| Tuesday, February 17, 2026 |
| Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library's Executive Director speaks to Starkville Rotary Club on MSU Campus | |
 | In honor of President's Day, Dr. Anne Marshall spoke to the Starkville Rotary Club about Ulysses S. Grant and his role as a leader and the 18th President of the United States. Marshall is the executive director of the Ulysses S. Grant Presidential Library on Mississippi State University's campus. She spoke about Grant's history, including his time serving in the Army, success and leadership roles, and setbacks he experienced throughout his life. She says he took what he learned from his failures and used them to make him better in his work and make hard choices. "I think that goes to show that you don't always start off as a leader. Sometimes you have to earn that position by doing some not-so-glamorous work. Great leadership can come from very humble, unassuming people. That was a thing people noted about Grant throughout his career. He wasn't a very flashy general; he wasn't this person who always looked polished and put together. He was very quiet and a man of few words. But he was a great leader, and he didn't need to have a big personality or show overwhelming charisma to really exhibit great leadership," said Marshall. |
| Education: MSU's Science Night returns Friday | |
 | Mississippi State's Museums and Galleries Committee is inviting explorers of all ages Saturday to its annual Science Night at the Museums. The free, public event will take place from 4-7 p.m. in Hilbun Hall and the Cobb Institute of Archaeology, both located on Lee Boulevard. Visitors will enjoy a wide array of activities, from live insect displays to electricity demonstrations, in addition to new features from MSU's psychology and sociology departments, Mitchell Memorial Library's Archives and Special Collections, and Touch Grass Together, a national education outreach program. Starkville Strong Youth Coalition will collect nonperishable food items and toiletries to restock local food pantries. Parking is available behind Hilbun Hall off of Barr Avenue and below Herbert Hall at 170 Herbert St. A full list of activities and a parking map are available at www.museums.msstate.edu/events-exhibits/science-night-museums-2026. |
| Community Profile: Stepping into their world | |
| When Sheila Williamson came to Ole Miss for graduate school in the late 1980s, her plan was to return to her native New Jersey in five years. Almost four decades later, she's a clinical psychologist and board-certified behavior analyst at Mississippi State University's T.K. Martin Center for Technology and Disability, her latest stop in a 35-year career in the state working with people with behavioral and developmental disabilities. In that span, she has served thousands of patients, ranging from young children to young adults, working extensively with assessing and treating people with Autism Spectrum Disorder. "I really saw the need here, but more than anything I saw the responsiveness," Williamson told The Dispatch. "... Everywhere I've been (in Mississippi), people are just so open to opportunities to grow services and how we can serve and how we can work with families and parents. That's what's kept me here." Earlier this month, her work earned her a Torchbearer Award from the Mississippi Coalition for Citizens with Disabilities, an honor Williamson said was "very humbling." Williamson joined the T.K. Martin Center staff in 2021, where she typically spends her mornings assessing patients for disorders like autism. Her afternoons can include individual or group sessions working with nonverbal 3-year-olds on basic safety and impulse control up to students navigating college life with neurodivergence. |
| Supes intend to endow all OCH proceeds, borrow up to $15M for projects | |
| Supervisors on Monday voted on a single motion declaring their intent to place millions from the sale of OCH Regional Medical Center into a long-term endowment while also opening the door to issuing as much as $15 million in bonds to address countywide needs. The combined motion passed 3-1 with one member abstaining during the board's regular meeting at the county's circuit court building. The county expects between $55 million and $58 million in net proceeds from the October hospital sale, though the amount is still fluid, with roughly $3.8 million set aside for potential lawsuits and about $1 million reserved for health insurance costs. Supervisors plan to invest the money into a reserve and trust fund, which must be established through local and private legislation to allow the county to invest into higher-yield assets. During the meeting, the board approved the language for the legislation. Board President and District 3 Supervisor Marvell Howard, who had not previously tipped his hand on whether he felt the hospital proceeds should be spent or saved, said the decision to invest came in part from the public. "I think the majority of the public wants to see those funds endowed, and I think the board understands that, and that's what we did today," Howard told The Dispatch following the meeting. |
| Special session for education freedom reform 'not off the table,' Speaker White says | |
 | While expressing frustration over the failure of school choice legislation this session, Speaker of the Mississippi House Jason White (R) said Monday that calling a special session to reconsider the bill is "not off the table." His signature legislation, HB 2, narrowly passed in the House before moving to the Senate Education Committee. There, within 90 seconds, the education freedom bill was unanimously killed by a voice vote. "It seems like a lot of political posturing to sell a lie that school choice in some way undoes Mississippi's education gains," White told attendees at the Stennis Capitol Press Forum on Monday, adding that he was disappointed in how much of the news media has covered the issue. HB 2 was an omnibus education package that would, among other things, loosen restrictions and aid to support transfers between public schools, allow a first-year limit of 12,500 students to access their state allotted funds for private school tuition through Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), and rework the authorization framework for new charter schools. White called the Senate Education Committee hearing on the bill a "theatrical committee performance." |
| Speaker Jason White: House 'not afraid' of school choice special session | |
| Weeks after the death of his school choice bill in the Senate, House Speaker Jason White told a crowd in downtown Jackson on Monday that a special session to push the issue forward is "certainly not off the table." Republican Gov. Tate Reeves has the sole authority to call a special session, and has vocally supported the House school choice proposal. But Reeves has not indicated he plans to call such a session, and White has stopped short of directly calling on him to do so. White's bill barely passed the House even with the speaker pushing for it, and a substantial number of his Republican caucus voted against it. School choice, policies aimed at giving parents more say over their children's schooling that often divert state funds toward private schools, has been White's signature issue this legislative session. The Senate Education Committee killed House Bill 2, the House's omnibus education bill that included its school choice proposals, earlier this month. A special session "would finally maybe drive this conversation a little bit more," White told attendees on Monday at the Stennis Capitol Press Forum. "So certainly that would be an option. We're not afraid of that option." |
