Monday, February 9, 2015   
 
Mississippi State prof lands $1.8M grant to work on flu vaccine
While scientists and physicians continue to discuss how this year's influenza vaccine has proven to be relatively ineffective, a Mississippi professor has already begun working on next year's vaccine. Dr. Henry Wan, an associate professor at Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, recently won a $1.8 million grant to help research flu strains and develop an effective vaccine for next year's flu season. "Influenza is a big problem, and we want to try to help improve the quality of life for people," Wan said. "What we're trying to do is find a way to get a more effective strain into the vaccine." Multiple MSU officials talked about just how important Wan's work is for the university and the state as a whole, as the scientist chose to move his family back to the state after graduating from the university in 2002.
 
Ag applications for drones growing
Mississippi State University researchers are preparing for the day when unmanned aerial vehicles, commonly known as drones, can be used commercially in agriculture. Their size, cost and capabilities make UAVs useful for a wide range of jobs. Some MSU researchers are already using these vehicles, and many others are examining their potential applications. Bobby Golden, a Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station researcher, is one of the university's scientists interested in using UAVs in their studies. He would like to fly a camera on a drone to get instant, aerial views of his research fields.
 
Mississippi State Students, Faculty Win Agronomy Honors
Mississippi State University faculty members and students received top honors at the Southern Branch of the American Society of Agronomy meeting in Atlanta earlier this month. Normie Buehring and Christian Baldwin, faculty members in the MSU Department of Plant and Soil Sciences, were awarded for research and teaching, respectively. A 43-year research veteran, Buehring received the Career Award in Research for his work in agricultural production systems in north Mississippi. A relative newcomer to Mississippi State, assistant professor Christian Baldwin received the Early-Career Award in Teaching. Four Mississippi State agronomy students also placed in oral and poster presentations.
 
Mississippi State executive chef earns Pro Chef II certification
The executive chef of Mississippi State University Dining now holds Pro Chef II certification from the Culinary Institute of America. Greg Huerkamp was awarded the advanced ranking following successful completion of four days of training in San Antonio, Texas. A Columbus native who studied in Mississippi University for Women's culinary program, Huerkamp called the certification process "intense."
 
Mississippi State hires plant pathologist
Rebecca Melanson has joined the Mississippi State University Extension Service as a plant pathologist. She will focus on disease management issues in fruits, vegetables and nuts. Melanson, a native of Marrero, Louisiana, holds a bachelor's degree in biology from Centenary College of Louisiana. She earned a master's degree and doctorate in plant health with an emphasis in plant pathology at Louisiana State University.
 
National Book Award winner to read poetry Tuesday at Mississippi State
Acclaimed poet Terrance Hayes is the distinguished guest for the College of Arts & Sciences Institute for the Humanities' second annual Writer-in-Residence the week of Feb. 9-13 at Mississippi State University. Hayes will give a poetry reading Tuesday at 7 p.m. in McCool Hall's Taylor Auditorium. The reading is open to the public. During his visit, Hayes will meet with a creative writing class, and participate in an informal discussion session with the African American Studies Program. He will also hold office hours during his stay to work with students on their creative writing. Department of English Associate Professor and Director of the Creative Writing Program Catherine Pierce believes Hayes is one of the most influential poets of this time.
 
PHOTO: MSU-Meridian hosts luncheon for community colleges
Dr. Kevin Ennis, assistant professor of accounting at Mississippi State University-Meridian visits with Dr. Scott Elliott, president of Meridian Community College, and Dr. Billy Stewart, president of East Central Community College, at the university's annual Community College luncheon held Friday in Kahlmus Auditorium. Each year advisors, instructors and administrators from East Central Community College, East Mississippi Community College, Jones County Junior College and Meridian Community College are invited to the luncheon to learn more about MSU-Meridian and to develop new relationships and strengthen ties between the colleges and the local university.
 
