybean, corn, and cotton crops are growing and will soon be ready for picking. MSU Agriculture Economist Dr. Will Maples says it will be an ample harvest this year. "The soybeans have been looking good this year for sure. we got the corn planted good and we had a good planting window earlier this year. There's one-factor farmers can't control – weather and the impact it has on their crops. Both the soybean and corn crops were affected by the recent hail storm. But Maple says the rounds of ran have overall been good for the crops. "It has been a positive because we have a lot of irrigated acreage, especially in the delta, and anytime you don't have to run an irrigator that saves money." Soybeans are the largest crop grown in Mississippi. They're used in many different industries -- like making dog food, vegetable oil, and even biodiesels. "In Mississippi, agriculture is about a 10 billion dollar industry and soybeans account for about 2 billion of that. over half of the row crops we plant in Mississippi go to soybeans." |
| Interview: MSU Entomology Specialist explains why you may not have seen as many fireflies this summer | |
 | Video: MSU Entomology Specialist Blake Layton joined WTVA 9 News TODAY to talk about why you may not have seen as many fireflies this summer. |
| Vicksburg native Paul Murphy Jr. plans to remain active after successful banking career | |
 | n 2010, Vicksburg native and Warren Central High School graduate Paul Murphy Jr. joined a group of investors to buy an institution called Cadence Bank. He served as Cadence's chairman and chief executive officer and later executive vice chairman after Cadence merged with BancorpSouth before announcing his retirement from Cadence in April to serve as a consultant to the bank. On Wednesday, Murphy returned home to speak with Cadence's advisory board. Murphy has had a successful career in the banking industry, one marked by successful acquisitions and mergers. He said it's been an interesting career, but then, it seems his career choice was predestined. "I'm from a family of bankers," he said, pointing out that his grandfather Robert Preston Wailes was named president of Merchants National Bank in 1934. "He had five children and there's a photo of him that hangs in (Church of the) Holy Trinity because he led the initiative to build the new parish hall." "So I grew up around banking and majored in banking and finance at Mississippi State and moved out to Houston in 1981, and I just kind of got settled in," he said. "I interviewed at Mississippi State with banks that were coming on campus; Deposit Guaranty, First National and First National Birmingham. Uncle Preston said, 'I've got a friend at Allied Bank of Texas, Gerald Smith. You ought to go out there and interview with them.'" He retired from Cadence in April and is now a consultant for the bank. However, Murphy said he doesn't consider himself retired. "I'm retired from banking but I think the concept of retirement is not for me," he said. "I have family members; a son who has a business partnership that he's created and he's looking for a business to buy so I'm going to be very active working with him to help him get his business career at launch. I won't be doing anything in banking, but I'll be doing something. |
| Starkville-MSU Community Band seeks new members ahead of Sept. rehearsals | |
 | Amateur Bulldog instrumentalists and musically inclined Golden Triangle residents are invited to join the Starkville-MSU Community Band ahead of fall rehearsals. Spots are available to local residents and MSU faculty, staff and students who are at least 15 years old and have previous school band experience. All skill levels are welcome, including musicians who haven't played in a while. Participants must play woodwind or brass instruments and are encouraged to bring their own to practice. Percussionists are also welcome. A limited number of instruments may be available on a temporary basis. "We had a great spring with our community musicians and are looking forward to having them back together again," said Band Director Johnny Folsom. "It's great to see folks get out their instruments and enjoy playing them again." Beginning Sept. 11, the band will meet 6:30-8:30 p.m. each Monday at the Kent Sills Band Hall, located at 72 Hardy Road on Mississippi State's campus. No pre-registration is required, but a $20 participation fee is due at the first rehearsal. Continuing Education Units (CEUs) are available at an additional cost. Two concerts are scheduled for the fall semester --- one on Oct. 15, and the other on Nov. 19. |
| Candidate focus: Scott Colom believes record, conviction rate speak for his success | |
| Incumbent District Attorney Scott Colom has heard all the arguments about how he has been "soft on crime" the last eight years. He thinks they're ludicrous. Colom, a Democrat, has heard his opponent, Jase Dalrymple, vow he would perform more effectively prosecuting cases the right way. To that, he notes a simple record: 3-0. "I've tried three cases against him and won all three times," Colom said of his opponent, who is a public defender. "If I'm not good and you're so much better, (but) I beat you every time." But that's not the only record he's running on. Colom's office touts an 85% conviction rate. In the 26 cases he has tried before a jury himself, he's won 24. Of the office's convictions, the 55 appealed were upheld. He's expanded pre-trial diversion and victims' advocacy programs. More importantly, he said, he has focused on transparency -- something he plans to "take to the next level" if reelected, by making dismissals, no-bills by grand juries and sentencing recommendations more accessible to the public. "It's very easy when you're leading the criminal justice system to want to hide things," he said. "So often (with) bad news, even if you can explain it, the easiest thing to do is cover it up. ... I have nothing to hide. Every case that I've dismissed ... every case that I've plead, I can give you an explanation for it." |
| Candidate focus: Jase Dalrymple wants to be 'bridge between Scott and Forrest' | |
| For much of Mississippi's past, Republican Jase Dalrymple acknowledges, old-guard district attorneys lived by the mantra, "Go out and win." District 16, from 1989 to 2016, had a DA like that in Forrest Allgood, Dalrymple said, noting the former prosecutor's "drive and zeal" to get convictions and max sentences sometimes led to innocent people being incarcerated for years -- something a 2020 Netflix documentary by the Innocence Project bore out. There was "not a lot of common sense" involved with that old-style prosecution method, he said, but he believes Allgood's successor, incumbent DA Scott Colom, has gone too far the other direction. Dalrymple sees himself as a "bridge" between the two extremes. Soft plea deals, too heavy a reliance on pretrial diversion and a seeming unwillingness to present certain cases fully to grand juries, has defined Colom's two-term administration, Dalrymple said, and served to make the district's four counties -- Lowndes, Oktibbeha, Clay and Noxubee -- less safe. "Something's broken, and (Colom's) had eight years to fix it," Dalrymple said. "... The crime rate is at an all-time high here, and it's only gotten worse. ... And the violent crime rate has gotten significantly worse. We've got a lot of economic development coming in, and crime affects economics, but it also affects the community as a whole. ... People are going to come in and take these jobs, but they aren't going to live here. ... Nobody wants to live in a community where they don't feel safe." |