| Mississippi House Speaker defends school choice and other legislative priorities | |
| House Speaker Jason White defended two of his stalled legislative priorities at Monday's Stennis-Capitol Press Forum. White addressed the fate of school choice legislation and mobile sports betting, both of which have faced obstacles in the Legislature. White criticized what he called "theatrical committee performance" regarding the education scholarship accounts, often called vouchers, which were the controversial piece of House Bill 2 that was killed by the Senate. White also addressed mobile sports betting, another stalled priority that has failed twice before. He said he's hopeful the third attempt could be different. "It's happening today," White said of mobile sports betting. "People are just availing themselves to other illegal options when it comes to it or stepping across the state line or doing this or doing that. I just think we're not fooling anybody but ourselves." The difference this year is that the House proposes directing those revenues to the state retirement system known as PERS. |
| Ask The Dispatch: What bills have local legislators authored this legislative session? | |
| More than a month into the legislative session, local lawmakers have advanced bills aimed at addressing issues ranging from demolishing blighted historic buildings on public universities to expanding research into Parkinson's Disease in Mississippi. What bills did Golden Triangle legislators propose this year? The following are still under consideration in the House and Senate. District 43 Representative Rob Roberson authored House Bill 1528, which aims to amend the approved and nontraditional standard licensure process for teachers by removing entry requirements like minimum test scores and GPA thresholds. The bill also establishes the Mississippi Medical Education Pipeline and Readiness Program, a joint effort between Mississippi Department of Education, Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees and the University of Mississippi Medical Center aimed at getting more students into medical school. House Bill 1495 amends current law to allow Mississippi State University and the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated County School District to enter into agreements for the "construction, maintenance and operation" of secondary schools on MSU's campus or within the school district, solidifying a memorandum of understanding signed by the university and school district in September. District 15 Senator Bart Williams' Senate Bill 2594 creates a clearer pathway for public universities and community colleges to demolish blighted campus buildings considered historic landmarks. It would allow IHL and Mississippi Department of Archives and History to issue destruction permits if a building is structurally infeasible or the cost to restore the building exceeds 50% of replacement costs. |
| Jackson officials back House proposal to create new water utility board, despite some locals' concerns | |
| Jackson's mayor and a majority of the City Council gave their support Monday to a proposal advancing at the Capitol that would put long-term control of the city's water and sewer systems under a separate utility authority. Residents, though, offered concerns during a crowded town hall meeting that included tense confrontation between officials. House Bill 1677 would create a "Metro Jackson Water Authority" led by a nine-member board who would appoint a president to run daily operations. The bill passed the House last week and awaits action in the Senate. The Jackson City Council called a meeting Monday to hear residents' thoughts on the idea. Several Jacksonians also backed the bill, arguing this was as good a deal the city would get. In previous legislative sessions, lawmakers have only introduced bills that would give a majority of the board appointments to state officials. "From my perspective, we're caught between a rock and a hard place," said John Byrd, vice president of the Association of South Jackson Neighborhoods. "It's problematic we're in this situation, but we've got to get out of this situation. This is a way to ease out of the burden and hopefully get back onto sound ground." The city council voted 4-2 for a resolution backing the House proposal, while also advocating for the water authority to have a fair billing dispute process. |
| Bryant vs. Mississippi Today heads to State Supreme Court | |
| The Mississippi Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in the appeal filed by former Governor Phil Bryant in his defamation lawsuit against Mississippi Today, a multi-million-dollar news outlet Bryant contends "engaged in a years-long campaign to label him a corrupt criminal." Bryant and his wife sued Deep South Today, the parent company of Mississippi Today, along with its CEO Mary Margaret White, former Editor-in-Chief Adam Ganucheau and reporter Anna Wolfe alleging defamation after Mississippi Today characterized Bryant's role in the state's welfare scandal as "misuse and squandering" of funds in their outlet's 2022 Impact Report. Mississippi Today said they had revealed that Bryant "used his office to steer the spending of millions of federal welfare dollars -- money intended to help the state's poorest residents -- to benefit his family and friends." Madison County Circuit Court Judge Bradley Mills dismissed Bryant's 2023 lawsuit in April 2025. Mills agreed with Mississippi Today that Bryant failed to prove actual malice. As a public figure in a defamation case, Bryant has a high bar in that he must show that Mississippi Today acted with malice, meaning that those engaged in the alleged actions did so recklessly or knowing the statements were false. Bryant appealed the Circuit Court ruling at the Mississippi Supreme Court just days later. |
| Community meeting invites questions about new datacenter | |
| A discussion forum regarding the new Amazon Web Services (AWS) data center's impact on the community was held on the evening of Friday, February 6, at the Strand Theatre. An estimated 50 to 60 people attended the event, giving locals a chance to voice their opinions, questions, and concerns about the project. AWS estimates that the new data center will create 200 high-paying direct jobs and about 300 indirect positions. Construction of the facility is expected to employ about 3,000 workers temporarily. The discussion was organized by 23-year-old Vicksburg resident Lily Pierson who is currently pursuing a degree in natural resources online through Oregon State University. "I often ask myself, how much more growth can the world take? What is it costing us? Is it inevitable? How are we giving back to the ecosystems that are serving us?" Pierson said in her prepared remarks. Many speakers raised concerns about a lack of transparency. The project has been in development for about two and a half years, but was only made public by an announcement from the partners involved on Nov. 20, 2025. Nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) prevented local officials from speaking about the project in any detail before the public announcement. Audience members also raised concerns about how much air, noise, and heat pollution the project will produce as well as ground water use and quality. Amazon has also not disclosed publicly the amount of energy it estimates will be used at the site. |
