| Monday, September 8, 2014 |
| Wrap him in Maroon & White: MSU broadcaster Cristil dies at 88 | |
 | Jack Cristil, whose rumbling voice and straight delivery made him a Mississippi State broadcasting legend, died Sunday. He was 88. Cristil was the radio voice of the Bulldogs for nearly six decades, calling the action for football for 58 seasons and basketball for nearly 54. "As a lifelong Bulldog, my heart is heavy at learning of the passing of legendary MSU broadcaster Jack Cristil," MSU President Mark E. Keenum said. Cristil was one of the last of his kind, a broadcaster who came from the classic mold of Graham McNamee, Ted Husing and Bill Stern. Those broadcast pioneers caught Cristil's attention at a young age as he grew up in Memphis. |
| Former voice of the Bulldogs, Jack Cristil dead at 88 | |
 | Jack Cristil, who called more than 1,500 Mississippi State contests, died Sunday night at the at Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo. He was 88. "As a lifelong Bulldog, my heart is heavy at learning of the passing of legendary MSU broadcaster Jack Cristil," MSU President Mark E. Keenum said. C.R. "Dudy" Noble hired Cristil in 1953. After his retirement, Cristil lent his time to the production of a biography entitled "Jack Cristil: Voice of the MSU Bulldogs." The book sold 10,500 copies and raised over $170,000 for the Jacob S. "Jack" Cristil Scholarship in Journalism at MSU. |
| 'Voice of the Bulldogs' Jack Cristil dead at 88 | |
 | Jacob Sanford "Jack" Cristil, the beloved former sports broadcaster of six decades of Mississippi State University athletics, died Sunday at the age of 88 at Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo of complications from kidney disease and cancer after an extended illness. "Jack Cristil was a courageous, tenacious man possessed of a great love for Mississippi State University," said MSU Chief Communications Officer and Cristil's biographer. "His tired body finally failed Jack, but his keen mind and that great staccato baritone voice never failed him. I count his friendship as a tremendous gift to me and to my family. We all loved him." During his early years working at Mississippi State, Cristil served in advertising sales at WELO Radio and later WTVA-TV. |
| 'Voice of the Bulldogs' Jack Cristil dies at 88 | |
 | Jack Cristil, who called more than 1,500 Mississippi State contests, has died. In a news release, the university said Cristil died last night at the Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo of complications from kidney disease and cancer after an extended illness. He was 88. Cristil was the "Voice of the Bulldogs" for 58 years. He began in 1953 and retired in 2011. |
| MSU announces the death of legendary 'Voice of the Bulldogs' Jack Cristil | |
 | Jack Cristil, the beloved former sports broadcaster of six decades of Mississippi State athletics, died Sunday at the age of 88 at Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo of complications from kidney disease and cancer after an extended illness. With a 58-year association with MSU, Cristil was the second-longest tenured college radio play-by-play announcer in the nation at the time of his 2011 retirement due to health problems. "Jack Cristil connected with generations of Bulldog fans and remains an icon for all who love the Maroon and White," MSU Athletic Director Scott Stricklin said. "No school's broadcaster was as synonymous with their institution as Jack Cristil was with Mississippi State." |
| Longtime Radio Voice of Mississippi State Athletics Passes Away | |
 | Mississippi State's legendary radio voice of Bulldog athletics has passed away. Jacob Sanford "Jack" Cristil, 88, a native of Memphis, passed away in front of family and friends at Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo Sunday evening. Cristil announced his retirement from the "mic" in 2011 due to illness. He called 636 football games in his 58 years with the Bulldogs. Cristil will always be known for his legendary "wrap it in maroon and white" call, which signaled a victory for the Bulldogs. |
| MSU mourns the loss of beloved sports broadcaster Jack Cristil | |
 | Jack Cristil, the beloved former sports broadcaster of six decades for Mississippi State University Athletics, has died. According to MSU, Cristil passed away at Sanctuary Hospice House in Tupelo of complications from kidney disease and cancer after an extended illness. MSU President Mark E. Keenum is quoted in a release sent out by the university saying, "As a lifelong Bulldog, my heart is heavy at learning of the passing of legendary MSU broadcaster Jack Cristil. Jack's deep love of this university was always evident in his words and in his deeds. I join every member of the Bulldog family in extending our sincere respects and deepest sympathies to his daughters, Kay and Rebecca, and to his grandchildren, Jake and Lindsey. Surely, Jack's remarkable life and work is now forever wrapped in Maroon and White." |
| Hodges, Pearson serve as co-interim deans for MSU-Meridian | |
 | Julia Hodges and Allison Pearson will serve as co-interim deans for Mississippi State University's Meridian Campus. "I'm very pleased that Drs. Hodges and Pearson have agreed to take on this very important interim role. They both have tremendous experience in transition leadership and will do an excellent job," said Jerry Gilbert, MSU provost and executive vice president. Gilbert said, "These administrators are committed to MSU-Meridian's success." |
| Two Interim Deans Named for MSU-Meridian | |
