Wednesday, February 11, 2015   
 
Farm bill deadlines are approaching
Two critical 2014 farm bill deadlines are approaching fast, and Mississippi State University experts encourage producers to take action now. Landowners must update yield history and reallocate base acres by Feb. 27. By March 31, producers must decide between two new programs designed to help manage risk: Agricultural Risk Coverage, known as ARC, and Price Loss Coverage, known as PLC. "Now is the time for landowners to update base yields and reallocate base acres, which will be in place for at least the next five years," said Keith Coble, an agricultural economist with the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station and MSU Extension Service.
 
Dearman, an MSU alum, wins Heidel Economic Development Leadership Award
Jen Dearman loves to learn. As the community and economic development director for the city of Pascagoula, it's important to her to improve her skills in order to bring more business to the city. So, she said it's a special privilege to receive the 2015 Ray & Jimmy Heidel Economic Development Leadership Award -- awarded to her last week at the Mississippi Economic Development Council's winter conference. The award is given as part of one training opportunity -- the True South Basic Economic Development Course, a four-day class at the University of Southern Mississippi. Dearman has a bachelor's of arts degree in cultural anthropology from Mississippi State University.
 
New candidates for justice court, supervisor races emerge in Oktibbeha County
Thirty-five candidates have now filed qualification forms for a variety of Oktibbeha County elections after new contenders emerged last week for a justice court position, District 1's supervisor race and the county's coroner job. The already crowded contest for Oktibbeha's third justice court judge seat again expanded when Republican Buddy Johnston entered the race. Additionally, first-term District 1 Supervisor John Montgomery will now face an election challenge as Democrat Donald Thompson submitted his qualification forms, and Coroner Michael Hunt, a Democrat, formalized his re-election bid. Officials within the circuit clerk's office also confirmed sheriff candidate George Carrithers switched parties and is now running as a Republican.
 
Louisville Republican challenges Hood in District 35 race
A third candidate has entered the race for Mississippi District 35 representative. Louisville Republican Brian Sims, 38, has qualified to face one-term incumbent Joey Hood (R-Ackerman), also 38, in an August primary. Another Louisville resident, 34-year-old Patrick Warner, who works as a Starkville firefighter, is running as a Democrat for that House seat. District 35 includes portions of Attala, Choctaw, Webster and Winston counties. A conservative, Sims said he wants to help what he believes is government overreach on both the state and federal levels. He said responsible state government should allow the "maximum level of liberty" for all citizens.
 
Delta Energy launches 91-job plant in Natchez
A company that renders shredded rubber for carbon solids and hydrocarbon liquids for use in rubber compounds announced Tuesday it would locate a production facility on the former International Paper property in Natchez. Delta-Energy Group said the $45 million investment by its wholly owned subsidiary Delta-Energy Natchez would result in the creation of 91 new jobs. The company's investment includes the purchase of a warehouse and 30 acres of the 478-acre former IP property, which Adams County and economic development officials have been marketing as an industrial park since purchasing it in 2013.
 
Philadelphia aldermen advertise for new economic development position
Philadelphia began advertising a new economic development position this week. The individual would implement economic development and business strategies and troubleshoot problems in an attempt to remove obstacles, the job description said, while promoting the proposed Marty Stuart Center. The mayor and board of aldermen allocated $50,000 for the position during fiscal 2015, but Mayor James A. Young said the board has no idea what the new position would cost the city as yet. "We don't know what the market has out there," he said. The director would initially focus on promoting the Marty Stuart Center that's set to open sometime in the future. The center is expected to house Stuart's vast collection of country music memorabilia.
 
Oyster Council will focus on environment, economy and aquaculture in South Mississippi
The Governor's Oyster Council has until June 2 to show Gov. Phil Bryant ways to deal with a crisis in the Mississippi oyster industry. Then comes the hard part -- finding money to implement the plan. "That's when the fun starts," Corky Perret, who retired from the state Department of Marine Resources after retiring from a similar agency in Louisiana, said only half-jokingly after the council's first meeting, at the Maritime & Seafood Industry Museum in Biloxi. Coming up with solutions to the declining oyster harvest can't come fast enough for distributors, processors and restaurateurs.
 