| Lazy Magnolia Brewing has new owners. See their plans | |
 | The new owners of Lazy Magnolia Brewing, the first packaging brewery in Mississippi since Prohibition, have big plans for the beer maker and already have put millions into expanding the plant to increase production. Utah-based investors Ryan Bowen and Jason Anderson bought Lazy Magnolia earlier this year for an undisclosed amount from founders Mark and Leslie Henderson. Bowen owns or has investments in more than 40 companies, according to his social media posts. He founded Pure Water Solutions which he sold last year for an undisclosed amount. "We're keeping the team from the oldest to the newest, and the Lazy Magnolia name is not going anywhere," said Christopher Maros, the new general manager. "We're looking forward to launching new products and diversification of our portfolio." The Hendersons turned their home-brewing hobby into a business in Kiln, a historic community in Hancock County known as the Moonshine Capital of the World for its "high quality and ready availability of this whiskey," according to the local Historical Society. The Hendersons, both engineers, grew their brewing and packaging business over nearly a decade, and are consulting with the new owners on "everything from compliance to vendors and customer relations," Mark Henderson said in an email. He is chief technology officer at Ocean Aero, which develops autonomous vehicles for maritime exploration, and Leslie Henderson works in plant operations at the SABIC Innovative Plastics plant in Hancock County. Lazy Magnolia produces several beers year-round as well as seasonal varieties and special limited releases. The most popular beer is the award-winning Southern Pecan, an ale touted as the first to be brewed with roasted pecans. |
| No sign of 'debt limit 2.0' talks as shutdown looms | |
 | Speaker Kevin McCarthy's backers credit him for pulling a rabbit out of his hat to head off a debt ceiling impasse that could have crippled the U.S. economy, while still achieving some modest GOP policy wins. But the fallout from the late May deal that McCarthy, R-Calif., cut with President Joe Biden is coming back to haunt him now as his party struggles to keep the government functioning beyond the end of the fiscal year on Sept. 30. Unless McCarthy can pull off a "2.0 of what he did on the debt ceiling," the government may be headed for a shutdown, a former close colleague says. "The odds are increasing every day that there will be a shutdown," former House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Va., said in an interview. McCarthy served as majority whip under Cantor and then-Speaker John A. Boehner, R-Ohio, from 2011 through mid-2014, a span that included one of the longest partial government shutdowns in U.S. history, lasting 16 days. Cantor said that in forcing the White House to the bargaining table on the debt limit, McCarthy was able to secure spending limits in exchange for raising the borrowing cap. "Kevin was really good at defining a victory and delivering on that victory through the debt ceiling," said Cantor, who now serves as vice chairman and managing director at Moelis & Co., an investment bank. "He outmaneuvered the Democrats." Cantor said McCarthy could have "a game plan now that can reflect that sort of battle plan that he put in place last time . . . and do it on the funding level." He said McCarthy would have to "outline what a win is and deliver." In order for that to work, Biden would have to come to the table and negotiate, and there have been no outward signs of either side approaching the other thus far. |
| Attorney general appoints a special counsel in Hunter Biden probe, deepening investigation | |
 | Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed a special counsel Friday in the Hunter Biden probe, a surprise move that intensifies the investigation into the president's son ahead of the 2024 election. Garland noted the "extraordinary circumstances" of the matter as he named David Weiss, the U.S. attorney in Delaware who had already been probing Hunter Biden's financial dealings, as special counsel after plea deal talks in the case broke down. The sudden turn of events raises fresh questions about the case against Hunter Biden on tax evasion and a gun charge, deepening an investigation that was close to resolution just weeks ago. Weiss had asked to be named special counsel, gaining broad authority to investigate and report out his findings. It comes as the Justice Department has taken the unprecedented step of indicting former President Donald Trump, who's President Joe Biden's chief rival in next year's election, in two separate cases. It also puts questions about Biden's family at the forefront of the 2024 presidential election. Speaking at the Justice Department, Garland said he expects the special counsel to work expeditiously in an "even-handed and urgent" manner. Garland said Weiss, who had been appointed by Trump as U.S. attorney, told him this week the investigation had reached a stage in which he should continue as special counsel. The announcement of a special counsel is a significant development from the typically cautious Garland and provides Weiss with independence, authority and budget to pursue the investigation. |
| GOP sees turnout disaster without Trump | |
 | Republican strategists are worried that if former President Trump doesn't secure the GOP's presidential nomination next year, or if he is kept off the ballot because of his mounting legal problems, it could spell a voter turnout disaster for their party in 2024. GOP strategists say there's growing concern that if Trump is not the nominee, many of his core supporters, who are estimated to make up 25 percent to 35 percent of the party base, "will take their ball and go home." "The conventional wisdom is there's concern that if Trump's not the nominee, his coalition will take their ball and go home," said Matt Dole, a Republican strategist based in Ohio, where Republicans are targeting vulnerable Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown. "Folks are interested in how that plays out, and so I think right now, they would be happy if Trump's the nominee -- in Ohio, it's not true across the country -- because then his coalition will turn out in November," he said. A Pew Research Center analysis of the 2022 midterm election published last month found that higher turnout among Trump voters last year was a key factor behind Republicans winning control of the House. The analysis found that 71 percent of voters who backed Trump participated in the midterm election, compared to 67 percent of voters who supported Biden. Brian Darling, a Republican strategist and former Senate aide, said there would be significant political fallout for Republicans if federal and local criminal prosecutions derail Trump's path to the nomination. "If somehow he's not the nominee, it will hurt turnout," he said. "He's got a unique coalition. He brings a lot of nontraditional voters to the Republican Party, and it will be difficult to win a state like Ohio" and other Midwestern states "if you lose all those Trump voters or make them disaffected voters, and they don't show up." |