'Magnolia Affair' to make beautiful music for Starkville-MSU Symphony Association
With the mission of making beautiful music for the Starkville-MSU Symphony Association and Golden Triangle communities, "A Magnolia Affair" on Saturday, Feb. 14 features live music, heavy hors d'oeuvres, a silent auction and two raffle drawings. The annual Symphony Association fundraiser is from 6 p.m.-10:30 p.m. at the Hunter Henry Center on the Mississippi State University campus. "We get funding from a number of sources, but one of the principal ones is our annual fundraiser," said Robert Phillips, who co-chairs the event with his wife, Lucy Phillips. "The association, which includes the Symphony Orchestra, the Symphony Chorus and programs for children, are all supported by this."
 
'Berenstain Bears LIVE!' brings family fun to MSU Riley Center
Adapted from the classic children's book series by Stan and Jan Berenstain, "The Berenstain Bears LIVE!" brings everyone's favorite bear family to life in a thrilling theatrical experience that kids as well as their parents will treasure for many years to come. Come on down to Bear Country at the MSU Riley Center in downtown Meridian on Friday at 7 p.m. to see Brother Bear, Sister Bear, Papa Bear and Mama Bear sing and dance in this colorful new musical filled with fun for the whole family.
 
Mississippi webinar series offers free technology tips
A free webinar series beginning next week will offer business owners tips for using technology to increase sales and customer satisfaction. The Mississippi State University Extension Service, Mississippi Main Street Association and Mississippi Development Authority Entrepreneur Center are partnering to deliver four sessions related to business development. Each is noon to 12:50 p.m. Business owners can connect with a community group at one of several host sites across the state or access the webinars online. Participants may attend individual sessions or the entire series.
 
Wild hogs threaten state economy, expert says
Perhaps the biggest threat to Mississippi tromps around on four legs and wallows in the mud. It is a powerful, intelligent and seemingly indestructible beast that left unbridled could ruin the Magnolia State's agricultural and hunting economy. Wild hogs are rooting up crops, chomping down trees, destroying levees, and spreading disease as they reproduce at an alarming rate, Cliff Covington, Mississippi State University Extension Service Wildlife Specialist, told the Warren County Forestry Association during its recent annual meeting.
 
Nomination window for Starkville Restaurant Week closes Monday
Residents have until the end of business hours Monday to submit charity nominations for this year's Starkville Restaurant Week. Nominations can be made online at StarkvilleRestaurantWeek.com/nominate. This year's event is scheduled for March 13-22. Greater Starkville Development Partnership organizers expanded its timeframe to 10 days in an attempt to cash in on March's college baseball series between Mississippi State University and the University of Alabama, a weekend that could draw large crowds to Starkville's various restaurants.
 
Starkville Municipal Court report: Theft-related cases surged in 2014
Starkville Municipal Court handled more misdemeanor and felony charges involving theft, burglary and robbery last year than in 2013, a report shows. The city's overall load, comprised of traffic citations, misdemeanors and felonies, hit 10,490 cases last year, an increase from 2013's 10,008 mark. Court Administrator Tony Rook alluded to an increase in shoplifting, saying 95 percent of the 85 misdemeanor theft cases reported in 2013 was from such instances. "I've used the term 'epidemic' in this town as far as theft crimes," said Judge Rodney Faver Tuesday. "We're doing everything we can under the law to protect the merchants."
 
Documenting history's signs: Starkville native photographing state's historical markers
William "Brother" Rogers spoke to members of the Columbus Exchange Club at Lion Hills on Thursday about his newfound passion: Mississippi historical markers. You've seen them. Most are green, though some are blue, red or black. They each mark a spot of historical significance and give information about the person, place or event that made it significant. Rogers, the associate director of the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service in Starkville, first became interested in the markers last May when he had the opportunity to photograph one in Columbus commemorating Mississippi State College for Women, now Mississippi University for Women. Rogers said the marker was originally erected in 1950 and had been damaged. He took a picture of the newly-restored sign. It was this event which kicked off the Starkville resident's quest to find them all.
 
Lowndes pulls reservation for aluminum mill
The chances of Lowndes County being the future home of an aluminum mill that employs 650-plus people have taken a step back. American Specialty Alloys officials have been informed that 826 acres of land in the Golden Triangle Industrial Park that had been reserved for the company's planned $1.2 billion plant are now open to other potential projects. Joe Max Higgins, the CEO of the Golden Triangle Development LINK, said the decision was made about two weeks ago after the company failed to provide assurances requested by LINK officials.
 
