| Thursday, January 29, 2015 |
| Romney targets Obama, Clinton in speech at Mississippi State | |
 | Mitt Romney started his speech Wednesday night at Mississippi State sounding more like a commencement speaker than a political candidate. Romney's opening was a soft mixture of self-deprecation about his college days -- "I was an English major, which meant I had no idea what I would do for a living" -- and a recounting of some of the human lessons he learned during the 2012 presidential election. Romney's tone changed about halfway through his appearance, part of the school's Global Lecture Series, before more than 1,000 people in Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium. The former Republican presidential nominee went after the Obama administration and former secretary of state Hillary Clinton -- a possible opponent in next year's campaign -- on foreign and economic policy. |
| Romney, in Speech at Mississippi State, Examines What Went Wrong in 2012 | |
 | Mitt Romney sounded out themes for a potential third presidential run, lamented the nature of the political process and offered a dose of barely veiled self-criticism in a visit Wednesday to this college town. Mr. Romney, speaking to students at Mississippi State University, discussed some of the shortcomings of his 2012 campaign and the lessons he learned from his loss to President Obama. He made clear that he would address head-on voters' uneasiness concerning his wealth, an issue Mr. Obama hammered him on. "As you've no doubt heard, I'm already rich," Mr. Romney joked. |
| Romney Focuses on Income Inequality, Foreign Policy in Mississippi Speech | |
 | Mitt Romney on Wednesday tested a platform for a possible new campaign for the presidency that focused on easing economic anxiety and adopting a more muscular foreign policy than that of President Barack Obama and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who he said had been "timid." Speaking at Mississippi State University Wednesday evening, weeks after telling donors he was considering a bid for the Republican presidential nomination, Mr. Romney signaled that a potential third campaign for the White House would focus in part on lifting Americans from poverty. He said that while the economy in the short term was "looking up," income inequality had worsened. |
| Mitt Romney goes casual as he tests new themes during Mississippi appearance | |
 | Mitt Romney staged a campaign-style swing Wednesday through a Deep South state that spurned him in the 2012 Republican primary, calling for a national war on poverty, testing a few attack lines directed at Hillary Rodham Clinton, and declaring his fondness for pulled pork. It was the first opportunity for Romney to show off a new, somewhat looser stump style as he weighs whether to seek the White House for a third time. He appeared more at ease than he typically did when he was the 2012 Republican nominee, joking about his personal wealth and discussing his Mormon faith. To make his most expansive appearance since he told wealthy donors several weeks ago that he was contemplating a campaign, Romney visited the campus of Mississippi State University. |
| Mitt Romney, signaling a hunger to step back into ring, attacks Hillary Clinton | |
 | Signaling a hunger to step back into the ring, Mitt Romney took aim at Hillary Rodham Clinton in a speech in Starkville, Miss., on Wednesday and predicted that a nation he sees as in decline could turn a corner "with the right kind of leadership." Romney's evening speech to about 1,000 students and faculty at Mississippi State University comes as he and his political team are preparing for a potential 2016 run. He shied away from revealing his current thinking or outlining any plans. When pressed on what he would do differently this time from his last campaign, Romney told his questioner, former lieutenant governor Amy Tuck, "That's another question I won't answer." |
| Romney takes aim at Clinton in Mississippi speech | |
 | Mitt Romney used a speech at Mississippi State University on Wednesday to strike at Hillary Clinton's foreign policy and economic credentials in what could be seen as a sneak preview of the 2016 presidential race. Romney, making his third public appearance since it was revealed he is considering a third run for the White House, addressed students at the university and took pre-selected questions, cracking jokes about himself and making 2016 references. He criticized President Obama's foreign policy, as well as his handling of the economy. He did not, however, say whether he would seek the White House in 2016. |
| Romney gets nostalgic as he greets voters in Mississippi | |
 | Mitt Romney donned the plaid shirt and jeans again Wednesday to take on a familiar activity of eating local food and shaking hands, a normal day from his not so distant past -- and perhaps his near future. The 2012 GOP nominee stopped for some barbeque at The Little Dooey in Starkville less than a couple hours before changing into a suit for a speech at Mississippi State University. As Romney positions himself for a possible third run for president, he's sketching out what appears to be a new platform that would be heavy on anti-poverty policies and reaching out to nontraditional voters. |