| Trump weaves through crowds and legal questions as he visits Iowa fair | |
| As Donald Trump slowly moved through the crowd Saturday at the Iowa State Fair's Animal Learning Center building, he turned briefly to reporters, where he was asked if he intended "to overturn the 2020 election." "You know the answer," Trump replied. He looked into the camera before turning away back to the crowd, where supporters donning red hats cheered and waited for him to approach. The former president and 2024 Republican frontrunner's visit to the Iowa State Fair aimed to trample upon any attention and momentum that several of his rivals, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, sought at the fair Saturday. It also placed front and center roaring crowds in the first caucus state, many of whom remain loyal to Trump as he faces multiple ongoing criminal cases. At almost every turn while he moved through the fairgrounds, Trump was asked about the 2020 presidential election and his legal battles. He faces a newly imposed order by a federal judge to not threaten witnesses in connection with the ongoing case and is expected to soon be indicted in a new case in Georgia also relating to the 2020 election. His jet flew over the fairgrounds Saturday morning, eliciting cheers from supporters on the ground as DeSantis finished flipping pork chops. Supporters were encouraged by the Trump campaign to meet at key locations more than an hour before the former president arrived, ensuring a high volume of red hats and MAGA flags as Trump's rivals wandered the grounds. |
| UM researchers find evidence of undiscovered particles in new study | |
| The work of University of Mississippi physics researchers at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory could point to undiscovered subatomic particles or forces that could change the current understanding of how the universe works. Since its inception in 2008, the Department of Energy's Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory's Muon g-2 experiment has attempted to seek new physics beyond the Standard Model, the theory by which scientists describe and predict the actions of the universe's basic building blocks. Announced Aug. 10, the Muon g-2 experiment found that some of the observations differ from the predictions of the Standard Model to such a degree that the differences point to the existence of previously unknown particles affecting the rotation of muons, subatomic particles roughly 200 times heavier than an electron. Scientists from 33 institutions across seven countries contributed to the experiment. Breese Quinn, UM professor of physics and director of the UM Center for Multimessenger Astrophysics, has been working on Muon g-2 since 2013. He said the announcement could be one of the most important measurements in particle physics in more than 20 years. |
| Mississippi now has two designated burn centers. What happens next? | |
| The state Health Department deemed Mississippi Baptist Medical Center qualified to host a burn center, health system officials announced at a press conference Thursday. But with almost half of Baptist's burn center requirements not fully met and millions from the state Legislature in flux, there's still a long way to go. Since the state's only accredited burn center housed at Merit Health Central closed in October, both Baptist and the University of Mississippi Medical Center have been vying for the designation. Merit's former burn director, Dr. Derek Culnan, now leads the burn unit at Baptist. UMMC got its approval in April, while Baptist formally received its designation on July 24. "I came to this hospital and this community and asked them to take us in, and I said, 'I have thousands of people who need help here, and they need it now, not years from now,'" Culnan said at the press conference. "And (Baptist) said yes." Baptist has treated 927 burn patients since last November when they received their first, according to CEO Bobbie Ware. "Today is just the beginning of the development of a premier burn program in this region," Ware said at the press conference. After some back and forth, the Legislature ultimately gave the state Health Department the responsibility of choosing Mississippi's next burn center and appropriated $4 million for whatever facility was chosen to defray expenses. However, nothing in the bill prevents the money from going to more than one center. But now that two facilities have been approved, no one is quite sure how the money will get split. |
| USM environmental expert provides insights on record-breaking weather events, climate change | |
| Hot summers in Mississippi and throughout the South are the norm, but this year's weather is bringing record-breaking, triple-digit temperatures across the country and around the world. Poor air quality from fires across the U.S. and Canada has also added into the mix, and storm activity considered unusual for this time of year raises questions and concern about what is to come. University of Southern Mississippi Assistant Professor of Geography Dr. Kayla Stan, a native of Canada who joined the faculty of the School of Biological, Environmental and Earth Sciences in 2022, is an expert on human-environment interactions as well as sustainable development and planning and economic geography. According to Stan, multiple factors and their impacts play into the weather extremes we're experiencing, and understanding the differences between weather and climate also brings clarity to ongoing situations concerning both. "Having hot days, or even hot years, doesn't necessarily mean that everything is going to start boiling forever, just like one year of drought, while frustrating for people who rely on the land, doesn't mean there will always be drought," Stan explained. "Part of what is playing into the heat is likely El Nino (an irregularly recurring flow of unusually warm surface waters from the Pacific Ocean that disrupts weather patterns), and with that, if it sticks around for the winter, we should probably see a bit of a wetter winter down here in theory." |
| Jackson State welcomes back students for move-in day | |
 | Students are returning to college campuses in Mississippi with the new academic year about to start. New students and their families flooded onto Jackson State University's (JSU) campus for move in day on Saturday, August 12. For many, this signifies the start of a new chapter. "I'm coming from a PWI campus. I'm just really excited to, you know, be with the culture and experience new things on the different sororities and fraternities. Oh, the food especially. Can't wait to have that and to be out on the plaza, meet the people on the campus. Just, just the experience. I'm just so excited," said Jamiya Johnson, a transfer student. Families from all over the country traveled to Jackson to help start their loved ones' collegiate career. Traveling all the way from Texas, one family noted that even though JSU wasn't her godson's first choice, it was the university that won his heart. "Shout out to the Jackson State folks, because he was going to DePaul. He got the presidential scholarship to go to DePaul in Chicago. But they talked to him, and they and I have been talking to him about going to an HBCU, because I'm a Southern University alum myself," said Lisa Marshall, who helped her godson move in on Saturday. The first day of class will be Monday, August 21. |
