| Friday, February 6, 2015 |
| Mississippi State Honors National Alumnus, Other Alumni at Banquet Friday | |
 | Mississippi State will recognize 1960 chemical engineering graduate Earnest W. "Earnie" Deavenport Jr. of Kiawah Island, South Carolina, as its national alumnus of the year during the Friday MSU Alumni Association 2015 awards banquet. "We are proud to salute Earnie Deavenport on behalf of Mississippi State University for his success as an entrepreneur and for his loyal lifelong connection with his alma mater," said Jeff Davis, executive director of the MSU Alumni Association. "Of our nearly 130,000 living alumni, Earnie is a distinguished selection for Alumnus of the Year." |
| Highway section dedicated to former Mississippi State president Zacharias | |
 | A section of Mississippi Highway 25 has been designated as the "Dr. Donald W. Zacharias Memorial Highway" following a bill passed in the Mississippi Legislature. Zacharias was the 15th president of Mississippi State University, serving the school from 1985-1997. Sid Salter, chief communications officer at Mississippi State, said Zacharias was a transformational figure in the history of the university. (Subscriber-only content.) |
| Mississippi State Researcher, Alum Among Those Working on New Flu Vaccine | |
| In the midst of one of the worst overall influenza seasons, a Mississippi State researcher is part of an international effort to develop next season's vaccines. Dr. Henry Wan, an associate professor at the university's College of Veterinary Medicine, has been awarded a National Institutes of Health RO1 grant to develop better ways of determining new flu vaccines. He is a 2002 doctor of philosophy graduate of the college. Dr. Kent Hoblet, veterinary college dean, said R01 "is the original and historically oldest" NIH grant mechanism. In addition to being highly sought, the awards typically have a funding rate of less than 10 percent of the total submitted proposals, he noted. |
| Mississippi State researcher helps work on new flu vaccine | |
 | A Mississippi State University researcher is part of an international effort to develop next season's flu vaccines. Dr. Henry Wan, an associate professor at the university's College of Veterinary Medicine, has been awarded a National Institutes of Health RO1 grant to develop better ways of determining new vaccines for influenza. The college says less than 10 percent of the total proposals submitted for the grant are approved. Wan was a senior scientist in the CDC's Influenza Division before returning to the Starkville campus. |
| Mississippi State Researcher Among Those Working on New Flu Vaccine | |
 | In the midst of one the worst overall influenza seasons, a Mississippi State researcher is part of an international effort to develop next season's vaccines. Dr. Henry Wan, an associate professor at the university's College of Veterinary Medicine, has been awarded a National Institutes of Health RO1 grant to develop better ways of determining new flu vaccines. He is a 2002 doctor of philosophy graduate of the college. New vaccine selections need to be made as early as possible since five to six months may be required to develop the first batch of vaccinations. Wan expresses hope that the MSU team will help shorten that time frame through the use of an antigenic cartography system he developed with earlier NIH funding. |
| USDA program promotes land management to aid migrating birds | |
 | A new study shows ducks and other birds are being helped by a farmland management program that provides habitat along migration routes in Mississippi, Louisiana and six other states The study comes from Mississippi State University researchers, who examined the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Migratory Bird Habitat Initiative. The idea was to provide alternative habitats for these birds," Robert Bonnie, the USDA's undersecretary for natural resources and environment, said in an interview Thursday. The MSU study, which is being released Friday, shows that during the winters of 2011 and 2012, nearly three times as many ducks were found on the managed land in parts of Mississippi and Louisiana as on land that was not part of the initiative. |
| Precision ag UAS research at Mississippi State expanding | |
| Mississippi State University's research using unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for precision agriculture has grown considerably since being authorized by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration two years ago. It began with an application to the FAA for a certificate of authorization using a small unmanned aerial vehicle. Today, MSU researchers are working on the development of automated computer programs that can recognize individual seedlings to quickly and accurately determine plant density across a planted field. Robert Moorhead, GRI director and professor of electrical and computer engineering at the MSU Bagley College of Engineering, compares the work to applying prescriptions to fields by using site-specific data. |
| Mississippi State Hosts Writer-in-Residence Next Week | |