| Democratic challenger targets Bennie Thompson's long tenure in ad ahead of March primary | |
| Evan Turnage, an attorney with ties to top congressional Democrats who is aiming to oust Rep. Bennie Thompson in Mississippi's 2nd District, rolled out a new ad on Tuesday. The ad, which a spokesperson for Turnage's campaign told Mississippi Today was part of a "six-figure" purchase across broadcast and digital platforms, hits the airwaves with less than a month to go before the state's March 10 primaries for congressional offices. Turnage, 33, said the 2nd Congressional District -- which stretches from the Delta through much of Jackson and along the Mississippi River -- has remained "the poorest district in the poorest state in the country" for the entirety of Thompson's tenure. "That was true when I was one, when our congressman was first elected, it's true today," Turnage said. "If our congressman's 33 years in office had helped build up this district, built wealth and health in this district, there'd be no need for change. But if life has gotten harder and less fair for you and your neighbors like it has for so many Mississippians, then I ask for your support to bring new ideas and new leadership back to the halls of power." Turnage is a former aide to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York and Senate Conference Vice Chair Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts. His close ties to two of the U.S. Senate's leading Democrats made his decision to challenge Thompson notable, as the longtime incumbent Thompson has typically sailed to re-election since his entering office in 1993 without facing a pedigreed Democratic challenger in a primary. |
| 'You're Going to See More Defections': Thomas Massie's Ominous Prediction for the GOP | |
 | Rep. Thomas Massie has gone toe-to-toe with the president of the United States, the speaker of the House and the attorney general in just the last few months. And he says there's more to come. The libertarian Republican from rural Kentucky has long been a headache for party leaders, but he's taken it to another level by co-authoring bipartisan legislation that compelled the Justice Department to release vast troves of documents related to the late convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. In an interview with POLITICO Magazine in his Capitol Hill office, Massie boasted that some 3 million files have already been released, even as he said he'd continue to bring pressure on the DOJ to reverse redactions in the documents. Massie was the sole Republican to spar with Attorney General Pam Bondi at a combative congressional hearing last week, but he said for now, he won't pursue efforts to hold her in contempt for not fully releasing the files. Massie also joined several other Republicans recently to buck President Donald Trump and Speaker Mike Johnson on legislation that would block some Trump tariffs. And he had an ominous prediction for GOP leadership in the coming months. "On any given day, I would just need one or two of my own co-conspirators to get something done," he said. "I think you're going to see more defections." |
| White House proposes new taxes to boost US shipbuilding | |
 | The Trump administration on Friday proposed a new set of cargo taxes on goods entering the United States as part of a sweeping plan to revitalize domestic commercial shipbuilding capacity and port infrastructure. To help fund shipyard improvements, the administration wants to impose a new fee on all foreign-built commercial vessels bringing merchandise into U.S. ports. The tax would be assessed based on the weight of imported tonnage; the "Maritime Action Plan" doesn't specify the rate of tax, leaving the details for later. The report offers a range of possibilities, from a 1-cent-per-kilogram tax, raising $66 billion over a decade, to a 25-cent tax raising $1.5 trillion. The revenue would be parked in a new Maritime Security Trust Fund, a mandatory funding stream used for shipbuilding investment, supporting the U.S. merchant marine and workforce development. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative, through authorities granted under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, previously levied a separate fee on Chinese-built or Chinese-owned vessels entering U.S. ports based on containers or tonnage. After a deal struck between the U.S. and China last October, the fees were suspended for at least a year, until Nov. 10, 2026. The new universal service fee would be broader in scope, and doesn't appear tied to a specific trade remedy under existing U.S. law, such as the one USTR used last year to impose the China-specific fees. |
| Partial government shutdown over DHS oversight seems poised to drag on | |
 | Lawmakers and the White House offered no signs of compromise over the holiday weekend in their battle over oversight of federal immigration officers that has led to a pause in funding for the Department of Homeland Security. A partial government shutdown began Saturday after congressional Democrats and President Donald Trump's team failed to reach a deal on legislation to fund the department through September. Democrats are demanding changes to how immigration operations are conducted after the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal officers in Minneapolis last month. Unlike the record 43-day shutdown last fall, the closures are narrowly confined, affecting only agencies under the DHS umbrella, including the Transportation Security Administration, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. But the work of ICE and CBP will mostly continue unabated, thanks to billions in funding from Trump's 2025 tax and spending cut law. |
| Major shakeup underway at HHS as White House braces for midterms | |
| Two top health officials are leaving their jobs amid a shakeup at the Department of Health and Human Services aimed at refocusing HHS on politically popular aspects of health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s agenda in advance of the midterm elections. Deputy Secretary Jim O'Neill and General Counsel Mike Stuart are exiting a year into Kennedy's reign, according to a person familiar with the matter. The news was first reported by Politico. In a late Friday post on social media, HHS spokesman Andrew Nixon said that Stuart will remain in his role until he's appointed to another post in the administration. O'Neill's last day at HHS was Friday, Nixon said on Sunday. The White House directed the changes to overcome dysfunction at the agency that had been attributed, in part, to poor management, the person said. The new leaders, trusted by top administration officials, are expected to smooth out problems that have added to chaos during a period of historic upheaval. The departures come as leaders of the MAHA movement make the case to the White House that they will be crucial to winning over key voters in the midterms, leading officials to home in on health policy issues that poll well. |