| Tuscaloosa Mayor Says Closing Bars Early Won't Help | |
| With university students coming back to school soon, the concern for nighttime activity on the strip is back. On Wednesday, Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox discussed local policing with Steve & DC on the 95.3 The Bear morning show. Steve Shannon asked the mayor about the recent proposal to close bars early in Tuscaloosa. Maddox revealed that the proposal hadn't yet moved forward, but was still a priority. 'We're spending a lot of time policing bars instead of neighborhoods," he said. The mayor explained that the bars generate about $2.3 million each year, while the Tuscaloosa Police Department easily spends half that on overtime pay alone. "That being said," Maddox noted, "I don't think closing time is the issue." Instead, Maddox revealed that a few problem bars are responsible for wider issues. He explained that these bars can't be specifically controlled because of Alabama legislation. "You can't just apply things to one without applying to all," the mayor said. "The struggle is to create a series of rules that will keep bad actors from acting bad, without hurting the good actors." And the city can't just revoke the liquor licenses from the problem bars. Maddox reveled that although the city grants alcohol licenses, they don't have the ability to take them away. "The only other option is to revoke a business license, but that has a much higher threshold," he said. The city's defense at that point is to say they didn't invite them onto the streets. "But you see the legal circles this takes you in," Maddox said. Efforts are being taken to control the rowdy actors though. The city has joined forces with the University of Alabama to create a precinct on the strip. Maddox said officers will be primarily UAPD, but that the city will have a few there too. In theory, UAPD's involvement should free up Tuscaloosa police to cover other areas of the city. |
| AU's new brewery gives college students a chance to hone their craft | |
 | College students will have a chance to learn the brewery business first-hand when Auburn University opens its new craft brewery on Friday. Housed in the Tony and Libba Rane Culinary Science Center, New Realm will serve as both a business and teaching lab, much like the Laurel Hotel and 1856. "Yes, we're here selling beer on the campus, but we are so intertwined with the university. It's not just New Realm here. It's also the College of Human Sciences," said Drew Kostic, who completed AU's Brewing Science and Operations graduate certification program in 2017. Rane Culinary Science Center is open to the public, but only those 21 and older can touch the alcohol. New Realm was given the all clear to open in Auburn after the city council approved it's alcohol license last week. The city had to amend its code to allow the brewer a manufacturer's license before it could open. The facility will benefit students in the Brewing Science and Operations program. Kostic will act as general manager, head brewer and affiliate professor at New Realm. He said the new on campus facility will give students an education and an opportunity to work while creating the next generation of breweries. Auburn offers two brewing programs. The school's Graduate Certificate Program helps students enter the malting, brewing, and distilling industries. The Master of Science Program prepares students to enter the craft brewing industry. |
| Discussion highlights women inventors at U. of Arkansas, Fayetteville | |
| Though only about one in five patents nationally has at least one female inventor attached, that figure is nearly 50% at the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, and "that really caught my eye," said David Hinton, interim director of the Arkansas Research and Technology Park. Approximately 46% "of our inventor disclosures and issue patents include at least one female inventor," more than double the national rate, said Hinton, also acting executive director of Technology Ventures, a division of UA that helps researchers commercialize and protect intellectual property developed from their work. Part of this may be due to a faculty split nearly evenly between men and women, myriad women in leadership roles, and an active mentoring climate, he said. Collaboration at the university has also been "a strong benefit to all of us, [and I've been] really excited to see how all this has evolved," said Ingrid Fritsch, a professor in the department of chemistry and biochemistry. The university's "collaborative environment has been very important for me" in deciding to come to Fayetteville nearly three decades ago, remain there, and thrive, she said. "We're definitely seeing progress [in cultivating more female inventors], but there's more work to be done," Jacob Choi, assistant regional director at the Patent and Trademark Office's Texas Regional Office -- which serves eight states, including Arkansas -- said Friday during a discussion about patents and female inventors at UA's Innovation Center. To further that goal, the Patent and Trademark Office and U.S. Department of Commerce launched the Women's Entrepreneurship Initiative. |
| Peyton Manning returning to Tennessee as professor | |
| Peyton Manning was a star both on and off the field at the University of Tennessee, and now he's returning to his alma mater as a professor. The university announced Monday that the College of Communication and Information has appointed Manning as a professor of practice in the Fall 2023 term. The Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback will join select classes during the academic year as a featured expert and work alongside the college's faculty to provide learning experiences for CCI students at Tennessee. "There is no other ambassador for our college and university like Peyton Manning, and we are proud to welcome him to the college's faculty," said Joseph Mazer, dean of the College of Communication and Information. "Peyton is a true Volunteer, and I look forward to our students gaining invaluable knowledge from him as we continue to prepare the next generation of communication and information leaders." Manning graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Tennessee with a degree in speech communications and led the Volunteers to an SEC championship in 1997. He has remained a staunch supporter of his alma mater while becoming a fixture in the media and entertainment world. Manning, 47, will partner with the CCI faculty and teach a variety of topics that align with the college's curriculum, including sports reporting, video production and performance, leadership and communication and public speaking. Manning plans to teach his fall classes in person, which means he will be back on campus often during this football season. |
