| Thursday, December 11, 2014 |
| Mississippi State, EMCC to start a new high school | |
 | A new public school will open in the Golden Triangle next fall, but it is not the school that has been in the news during recent months. Less than a week after Inspire Charter School's bid to open an elementary school in Columbus was rejected by the charter school authorizer board, organizers of a new high school started making their rounds to area school boards to introduce Early College High School. ECHS will be located on the Mayhew campus of East Mississippi Community College, where its inaugural ninth-grade class of no more that 50 students will begin classes in the fall of 2015 and participate in a program that, while new to Mississippi, has operated with great success in other states, most notably North Carolina, according to Myra Pannell, a senior research assistant at Mississippi State University's Research and Curriculum Unit. |
| Mississippi State, EMCC to start a new high school | |
 | A new school is planned for north Mississippi next fall for students who graduate in four years earning not only with a high school diploma but also a junior college associate degree. The project is a partnership among East Mississippi Community College, Mississippi State University and the Mississippi Department of Education. The Commercial Dispatch reports the Early College High School will be located at EMMC's Mayhew campus. |
| Mitt Romney to speak at Mississippi State Jan. 28 | |
 | Mississippi State will welcome former Governor of Massachusetts and presidential candidate Mitt Romney to campus Jan. 28, a university release said. Romney will be the featured speaker for the university's Global Lecture Series during the 6 p.m. free public lecture in Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium. A moderated question-and-answer session will follow Romney's address. Romney was the 2012 Republican nominee for president of the United States. He also was a leading candidate for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008. |
| Mitt Romney to speak at Mississippi State | |
 | Mississippi State University will welcome former Massachusetts governor and former presidential candidate Mitt Romney to campus on Jan. 28 to take part in its Global Lecture Series. Romney will be the featured speaker during the 6 p.m. free public lecture in Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium. For program entry, attendees must have tickets, available at the Center for Student Activities in MSU's Colvard Student Union, Suite 314, beginning Jan. 12 for students and Jan. 15 for the general public. |
| Former presidential hopeful heads to Mississippi State | |
 | Mississippi State University will welcome former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney to campus Jan. 28 to take part in the university's Global Lecture Series. Romney will be the featured speaker during the 6 p.m. free public lecture in Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium. MSU's Global Lecture Series is sponsored by the Student Association. Romney was the 2012 Republican nominee for president of the United States. |
| Mitt Romney to Speak Jan. 28 at Mississippi State | |
 | Mississippi State University will welcome former Governor of Massachusetts Mitt Romney to campus Jan. 28 to take part in the university's Global Lecture Series. Romney will be the featured speaker during the 6 p.m. free public lecture in Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium. A moderated question-and-answer session will follow Romney's address. For program entry, attendees must have tickets, available at the Center for Student Activities in MSU's Colvard Student Union, Suite 314, beginning Jan. 12 for students and Jan. 15 for the general public. MSU's Global Lecture Series is sponsored by the Student Association. |
| Roberson will run for newly created Mississippi House seat | |
| Former state Rep. Rob Roberson announced Tuesday he will seek Mississippi's District 43 House of Representatives seat in the 2015 election. Roberson, a Republican, represented District 37 about a decade ago and previously served as a Starkville alderman. As redrawn by the Legislature, District 43 includes portions of Oktibbeha -- the Adaton, Sturgis and Longview areas -- and Winston counties. Roberson's announcement is the first such for the district. Oktibbeha County Democratic Party Chairman Chris Taylor said he was unaware of any local Democrats that are expected to announce similar intentions. A Starkville High School and Mississippi State University graduate, Roberson went on to receive his law degree from Mississippi College's law school. |
| Starkville Police Department investigating theft of sanitation truck | |