| National award-winning poet Terrance Hayes visits Mississippi State next week as the writer-in-residence with the College of Arts and Sciences' Institute for the Humanities. A University of Pittsburgh English professor, he is a winner of the MacArthur Fellowship, as well as the Whiting Writers Award and National Endowment for the Arts, United States Artists Zell and Guggenheim fellowships. Hayes will read from his poetry during a 7 p.m. Tuesday program. Taking place in in McCool Hall's Taylor Auditorium, the event is free and open to all. He is the author of five books of poetry, including "Lighthead," winner of a 2010 National Book Award. |
| Deadlines nearing for decisions on farm bill programs | |
 | Deadlines are nearing for decisions farmers need to make to comply with provisions of the new farm legislation, Keith Coble reminded peanut producers at the annual meeting of the Mississippi Peanut Growers Association. Coble, who is Giles Distinguished Professor of Agricultural Economics at Mississippi State University, served as chief economist for the minority staff of the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee during the 2013/14 farm bill debate. He notes that help is available to producers from MSU's Agricultural Economics Department in the form of spreadsheets that can be used in making the calculations. |
| Mississippi State Holds Ag Graduate Student Competition | |
| It's that time of the year again for the annual Future of Agriculture Graduate Student Speaking Competition. At Bost Extension Center on the Mississippi State University campus close to 40 masters and doctoral degree students working in production agriculture got a chance to elaborate on technical research results breaking it down to an understandable level. The competition is judged and awards are given at the end of the day. |
| Starkville board delays Wynn's attempt to change insurance agent | |
 | Starkville aldermen and Mayor Parker Wiseman again find themselves preparing for a battle over health insurance after Ward 2 Alderman Lisa Wynn attempted to end Starkville's 18-year relationship with agent Tim Cox, of the Columbus-based Cox Consulting Services Inc., Tuesday. The board delayed Wynn's request until Feb. 17 after attempting to take the matter behind closed doors for discussion. Aldermen opted not to have executive session talks on the matter besides the closed-door debate to determine if it was needed after Wiseman labeled Wynn's attempt an improper exercise. |
| Spring market opens: Chinese delegation impressed | |
 | They way Jerry Marlin and Jim Sneed see it, exporting their furniture to China wouldn't be a problem. Marlin, vice president of sales for Tupelo-based upholstered furniture manufacturer Prime Designs, and Sneed, CEO of Houlka-based Affordable Furniture, each hosted a delegation from the China National Furniture Association on Thursday, the official opening day of the Spring Tupelo Furniture Market. The delegation, in Northeast Mississippi for a second day to explore the possibilities of importing more Mississippi-made furniture into China, spent most of Thursday touring various showrooms and walking the market's exhibition halls. Through the efforts of the Mississippi Development Authority and the Franklin Furniture Institute at Mississippi State University, the delegation specifically made the trip to Tupelo and Northeast Mississippi to build on their relationships. |
| Callon Petroleum reducing workforce | |
 | Natchez-based Callon Petroleum announced Wednesday nearly 20 employees would be leaving its workforce through early retirement options offered by company officials. CEO Fred Callon said Wednesday the company decided to offer several employees, all of whom had 20 or more years with the company, an option to retire early as a way of reducing costs. He said a decline in oil prices in the last several months has put the company in a position to rethink its strategy for the coming years. |
| Bills seek school district innovation | |
| Legislation is expected to be taken up in the coming days in both the House and Senate to establish "districts of innovation" that would be exempt from some of the state's regulations on schools. "It will just allow school districts to try different ways to educate kids," said Senate Education Chair Gray Tollison, R-Oxford. "It will give them more of an opportunity to be innovative." The legislation is one of the recommendations of the CREATE Foundation's Commission of the Future of Northeast Mississippi. |
| Bryant to Legislature: Remember those tax cuts? | |
 | As legislative leaders have been talking about pumping more money into public education and other areas, Gov. Phil Bryant has sent them a "remember those tax cuts" letter. There may be a budget collision later this session between tax cuts and increased education and other spending. And, oh yes, there's also that projected $100 million Medicaid shortfall to cover. Serious budget negotiations haven't started -- that comes later in the session -- but Bryant's income tax cut hasn't garnered much discussion so far from lawmakers. With a $79 million price tag, one would figure it would already be a topic of discussion if it were a done deal. |