| How do you house the largest class of students at UK? University looks to new options in dorms | |
 | As the largest freshman class (again) enters the University of Kentucky, one question has (again) come up: Where are they going to live? As university enrollment continue to increase each year, the number of students wanting to live on campus also grows. UK has more than 8,000 assigned on-campus beds this year, the most it has offered at one time, said Heath Price, associate vice president for partnerships at UK. Price and Andrew Smith, assistant vice president for auxiliary services, said they try to use data to drive their decisions and choose "what's in the best interest of students." "We want to make sure our students have a positive start to being a Wildcat," Smith said. "This year compared to last year, or previous years, the expectations are still the same. They want to live on campus, which is a great thing. Emerging after a pandemic, that was a concern for us. But what we're finding is that our students want to have a community and a sense of belonging, and that really starts with the fact that they're living on campus." Housing and enrollment numbers continue to shift throughout the beginning of the school year as some students change their plans, but as of this week, there were more than 5,700 new students and 2,270 returning students planning to live on campus, Smith said. UK is expecting between 6,400 and 6,500 freshman students this fall -- meaning that up to 89% of first-year students could live on-campus. |
| U. of Missouri study finds that 'death awareness' may prevent texting while driving behavior | |
 | Reinforcing the message that texting and driving can have deadly consequences can motivate motorists to stay off their phones, thereby reducing traffic fatalities, according to new University of Missouri research. The prevention messages must be crafted carefully, or else motorists might reject or ignore the warnings, the study shows. The study, titled "The Effects of Death Awareness and Reactance on Texting-and-Driving Prevention," found that "death awareness" played a significant role in promoting texting while driving prevention behaviors. Additionally, the concept of "reactance," which refers to the natural resistance individuals have toward being controlled or persuaded, was found to impact prevention efforts. Using survey data, controlled scenarios and rigorous statistical analysis, the study was able to comprehend how 208 individuals between the ages of 18 and 31 respond to messages regarding texting and driving dangers. "When you message people about behaviors that could harm their health, you want to be careful not to induce reactance by using terms that imply they have no choice because that could trigger resistance," said Zachary Massey, an assistant professor at the Missouri School of Journalism and co-author of the study. "And if there's resistance, they might reject the message." |
| Recent semiconductor funds for A&M helps position Texas to get federal chips cluster | |
 | Allocation of state funds to the Texas A&M University System earlier this summer has helped position the Lone Star State to potentially land one of the federal semiconductor clusters the Department of Commerce is seeking to create through programs from the CHIPS and Science Act. Next week, the A&M Board of Regents will vote to approve the System's Fiscal Year 2024 to 2028 Capital Plan, which includes a $100 million project in planning for quantum & artificial intelligence chip fabrication at the RELLIS campus in Bryan. In May, A&M Regents greenlit the establishment of the A&M Semiconductor Institute. "The state's investment in higher education and in chips overall is going to help invigorate new semiconductor industries and the Department of Commerce investment in the state," said David Staack, interim director of A&M's Semiconductor Institute. A&M and the University of Texas have been designated by Gov. Greg Abbott's office to coordinate the state's response to DOC solicitations in different areas, Staack explained. A&M has been designated to coordinate the response to projects for the National Semiconductor Technology Center (NSTC) and Manufacturing USA Institutes, while Texas has been designated to coordinate the response to projects for the National Advanced Packaging Manufacturing Program (NAPMP). Should Texas land one of the coveted clusters, Staack said A&M officials would take a leadership role in making it serve the entire state. |
| Texas A&M to pay McElroy's $1M settlement with licensing funds | |
| Texas A&M University officials told The Eagle on Friday that Kathleen McElroy's settlement of $1 million for her botched hiring this summer will be paid with licensing funds. A&M officials' response answers questions from State Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian and A&M Class of 2004, who posted a letter written to A&M Chancellor John Sharp on social media Thursday that requested A&M not pay the settlement or for A&M officials to ensure no tax dollars would be used to fulfill McElroy's settlement. Harrison said if tax dollars were used, he would request the state auditor to investigate the propriety of the settlement. A&M's official account on X, formerly known as Twitter, responded to Harrison and said McElroy's "settlement will not be funded with any donor funds, any funds from the state or federal government, or any funds from our students. Any suggestion of improper use of funds is just incorrect." A&M officials and McElroy announced last Thursday the parties reached a settlement in regard to their differences in her hiring. A&M leaders acknowledged there were mistakes during McElroy's hiring process and university leadership gave a formal apology to McElroy in addition to the payout. McElroy will continue as a tenured professor at the University of Texas at Austin after she rescinded her resignation last month. The mishandling of McElroy's hiring resulted in the resignation of A&M President M. Katherine Banks on July 20. |
| Why Is West Virginia U. Making Sweeping Cuts? | |
 | After months of waiting, the announcements of program cuts at West Virginia University started to trickle out this week. On Thursday night, news broke that its department of world languages, literatures, and linguistics had been identified for elimination. Likewise, two graduate programs in mathematics will also be recommended for termination. They were among the 32 programs recommended for elimination, 12 of them undergraduate majors and 20 at the graduate level, the university announced on Friday. Based on last fall's enrollment numbers, the cuts would affect 147 undergraduates and 287 graduate students, and would result in as many as 169 faculty-line reductions. It's all part of an effort to manage a $45-million deficit for the 2024 fiscal year that could, if left unchecked, increase to $75 million by 2028, administrators say. WVU must right-size itself, they have argued, for the fallout that will come when the nation hits the so-called demographic cliff, a sharp, multiyear decline in the number of high-school students anticipated to graduate within the state and nationwide. E. Gordon Gee, the university's president, promised transparency in making program cuts during his State of the University address, in March. "Let everyone know exactly what we are doing," he said. "Gather a lot of ideas. Move with speed. Speed is our friend, and obviously data." Gee also repeatedly promised over the years that the university's systemwide enrollment would break 40,000 students by 2020. The failure to achieve that goal is not lost on members of WVU's labor force and has only reinforced the notion among some faculty members that Gee's administration lacks credibility when it forecasts dark days ahead if certain cuts aren't made. |