| Noncitizen voting is rare. So why is Washington so focused on it? | |
| A flood of Republican-backed efforts to tighten voter ID laws is serving as a distraction from more serious threats to the American voting system, according to top election security experts. "[Washington] is chasing false narratives and leaving open all the vulnerabilities that are only worse now," said Michael McNulty, policy director at Issue One, a bipartisan organization that tracks election issues. Experts like McNulty point to recent rollbacks to frontline programs that protect state and local elections, as well as cuts to the top federal agency that guards electoral systems, as key threats ahead of the midterms. But lawmakers are focused elsewhere: They're currently debating policy measures to crack down on noncitizen voting and move election certification authorities to the federal government. The batch of bills brought forward by Republicans includes the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act and the Make Elections Great Again Act. While Hill Republicans and members of the Trump administration have framed these bills as much-needed reform for pressing election security issues, data collected by state election offices suggests that the threat being targeted is largely overblown. Noncitizen voting in the U.S. is extremely rare, and state election offices conduct regular assessments of their voter rolls to curb risks of voter fraud. |
| From One President to Another, a Love Letter With an Edge | |
 | For American politicians, there is nothing more uncontroversial than a Presidents' Day tribute to George Washington, the upright Virginian who may (or may not) have chopped down that cherry tree but otherwise stands as the embodiment of leadership and virtue. But in an essay published on Monday, a more recent George W. is putting a little 2026 edge on the subject. "Few qualities have inspired me more than Washington's humility," former President George W. Bush writes in the essay, which was released as part of a new nonpartisan history project. "Our first president could have remained all-powerful, but twice he chose not to," Mr. Bush writes, referring to Washington's decision to relinquish leadership of the Army after the American Revolution, and then to step down from the presidency after two terms. By "relinquishing power rather than holding onto it," Mr. Bush continues, "he ensured America wouldn't become a monarchy, or worse." These days, as Americans debate the fractured state of our democracy -- and the actions of the current occupant of the Oval Office -- that simple statement might seem long on subtext, or even shade. Mr. Bush is not giving interviews. And Colleen Shogan, the leader of In Pursuit, the new history project, said the essay speaks for itself. "His ideas are his ideas," she said. The goal of the essay series, Dr. Shogan said, is to make history "relevant" while not speaking narrowly to the specifics of the present. "We are taking the long view of things," she said. "The lesson of presidential humility transcends time." |
| U.S. and Iran hold nuclear talks amid heavy military buildup | |
 | U.S. and Iranian officials concluded a new round of nuclear talks in Geneva on Tuesday, against the backdrop of an expanded U.S. military presence in the Middle East and following weeks of deadly domestic turmoil in Iran. Talks appear to have focused on Iran's nuclear program, with U.S. officials seeking curbs on Tehran to keep it from developing a nuclear weapon. In exchange, Iran is seeking reprieve from crushing U.S. sanctions. The sides met in Geneva on Tuesday for over three hours. Afterward, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that he and his U.S. counterparts had "much more serious discussions" than during the round earlier this month and that they "were able to reach a set of guiding principles," according to a statement published by Iran's state media. But Araghchi cautioned that drafting an agreement would remain difficult. "Both sides have stances that will take some time to get closer to each other," he said. A third round of talks will be held after the two teams draft and exchange possible texts of a deal, but no date has been set, according to Araghchi. The United States has yet to comment on how Tuesday's talks went. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One late Monday, President Donald Trump said that the Iranian negotiators have been "tough" but that he hoped they would be "more reasonable." Trump said the Iranians "want to make a deal. I don't think they want the consequences of not making a deal." |
| Rev. Jesse Jackson, civil rights icon and Chicago-based presidential candidate, dies at 84 | |
| The Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, the Chicago-based Baptist minister, political figure and two-time presidential candidate whose soaring oratory and knack for capturing media attention made him a central figure in the Civil Rights Movement and national politics for more than six decades, died Tuesday. He was 84. Jackson battled Parkinson's disease since 2017, and in April, he was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, a neurological disorder. A public memorial service will be held in Chicago and announced at a later date, according to the family. Raised in South Carolina under Jim Crow segregation laws, Jackson became a protege of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. until the Black leader's 1968 assassination, and he participated with King in the famed 1965 Selma to Montgomery marches. In Chicago, Jackson led King's civil rights group and later established activist and social justice organizations that eventually evolved into the Kenwood-based Rainbow/PUSH Coalition. The organization became a driving force for social justice and civil rights, especially during the 1980s, as Jackson built a reputation both as a peripatetic champion of the economically and politically downtrodden and as an expert power player who organized boycotts against major companies he felt weren't hiring minorities or investing in minority communities. Brash and at times divisive, Jackson weathered several scandals. |
| New Orleans celebrates Mardi Gras, the indulgent conclusion of Carnival season | |
| As people head back to work Tuesday after the long holiday weekend, beads will be flying, crawfish boiling and parades rolling in New Orleans as the city celebrates Mardi Gras. Mardi Gras, also known as Fat Tuesday, marks the climax and end of the weekslong Carnival season and a final chance for indulgence, feasting and revelry before the Christian Lent period of sacrifice and reflection. The joyous goodbye to Carnival always falls the day before Ash Wednesday. Among the final parades in Louisiana's most populous city, which is world-famous for its Mardi Gras bash, is one hosted by the Zulu Social Aide & Pleasure Club. Marchers and float riders in the Zulu parade wear African-inspired garb and toss "throws" -- trinkets that include plastic beads, candy, doubloons, stuffed animals, cups and toys. This parade's signature "throw" is hand-decorated coconuts, coveted items that many revelers hope for. Later in the day Rex, the King of Carnival parade will roll along St. Charles Avenue, lined by paradegoers and stately oak trees covered in Spanish moss and beads. |