| Bills would relax liquor laws | |
| The House on Thursday passed three bills relaxing alcohol restrictions in Mississippi over objections of some legislators who claim they defy the will of the people. HB 1402 would remove the sunset provision from a one-year-old law allowing package stores to host tasting and sampling events. It was filed by state Rep. Rita Martinson, R-Madison. Objecting to the measure was state Rep. Cecil Brown, D-Jackson, who suggested the House extend the sunset clause instead of removing it. Brown said not enough time has passed to gauge the benefit or harm of the law. HB 1132 would amend the state's resort status law to allow additional properties in dry counties to serve alcohol, including East Mississippi Community College's recently acquired country club, which now houses the school's culinary arts program. The bill was authored by state Rep. Bobby Shows, R-Ellisville. |
| 'Jesus Take the Wheel Act' passes House | |
| House members on Thursday passed a bill exempting mid-sized church buses from the state's commercial driver's license requirements, prompting one lawmaker to call it the "Jesus Take the Wheel Act." The bill, HB 132, would help congregations lacking a CDL-certified driver transport up to 30 passengers in a church-owned vehicle. Although applying equally to all churches, it's primarily aimed at smaller congregations with fewer members and financial resources. It now heads to the Senate for consideration. |
| Wicker officiates National Prayer Breakfast | |
 | With Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker officiating at the National Prayer Breakfast, President Barack Obama on Thursday condemned those who use religion as a reason for carrying out violence, but said that kind of twisting and distortion is neither unique to one religion nor to Christians, who have engaged in the same behavior. Wicker, who co-chaired the event, talked about how Democrats and Republicans who've attended a weekly Senate Prayer Breakfast for 63 years have found common ground on Capitol Hill despite how deeply polarized the two parties have become. |
| Black lawmakers brainstorm strategy at nightly dinners | |
 | Rep. James Clyburn had just about polished off his chicken and dumplings one recent evening when Rep. Bennie Thompson joined him at the table just inside the restaurant at the National Democratic Club. Rep. Cedric Richmond showed up a few minutes later, completing the threesome. Clyburn of South Carolina, Thompson of Mississippi and Richmond of Louisiana have a four-year tradition of eating dinner together at the same table at the Capitol Hill restaurant every night Congress is in session. They talk about issues important to the South and ways to advance their shared legislative agenda. "We solve -- and create -- a lot of problems right here," Clyburn said. |
| Jobs Report: U.S. Adds 257,000 Jobs; Unemployment Ticks Up to 5.7 Percent | |
 | U.S. employers hired steadily last month and workers' wages picked up, suggesting the labor market is moving closer to full health more than five years after the recession. U.S. nonfarm payrolls grew by a seasonally adjusted 257,000 jobs in January, the Labor Department said Friday. And job creation was far stronger in prior months than previously estimated, with the government raising its estimates of new jobs in November and December by a combined 147,000. November's reading of 423,000 jobs added marked the strongest month of private-sector hiring since 1997. |
| China suspected in major hacking of health insurer | |
 | The massive computer breach against Anthem, the nation's second-largest health insurer, exposes a growing cyberthreat facing health-care companies that experts say are often unprepared for large attacks. Hackers gained access to the private data of 80 million former and current members and employees of Anthem in one of the largest medical-related cyber-intrusions in history. Investigators suspect Chinese hackers may be responsible for the breach, according to a person briefed on some aspects of the probe. There are also some indications that other health-care companies may have been targeted, said the individual, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the ongoing investigation. |
| Jazz ensemble at Delta State to host fundraiser | |
 | The Delta State University Jazz Ensemble will present the annual Big Band Bash dinner and dance on Friday at the Cleveland Country Club. The band will play the music of Benny Goodman, Count Basie, Glenn Miller and more, with the dance floor open to local jitter-buggers. The Big Band Bash is a crucial fundraiser for Delta State's jazz-related activities, and it supports scholarships, equipment purchases and other needs. |
| William Carey University to offer doctor of education degree | |
 | William Carey University is expanding its degree options. In November, the university's School of Education will offer the doctor of education in educational leadership K-12 --- pending approval by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges. Ben Burnett, Carey's School of Education dean, said he expects 40 to 50 students to enroll in the inaugural program. "There's a need for people to lead schools to the next level," said Burnett, who added the doctor of education is not only for administrators. |
