| Monday, August 11, 2025 |
| MSU student-focused events welcome new Bulldogs to campus | |
 | Mississippi State is rolling out a slate of events this month to welcome new and returning Bulldogs for the upcoming academic year. From hosting move-in days to community-building activities and introducing students to a wealth of support resources, MSU welcomes the new freshman class and transfer students as they acclimate to their new home. "The energy that fills our campus during the start of the year is truly unmatched," said MSU Vice President for Student Affairs Regina Hyatt. "From New Maroon Camp to MVNU2MSU to Dawg Days and beyond, these events are more than just traditions -- they're the first steps students take in finding their place at Mississippi State. We want every student to feel connected, supported and excited about the journey ahead. Getting involved early helps students build relationships, discover passions and fully experience what it means to be part of the Bulldog family. We encourage all of our new and returning students to take advantage of every opportunity to engage with campus life. This is where lifelong memories and meaningful connections begin." |
| Azalea Hall opens at Mississippi State University | |
 | Mississippi State University (MSU) celebrated the opening of its newest and largest student residence hall. Azalea Hall will welcome its first occupants next week to launch the 2025-26 academic year. Azalea Hall, which was a nearly $100 million project, is located at the corner of Barr Avenue and George Perry Street in Starkville. "This will be a wonderful new home to more than 400 students who will have an incredible environment to live, study and grow into successful young adults and future leaders. Azalea Hall stands as a reminder of what we can accomplish by working together with the generous support of our friends, and I am so grateful to all of you here today who contributed to the effort to build this beautiful, practical and highly functional residence hall and dining facility," said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. He emphasized the generosity of the Luckyday Foundation, which gave $4 million for the creation of Luckyday Tower, a living and learning community within Azalea Hall for the university's Luckyday Scholars Program. The building comprises five stories and 159,000 square feet, offers the most up-to-date amenities, with fully furnished rooms finished with full-sized, XL beds. The facility also contains a FEMA safe room. |
| MSU celebrates new residence hall opening on Starkville campus | |
 | Mississippi State University is celebrating its new residence hall, Azalea Hall. This is MSU's newest and largest residence hall with 412 single occupancy rooms. The hall is centrally located, and students have their own private rooms. It also features the university's first residential dining facility. President Dr. Mark Keenum says this unique hall will help to better serve the needs of students as the university continues to grow in enrollment. He also said this facility is unlike any other in the state of Mississippi or even in the Southeastern Conference. "The most important thing we want students to feel is at home that this is their home, that they're part of the Azalea community and then the broader bulldog community. We want students to succeed. So being in a residential community like this is a great opportunity for them to have other students who are going through similar things, to find friends, to meet people and a place just to relax and have fun," said MSU Student Affairs Vice President Regina Hyatt. |
| New residence hall opens at Mississippi State University | |
 | Mississippi State has a new residence hall on campus. Friday, MSU opened Azalea Hall, located at the corner of Barr Avenue and George Perry Street. The newest and largest residence hall in Starkville will welcome its first students next week for the 2025-26 school year. Azalea Hall consists of 412 single occupancy rooms broken into groups of 16 to 18 rooms. Each pod has a kitchenette, a lounge, gym areas, and meeting rooms. Also at Azalea Hall is the Luckyday Tower, which is a living and learning community within the hall for the university's Luckyday Scholars Program. The Luckyday Foundation gave $4 million for the creation of the tower. Mississippi State President Dr. Mark E. Keenum said, "This will be a wonderful new home to more than 400 students who will have an incredible environment to live, study and grow into successful young adults and future leaders. Azalea Hall stands as a reminder of what we can accomplish by working together with the generous support of our friends, and I am so grateful." |
| MSU surpasses $260 million raised in FY25, endowment passes $1 billion | |
| The Mississippi State University Foundation set a new record for fundraising in fiscal year 2025, exceeding $260 million and growing the size of its total endowment beyond $1 billion. The achievement pushed its total assets beyond $1 billion as well. This is the second year for the foundation to exceed a quarter billion dollars raised. "Achieving this level of unprecedented success reflects the generous spirit of countless Mississippi State University friends, alumni, and partners. Words alone cannot express the deep appreciation I have for their meaningful investments in our students and the transformative work we are doing to serve our state and nation," said MSU President Mark E. Keenum. "We are blessed to have these resources and are committed to being good stewards of these gifts as we pursue life-changing research, meet critical needs, and prepare students to be leaders." The fundraising period, fiscal year 2025, ended June 30. |
| Mississippi State adds 2,000 trees to campus landscape | |
 | Mississippi State's landscape team has planted more than 2,000 trees over the past five years, strengthening the university's canopy and advancing its current strategic effort to optimize the university's outdoor environment. From majestic native hardwoods to decorative flowering species, the varied tree plantings are creating and enhancing shaded spaces for students, faculty and visitors on the campus recognized for 12 consecutive years as a Tree Campus Higher Education institution. "With every tree we plant, we're thinking 20, 30, even 50 years into the future," said Saunders Ramsey, executive director of Campus Services. "It's about creating a landscape now that future generations of Bulldogs can also enjoy -- places to walk, study, gather and connect with nature." This summer, as Mississippi has experienced a severe heat wave, the benefits of trees are especially noticeable. Trees reduce rising ground temperatures and cool shaded areas by as much as 10 degrees, but the value doesn't stop there. "Trees do so much more than provide shade," said Jim Bo Hearnsberger, associate director of Campus Landscape. "They clean the air we breathe, help manage stormwater, create habitats for wildlife, and reduce energy use by cooling buildings and sidewalks. It's a lasting return on investment for the entire campus community." |
