| Monday, January 5, 2015 |
| Mitt Romney to speak at Mississippi State on Jan. 28 | |
 | Former Republican president candidate Mitt Romney is scheduled to speak Jan. 28 at Mississippi State University as part of the school's Global Lecture Series. Romney, the former governor of Massachusetts, will be the featured speaker during the 6 p.m. event in Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium on the Starkville campus. |
| MSU-Meridian student, working mom earns 'hero' status in family | |
 | At 37, Casey May is the benefits analyst manager at Anderson Regional Medical Center and a mother of five in a blended family with husband Danny. In August she added part-time student at Mississippi State University-Meridian to the mix. She had been working for Meridian's Meyer & Rosenbaum Insurance Agency for three years when company president Bruce Martin invited her to attend Morning Coffee, an East Mississippi Business Development Corp. program held downtown at the Riley Campus of MSU-Meridian. Martin, a 1977 MSU insurance graduate, is a well-known advocate for education, as well as a die-hard Bulldog fan. |
| Mitchell Family Creates Engineering Scholarships at Mississippi State | |
 | New scholarships established by Gulfport residents Bill and Angela Mitchell are benefiting majors in Mississippi State's James Worth Bagley College of Engineering. The couple recently established the Mitchell Family Scholarships to honor Bill, son Adam and daughter Laura, all engineering alumni of the university. Bill and Adam received civil engineering degrees in 1975 and 2007, respectively, while Laura is a 2013 biological/biomedical engineering graduate. The scholarships specifically benefit students of good academic standing who are pursuing degrees held by Mitchell family members --- civil and environmental engineering, and agricultural and biological engineering. |
| Fulton considers new signs to point out landmarks | |
| Fulton city and community leaders are considering new signs to direct visitors from one point of interest to another around town. The Itawamba County Times reports that the Fulton Community Volunteers recently brought in a man who helped create and design such "wayfinder" signs in Starkville. Jeremy Murdock of Mississippi State University's Stennis Institute told the community-interest group that the signs have helped bring university visitors into the rest of Starkville. |
| Mississippi State Art Gallery to Host Rendon Foundation Competition, Show | |
| Starkville's Del Rendon Foundation is inviting submissions to a 2015 art competition designed to continue "The Dead Entertainers" series the late artist created. Mississippi State's Center for Student Activities is accepting the submissions through Feb 13. Completed by Rendon in the late 1990s, the four original "Dead Entertainers" pieces were commissioned to hang in downtown Starkville's State Theater. Eventually, they were relocated to the Dark Horse Tavern and, after Rendon's death, to a private residence. Through the annual competition, the foundation seeks to continue the series with additional interpretations of other late entertainers of note. While scholarship fund-raising is essential, organization officials say the competition's ultimate goal is to inspire the creation of art. |
| State agriculture values set to top $7B for third year | |
| The overall projected totals for Mississippi's crop values should top $7 billion for the third straight year, experts say, despite low prices for some goods. John Michael Riley, agricultural economist with the Mississippi State University Extension Service, said his preliminary estimate of 2014 is over $7.7 billion. Final figures will be available in May. "The row crops sector of the agricultural economy took a bit of hit, but there were pockets of that sector that saw improvements, such as cotton and rice," Riley said. "On the bright side, the livestock sector is doing well with all three segments -- beef cattle, dairy cattle and hogs -- showing double-digit improvements, percentagewise, from the previous year." |
| Petitioners launch campaign to force school bond to ballot | |
 | A number of Oktibbeha County residents are gathering signatures in an effort to force a potential $13.2 million-maximum school bond to a voter referendum this year. Public agitation has grown since Oktibbeha County School District filed legal announcements this month stating its intention to take on debt in lieu of construction needs associated with 2015's state-mandated consolidation with Starkville School District. If approved, the bonds are expected to at least finance the construction of a grades 6-7 demonstration school at Mississippi State University and could possibly assist the planned joint school district-university pre-kindergarten initiative. But a tax increase could have a serious impact on county homeowners since only residents within OCSD's territory -- not those who live in Starkville and SSD's extended area -- would shoulder the debt service's burden. |
| Usage proposal expected for old drug court building | |