| Romney Tests Potential Campaign Themes, Plays Coy on Candidacy | |
| Mitt Romney won't say for sure whether he's running for president. But in Mississippi on Wednesday night, he sure sounded like a candidate. Speaking before a packed auditorium at Mississippi State University, he took aim at Hillary Clinton, sketched out the themes of a campaign, and gave advice for the next Republican candidate -- whoever it may be (wink, wink.) "The great days of America have not ended," said Romney, ending his address with a remark that felt awfully like a campaign slogan. "They're ahead with the right leadership." After his remarks, the discussion turned more overtly political when Romney sat down for a question and answer session with MSU's Amy Tuck, the former lieutenant governor of Mississippi. |
| Romney takes aim at Obama, Clinton in Mississippi | |
 | Mitt Romney hasn't officially declared himself a presidential candidate again, but the 2012 Republican nominee looked and sounded like one during a stop Wednesday in Mississippi, back-slapping at a popular barbecue joint before delivering a speech that questioned Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton's foreign policy and economic credentials. His time at Mississippi State University marked Romney's third public appearance since he revealed earlier this month that he's considering in another presidential run. "I'm thinking about how I can help the country," he told hundreds of students Wednesday night. |
| Wistful, humorous Romney looks back as he ponders 2016 | |
| Mitt Romney sounds like a presidential candidate. Except when he doesn't. Greeted as a celebrity in Starkville Wednesday in the heart of the Republican Deep South, the GOP's 2012 nominee -- who still says he's mulling another bid in 2016 -- talked to Mississippi State University students like a commencement speaker. Earlier, Romney had put his common-man approach to the test at Little Dooey, a popular barbecue joint near the campus. Demonstrating a savvy appreciation for local priorities, Romney was accompanied by MSU head football Coach Dan Mullen and his wife, Megan. Romney just smiled when Mullen, who led his Bulldogs to an Orange Bowl appearance last season, got the louder welcome from a group of students. |
| Romney: Marriage is one answer to poverty | |
 | Mitt Romney praised marriage as an antidote to poverty, noted that he's "not a big fan of Vladimir Putin's" and acknowledged that "short term, our economy is looking up" during an appearance Wednesday evening. But when asked about what he would do differently if he runs for president in 2016, he was coy. In a speech at Mississippi State University that also took aim at Hillary Clinton, the 2012 Republican nominee argued that most Americans are being left behind, stuck in dead-end jobs or forced to accept stagnant wages. |
| Mitt Romney: 'America Needs Heroes' | |
 | Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney told a Mississippi State University audience that America needs heroes. "You don't have to be larger than life to be a hero. Just be larger than yourself," he said. Romney spoke about the personal and political lessons he learned during what he called "the most remarkable of my life's journeys," -- his most recent presidential campaign. He also shared views on current national and global issues and challenges, including Russia, a country he said is the nation's "No. 1 geopolitical foe." MSU first lady Rhonda Newman Keenum said Romney's career has given him unique experiences that make him a fitting guest for the Global Lecture Series. She introduced Romney in the absence of MSU President Mark E. Keenum, who is traveling on university business. |
| Romney speaks at Mississippi State | |
 | Mitt Romney spoke Wednesday evening at Mississippi State University, giving life lessons to college students and sounding like a candidate for the White House in 2016. He gave the audience in a packed auditorium at Lee Hall some insight into the man who's run for the White House twice. "Almost nothing I've done in my career has been planned in advance," said Romney. Prior to his speech, Romney visited the popular barbecue place Little Dooey where he met with customers and with college Republicans who wouldn't mind seeing him make a third try for president. "I think he's an intelligent man. I think it's something that our country needs to see," said MSU senior Taylor Mullins of Meadville. |
| Demonstration school seeks statewide impact | |
 | A school that costs $30 million shouldn't have walls, according to Mississippi State University professor Devon Brenner. Brenner, head of curriculum, instruction and education in the MSU College of Education, has weaved this vision into a plan for a proposed demonstration school on the university's campus that would house Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District sixth- and seventh-graders. "If this works as designed, it will serve the entire state," Brenner said. MSU has dedicated $10 million toward the project, including $5 million in land value and a commitment to raise another $5 million through private donations. |