| Man charged with Northeast Mississippi Community College computer theft | |
| A Booneville man has been arrested and charged in connection with the theft of computers from Northeast Mississippi Community College. According to Prentiss County Sheriff Randy Tolar, someone took 15 Think Pad Edge computers from the college last fall. The computers were brand new, still in the box and worth more than $10,000. Tolar said the investigation has linked Meeks to a Craigslist post advertising computers for sale. |
| Copiah-Lincoln Community College receives health grant | |
 | Copiah-Lincoln Community College, with the help of the Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation, will be helping to promote health and wellness on campus and in the community. Blue Cross & Blue Shield has given a $251,310 grant to fund Co-Lin's Power of the Pack: Wolfpack Wellness Initiative. The school will use the money to provide more equipment for the student fitness center as well as build a fitness center for faculty and staff and provide a Wolfpack Wellness program to help track wellness goals and outcomes. |
| U. of Alabama trustees vow to address concerns raised about UAB | |
 | he president pro tem for the University of Alabama board of trustees announced plans Thursday for meetings between community members and trustees to address concerns raised in the wake of the University of Alabama at Birmingham's decision to cancel its football program. "There is no simple solution to these issues. But I want to assure each of you we are taking strong steps to begin the process of more open communication. You have my word we will continue to improve the dialog as we work to move UAB and our system forward," said Karen Brooks. Brooks denied any preferential treatment of campuses by the board or its involvement in the decision to cancel the three athletic programs. |
| U. of Alabama makes the list of most beautiful Southern campus | |
| The University of Alabama has the 15th most beautiful campus in the South, according to a website that rates various aspects of the college experience. The site, www.bestcollegesonline.org, rated campuses based on awards and recognition, student enjoyment, notable features and other notable characteristics, such as historical significance or environmental friendliness. The site says that UA boasts "antebellum Southern charm," singling out the Quad, Denny Chimes and the Greek revival-style buildings on the 1,800-acre campus. |
| Public health classes canceled Friday after prof, one other killed in murder-suicide on U. of South Carolina campus | |
 | A professor at the University of South Carolina's public health division was gunned down Thursday in a campus building in what authorities say was a murder-suicide that locked down most of the campus for several hours, sources told The State newspaper. The names of the two people who died have not been disclosed officially in the first multiple shooting death at USC in more than three decades. University President Harris Pastides sent a tweet early Friday morning in honor of the professor who was killed. It read "The sun is out this morning. Let's honor Professor Fayad with respect. Show someone that we care. Hold a Gamecock's hand today." |
| UGA student indicted for social media threats of mass violence on campus | |
 | A Clarke County grand jury recently indicted a University of Georgia student for creating a scare on campus by using social media to threaten mass gun violence. Authorities said that on Sept. 19 Ariel Omar Arias, 19, warned people to stay away from the Zell B. Miller Learning Center "if you want to live," and that "I'm coming with an AK," in reference to an AK-47 assault rifle. The threat caused UGA police to evacuate the learning center and search the building for possible offenders and harmful devices. Arias, who was suspended from the university on an interim basis, told police that the threats were a prank and he had no intention to harm anyone. |
| Ceremony to salute top 100 Gator business success stories | |
 | They aren't necessarily the biggest or the most profitable. But they are the fastest-growing. One hundred companies owned or run by University of Florida alumni will be spotlighted at a gala ceremony at noon Friday at the Grand Ballroom of the Reitz Union. "We wanted to find the best Gator entrepreneurs across the country and around the world, and bring them here so students have mentors, role models," said Nola Miyasaki, executive director of Outreach and Incubation Programs at UF. |
| Mayor urges lawmakers to fund U. of Kentucky research building, suggests using money set aside for Rupp | |
 | Lexington Mayor Jim Gray urged legislative leaders Wednesday to support a $265 million medical research building at the University of Kentucky, suggesting they use $1.5 million that had been designated for his now-stalled plan to renovate Rupp Arena. In a letter dated Feb. 4, Gray set aside differences with Lexington's largest employer over the best use of state funds for public buildings. "I agree that it is a compelling project that will provide an inflection level of competitive advantage at a time when UK's research strengths are achieving national recognition," Gray wrote. |