Mississippi State Mourns Death of U.S. Rep. Alan Nunnelee
U.S. Rep. Patrick "Alan" Nunnelee, R-Tupelo, who recently was re-elected to his third term as Mississippi's 1st Congressional District representative, died Friday at the age of 56 from inoperable brain cancer and complications from a subsequent stroke, family and staff sources confirmed. "Congressman Nunnelee was a man of strength and tenacity whose legacy will be his dedicated service to the people of Mississippi and the nation. I greatly admired the courage and selflessness with which he waged his long and valiant battle against the terrible illness that ultimately claimed his life," said MSU President Mark E. Keenum.
 
Nunnelee remembered
"Alan built a distinguished career in the legislative branches of both state and federal government. He loved and served MSU as a student, as an alumnus and later as a legislator. My wife Rhonda joins with me and the rest of the MSU family in mourning the untimely death of this dedicated public servant and fellow Bulldog." -- Mark Keenum, Mississippi State University president.
 
Nunnelee condolences come from White House, Caldwell classmates
In the final months of his life, fighting a losing battle against the effects of brain cancer and a stroke, Republican U.S. Rep. Alan Nunnelee of Mississippi said he drew strength from a Bible verse about giving thanks to God in all circumstances. "I am glad the Scripture in Thessalonians does not say to give thanks for all circumstances because I would have a difficult time being thankful for a tumor or a stroke, much less both," he told supporters in an email last August. Nunnelee was 56 when he died Friday at his home. A fiscal and social conservative, Nunnelee, who attended Caldwell High School in Columbus, was elected to Congress in a Republican wave of 2010. Keith Heard, Sen. Thad Cochran's chief of staff, said Mississippi not only lost a good congressman in Nunnelee, but a good man in general. A Columbus resident, Heard said he first met Nunnelee when they were students at Mississippi State University.
 
Alan Nunnelee, Mississippi congressman, dies at 56
Rep. Alan Nunnelee, a Mississippi Republican and part of the historic 2010 GOP wave election that gave the party control of the House, died Friday, the family confirmed. He was 56. Nunnelee, who was serving his third term, underwent brain surgery last June and had been in and out of hospitals and rehabilitation centers the past year. A graduate of Clinton High School and Mississippi State University, Nunnelee was in the insurance business in Tupelo for many years. He later won the state Senate seat (representing Lee and Pontotoc counties) that Republican Roger Wicker had held before Wicker won election to the U.S. House in 1994.
 
Alan Nunnelee, conservative congressman, dies at 56
Alan Nunnelee, a fiscal and social conservative elected to Congress in a Republican wave of 2010 after a long tenure in the Mississippi state senate, died Feb. 6 at his home in Tupelo, Miss. He was 56. Alan Nunnelee was born in Tupelo on Oct. 9, 1958. He graduated from Mississippi State University in 1980. In 2010, Mr. Nunnelee unseated Democrat Travis Childers, who had held north Mississippi's 1st District seat since mid-2008. Mr. Nunnelee was a member of the House Appropriations Committee.
 
Governor will set election after Nunnelee's death
After U.S. Rep. Alan Nunnelee's death on Friday, Gov. Phil Bryant will within 60 days set a special election to fill the vacant seat. State law dictates that Bryant call the election within 60 days of the representative's death, and that it be held within 60 days of his call. Candidates for the office must provide a petition with 1,000 voters' signatures and qualify with the Secretary of State's Office at least 45 days before the election. In the meantime, the office of the former representative remains open, with the clerk of the House overseeing its staff and limited operations.
 
State contracting process faces revamping
On the heels of the indictment of former Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps on the allegation of accepting bribes, two Lee County legislators have bills alive this session to revamp the process for awarding state contracts. Bills have been passed out of the Accountability, Efficiency and Transparency committees in both chambers and are expected to be taken up by the full House and Senate by Thursday. House Accountability, Efficiency and Transparency Chairman Jerry Turner, R-Baldwyn, passed similar legislation last year that died in the Senate. This year Senate Accountability, Efficiency and Transparency Chairwoman Nancy Collins, R-Tupelo, has similar legislation. A big difference, though, is that Turner has added a provision to his bill that would require statewide and districtwide elected officials who receive a gift of more than $500 to report it to the state Ethics Commission.
 