| Oktibbeha County supervisors are expected to hear a private proposal for a resident to utilize the county's old drug court facility, but an outright sale or long-term lease is doubtful as officials have eyed using the building to help ease governmental capacity needs. Few details were available on the proposal Friday as government officials were given the day off by Gov. Phil Bryant, but the county's agenda shows a line item for the discussion on the building, located at 100 Felix Long Drive in Starkville, at the board's 9 a.m. Monday meeting at the county courthouse. County Administrator Emily Garrard confirmed there is no formal offer on the table for the building, and board President Orlando Trainer said he and other supervisors will hear the proposal's details for the first time Monday. |
| Plair joins Dispatch news team | |
| Zack Plair has joined The Commercial Dispatch staff as a news reporter, general manager Peter Imes has announced. Plair comes to The Dispatch from the Starkville Daily News, where he served as editor for roughly two years. Plair, 31, is an Arkansas native. He studied journalism at Arkansas State University in Jonesboro. "Zack's ties to the area and his experience at both weekly and daily newspapers are going to significantly strengthen our news-gathering efforts," said Dispatch general manager Peter Imes. |
| Cold rush: 'Dangerous' arctic air roaring into U.S. | |
 | The coldest weather of the season is barreling into the U.S. this week with a series of "dangerously cold" arctic air masses. The blasts of cold air will send temperatures 10-35 degrees below average for early January, Weather Channel meteorologist Roy Lucksinger said. The pattern is classic for winter, bringing frigid arctic air to nearly everyone east of the Rockies, National Weather Service meteorologist Paul Kocin said. The chilly weather will rival last year's January arctic outbreak that introduced the phrase "polar vortex" to America, he said. Wind chills could drop into the single digits and below zero in the Southeast on Wednesday, according to the Weather Channel. |
| Pair of solar energy projects planned in Mississippi | |
 | A pair of solar energy projects planned for Mississippi could help determine whether electricity derived from the sun's rays becomes a more commonplace power source in the state. The state Public Service Commission recently approved a plan from Entergy Mississippi to install sets of solar panels at to-be-determined sites in Hinds, Lincoln and Tate counties as part of a pilot program in which the utility will study the advantages and drawbacks of solar electricity. Phoenix Solar, a San Ramon, California, company, has won regulatory approval to build Commodore Solar Farm near Okolona in Chickasaw County. Each initiative could raise the profile of solar energy in Mississippi. |
| MDA's Christensen forecasts economic growth momentum continuing in 2015 | |
 | Mississippi Development Authority Executive Director Brent Christensen foresees 2015 being a year when the state builds upon the strengthening economic activity of both the state and the nation in the past year. "As the national economy continues to rebound and strengthen, that momentum will continue to carry over," Christensen said. MDA expects the state to reap the rewards of several large projects that begin production in 2015. One if the Yokohama Tire Corporation commercial truck tire plant in West Point, representing a $300 million investment that is expected to create 500 jobs in its initial phase. The MDA has targeted seven industries in the state for growth: advanced manufacturing, aerospace, agribusiness, automotive, energy, healthcare and shipbuilding sectors. |
| Analysis: Education, taxes among top Mississippi issues | |
| Mississippi's three-month legislative session begins at noon Tuesday. The governor, lieutenant governor and most of the 174 lawmakers are seeking re-election this year, and there will be plenty of jostling for attention as they tackle issues affecting the future of the state. |
| Legislature faces possible high-profile issues | |
 | The 2015 session of the Mississippi Legislature, which starts Tuesday, will not be lacking for high-profile issues that could cause conflict and hard feelings this election year. Right off the bat, the issue of whether the legislative leadership -- Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and House Speaker Philip Gunn -- will try to push through an alternative to the education funding initiative for the November ballot, will take center stage. Groups who worked last year to garner the more than 100,000 signatures of registered voters needed to place the education funding initiative on the ballot say, if the Legislature passes an alternative to also place on the ballot, it will only cause confusion. |
| Mississippi Legislature: Chairmen expect 'very busy session' | |