| Election now apparent for OCSD school bonds | |
| Oktibbeha County Circuit Clerk Glenn Hamilton said his office verified enough petition signatures to force a proposed $13.2 million Oktibbeha County School District bond to an election this year, but the school system's conservator is not expected to take action until next week. Last week, Parents for Public School Starkville and the Greater Starkville Development Partnership began an education campaign to highlight the bond's importance. "The bottom line is that not many people understood that this local funding is the only way to achieve (construction of a demonstration school) that all county schoolchildren will attend. Nobody in Oktibbeha County requested this (consolidation and subsequent tax increase). The Legislature mandated. We're trying to make the best of the situation," said PPS Starkville President Michelle Jones last week. |
| MSU Police Department Makes Arrest in Nov. 8 Game Day Armed Robbery | |
| The Mississippi State University Police Department has made an arrest in the Nov. 8 armed robbery incident that took place during the Homecoming football game between MSU and the University of Tennessee-Martin. MSUPD Lieutenant Brad Massey confirmed that Marcus Earl Johnson, 22, of Starkville, was arrested by MSUPD personnel on Jan. 27 and faces one count of a charge of armed robbery. The incident took place near the Clay Lyle Entomology Lab in a parking lot when a pay lot attendant was robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash at about 2 p.m. The cash was later recovered, Massey said. |
| MSU police make arrest in gameday armed robbery | |
| Mississippi State University police say an arrest has been made in a November armed robbery during the homecoming football game between MSU and the University of Tennessee-Martin. Officers say Marcus Earl Johnson, 22, of Starkville was arrested by MSU police Tuesday. Police say a pay lot attendant was robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash around 2 p.m. on November 8th. Officers say the cash was later recovered. Johnson is in custody at the Oktibbeha County Detention Center and faces a count of armed robbery for the incident. |
| Arrest made in MSU game day robbery | |
 | The Mississippi State University Police Department has made an arrest in the Nov. 8 armed robbery incident that took place during the MSU homecoming football game against Tennessee-Martin. "MSU's top priority is maintaining a safe and family-oriented game day experience for our students, faculty and staff and for our fans and guests," said MSUPD Lieutenant Brad Massey. "We will not tolerate this kind of behavior on our campus and that's why this case has remained a priority investigation by MSUPD." |
| Alum, Renowned Scientist Will Carpenter to Speak Feb. 5 at Mississippi State | |
| A Mississippi State alumnus and nationally recognized scientist will be featured Feb. 5 for the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences' Charles E. Lindley Lecture. Will D. Carpenter, a 1952 agronomy graduate of the university, will discuss his newly released biography, "Will D... A Life in Science." His presentation begins at 12:15 p.m. in the Bost Extension Auditorium. Carpenter spent 34 years with the Monsanto Co., retiring as vice president and general manager of its new products division. He and his company team are credited with helping to greatly increase global food production through the development of two weed- and grass-control products, RoundUp and Lasso. |
| McCain changing face, perception of agriculture in Warren County | |
 | Anna McCain, a former agriculture researcher, began Jan. 16 as the new county agent for the Warren County office of the Mississippi State University Extension Service. "There's this thought that agriculture is an old science. That's not true. There's all this new stuff happening every single day," McCain said. McCain met recently with representatives from extension service groups sharing her plans to get more young people interested in the cutting-edge technology used in today's agriculture. "I want to show the community, especially young people in the community, that if they want to pursue a career in agriculture, their only option isn't to be a farmer," McCain said. "You can be a scientist, an engineer, an entrepreneur. I want to make people aware of those options." |
| Mississippi State's Phillip Vines wins Watson Fellowship grant | |
| Phillip Vines, graduate student in turfgrass pathology at Mississippi State University, had an eventful December. On Dec. 6, The Philadelphia, Miss., native married his wife, Elizabeth, and on New Year's Eve, he found out he had received a $5,000 grant as part of the Golf Course Superintendent's Association of America's Dr. James Watson Fellowship Program. "I was really speechless when I found out," Vines, who will finish his master's degree in May, said. "With all of the money spent on the wedding and just starting out, it really relieved a burden." |
| George Will: Increased dependency threatens nation | |