New Civil Rights Museum on Track For Completion
In former Gov. Haley Barbour's address Tuesday morning about the progress of the state's new civil rights museum, he stressed the importance of not only recognizing Mississippi's history, but improving the city of Jackson. "It is in the best interest of all Mississippians that the capital city be a great city. We need to do what we can do to make Jackson a great city because many people only judge the state by Jackson; it's the only place they come," Barbour said. The museum, Barbour said, will enhance Jackson greatly and teach Mississippians "about the things of which we ought to be very proud and the things that we need to learn about so we don't commit those sins again," he said. "And Mississippi is long past ready for that."
 
Graduation gap rising between white and black students
A half-century after the U.S. Supreme Court decried "separate and unequal" public schools, a 21-percent graduation gap is rising between white and black male students across the U.S. "The American educational system is creating a chasm of denied opportunities and contributing to the further devaluation of an entire population," the Schott Foundation for Public Education report said in a report released Wednesday. The gap was a 19-percent graduation gap in school year 2009-2010, rising to 21 percentage points in 2012-2013. In Mississippi, that gap is 12 percent. The state's 51 percent graduation rate of black male students, however, remains one of the lowest in the nation, according to the report.
 
Chris McDaniel Looks to Play in Mississippi Special Election
Flashbacks to last year's brutal Senate primary in Mississippi have The Magnolia State operatives fretting a special election to replace the late Rep. Alan Nunnelee. Nunnelee, 56, died on Feb. 6 after a short battle with brain cancer. Republicans will almost certainly retain his seat in a yet-to-be scheduled special election, but multiple Mississippi GOP operatives expressed concern the race could become a proxy battle between state Sen. Chris McDaniel's tea party supporters and mainstream Republicans who supported Sen. Thad Cochran's re-election in 2014. Fresh from launching the United Conservatives Fund super PAC last month, McDaniel said his group could support a candidate in the 1st District special election. Local operatives were hesitant to speak on the record a day after hundreds packed a church in Tupelo, Miss., for Nunnelee's funeral. But a handful of state Republicans privately expressed concern to CQ Roll Call about McDaniel's involvement in the race.
 
Reeves proposes $400 million in tax cuts over 10 years
Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves on Tuesday proposed $400 million in tax cuts over the next 10 years, including breaks for big businesses, mom-and-pop shops and rank-and-file taxpayers. Reeves calls his plan the "Taxpayer Raise Act of 2015." It would eliminate the 3-percent tax bracket levied on individual income, allow a state self-employment tax deduction equal to the federal one, and eliminate the state's corporate franchise tax. Reeves said state revenue growth -- which has averaged 3 percent to 4 percent a year over the last 25 years -- should easily cover the tax cuts as they are phased in over a decade.
 
Reeves proposes $380 million tax cut
Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves says 1 million Mississippians will benefit from his tax-cut proposal, which would be phased-in over a 10-year period, save income taxpayers at least $150 a year and cost the state general fund about $380 million. Reeves, during a news conference Tuesday at a Richland power generator manufacturer, said economic growth created by the tax cuts will more than make up for the loss to the general fund. "I believe government shouldn't be in the business of picking winners and losers, and this plan reaches all Mississippians," Reeves said in prepared remarks.
 
House approves funds for rural hospitals
The House approved legislation late Tuesday that would create a $10 million grant program for the state's struggling rural hospitals. No one voted against the legislation, though many House Democrats argued that the proposal would provide only minimal help, while opting into the federal Medicaid expansion to cover the working poor would be a much bigger boost for small rural hospitals and the state's health care system. Mississippi is one of 22 states where the Republican political leadership has refused to expand Medicaid as allowed under the Affordable Care Act.
 
School innovation bill clears both chambers
The House and Senate passed legislation Tuesday allowing local school districts to be exempted from certain state regulations to try innovative approaches. The Districts of Innovation legislation passed the Senate without a dissenting vote and the House 118-1. Last year, it passed the House, but died in the Senate Education Committee. The differences between the House and Senate bills will have to be reconciled later in the process. The districts -- up to five a year -- would be under the regulatory authority of the state Board of Education and would have to meet the same achievement levels required of other local school districts. Senate Education Chair Gray Tollison, R-Oxford, said the hope is that the districts would exceed those requirements.
 
