| Wednesday, February 18, 2015 |
| Mississippi State Hosts Policy Discussion on Free Community College Tuition Plan | |
 | College and university administrators from across the region gathered in Starkville on Tuesday to discuss the future of higher education. President Obama recently announced a plan to offer free community college tuition to all Americans. Mississippi State University hosted a conference to begin a regional conversation about how the proposal could affect the next generation of students. "We're talking about the national issue from a very state and local perspective, trying to be objective about it and just go over what the proposal entails and go over the merits of it," says Tyson Elbert, Education Policy Fellowship Program Coordinator at the John C. Stennis Institute of Government. |
| MSU Extension Talks 'Deer Nutrition' to Columbus Rotary Club | |
| Deer hunting season just wrapped up and on Tuesday, the MSU Extension Service presented some valuable information about nurturing deer to the Columbus Rotary Club. MSU Extension Professor Bronson Strickland discussed the importance of nutrition vs genetics when feeding deer. He suggested that genetics do not play a major role in their size. Strickland also says supplemental food plots and thinning the forest can contribute to a deer's overall health. "If you increase diet quality for deer, after a generation or two that you'll see really incredible responses in both their body weight and antler size but it takes time," says Strickland. |
| Mississippi Ag Consultants award scholarship to Mississippi State's Christian Good | |
 | The Mississippi Agricultural Consultants Association has awarded its annual scholarship to Christian Lee Good, a Mississippi State University junior in the Agricultural Economics Department. Bill Pellum, Clarksdale, Miss., consultant, announced the $2,000 award at the organization's annual conference at MSU. "Christian's work ethic and scholastic abilities -- a 3.94 grade point average and praise from his attending professors -- are characteristics of a leader, and we are pleased to have him as this year's MACA scholarship recipient," he said. |
| Board of Trustees to Honor University Faculty, Staff, and Community Leader | |
 | The Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning will be naming the 2015 Diversity Educator of the Year, honoring university faculty, staff, and a community leader on Wednesday at 9 a.m. The event will take place in the IHL Board Room, located in the Universities Center, 3825 Ridgewood Road, Jackson. Mississippi State's honorees are Dr. Lakiesha N. Williams, Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering, and Dr. Leslie Burger, Assistant Extension Professor in the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Aquaculture, Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine. |
| Possible sub-zero windchill for parts of the state on the way | |
 | While the weather has been cold enough this week, officials say it's going to continue to get colder for the next few days. Temperatures, in the 20s statewide on Tuesday night, could drop down to close to 0 degrees in the northeastern part of the state on Wednesday night into Thursday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Meteorologist Anna Weber said the coldest part of the front will sweep the state at that point. The central and south parts of the state will hover in the 20s overnight on Wednesday, as the northern part of the state will stay in single digits. |
| Day of penitence: Ash Wednesday ushers in season of Lent | |
 | Many of the Christian faithful today will seek a much-needed respite from their own busy-ness. Ash Wednesday marks the beginning of Lent, a penitential season meant to mirror Jesus' 40 days of temptation in the wilderness. "There are people who think church should be Christmas and Easter all the time, you know, woo hoo!" said the Rev. Brian Collier, pastor of The Orchard in Tupelo. "But Ash Wednesday says, 'Stop, slow down, know your own humanity.' It's like a reset button." Lent culminates in Easter Sunday, and the ashes smeared on the foreheads of Christians come from the burned palm fronds of the previous year's Palm Sunday. According to the Rev. Lincoln Dall, priest at St. James Catholic Church in Tupelo, the ritual of the ashes comes from Jewish tradition. It shows up in the Old Testament a few times, as in Job 16:15. |
| More jobs coming to Webster County | |
 | A company that fabricates stainless steel products in Webster County is expanding. BK Edwards Fabrication and Welding announced the expansion Tuesday. State officials say the company will invest $70,000 and will create 18 new jobs with the expansion. The Mississippi Development Authority and Webster County provided assistance to pave the access road to the plant. |
| Portera outlines strategic plan for Kemper County | |
 | Former Mississippi State University President and University of Alabama System Chancellor Dr. Malcolm Portera delivered his firm's strategic investment plan for Kemper County in front a standing room crowd of nearly 200 concerned citizens at the Barney Brown Senior Citizens Building. Portera and his son, Andy Portera, presented the power point plan at the conclusion of the Kemper County Board of Supervisors meeting. Portera said Kemper County is at the forefront of a major change as the Mississippi Power Company's Intregrated Gasification Combined Cycle Facility nears completion and will for future generations pump millions into the Kemper County economy. |
| Portera Releases Strategic Investment Plan for Kemper County | |
 | Dr. Malcolm Portera says his investment plan for Kemper County will involve a lot of commitment. Residents of Kemper County filled the room Tuesday evening, to hear the strategic investment plan that Portera and his son Andy revealed. Portera says his investment plan for Kemper County is a long range plan. Inside his 20 page report detailing the specifics, he says there are several key assets that exist in Kemper County, and those assets should be considered magnets for business and industrial development. Those assets are the Kemper County Coal Plant, the John C. Stennis Memorial Hospital, East Mississippi Community College, and transportation and geography. |
| Mississippi Power Co. to appeal rate hike invalidations | |