| MSU nurses graduate in inaugural pinning, commencement | |
| Thirty-four students from Mississippi State University's inaugural Master of Science in Nursing program were the first to earn their degrees Thursday [Aug. 7] in a historic commencement ceremony at the MSU Riley Center in downtown Meridian. MSU President Mark E. Keenum commended the MSU-Meridian students and their families for their dedication, commitment and perseverance through the intensive program. "Today is a celebration of these outstanding, history-making graduates who are committed to serving their communities and our state. I have the utmost confidence in them and believe they are well prepared to care for their patients and make a difference in their lives," MSU President Mark E. Keenum said. "I am grateful to our dedicated faculty and staff who have taught and mentored them on this journey, as well as the strong community partners we have who have contributed to the success of the Master of Science in Nursing program and invested in these students." |
| MSU Alumni Association chapter looks to increase membership | |
| With the beginning of the new school year quickly approaching for college students, the Monroe County Mississippi State Alumni Chapter recently held a send-off party for incoming freshmen and transfer students. It illustrates the chapter's renewed activity during the past year and an open invitation for more MSU supporters to join. "We're actively trying to revive this chapter and get more people involved. There are more than 2,500 alumni, people who attended MSU and people with kids who have gone or are attending right now on a list through the MSU Alumni Association," said Shawn Helton, treasurer of the local chapter. "We're actively trying to get people to update their information with us personally and with the alumni association as well." The recent send-off party, hosted July 24 at the Gilmore Foundation Conference Center in Amory, attracted 50 to 55 attendees. There are 16 incoming MSU freshmen and 23 transfers from community colleges, and several attended the send-off party. Helton said the event was fun and welcoming for new Mississippi State University students and their families. Speakers were Dr. Joe Brennan of Amory, who is an MSU professor; Lori Irvin, who is an MSU Extension agent; and Michael Richardson, an MSU Alumni Association representative who also announces MSU soccer games. Janet Downey also represented the university's alumni association. |
| Nearly 60 students from Jones County committed to going to Mississippi State University | |
 | Nearly 60 students from Jones County are heading to Mississippi State University this upcoming fall semester, and a local alumni association held a send-off party for them where they could celebrate and meet each other. 57 students from Jones County are ringing in the fall semester a little early. The Jones County chapter of the Mississippi State University Alumni Association hosted a gathering for students to foster connections. Karsen Lightsey, one of the MSU freshmen, says it's great to already know a group of people before being on campus. "To be able to meet so many people from Jones County who have come from Mississippi State, they have deep ties to Mississippi State, and it's just great people, you know, you can count on," Lightsey said. Ethan Nguyen, another MSU freshman, agrees. "I think it's good to have people that you already know going to campus. You know, though I'm excited to meet all these new people, I think it'd be good to have these people that I already know just to have and fall back on whenever I need them," Nguyen said. With the students becoming familiar with one another, they all say they're looking forward to heading to Starkville. |
| Swinging into friendship, new connections and new dance moves | |
| Jazzy music plays over the speaker of an engineering classroom on Aug. 3 in the Simrall Engineering Building at Mississippi State University. In the middle of the classroom-turned-dance hall, Heath Anderson and Joy Cariño take the floor. The dancers move confidently through the steps they learned throughout the evening. They stand shoulder to shoulder and connect hands before rocking and swaying to the beat. The pair spin to face each other, continuing to skid and tap against the floor before performing another spin and return to their initial stance. Except during this combination, Anderson has been following Cariño. "It's definitely a lot easier to do the spins and stuff when you obviously are taller and can lead," Anderson said with a laugh. "It's tough to do the spins when you're the lead and your follow is much taller than you. So I just try to be flexible." Swing dance is a category of dancing that grew with swing style music from the 1920s to the 1940s. Swing dance is a category of dancing that grew with swing style music from the 1920s to the 1940s. One of the more well known styles of swing dance is Lindy Hopp, which developed out of Black communities in Harlem around the 1930s. Today, groups across the country like Starkville Swing Dance continue to meet and practice the dance style. Thalia Vrantsidis, the Starkville group's founder and a professor in psychology at the university, said swing dance often still appeals to participants due to its low intensity, along with how easy it is to jump in and out throughout sessions. |
| Federal funding cuts to impact local libraries | |
| Golden Triangle libraries are raising concerns about the defunding of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a small independent federal agency that provides resources and funding to museums and libraries across the country. These concerns come after the White House released the proposed budget for the 2026 fiscal year, which calls for the elimination of federal funding for IMLS, along with 15 other small agencies. The budget requests $6 million to "carry out the closure" of IMLS, compared to the $313 million of funding given to the agency in 2025. Golden Triangle libraries receive between $7,000 and $14,000 in funding each year through IMLS funding. Starkville-Oktibbeha County Public Library System Director Phillip Carter said the proposed budget cut presents a serious threat. "It's difficult to predict the likelihood of these cuts -- we're in an unprecedented moment regarding legislative support for IMLS," Carter said. "While there have been past threats to its funding, IMLS ultimately prevailed. However, today's climate presents a different and more serious challenge." IMLS distributes about $2.1 million to the Mississippi Library Commission in Jackson through the Grants to States program. MLC then administers these funds to individual library systems as Library Services and Technology Act grants. |