Senator Burton Talks Mississippi Legislature
The Mississippi Legislature has been in full swing for a month now and many bills have survived, while other bills have died. Senator Terry C. Burton of Newton says that so far this year, the legislature has gone very well. "The lieutenant governor's agenda and mine are very close on some of the things we want to accomplish," Senator Burton stated. "We've gotten some energy bills out that we've passed that will be beneficial to the state of Mississippi. We passed some education bills that will be very beneficial. We've got a task force that we are creating, we haven't taken the bill up on the floor yet."
 
Analysis: New Democrat Johnson has tough campaign ahead
Former state Sen. Tim Johnson jumped from Republican to Democrat last week to launch his campaign for Mississippi lieutenant governor, and he faces a difficult path in a state where the GOP controls seven of eight statewide offices and both chambers of the Legislature. Republican Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves is seeking a second term and is backed by powerful supporters. He begins this year's race with about $2.4 million in his campaign fund. Johnson, 55, starts with no campaign cash. Describing himself as a "reformed Republican," the businessman who often performs as an Elvis Presley impersonator was greeted with cheers and loud applause from a few dozen Democrats who stood with him in the Capitol as he announced his candidacy.
 
Zuber, with more than $140,009, has biggest campaign fund among Coast delegation in Mississippi House
Rep. Herb Frierson outraised the rest of the Coast's state House delegation but Rep. Hank Zuber by far has the most cash on hand, according to reports filed at the end of January. Frierson, a Poplarville Republican who is the Appropriations Committee chairman, raised $50,850 last year, a non-election year. He has $79,759 to start the election year. Zuber, R-Ocean Springs, raised $39,500 and had $143,882 on hand. Second-year Rep. Jeramey Anderson, D-Moss Point, finished at the other end of the spectrum with $5.03 on hand. He raised $10,462, the year after he won a special election to replace Billy Broomfield, who retired to become Moss Point mayor.
 
U.S. Supreme Court Won't Stop Same-Sex Marriages in Alabama
The United States Supreme Court said early Monday that it would not stop same-sex marriages in Alabama, as gay couples gathered outside courthouses across the state. Justices on Monday morning denied a request by the Alabama attorney general to extend a hold on a judge's ruling overturning the state's ban on gay marriage. The attorney general, Luther Strange, had asked the United States Supreme Court to halt the weddings until the justices settle the issue nationwide when they take it up this year.
 
Saltillo prodigy began college at 15 years old
University of Mississippi freshman Andrew Hayes generally blends in on campus, except for one distinction. His mother drops him off at school each day. Hayes, 16, is the youngest full-time American student at the 23,000-student university. When the Saltillo resident enrolled last fall, he was only 15, typically the age when a pupil begins 10th grade. He was one of four 15-year-olds in this year's freshman class, including two dual enrollment students from Oxford High School and a student from Vietnam. Despite that, he earned a 4.0 grade-point-average in his first semester and already is officially classified as a sophomore.
 
Gladys Knight to come to Jackson for UMMC benefit concert
Mississippi music lovers will have a unique opportunity to hear a living icon and support Alzheimer's research at what's expected to be a sold-out concert on March 22. Gladys Knight, one of music's biggest legends, is set to perform at 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 22 at Thalia Mara Hall in downtown Jackson. The Empress of Soul will visit the City with Soul to give a benefit concert for the MIND Center, a national leader in Alzheimer's disease research and clinical care at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
 
Auburn taps VanValkenburg vice president for alumni affairs
Following a national search, Gretchen R. VanValkenburg has been named vice president for alumni affairs and executive director of the Auburn Alumni Association at Auburn University. Her appointment begins March 1. VanValkenburg, a 1986 graduate of the Harbert College of Business, currently serves as executive director of development and alumni engagement at the University of West Florida. She fills the position vacated by the retirement of Debbie Shaw, who had headed the Office of Alumni Affairs at Auburn since 2006 and worked at the university since 1983.
 