 | Mississippi State University has appointed two people to serve as interim deans over the Meridian campus. Julia Hodges and Allison Pearson have been named to serve at interim co-deans, effective Sept. 13. Both women are veteran MSU employees. They will fill the vacancy left by Steven Brown, who recently took at a job at the University of West Florida. The two will serve in the position while the search for a full-time dean for the campus takes place. |
| MSU Extension experts honored | |
 | The National Association of County Agricultural Agents recently recognized Mississippi State University Extension Service experts for their skill in connecting with clients. Gary Bachman, along with videographers Tim Allison and Brian Utley, are the national winners in the video presentation category. Jane Parish is the national winner in the learning module category for the Mississippi Master Cattle Producer program, a 24-content-hour, comprehensive training in major beef cattle production topic areas. Wayne Porter's quarterly newsletter, Green Flash, garnered first place in the individual newsletter category. |
| Mississippi State building 'car of the future' | |
 | Driven to lead in vehicle performance and energy efficiency, Mississippi State University engineers are steering development of the "Car of the Future." Though the vehicle may look like a typical crossover SUV, its engine will not be connected to the wheels like conventional automobiles. Instead, the engine will rotate a generator that charges an energy storage system which will provide power to two electric motors driving the rear wheels. The university team of faculty members, alumni and students hopes to have the hybrid vehicle operating by December. |
| Mississippi State students on dig site fled ground war in Israel | |
| A routine archaeological dig in Israel this summer put a group of Mississippi State University students and faculty members in the middle of a conflict that escalated into a full-scale war. "We had a front-row seat to a terrible situation," said Jimmy Hardin, MSU associate professor in the Department of Anthropology and Middle Eastern Cultures and organizer of the Hesi Regional Project. "We could see in the distance the missiles headed to Beersheva, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, and we could see the Israeli missiles, the Iron Dome, going up to intercept them." Since 1983, MSU's Cobb Institute of Archaeology has sent teams to do archaeological work in Israel and Jordan every year possible. |
| Rice growers overcome planting challenges, expect good harvest | |
| Although most Mississippi rice growers battled frequent spring rains that delayed planting, hampered fertilization and challenged insect and disease management, early signs point toward a good harvest. The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Crop Progress and Condition Report released Sept. 2 indicated that 58 percent of the state's rice crop is in good condition and 28 percent is in excellent condition. Five percent is harvested. Bobby Golden, Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station agronomist in Stoneville, said harvest is going well on the portion of the crop that is ready. |
| MSU Participates in Bioenergy Field Tour | |
| Using fast-growing woody crops as a source of energy and fuel may be the key to energy independence in the United States. The latest Southeastern biofuels research and production methods will be on display for landowners, industry professionals and community leaders during a month-long series of field days in September sponsored by the Southeastern Partnership for Integrated Biomass Supply Systems. Mississippi State University, a biofuels research partner, will host the tour stop near Columbus on Sept. 30. The field tour of a 70-acre research area showcasing fast-growing clones of Eastern cottonwood and hybrid poplars begins at 8 a.m. |
| Former MSU basketball star now heading company | |
| Former Mississippi State University basketball star Shane Power has mirrored his success off the court. After helping Watertree Health build a network of more than 200 local representatives in almost all 50 states as vice president of sales, he's now president of the Florida-based company that provides free prescription discount cards. Power, 33, was a member of the All-SEC Men's Basketball team while at MSU. He was a guard on the 2003-04 team that climbed into the top five of the polls and earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament. After college, he played professional basketball in Italy. He also earned his master's degree in sports administration from Mississippi State. |
| Child obesity rate decreases in Mississippi | |
| Mississippi's childhood obesity rates are on the decline. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the state's childhood obesity rate decreased 3 percent from 2009 to 2013. It is now at 15 percent. Brent Fountain, associate professor of human nutrition with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, says the decrease is in part due to educational efforts and adjustments to school physical fitness programs, lunchrooms and vending machines. David Buys, an MSU Extension health specialist, says parents can help ensure their children don't have a problem with obesity by encouraging physical activity, making healthy food choices and being conscious of all their health numbers. |
| Tornado relief: Volunteers, MSU team celebrate memorial, renovation | |