Autism insurance bill passes Senate floor
Legislation extending autism insurance coverage to children passed the Senate floor on Thursday despite heated opposition by a handful of Tea Party conservatives. Senate Bill 2581 won the vote by 39-6. It requires health insurance policies to offer coverage for autism treatment like Applied Behavior Analysis for children ages 2-8. It also regulates the practice of ABA therapy and requires providers obtain state licenses. Some, though, argued the state shouldn't tell private insurers what to cover and questioned why autism should get special recognition. Led by state Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, opponents took turns grilling the bill's main sponsor for roughly a half hour.
 
House could reverse vote on third grade reading mandate
Some Mississippi lawmakers staged a brief revolt Tuesday against plans to fail thousands of poorly reading third-graders this spring, but that movement is already melting away. A number of House Republicans joined all but one Democrat to amend House Bill 745 to wait another year before requiring school districts to hold back the students. But by the end of business Tuesday, so many of those GOP members sought to change their votes that it would have changed the outcome of the proposal for a delay. That could clear the way to strip the provision from the bill.
 
Board that oversees hairstylists comes under fire
Members of the state Senate blasted the administration and board of the state Board of Cosmetology for not answering or returning their calls as well as calls of hairstylists seeking information. During a hearing Tuesday, members of the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee questioned Board of Cosmetology Executive Director Cynthia Johnson and the five board members. State Sen. Nickey Browning, who filed the bill, said he and a staff member made numerous calls over a two and a-half weeks to the Board of Cosmetology and never heard back from anyone. "If you don't take care of the problem, we will," Browning said to board members after the hearing.
 
House holds moment of silence for Rep. Nunnelee
The House held a moment of silence on Tuesday in honor of the late Rep. Alan Nunnelee (R-Miss.), who died last week. Members of the Mississippi congressional delegation led the moment of silence, which came during the first House votes of the week. "On Friday, we lost our colleague, Alan Nunnelee, who represented the first congressional district of Mississippi," said Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), who was surrounded by the rest of his state's members. "I ask that the House pause for a moment of silence in remembrance of Congressman Nunnelee."
 
Obama sends war draft to Hill
President Barack Obama is asking Congress for a three-year authorization of war against the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant that would restrict the U.S. military from engaging in "enduring offensive ground combat operations," according to text circulating on Capitol Hill on Wednesday morning. The draft authorization, which Congress is likely to begin considering after next week's recess, would also repeal the 2002 Authorization of the Use of Military Force that allowed the George W. Bush administration to launch the Iraq War. The 2001 AUMF used to justify the war against terror in Afghanistan and other countries -- a subject of Democratic concern -- would remain in place.
 
House passes $18 billion NASA authorization bill
The House approved a bipartisan $18 billion authorization bill Tuesday for NASA, with members from both parties stressing the importance of U.S. space leadership. The bill, crafted in the Science, Space and Technology committee chaired by Rep. Lamar Smith, R-San Antonio, "ensures that NASA remains the world's premier space agency," Smith said. Rep. Stephen Palazzo, R-4, who introduced the bill, expressed concern NASA was overburdened by work with other agencies including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Geological Survey, both of which have collaborated with the space agency on climate research. But co-sponsor Rep. Barbara Edwards, D-Md., said the bill "emphasizes" NASA's role in collaborating with multiple agencies.
 
As Scott Walker mulls White House bid, questions linger over college exit
Scott Walker was gone. Dropped out. And in the spring of his senior year. In 1990, that news stunned his friends at Marquette University. Walker, the campus's suit-wearing, Reagan-loving politico -- who enjoyed the place so much that he had run for student body president -- had left without graduating. To most of the Class of 1990 -- and, later, to Wisconsin's political establishment -- Walker's decision to quit college has been a lingering mystery. Not even his friends at Marquette were entirely sure why he never finished. Walker clearly liked college politics more than college itself. Today, Walker, 47, is the governor of Wisconsin and a strong contender for the GOP's 2016 presidential nomination.
 