| How Are Colleges Planning to Manage Covid This Fall? | |
| The American College Health Association released the results of a new survey this week examining how colleges are planning to mitigate the spread of Covid-19 this fall. A majority of the more than 300 colleges that responded said they are strongly recommending that students be vaccinated against the virus. One-fifth said they are requiring some or all students to be vaccinated. Half of colleges plan to offer Covid vaccines on campus this fall. Thirty-eight percent of colleges plan to have students who test positive for Covid isolate in their residence. Eleven percent plan to offer free isolation housing on or off campus. Some institutions plan to make accommodations depending on students' financial need. This fall will be the first academic year since the ending of the federal public-health emergency for Covid. While the virus is still circulating, the pandemic as it has been defined by the U.S. government is effectively over. Colleges have largely shifted to a post-pandemic stance, with in-person classes and no mask mandates. Federal and state data collection on the virus has been drastically reduced, said Claudia Trevor-Wright, project director of the American College Health Association's Campus Covid-19 Vaccination and Mitigation Initiative. "In some ways, we are really going to be flying blind," Trevor-Wright said. Much of the federal financial support for Covid mitigation is also ending. Covid test kits and vaccines may soon become cost prohibitive for many students. Trevor-Wright said she'll be keeping an eye on a key indicator: Are campus health professionals being included in institutional decision making on Covid? The ACHA survey found that 78 percent of respondents agreed that campus health-center leaders were being included. |
| Pizza-Hauling Robots and App Ordering as Campus Dining Goes High Tech | |
 | A typical game day at the University of Wisconsin Madison campus is filled with throngs of students, alumni and parents -- all clad in white and red -- making their way through the packed crowd to snag a seat among the stands of Camp Randall Stadium. But over the last four years, something new has joined the hordes of people: food delivery robots. Attracting high fives, selfies and stares, the sleek, knee-high robots look like a cross between a copy machine and a drink cooler mounted on six wheels and topped by an antenna with an orange flag-like tip. When they pop their lids open, the aromas of pizza, sandwiches and other goodies make it obvious why they're popular. As universities increasingly turn toward technology for food services -- ranging from robots, kiosks, food lockers and self-checkouts -- more than robot selfies is at stake. Automation is seen as solving problems, including saving worker time, boosting the bottom line and serving a tech-savvy student body increasingly expecting instant gratification. Food delivery robots have cropped up across nearly two dozen college campuses in recent years. Additionally, about half of colleges have implemented some kind of automation in their cafeterias over the last two years, according to a survey from CBORD, a technology solutions provider in higher education. The University of Tennessee Knoxville, which launched its robot program in 2021, has an even bigger fleet of 60 robots and now racks up roughly 400 orders a day. The technology helps students connect more by allowing them to skip long lines and get straight to eating with friends, said Mohamed Ali, director of dining at UT Knoxville. |
| Professors have a summer assignment: Prevent ChatGPT chaos in the fall | |
 | Soon after ChatGPT was released in November, Darren Keast noticed students in his college English composition class turning in essays that read as if they'd been written by machine. Many contained fabricated quotes and cited sources that didn't exist -- telltale signs they were created by the artificial intelligence chatbot. He's dreading a repeat of that confusion this fall, so he scrambled over summer break to adapt. While hiking in Costa Rica, Keast consumed AI podcasts talking about the software's existential risk to humanity. At home in Mill Valley, Calif., he's spent hours online in fiery group discussions about whether AI chatbots should be used in the classroom. In the car, Keast queried his kids for their thoughts on the software until they begged him to stop. "They're like: 'You got to get a life, this is getting crazy,'" he said. "But [AI] totally transformed my whole professional experience." Keast isn't alone. The rise of AI chatbots has sowed confusion and panic among educators who worry they are ill-equipped to incorporate the technology into their classes and fear a stark rise in plagiarism and reduced learning. Absent guidance from university administrators on how to deal with the software, many teachers are taking matters into their own hands, turning to listservs, webinars and professional conferences to fill in gaps in their knowledge -- many shelling out their own money to attend conference sessions that are packed to the brim. Even with this ad hoc education, there is little consensus among educators: for every professor who touts the tool's wonders there's another that says it will bring about doom. |
| Colleges Want to Know More About You and Your 'Identity' | |
 | For college applicants, this is the year of the identity-driven essay, the one part of the admissions process in which it is still explicitly legal to discuss race after the Supreme Court banned affirmative action in June. A review of the essay prompts used this year by more than two dozen highly selective colleges reveals that schools are using words and phrases like "identity" and "life experience," and are probing aspects of a student's upbringing and background that have, in the words of a Harvard prompt, "shaped who you are." That's a big change from last year, when the questions were a little dutiful, a little humdrum -- asking about books read, summers spent, volunteering done. But even if candidates can -- or feel compelled to -- open up, colleges face potential legal challenges. The Supreme Court warned that a candidate's race may be invoked only in the context of the applicant's life story, and colleges have consulted with lawyers to determine the line between an acceptable essay prompt and an unconstitutional one. "Obviously, this is a pretty subjective standard," said Ishan K. Bhabha, a lawyer who is advising many colleges and universities. "Different schools are going to have different levels of risk tolerance." Some public universities are treading more carefully. The University of Virginia, for example, must navigate the tension between its stated commitment to diversity and conservative alumni, as well as the Republican governor, Glenn Youngkin, elected in 2021 largely on a pledge to overhaul education. James E. Ryan, the president of the University of Virginia, sent a letter to the school community on Aug. 1, the unofficial beginning of application season, nodding to both alumni and the enslaved people who built the university and worked on the grounds. |