| In the aftermath of an EF4 tornado that devastated a Winston County community in April, volunteers have revitalized Dean Park, renovating its concession stand and creating a mural in memory a local woman who died protecting a child. Dean Park in Center Ridge reopened Friday thanks to work supported by the Appalachian Community Learning Project. ACLP is facilitated by Mississippi State University's John C. Stennis Institute of Government and Community Development, the Appalachian Regional Commission and New York-based The Rensselaerville Institute. "The intent of this project has been to get this community up and running, and back to normal to have a place to enjoy as a group," said Jeremy Murdock, research associate with the Stennis Institute. |
| Wiseman: New employee insurance tiers will help all city workers | |
| After Starkville aldermen unanimously approved a change in employee's insurance options Tuesday, officials downplayed an unauthorized press release by Human Rights Campaign that applauded the city for extending coverage to workers' LGBT partners, instead saying the new, tiered-rate packages provide cost-saving options for all employees, rather than a specific group. The board's action Tuesday created new tiers: the single employee and entire family rates remain but are both $2 cheaper per year, however workers can now choose to add an adult dependent or just their children for an additional $348.74 or $268.95 annually. The city will not incur any additional costs for the changes. |
| Little tests water with minimum design standards for Starkville metal buildings | |
| Ward 3 Alderman David Little's attempt to set basic design standards for metal buildings in Starkville could find traction in future discussions after few public comments against the proposal emerged Tuesday. The first-term Republican alderman previously tasked city staff to develop a list of rudimentary requirements for future developments in Starkville. The resulting one page document Little introduced this week would require metal buildings in certain buffer (B-1), commercial (C-1 and C-2) and multi-family residential (R-5) zones visible from public right of ways or adjacent residential lots to have either brick; wood; fiber cement siding; stucco; natural stone or spilt-faced, concrete masonry units that are tented and textured. |
| State revenue growth slowing | |
| As legislative leaders get ready to meet in the coming days to begin preparing a budget proposal to submit to the 2015 legislative session in January, it appears the robust revenue growth experienced by the state during the past three fiscal years might be slowing. Through the first two months of the current fiscal year, revenue growth is only $7.77 million, or 1.44 percent, above the official estimate. The estimate, made by the state's financial experts and approved by the legislative leadership, is the figure used during the 2014 session to develop a budget to fund state government for the current fiscal year. Later this month, beginning Sept. 30, the 14-member Legislative Budget Committee will meet to begin developing a budget proposal for the next fiscal year, which will begin July 1. |
| State budget narratives speak loudly as lawmakers face re-election | |
| Writing a state budget is not only about numbers. It's also about narrative. With most Mississippi lawmakers seeking re-election in 2015, everyone who helps write the budget, or simply votes for it, will be eager to tell constituents that the spending plan is one of the strongest and most efficient in state history. Lawmakers who vote against the budget, or who see their ideas ignored, will criticize the plan as woefully inadequate to cover the needs in education, health care or other areas. It's a narrative told with slight variations every year. Lawmakers' tone is often self-congratulatory, regardless which political party is in control. The Republican-led Joint Legislative Budget Committee will hold public hearings Sept. 30 through Oct. 3 to consider state agencies' spending requests for fiscal 2016, which begins next July 1. |
| State Department of Revenue: Staffing lacking | |
| Even though the Mississippi Department of Revenue has added employees, made customer service improvements and is collecting more money owed to the state, staffing needs continue to be a problem. Highlighting staffing needs, DOR auditors discovered $189,810,521 in unreported taxes and have had to perform 4,531 audits during the last fiscal year. Also, DOR officials have said a good number of taxpayers with customer service questions cannot reach staffers by phone. The state Legislature approved DOR for an additional 80 positions for this fiscal year, which began July 1, but the agency didn't receive full funding for those positions. It's about $2.1 million short. |
| Damage limits in Mississippi tort laws challenged | |
| The Mississippi Supreme Court is being asked to overturn a state judge's ruling that a legislatively imposed cap on how much juries can award in non-economic damages is unconstitutional. Circuit Judge Charles Webster in Coahoma County issued the ruling in 2012 in a wrongful death lawsuit seeking damages in the death of a child in an apartment complex fire. A Coahoma jury in 2011 returned a verdict for the plaintiffs that included $6 million in non-economic damages. State law that went into effect in 2004 limits awards for non-economic damages to $1 million. The cap applies to what a jury can award for such things as pain and suffering. The limits on damages were adopted by Mississippi lawmakers after years of contentious wrangling over tort changes. |
| Groups could seek 17 charter schools in Mississippi | |