| Fired U. Of Mississippi Employee Testifies In Wrongful Termination Case Against UM Chancellor Glenn Boyce | |
 | The first day of testimony in former University of Mississippi employee Lauren Stokes' lawsuit against Chancellor Glenn Boyce opened Friday, Feb. 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi in Oxford without the defendant, Boyce, in the courtroom. Defense attorney J. Cal Mayo argued Boyce had no obligation to appear because he had not been subpoenaed by the plaintiff. In a filing in federal court, plaintiff Stokes said she intends to subpoena Boyce to compel his appearance after he failed to attend the scheduled hearing. Plaintiff attorney Allyson Mills argued her team had not been given sufficient access to Boyce or key records ahead of the trial. Mills said the university did not provide requested emails, phone records and information about public officials who supposedly called for Stokes' termination until the day before trial, Feb. 12. U.S. District Judge Glen H. Davidson ruled that the court will reconvene on Friday, Feb. 20 at 10 a.m. to review additional evidence brought in by the defense. Boyce is expected to be present at that time. Stokes was fired from her position as executive assistant at the vice chancellor for development at the university after she reposted on her personal Instagram account on Sept. 10 a post from another individual that condemned the beliefs of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was killed at Utah Valley University earlier that day. |
| Report points to limited affordable housing, high turnover | |
| A new report from the Housing Insecurity Lab at the University of Mississippi examines how and why residents of Oxford and Lafayette County are moving, finding that frequent housing transitions are common and often driven by affordability concerns. The report, titled "Moving Up, Moving Out, and Moving On," was authored by sociology professor James "JT" Thomas and two undergraduate researchers who participated in a National Science Foundation-funded summer Research Experience for Undergraduates program. The Housing Insecurity Lab is affiliated with an advanced undergraduate seminar on housing insecurity taught at the university. Drawing on survey and interview data collected from residents who attended last April's People's Summit on Housing, as well as federal data from agencies including the U.S. Census Bureau and the Federal Reserve, the report explores whether, how often and why people in the Lafayette-Oxford-University community move. The analysis identifies three overarching themes: frequent moves are commonplace; residents widely believe there is insufficient affordable housing available to rent or own; and there are concerns about "studentification" and housing practices that shift power away from long-term residents. |
| Mississippi College marching band raising money to perform in Washington, D.C. parade | |
| Mississippi College officials are seeking public support to help fund a trip for the school's Choctaw Marching Band to represent the state in the upcoming America250 Independence Day Parade in Washington, D.C. The marching band was selected as Mississippi's lone representative in the festivities scheduled for July 4. But before a group of students and staffers can commit to going, financial assistance is needed. Duval Salvant, the director of bands at Mississippi College (MC), is looking to take 60-70 band members to the nation's capital, though he says the estimated cost for each participant to go on the trip is around $2,100. "My goal is to have about 60-70 members marching down Historic Constitution Avenue in Washington, D.C., made up of current students and alumni," Salvant told SuperTalk Mississippi News. To fund this venture, school officials have organized a raffle offering a five-night trip for two to Hawaii. The Choctaw Marching Band, which was revived in 2019 after being previously inactive due to not having enough members, is expected to include current students and alumni for the parade. The band plans to perform an original march composed by Dr. James Sclater, an MC music professor, to help honor the university's bicentennial. |
| Education: EMMC barbering, cosmetology services available to public | |
| Students in the barbering/stylist and cosmetology programs on East Mississippi Community College's Golden Triangle campus are more than halfway through their training and are putting their skills to work by offering free haircuts to EMCC faculty, students and staff. They are also providing services to members of the public at reduced rates. "Our students have been working hard to hone their craft," said cosmetology and barbering/stylist department head David Long. "The public benefits because we are able to offer very reasonable prices and their work is supervised by our instructors to ensure everything is done correctly." "Offering services to the public is a great opportunity for students to work on live clients," cosmetology instructor Teresa Rogers said. "They learn how to interact with people and to handle different hair types and hair textures." Students also visit nursing homes each week and provide haircuts, manicures and other basic services to residents in the facilities. |
| Alabama House committee passes bill granting scholarships to law enforcement families | |
| An Alabama House committee Wednesday approved a bill that would create a scholarship program for families of law enforcement officers. HB 98, sponsored by Rep. Allen Treadaway, R-Morris, would create the Alabama Law Enforcement Officers' Family Scholarship Program. The scholarship can be used by families of law enforcement officers for technical schools, colleges and universities. The Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE) would administer the scholarship. Awards would be capped at $3,000 per academic period. "It provides scholarships for children and spouses of law enforcement officers in the State of Alabama," Treadaway told the House Ways and Means Education Committee Wednesday. "The funding was already put in last year, the money's waiting there, the rules, I don't want to speak for Mr. [Jim] Purcell with [the Alabama Commission on Higher Education], but the rules are already promulgated and ready to go." Treadaway filed a similar bill last year. The bill passed in the House but failed to make it to the Senate floor. |
| U. of Arkansas School of Architecture Gets $3M Gift From Retired Industry Exec | |
 | Greg Roberts, a University of Arkansas alumnus and retired principal with WHR Architects of Houston, has donated $3 million to the university to continue support for an endowed chair, establish an endowed scholarship and a program endowment, and provide for the naming of a studio space in the Fay Jones School of Architecture & Design. Roberts previously donated $1 million to the university in 2020 to establish an endowed chair for the school's Master of Design Studies concentration in health care and wellness. Roberts, member of the Arkansas Alumni Association and the Fay Jones School's Dean's Circle, attended the university from 1966 to 1971. He became close with his classmates in the Fay Jones School and maintains close contact with many to this day, the university said in a news release. Roberts said in the release that he believes it will be advantageous for architecture and design students at the university to study health care and wellness design. The expanding field of health care has become increasingly important, particularly in northwest Arkansas with organizations such as the Alice L. Walton School of Medicine and the Heartland Whole Health Institute. |