| The Mississippi Legislature convenes Tuesday for its regular 2015 session, but most committee chairmen have already been working for weeks or months in preparation. Much of the heavy lifting in crafting, vetting -- and killing -- state legislation takes place in committees, the first stop for most bills. Committee chairmen and members gain expertise in their particular fields and can focus closely on particular legislation before it goes to the House or Senate at-large. "A lot of people say this is going to be a quiet year because it's an election year," said House Judiciary A Chairman Mark Baker, R-Brandon. "But it's really not. It's going to be a very busy session. We have a lot to do." |
| Q&A with Phil Bryant: Mississippi governor discusses 2015 agenda in AP interview | |
| Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant says he's proposing a "Taxpayer Works Agenda" for the 2015 legislative session, including an income-tax cut for people with low to moderate earnings, a boost in tourism advertising, scholarships for community college students and a pay raise for Highway Patrol troopers. Bryant, a Republican, is seeking a second term in 2015. He sat down with The Associated Press last week for an interview about the three-month session, which begins Tuesday. |
| Giles Ward, R-Louisville, in line to become Mississippi Senate president pro tem | |
| Republican Giles Ward of Louisville is in line to become the second-highest leader of the Mississippi Senate. Ward has a majority of votes in the 52-member chamber to become president pro tempore, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves' spokeswoman Laura Hipp told The Associated Press on Saturday. "Giles has the respect of his colleagues in the Senate because they know he has the true heart of a public servant," Reeves said in a statement. "Giles is passionate about creating smart agriculture and forestry policies, protecting Mississippians' Second Amendment rights and creating good-paying jobs across this state." |
| 2015 legislative agendas will garner debate | |
| Election-year sessions of the Mississippi Legislature are typically mundane, with lawmakers shying away from controversial issues and policies. But the 2015 session, which starts Tuesday, appears on course to break with that tradition. The state's top GOP leaders are pushing a tax cut, education funding and policy changes, reform of the state's contracting system in light of a prisons bribery scandal and other measures sure to engender debate. Legislative Democratic leaders say their agenda differs, and, although in a minority, they plan to have their issues heard. House Democratic Leader Bobby Moak, D-Bogue Chitto, said legislative Democrats' agenda differs from the GOP leadership, focusing on education and health care. |
| Education to be central in 2015 session | |
| Education, as it often is, will be one of the most dominant issues during the 2015 legislative session, which gets underway Jan. 6. As usual, much of the attention will center around education funding. But there will be other significant issues debated during the 90-day 2015 session. Two of the biggest issues will be whether to change the Common Core academic standards the state Board of Education has been enacting since 2010 and whether to place on the November election ballot an alternative to the citizen-sponsored initiative that is designed to eventually lead to full funding of education. The issue of Common Core came to the forefront in early December when Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves said he believed the Common Core academic standards had been "hijacked" by the federal government in an effort to control education at the state level. |
| Snowden, Young address legislative priorities | |
| Mississippi House Speaker Pro Tempore Greg Snowden (R) Meridian, said Friday a strong surge in revenues has the state budget up by $50 million at the end of December. Snowden said he looked at the numbers as the calendar year of 2014 ended from figures posted by the Mississippi Legislative Budget Office. The December figures, however, represent just the first half of the state's fiscal year 2015 budget. Snowden said one reason why the state is enjoying its success was the financial discipline the Legislature showed in its 2014 term that ended last April. The 2015 Mississippi Legislature session begins Tuesday in Jackson. Education will be one of the key areas to tackle again when the Legislature convenes. |
| Consultant steers $6.3M MDE contract to former employer | |
| A paid consultant for the Mississippi Department of Education steered a $6.3 million contract to his former employer after signing a conflict-of-interest form denying past ties to the firm, according to records obtained by The Clarion-Ledger. The five-year deal with New Hampshire-based Measured Progress, which expires June 30, violated no state ethics or contract laws. Yet it raises new questions amid heightened scrutiny of government contract practices triggered by the recent indictment of former Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps. Lawmakers since then have called for more oversight, particularly of no-bid agreements. But the MDE deal shows a potential for unfairness -- and possibly abuse -- with competitive contracts, too. |