| The Starkville Police Department is investigating the disappearance of a city sanitation vehicle that went missing from a city lot on Dec. 3. Up until its apparent theft, the 1998 Ford F-250 was utilized by Starkville Sanitation and Environmental Services landscaping crews. City officials said the truck is white and bears the city's traditional blue logo on its side. The truck, which workers previously used to distribute garbage bags, was last seen at a city lot on Dr. Douglas Connor Drive, north of Highway 182. |
| Moving target: Health officials still encouraging flu vaccine despite strain drift | |
| This year's flu shot isn't a perfect match, but it's still worth the stick, according to public health officials. "There is a benefit to decreasing the severity of the illness," said Dr. Thomas Dobbs, Mississippi state epidemiologist. Last week, the Centers for Disease control announced tests had determined the dominant flu virus circulating, an H3N2 virus, was different from the H3N2 strain used in the 2014-15 flu vaccine. The different strain didn't pop up until after flu vaccine production began. The flu season is gathering steam in the state. Right now, flu-like illness accounts for about 5 percent of visits to physicians in Mississippi's sentinel network. |
| MDA ranked No. 9 development agency; UM prof notes low-wage states on top for business friendliness | |
 | The Mississippi Development Authority is No. 9 in the first-ever rankings of state economic development organizations in the U.S. by the American Economic Development Institute and Pollina Corporate Real Estate Inc. Meantime, in the annual pro-business evaluation, the institute put Mississippi at No. 21, gaining an overall "B," including "A's" on incentives, for being a right-to-work state (not requiring union membership to gain a job), and for its low unemployment insurance and workers compensation rates. It got an "F" for high school and college completion. Dr. Jon Moen, chairman of the Economics Department at the University of Mississippi, said the weighting of indexes is problematical. He wondered why "all the low-wage states are on top for business friendliness." |
| Salesman-in-chief: Gov. Phil Bryant pitches state's success story | |
 | Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant touted Mississippi's success as an economic power and a job creator during a stop in Southaven Wednesday as part of his "Mississippi Works" tour across the state. Bryant spoke on the day when Mississippi celebrated "Statehood Day," its 197th anniversary. "Good things are happening in the state," Bryant said as he led a PowerPoint demonstration of Mississippi's top rankings in job-related growth and other categories. "I'm not a Pollyanna but when good things are happening you have to emphasize that." Bryant touted the fact that there are 120 aerospace industries in Mississippi. "They are testing the engines that will put man on Mars someday," Bryant said of aerospace engineering work at the Stennis Space Center. "I tell people that man may go to Mars someday but he will have to pass through Hancock County, Miss." |
| Robert Clark to receive honorary doctorate from Michigan State | |
| At its December graduation ceremonies, Michigan State University will honor former Speaker of the House Pro Tem Robert G. Clark Jr., who broke down the walls of race at the Mississippi Legislature. On Friday, the 86-year-old civil rights pioneer and one-time schoolteacher will receive an honorary doctorate of laws. David Sansing, professor emeritus of history at the University of Mississippi, credited Clark with playing a key role in bringing changes in the Magnolia State. "He brought a calming but decisive attitude toward race relations in Mississippi," he said. "He knew things weren't right, but he went about getting them right in the right way." Clark graduated from Jackson State University before getting his master's degree in administration and education services from Michigan State University. |
| Sen. Horhn ordered to install DUI ignition interlock | |
| Since Mississippi's law that allows judges to order breath-testing devices placed into DUI offenders' vehicles became mandatory Oct. 1, more than 200 offenders have had the device installed on their vehicles. On Monday, state Sen. John Horhn of Jackson was ordered by a Jackson Municipal Court judge to get an ignition interlock device for his vehicle after his no contest plea to DUI. Mississippi Department of Public Safety spokesman Warren Strain said that as of the end of November, 211 people have had the device installed on their vehicles. |
| Women's Work Is Never Done On The Farm, And Sometimes Never Counted | |
 | The average American farmer is a white man in his late 50s. Or at least, that's who's in charge of the farm, according to new data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. But the number of female-run farms has tripled since the 1970s, to nearly 14 percent in 2012. And if you dig a little deeper, you'll find women are showing up in new roles. But because of the way farm businesses are structured, women's work often isn't included in those USDA counts. "Women have always worked in agriculture, historically. I think a key issue is whether or not it's counted," says Julie Zimmerman, a rural sociologist at the University of Kentucky who studies how women's roles on the farm have changed over time. |
