| Wednesday, August 27, 2014 |
| Governor, MEC, universities launch Blueprint Mississippi Social Business Challenge | |
 | Students from Mississippi Public Universities will have the opportunity to do well by doing good as they develop business plans to tackle some of Mississippi's most pressing problems and help reach the goals established by Blueprint Mississippi. The Blueprint Mississippi Social Business Challenge was announced by Gov. Phil Bryant, Mississippi Economic Council President and CEO Blake A. Wilson and Commissioner of Higher Education Dr. Hank M. Bounds at a press conference held Tuesday in Jackson. "Mississippi universities are the innovation incubators in this state and, as Mississippi's leading research university, we here at Mississippi State University welcome an opportunity to showcase the talents of our students in tackling some of Mississippi's bedrock social, economic and cultural challenges," said Mississippi State University Provost Jerry Gilbert. |
| Mississippi State Preparing to Host Annual 'Men of Color' Summit | |
 | Mississippi State University's 3rd Annual Men of Color Summit kicks off Thursday at the Hunter Henry Center. It continues Friday morning in Colvard Student Union. The event features panel discussions, speakers, and an oratory contest all to address the unique challenges men of color face on college campuses. The summit also promotes diversity and inclusion. This year's theme is "Global Competitiveness." |
| Researchers Hope Unmanned Vehicles Will Help With Storm Forecasts | |
 | Three unmanned surface vehicles are heading out into the Gulf of Mexico to gather information about the ocean's surface during a hurricane. Researchers hope this could help improve forecasting of tropical storms. The data collected will be sent in real-time for analysis by researchers at Mississippi State University. Pat Fitzpatrick, associate research professor at MSU, says this surface-level data is important. "You cannot send a ship in a hurricane," he says. "We also cannot have aircraft fly that low in a hurricane -- and that's where all the heat and moisture fluxes are that drive the hurricane. It's very difficult to get measurements there." |
| Miss MSU to Represent Mississippi at National Pageant | |
| The reigning Miss Mississippi State University, first runner-up at the 2014 Miss Mississippi Pageant, represents the state this weekend at the Miss National Sweetheart Pageant. Junior Laura Lee Lewis is an elementary education major from Brookhaven and the daughter of Mark and Lorin Lewis. She is a 2011 Brookhaven High School graduate and a Dean's List Scholar at MSU. Organized by the Hoopeston Jaycees organization, the competitive event invites runners-up of respective states' Miss America pageants. "This is a great opportunity to represent Mississippi and speak about my platform, 'Mentoring Matters!'" Lewis said. |
| Authorities issue warning following Starkville kidnapping | |
 | Oktibbeha County authorities have a warning for drivers. Lt. Brett Watson says a woman was kidnapped on Highway 182 Monday night after she stopped for what she thought was a law enforcement officer. Watson says the woman, in her 20s, told authorities she was driving when she stopped for a white Ford Crown Victoria with flashing blue lights. The woman told investigators she was forced into the trunk of her own car and driven to Kemper County. She managed to escape and call for help. The investigation is continuing and so far no arrests have been made. |
| Library of Congress acquires iconic Civil War image of master, slave headed to war | |
 | It is 1861 and the two men are going off to war. But one is white, the other black; one the master, the other his slave. The striking 150-year old tintype, one of the most enigmatic images from the Civil War, has just been donated to the Library of Congress by a Virginia collector who bought it to give to the library. The photograph shows Sgt. Andrew Martin Chandler of the 44th Mississippi Regiment and his "servant," Silas Chandler, who was one of 36 slaves owned by the soldier's mother. The photograph is a tiny window into the past, but it also presents modern Americans with an enduring image of the role of race in the United States. |
| Senate ballot set with Cochran and Childers | |
 | The state Election Commission on Tuesday approved the candidates to appear on the general election ballot for the U.S. Senate election with no debate despite the controversy that surrounds the race. State Sen. Chris McDaniel currently is challenging in Jones County Circuit Court his loss in the Republican primary on June 24 to incumbent U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran. But on Tuesday, the three-member commission approved Cochran, Democrat Travis Childers of Booneville and perennial candidate Shawn O'Hara. Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann, who oversees state elections and serves on the Election Commission, said Cochran and Childers were the nominees of their respective parties and will appear on the ballot "unless ordered to the contrary by the judiciary." |
| Hosemann: Cochran on ballot unless court says otherwise | |
 | Incumbent Thad Cochran is on the November ballot as the GOP U.S. Senate candidate unless a court orders otherwise, Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann said, and voting will start in September. Chris McDaniel claims the primary was "stolen" from him through illegal and improper voting and black Democrats "raiding" a GOP primary. He wants the court to declare him the winner or, short of that, order a new primary. But Cochran contends McDaniel found irregularities where none exist and that the primary was fair with no more problems than the human error involved in all elections. |