| Former U. of Kentucky professor pleads guilty to defrauding UK | |
| A former University of Kentucky mining engineering professor pleaded guilty Thursday in federal court in Lexington to purposely defrauding UK and another employer of more than $62,000 by creating fake invoices and double billing for his expenses. Dongping "Daniel" Tao, 53, agreed to one felony count of wire fraud. He will be sentenced in June by Chief U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell. As part of a plea agreement, Tao agreed to repay $62,000 to UK and Georgia Pacific, one of the private companies he worked for while at UK. He also admitted he used grant money intended for research at UK for his consulting business instead. |
| Ross Baldwin Named Finance Director for U. of Arkansas Alumni Association | |
 | Alfred "Ross" Baldwin has been named director of finance for the University of Arkansas' Arkansas Alumni Association, the organization announced Thursday. Baldwin began work on Feb. 2, and will report to Brandy Cox, executive director and associate vice chancellor for the Arkansas Alumni Association. Baldwin is a certified public accountant, certified fraud examiner, certified internal auditor and chartered global management accountant. He previously spent seven years as an auditor with the Arkansas Division of Legislative Audit. |
| Arkansas House Panel Rejects University Firearm Bill | |
| An Arkansas House panel has rejected a proposal to force public universities to allow staff and faculty with concealed carry licenses to bring their guns on campus. The measured failed Thursday in the House education committee on a tie vote. The proposal by Republican Rep. Charlie Collins of Fayetteville would increase the scope of a 2013 law that permitted the weapons on campus, but allowed universities to opt-out. |
| Austin reporter Laylan Copelin joining Texas A&M University System | |
 | A seasoned Austin American-Statesman watchdog reporter is set to join the Texas A&M University System communications team later this month. Laylan Copelin, who spent most of the last 35 years covering Texas politics for the Austin newspaper, will begin his new role as executive director of media relations for the system on Feb. 16. Copelin said Thursday it seemed like the right time for a change. "I reached a point where I've done this a lot and it's time to take on a new challenge," he said. Copelin said he will miss his colleagues and co-workers who have showered him in maroon pins and stickers over the last week ahead of his move to Aggieland. |
| U. of Missouri curators approve tuition, fee increases | |
 | Students at all four campuses in the University of Missouri System can expect tuition costs and other fees -- including housing -- to rise beginning in the summer 2015 semester, after the Board of Curators approved the increases Thursday morning. Curator David Steelman was the sole dissenter in the 6-1 vote to raise tuition, student housing and dining rates. Steelman objected, he said, because more should be done to offset the decline in funding from the state. MU is slated to receive more than $400 million in state appropriations this year. "We cannot expect to do things the same way we did 10 years ago in our relationship with the General Assembly and the governor and expect the same results," Steelman said. |
| Do the FCC's rules on blocking mobile hot spots apply to higher education? | |
 | College and university chief information officers are unsure of what to make of the Federal Communications Commission's hard line on blocking personal wireless hot spots and whether it applies to higher education. Nearly a year after the issue emerged, the agency still has yet to clarify. In an e-mail, Theresa Rowe, C.I.O. at Oakland University, explained the quandary facing her colleagues at other institutions. "We are aware of national trends in public and commercial environments promoting open wireless access using personal devices (the B.Y.O.D. model)," Rowe wrote. "At the same time, campuses have to make sure that limited resources are fully available and operational for students, who pay for the resources through tuition. Then we have F.C.C. stepping in with rules that aren't yet clear. It is difficult for I.T. leaders to assess campus directions, as evidenced by much C.I.O. and network manager discussion in groups such as Educause." |
| Red Flags Raised on Plan to Let Title I Aid Follow Students | |
 | Education groups are fighting a proposal on Capitol Hill that would allow federal funding to follow disadvantaged students to the public schools of their choice---an idea that school district advocates see as a pit stop on the highway to Voucherville. The policy---known as "Title I portability" -- is included in a draft bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act introduced by U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander, the Tennessee Republican who chairs the Senate education committee. Education finance experts wonder if the policy is even workable, given the complexities of the Title I funding formula, which allocates about $15 billion a year to districts to help educate the poorest students. |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State Fan Day kicks off baseball season Saturday | |