Kansas governor removes protections for LGBT employees
In a move that shocked progressive advocates in Kansas, the state's Republican governor on Tuesday issued an executive order to remove discrimination protections for gay, lesbian and transgender state employees. State employees in Kansas can now legally be fired, harassed or denied a job for being gay or transgender, critics said. Gov. Sam Brownback said an 2007 executive order by Kathleen Sebelius, then the state's Democratic governor, went too far by not getting legislative approval to bar job discrimination for sexual orientation and gender identity.
 
In Defiance on Gay Marriage, Alabama Sets Itself Far Apart
Alabama is a conservative state where more than a third of the residents are evangelical Protestants, seven out of 10 oppose same-sex marriage -- including blacks and whites alike -- and the state motto is a bellicose "We Dare Defend Our Rights." Alabama is not unique among states in strongly opposing same-sex marriage, and it is not alone in bristling under a federal court order that goes against a substantial popular majority. It is, however, the only state where probate judges who would issue same-sex marriage licenses were instructed not to comply with a federal court order. Such brazen and often futile campaigns are practically hard-wired into the state's character.
 
History of Lynching in U.S. Worse Than Believed, Study Finds
Lynchings in which mobs raided jailhouses to hang, torture and burn alive black men, sometimes leading to public executions in courthouse squares, occurred more often in the U.S. South than was previously known, according to a report released on Tuesday. The slightest transgression could spur violence, the Equal Justice Initiative found, as it documented 3,959 victims of lynching in a dozen Southern states. Bryan Stevenson, founder and director of the Montgomery, Alabama-based EJI, said that while current events did not directly equate with lynching, "what happened then has its echoes in today's headlines." "The South is littered with monuments for the Civil War," Stevenson said. "But we haven't looked at the great evil of slavery. Its aftermath morphed into terrorism of lynching."
 
Agriculture panel says it has plan to bring 58,000 jobs to Alabama
A state agriculture panel says it has a plan that could create as many as 58,000 new jobs in Alabama. Members of the steering committee for the Alabama Agriculture and Forestry Strategic Plan say that could be accomplished by having a more cooperative relationship between business and government. The panel presented the plan to Gov. Robert Bentley on Tuesday. The report says agriculture could add $7 billion to the state's economy over the next five years.
 
Meridian Community College receives large sum grant from Phil Hardin Foundation
Meridian Community College has been awarded one of the largest grants the school has received: $1 million from the Phil Hardin Foundation. "This is a huge enhancement for MCC," said college president Dr. Scott Elliott at Tuesday's announcement of the grant. The grant will deliver in equal increments over a 20-year period. And with the college matching the amount, it will bring the total to $2 million. In addition to the check presentation, college officials also unveiled Honors College Suite, located on the second floor of Montgomery Hall.
 
Former U. of Alabama instructor indicted after profiting $375,000 from textbook sales
A former University of Alabama contract instructor faces a felony ethics charge after he allegedly made more than $375,000 by encouraging students to buy textbooks from a company he owned. 44-year-old Charles Christopher Horton allegedly profited $378,022.99 by requiring students in his computer sciences classes to purchase their textbooks through a company he owned, according to a grand jury indictment filed in the Tuscaloosa County Circuit Court in October 2014. According to Horton's LinkedIn page, where he goes by Chris Horton, he was an instructor at UA for nearly a decade and has a doctorate in higher education administration from UA.
 
U. of Alabama's new Cuba program to build on its past
The University of Alabama's new Center for Cuba Collaboration and Scholarship will build on the foundation of its predecessor the Alabama-Cuba Initiative. "It institutionalizes what we have been doing over the last 13 years. It also will, I hope, get more recognition for the university for what we have been doing," said Robert Olin, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. The University of Alabama board of trustees approved a resolution creating the center Friday during its meeting in Birmingham. The research center would be a focal point for expanding collaborations between UA and Cuban institutions, which began in 2002.
 