| The U.S. has become a welfare state that threatens to bankrupt the nation, said syndicated columnist George Will. The Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and television analyst, whose column runs in hundreds of newspapers including the Daily Journal, was the keynote speaker at the Community Development Foundation's inaugural Outlook Symposium at the BancorpSouth Conference Center on Wednesday. "American people like free stuff," Will said. "We have a permanent incentive in a democracy to run deficits, to deliver goods and services now while delaying the costs." Will also hit on politics and politicians in a follow-up question-and-answer session with Charles Overby, former CEO of the Freedom Forum. |
| Yellow Creek narrows director candidates | |
| The Yellow Creek State Inland Port Authority in Iuka has narrowed down candidates for its executive director position from 14 applicants to four, after the longtime port authority executive director died suddenly in October. Board president Benny DeVaughn said Tuesday the board will interview those four candidates in early February and forward the names of two finalists to the Mississippi Development Authority and Gov. Phil Bryant. The Yellow Creek Port offers waterway access to the Tennessee River and the Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway with rail connections, on-site steel processing facilities, barge storage, warehouses, truck scales, cranes and forklifts, outdoor storage and more than 2,000 acres of industrial sites. |
| Hall named executive editor of The Clarion-Ledger | |
| The Clarion-Ledger's newest executive editor is a Mississippi native with deep roots in the metro area. Tupelo native Sam R. Hall has been tapped to lead Mississippi's largest newsroom, Jason Taylor, president and publisher of The Clarion-Ledger, announced Wednesday. "Having this opportunity is a professional dream, and I'm grateful to Jason for the opportunity and the rest of the staff for their support," Hall said. "I grew up reading The Clarion-Ledger, and since my first days as a reporter this was the newsroom I wanted to lead. I'm honored and humbled to have that chance now." |
| Taggart announces decision on AG race | |
| Republican Andy Taggart has announced he will not run for attorney general this year, "After much thought and deliberation, and on the heels of the prayers of many." "I made a commitment to my law partners and law firm -- and those who rely upon it for their livelihoods -- five years ago," Taggart said. "I do not believe my commitment has yet been satisfied." Taggart, an author, political television show cohost, former chief of staff to the late Gov. Kirk Fordice and a former Madison County supervisor, had been considering a run for attorney general for months, and was considered a potential formidable challenger for Democratic incumbent AG Jim Hood. |
| Bill aims to bring more music to Mississippi | |
| Mississippi license plates and highway welcome signs proclaim the state as the Birthplace of America's Music, bowing to the state's blues heritage. Now, a legislative proposal wants to pay to make sure more music makes a home in Mississippi. The House Tourism Committee passed House Bill 907 on Wednesday, moving to subsidize some music recordings, concerts and theater performances and encourage the music industry to do more business in the state. The measure, which goes to the House Ways and Means Committee for further consideration, will ensure more recording and concerts to Mississippi, said House Tourism Committee Chairwoman Rita Martinson, R-Madison. |
| Bill to limit AG's power to sue on behalf of state | |
| A House judiciary committee passed a bill today that would require the state attorney general to gain approval from an oversight committee of the governor, lieutenant governor and secretary of state to file any lawsuit on behalf of the state for more than $250,000. State Rep. Ed Blackmon Jr., a member of the House Judiciary A Committee, called the measure partisan politics. He voted against it. House Bill 1201 was filed by the chairman of the committee, state Rep. Mark Baker, R-Brandon, who has been discussed as a potential candidate for attorney general this year. State Attorney General Jim Hood, the lone statewide Democratic official, has been criticized by some Republicans for hiring outside attorneys to represent the state in litigation, but at the same time, through litigation, Hood's office is responsible for bringing hundreds of million dollars into the state treasury. |
| Teeth gnashing over pit bull bill | |
 | There is a great deal of teeth gnashing going on over a proposed state law that would place restrictions on owners of pit bull and related breeds. House Bill 1261 would allow animal control or law enforcement officials to enter homes without search warrants to take dogs deemed dangerous into custody, something which bothers some DeSoto County state lawmakers. "Nobody wants a dangerous dog running loose," State Rep. Forrest Hamilton, R-Olive Branch, said from Jackson on Wednesday. "But somebody coming in my house without a search warrant to get that dog -- I don't know about that. I'm halfway thinking that I am going to vote against that. I feel like that is going to be too intrusive. I don't want them breaking the door down." DeSoto County recently updated its animal control ordinance to provide protection against vicious dogs but did not specifically name the pit bull breed by name. |