| New front emerges in Florida GOP's higher-ed overhaul: medical school accreditors | |
| Florida Republicans are opening a new front in their clash with college accreditors, this time targeting medical schools in a move that could have implications for the state's access to billions of dollars in federal student aid. A scathing Feb. 12 letter reviewed by the Herald/Times shows Florida university leaders pressing the accreditor of eight Florida medical schools -- including University of Florida, Florida International University and University of Miami -- to justify its gender-affirming care standards. It marks what could be the first salvo against medical-school accreditation in Florida's escalating campaign against what Gov. Ron DeSantis has dubbed "woke accreditation cartels." The missive comes as Florida enforces a sweeping ban on gender-affirming care for minors and dismantles traditional accreditation requirements for lawyers and universities. The state recently loosened its reliance on the American Bar Association for law-school accreditation and is working with other red states to build its own alternative regional accreditor, the Commission for Public Higher Education. |
| U. of Texas Regents may soon limit 'controversial topics' in the classroom | |
| Under mounting conservative pressure to clamp down on liberal "indoctrination" in college lecture halls, the University of Texas System will consider a new policy clarifying the limits of a faculty member's academic freedom next week. At a quarterly board meeting, the regents will vote on a proposal setting new "expectations of academic integrity and standards for teaching controversial topics." The proposal makes no explicit ban on teaching certain topics, as other Texas university systems have done with restrictions on how professors can teach about race and gender. The system's proposal states faculty have a responsibility to foster a welcoming environment for all views; fairly present different theories and scholarly evidence; allow students to make their own conclusions; and avoid controversial topics irrelevant to course material. The policy states faculty should "ensure a broad and balanced approach" to teaching controversial and contested issues. But the policy does not define "controversial," nor does it lay out how the university system will enforce the guidance. If approved, universities will be charged with interpreting the policy. It is unclear when it would go into effect. Regents will vote on the policy while facing pressure from state lawmakers, who have criticized how Texas universities teach about race and gender for years. |
| What is the Rock Creek Entertainment District? Project plans, challenges | |
| Approval of the Rock Creek Entertainment District plan has cleared a path for Norman's upcoming development project in University North Park, a retail area in north Norman. Legal hurdles and a billion dollar project funded by two tax increment financing, or TIF, districts has sparked debate on whether the district will boost or dismantle Norman's economy. The district, initially proposed in 2017 and approved by Norman City Council in 2024, has undergone several reimaginings while retaining key features. It will include a new arena with University of Oklahoma athletics as an anchor tenant and a surrounding entertainment zone, as well as adjacent hospitality and residential zones -- all of which will reside along 24th Avenue NW. The entertainment and retail zone is expected to host concerts, shows, rodeos and community events, according to a 2024 feasibility study. Some Norman residents are wary of the city's plan to finance the district, which includes TIFs that will funnel taxpayer dollars into the district until one of three outcomes: TIF districts generate $600 million in total, the $230 million infrastructure cost is paid off with interest, or 25 years elapse. |
| The Apprentice: Why Higher Ed Is Leaning Into Earn-and-Learn | |
 | VUCA: volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity. It's a management acronym popularized by the U.S. military to describe the changing world after the Cold War. But Minah Woo, vice president of workforce innovation and strategic partnerships at Howard Community College in Maryland, said it accurately describes the current operating environment for higher education. "We are dealing with a lot of things happening all at once," Woo said, "and it's requiring us to think outside the box and be agile." One solution? Apprenticeship. It's not an innovation, per se, since apprenticeships predate the modern university by centuries. But many institutions are helping reimagine what an apprenticeship can be and whom it can be for. And, in so doing, they're reimagining the interplay between higher education and the workforce and how learners can obtain a credential of value. Today's apprenticeship programs span not only the skilled trades but fields from nursing and teaching to cybersecurity. And while apprenticeships can and do exist outside of higher education, they're increasingly offered for credit, or embedded within degree pathways. |
| Fewer students are enrolling in computer science classes and majors | |
| According to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center, the number of students enrolling in computer and information science decreased this past fall from the year before. That's at both the graduate and undergraduate level and the first drop since 2020. Meanwhile, the Computing Research Association says there's been a decline in a number of computing-related majors. Marketplace's Stephanie Hughes spoke with Kari George, Senior Research Associate at the CRA's Center for Evaluating the Research Pipeline to learn more. |
| After 'Rupture,' Science Leaders Call for More Advocacy | |
| More than a year after the Trump administration began enacting deep cuts to federal research funding, leaders of the nation's scientific community are focused on moving forward. "What happened over the last year [was] a rupture. We're not going back. It's not possible. Too much damage has been done. Too much has changed," Sudip Parikh, CEO of the American Association of the Advancement of Science, said last Thursday at the opening address of the organization's annual meeting. "There's an entire generation of scientists that have a scar, a scar that is not going to go away. But scars can make us tougher. Scars can become shields and build resilience." That theme of reflection and resilience permeated last week's three-day conference at the Phoenix Convention Center, which hosted thousands of scientists and science advocates from 45 countries. For many of those based in the United States, the meeting marked a year since the start of sweeping federal policies that led to widespread grant cancellations; funding freezes; bans on certain research topics including race, gender and climate; layoffs; and shaky morale. At the same time, such losses spurred a new wave of activism and resistance within the scientific community, which Parikh implored attendees to continue. |