| 'Great run' for Jim's Clothing coming to an end | |
| In 1971, Jim Davis traded in his whistle and gradebook as the Starkville High School football coach for selling double-knit polyester slacks and colorful leisure suits. The leap of faith eventually turned into Jim's Clothing, a Columbus fixture on Highway 45 for more than half a century. Now at 81, Davis is ready to hang up his jacket, closing the store after 54 years. Even with the store closed Friday to prepare for a public closing sale, Davis continued to unlock the door to sell suits to a few convincing customers. It's that level of service and care Davis credits for the store's longevity, along with generations of loyal customers -- the part of the job he'll miss the most. "I always wanted to be a salesman, and that's my strength and just customer (relationships)," Davis told The Dispatch. "I enjoyed (that) most, and now the enjoyment is all these families, these relationships that you build up. That's the icing on the cake, and it's very enjoyable. And I'll miss them." Davis said his wife, Janice, helped drive that success. Janice returned to the store after teaching for nearly 25 years at Heritage Academy, often balancing Jim's easygoing demeanor with a firmer hand when necessary. Janice agreed customer service has been integral to the store's success, but what keeps customers coming back is the personal connection Jim builds with everyone who walks through the front door. |
| Food trucks, vendors to be showcased at Columbus Food Court and Market | |
| In 2021, Jill Lehrkamp was looking to start another business in Columbus when she was driving by the old Columbus Carts and Clubs property and saw it listed for sale. Even though she already owned Columbus Service Cleaning, she had an idea. What if she started another business venture -- a space where local food trucks and vendors would be spotlighted? "I just liked the idea of a food truck court," she said. "I just like the idea of having an option in the area for just different foods." From 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Aug. 30, the Columbus Food Court and Market, at 92 Alabama St., will open for its first day after four years of development. The space will feature picnic tables with umbrellas and spaces around the track for food vendors to set up on that night. "I just hope that it turns into a space that East Columbus will be really proud of," Lehrkamp said. "I'm hoping to grow with this something that will be a nice little addition to that side of town." Over time, Lehrkamp said she wants to add activities like putt-putt and cornhole at the site, as well as update the location with improved lighting and security cameras. |
| WTVA among 10 stations sold to Gray Media for $171M | |
| WTVA is among 10 Allen Media Group television stations that will be sold to Atlanta-based Gray Media for $171 million. The deal includes three new markets for Gray, which expects closing the transaction in the fourth quarter of this year following receipt of regulatory approval, including certain waivers of FCC local ownership rules, and other customary closing conditions. The transaction would bring Gray into three new markets -- Columbus-Tupelo; Terre Haute, Indiana; and West Lafayette, Indiana -- with the acquisition of the local television station in each market that had the highest all-day ratings in 2024, according to Comscore. Gray expects the transaction to strengthen the company's presence in the seven other markets by creating new duopolies that would allow Gray to "preserve and deepen public service to their communities with expanded local news, local weather, and local sports programming." The sale will bring WTVA under its third owner since 2014. Allen Media acquired WTVA in 2019 as part of an 11-station, $210 million deal from Heartland Media, which had purchased WTVA in 2014 earlier for an undisclosed sum. |
| South Mississippi leaders want new study on Buc-ee's traffic | |
 | Harrison County leaders are asking for a traffic study two months after a stream of cars started arriving at the new Buc-ee's Travel Center near Pass Christian. The county Board of Supervisors is seeking solutions off Interstate 10 at Exit 24, where some neighbors are complaining of backups that stretch up Firetower Road. "Hopefully we can make some modifications or do something to expedite that traffic, especially during peak times," said Marlin Ladner, a supervisor who represents the area. I-10 traffic has mostly flowed smoothly since Buc-ee's opened in June. But Ladner said on days when Buc-ee's is especially busy, cars swarm the store's roundabout entrance and southbound drivers struggle to pass through. In an email to the Gulf Regional Planning Commission, which funds such studies, Harrison County Board of Supervisors President Nathan Barrett said the county expects more commercial and residential growth will further strain the area's traffic. New stores are already open across the street from Buc-ee's, and neighbors have rallied in recent months against subdivisions proposed nearby. |
| What is Mississippi's pitch to corporations looking to invest in the Magnolia State? | |
| When representatives from the Mississippi Development Authority travel the world seeking potential companies to locate and invest in the Magnolia State, they are armed with a story to tell built on recent economic development successes from the Coast to the Tennessee line. However, Bill Cork, executive director of MDA, said much of the recruiting strategy must remain a state secret. "I can't go too in-depth about our strategies because our competitors are watching. I will say that our approach to attracting investment centers around relationships, responsiveness and results," he said. Cork said when his team is presenting Mississippi to a company, "we lead with credible data and deliver with results." "We don't just tell them about Mississippi's advantages -- we show them just how they apply to the company's goals. Our speed to market, shovel-ready sites and industry-driven workforce training initiatives are major benefits to manufacturers," Cork elaborated. Cork explained that MDA's pitch is individualized to the specific company they are targeting. What data center executives are looking for is different from what attracts manufacturing leaders. In recent years, MDA has joined forces with other state agencies and higher learning institutions to attract investments, including AccelerateMS, the state's community colleges, universities, and local leaders, to close the talent gap and train for specific skill sets. |
| Mississippi State Fair competes in Great American State Fair | |