| Mississippi ballot set with Cochran as Senate nominee | |
 | Mississippi elections commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a November ballot that lists Republican Thad Cochran, Democrat Travis Childers and the Reform Party's Shawn O'Hara as nominees for U.S. Senate. Approval of the ballot came, as expected, while Chris McDaniel's challenge of his Republican primary loss to Cochran is still awaiting trial. The judge overseeing McDaniel's challenge said last week that he would not block preparations for the general election, including the setting of the ballot. Cochran has made several campaign stops in Mississippi while the Senate has been on its August break. Childers, a former congressman from north Mississippi, is also campaigning. |
| McDaniel says he didn't wait too late to file lawsuit | |
| Chris McDaniel's legal team has filed its response to Thad Cochran's motion to dismiss McDaniel's lawsuit to overturn his GOP runoff loss to Cochran. Cochran lawyers last week filed a motion to dismiss McDaniel's lawsuit, saying it was filed too late. They say a 1959 state Supreme Court ruling requires a candidate contesting a statewide primary file its complaint with the state Republican Party within 20 days of the election. McDaniel filed his challenge of the June 24th primary on Aug. 4. Cochran's team argues that the Legislature updating the election laws without doing anything to challenge the 1959 ruling bolsters their case, that lawmakers intended for the 20-day deadline to apply to statewide races, not just single county elections. |
| White House considers proposals to sharply increase legal immigration | |
| The White House is considering proposals from business and immigrant rights groups that are pressing President Obama to provide hundreds of thousands of new green cards for high-tech workers and the relatives of U.S. citizens and permanent residents. The behind-the-scenes lobbying comes as Obama prepares to announce a series of executive actions that could include plans to defer the deportations of millions of people living in the country illegally, most of whom are Hispanic. White House aides, who have said Obama will announce his actions by summer's end, said the administration has held 20 meetings in the past two months to solicit input from stakeholders. But they emphasized that no final decisions have been made. |
| Obama weighs risks of attacking jihadists in Syria | |
 | Amid growing pressure to act, President Barack Obama on Tuesday cautioned that defeating the Islamic State would take time, even as some Pentagon officials expressed frustration with what they decried as White House foot-dragging on striking the militant group's Syria sanctuaries. Senior Pentagon officials have been conferring with the White House on hitting Islamic State targets just inside eastern Syria. The White House, however, has yet to request a formal proposal, said the Defense officials, who expressed frustration over what both separately called the administration's "dithering." |
| U.S. Officials Try To Gauge Threat From American Fighters In Syria | |
 | The heyday of "war tourism" was probably the 1930s, when a host of intellectuals and artists left the U.S. to bear witness to the Spanish Civil War. Ernest Hemingway wrote about it. George Orwell, just to name another, actually fought in it. Regular people from all walks of life showed up on those fields of battle as well, in much the same way young men -- both Muslim and non-Muslim -- are streaming to Syria today. The modern-day result: Instead of newspaper articles and Homage to Catalonia, there are literally hundreds of Facebook entries that chronicle the fight. U.S. intelligence officials tracking American fighters believe that at least 140 of them have gone to fight in Syria and Iraq so far. They say the number of U.S. passport holders now in the fight has more than doubled since the beginning of the year. The problem is that officials can't be clear which groups the fighters have joined. |
| Obama tells American Legion he's working to regain veterans' trust | |
 | President Obama said Tuesday that he is working to "regain the trust" of the nation's veterans by improving their access to quality healthcare and education as he struggles to recover from a scandal that thrust the beleaguered Department of Veterans Affairs into the spotlight earlier this year. "We are going to get to the bottom of these problems. We're going to fix what is wrong," Obama told thousands of veterans gathered in Charlotte, N.C., for the annual American Legion conference. "We're going to do right by you and we are going to do right by your families, and that is a solemn pledge and commitment that I'm making to you here." |
| Louisiana's Jindal suing Obama administration over Common Core | |
| Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal planned to file a lawsuit Wednesday against the Obama administration, accusing it of illegally manipulating federal grant money and regulations to force states to adopt the Common Core education standards. The U.S. Department of Education has used a $4.3 billion grant program and federal policy waivers to encourage states to adopt uniform education standards and testing. The legal challenge puts Jindal, who is considering a 2016 presidential bid, at the forefront of a dispute between conservatives and President Barack Obama, bolstering the governor's profile on the issue as he's trying to court conservative voters nationwide. |