| Mississippi's charter school board has received letters from 10 organizations that say they intend to apply for 17 schools. The board is scheduled to vote on approvals in December. It can approve up to 15 schools per year, but earlier this year approved only one at the end of the first-ever application process. Reimagine Prep in Jackson, serving fifth grade through eighth grade, is scheduled to open in fall 2015. Mississippi lawmakers in 2013 approved an expanded law allowing charter schools -- public schools run by private groups that agree to meet certain standards in exchange for less regulation -- after a two-year fight. |
| Wicker: Foreign policy crises require U.S. leadership | |
| Faced with two separate international crises, America's foreign policy is "in a shambles," U.S. Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., said Friday. Defeating -- not just containing -- Islamic State militants who have taken over major portions of Iraq is essential, Wicker told the Tupelo Kiwanis Club, and standing up to Russian President Vladimir Putin's expansionism will put the NATO alliance to the test. "The president is going to have to lead," Wicker said. On the homefront, Wicker said he'll be working to stop the administration's proposed military reorganization plan that would threaten Mississippi's National Guard, including its Tupelo presence and the Apache helicopter fleet. |
| Alan Nunnelee answers questions about his views and his recovery | |
| "Through my recovery, I am reminded of the importance of family and friends. I am most grateful for their prayers and well-wishes. These have been great motivating factors to work through difficult rehabilitation," Congressman Alan Nunnelee tells the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal. The Tupelo resident who represents the 1st Congressional District, has spent most of the summer recuperating from surgery and from a stroke suffered during the surgery. He has returned to Mississippi to continue recovery. He is a candidate for re-election in the November general election. |
| McDaniel not done yet with challenge | |
| Chris McDaniel of Ellisville is not giving up on his U.S. Senate bid. The second-term state senator filed notice Friday that he is appealing to the Mississippi Supreme Court last week's dismissal of his election challenge of the June 24 Republican primary runoff he lost to incumbent U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran. Last week, Chancellor Hollis McGehee of Lucedale, appointed to hear the statewide election challenge by Supreme Court Chief Justice William Waller Jr., dismissed McDaniel's lawsuit versus Cochran, saying he waited too long after the contest was over to file his appeal. But McDaniel is appealing that ruling to the state's highest court. "We continue to be confident that when Senator McDaniel's challenge is heard on the merits it will change the results of the Republican primary," McDaniel attorney Mitch Tyner said Friday. |
| McDaniel lawyer confident with appeal | |
| As his lawyers appealed dismissal of his election lawsuit to the state Supreme Court on Friday, Chris McDaniel referenced Nazism on his Facebook page. "Silence in the face of evil is itself evil," McDaniel, who was reportedly out of state, posted Friday, quoting Deitrich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran reverend and anti-Nazi dissident in World War II Germany. "God will not hold us guiltless ... Not to act is to act." Specially appointed Judge Hollis McGehee last week dismissed McDaniel's challenge of his June 24 primary runoff loss to incumbent GOP Sen. Thad Cochran, saying McDaniel waited too late to file his lawsuit. An appeal of the lower court ruling in an election challenge by law goes to the state Supreme Court. |
| Aggressive police take hundreds of millions of dollars from motorists not charged with crimes | |
 | After the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, the government called on police to become the eyes and ears of homeland security on America's highways. Local officers, county deputies and state troopers were encouraged to act more aggressively in searching for suspicious people, drugs and other contraband. The departments of Homeland Security and Justice spent millions on police training. The effort succeeded, but it had an impact that has been largely hidden from public view: the spread of an aggressive brand of policing that has spurred the seizure of hundreds of millions of dollars in cash from motorists and others not charged with crimes, a Washington Post investigation found. Behind the rise in seizures is a little-known cottage industry of private police-training firms that teach the techniques of "highway interdiction" to departments across the country. |
| Chick-fil-A founder Truett Cathy died Monday | |
 | S. Truett Cathy, who turned a humble hometown restaurant featuring a boneless fried chicken sandwich into the Chick-fil-A juggernaut, died Monday at 1:35 a.m. He was 93. Cathy, who died at home surrounded by loved ones, was known as much for his Christian principles -- Chick-fil-A's are closed on Sundays -- as he was for his business acumen. He lived long enough to see his company rise from a local grill to the No. 1 U.S. chicken chain this year. His success, personality and principles made Cathy a rock star among fans who showed up in the hundreds at signings for the books he wrote or to hear him lecture on the fast-food industry. |
| Reports of respiratory virus hit several states | |