U. of Arkansas Touts $1.2B Economic Impact in 2014
The University of Arkansas released a report Tuesday that says the university has an economic impact on "state and local economies" of $1.2 billion, up 66 percent from the previous year. The report was compiled by the university's Center for Business and Economic Research at the Sam M. Walton College of Business. "Perhaps the most impressive finding is the return-on-investment that Arkansas taxpayers get from the state's investment," Kathy Deck, director of the CBER and principal author of the study, said in a news release. "The state's appropriation to the university in 2014 was $173.8 million. Arkansas is basically getting back almost $7 for every dollar the state Legislature invests in the University of Arkansas."
 
Bobby Jindal unsure about how much it costs to attend LSU
Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has answered a lot of questions lately during a round of Washington appearances while contemplating a run for president in 2016. One question on MSNBC's Morning Joe on Tuesday appeared to stump Jindal: How much does it cost to attend LSU?
 
Florida governor wants tighter controls on college costs
Florida Gov. Rick Scott, citing rising debt for college students and recent graduates, urged state legislators to pass a sweeping bill lowering textbook costs and curbing tuition increases for graduate programs. Scott's proposal is expected to be his chief priority in the upcoming session starting in March. A draft of the bill, obtained by The Associated Press, includes the Republican governor's push to permanently exempt college textbooks from sales taxes. But Scott also wants to prevent universities from raising the tuition of graduate programs, including law schools and medical schools, beyond the rate in place as of July 1.
 
Prosecutor: U. of Tennessee rape case headed to grand jury
With defense attorneys pushing for a decision on the fates of two University of Tennessee athletes accused of rape, Knox County prosecutors said they will take the case to a grand jury. After initially saying Monday the case was still under review, District Attorney General Charme Allen said Tuesday via a spokesman that her office has finished its review of the evidence and that a Knox County grand jury will be asked to consider the allegations against former University of Tennessee football linebacker A.J. Johnson and current cornerback Michael Williams. Johnson and Williams were accused of rape in November by a 19-year-old female UT student, and Williams was accused of sexual assault by another woman in the same incident.
 
House panel approves borrowing billions for teachers' retirement fund, millions for U. of Kentucky project
The House budget committee voted Tuesday to crack open Kentucky's two-year budget and fund two major proposals: a $3.3 billion bond to shore up the Kentucky Teachers' Retirement System and a $132.5 million bond to pay for half of a medical research building at the University of Kentucky. All but one member of the House Appropriations and Revenue Committee voted in favor of stabilizing the teachers' retirement system with the state's largest-ever bond issue, while a handful of legislators questioned the wisdom of approving UK's capital project in a non-budget year. UK President Eli Capilouto testified that the $265 million building would bring 1,623 jobs, $5.6 million in local and state taxes, and $116.2 million in total economic impact.
 
Texas A&M cracks top 20 list for spending on research
Texas A&M University spends more money on research and development than any other school in the state and the Southeastern Conference, according to a recent National Science Foundation survey. The NSF's Higher Education Research and Development survey of 891 academic institutions in the United States ranks A&M 19th in research and development expenditures, which totaled more than $820 million during the 2013 fiscal year. Texas A&M increased spending by 18 percent, from $693 million in fiscal year 2012, to move from the 24th spot on the list to its current position, according to school officials.
 
Invasive Asian carp may soon be on the menu at U. of Missouri dining halls
The texture of Asian carp reminded MU junior Abigail Auner of ground beef. "I'm very impressed," said Auner, who was eating a plate of carp in a pasta sauce. "I wouldn't assume it's fish." She and other MU students had been invited to taste Asian carp dishes and share their reactions Tuesday at the Sabai Culinary Development Kitchen in Johnston Hall. Students' opinions were gathered through word of mouth and one-on-one interactions with Eric Cartwright, executive chef of MU Campus Dining Services. Results are helping MU culinary staff decide whether to serve carp in campus dining halls.
 
Federal Ratings of Colleges Tied to U.S. Aid Hit Bump
The Obama administration has scaled back its ambitions for an aggressive plan to rate colleges and siphon federal dollars from the poorest performers, undermining a key plank in its strategy to rein in runaway education costs. President Barack Obama called in 2013 for the federal government to rate colleges based on affordability and quality by the start of the 2015-2016 school year, and said he ultimately wanted to limit federal aid to persistent laggards. The administration plans to release its ratings criteria this summer but appears to be running into major obstacles, both technical and political, in completing the system.
 