SPORTS
| Baseball: No. 4 MSU Hosts Two Midweek Contests | |
| A busy beginning to the 2026 season continues for fourth-ranked Mississippi State. The Diamond Dawgs will take the field for a pair of midweek games against Troy on Tuesday and Alcorn State on Wednesday. Both games are slated for 4 p.m. starts and will be streamed on SEC Network+. It will be the fourth and fifth games for MSU over a span of six days as part of a nine-game homestand at Dudy Noble Field to begin the year. The Bulldogs opened the season with a three-game sweep of Hofstra this past weekend. Sophomore right-hander Duke Stone (1-0, 9.00 ERA) is set to make his first-career start in Tuesday's outing against Troy. Stone picked up the win against the Pride on Friday after firing two innings of relief with four strikeouts and two walks. The Trojans will counter with junior righty Blake Dean (0-0, 9.00 ERA), who worked an inning of relief at Mercer on Friday with two strikeouts and a pair of walks. Troy comes to town following a 1-2 start to the year after dropping a series at Mercer. The Trojans lost the first two games 4-3 and 17-5 before taking Saturday's finale 19-3. |
| Mississippi State plays Auburn after Hubbard's 32-point outing | |
| Mississippi State takes on Auburn after Josh Hubbard scored 32 points in Mississippi State's 90-78 win over the Ole Miss Rebels. The Bulldogs have gone 7-6 in home games. Mississippi State is 7-13 against opponents over .500. The Tigers are 5-7 against conference opponents. Auburn scores 84.0 points while outscoring opponents by 5.0 points per game. Mississippi State is shooting 44.7% from the field this season, 1.1 percentage points lower than the 45.8% Auburn allows to opponents. Auburn averages 5.6 more points per game (84.0) than Mississippi State allows (78.4). The Bulldogs and Tigers square off Wednesday for the first time in conference play this season. Hubbard is shooting 33.3% from beyond the arc with 2.7 made 3-pointers per game for the Bulldogs, while averaging 21.4 points and 3.6 assists. Jayden Epps is shooting 33.3% and averaging 12.1 points over the past 10 games. Keyshawn Hall is scoring 20.6 points per game and averaging 6.7 rebounds for the Tigers. Tahaad Pettiford is averaging 14.7 points and 3.0 rebounds over the last 10 games. |
| Hubbard makes history as Bulldogs batter Ole Miss in Oxford | |
| Mississippi State men's basketball got one back over its most hated rival on Saturday. The Bulldogs improved to 12-13 on the year, 4-8 in SEC play, with their best offensive performance of the season against Ole Miss in Oxford, winning 90-78 behind a 32-point performance from guard Josh Hubbard. MSU's top scorer shot 12-16 in Oxford, hitting 4-6 from 3-point land. His scoring on the season ranks 11th nationally with 21.4 points per game, and he's a known threat with the ball in his hands, but his strong night out at SJB Pavillion was about more than him or his scoring. He dished out six assists on a night when the team as a whole shot 57.9% from the floor. Achor Achor finished with 18 points on 6-8 shooting, and scored each of MSU's first 11 points of the game as the team came out swinging. Add in another 18 points off the bench, 12 from Jayden Epps at the two spot and six each from Quincy Ballard and Jamarion Davis-Fleming, with neither missing an attempt, and it made for one of the most complete performances of the year for a Bulldog squad that was hungry for it. In his Monday press conference, Jans expanded on Hubbard's contributions, and after a day to reflect and look more at the numbers, he focused in again on the efficiency and remarked on his growth as a floor general for the Bulldogs. |
| Women's Basketball: Bulldogs Earn SEC Road Win In Arkansas | |
| Mississippi State won their second consecutive game in Southeastern Conference play, as they went on the road and took down the Arkansas Razorbacks, 75-66 on Monday. The Bulldogs (18-8, 5-7 SEC) would never trail to the Razorbacks (11-16, 0-12 SEC) in the game. State opened the contest with a 13-0 run, holding Arkansas scoreless until after the first media timeout. The Bulldogs hit a season-high 14 shots from distance at a 43.8 percent clip. Nine players entered the scoring column for the Bulldogs, four of which concluded the game in double figures. Four Bulldogs knocked down three or more three pointers: Trayanna Crisp, Awa Fane, Madison Francis and Jaylah Lampley. Lampley led the Bulldogs in scoring, as she scored 16 points in the contest. Lampley's three triples were knocked down at a 60 percent rate, while she also collected nine rebounds. Favour Nwaedozi earned her 12th double-double on a 13-point performance, 10 rebound performance. She also earned a team-leading three steals. The Bulldogs will return to Humphrey Coliseum to take on the Florida Gators on Thursday, February 19. Tipoff for the contest is set for 6:30 p.m. on SEC Network+. |
| MSU WBK make it two in a row with win at Arkansas | |
| Mississippi State women's basketball registered successive wins for the first time in SEC play this season with a 75-66 road win over Arkansas in Fayetteville on Monday. The Bulldogs started off hot out of the gates, hitting five of their first eight shots and building a 13-0 lead in the first four minutes of action. Favour Nwaedozi nearly recorded a first-half double-double with 10 points and seven rebounds, and four teammates posted at least five points each in the opening 20 minutes. MSU shooters were 8-14 shooting the three-ball in the first half, fueling a prolific start and establishing a 37-24 advantage at the halftime break. The game got a bit more physical in the second half, but MSU ended with four players in double digits on the scoresheet. Jaylah Lampley led the team with 16 points while Madison Francis and Nwaedozi finished with 13 each and Trayanna Crisp hit 11. Lampley, Crisp, Francis and Awa Fane added three triples each on a night when the team as a whole hit 14 shots from beyond the arc. |
| Morgan's belief led him to Starkville, where he's 'excited' to get to work | |
| Before the news broke on Friday that Brett Morgan was ending his 17-year tenure on staff of West Point's football program, the last two as head coach, to take up the mantle as Starkville's head football coach, the former Mississippi State quarterback and eight-time state champion with the Green Wave had spent many days prior in deep thought combing over the seismic proposition that laid at his feet. It wasn't an easy decision; he spent many hours praying as he searched for guidance until he had his answer. Morgan said it was "God" who brought him to Starkville to usher in a new era for the Yellow Jackets. "God," he said. "That's all it was. I love West Point, I (have) over 17 years of relationships and hard work put into that program and was just extremely happy there. God opened the door for me; it was just his will. I've gone through some steps of prayer and fasting and praising to seek his will and he just revealed to me and made it clear that Starkville is where I'm supposed to be. I'm stepping out in faith and I'm extremely excited. Starkville is just a great opportunity. The administration is incredible, the fan base is hungry and I'm just so excited about what God is going to do through this and I'm just ready to get rolling." Starkville athletic director Jay Hopson said he's also fired up about Morgan donning the black and yellow. Morgan was high on his list of candidates to replace former head coach John Carr, who left the program to become the chief of staff of the Cleveland Browns in the National Football League. |