| Colleges Urged to Produce Better Information on How They Spend Money | |
 | A number of university trustees, faculty and staff members are calling for more transparent financial data that they can access about their schools in the wake of a Wall Street Journal investigation that highlighted large spending increases at 50 state flagship universities. Some contacted the Journal, after it published its article Thursday, asking for information that would give them a better understanding of spending patterns at their schools. That's in part because some universities provide only minimal information to those with oversight, for instance handing trustees pie charts or high-level summaries rather than detailed budgets, as the Journal's investigation found. "The fault lies with governing boards," said Marty Kotis, a trustee at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill since 2021 who previously served on the oversight board for the UNC system. When he first started seeking financial information about the system a number of years ago, he said, he struck out with university administrators. Instead, he had to track the figures down with the state auditor. "They'd just never been asked this before," he said, adding that without that pressure, universities' finance offices are less likely to produce detailed, digestible reports. "Prior boards were merely ceremonial. If you've got a board that never asks about financials and just wants to talk about winning the next game or when the cocktail party is, they are not going to get a lot done," he said. In response to the Journal's reporting, some schools defended their spending habits. Justin Schwartz, the provost at Pennsylvania State University, one of the schools highlighted in the Journal's article, released a statement on the school's website Thursday saying Penn State has "curbed tuition increases aggressively." Moreover, state funding, which he said the school uses to reduce in-state tuition, has dropped dramatically over the past 20 years. "We strive to provide students with the highest quality education as cost-effectively as possible," Schwartz said. |
| Gov. Reeves gets big primary win, but was it big enough to give confidence for November? | |
| Mississippi Today's Bobby Harrison writes: Soon after Gov. Tate Reeves was declared the winner of Tuesday's primary, the Mississippi Republican Party congratulated him for "a decisive victory." On the surface, it was. When all the votes are finally counted, Reeves will garner about 75% of the vote in the Republican primary against two opponents running with little or no name identification and funding. Reeves is viewed as the heavy favorite this November to capture his second term as governor and his sixth overall statewide office. His supporters viewed Tuesday's results as a validation of those expectations. "Mississippi Republicans overwhelmingly cast their vote of confidence in Gov. Reeves. They are clearly not interested in handing their state over to the package deal of Biden, Bennie, and Brandon," Clifford Carroll, Reeves' communications director, said referring to Democratic gubernatorial nominee Brandon Presley, U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson and President Joe Biden. Granted, almost any candidate would be pleased to capture 75% of the vote. But it is worth noting that the two previous governors, Republican Phil Bryant and Haley Barbour, won their party primaries in their reelection bids by more than 90%. Is the smaller size of the primary victory for Reeves a foretelling of his vulnerability come November, or is it a reflection of the changing political environment of the state as the size of the Republican primary continues to grow? |
| Republican voters deliver fatal blow to Mississippi's far-right conservative movement | |
| Mississippi Today's Taylor Vance and Adam Ganucheau write: A candidate's concession speech usually reveals a lot about how a person will handle an election loss. They can use their words to graciously accept the will of voters or work to assure their supporters that despite the loss, there are better days ahead. But when the Associated Press at 11:30 p.m. on Tuesday declared that firebrand state Sen. Chris McDaniel had lost his bid for the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor, there was no one at McDaniel's election night party to hear such a speech. The uber-conservative state senator's supporters had gone home, TV journalists had returned to their broadcast stations and the rock band who entertained guests earlier in the evening had broken its equipment down. McDaniel, aided by more than $1 million in dark money spending by out-of-state groups, spent weeks attacking incumbent Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann for not being conservative enough for Mississippi Republican voters. By the time McDaniel's election party had cleared Tuesday night, it was apparent that those very voters decisively disagreed. It was an anticlimactic end for McDaniel's fiery statewide campaign, but the effect of the evening was much more significant to Mississippi politics: For the first time since 2008, Mississippi's far-right conservative movement had no clear leader. And to make matters worse for the group, Republican voters had soundly rejected its coordinated effort to grow in 2023. ... But the movement suffered a much bigger blow Tuesday night than just McDaniel. Numerous representatives of far-right conservatives in Mississippi circulated an endorsement list on social media that included 11 candidates for statewide, regional commission, or legislative seats. These candidates were all challenging Republicans who the faction deemed "not conservative enough." ... The warnings and coordination fell flat, to say the least. All but one of those endorsed candidates, listed below in bold, lost their primaries -- and most by substantial vote margins. |
SPORTS
| Bulldogs Celebrate Opening Of State-Of-The-Art Facility | |