| New Senate majority leader's main goal for GOP: Don't be scary | |
 | Mitch McConnell has an unusual admonition for the new Republican majority as it takes over the Senate this week: Don't be "scary." The incoming Senate majority leader has set a political goal for the next two years of overseeing a functioning, reasonable majority on Capitol Hill that scores some measured conservative wins, particularly against environmental regulations, but probably not big victories such as a full repeal of the health-care law. McConnell's priority is to set the stage for a potential GOP presidential victory in 2016. Now in charge at both ends of the Capitol, Republicans aim to avoid the worst excesses of the past four years and make sure the public isn't fearful of the GOP's course. |
| New Senate chairmen aim to undo Obama's policies | |
| Republican senators poised to lead major committees when the GOP takes charge are intent on pushing back many of President Barack Obama's policies, setting up potential showdowns over environmental rules, financial regulations and national security. The all-GOP Congress -- Republicans also have a commanding majority in the House -- gives the powerful Senate committee heads a newfound opportunity to steer legislation and help shape the national debate. The gavel of the powerful Appropriations panel responsible for drafting approximately one-third of the federal budget will return to Mississippi's Thad Cochran, who turned 77 in December and was just re-elected to a seventh term. Cochran was in charge during the last two years of the previous GOP majority and was a driving force behind more than $100 billion in funding to help Gulf Coast states recover from Hurricane Katrina. He was also a big practitioner of earmarks, those home-state goodies such as highway projects, economic development grants and university research dollars. |
| Republican decries GOP double standard | |
 | Former Mississippi Senate candidate Chris McDaniel (R) last week accused Republican leaders of enforcing a double standard in their response to the revelation that House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) spoke to a white supremacist group in 2002. McDaniel was the target of attacks from the National Republican Senatorial Committee and some in the state GOP who said he should withdraw from the race because he had booked a speaking engagement at a conservative rally alongside a white nationalist. McDaniel ultimately withdrew from the rally. On Tuesday, McDaniel told CNN that Republicans are backing Scalise because he's in a position of power and that the party tried to dump him for a lesser sin because he posed a threat to the establishment. |
| Archaeologists find possible site of Jesus's trial in Jerusalem | |
| It started 15 years ago with plans to expand the Tower of David Museum. But the story took a strange turn when archaeologists started peeling away layers under the floor in an old abandoned building adjacent to the museum in Jerusalem's Old City. They knew it had been used as a prison when the Ottoman Turks and then the British ruled these parts. But, as they carefully dug down, they eventually uncovered something extraordinary: the suspected remains of the palace where one of the more famous scenes of the New Testament may have taken place -- the trial of Jesus. Now, after years of excavation and a further delay caused by wars and a lack of funds, the archaeologists' precious find is being shown to the public through tours organized by the museum. |
| Ole Miss law school softens blow from declining enrollment | |
 | The University of Mississippi College of Law -- like many law schools -- is finding ways to deal with enrollment that, nationally, has sunk to record lows. But unlike many others, the law school took steps years ago to stay ahead of the curve and has so far avoided the faculty layoffs and early retirement incentives others colleges have had to turn to, said Dean Richard Gershon. First-year enrollment has dropped from 199 in 2010, to 156 in 2012 and just 127 students this year. That mirrors the national trend. At the University of Mississippi, though, that decrease was intentional. Officials there decided to begin reducing their class sizes at a time when a recovering economy and improving job market began to lure potential students away from law school. |
| U. of Georgia dorms full as spring semester classes begin | |
 | University of Georgia residence halls are full up as students return to Athens for the beginning of spring semester classes today. As of Friday, when UGA dorms opened up, the university's housing stock was about 99 percent full, said Stan Jackson, a spokesman for the university's Division of Student Affairs, which includes the university's housing operation. The university lists its housing capacity at 7,618 beds in residence halls and 580 more for graduate students and their families in 42 on-campus residence halls and apartment buildings. "We do have some students in supplemental housing," spaces converted from other uses to serve as temporary housing, Jackson said. |