| House panel seeks $1,000 pay raise for Mississippi assistant teachers | |
 | Assistant teachers could see a $1,000 pay raise under a plan moving forward in the House. The House Education Committee approved House Bill 582 Wednesday, which would raise the employees' yearly salary to $14,000 a year from $13,000 a year. The committee originally considered a $500 increase, but agreed on $1,000. House Education Committee Chairman John Moore, a Brandon Republican, says assistant teachers were omitted from a teacher pay raise measure that lawmakers passed last year. |
| Privilege of power: How state legislators are protected more than average citizens | |
 | During certain months of the year, state lawmakers are allowed to get away with a few acts that average citizens would be cited for. According to Hattiesburg lawyer Alex Ignatiev, a few examples of what lawmakers would not arrested for during that time frame would include possession of marijuana, possession of alcohol in a dry county, vandalism and simple assault by threat, if it is not witnessed in public. Legislators are also protected from speeding violations, and one way they are recognized by law enforcement is their specially-printed drivers license, which has red print as opposed to black. Senator Billy Hudson (R- Dist. 45) said he was told to get his license changed from black to red when he first got elected, and his colleagues Sens. John Polk (R- Dist. 44), Joey Fillingane (R- Dist. 41) and Representative Toby Barker (R- Dist. 102), agreed. |
| Newman is the newest entry in House District 17 race | |
| Jim Newman has joined Mark Prince as a candidate for open House District 17, which represents the southwest portion of Lee County. Brian Aldridge, a Republican finishing his third term as the District 17 representative, has announced he will not seek re-election. Newman, a 73-year-old Tupelo retiree who is a lifelong Republican, is switching to the Democratic Party in his bid for the Legislature. "The Republican Party left me long ago when the Tea Party and ultra-conservatives took over," said Newman. "It got to the point where they don't want to talk and I think we have got to be able to find a middle ground." |
| Obama again seeks to end budget cuts made in sequester deal | |
 | President Obama will revive his push to reverse billions of dollars in automatic spending cuts that took effect in 2013 as part of a last-resort deficit deal, the White House said Thursday as officials began to tease out pieces of the president's 2016 budget due out next week. Obama is slated to make his case for restoring the spending Thursday night in a speech to House Democrats meeting in Philadelphia for an annual strategy session. As he has in past spending plans, the president will call for undoing the across-the-board cuts, known as the sequester, that hit the military and domestic programs. |
| Ole Miss scheduling free Snoop Dogg concert | |
| After winning a contest for free concert with rapper Snoop Dogg, the Ole Miss student programming board is working with fee-collecting app-makers Tilt to schedule the show before June. The university beat out 150 other schools to win the show by generating the most points in a contest, which awarded 50 points to the school each time a project was successfully funded, 20 points for each contributor and 10 points for each app download. Ole Miss' total of 127,742 points beat out the University of Texas by 5,512 points. Bradley Baker, director of the Ole Miss Student Programming Board, said the university has been working with Tilt for two weeks to "narrow down details and answer any questions they have concerning the possibility of hosting the concert on campus." |
| UM parking garage construction delayed, slated for spring completion | |
 | The opening of the Pavilion Garage near Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, which was anticipated to be completed by the beginning of this semester, has been further delayed. "As with all construction projects, there are issues that arise that are unique to each project," said Mike Harris, director of parking and transportation. Harris said final modifications are being made, and while an exact date has not been estimated for its completion, construction on the parking garage is expected to finish this spring. Harris also said that despite the delays, which may have been caused by site conditions or weather, the priority in this construction project is the overall quality of the final product. |
| USM Black History Month activities begin Monday | |
| University of Southern Mississippi faculty, students and administrators are preparing for several upcoming events celebrating African-American history. Black History Month activities begin next Monday with a presentation of A Night at the Cotton Club at the Woods Theater. "African-American history is a very important part of Southern Miss history here and we always want to take the opportunity to make note of our African-Americans who've made strides in our community," said Valencia Walls, coordinator for the Office of Multicultural Programs and Services at USM. |