 | Officials in several states, including Missouri, are reporting cases of respiratory illness, some severe enough to send kids to hospitals. Ten states have contacted the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for help in investigating enterovirus. Enteroviruses, with symptoms similar to an intense cold, hits its peak in September, according to medical officials. But it is unusual that there have been so many hospitalizations, CNN reports. The number of hospitalizations reported could be "just the tip of the iceberg in terms of severe cases," Mark Pallansch, director of the CDC's Division of Viral Diseases, told CNN. |
| Wonders of the W study abroad are topic of talk | |
| On Thursday, the Mississippi University for Women Gordy Honors College Forum Series will highlight the benefits of study abroad, with Erinn Holloway, interim director of the university's Study Abroad Programs. Holloway herself has led a study abroad trip to Alicante, Spain, and will lead another in summer 2015. Faculty who led a recent MUW-sponsored trip to Ireland and who will lead next summer's honors study abroad program will also be on hand at the session. All of MUW's general study abroad offerings are available to community members as well as full-time students. |
| Gov. Bryant on Southern Miss: 'These are hallowed grounds for me' | |
 | The alumni house at The University of Southern Mississippi was left in ruins in February 2013 when an EF-4 tornado ripped across the heart of the Pine Belt, but there's been a remarkable recovery since then. Gov. Phil Bryant re-dedicated the house on Friday and says it's better than ever before. Dozens of alums and students gathered for the ceremony. "It means so much to me," Bryant said. |
| Co-Lin sees projects coming to fruition around the campus | |
 | Copiah-Lincoln Community College in Wesson is abuzz with student activity. Classes have started, sports are underway and the faculty is settling in for another semester. "We are off to a great start," said Co-Lin President Ronnie Nettles at the college's board of trustees meeting on Thursday. Several improvements have been made throughout the summer to prepare for this year and more are on the way. |
| Auburn freshman vows to fight pediatric cancer | |
 | Kayla Perry has an ambitious dream, and a loftier resolve to make it come true. Perry, 19, wants to find a cure for pediatric cancer, or at least help fund that cure. Those spending a few minutes with her would likely agree she has a fighting chance. For Kayla, the fight is personal. It started last year when she became ill while on a mission trip to Kenya. What started as periodic nosebleeds which she attributed to a cold progressed into more severe symptoms. Kayla and her friends thought it could have been anemia or an iron deficiency. But one of the first clues that it was something much worse came when she met with doctors in Kenya. The Hoover native soon returned home where she then began a battery of tests. A few days later, her physician shared the news that would change her life. She had cancer: high risk stage IV neuroblastoma. |
| LSU student health officials on watch for Ebola virus | |
 | Although no cases of the Ebola virus disease have been found in the U.S., the LSU Student Health Center is asking students to schedule an appointment if they have traveled recently to countries where the virus has taken hold. Nelson Perret, Student Health Center medical director, said being at a university with a sizable international student population means taking proper precautions. Perret wants students who have been to Guinea, Liberia, Nigeria, Senegal and Sierra Leone in the last 21 days to schedule an evaluation. LSU does not sponsor summer study abroad programs in any of the five West African countries where Ebola cases have been reported to the World Health Organization. Still, professors and graduate students often travel overseas for research in the summer or go home to visit family, Perret said. |
| Potential draining of LSU lakes could take two years, is an 'emotional' issue | |
 | If the LSU Lakes system in Baton Rouge is fully drained during its restoration, the work could take at least two years -- an "emotional" and controversial proposition when you're talking about leaving the "crown jewels" of our city bare and under construction for a long period of time, Baton Rouge Area Foundation Executive Vice President John Spain acknowledged Wednesday. "It's going to smell," he said. "It's going to look ugly." It's not yet known whether the lakes would need to be fully drained to be restored, Spain said, speaking at a Rotary Club of Baton Rouge meeting. The work could be a disruption for those who enjoy the lakes, like those who jog, walk and bike around them, and LSU, which Spain said considers the lakes' beauty one of its "greatest recruiting tools." |
| Another woman attacked at U. of Florida; police coordinate response | |
 | The University of Florida Police Department allocated more resources and planned to gather for a strategy meeting Monday morning after a fourth report of a woman attacked on or near campus. The description of the suspect in the Sunday night attack was similar to three others that occurred on or around campus over the past nine days. "He bears a strong similarity," UPD Maj. Brad Barber said. "You have to consider the striking similarity in descriptions." The majority of GPD officers on duty Sunday night were dispatched to the campus for a manhunt that turned up nothing. Barber said his department will hold a press conference later this morning. |
| Appalachian research center at U. of Kentucky receiving $5M grant | |