| As the unveiling ceremony for the brand-new Mississippi State Softball Fieldhouse commenced on Friday afternoon, it was evident that this building meant much so more to the program than gaining possession of flashy technology and bright neon logos. This state-of-the-art facility represents years of hard work and dedication paying off. For graduate Kat Wallace, it also shows the importance that MSU places on women's athletics. "I love it," Wallace said. "I'm super excited, and I think it's really nice. It shows the investment in Mississippi State and what they've invested into women's athletics here. We're just super excited to get to be a part of it." The amount of detail and thought put into the facility stands out as you continue your walk down the halls and gaze into the many rooms. Sophomore Josey Marron expressed how excited and overwhelmed she felt when touring the building. "There's so many minor little details that they put [in here]," Marron said. "[Head coach Samantha] Ricketts said it earlier. Everything in here is intentional and is done with a purpose. To see just how much investment was put into us and our program to create a place like this was really, really cool, and we are grateful for it." "I think that's what I'm most proud of," Ricketts said. "Yes, it's beautiful. It's shiny. It's new, but the biggest thing is what it means to us in terms of the investment from the university and the athletic department and that they're willing to really do it right and take care of the program and the young women within the program." |
| Bulldogs unveil new field house to public | |
| Throughout the spring, as fans came out to Nusz Park for Mississippi State softball, a building beyond the third base line was in full view. That building, still under construction during the 2023 season, would be home to the program's new field house and practice facility, a multi-million dollar project years in the making. On Friday afternoon, the fully finished building was unveiled to the public for the first time, ushering in a new era of Bulldog softball in Starkville. "I think that's when it really hit home was being able to unveil it to the team and get to see their faces of excitement and that whole moment," head coach Samantha Ricketts said. "...The biggest thing is what it means to us in terms of the investment from the university and the athletic department. From indoor pitching mounds to five new batting cages, a new players lounge, new locker rooms that resemble an NBA locker room, a media and film room, new showers, a mud room and more, the building is truly state-of-the art. The building was also designed solely for player use, with no coaching offices or university booster club spots added in. "They're really willing to do it right and take care of the program and the young women within the program," Ricketts said. "It is a big deal and going through the process from the beginning, I know how close we were to not getting this. There were a lot of people that were high up that said let's do it right and let's build something we're going to be proud of." |
| 'The athletic department did their part': Inside Mississippi State softball's new facility | |
| When she was hired as Mississippi State's softball coach in 2019, Samantha Ricketts took a tour with architect Jason Agostinelli through the team's indoor facility in hopes of finding ways to renovate. What she learned was in order to get what the team needed, a new facility had to be built. After a push from administration to make it happen, combined with unseen success on the field, that was able to be done. On Friday, Mississippi State unveiled the new facility -- a testament to the program's value in the athletics department. "That's what I'm most proud of," Ricketts said. The new facility, which stands down the left field line at Nusz Park, features a turf area capable of holding five batting cages and two indoor bullpens to match the outdoor one. With retractable netting, the area can be used in many ways, including live batting practice and for defensive drills. A treatment room about three times the size of the previous one connects to the practice area. From there, a team lounge connects to a locker room – with a graphic of the all-time SEC home runs leader Mia Davidson greeting players. The team room sits in a hallway leading players from the locker room back to the practice area. Hidden beneath the cushioned seats and carpet of the team room are names and signatures of former players -- those who are now both literally and figuratively part of the foundation. "Even though they didn't get to train in this facility, because of them choosing Mississippi State and because of what they did in their time in this program, it allows us to get better and better to where we're in a spot where we can build something like this," Ricketts said. |
| Kevin Barbay bats down 'total misconception' about Will Rogers, Mississippi State football's new offense | |
| The last time Mississippi State football quarterback Will Rogers took a snap under center likely dates back before his playing days at Brandon High School. For some, that caused concern about his ability to transition from Mike Leach's Air Raid offense to Kevin Barbay's pro-style system. Questions filled the offseason from national media. How would Rogers perform under center? Could he turn his back to a defense, fake a handoff, turn back around and read a defense effectively? "I think that would be a total misconception that we're going to play under center the whole time," Barbay, Mississippi State's new offensive coordinator, said Saturday. "I would tell you 95% of (the offense) is in (shotgun)." Barbay's offense will feature tight ends and more handoffs than Leach's attack. However, finding a middle ground to keep Rogers in shotgun while running the offense as expected was simple. "Where I think a lot of the carryover is, is using the pistol instead of just off-set," Barbay said. "Pistol formation now allows us to kind of balance off a little bit and really try to keep the defense from knowing, 'Hey, the running back is on the left, the tight end is on the right, we're running over here to the right every time.' A little bit of that is always making sure that you're giving defensive coordinators different looks. But we're primarily a shotgun offense." |
| Mississippi State adds new food to the game day lineup in Davis Wade | |
| Mississippi State is working to improve fans' experience this fall. They are adding new items to the menus in Davis Wade. Polls from fans after last season showed a lot of people want healthier options to choose from. So, caterer Proof of the Pudding is adding salads and wraps to the menu. Tom Greene is the deputy athletic director of external operations for State. He said the goal is to add to fan enjoyment. "For us, we want people to walk away with just an incredible experience and incredible memory that they can cherish for a lifetime," Greene said. "And, hopefully go tell their friend and their neighbor and their co-worker. Because, we want to pack this place and provide a great experience for not only our fans, but our student athletes as well." Ben Witte is the COO for Proof of the Pudding and has passion for food. It's a family business to him and the Bulldogs are a part of that family. "When you get off the plane at GTR you're instantly home," Witte said. "When I'm here at Mississippi State University, it's home sweet home." |
| Good Eats | |
| Photo: On Friday afternoon, Mississippi State athletics and Proof of the Pudding, an Atlanta catering company that has been working with the Bulldogs for the past few years, unveiled some of the food options available at athletic events this season. Among new options include a Cobb salad and turkey wrap, while fan favorites such as the Hail State Burger, pulled pork sandwich and pulled pork nachos have returned. |
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