| Moffitt Health Center set to open at U. of Southern Mississippi in spring | |
 | When a pesky cold got the best of Ginny Kaminski a few weeks ago, the University of Southern Mississippi freshman trekked across campus to the health clinic for treatment. Come next spring, the Century Park North resident only needs to cross West Fourth Street and make a quick left turn to be at the new Moffitt Health Center. Set to open in March, the new state-of-the-art health center will be housed on the bottom floor of Scott Hall and be part of the Century Park South residential complex. It will replace the Beedie Smith Health Clinic, which opened on campus in 1962. "We'll be very close to about 1,500 students who live in the Century Park North and South residence halls," said Dr. Virginia Crawford, the health center's medical director. |
| USM's NCS4 to host spectator sports safety summit | |
| Organizers, government, law enforcement, first responders and other officials will gather next week at the University of Southern Mississippi to develop best practices to keep participants and spectators safe during marathons. Set for Dec. 16-18 at the Trent Lott Center, the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security will host the inaugural National Marathon Safety and Security Summit. The event resulted from NCS4 Advisory Board feedback on current safety and security issues facing marathon events in the aftermath of the April 2013 Boston Marathon bombings. |
| Campus action referral and evaluation system now available on USM Gulf Park campus | |
 | In an effort to promote a healthy lifestyle and contribute to safe and secure campuses at the University of Southern Mississippi, the Gulf Park campus is now using CARES, the Campus Action Referral and Evaluation System, to report critical incidents at the university. "The goal of the CARES team is to promote a safe environment for all students, faculty and staff focused on student learning and student development," said Christy Elias, director of Student Affairs on the Southern Miss Gulf Park campus. |
| Delta State prepares for graduation | |
 | Delta State University will celebrate the 2014 Fall Commencement ceremony at 10 a.m. Saturday inside Walter Sillers Coliseum. The institution, friends and family will unite to recognize the accomplishments of over 390 graduates. Special to this year's celebration is the first group of graduates from the Doctor of Nursing Practice Program in the Robert E. Smith School of Nursing. The keynote speaker for the commencement address is Dr. Mary Lenn Buchanan, professor emeritus of music at Delta State. Her career in the department spanned 25 years. Former Mississippi Governor William Winter will be awarded with an honorary doctoral degree for his contributions to the university and higher education. Winter's ties to Delta State and President William N. LaForge run deep, as he was the inaugural speaker for the Colloquia Distinguished Speakers Lecture Series in 2013. |
| Study reveals new details, shows TOPS free Louisiana college tuition goes mostly to white students | |
| Awards from Louisiana's free college tuition program known as TOPS have gone disproportionately to white students over the last decade, and on average to students from wealthier families. Those are among details included in a new report being released Wednesday to the Board of Regents that provides the first in-depth look at the demographics and household incomes of recipients in the tuition aid program, which is among the most generous in the nation. Lawmakers sought the more detailed information in a bill by Sen. Dale Erdey, R-Livingston, as they worry about the skyrocketing price tag of the program, which costs $250 million in the current budget year and is projected to grow only more expensive. |
| U. of Florida study: FluMist program in schools cuts influenza rates | |
 | The local FluMist program to vaccinate schoolchildren in prekindergarten through 12th grades has cut down on influenza rates among both those students and other age groups in Alachua County. That's the finding of a University of Florida study just published in the journal PLOS One. UF researchers said flu prevention efforts often target schoolchildren because they typically stay sick with the flu longer, shed more of the virus because of imperfect hygiene and can spread the flu more widely than adults because they usually come into contact with more people each day. |
| Team puts in long hours for Texas A&M graduation ceremonies | |