 | Mississippians know the annual State Fair in Jackson is the best in the nation, and this year the event has the chance to prove it. President Donald J. Trump officially launched the Great American State Fair on July 3. During the week of July 4, 2026, the initiative will conclude with a festival on the National Mall, and Trump will recognize the most patriotic state fair. Gov. Tate Reeves and Commissioner of Agriculture and Commerce Andy Gipson officially announced Mississippi's participation during a press conference Friday morning, Aug. 8, in the Mississippi Trade Mart. The Great American State Fair initiative, part of America250, challenges each state to host the most patriotic fair. Reeves was joined by the commission's co-chairs, First Lady Elee Reeves and Lynn Hosemann, Visit Mississippi Executive Director Rochelle Hicks and the commission's Development Director Nancy Carpenter. Jolynn White, who was not present during the July press conference, will serve as the third co-chair. Gipson said he received an email from U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins on June 25 inviting Mississippi to participate in the Great American State Fair. "I didn't have to think about it. I didn't even have to pray about it," Gipson said. "I called them up and said, 'Mississippi is 100% in.'" |
| 'Defunded but not defeated': How Mississippi Public Broadcasting is navigating budget cuts | |
| Like many Mississippians, Jovani Johnson was raised on PBS Kids. Shows like "Sesame Street" and "Maya & Miguel" were a key part of his early education. Now, as an afterschool teacher at Agape Love Learning & Developmental Center in Greenwood, he uses PBS Kids shows and resources from its website in his lessons three times a week. "My younger group, they love it," he said. "They love it because they know we're coming with something fresh, something new." But because of federal budget cuts pushed by President Donald Trump, Johnson and other Mississippians will lose access to these shows by next summer. Mississippi Public Broadcasting will lose up to 15% of its annual budget, which is between $2 million and $2.5 million, according to Anna Neel, MPB's chief operating officer. MPB plans to eliminate programming from PBS, NPR, the Create television channel, the PBS Kids television channel, PBS Kids app and the streaming service Passport. MPB will still air emergency weather alerts and local programming like "The Gestalt Gardener" on the radio and "Mississippi Roads" on TV, and it will continue to produce all local news, including "Mississippi Edition," Neel said. Nationally syndicated TV shows like "Daniel Tiger," "Sesame Street," "Frontline," "Finding Your Roots" and "Antiques Roadshow" and radio shows like "Morning Edition" and "All Things Considered" won't be available under MPB's planned changes. |
| Who Is the Heir to the MAGA Movement? Trump Keeps His Options Open | |
 | At least twice in recent months, President Trump has declined to formally crown Vice President JD Vance as the successor to the MAGA movement. Instead, Trump is leaving his options open. On Tuesday, he told reporters Vance is probably the favorite to succeed him, echoing what he has privately told associates. But Trump also talked up another administration official who has emerged as one of his most trusted advisers: Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Behind the scenes, Trump has at times appeared to stoke competition between Vance and Rubio, teasing them about their well-known political ambitions. "Which one of you is going to be at the top of the ticket?" Trump asked the men earlier this year, according to a person with knowledge of the conversation. "I used to think it would be Vance-Rubio, but maybe it will be Rubio-Vance." Republicans are looking ahead to the end of the president's transformative political tenure with trepidation, unsure whether the GOP's rising stars can keep hold of the movement that Trump has commanded for the past decade. Trump is in no hurry to choose a successor, as he considers the full bench of ambitious Republicans who are vying for the job and his approval, according to people close to him. He thinks the next Republican standard-bearer should have to earn the job, the people said. Another reason for the reluctance to discuss a successor: Trump, who has publicly toyed with serving a third term in violation of the Constitution, isn't thinking about life beyond the White House and doesn't like contemplating the end of his political career, the people said. |
| Trump's big bill is powering his mass deportations. Congress is starting to ask questions | |
 | President Donald Trump's border czar Tom Homan visited Capitol Hill just weeks after Inauguration Day, with other administration officials and a singular message: They needed money for the White House's border security and mass deportation agenda. By summer, Congress delivered. The Republican Party's big bill of tax breaks and spending cuts that Trump signed into law July 4 included what's arguably the biggest boost of funds yet to the Department of Homeland Security -- nearly $170 billion, almost double its annual budget. The staggering sum is powering the nation's sweeping new Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, delivering gripping scenes of people being pulled off city streets and from job sites across the nation -- the cornerstone of Trump's promise for the largest domestic deportation operation in American history. Homeland Security confirmed over the weekend ICE is working to set up detention sites at certain military bases. "We're getting them out at record numbers," Trump said at the White House bill signing ceremony. "We have an obligation to, and we're doing it." The crush of new money is setting off alarms in Congress and beyond, raising questions from lawmakers in both major political parties who are expected to provide oversight. |
| Trump to send National Guard into Washington, DC, and take over police | |
 | President Donald Trump said he will deploy National Guard troops to Washington D.C., as part of an aggressive federal effort to crack down on crime in the nation's capital. "We're taking our capital back," Trump said August 11. "We're taking it back." Trump said the federal government would take control of Washinton's Metropolitan Police Department. "I'm announcing a historic action to rescue our nation's capital from crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse," Trump said. "This is Liberation Day in D.C., and we're going to take our capital back." Trump in an earlier social media post on Aug. 10 said that the homeless in D.C. "have to move out, IMMEDIATELY," but he did not elaborate on how that will be accomplished. Trump's actions follow a high-profile assault on a former staffer of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), 19-year-old Edward Coristine, that occured in the early morning hours of Aug. 3. during an attempted carjacking. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., sharply criticized President Trump's Justice Department takeover of the Washington D.C. police department as "political theater," and said the nation's capital doesn't need it because it's already reducing violent crime. |