| UGA, Georgia Power plan solar farm on South Milledge Avenue | |
| The University of Georgia may soon have its own small solar farm, with a generating capacity of about 1 megawatt of electric power -- enough to power around 125 homes at any given time, according to industry estimates. The solar equipment would belong to Georgia Power, according to a proposal to be voted on by the state Board of Regents at their monthly meeting Tuesday. UGA officials propose to lease seven to 10 acres on South Milledge Avenue to the power company for the solar farm. The university isn't using the land for anything at this time and doesn't have any immediate plans for it, said UGA Vice President for Research David Lee. The farm would benefit UGA researchers and students in engineering and agriculture, Lee said, bringing research and learning opportunities in solar power and how electricity is distributed through the power grid. |
| New Louisiana higher ed commissioner has diverse background, starts Monday | |
 | Joe Rallo has been a Navy intelligence officer, an Air Force colonel, an adviser on European Union-United States relations, and a college professor and administrator. He has degrees in international relations and Russian history as well as a law degree, and he speaks French and Italian. This week, the New York native is taking on his latest role: Louisiana higher education commissioner, a position that will have him overseeing the systems that lead the state's two-year and four-year colleges and universities. Rallo, 65, says this is where he wants to be in life -- a natural progression of the experience he has built through a complex background. One of the biggest issues he'll face in Louisiana will be state funding for universities and colleges. Higher education has faced drastic budget cuts in recent years -- among the steepest in the nation. |
| U. of Florida plans to make honors program even tougher | |
 | Mark Law wants to take his students higher. The new director of the honors program at the University of Florida plans to make it a beacon to draw high school seniors away from higher-ranked institutions like Princeton, Duke and Vanderbilt universities. "I want to compete for their students," he said. And he wants the students who enroll here to be in a more competitive position for prestigious Rhodes, Marshall, Goldwater and Fulbright scholarships. After 26 years as a professor, department chair and associate dean in the College of Engineering, Law was appointed in August to run the honors program. He spent the first four months getting his "feet on the ground" and now feels ready to start implementing his ideas. |
| Jeff Amerine Leaves U. of Arkansas Commercialization Post to Focus on Private Firm | |
 | Innovate Arkansas adviser Jeff Amerine has left his position as director of Technology Ventures at the University of Arkansas, according to a report in the Northwest Arkansas Business Journal. Considered one of the state's startup gurus, Amerine will continue to teach entrepreneurship classes at the UA's Walton College of Business, and will now devote more time to Startup Junkie Consulting of Fayetteville, which he founded in 2008 and plans to grow regionally. In addition to his role at Startup Junkie, as adviser to Innovate Arkansas and mentor for the ARK Challenge startup accelerator, Amerine is a managing member and investor in Gravity Ventures Arkansas, which operates two seed capital funds in the state that have invested in 18 startup ventures. |
| New virtual U. of Kentucky tours reach prospective students who can't visit in person | |
 | Cassidy Teager can take prospective students on University of Kentucky tours at any time, whether the visitors are in town or not. With just a click of the "walking tour" button at Seeblue.com/#3, Teager will virtually walk anyone through the UK campus, giving plenty of details about every stop. In Teager's tour, the sun is always shining, green leaves hang from lush trees, and UK's landscape sparkles with flowers. It's a new weapon in the competitive world of student recruitment, a way for students who can't make a visit to campus to see UK at its best. UK spokesman Jay Blanton said the virtual tours -- one of the campus and one of new residence halls -- cost about $18,000 annually. The money comes from the marketing budget. |
| Keeping up 'the crown jewel': U. of South Carolina's Horseshoe, landscapers honored for contribution to city | |
 | When students return to classes at the University of South Carolina in a few days, so will the pops of color of scarves and coats and thousands of feet crunching over fallen leaves on the Horseshoe. And in a couple months, flowers and flying discs will take their places on the expansive lawn that welcomes students and visitors to the heart of USC. No matter the season, the Horseshoe is arguably the most popular place on the campus of South Carolina's flagship university. Columbia's Tree and Appearance Commission and Columbia Green recently recognized the Horseshoe and its caretakers for special achievement in contributing to the city's appearance and quality of life. |