Auburn University student falls 100 feet off cliff near state park
An Auburn University student fell 100 feet off a cliff wall near Chewacla State Park Sunday, and was rescued by lawmen who rappelled down to her. The fall happened about 3:30 p.m. at a private rock quarry near the state park. Alabama Law Enforcement Agency state troopers were called in to help Auburn police, according to a press release issued this evening by ALEA. The incident remains under investigation by the Auburn Police Department. Police told WTVM that charges could be filed because the rock quarry is private property.
 
Auburn trustees approve demolition of Parker, Allison halls
Friday, Auburn University's Board of Trustees approved the initiation of a project to build a new academic classroom and laboratory complex -- which allows the university to start the selection process of architectural and project management firms -- and in doing so approved the demolition of Parker and Allison halls. The board initially approved the Central Classroom Facility project in 2011, which was intended to create state-of-the-art spaces that encourage collaborative learning. The overall classroom program will include two buildings and one instructional laboratory facility. In September 2014, the Board adopted a resolution approving the program requirements and funding plan for the first of the three buildings, the Mell Classroom Building.
 
LSU says budget cuts could mean widespread layoffs, elimination of classes
Widespread layoffs, hundreds of classes eliminated, academic programs jettisoned and a flagship university that can't compete with its peers around the nation -- those are among the grim scenarios LSU leaders outlined in internal documents as the threat of budget cuts loom. Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration is considering deep budget slashing to higher education for the fiscal year that begins July 1 to help close a $1.6 billion shortfall. The potential implications of such hefty cuts were summed up in stark terms: 1,433 faculty and staff jobs eliminated; 1,572 courses cut; 28 academic programs shut down across campuses; and 6 institutions declaring some form of financial emergency.
 
USDA deputy secretary visits UGA to discuss hunger
Krysta Harden grew up on a south Georgia farm. But when the University of Georgia alum left her home state for Washington, D.C., two weeks after graduation, she aspired to work on Capitol Hill, not in agriculture. Harden said as much to members of Congress when encouraged to work on the 2008 Farm Bill. It was while working on agriculture policies that Harden said she discovered how much she did care about farm-related issues. Harden's visit to UGA last week was part of a tour of colleges throughout Georgia. While addressing UGA agriculture students, Harden discussed worldwide hunger and the role American society and the federal government play in the fight against hunger.
 
UGA study finds beach trash even on Georgia's secluded islands
Dodie Sanders and her student volunteers never came back empty handed whenever she led them to the beach to clean up trash, sometimes filling as many as five waste bags with plastic bottles, wrappers and other garbage. The sandy shores Sanders visited regularly to pick up litter for two years had no nearby hotels or restaurants and no big crowds on spring break and summer vacation. They were the beaches of Wassaw Island, one of the most primitive and unspoiled barrier islands on the Georgia coast. Sanders' trash-collecting trips were part of a study by the University of Georgia and its Savannah research campus, the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, that examined how garbage piles up on beaches and marshes along the state's 100-mile coast.
 
U. of Florida students hope others will rethink the traditional home
A shipping container intrigued passers-by walking through the Reitz Union North Lawn on the University of Florida campus Friday. Outfitted with windows and a door, the container's facade resembled a miniature house. Inside, the container held many objects you'd find in a home: a desk, a TV and an air conditioning unit. Five students invited bystanders to explore the home, enticing onlookers with games such as Jenga and darts. These five students comprised UF's Bateman team, and they were ready to challenge the traditional notions of what a home represents. The unveiling of the shipping container home kicked-off the newest campaign put on by five students representing UF’s Public Relations Student Society of America chapter.
 
U. of Kentucky offers free couples checkup to celebrate Valentine's Day
You go to the doctor. Take your car for an oil change. Replace the furnace filters. But how often do you and your partner take the temperature of your relationship? The University of Kentucky Family Center is sponsoring free relationship checkups in conjunction with Valentine's Day week. The idea, said Ron Werner-Wilson, chairman of the department of Family Sciences, is that the Valentine chocolate will be gobbled until it is but a puddle in the stomach and the flowers will wilt, but a relationship checkup can yield a variety of constructive steps forward that will last longer. And it's free.
 