| Deer harvest reporting bill passes House. What hunters need to know | |
 | A bill in the Mississippi Legislature calling for mandatory harvest reporting of deer has passed in the House of Representatives. What does it mean for hunters if it becomes law, and what's the next step? "We're in the Top 5 whitetail producers in the country," said Rep. Bill Kinkade, R-Byhalia, Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks Committee chairman. "We're the only state in the country that doesn't have harvest reporting. We don't have any data." Kinkade is the principle author of House Bill 1361 which calls for the Mississippi Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks to develop a system for reporting of deer harvested by hunters. "The game check program required by this section must be a system that is simple and usable by all sportsmen so as to promote compliance and accurate reporting," the bill states. "The program may include, but need not be limited to, means such as a mobile smart phone application, online web-based reporting or other electronic or digital methods that promote ease of use by sportsmen." If passed, the system could look similar to the harvest reporting system now required for turkey hunters. "Once you've downloaded the app, it's literally 15 to 20 seconds," Kinkade said. "It's a real simple process." |
| Jackson State celebrates ESPN SportsCenter appearance as milestone for HBCUs | |
| Jackson State University celebrated a SportsCenter visit Monday inside the Lee E. Williams Athletics and Assembly Center, marking a milestone for historically Black colleges and universities across the country. "It's very special to have a company like that. Like growing up seeing things like that, and to be able to be here and be a part of the experience," said Jabari Garner, JSU men's basketball manager. "I'm really grateful for the opportunity, and we have so much on campus and there are so many people who love and cherish these types of opportunities, and I'm just glad I get to be a part of it." For students, the moment feels historic, while for alumni, it holds a personal significance. "You know, it was exciting for me because my son works for ESPN. He's a technical director at the headquarters in Bristol. So, I was very excited to be a part of this because he directed from Bristol," said Patricia Anderson, a Jackson State alum. "I was very excited to be a part of being here to see the Tigers get this exposure." |
| Alabama AD takes not-so-subtle shot at Bruce Pearl: 'He who is without sin shall cast the first stone' | |
 | Alabama athletics director Greg Byrne went Biblical to clap back at Bruce Pearl. Byrne took part in a recent interview with John Canzano of JohnCanzano.com, and Canzano asked Byrne for his thoughts on the former Auburn coach calling Nate Oats "selfish" and the decision "wrong" for playing former G League player Charles Bediako. "The Bible says he is without sin shall cast the first stone," Byrne said. "I try to do my best, I'm not perfect at it, but I try to do my best to live within those parameters." Canzano followed up: "Are you saying Bruce Pearl has some sins?" "We all do," Byrne replied. "The longer you're in this world, it doesn't matter, you're dealing with 650 young people, you're dealing with 350 employees, you're dealing with a lot of fans who who are passionate about college sports, you're going to have challenges. That's part of it." Byrne was making reference to a passage in the New Testament from the book of John, which tells the story of a woman who committed adultery being brought before Jesus. The teachers of the law and Pharisees said to Jesus that the laws commanded them to stone the woman, and they asked his thoughts. "Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her," Jesus said, as written in John 8:7 in the New Standard Version. |
| Are college football contracts enforceable? We're finding out in real time | |
| Xavier Lucas hid in plain sight. As head coach Mario Cristobal and quarterback Carson Beck were swarmed at podiums scattered around the Miami Beach Convention Center, Lucas sat on a set of bleachers amid a cluster of Miami defensive backs, hood up, braids almost hiding his face. There are bigger Miami stars. Beck, for one. The lauded Canes defensive line comes to mind. But for all the star power that re-cemented "The U" among college football's elite, Lucas' decision-making stands to have a more lasting impact on college football. "There was some hatred going on," Lucas told Sports Business Journal of his decision to leave Wisconsin for Miami after signing a multiyear revenue-share agreement with the Badgers. "But I didn't really focus on it too much because it doesn't do anything to me. It does nothing for me. I can only focus on myself." Lucas signed a two-year deal with Wisconsin that went into effect July 1, 2024 -- the first day such agreements were permitted under the House settlement. Fewer than six months later, he was gone, withdrawing from Wisconsin and enrolling at Miami in January. Wisconsin filed suit against Miami, alleging the school tampered with Lucas while he was under contract. Litigation is pending, with the next hearing scheduled for March. "I don't know," Miami Athletic Director Dan Radakovich said when asked if he believes NIL agreements are enforceable contracts in the current climate. "I'm not a judge. I wish I had an answer for that one." |
| Why would Sacramento State spend tens of millions to join the MAC? 'It is putting the university on the map' | |
| After months of what university president Luke Wood describes as "disruptive marketing," Sacramento State has completed its yearslong goal of membership into the NCAA's top football division, FBS. But the Hornets' five-year football-only agreement into the Mid-American Conference comes at a steep price -- the steepest price, at least in cash, that we've seen from any conference expansion move in history. Sac State will pay an $18 million entry fee into the league ($6 million the first year) and $5 million in an NCAA FBS entry fee, as well as accepting zero conference distribution over that stretch and covering the air travel costs for all visiting MAC football teams (an additional $2-4 million over the five years). The total price for the move (the entry fees and the travel costs) stands to exceed $25 million. All of this to compete in a division where Sac State's budget will be dwarfed by power conference giants? It's left so many inside and outside of college athletics asking a question: Why? "It is putting the university on the map," Wood said in an interview Monday with Yahoo Sports. In short, Sacramento State views this promotion as a branding and marketing play for the university, where the FBS moniker, nationally televised MAC games and path to bowls and the College Football Playoff brings eyeballs that, Wood says, you just don't get at the FCS level. |
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