| Southern Miss to celebrate recovery from 2013 tornado | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi will celebrate significant post-tornado recovery achievements with a special ceremony set for 10 a.m., Sept. 5 on the Hattiesburg campus. The public is invited to attend the ceremony, which will feature a grand reopening of the Ogletree House, the home of the University's Alumni Association that suffered extensive damage from the Feb. 10, 2013 storm. Gov. Phil Bryant and other dignitaries will be on hand to mark the occasion, which will also feature an unveiling of the Southern Miss Tornado Relief and Landscape Restoration Honor Wall. |
| U. of Kentucky set to announce $20 million federal grant to fund energy research | |
 | The University of Kentucky plans to announce a $20 million federal research grant Wednesday to support development of a "new energy economy" in the state. UK President Eli Capilouto will be joined by Gov. Steve Beshear, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell, U.S. Rep. Andy Barr and others to make the announcement Wednesday morning on UK's campus, according to a news release from Beshear's office. The five-year award from the National Science Foundation will fund a project called "Powering the Kentucky Bioeconomy for a Sustainable Future," according to the news release. |
| Sexual assault reported at Vanderbilt freshman dorm | |
 | Vanderbilt University received a report that a student was sexually assaulted in a freshman residence hall, only a week after the latest crop of freshmen moved onto campus. The university on Monday sent students a security notice confirming that a report had been received that a female student had been assaulted by a male suspect she knew. Beth Fortune, Vanderbilt's vice chancellor for public affairs, issued a statement in which she declined to provide any additional details surrounding the incident. Vanderbilt drew national headlines in 2013 when police say four football players raped an unconscious female student in a dorm. Administrators said this summer they enacted new policies to make campus safer. |
| UGA students press Gov. Nathan Deal on immigration issue during campaign visit | |
 | Gov. Nathan Deal may have gotten more than he bargained for at a campaign event hosted by the University of Georgia College Republicans Tuesday. A group of young people representing the Undocumented Student Alliance interjected into a question-and-answer session with their own inquiries about the governor's stance on a policy barring illegal immigrants from enrolling in the institution. Deal argued there is no effective way, at least not at the state level, to help the would-be students who want to attend classes at UGA and other state universities but are barred from doing so by a four-year-old Board of Regents policy. And anyway, he said, Georgians wouldn't support revoking the measure. |
| UGA stages groundbreaking for new $45-million Science Learning Center | |
| Gov. Nathan Deal praised the University of Georgia's new $45-million Science Learning Center for the role it will play in economic development. Deal was one of several speakers at a ceremonial groundbreaking on Tuesday for the 122,500-square-foot building scheduled to open in fall 2016. With its 33 labs and four classrooms for biology, chemistry, organic chemistry and physics, the new Science Learning Center will transform the way science is taught on the UGA campus, UGA president Jere Morehead said. |
| Local man accused of stealing backpack at U. of Florida | |
 | A Gainesville man was found in a University of Florida bathroom stall and arrested Tuesday for allegedly stealing a backpack from a student, police reported. James W. McCray, 34, whose last known address 3012 NE 10th St., was charged with trespass after warning and felony theft, according to a UPD news release. Officers were conducting a plain-clothes theft prevention operation in the Marston Science Library based on information gleaned from an analysis of theft incidents over the last few weeks in buildings across the campus. |
| Texas A&M named fittest college in America | |
 | Texas A&M did not need help from a $54 million Student Recreation Center renovation to be considered the healthiest in the country, according to The Active Times. The publication placed A&M at the top of its "50 Fittest Colleges in America 2014" ranking without factoring in the 56,000 square feet of planned renovated space and 113,000 square feet of new construction on which ground was broken in March. Associate Director of Recreational Sports Mike Waldron, who has been involved with university recreation for 31 years, said it is not the facilities that put the university atop the list, but the students. "We were packed then and we continue to be packed today," Waldron said of the center's 1995 opening. |
| U. of Missouri names permanent chief operating officer | |
 | University of Missouri Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin announced Monday that Gary Ward will be MU's chief operating officer effective Sept. 1. Ward, who is approaching 10 years with the university, has been the interim chief operating officer since Jan. 1 after Jackie Jones' retirement. The title of Ward's new post changed in March. Previously, the COO was formerly called the vice chancellor for administrative services. Ward's role requires him to oversee an array of campus service operations, including campus facilities, the police department, environmental health and safety, KOMU, KBIA, Show-Me State Games, the clubhouse and catering, printing services and the golf course, among others. |