| A center at the University of Kentucky is receiving a five-year, $5 million grant to improve occupational health and safety in central Appalachia and Kentucky. UK says the region reports higher rates of occupational injuries and fatalities than the rest of the nation. The Central Appalachian Regional Education and Research Center at UK's College of Public Health was formed in 2012, combining resources at UK as well as at Eastern Kentucky University in Richmond. |
| U. of Kentucky's Institute for Workplace Innovation to close | |
 | The University of Kentucky's Institute for Workplace Innovation will close at the end of September. Lisa Gilbert Williams, the executive director of the organization, made the announcement Friday in a news release. Christine Riordan, UK's provost, said in a letter accompanying the news release that the decision to close "was a reflection of something we have all faced in this economy and that we continue to confront -- the need to align resources with mission and institutional priorities." The institute conducted academic research and provided it to Kentucky employers, facilitated 15 roundtable meetings, hosted webinars, provided training and consulted on a variety of workplace topics. |
| U. of Missouri starts search for journalism dean | |
 | The University of Missouri has started its search for a new School of Journalism dean. The university said in a release posted on the journalism school website Friday that it had started its nationwide search to replace Dean Mills, who announced in February he was stepping down from the post he occupied for 25 years. Mills' retirement was effective Sunday. Mills is taking a part-time job as director of the Reynolds Fellows program at the Reynolds Journalism Institute. According to the online job posting, the journalism school seeks a "dynamic" and "visionary" leader. |
| Survey finds stability in humanities departments | |
 | Maybe the sky didn't fall on the humanities after all. The new edition of "The Humanities Indicators," being released today by the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, suggests much more stability in humanities departments between 2007-8 and 2012-13 than is widely assumed to be the case. The findings come from surveys of humanities departments at four-year colleges and universities. While that stability might cheer advocates for humanities programs, stability at a minimal level also seems to have been the case with regard to the digital humanities and evaluation of digital work for tenure and promotion. |
| Cheap Drinks And Risk-Taking Fuel College Drinking Culture | |
 | There's no question that alcohol is a factor in the majority of sexual assaults on campus. And alcohol is abundant and very present at most colleges today. In fact, federal health officials say more than 80 percent of college students drink. And about half say they binge drink. This means more than four drinks for women and more than five drinks for men, within a two-hour time frame. "Everybody's drinking to get drunk," says Dr. Sharon Levy, a pediatrician and director of the Adolescent Substance Abuse Program at Boston Children's Hospital. "Kids tell me this is how they socialize with friends." Levy says that what's happening on college campuses as an unfortunate collusion of the brain's biology with a hard-to-resist environment. |
| OUR OPINION: Childers, Cochran must move ahead with campaign | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal editorializes: "Mississippi's general election campaigns for the U.S. Senate have shifted decidedly away from the might-have-been issues, especially involving the Republican primary, and toward what is essentially a two-person race matching GOP incumbent Sen. Thad Cochran of Oxford against Democratic nominee Travis Childers, a former 1st District congressman from Booneville. ...Chris McDaniel, who remains the defeated GOP primary former candidate despite his decision to appeal his case for an eventual overturn of results to the Mississippi Supreme Court, is not on any November ballot so far approved and isn't likely to be. Childers and Cochran must move forward with the campaign." |
| PAUL HAMPTON (OPINION): Tired of contentious elections? Then I have some bad news | |
| The Sun Herald's Paul Hampton writes: "The sages say the campaign doesn't begin until Labor Day. I was fine with that. Then the sages told me they were talking about the 2015 election. They have a point. Given the length of the Republican race for U.S. Senate nominee, I guess you can't start too early. ...It's pretty clear incumbents are concerned about next year's elections and it's pretty clear that's for a good reason. And that reason isn't the opposing party. Democrats probably have a shot at making inroads next year but, as it stands, they're still long shots on the Coast. Nope, their problem is the TEA Party wing of the GOP, which is in open revolt." |
| BILL CRAWFORD (OPINION): Removing 'kudzu root crowns' takes discipline | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: "It's budget time again for the Mississippi Legislature. More money is needed to fund schools, community colleges, universities, highways, Medicaid, Corrections, public safety, mental health, and so on. Oh, and a tax cut too. Revenue growth can cover part, but not all. So, the Joint Legislative Budget Committee will, once again, painstakingly pick winners and losers from the vast array of agencies that make up state government. Some will get more, some the same, and a few less. But none is likely to be zeroed out." |
| GEOFF PENDER (OPINION): Brown's humor could bring down the house, Senate | |