| Two arrested for guns, marijuana possession at U. of Southern Mississippi | |
 | One phone call from a concerned University of Southern Mississippi student led to the arrest Wednesday of two men, including a fellow USM student, on gun and drug possession charges. Elijah Bernard Culpepper, 21, of Hattiesburg, and Ruben Austin Handy III, 20, of Jackson, were arrested shortly after noon on Wednesday after a search of their vehicle turned up three handguns and a felony quantity of marijuana. USM Police Chief Bob Hopkins said campus police were alerted by a phone call shortly before noon of a man carrying a handgun on campus. |
| Delta State sorority hosts raffle to benefit Le Bonheur Children's Hospital | |
 | The Kappa Epsilon chapter of Phi Mu at Delta State University is hosting a raffle with bejeweled prizes to benefit the children of Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. Taylor Lee, philanthropy chair, said, "We are raffling off one Ronaldo bracelet and one Earth Grace bracelet. Tickets are $2 each. There will be a separate winner for each bracelet." Tickets can be purchased on the first floor of the Union at the Phi Mu table, or a person can see any Phi Mu to purchase one. Lee said it's always wonderful to see her sisters come together to raise money for a good cause. |
| $40 million donation pledged to LSU for athletics and engineering | |
| A graduate of LSU has pledged a $40 million gift to be split among LSU engineering and athletics, among the largest donations in the university's history. The donor's name wasn't released Wednesday by the university. The money will be given to LSU upon the death of the donor as part of the settlement of the estate. It will be split, with $20 million provided to the Tiger Athletic Foundation for student athlete scholarships and facilities and $20 million given to the LSU Foundation for student scholarships in mechanical and industrial engineering. |
| U. of Florida gives details about malware attack | |
 | The multi-stage malware that attacked several hundred University of Florida computers Monday morning was distributed as a Windows ScreenSaver (SCR) that was executable inside a ZIP email attachment, according to a UF data security specialist. "When the victim user opened the ZIP archive and ran the SCR executable, they infected their computer with a multi-stage malware suite not recognized by the majority of installed antivirus tools," Derris Marlin said in an email to UF users early Wednesday. UF's Information Security introduced network blocks within an hour of the first report, and sent out warnings to users -- though not before hundreds of faculty and staff computers already had been infected. |
| UGA president tells Rotarians students will give help, get hands-on experience with new graduation requirement | |
 | The University of Georgia sent thousands of students out into Athens and other Georgia communities last year to get real-world experience and give volunteer time, and the school will be sending out even more students when a new "experiential learning" requirement takes effect next year, UGA President Jere Morehead said Wednesday. Last year, some 7,000 UGA students enrolled in service learning courses and together put in about 175,000 hours of service, Morehead told members of the Rotary Club of Athens. The requirement "would ensure each and every student has the opportunity to participate," he said. |
| Backlog delays dozens of burials by U. of Kentucky's Body Bequeathal Program | |
 | Ross Zirkle, a printmaker and University of Kentucky art professor, was known for his devotion to students. Even when he died from cancer in 2007 at the age of 52, he continued to teach, donating his body to UK's anatomy department to help train future doctors, dentists and nurses. But Zirkle's family was dismayed recently to learn that his cremated remains had been sitting on a shelf at UK since 2012. He was not buried at the Lexington Cemetery until December, nearly eight years after his death. Lexington Coroner Gary Ginn, who runs UK's Body Bequeathal Program, said budget problems caused the burial delays, not just for Zirkle, but for 91 other cremated remains interred last month with him. |
| Arkansas Higher Education Department to Interview Final 3 Candidates for Director | |
| The Arkansas Department of Higher Education has scheduled interviews with the three remaining candidates for the director's position. The finalists are Bernadette Hinkle, assistant vice president for finance and business services at the West Chester University of Pennsylvania; Brett Powell, vice president for administrative services at Ouachita Baptist University; and David Wright, chief of the policy, planning and research officer at the Tennessee Higher Education Commission. |
| Texas A&M System regents meeting about search for new president | |