Three college students killed in Chapel Hill shooting; 46-year-old man charged
A 46-year-old Chapel Hill man has been charged with three counts of first-degree murder after three college students were shot and killed Tuesday evening at a condominium complex on Summerwalk Circle in Chapel Hill, authorities said. Deah Shaddy Barakat, 23, of Chapel Hill, Yusor Mohammad, 21, of Chapel Hill, and Razan Mohammad Abu-Salha, 19, of Raleigh, were pronounced dead at the scene, police said. The three victims were Muslim, and Hicks is not, according to posts about atheism on his Facebook page. In thousands of posts on social media, many have now questioned whether the victims' Islamic faith was a factor in the shooting.
 
Bachelor's degrees lead to employment and more training
Doubts about the labor-market returns of bachelor's degrees, while never serious, can be put to rest. Last month's federal jobs report showed a rock-bottom unemployment rate of 2.8 percent for workers who hold at least a four-year degree. The overall unemployment rate is 5.7 percent. But even that welcome economic news comes with wrinkles. A prominent financial analyst last week signaled an alarm that employers soon may face a shortage of job-seeking college graduates. And the employment report was a reminder of continuing worries about "upcredentialing" by employers, who are imposing new degree requirements on jobs.
 
Foreign-Language Enrollments Drop After Years of Increases
Enrollments in foreign-language courses at American colleges have declined after nearly 20 years of growth, falling 6.7 percent from the fall of 2009 to the fall of 2013, according to a report released on Wednesday by the Modern Language Association. Rosemary G. Feal, the association's executive director, speculated that several factors could have played a role in the decline, including rising student interest in career-oriented subjects such as business in the wake of the recession. Those studies leave less time for language classes, Ms. Feal said. The MLA's report was based on a survey of 2,435 American colleges and universities that offer programs in languages other than English.
 
Tulane announces new 4-year program for joint medical and MBA degrees
The Tulane University School of Medicine and the A.B. Freeman School of Business have announced the creation of a new four-year accelerated program for medical students to earn a master of business administration while also getting their medical degrees. The program, which begins this summer, is among a few four-year MD/MBA programs in the country, according to a Tulane news release. The concept is in keeping with Tulane president Michael Fitts' stated interest in fostering a multi-disciplinary approach to learning on campus, an approach he deems critical in preparing students for the 21st century workforce.
 
Clemson Faculty Senate: Change the name of Tillman Hall
The Clemson Faculty Senate passed a resolution by an overwhelming majority that asks the university's administrative leadership to take immediate action to change the name of the most iconic building on Clemson's campus, a building that now houses much of the school's education department and is named for Benjamin Tillman, a former South Carolina governor and one of the university's founders, and a man who spoke virulently about his white supremacist ideals, advocated for the murder of black people and led efforts to institute Jim Crow laws in late-19th-century South Carolina. The faculty said Tuesday that Tillman should no longer hold a place of honor because he was an "avowed racist, and this is at odds with the university's mission and values, and reflects poorly upon it," according to a section of the resolution the faculty passed.
 
BRIAN PERRY (OPINION): Tax cuts and 'Elvis'
Consultant and columnist Brian Perry writes: "Tuesday, in Richland, Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves announced his 'Taxpayer Pay Raise Act of 2015' which would eliminate the lowest state income tax bracket, create a self-employment tax deduction for income tax and eliminate the franchise tax. Unless you are an accountant, attorney or policy wonk, tax reforms isn't the sexiest issue. But Reeve's plan provides a stark contrast to his one announced opponent in the upcoming election: former state senator, former supervisor and current Elvis impersonator Tim Johnson: the newly christened Democrat from Madison County who announced last week he would be running for lieutenant governor. In 2008, as a Madison supervisor, Johnson supported an attempt to enact the largest tax hike in Madison's history: a position which earned him the Republican rebuke of a unanimous resolution by the Madison Mayor and Board of Aldermen calling for his resignation."