| Trump has said abortion is a state issue. His judicial picks could shape it nationally for decades | |
| One called abortion a "barbaric practice." Another referred to himself as a "zealot" for the anti-abortion movement. Several have played prominent roles in defending their state's abortion restrictions in court and in cases that have had national impact, including on access to medication abortion. As President Donald Trump pushes the Senate to confirm his federal judicial nominees, a review by The Associated Press shows that roughly half of them have revealed anti-abortion views, been associated with anti-abortion groups or defended abortion restrictions. Trump has offered shifting positions on the issue while indicating he wants to leave questions of abortion access to the states. But his court nominees will have lifetime appointments and be in position to roll back abortion access long after the Republican president leaves the White House. Bernadette Meyler, a professor of constitutional law at Stanford University, said judicial nominations "are a way of federally shaping the abortion question without going through Congress or making a big, explicit statement." "It's a way to cover up a little bit what is happening in the abortion sphere compared to legislation or executive orders that may be more visible, dramatic and spark more backlash," she said. |
| USM Symphony Orchestra unveils 'American Perspectives' season | |
| The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) Symphony Orchestra announced its 107th concert season, "American Perspectives," which will explore the vast variety of American music, from pioneering classics to bold modern voices. Season ticket packages are available now. Individual tickets go on sale September 2 and are expected to sell out quickly. Those who wish to attend can secure their tickets by calling the Southern Miss Ticket Office at 601-266-5418 or visiting in person at the Pat Ferlise Center, 2949 W. Fourth St. |
| Jackson State University welcomes new students for move-in day | |
| New students arrived at Jackson State University (JSU) for move-in day on August 9. After checking in at the one-stop shop, students made their way to residence halls with help from university staff and student ambassadors. "We've gotten so many positive things that are going on in Jackson State, whether it be our new AI programs or new mechanical engineering. All those things that we offer, of course, the national coverage we received from the Sonic Boom, as well as from our football championships, have really allowed us to be on a main stage. It's so exciting to see so many people that really have an interest in coming to Jackson State, and we're grateful for that," said interim JSU President Denise Jones Gregory. |
| JSU gets ready for fall semester, freshmen move into the dorms | |
| Jackson State University welcomed freshmen and transfer students with open arms for move-in day Saturday. Telah Edwards grew up supporting Jackson State, and she's excited to experience it as a student. "It actually feels great to actually do it and be a freshman that actually goes to school rather than someone that's still in high school or middle school or elementary school coming to these games," she said. Edwards is following in her mom and her sister's footsteps, continuing the family legacy as a JSU and HBCU student. "It's important for me, for my children to attend a historically black college so that they can see people who look like themselves, as well as being a part of a community that makes them a priority," Nicole Edwards said. "My mom was like, 'You're going to Jackson State,' and I was like, 'Okay,' and then I applied, and I got accepted," Telah told us when asked what made her choose JSU. "I was very excited to come to a HBCU, that my mom is already a part of, and my sister." Not only were alumni parents on campus bringing their sons and daughters to move in, but other alumni were also there to show support for the new tigers. |
| Some Alabama colleges risk federal financial aid access as student loan delinquencies climb | |
| With the pandemic-era pause on student loan payments lifted and debt levels at a record $1.7 trillion nationwide, attention is now turning to the growing number of delinquent loans – and the impact on colleges as well as borrowers. Missed payments don't just hurt borrowers. Colleges with large numbers of students who default on their loans could lose access to federal loans and Pell grants – and the students who use them. New federal data show some Alabama institutions are edging uncomfortably close to those sanction thresholds for the first time. In May, the U.S. Department of Education notified colleges that the long pause was over, loan repayment was resuming and schools would again be held accountable alongside their former students. The department urged colleges to reach out to borrowers, warning them that delinquent loans would soon be reported to credit bureaus and that the risk of default -- where wages can be garnished and tax refunds seized -- was just around the corner. In Alabama, 21 colleges have nonpayment rates of 30% or higher, placing them at risk of federal sanctions in coming years. Ten of those schools -- five private nonprofit and five private for-profit -- have rates above 40%. |
| Florida's universities face research overhaul courtesy of Trump and DeSantis | |
 | President Donald Trump's efforts to reshape higher education in a conservative mold aren't just targeting Ivy League elites. They're stripping millions from Florida universities --- and the state's Republican governor is happy to help. While institutions like Harvard University and Columbia University are taking heat from the Trump administration, colleges all across the country -- including deep red Florida -- are feeling the squeeze of sweeping federal research cuts. Florida universities this year saw more than 90 grants terminated across key federal agencies. Some states are suing the federal government to push back on the downsizing. But Florida, led by Gov. Ron DeSantis, has the state's government accountability DOGE team auditing university research projects and even recommending grants for termination. "The Trump administration is working hard to get some of the rot out of higher education, the intellectual rot, the ideological rot," DeSantis said last month during an event in Jacksonville. Researchers, meanwhile, face "significant disruption and uncertainty," as University of Florida officials noted in a May memo to faculty detailing how the school lost more than 70 federal grants, eclipsing $35 million. In response, Florida's flagship school has made attempts to lessen the blow on researchers and students. |
| Texas Lawmakers Create Overseer to Make Colleges Follow Laws | |