| National Council on Teacher Quality to continue syllabus lawsuit against U. of Missouri System | |
 | The president of the National Council on Teacher Quality said Tuesday that her organization will continue to appeal court rulings that say the University of Missouri System does not have to disclose teacher syllabuses under the state's Sunshine Law. A ruling from the Missouri Court of Appeals Western District filed Tuesday states that professors teaching courses in the University of Missouri System are not required to release their syllabuses to the Washington, D.C.-based education advocacy group under Missouri's Sunshine Law. After surveying faculty members, the university denied the council's request in July 2012, saying that syllabuses are the intellectual property of the faculty who created them. |
| New book explores achievements, challenges of China's 'rising research universities' | |
 | An influx of governmental funding has helped fuel major increases in research capacity and scholarly productivity as well as impressive internationalization at Chinese research universities, but these institutions face significant challenges, including ones related to institutional autonomy and academic freedom, in their continuing quest to achieve "world-class" status. These were among the main findings of the new book China's Rising Research Universities: A New Era of Global Ambition (Johns Hopkins University Press), by Robert A. Rhoads, Xiaoyang Wang, Xiaoguang Shi, and Yongcai Chang. The book is built around four case studies exploring changes in faculty work life. |
| How to Get Girls Into Engineering: Let Them Build Their Own Toys | |
 | When Alice Brooks and Bettina Chen met in 2010, both were in engineering master's programs at Stanford University -- mechanical and electrical, respectively. But there weren't many other women around. Chatting about why there were so few female engineers, the pair realized that they had both grown up with toys that encouraged them to build and make things, rather than traditional toys for girls. The friends agreed it would be great if there were toys aimed at nudging girls toward tinkering and eventually into engineering. In May 2012 they launched a campaign on Kickstarter to fund the development of their toys, which they dubbed Roominate. The idea: Girls get a set of pastel-colored pieces that they can assemble into a building or any other type of structure. |
| STUART ROTHENBERG (OPINION): And the Winner of the GOP's Civil War Primary Is... Part II | |
 | Stuart Rothenberg writes for Roll Call: "Three and a half months ago, I wrote about the state of the fight between the Republican establishment's pragmatic conservative candidates and tea party/libertarian/anti-establishment conservatives. I concluded the results were mixed and it was too early to call a winner, though I also noted, 'it's already clear that the pragmatist conservatives have stopped the anti-establishment's electoral momentum.' Now that this cycle's version of the fight is almost over, it's time for a final assessment. There was no knockout or TKO, but pragmatic conservatives won a clear and convincing decision on points. ...In the nastiest primary, Mississippi's Thad Cochran defeat of Chris McDaniel in the runoff was stunning, considering the normal dynamic of those kinds of contests." |
| BOBBY HARRISON (OPINION): Presley connects, but could he raise money for statewide race? | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Bobby Harrison writes: "Currently, Attorney General Jim Hood of Houston is Mississippi's only statewide elected Democrat. He has survived all comers from a Republican Party that has grown dramatically in strength during his tenure in statewide office. But other than Hood, Mississippi Democrats do not have a very deep bench in terms of politicians who could be considered serious statewide candidates. (Brandon) Presley, the current second-term Northern District public service commissioner, could. He is by far the best communicator in the state in terms of getting his points across and connecting with his audience. Plus, he is a relentless campaigner. ...But could he raise the millions of dollars needed to run a credible statewide campaign?" |
SPORTS
| Touring the renovations at Mississippi State's Davis Wade Stadium | |
| The season opener inches closes as Mississippi State prepares reopen the doors to Davis Wade Stadium after a $75 million renovation. The stadium's first action will be seen Saturday when MSU hosts Southern Miss. The media received a tour on Tuesday. |
| Bulldogs will rely on Prescott | |
 | Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott made a huge impact during his sophomore season in 2013, scoring 25 touchdowns and accounting for nearly 3,000 total yards while starting just seven games. He also made a huge impression on University of Southern Mississippi head football coach Todd Monken. Speaking at his weekly press conference in Hattiesburg on Tuesday, Monken was asked about his biggest concern when his Eagles, 1-11 a year ago, face MSU's offense. "They have a number of starters coming back, but the key is their quarterback," said Monken. "He is a handful back there. He can throw. He can run. He can do it all." |
| On Target: Mississippi State QB Prescott growing as a passer | |