 | Before Texas A&M Interim President Dr. Mark Hussey can place a diploma in the hands of one of the 3,400 graduates and undergraduates expected to take part in fall commencement ceremonies next Friday at Reed Arena, the registrar's office must pull off a logistical feat that not many universities are willing to attempt. University Registrar Vanessa Heidick and a team of more than two dozen workers and volunteers work diligently from the beginning of the semester until the last graduate walks across the stage, often working after midnight in the days before ceremonies, to make sure the operation runs smoothly. Heidick said the late night meetings leading up to the event are a labor of love. "This is a special day for a lot of people," Heidick said. |
| U. of Missouri study shows high-protein breakfast curbs hunger | |
 | Heather Leidy is often her own guinea pig. When she hears about a popular diet, she will prepare it at home to see if it's worth testing in the lab. An assistant professor in nutrition and exercise physiology at MU, Leidy searches for realistic solutions to America's obesity problem. She has designed several short-term protein studies, many looking at the role of breakfast in curbing hunger throughout the day. In one, for example, she studied whether the breakfast habits of teenage girls caused them to snack later. For her research in protein consumption, Leidy was awarded MU's Spurgeon Distinguished Medical Research Award. The award goes to an MU School of Medicine faculty member at an early career stage whose research makes a significant contribution to the profession. |
| College employees better prepared for retirement than general population | |
 | The economic downturn appears to have pushed back the timeframe for many higher education employees to retire -- but when they ultimately do, they will be better prepared financially and otherwise than other Americans, a new survey suggests. The survey, by the pension giant TIAA-CREF, asked a group of higher education professionals a set of questions about their retirement plans and preparation, and compared those findings with a similar survey of all Americans. Academic employees are likelier than other Americans to plan to work past the age of 65 -- 40 percent of campus workers said they plan to retire by 65, compared to 46 percent of all U.S. workers. And a full 25 percent of academics said they expected to retire at 69 or over, compared to 17 percent of other workers. |
| Resign or Reform? Fraternity Members Respond to an Unflattering Spotlight | |
 | A string of highly publicized sexual-assault allegations involving fraternities have led at least a few current and former members to renounce their memberships in Greek organizations. "As a parent, as a husband, as a son, as a brother, it would be a real disservice to those who I love and respect not to resign," said Gregory Britton, editorial director of the books division at the Johns Hopkins University Press and a former member of Phi Kappa Psi, quoting from a statement he posted to his Facebook page. Others, though, believe the Greek system has the potential to bring about change, and are trying to reform it from within. |
| Veterinary school accreditor comes under fire | |
| As the accrediting agency for U.S. veterinary schools prepares to face its government oversight committee today, it's fighting off hundreds of comments from veterinarians critical of its standards and policies, including its approval of veterinary schools that lack traditional teaching hospitals or are located overseas. U.S. Department of Education staff are recommending that the American Veterinary Medical Association's Council on Education (the COE) be granted just six months to a year to come into compliance with various federal standards for the recognition of accreditors. The recommendation comes after the department received more than 800 comments critical of the veterinary accreditor and just 98 comments in support. |
| Spending Bill Would Fund Preschool Grants, But Not Race to Top | |
 | Congress unveiled its long-awaited spending bill Tuesday evening, which would fund most of the government, including the U.S. Department of Education and federally funded education programs, through September 2015. The bill would hold education funding largely steady, but would include some increases for early childhood programs. Other core education programs would be level-funded or slated for small hikes. But a few education programs would take a notable whack, including Race to the Top, one of the Obama administration's signature competitive grants, which appropriators sought to scrap completely. The bill also includes $840 million, an increase of $1.5 million, for TRIO, a slate of programs that help disadvantaged students access college. |