 | Texas Republicans, like those in other red states in recent years, have overhauled aspects of public higher education in ways that have raised concerns about the future of academic freedom for faculty and institutional autonomy for colleges and universities. They've banned diversity, equity and inclusion efforts; reduced the faculty's role in university decision-making; and mandated curriculum reviews, among other changes. But Senate Bill 37, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law in June, added something the other states' laws lack: It created an ombudsman position tasked with ensuring institutions follow SB 37 and the earlier DEI ban, which took effect in 2024. "The ombudsman shall serve as the director of compliance and monitoring," the law says. The governor gets to choose the ombudsman, and the state Senate can approve or deny the pick. After that, the governor can unilaterally decide to fire this new overseer if he's not pleased. This means Abbott, a Republican who has criticized professors for pushing "woke agendas," has ultimate authority over this new watchdog. Faculty and academic freedom groups say they're concerned about politicization of this new position -- which, under the law, can recommend that state lawmakers cut off a university's ability to spend state funds until it complies. |
| U. of Texas student inspires Haylie Duff movie on meningitis | |
| Austinite Jamie Schanbaum was in her first year at the University of Texas in November 2008 when she began to feel like she had the flu. The pre-pharmacy major had been busy making friends and studying hard and "doing what every college student should be doing -- enjoying life," she said. "I went from feeling completely healthy to feeling like I had the flu with body aches, fatigue and chills; it quickly became unbearable," she said. "Within hours, I was too sick to move and lying in a hospital bed, fighting for my life." Schanbaum was diagnosed with a meningococcal bacterium that causes meningitis, an inflammation of the membranes around the brain and spine, as well as sepsis, an infection of the blood that can cut off blood circulation. She was given a 20% chance to live. Because of the blood infection, she had both legs amputated below the knee as well as all her fingers. Schanbaum, who was the youngest of four children, and her mom Patsy Schanbaum thought that Jamie had been vaccinated, but she wasn't. These vaccines, which are given in the teenage years, are easy for parents to miss, local pediatricians warn. The Schanbaums and other families like theirs have inspired a new Lifetime movie that is available on Amazon Prime: "Pretty Hurts," which stars Austinite and now mom Haylie Duff, who is best known by the TV show "7th Heaven." While anyone can get a meningococcal illness, the bacteria love teenagers and young adults. A teen or young adult's risk factors are elevated because of the congregating this age group does. |
| Texas State University System dissolves faculty senates | | |
| Professors across the Texas State University System are about to lose their formal voice in campus decision-making -- at least temporarily. The system is allowing faculty senates -- bodies made up of professors who approve and advise university leaders on curricula, faculty hiring and other academic issues -- to be abolished under a new state law, creating a gap in faculty representation that other public university systems are actively trying to avoid. The law, Senate Bill 37, is part of a broader effort by Republican lawmakers to assert more control over public universities following years of clashes with faculty over issues like tenure, diversity initiatives and academic freedom. It requires boards of regents to either authorize significantly restructured faculty senates or allow existing ones to be abolished on Sept. 1. On Friday, the system's board of regents updated its rules to comply with the legislation and gave university presidents the authority to develop new faculty advisory groups. The board did not authorize any existing senates, which means they will lapse on Sept. 1. Other university systems, including Texas A&M, University of Houston and University of North Texas, are taking steps to preserve their faculty senates and avoid a gap in faculty representation by restructuring them ahead of the Sept. 1 deadline. |
| Underwater robots take a swim during final day of MU engineering camp | |
 | Mizzou Engineering's three-day youth underwater robotics camp concluded Friday with a final underwater test. Campers from third to eighth grade brought their robots to the MizzouRec to take a plunge as the second session of the camp ended. The campers spent three days building and preparing their robots with the help of their "Army Ants," a community robotics team for Boone County high schoolers founded in 2011, said Andy Winslow, the principal mentor. After days of preparation, the final day of camp meant it was time for their robots to take to the pool. Once the robots were in the water, the campers controlled their robotic creations, taking turns with other group members under the direction of the Army Ants. As the robots navigated the water, parts such as pool noodles and propellers occasionally fell off, forcing quick repairs. Kevin Gillis, a professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomedical Engineering, said the camp has been around for about 10 years, using various pools and locations. The camp hosted 50 campers between the morning and afternoon sessions from Wednesday to Friday. The camp hosted its first session in late June before the final session this week. |
| 'Uncharted territory': Newsom and UC go to battle against Trump's UCLA sanctions | |
 | Two weeks ago, UCLA was optimistic. For months, it had successfully avoided clashes with President Trump as university leaders declined to publicly criticize him by name over his battle to remake American higher education, first raging against several Ivy League schools. The morning of July 29, UCLA announced it had settled a federal lawsuit with students who accused it of discrimination, paying more than $2 million to Jewish civil rights groups and millions more in legal fees. University leaders hailed the action as "real progress" to combat antisemitism. Privately, they pointed the Trump administration to the agreement, eager to convince federal officials they had made good with Jewish communities. The high lasted just a few hours -- and touched off an extraordinary 14 days of rapid-fire accusations, investigative findings and a massive federal freeze of UCLA's research funding. It culminated Friday afternoon when Gov. Gavin Newsom unleashed furious comments in response to a federal demand that UC pay a $1-billion fine over a host of allegations against UCLA: antisemitism on campus, illegal use of race in admissions and policies that allow transgender athletes to compete according to their gender identity. "He has threatened us through extortion with a billion-dollar fine, unless we do his bidding," Newsom said, adding that California would sue. "We will not be complicit in this kind of attack on academic freedom on this extraordinary public institution." |