| A year ago, Dak Prescott began fall camp missing intended targets in every way possible. Balls bounced at the feet of the receivers and sailed over their heads. Mississippi State's backup quarterback threw behind them or too far in front. The rust that built up from missing portions of the summer and all of the spring showed. Prescott's only throws in the spring came from a chair due to an injured leg. "I'm a whole different player now," Prescott said. "I'm a lot smarter throughout the game." He plans to show it this season. |
| Best yet to come: Despite success, Bulldogs' Lewis feels he can get better | |
| In many ways, Jameon Lewis had a breakout season for Mississippi State in 2013. Lewis led the Bulldogs in receiving and set the school's single-game record with 220 receiving yards in the Liberty Bowl. He also garnered national attention by rushing, throwing and catching a touchdown in the same game on two different occasions. "I shocked a lot of people, but to me, I feel like I haven't done anything yet," Lewis said. "I'm glad I caught some eyes last year, but I think the best is yet to come." |
| Golden Eagles' Howze excited about season opener at Mississippi State | |
 | The grand experiment on the Southern Miss football team takes effect Saturday night when the Golden Eagles play at Mississippi State. Coaches moved former Ocean Springs High School star Alan Howze from mike (strong) linebacker to will (weakside) linebacker and tried junior college transfer Brian Anderson at mike linebacker at the beginning of fall workouts, and never went back to the original plan. Putting it simply, if the opposing offense is running right up the middle or off tackle to the strong side, it is heading right at the mike linebacker. If that offense is running wide, the will linebacker gets in on more of the action. The USM coaches figured Howze could switch because he is smart enough and fast enough to learn a new position. Saturday, we find out if they're right. |
| U. of South Carolina season opener means more police, cameras, curfews, rides home | |
 | Thursday night's football season opener will serve as the first test of an expanded public safety net the city is extending in its entertainment districts. The University of South Carolina game against Texas A&M will be the first time students descend on Five Points since the city and university announced a plan to upgrade taxi cab and shuttle services to transport students back to their dorms or to off-campus homes. The sold-out game also is likely to result in a flood of students from the new high-rise housing complex on Main Street as well as visiting Aggie fans -- all filling Vista and city center streets, restaurants and bars. The University of South Carolina police department will have more of an on-campus presence and will soon launch a smartphone app that would permit students to link directly to USC police. |
| Public gets sneak peek of Mizzou's Memorial Stadium renovations | |
| Missouri athletics director Mike Alden gripped one handle on a yard-long pair of scissors. Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin held the other. Missouri executive associate athletic director Tim Hickman stepped in, as well. And as the three straddled the blades around a golden ribbon, more than 400 fans prepared for their first look at a long-awaited addition. Other than a few finishing touches before Missouri's first football game Saturday against South Dakota State, Memorial Stadium's east side expansion is complete. The $45 million project, which began in April 2013, is the latest step in attracting fans. "There's nothing like this in the nation," said Algen Williams, the project manager of the Kansas City-based architectural firm Populous, which designed the expansion. |
| A Legal Titan of Sports Labor Disputes Sets His Sights on the N.C.A.A. | |
 | First there was Kain Colter, a brawny Northwestern quarterback who wanted to form a union. Then there was Ed O'Bannon, a former U.C.L.A. basketball star who did not like seeing others make money by featuring him in a video game. They both dealt serious blows to the foundations of the embattled N.C.A.A., which rests upon the idea of the athlete as an unpaid amateur. But the N.C.A.A.'s most formidable opponent of all may be the one coming down the pike: a stout, 60-year-old antitrust lawyer from Brooklyn named Jeffrey Kessler. In March, Kessler filed a lawsuit against the N.C.A.A. and the major college athletics conferences that he says will take down the "cartel" that controls college sports, and do away altogether with rules against paying college athletes. College sports experts see Kessler's case as the biggest threat of all. |
| RICK CLEVELAND (OPINION): It's about time Mississippi State, Southern Miss play in football | |
| Mississippi sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: "Good for Mississippi State. Good for Southern Miss. Good for football in the Magnolia State. Saturday night in Starkville, State and USM will play football against one another for the first time in 24 years. It's the first of a four-game series that makes sense, will make money and will raise a lot more interest in college football in this State than, say, State vs. UAB or Southern Miss vs. BYU. The Bulldogs are heavy, heavy favorites over the Golden Eagles, who have won just one of their past 24 games, by far the worst span of football in history of the proud Southern Miss program. Yet, State fans of a certain vintage -- certainly those who remember seven straight USM victories in the late 1970s and early '80s -- have to experience at least twinges of trepidation this week." |
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