 | The Texas A&M University System Board of Regents will meet this weekend to discuss the work of the presidential search advisory committee, the system announced Wednesday. Regents will convene Saturday at 11:30 a.m. and immediately move into executive session to receive an update on the search that recently crossed its one-year mark and review issues relating to the nine-person search committee, according to a system press release. No action will be taken at the meeting. Agriculture and Life Sciences Dean Mark Hussey took over as interim president on Jan. 14, 2014, when former A&M president R. Bowen Loftin resigned after almost four years at the school to become chancellor of the University of Missouri. |
| U. of Missouri marketing leader taking strategic approach | |
 | Almost five months into her role as vice chancellor of marketing and communications at the University of Missouri, Ellen de Graffenreid is tackling opportunities to make sure the university's brand is reaching people inside and outside of the MU community at the right time and in the right places. Building MU's brand is chief among the charges MU Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin gave de Graffenreid when she started last fall. "I have worked at a lot of big, public universities and I have to say, people really embrace the black and gold here and embrace the logo in a way that isn't always true at other universities," she said about her task. |
| Myrlie Evers-Williams speaks on hope, freedom at Missouri Theatre | |
 | As Myrlie Evers-Williams took the stage at the Missouri Theatre, she asked, "Is there any way that the lights in the audience can be raised?" After the event coordinators turned on the house lights, she remarked, "In my background, darkness means hiding something. It means hiding something that is more than likely to attack you." Evers-Williams, 81, the widow of civil rights activist Medgar Evers and a civil rights activist herself, was the first woman to chair the NAACP, and in 2013, she became the first woman and non-clergy member to deliver a president's inaugural invocation, according to the NAACP. Evers-Williams gave a speech "Not Exactly What You Thought" Wednesday to the packed theater. |
| White House retreat on 529 savings plan changes illustrates the politics of higher ed tax breaks | |
 | President Obama's backpedaling this week on a provision in his tax plan that would have gutted benefits for college-savings plans highlights the challenges facing advocates for low-income students who want to overhaul higher education tax breaks. The collapse of the White House's 529 savings account proposal, just days after it was announced, suggests that simplifying and retooling college tax breaks so they benefit more low-income families -- and fewer wealthier ones -- is an idea that enjoys third-rail status in Washington. The episode underscores the political will behind existing college tax breaks, which many researchers and policy experts have said need to be overhauled. |
| The Credit Hour Is Here to Stay, at Least for Now | |
 | The Carnegie Unit has been around for more than a century, and unless someone can come up with a better way of tracking college credit, it won't be going anywhere anytime soon. It presents challenges, but it has value because it sets minimum instructional standards. That's the conclusion of a report being released on Thursday by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching. The report, "The Carnegie Unit: A Century-Old Standard in a Changing Education Landscape," examines the role of the Carnegie Unit, more commonly called the credit hour, in an ever-evolving world of education. |
| Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker urges professors to work harder | |
| Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, defending proposed budget cuts for higher education, took a swipe at university professors who he said could be "teaching more classes and doing more work." "Maybe it's time for faculty and staff to start thinking about teaching more classes and doing more work and this authority frees up the [University of Wisconsin] administration to make those sorts of requests," Walker (R) said Wednesday on Iowa radio station WTMJ. Walker's comments came as he spoke about his proposed budget, which would cut $300 million over the next two years from the University of Wisconsin system. He added the school would still receive block grants. |
SPORTS
| Sword flashes old self in Mississippi State loss | |
| Craig Sword scored a season-high 27 points against Ole Miss. He reached a career-high in made 3-pointers with five. Yet, as he hobbled out of the Mississippi State locker room at Tad Smith Coliseum, he felt no sense of accomplishment after a 79-73 loss. "I feel awful," Sword said. "Awful. We lost." Sword and the Bulldogs played solidly for the fifth straight game, but at this point of the junior's career and during this stretch of the season, moral victories have disappeared. "We want to win," MSU coach Rick Ray said. "In order for this program to take the next step, we have to win games. We can't be satisfied with being in them." |
| Rebels buckle down: Summers helps pull out rivalry win | |