Michael Young excited about unexpected opportunity to lead Texas A&M
A month ago, Michael Young was content with finishing his academic career as president of the University of Washington. Instead of spending a Saturday in Seattle hiking or biking with his wife, Marti, Young woke up ready to go house hunting halfway across the country in College Station. Prior to January, the only interaction prior he had with Texas A&M University -- the school he is set to officially become president of in less than three weeks -- was a football game in 2004 when the Aggies traveled to Salt Lake City to play the University of Utah, the school Young was president of at the time. "It's been a bit of a whirlwind but it's been nice," Young said. "The welcome has been truly extraordinary."
 
Six Texas A&M students headed to Portugal to compete in global food challenge
Six Texas A&M University students on a mission to cultivate a new generation of farmers will compete for $10,000 in seed money to fund their vision on an international stage next week. The team, composed of graduate students Juan Whiting, Shiva Thompson, Taya Brown, Levi Brewer, Nathaniel Haight and recent graduate Andrew McArdle, is one of ten finalists selected from a field of more than 300 teams around the world that will pitch their solutions to feeding 9 billion people by the year 2050 to judges at the Thought for Food competition in Lisbon, Portugal, on Feb. 13-14.
 
Texas A&M librarians present plan to reduce textbook costs
Texas A&M librarians are working toward securing more free textbooks for students while allowing thousands of research papers to be read by the public, marking two goals discussed at a weekend workshop aimed at encouraging open access initiatives at SEC schools. The world of free online textbooks and open access publishing is foreign to some professors who are comfortable in assigning the same textbooks each semester, said David Carlson, dean of the Texas A&M University Libraries. "What we find is some faculty get used to the textbooks," he said. "They can be using them for years and they like it. So it's easy to reassign it every year." Meanwhile, students are paying an average of $1,200 per year for textbooks, according to a 2014 study from the Student Public Interest Research Group.
 
U. of Missouri's 'Speaking of Culture' series shines light on Hugh Hefner for Valentine's Day
Setting the mood for Valentine's Day, University of Missouri history professor Steven Watts spoke Sunday afternoon at Orr Street Studios about the "profound" impact of Hugh Hefner on the modern American consumer and political culture. The talk, attended by about 35 people, was part of the MU Honors College's monthly "Speaking of Culture" series. The series features MU faculty discussing topics including music, art, poetry and literature. Watts specializes in American intellectual and cultural history. He has published several books including biographies of Walt Disney and Henry Ford. His most recent book focused on a more controversial figure: Hugh Hefner. "Mr. Playboy: Hugh Hefner and the American Dream" was published in 2009.
 
Obama Says Students Should 'Get the Best Skills Possible,' Quickly and Cheaply
Middle-class college students should have more opportunities to "get the best skills possible," as quickly and cheaply as possible, and making community-college tuition free would help achieve that goal, President Obama said on Friday during an address at Ivy Tech Community College in Indianapolis. Speaking and answering questions from students at the headquarters of one of the nation's largest statewide community-college systems, the president touted his free-tuition proposal and said that heading straight to a four-year college isn't for everyone. Some educators have questioned whether a so-called skills gap is partly the fault of employers who have reduced their commitments to on-the-job training and so shifted more of the responsibility for specialized skills training to community colleges.
 
Colleges start new efforts, rules to confront spread of measles and other contagious diseases
The outbreak of measles in the United States is leading some institutions to change rules or practices. Meanwhile, cases of norovirus have spread to a third college in Virginia. The two diseases have drawn more attention to the risk of epidemics on campuses, where masses of students and employees work and study together and, at residential campuses, live in close quarters. The measles outbreak has drawn attention to the lack of uniform procedures at colleges and among states about vaccination requirements.
 