| OUR OPINION: Budget proposal falls short for education | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal editorializes: "The Joint Legislative Budget Committee, as many supporters of public education anticipated, again failed in its recommendations for 2016 to make significant progress in fully funding the Mississippi Adequate Education Program formula, the bedrock minimum needed for school districts to provide an adequate education. ...Public schools K-12 aren't the only education funds reduced in the proposal: General support for the eight public universities would be slashed 4.6 percent. Community college support would be cut 1.4 percent. ...Education decisions cannot be made in a partisan vacuum as produced in the budget proposal. Public education, as the governor has so recently said, is a people's issue, but not in a narrow partisan context." |
| SID SALTER (OPINION): Great to see high school heroes on Jumbotron | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: "Mississippi State University's Davis Wade Stadium was the site of the 2014 MHSAA state football championships this year. The event moves to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium at Ole Miss next season. The move from Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson is one that has drawn broad debate, but it was great to see young people playing for championships in a modern stadium with all the electronic bells and whistles, including massive video boards. ...When the games are over, Mississippi high school football champions remain on the field spent, triumphant and victorious along with their teammates, coaches, managers and fans -- for one day, the best of the best. ...And they carried with them the hopes and dreams of an entire community and the pride of all who knew them." |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State puts five on All-SEC coaches team | |
| One day after five members of Mississippi State's Orange Bowl-bound football team raked in All-Southeastern Conference honors from The Associated Press, the same five collected more accolades, this time from the league's coaches. This time, the order was different. MSU placed three players on the coaches' All-SEC First Team, led by junior quarterback Dak Prescott, who also earned first-team recognition from AP voters. Linebacker Benardrick McKinney and defensive end Preston Smith joined him on the first team. The AP named McKinney and Smith were named second-team All-SEC. Prescott, McKinney, and Smith gave MSU three first-teamers in the coaches' vote for the first time since 1994. |
| Mississippi State boasts more experience, productivity at wide receiver | |
| One group got better and better as the season progressed, turning into one of the best units on Mississippi State's 10-2 team that's bound for the Orange Bowl. The other group is basically starting from scratch after losing its best player to a late-season knee injury. That's the basic difference between the wide receiver units possessed by bowl opponents MSU and Georgia Tech, as the gap between production of the receivers on each team is as wide as any gap in the Dec. 31 matchup. Much of that gap is caused by the surge made by MSU's receivers this season, led by sophomores De'Runnya Wilson and Fred Ross, the Bulldogs' top two pass-catchers in 2014. |
| Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen happy to be back in South Florida for Orange Bowl | |
 | The last time Dan Mullen coached at Sun Life Stadium he had two jobs -- offensive coordinator for the national championship Florida Gators and new head coach at Mississippi State. On Wednesday, the 42-year-old Mullen was more than happy to be back in South Florida preparing to coach his seventh-ranked Bulldogs (10-2) in the New Year's Eve Capital One Orange Bowl. In six years, Mullen has turned Mississippi State from a bottom-dweller in the Southeastern Conference to the top-ranked team in the country until a few weeks ago. The Bulldogs, early seven-point favorites for the Dec.31 game, have the biggest star on either team on their side -- quarterback Dak Prescott. |
| Mississippi State, Georgia Tech a pair of Orange Bowl vets | |
| Mississippi State and Georgia Tech are no strangers to the Orange Bowl, and neither are the teams' coaches. The teams have combined to play in eight Orange Bowls, though this will be Mississippi State's first appearance since 1941 when the eighth-ranked Bulldogs (10-2) square off against the No. 10 Yellow Jackets (10-3) at Sun Life Stadium on New Year's Eve. "They actually just found the trophy from '41 the other day, and we have it all cleaned up and out on display now," said Mississippi State coach Mullen, who also is a veteran of two Orange Bowl games. |
| Mississippi State, Orange Bowl working on cowbell compromise | |
| South Beach, palm trees and cowbells. It sounds like a perfect scene for Mississippi State fans for the Bulldogs' trip to the Orange Bowl. There hasn't been an official announcement regarding one of MSU's most prized traditions. Mississippi State and the Orange Bowl continue to discuss plans that would allow for fans to bring cowbells to Sun Life Stadium. "We don't yet have an official answer on cowbells inside the Orange Bowl, but we are working with stadium officials and are optimistic that an agreement can be reached," MSU athletic director Scott Stricklin said in his weekly "Bulldog Update." |