| At Colleges, Diversity Training Is Out. Dialogue Workshops Are In. | |
 | As colleges across the nation phase out diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, many have started to phase in programs with a new focus: "dialogue." It's unclear whether the new embrace was precipitated by colleges' abandonment of DEI amid state and federal scrutiny. But campuses that once touted the importance of inclusivity are now training students to talk through their differences. To do that, dozens of colleges are turning to an organization founded by a familiar face: Jonathan Haidt, the New York University social psychologist and perennial opiner on campus culture. The nonprofit Constructive Dialogue Institute, which Haidt co-founded with Caroline Mehl, sells training programs to campus clients. And business is booming. Mehl said that in the 2023-24 academic year, the institute had 35 clients for their campuswide programming. That number has grown to more than 100. The swift transition from DEI to disagreement is not lost on college leaders. "I think this is a future for DEI," said Kristin G. Esterberg, chancellor of the University of Washington at Bothell, which has partnered with the CDI while maintaining its DEI work. "Not necessarily the future, but a future for the work of equity and inclusion." |
| How Colleges Use Geography to Recruit Students | |
| The ways in which colleges decide whom to accept in their incoming classes have recently come under increased scrutiny from the Trump administration, which has used settlements, a memo and an executive action to pressure colleges to change their admissions practices. Those directives reflect the administration's focus on ensuring what they call merit in the process, as well as an effort to expand the Supreme Court's decision banning race-conscious admissions to bar any type of race-based programming or activities. That includes using "proxies" for race in recruitment. In a recent memo, Attorney General Pamela Bondi specifically warned colleges against using geographic targeting -- recruiting from a specific city, neighborhood or high school. "A federally funded organization implement[ing] recruitment strategies targeting specific geographic areas, institutions, or organizations chosen primarily because of their racial or ethnic composition rather than other legitimate factors" would be unlawful and discriminatory, the memo states. This scrutiny of geographic targeting, which comes just as admissions season for many institutions has gotten underway, could complicate colleges' efforts to recruit students this fall. Many have already begun traveling for recruitment purposes, but there is concern that once-routine high school visits could put them in the Trump administration's line of fire. |
| Trump Escalates a Fight Over How to Measure Merit in American Education | |
 | The Trump administration's executive order demanding that universities disclose the race, test scores and grade point averages of all applicants raises the stakes in a bitter battle that has already upended college admissions in recent years. Colleges will face even more intense scrutiny over their admissions practices as the administration pushes them to rely more heavily on quantitative measures, which experts say could result in wealthier, less diverse student populations at elite universities. For a century, higher education has been embroiled in a debate over who should be admitted into the country's most selective colleges. It is a fight that cuts to the core of the nation's most difficult ideological divides, over merit, equal opportunity and the legacy of racism. On one side, colleges have argued that considering students' life experiences -- including their races -- creates diverse student bodies that are beneficial to everyone and corrects for decades of discrimination. But a conservative movement has questioned the use of such subjective criteria in admissions, arguing that the practice has led to discrimination against white and Asian students. |
SPORTS
| Football: Defense Shines In State's First Scrimmage | |
| The calling card for Mississippi State for many years has been an aggressive and attacking defense capable of creating negative plays and turnovers. The Bulldogs certainly checked those boxes during their first scrimmage of the fall inside Davis Wade Stadium on Sunday afternoon. The defense finished the day with its fair share of sacks, tackles for loss and turnovers -- including a 40-yard scoop-and-score fumble recovery by cornerback Kelley Jones. "What I loved is that defensively we found a way to create turnovers and some negative plays," said head coach Jeff Lebby. "To me, that was a great thing to see from the defensive side of the ball. They got their hands on the ball and made plays. They created some huge momentum plays in the scrimmage and that was good to see." One of the biggest keys to success for the defense started up front. The defensive line was able to bottle up the running game inside and also generated pressure which allowed playmakers in the linebacking corps and secondary to showcase their skills as well. Nine practices in, Lebby likes where his defensive line is in terms of depth and believes the Bulldogs will be in a much better position to rotate guys in at those positions than they were a year ago. "There's been a good core group of guys on the D-line that have done a really good job," Lebby said. |
| What Jeff Lebby loved about Mississippi State football's first preseason scrimmage | |
| No defensive players were left behind during Mississippi State football's walk from the practice facility to Davis Wade Stadium on Aug. 10. The unit made sure everyone was ready before trekking to the stadium together for the first scrimmage of MSU's preseason. The scrimmage was closed to the public, including reporters, but second-year coach Jeff Lebby said that connectedness was the start of what was an encouraging performance by the defense. "What I loved was defensively finding ways to create turnovers and some negative plays," he said afterward. "That, for me, was a great thing to see from the defensive side of the ball. They got their hands on the ball, made plays, created some huge momentum plays in the scrimmage. That was good to see." Lebby didn't single out any players except for one: Kelley Jones. The redshirt sophomore cornerback, according to Lebby, had a scoop-and-score touchdown of "50-60 yards." On the opposite end, that means the Bulldogs' offense didn't limit turnovers. "Today, the frustrating thing offensively was not taking care of the ball," Lebby said. |
| Fluff Bothwell has 'Beast Mode' ambitions in stacked running back room | |