| 12-person committee looking for Texas A&M's next first lady | |
 | As her May retirement date draws closer, Texas A&M University mascot Reveille VIII is taking advantage of winter break to relax while a 12-person committee searches for her replacement. Shortly after the university announced the First Lady of Aggieland's retirement date in September, a life-saving block by her handler Ryan Kreider on the sidelines against SMU thrust her into a media spotlight that followed her all the way to her final home football game against LSU on Thanksgiving. According to Kreider, the 8-year-old collie seems ready to pass the leash on to Reveille IX after seven years of service to the school. As soon as class is back in session, the committee, which includes students, administrators and veterinarians, will intensify its search that has already been narrowed down to 10 applicants selected from rescue shelters and breeders from Texas, Minnesota and Ohio, according to Tom Reber, search committee chair and vice president of Student Life. |
| 5 Things Colleges Can Expect From Congress in 2015 | |
 | When the 114th Congress convenes, on Tuesday, Republicans will control the Senate for the first time in eight years. In the House of Representatives, they'll have their largest majority since 1928. What does that mean for higher education? In the spirit of the New Year, here are five predictions for 2015: Gridlock will continue. Funding will remain tight. Colleges will have to compete for attention. Simplification will rule the day. For-profit colleges will breathe a little easier |
| Helicoptering? More parents head to college with their children | |
| Lori Osterberg and her husband are lifelong Denver folk, but they got restless and intended to relocate for adventure's sake once their only child left home for college. Well, long story short, they did that. Sort of. Rather than following the sun down to Mexico, they followed their daughter to Portland, Oregon, where she is a sophomore. While still taking long weekends and other trips to Canada and California, the couple bought an apartment near campus that all three share. "We're calling it our gap year. We're here for now, with the possibility of extending throughout her college career," Osterberg said. "We're taking it one year at a time." Coldwell Banker, the real estate firm, first noticed parents making such moves in 2008 while compiling its annual College Home Price Comparison Index that ranked average home prices in more than 300 college towns. |
| Intervening with high performing, low-income students changes enrollment patterns, study finds | |
 | Ever since a 2012 study found that a majority of high-achieving, low-income high school seniors don't apply to a single competitive college, educators and policy makers have been debating what to do about "undermatching," as the issue has come to be called. Some have argued for more attention (and resources) for the institutions that enroll these students in significant numbers, especially community colleges and regional public institutions. But many have looked for ways to attract more of these students to top colleges, which tend to have more generous aid offers and higher graduation rates than less competitive colleges. Caroline Hoxby and Sarah Turner have just released evidence that the right interventions (largely providing certain types of information) can in fact alter the choices of these undermatched students. |
| BRIAN PERRY (OPINION): Fight cynicism in 2015 | |
 | Consultant and columnist Brian Perry writes: "Readers anywhere near the Capital City should hide their women, whiskey and wallets, because the Legislature is coming back to town on Jan. 6. While that is the kind of humor shared over coffee by some early morning codgers at a rural gas station, I'm not comfortable with that level of cynicism (or chauvinism). ...The political year is about to move fast. Primaries are seven months away but the deadline to decide to run is in two months. When it comes to politics, it is easy to be cynical and easy to joke about our elected officials. But to make a change, get involved: you might not be running for office but if you find someone you believe will be good for government, support them and fight the cynicism. We get the government we deserve." |
| BILL CRAWFORD (OPINION): MDOC issues reveal contract law weaknesses | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: "The Mississippi Department of Corrections controversy has exposed weaknesses in the state's contract procurement processes. With regard to MDOC, the legislature exempted many contracts from competitive procurement, cracking open the door for abuse. Allegations have surfaced that even competitive bids can be manipulated. ...Gov. Phil Bryant appointed a special task force to review MDOC contracts and state contract procurement. Its members are co-chairmen Andy Taggart and Judge Robert Gibbs plus Mike Moore, Constance Slaughter-Harvey and myself. The task force submitted preliminary recommendations to the governor on Dec. 31." |