| Orange Bowl: Georgia Tech's rushing numbers staggering | |
| The numbers are staggering. Year after year, game after game, the Georgia Tech football team's triple option puts up eye-popping statistics. It has been the driving force behind the Yellow Jackets' surge under coach Paul Johnson that has the team's in its second Orange Bowl in the past four years. This year, that running game has been better than ever. With a multi-faceted attack that features eight players with more than 200 yards, the Yellow Jackets finished No. 2 in the country in rushing yards, and topped the 300-yard mark as a team in eight of 13 games. No. 8 Mississippi State (10-2) will have to contend with that ground assault at 7 p.m. Dec. 31, when it takes on Georgia Tech (10-3). |
| No. 22 Bulldogs look to maintain impressive start | |
| Vic Schaefer knew his Mississippi State team was going to be special after returning home undefeated from a European tour over the summer. The Bulldogs have lived up to those expectations by getting off to an 8-0 start and are ranked 22nd in the country by the AP. MSU has already won the Preseason WNIT, including a 13-point win over then 16th-ranked West Virginia. Mississippi State will put its flawless record on the line hosting Louisiana Tech tonight at 7 p.m. |
| James leads Bulldogs against Louisiana Tech | |
| Jerica James learned accountability as a sophomore. If she or point guard mate Katia May turned the ball over in practice, first-year Mississippi State women's basketball coach Vic Schaefer sent them off to scale "Mount Schaefer," also known as the steps inside Humphrey Coliseum. James' education continued last season as she and May played integral roles in helping MSU return to the postseason after a three-year absence. The Bulldogs accomplished that feat thanks in part to May's ability to go from a -31 differential in assists to turnovers to a +66 differential. James did her part, too, going from a -9 as a sophomore to a +37. A year later, James is learning how to "value" the basketball even more as a senior. Her success through eight games is one reason why MSU is undefeated and has climbed to No. 22 in this week's The Associated Press rankings. |
| Mississippi State coach Rick Ray sees gem in Travis Daniels | |
| Mississippi State doesn't want Travis Daniels to forget. His teammates tell him to shoot more in practice. While watching film, coaches point out where passes should have been jumpers. Even last weekend against Tulane, Daniels remembers players begging him to shoot more. There's a reason MSU coach Rick Ray and the rest of the Bulldogs plead with Daniels to be aggressive. The 6-foot-8 forward has started all seven games for Mississippi State this season. He's attempted double-digit shots twice. He's led the team in scoring in both games. "We want him to continue to be aggressive," Ray said earlier this season. "In order for us to be a good basketball team, he's going to have to be a guy that ends up being a scoring option for us." |
| Donnie Tyndall's contract shows NCAA violations at Southern Miss could hurt him at Tennessee | |
 | Tennessee basketball coach Donnie Tyndall could be fired for cause if he misrepresented to UT what he knew about potential NCAA wrongdoing in his former program. The first-year Vols coach might face the same fate if an ongoing NCAA review into Southern Miss basketball links him to significant violations. These scenarios, along with other punishments Tyndall could face depending on the review's outcome and UT's subsequent response, are outlined in the coach's employment agreement. The stipulations in the agreement are consistent with contracts Tennessee has with other coaches. |
| Did UAB president Ray Watts undervalue the potential economic impact of football on the university? | |
 | UAB supporters and industry experts are still debating the rationale behind UAB's decision to kill its football program more than a week after the announcement. While supporters have blamed the University of Alabama System Board of Trustees, the school has been steadfast that it was a financial decision. Empowered by a CarrSports Consulting campus-wide review, UAB president Dr. Ray Watts decided the numbers didn't make sense for the school to keep football. But proponents of the college athletics model believe UAB might have undervalued the positive economic impact of a football program. When it comes to exposure in southern states like Alabama, a big football win trumps all. Earlier this year when Mississippi State was the nation's top-ranked team in October and focus of national media attention, athletic director Scott Stricklin said "You can't buy that kind of exposure because they don't sell it." |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