| Mississippi State's 2015 baseball team introduces itself to the public on Saturday in the program's first Fan Day. Doors open at 10 a.m. for the free event, which takes place on campus inside the Palmeiro Center. Players and coach John Cohen will be available for autographs and pictures starting at 10:30 a.m. Other attractions will include music, a Kids' Zone with inflatable games, a Barnes and Noble souvenir booth, and appearances by the Diamond Girls, Champ and Bully. Refreshments and popcorn will also be served at the event free of charge. |
| Mississippi State softball wins season opener | |
| Mississippi State softball players feel like they will be a part of a much better offensive team this season. So far, so good. In its season opener, MSU pounded out eight hits and homered twice to take an 8-0 six-inning win over Mississippi Valley State in the opening game of the Bulldog Kickoff Classic Thursday night at the MSU Softball Field. "There is a lot of confidence this season," MSU sophomore outfielder Amanda Ivy said. "Everyone is believing in each other more. If you have the confidence of your teammates and your coaches, how can you not succeed? It's a different team this year with a different attitude." |
| Mississippi State's coaches knew this year's class would be special | |
| Months before the prospects filed their faxes, Mississippi State felt this year's class would be different. MSU hosted the families of Leo Lewis, Mark McLaurin and Farrod Green at the football complex for visits not unlike the hundreds they've done in the past. The atmosphere within the room, through, was a first in the Dan Mullen era. "I'm telling you, you could just feel the chemistry in the room from the people," MSU assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Tony Hughes said. "From the parents, it was different. It was different than we've ever dealt with." The moment came to fruition on Wednesday in the shape a National Signing Day class unlike any other. |
| Bulldogs target right fits for Mississippi State, Starkville | |
| Nearly 20 years ago, Dan Mullen met recruits at Newark Airport in New Jersey. Acting as the wide receivers coach for Columbia, Mullen drove a prospect into New York City and through campus. There really was no need though. Once they crossed the George Washington Bridge into the city, the decisions were obvious. You'd look in the rear-view mirror in the back seat, and you could say either we're getting him or there's no chance," Mullen said. "I might as well turn around right now, just on the look of their face." A potential player either basked in the bright lights and skyscrapers or wanted no part of it. Mullen, now entering his seventh season as Mississippi State's head coach, is in a similar position but at the opposite end of the spectrum. |
| LOGAN LOWERY (OPINION): Recruiting process can go on for years | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Logan Lowery writes: "Dan Mullen was asked how his 16th-ranked signing class was constructed on Wednesday. The seventh-year Mississippi State coach described the relationships that he and his staff had cultivated with the recruits since early in their high school careers. I can attest to that firsthand. Before I began working at the Daily Journal in 2013, I spent the previous five years as the publisher for MSU's Rivals.com website where one of my key responsibilities was covering football recruiting." |
| College Student Tags 171-Inch Mississippi Whitetail | |
| "None of them believed it. They all thought I took the pic off the Internet or something." This is how Peyton Barnes described his friends' reaction to the picture of the bruiser whitetail he took on December 23. The 19-year-old civil engineering major from Mississippi State University killed the 171-inch deer near Port Gibson on property that his family has owned and hunted for generations. "My dad started managing the 900 acres for big whitetail long before I was born. Food plots, controlled burns. In recent years we've really seen some big improvement in the size of our deer." |
| UM Board of Curators approves $16M funding plan for new Mizzou softball stadium | |
| The University of Missouri Board of Curators voted unanimously at Thursday's meeting to approve the $16 million funding plan for MU's new softball stadium. Private gifts are slated to supply $13.5 million of the project funding. The other $2.5 million will come from debt financing as part of the $72 million approved by the board in 2012 for athletics facilities projects. Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin, in comments to the curators, said he's confident MU will meet its private funding goal. If it doesn't, he said revenue generated by the SEC Network would provide another avenue for project funding. |
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