| SAM R. HALL (OPINION): 2015 elections may set up bigger 2019 fight | |
| The Clarion-Ledger's Sam R. Hall writes: "Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves made the safe move by tapping state Sen. Giles Ward, R-Louisville, as his new No. 2. The announcement of Reeves' support for Ward as president pro tempore came Saturday, just days ahead of Tuesday's start to the 2015 legislative session. Since Ward, 66, is retiring, he's a safe choice. Most of the lawmakers respect Ward and will work well with him during this final session before statewide elections. It also means that Reeves, who could face a primary challenge, won't have to choose a true second-in-command until 2016, avoiding the risk of alienating any political factions that could turn against him after the session during the primary fight. Smart politics." |
| SID SALTER (OPINION): Hood's outside counsel alliances net contributions, funds for taxpayers | |
 | Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: "While Mississippi's Attorney General Jim Hood has been one Democrat that the state's Republican Party has often targeted but never tagged, the GOP trial balloons continue to be floated by a number of potential challengers. Hood has rather handily dispatched all comers. With Mississippi Republicans controlling both houses of the Mississippi Legislature and the Governor's Mansion, Hood is the only Democrat among the eight officials holding statewide office. ...Last month, however, Hood was singled out for scrutiny not by Republicans or by conservatives in the media." |
SPORTS
| Ole Miss, Mississippi State football a boon for schools, economy | |
| Record-breaking football seasons for Mississippi State and Ole Miss have spun historic milestones off the field for both schools. Student applications have soared, and donations have spiked. Giddy fans have spent on hotels, splurged on restaurants, indulged in every kind of apparel and generally thrown around money to the point both Oxford and Starkville have seen their tax revenue jump to historic levels. The Greater Starkville Development Partnership has quantified that bounty. In October, when the Bulldogs were undefeated and sat at the top of the College Football Playoff rankings, the economic development organization put together a white paper that laid out exactly how much one home football weekend. Extrapolate the figures over seven home games, and Mississippi State football had a $93 million impact on Starkville's economy from September to November. Overall interest in the university has risen, too. |
| Bulldogs pass SEC road test | |
| When Mississippi State had no answers on the offensive end, the Bulldogs simply turned up their defensive game on Sunday. On a cold-shooting day for both teams, No. 17 MSU found its offensive spark at just the right time to pull off a 53-47 victory over Missouri in its first SEC road game of the season. "Our defense obviously caused some problems for them there late," MSU head coach Vic Schaefer said. "We turned them over and got some transition layups. We did a good job getting to the line in the second half, shooting 30 free throws in the second half after we shot two in the first half." MSU (17-0) improved to 2-0 in league play for the first time since the 2009-10 season. |
| Mississippi State QBs Fitzgerald, Staley ready to step in | |
| At 6-foot-5 and 6-foot-6, Nick Fitzgerald and Elijah Staley, respectively, boast the most prototypical measureables of any Mississippi State quarterback. They have the strongest arms on the team. They are the future of Bulldog football. Yet, in no way were they ready for the field in 2014. "A lot of times a quarterback thinks, 'I'm ready. I'm going to be the star,'" MSU coach Dan Mullen said. "Then all of a sudden they go see a guy who is potentially a star in front of them and see what he's doing and you're kind of wowed (saying), 'OK, I wasn't quite a ready as I thought I'd be.'" In 2015, they hope to contribute more. |
| Stuart Scott, ESPN's Voice of Exuberance, Dies at 49 | |
 | Stuart Scott, a prominent ESPN sportscaster who was known for infusing his reports with a blend of pop culture references, slang and exuberant phrases that made him something of a pop culture figure in his own right, died on Sunday in a Hartford-area hospital. He was 49. The cause was cancer, ESPN said. "Booyah!" was Scott's signature expression, and it spread well beyond sports and into mainstream culture. Scott joined ESPN in 1993 for the beginning of its first spinoff network, ESPN2, but he soon moved to "SportsCenter," which had already developed stars like Keith Olbermann, Dan Patrick, Chris Berman, Robin Roberts and Bob Ley. Scott became defined as much for his energy, wit and stylish wardrobe as for his arsenal of catchphrases. |
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