| There may be just one football player with the nickname "Fluff." Mississippi State running back Da'Marion "Fluff" Bothwell earned his nickname before he ever held a football, but it's one that has become a unique part of his identity. "I was an 11-pound baby when I was born, and my mama just called me her big fluffy baby," Bothwell said. "It stuck with me. At first, she called me 'Fluffy,' but I think my dad said it was too girly, so she shortened it to 'Fluff'. It just stuck with me ever since." As great of a nickname as it is off the field, on Saturdays, it's misleading. Bothwell wears No. 24 because of his favorite player, Marshawn Lynch. The former Seattle Seahawks back had his own nickname, "Beast Mode," after a thundering run in a playoff victory in which he broke eight tackles on his way to the end zone. Bothwell plays in a similar way. He doesn't let the nickname fool anyone. He runs hard and arm tackles aren't enough to slow him down. As a true freshman at South Alabama, Bothwell ran for 834 yards and 13 touchdowns. He averaged 7.5 yards per carry and recorded more than 500 yards after contact, earning a reputation for his red-zone carries. That reputation grew beyond his Group of 5 beginnings, and with a change in staff at USA, he felt the time was right for a move. Once Bothwell visited Starkville, head coach Jeff Lebby and running backs Coach Anthony Tucker seized the opportunity to add a special talent. |
| Defending SEC champs still evaluating defensive personnel with 2025 season on horizon | |
| Mississippi State soccer is shifting gears with the regular season under a week away. Head coach Nick Zimmerman says his team is off to a strong start in terms of their approach, and that was reflected in a thorough win against Mercer in an exhibition game last weekend. "It's always good to get out and play against someone new," he said. "We've been training together for four or five days, and put a lot of work into it. The girls' attitude and effort has been incredible, the way they've handled the professional side of it." The Bulldogs are using the early part of the season to evaluate the new lineup, which features several new starters who were role players a year ago or transfers, and even some who saw little to no action for MSU in 2024. As far as the work ethic goes, Zimmerman likes what he sees from the competition for playing time and chemistry-building. He also said he likes the "intentionality" with both tactics and teambuilding off the field. The squad is smaller than it was a year ago, but it also has several positions up for grabs after graduating nine starters from the 2024 group, and many players are getting their shot in exhibition games. "That's how you continue to grow," Zimmerman said of the smaller roster. "We preach player development here and there's no better way than to actually get players minutes in meaningful games." |
| Bulldog men, women get SEC schedules for upcoming season | |
| The Southeastern Conference released conference matchup schedules for men's and women's basketball this week. Mississippi State learned its matchups earlier this summer and now has word when those games will take place. The conference schedule begins in early January for both squads. The women's team will begin play at home on New Year's Day against Auburn at Humphrey Coliseum while the men's team will travel to Austin to face Texas on Jan. 3. The men will play their first home conference game a few days later against Oklahoma in a midweek test. The men will play an 18-game conference schedule, facing all conference opponents at least once with home-and-home matchups against Alabama, Missouri and Ole Miss. The women's team will play a 16-game schedule as usual, with eight home and eight away games against every SEC opponent with a home-and-home matchup with Tennessee. |
| Mississippi college students bet on sports online despite state ban, Ole Miss study shows | |
| As Mississippi lawmakers are set to again consider legalizing mobile sports betting, the University of Mississippi has completed a new study offering a snapshot of the gambling habits of college students across the state. The survey -- for which results were shared with Mississippi Today before publication -- of nearly 1,600 Mississippi college students shows that almost 60% of students who reported gambling in the last year said they placed online bets on "legal" sportsbooks. This indicates that a potentially large number of students are finding ways to place bets on legitimate platforms, not just illicit betting sites, even though mobile sports betting remains illegal in Mississippi, according to one of the study's coauthors. "Our students are showing similar patterns to those identified by the NCAA and seen nationally, including that legality doesn't make a difference with college students," said Dan Durkin, an associate professor of social work. College campuses have become hubs of activity for sports betting and, increasingly, gambling addiction. This has prompted calls for research into mobile sports betting's growth and impact on young adults. The new University of Mississippi study, conducted by Durkin, Hannah Allen, Nicholas McAfee, George McClellan and Ronald Rychlak in conjunction with the University of Mississippi's William Magee Institute for Student Wellbeing, also found that 32% of students reported using family members or friends to place bets over the past year. |
| Banana Ball returned to Baton Rouge and showed why it's becoming a nationwide phenomenon | |
 | Drake Toll was on track to live out his dreams in traditional sports media. Years of experience -- including internships as a play-by-play broadcaster in the Cape Cod Baseball League and for the Anchorage Bucs in Alaska -- led him to become the host of his own ESPN radio show in central Texas named after him, the Drake Toll Show. For most young sports-crazed broadcasters, this would be considered a dream job. The problem for Toll was that he was bored. "I thought, 'There's gotta be something different out there, something better, something more,' " Toll said. "Why am I bored?" Soon thereafter, a play-by-play broadcasting position opened up for the Party Animals, the rival team of the Savannah Bananas. Toll applied for the position and submitted a three-minute video of himself broadcasting over a Party Animals game from the prior season. But to say that his broadcast was traditional by any standard would not be true. This past weekend, and for a second consecutive year, Banana Ball returned to Baton Rouge, as fans flooded Alex Box Stadium to watch the Party Animals take on the Texas Tailgaters. Even though the Savannah Bananas, the headline team in the league, were in Denver to face the Firefighters, Friday and Saturday's games were sold out. The Party Animals' next two stops on their college tour, Arkansas' Baum-Walker Stadium and Mississippi State's Dudy Noble Field, are already sellouts. |
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