| Admittedly it wasn't their Super Bowl, but for much of their game with in-state rival Mississippi State on Wednesday night, Ole Miss looked like a team worthy of the first pick in the draft. Fortunately for the Rebels, Jarvis Summers was there to save a lonely winter's night. Summers, the Rebels' senior point guard, missed the last 7 minutes, 12 seconds of the first half with foul trouble but returned with a vengeance to lead Ole Miss to a 79-73 win at Tad Smith Coliseum. "We need to evaluate how we can get to the free throw line. We want to be as successful as Ole Miss in getting to the free throw line. I've got to do a better job of teaching not fouling. The free throw disparity really hurt us," MSU coach Rick Ray said. |
| Mississippi State announces National Signing Day festivities | |
| Mississippi State finished the 2014 season with its second-highest ranking in school history. It looks to reload next week during National Signing Day. MSU unveiled plans for 2015 National Signing Day featuring a webcast and a party at The Dawg House Sports Grill in Starkville on Feb. 4. Mullen will take the stage just after 6:30 p.m. to discuss the 2015 class. Then from 7-8 p.m., a special edition of Dawg Talk airs on the MSU Sports Radio Network. Mullen will join Jim Ellis on the show. This year's class is expected to be the best of Mullen's tenure at Mississippi State. |
| Jack White shows up at Mississippi State baseball, rocks Starkville | |
| Despite what last year's viral photo of rocker Jack White looking unhappy at a Chicago Cubs game might have you believe, the top 100 guitarist of all-time is massive seamhead. Before Tuesday's show at Humphrey Coliseum on the campus of Mississippi State, White stopped by a Bulldog fall practice. According to a release from the university, White spoke to the team on the field between the third and fourth innings of Tuesday's intrasquad scrimmage. Following the speech, head coach John Cohen presented a game-used jersey to White. |
| No. 2 man in UK Athletics, Peevy is confidant to Cal, role model, AD in the making | |
| In recent years, the University of Kentucky has become almost a training ground for future athletic directors at major colleges. Greg Bryne is AD at Arizona. Rob Mullens is AD at Oregon. Scott Stricklin is AD at Mississippi State. Mark Coyle is AD at Boise State. All were Barnhart assistants. Could DeWayne Peevy be next? "Absolutely," Barnhart said this week. "He has all the qualities to be a great athletic director." Peevy never thought he'd be in this position. A 1996 University of Montevallo graduate with a degree in accounting, Peevy had no intention of pursuing a career in sports administration. |
| Vanderbilt Rape Convictions Are Big News, Except on Campus | |
| The crime was horrific and the verdict stunningly swift. Two former Vanderbilt University football players are facing the possibility of decades in prison after it took a jury less than four hours to convict them for their roles in a 2013 sexual assault of an unconscious woman. Two more former football players await trial. But transformative moments are hard to come by when a community's population turns over every four years and its members have a deep investment in its reputation. So interviews Tuesday and Wednesday at Vanderbilt brought out horror at what had happened and a distinct distance from it. Until the trial began more than two weeks ago, the episode seemed to elicit little sense of urgency -- in fact, the student newspaper found that many students were not even aware of it. |
| Guilty verdicts don't mean end to Vandy rape case | |
 | The Tuesday convictions of two former Vanderbilt University football players in a June 2013 rape brings some resolution after 19 months, but the case file is not yet closed. Two co-defendants, Brandon E. Banks and Jaborian "Tip" McKenzie, both 20, are awaiting trial. They are charged with five counts of aggravated rape and two counts of aggravated sexual battery. District Attorney Glenn Funk said after the March sentencing that his staff would meet to discuss the two pending cases. He said the office would consider plea deals, but those would take into account the severity of charges. He said evidence in the now-ended trial could provide an incentive for the other co-defendants to take a deal. |
| Study of N.F.L. Retirees Links Youth Football to Brain Problems | |
| A new study of N.F.L. retirees found that those who began playing tackle football when they were younger than 12 years old had a higher risk of developing memory and thinking problems later in life. The study, published in the medical journal Neurology by researchers at the Boston University School of Medicine, was based on tests given to 42 former N.F.L. players, ages 41 to 65, who had experienced cognitive problems for at least six months. Half the players started playing tackle football before age 12, and the other half began at 12 or older. Those former N.F.L. players who started playing before 12 years old performed "significantly worse" on every test measure after accounting for the total number of years played and the age of the players when they took the tests. |
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