SPORTS
 
Carter makes impact for Mississippi State women; William honored
First things first, Savannah Carter tried to call timeout with the Mississippi State women's basketball team nursing a one-point lead against Texas A&M in overtime Sunday. But you never know when you're going to have an equipment malfunction, or when your mouthpiece is going to get stuck in your mouth and render it impossible for you to say the word -- TIMEOUT -- everyone wants you to deliver before you commit a turnover with the game on the line. That's OK, though, because Carter is the kind of lunch-pail player who will pick herself up, dust herself off, and get back into the fray. If you needed any proof, you only needed to watch the final 31 seconds of MSU's nail-biter against Texas A&M at Humphrey Coliseum.
 
Other Mississippi State programs following football with high rankings
Mississippi State's baseball team began the trend a year ago starting its season at No. 4 in the country. Dan Mullen, Dak Prescott and Benardrick McKinney took the baton and led the football team to its first-ever No. 1 ranking in school history. As the calendar turned to 2015, a couple of programs continued to climb toward the top of the rankings. Mississippi State's women's golf team begins the season No. 3 in the country according to BirdieFire.com. Meanwhile on the hardwood, Vic Schaefer and the women's basketball team reached its highest ranking since 2003 this week. MSU ranks 13th in the AP Poll and 15th in the USA Today Coaches Poll.
 
No one sure how big an impact new baseballs will have this season
It was a no-doubter. For Reid Humphreys, Mississippi State's sophomore left-fielder to be, the team's Jan. 31 scrimmage was a showcase. Stepping to the plate on a mild, windy day, Humphreys opened the scoring with a mammoth solo home run to left field. The blast landed steps away from a building the houses restrooms far behind the Left Field Lounge at Dudy Noble Field. Afterward, it was only natural Humphreys was asked about a topic that's near-and-dear to players across the country. That topic? The new baseballs that will be used this season when MSU plays host to Cincinnati at 6:30 p.m. Friday.
 
Dan Mullen's contract extension a matter of 'when not if'
Dan Mullen doesn't have an extension yet, but will have one soon. Mississippi State athletic director Scott Stricklin reaffirmed his confidence Tuesday that a deal would get done between the school and Mullen. Stricklin said the parties are "close" to an agreement regarding the head coach's contract extension. Stricklin said the two were close in December as well. He hasn't lost any confidence an extension will happen. Stricklin said it's a matter of "when not if."
 
Bulldogs lose fifth straight to Crimson Tide
Mississippi State hoped to erase the memory of an embarrassing loss to Arkansas over the weekend. Instead its woes only continued. The Bulldogs dropped their second consecutive outing, 55-51 to Alabama on Tuesday night, marking the fifth straight loss to the Crimson Tide. Alabama held an eight-point advantage with a minute remaining and held off a late flurry by the Bulldogs to improve to 5-6 in the SEC and 15-9 overall.
 
Crimson Tide too much for Mississippi State
I.J. Ready said he needed to look in the mirror. Craig Sword said the postgame atmosphere in the locker room felt like his first two seasons at Mississippi State, where he experienced two 13-game losing streaks. The 55-51 loss to Alabama at Humphrey Coliseum on Tuesday extended MSU's losing streak to two games. But it stung just as much as any during Rick Ray's first two seasons. "This is one that hurts because we did some things defensively," Ray said. "But we've gotta win ball games like this on our home court."
 
RICK CLEVELAND (OPINION): Mississippi's NFL hopefuls flocking to workout in Madison
Mississippi syndicated sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: "The NFL Scouting Combine takes place next week. Indianapolis is where young men will go to be weighed, measured, timed, tested, interviewed and much more. Millions of dollars can be made -- or lost -- depending on how the athletes perform. That has led to a cottage industry of destination training facilities where agents send athletes to prepare. ...The city of Madison -- the Madison Performance Center to be more specific -- has joined the arms (and legs) race. A dozen draft hopefuls, including Ole Miss All-Americans Senquez Golson and Cody Prewitt, have spent the last few weeks huffing and puffing and eating healthfully in Madison. Says super agent Bus Cook of Hattiesburg of the Madison Performance Center, 'This place puts some of those places in South Florida and California to shame. It's got everything you need and more. Plus, it's a lot closer to home for so many of the athletes we represent.'"



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