NIH Director Sees Gradual Brightening for Medical Research
In a recent visit with The Chronicle, t he director of the National Institutes of Health, Francis S. Collins, spoke of brighter days ahead for his agency and medical researchers after a decade of tough budgetary constraints. The Obama administration has asked Congress to spend $31.3-billion on the NIH in the 2016 fiscal year, up about $1-billion from its current level, and Dr. Collins said there are signs that Congress may be ready to put the agency on a more sustainable financial path in the years ahead. Dr. Collins also explained why the timing is now right for the "precision medicine initiative" proposed by the president, given advances in genetics and electronic medical records, and he envisions tough but steady progress in the NIH's campaign to improve conditions throughout the life cycle of medical researchers.
 
GEOFF PENDER (OPINION): Yes, sir, Rep. Nunnelee; you made a difference
The Clarion-Ledger's Geoff Pender writes: "Amid the news scramble Friday upon news of U.S. Rep. Alan Nunnelee's death, a friend, who is decidedly not that into politics, called me and at one point asked about Nunnelee: 'What was he like?' '"Well,' I said, then quickly summed up what in essence leaders from Washington to Tupelo had been saying all day: 'He was just a really, really nice guy.' That may sound trite, but it was no platitude. Nunnelee was most notably nice, gentlemanly, friendly and sincere. ...House Speaker John Boehner said it much better, that Nunnelee was 'the rare calming presence in the cauldron of politics.' Nunnelee was effective, and a staunch Republican, but as the saying goes, he wasn't mad about it."
 
SID SALTER (OPINION): Metropolis produced more than one super man
Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: "In the DC Comics I read as a boy, Metropolis was since 1939 a grand city that was home to Superman and The Daily Planet newspaper where's Superman's alter ego Clark Kent worked and kept a close eye on Lois Lane. But in the real world, there's a real town in southern Illinois that lays substantial claim to the comic book hero and it's called Metropolis, Illinois. The town's newspaper is called The Metropolis Planet. On Jan. 28, the newspaper ran an obituary of a real life hero and a truly super man. His name was Stanley R. Brinker and he died on Jan. 16 at the age of 71."


SPORTS
 
Mississippi State upsets Texas A&M in OT, moves closer to NCAA berth
The calendar may read February, but the atmosphere inside Humphrey Coliseum on Sunday felt like a day in March. Martha Alwal carried teammate Savannah Carter in her arms after Mississippi State's 63-61 overtime win over Texas A&M. A microphone then found its way to Alwal, who yelled to the crowd, "How 'bout them dogs!" During the postgame press conference, MSU coach Vic Schaefer warned that he might get emotional. He did, as he fought back tears at one point. Adding to the emotion, the win provided MSU (23-3, 8-3 SEC) with its eighth SEC victory, which all but locks a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
 
No. 17 Mississippi State edges Lady Aggies in OT
Victoria Vivians' lone 3-point basket of the game proved to be the game-winner Sunday afternoon. Vivians' 3-pointer from the corner with 55 seconds remaining gave the Bulldogs the lead for good as No. 17 Mississippi State won a 63-61 overtime thriller against No. 13 Texas A&M before 4,651 at Humphrey Coliseum. MSU improved to 23-3 overall and 8-3 in league play, while Texas A&M fell to 18-6 and 6-4. MSU's 23 wins rank second-most in school history, one back of the all-time record set in 1999-00 and 2002-03.
 
No. 14 Aggie women suffer overtime loss to 17th-ranked Mississippi State
Vic Schaefer's defense helped the Texas A&M women's basketball program to a national championship, Sunday it dealt the Aggies a gut-wrenching loss. The 14th-ranked Aggies missed a pair of field goals in the final seconds of regulation, then misfired twice in the closing seconds of overtime as 17th-ranked Mississippi State pulled out a 63-61 Southeastern Conference victory at Humphrey Coliseum before an announced crowd of 4,651. "It was a tremendous basketball game between two tremendous teams," Schaefer said. "It is rewarding to see where we were and to see where we are now."
 
Bulldogs ready for another Omaha run
Mississippi State has advanced to the postseason in each of the past four seasons under John Cohen. Following a run to the championship series of the 2013 College World Series, the Diamond Dogs saw their season end prematurely in the finals of the Lafayette Regional last year. MSU is reloaded with another highly-touted signing class and ready to make another run at Omaha this spring. "I think we're in pretty good shape," Cohen said Saturday. "I think our kids are mentally and physically in a really good place. I think they're excited about interacting with our fans. Hopefully we'll get some good early weather and get this thing going."
 