| The Clarion-Ledger's Geoff Pender writes: "(Sen. Terry) Brown lost a yearlong battle with cancer last week. The thought of walking past his third-floor office without hearing a booming voice say, 'Pender, you dang fish eater, get in here and tell me what kind of crap you're stirring up' truly saddens me. ...Brown referred to his Senate colleagues from the Coast -- and me -- as fish eaters. ...Brown's humor would often have the Senate in stitches and could defuse tense political battles. But he was no mascot. His humor camouflaged, and often helped, a shrewd political mind and a lawmaker who could get things done." |
| SID SALTER (OPINION): Terry Brown was among last of a legislative breed | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: "It was difficult for the casual observer to understand why Mississippi Senate President Pro Tempore Terry Brown, R-Columbus, enjoyed the success he did in the Mississippi Legislature and in life. Brown died Thursday in Columbus at the age of 64. Brown was diagnosed with lung cancer in October and began chemotherapy treatments. Despite a dismal diagnosis, Brown faced his illness and his treatments with courage and like every other battle in his life he fought hard to the bitter end. ...like many, my memories of Terry center on his prowess as a storyteller and the fun we had swapping tales on the cabin porch at the Neshoba County Fair, at charity events and in the halls of the Legislature. He was one of the last of the real old school "characters" in the Mississippi Legislature, but that boisterous reputation shouldn't cloud the fact that Brown was an extremely talented and effective lawmaker." |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State's Gus Walley gives Dak Prescott another target | |
| Mississippi State sophomore Gus Walley was close to hanging up his helmet and calling off his football career. The 6-foot-4 tight end missed all of last year after recovering from Tommy John surgery for a torn ulnar collateral ligament. That was after he sat out the entire 2012 season as a redshirt freshman. "Man, quitting, I can't lie to you, quitting went through my mind a couple of times," Walley said. "But I just stuck with it. I wasn't ready to be a quitter." But he played his first collegiate game Saturday in Starkville. His performance proved to be worth the wait as MSU (2-0) defeated UAB 47-34. Walley caught two passes for 35 yards and a touchdown. And the score came at a key moment. |
| Mississippi State's QB rotation here to stay? | |
| Dak Prescott rarely stopped moving. He shared quarterback responsibilities through the first seven drives of Saturday's 47-34 win over UAB. During one of back-up Damian Williams' drives, Prescott pedaled on the exercise bike on the sidelines. On another, he shuffled along the sidelines wearing a headset. And on others he walked toward the north end of the field and cheered his group of players not dressed. It's a routine the starter might want to get used to. "We wanted to rotate the quarterbacks coming in and continue development of guys. The quarterback ... jumps out as one. It's easiest one to jump out when you're rolling guys through," MSU coach Dan Mullen said. |
| Sun Belt foes on tap for Rebels, Bulldogs | |
| Mississippi State and Ole Miss combined for more than 1,000 yards of offense in weekend victories and arrive at the third week of the season unscathed. The Bulldogs, with quarterback Dak Prescott at less than full strength, pulled away from UAB in the second half to win 47-34. Ole Miss opened SEC play with a 41-3 win over a Vanderbilt team that is still looking for the season's first offensive touchdown. Both teams play non-conference games against Sun Belt Conference foes this week. MSU is on the road in Mobile against South Alabama. Kickoff is 3 p.m., with the game to be televised by ESPNews. |
| Where college football is a religion, and religion shapes college football | |
| Hugh Freeze takes his seat near the back of the Mississippi football meeting room, and from here, with his three daughters sitting to his left, the Rebels coach can see everything. This room in the Manning Center is where the Ole Miss football team gathers to discuss its mistakes, players' hopes and goals, the opportunities and pitfalls that lay ahead in the season, and anyway, doesn't that sound like life? To Freeze, it makes sense to merge his beliefs with his coaching, holding a Fellowship of Christian Athletes worship service each Sunday during the school year. For the Rebels' players and coaches during the season, this is church. Players are not required to attend FCA meetings or participate in devotionals and team prayers, but Freeze encourages them to join him. |
| Group requests records about UM football, religious services | |
 | A national non-theistic organization has requested records concerning religious practices associated with The University of Mississippi football program. Sam Grover, staff attorney for the Freedom From Religion Foundation, sent an open records request to the university on Wednesday after reading an article that ran in The Washington Post on Aug. 29. The article highlighted the role of religion in college football in the South. "The university is a public institution; it's a state-funded university," Grover said in a telephone interview. "As a state-funded university, it represents the government, and, therefore, it has obligations under the Constitution to remain neutral toward religion and to not promote or advance religion over non-religion." |
| LSU post-game traffic plan 'success,' but some say wait until top SEC team, traffic roll in | |