Mitchell unsure of role on talented Mississippi State pitching staff
Ross Mitchell knows to expect the unexpected. With less than a week remaining until Mississippi State's baseball team opens its 125th season, Mitchell, MSU's do-everything pitcher for the past three seasons, knows he will figure prominently into the team's plans on the mound. He just doesn't know what those plans are. "They haven't really told us," Mitchell said. "It doesn't matter to me. Whether I'm starting in the SEC or coming out of the bullpen, it's about throwing strikes and getting outs. This team has so many good arms. It's just a matter of making your pitches count when you get out there."
 
Mississippi State catcher Gavin Collins will miss start of season
Mississippi State won't have its best returning hitter to start the season on Friday. Gavin Collins will miss the start of the season with a hand injury John Cohen confirmed Monday morning. The injury, first reported by Scout.com's Gene's Page, will keep Collins sidelined for 3 to 5 weeks Cohen said. The high-end of the timetable places the catcher's possible return during the second week of March and the start of the Southeastern Conference season. "Expecting a full and quick recovery," Cohen said in text.
 
College baseball's new balls could be start of changes aimed to bring offense back
College baseball's over-reaction to the "Gorilla Ball" days has the game in its worst hitting slump in nearly half a century. Teams hit 0.39 home runs per game last season. That's the all-time low in the recorded history of NCAA college baseball (dating to 1970). Batting average (.270) and runs per game (5.08) were at their lowest since 1973, the final year wooden bats were used. "You're not supposed to play outfielders 20 steps from the infield," said Kyle Peterson, an ESPN analyst and former major leaguer. "That's not the way the game was meant to be played." The fix -- baseball enthusiasts hope -- is here. For the first time in 40 years, baseball season will begin with teams using an altered ball.
 
Coach Dean Smith, Champion of College Basketball and of Racial Equality, Dies at 83
Dean Smith, who built the University of North Carolina men's basketball team into a perennial national power in his 36 years at Chapel Hill and became one of the game's most respected figures for qualities that transcended the court, died on Saturday in Chapel Hill, N.C. He was 83. The university announced his death. His family said in 2010 that he had a progressive neurological disorder that affected his memory. Smith had 879 victories, fourth most among major college men's basketball coaches, and his teams won two national championships. But it was his values -- his fight against racial discrimination when segregation was still prevalent in the South and his insistence that his players prepare themselves for a future beyond the game -- that earned him an especially enduring stature.
 
Auburn approves construction of college football's largest video scoreboard
Auburn is set to install the largest video scoreboard in college football. The Auburn Board of Trustees approved a plan Friday to install the scoreboard above the grandstands in the south end zone of Jordan-Hare Stadium. The project, budgeted at $13.9 million, will commence in March and is expected to be completed in August. The scoreboard structure will be 200 feet wide and 105 feet tall. The video board will measure 190-by-57 feet and 10,830 square feet, surpassing the current scoreboard at Texas A&M, which measures 7,661 square feet and is considered the largest video board in college football.
 
Wine, Beer Sales Total $235K at Razorback Stadium
ArkansasBusiness.com is the website partner of the Arkansas Business journal. The totals are in: Wine and beer sales at Razorback Stadium during this football season netted the Athletics Department at the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville $26,126, according to figures provided by the department. Those with club seating at the stadium were allowed to buy wine and beer there for the first time beginning last fall.
 
After U.A.B. Program's Death, Outcry Raises the Possibility of a Quick Resurrection
In the turbulent weeks since the University of Alabama at Birmingham announced that it would shutter its Division I football program, rallies and protests have erupted on campus, powerful donors have threatened to withhold their support, and the faculty senate approved a resolution of no confidence in President Ray L. Watts's ability to lead the university. The message was delivered: Football is a serious matter in Alabama. And up against a wave of opposition, Watts and U.A.B. have cracked open the door for a potential reinstatement of the football program in 2016. It is a humbling turnabout from the confident statements by Watts and the board of trustees in the wake of the original decision on Dec. 2.



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