| A new pedestrian buffer zone to prevent traffic on Nicholson Drive from passing in front of Tiger Stadium kicked into gear earlier than planned Saturday night when fans began leaving before halftime once LSU had run up a 35-0 lead on the Sam Houston State University Bearkats. Patrick McCarty, an LSU police officer, and several other officers started moving in barricades to block Nicholson at South Stadium Drive shortly before 9 p.m. after crowds already had been contending with Nicholson traffic. Baton Rouge and LSU police and LSU parking officials said Sunday that new pre- and postgame traffic and parking changes went well Saturday night, showing the concept works, though it may not have its sternest test until an SEC heavyweight hits Red Stick. |
| Michael Sam mocked on LSU fraternity's game-day banner Saturday, newspaper reports | |
| A game-day banner hung over the entrance of an LSU fraternity house Saturday mocked the NFL's first openly gay player, Michael Sam, according to The Daily Reveille. The message, penned in black ink on what appeared to be a white sheet at the Delta Kappa Epsilon house, was captured in photos by fans and posted on social media, LSU's student newspaper reported. The university asked the fraternity on Saturday to "remove the offensive banner," LSU Media Relations Director Ernie Ballard said in an email to NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune. The banner is down, but it's unclear when that happened. Ballard said it's his understanding that the fraternity did not respond to a message from the Greek Life office asking the fraternity to remove it. |
| Texas A&M officials report progress in gameday traffic stress test | |
 | Saturday's two-hour weather delay didn't favor Texas A&M or Lamar fans, but did help keep roads -- and police -- from being overwhelmed during the first home game of the season. Mother Nature wasn't the only factor that impacted the implementation of a traffic plan nine months in the making: A&M having a monster 31-3 lead at halftime prompted many in the record-breaking crowd to leave the stadium early and then sporadically through the last quarters, said Tim Lomax, a senior research engineer with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute. "We had a good practice -- we didn't fully stress the system," he said. "We have some things to work on." The game was the first time officers from University Police, College Station and other departments were able to use a new command center at Kyle Field. |
| Boosted AT&T signal at UGA's Sanford Stadium performing to high expectations | |
 | Georgia Bulldog fans not only experienced a new-and-improved football team against Clemson, but Bulldog fans who are AT&T customers also found it much easier to call, text and surf inside Sanford Stadium thanks to an expanded cell system on the premises. This past spring, AT&T installed a multi-million dollar distributive antenna system in Sanford Stadium in order to meet the demands of mobile communication device users on game day. And based on information shared by the company, 97 percent of all calls attempted by AT&T customers went through, and 98 percent of all attempts to access the Internet through mobile apps or any other means were successful. |
| Vanderbilt fan buys firederekmason.com | |
 | Vanderbilt fan Kevin Anderson of Cookeville bought the domain name firederekmason.com on Saturday and intends to turn it into a blog. Right now the site points to Vanderbilt's official athletic site -- vucommodores.com -- but that will change, Anderson said. "Hopefully it won't have to be up long," said Anderson, who bought the site name after Ole Miss' first touchdown in Vanderbilt's 41-3 loss. Anderson said he thinks the main issue is Mason, who was hired as Franklin's replacement in January after serving as the defensive coordinator at Stanford. The Commodores (0-2) have not scored an offensive touchdown and have been outscored 78-10. Anderson, who works in the department of annual giving at Tennessee Tech, said he hasn't been to either game this season. |
| So Much for the Big Ten: Nation's Oldest Major Conference Is Humbled on the Big Stage... Again | |
 | It's fair to say that this wasn't a banner weekend of college football for the Big Ten. In fact, it might be more accurately described as an abominable stretch of abject humiliation for the nation's oldest major collegiate conference. In the space of 12 hours on Saturday, the Big Ten saw its two highest-ranked teams stumble to late collapses, watched two more of its members meekly succumb to Mid-American Conference opponents and glumly looked on as Michigan, its all-time winningest program, was subjected to its first shutout loss since 1984. "There's no getting away from it," Michigan head coach Brady Hoke said after his team's 31-0 defeat to Notre Dame. "It was a total butt-kicking that we all took." |
| Despite ban, paid fantasy sports leagues still popular among NCAA athletes | |
| With the final draft day taking place this week, fantasy football fans are bracing for a new season -- and college athletes are no exception. More than 70 percent of National Collegiate Athletic Association athletes participate in fantasy leagues. The problem: Many of those athletes violate NCAA rules by doing so. Twenty percent of NCAA athletes admit to participating in fantasy sports leagues with entry fees and cash prizes, according to a survey conducted last year by the NCAA. Citing mental, health, and safety issues, the NCAA forbids sports gambling of all types. In 2013, the NCAA described the overall growth of sports wagering as "explosive." |
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