| Mississippi Power Co. said in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission that it will likely appeal the Mississippi Supreme Court's decision that invalidated the rate increases for the utility's Kemper County coal plant. In the Feb. 13 filing, Mississippi Power said it collected $257 million in 2013 and 2014 after the Mississippi Public Service Commission approved an overall 18 percent increase for the utility's 186,000 ratepayers. The state high court has ordered that money refunded, invalidating the procedures the PSC used to grant them, including a failure to provide public notice in advance of the hearings. In a 5-4 ruling, justices also took issue with the lack of hearings to determine if the plant's construction costs that were passed to ratepayers were prudently incurred. |
| Most Neshoba County Fair cabins not compliant with new power requirements | |
 | About two-thirds of Neshoba County Fair cabin owners have yet to upgrade to the new electrical code as outlined in the owner's handbook for the 2015 Fair, officials said on Monday. Owners have until April 15 to bring their cabins up to code, Fair President Gilbert Donald said. The Fair Board passed the new code in 2013, but Donald said the Board gave cabin owners two years to make the necessary improvements to their cabins. "Everyone has added things like air conditioners, washers, dryers and refrigerators, and we need to get the cabins upgraded so they can handle the volume of electricity people are using now," Donald said. In less than two months, all cabins must have an inside electrical box with a 200 amp main breaker. |
| Stunning reckoning with Mississippi's past, from a black judge sentencing 3 white men for lynching | |
 | Lynchings are in the news of late, thanks both to a report last week documenting anew the terrible history of the crime in the Jim Crow South, and to a modern hate-crime trial playing out in Mississippi that's made plain that lynching is still -- though seldom -- a thing. It's hard to reconcile these two threads: our collective revulsion at this part of our history, and the modern evidence that whatever motivates lynchings still exists. But Carlton Reeves, a black U.S. District judge in Mississippi, comes beautifully close to doing so. Before Reeves sentenced last week three white men -- teens at the time of their 2011 crime -- for participating in the racially motivated murder of a black Jackson man, Reeves read aloud a stunning speech on the legacy of lynchings in a state that has never quite escaped its association with brutality. |
| Rep. Alday publicly apologizes for race-tinged remarks | |
| State Rep. Gene Alday, R-Walls, publicly apologized Tuesday for controversial statements he made in a Clarion-Ledger article that had sparked outrage among legislators. Addressing the House of Representatives, Alday acknowledged he made a mistake without repeating his original comments. "I didn't do it with intent, but I am deeply sorry for my recent statements and I was wrong to say what I did and there is no excuse for my behavior," Alday said. "I value the relationships I've made with everyone in this House." |
| McDaniel says he's thinking about running for Lt. Governor | |
 | Politics in Mississippi is on fire. Fanning the flames? Senator Chris McDaniel's Facebook page insinuating he's running for Lieutenant Governor. "Right now I'm praying about it. I've got to talk to my family about it and make the decision," said McDaniel. "Still have 10 days, that's a long, long time in politics." Political analyst Andy Taggart says, presumably if Senator McDaniel was to run, it would be in a Republican primary. "Whether Senator McDaniel chose to run or not, I think Tate Reeves ends up being the winner," said Taggart. "The simple fact of the matter is though, it would be a very vigorous primary campaign and a very expensive primary campaign. Which in my judgement helps Democrats, not Republicans." |
| McDaniel ponders lt. gov. bid | |
| State Sen. Chris McDaniel's supporters are urging him to run for lieutenant governor, and he's so far not telling them no as the qualifying deadline nears. The GOP primary for lieutenant governor could bring another clash of tea party vs. "establishment" Republicans, as McDaniel's unsuccessful run for U.S. Senate against incumbent Thad Cochran did last year. "I have been strongly urged to run," McDaniel, R-Ellisville, said Tuesday. He said if he does, he will campaign on increasing transparency in the Senate and public education reform. Incumbent Republican Tate Reeves, finishing his first term, officially qualified for office Monday. |
| State raises OK'd in early budget work | |
| The executive directors of about 30 state agencies will have the discretion to provide pay raises to their employees under legislation passed Tuesday by the House. The action Tuesday was one of the opening steps of this session in developing a budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1. That action will continue today when the House is expected to take up and debate the level of funding for education and perhaps larger pay raises for other state employees. The House and Senate are just beginning the process of developing the budget to fund everything from education to Medicaid to public safety. That long and winding process is slated to be completed by March 31. |
| House bill: Verbal abuse could become grounds for divorce | |
| Excessive verbal, mental, psychological or emotional abuse could become grounds for divorce in Mississippi. House Bill 185, which is awaiting Senate action, adds the language to the divorce statute in Mississippi. Some lawmakers asked if the bill will make divorce easier to get in Mississippi. State Rep. John Moore, R-Brandon, who authored the bill, said "no." Moore said the bill makes it known that habitual cruel and inhuman treatment grounds for divorce can include verbal, mental, psychological or emotional abuse. |
| Counties oppose tax breaks for seniors | |
| Lawmakers want to give senior citizens a tax break by freezing the value of their homes, but counties say it could zap their coffers and require them to raise taxes on everyone else. There's been a long-running battle between some lawmakers and county supervisors over proposals to raise the homestead exemption tax break for people over 65 or those who are 100 percent disabled. On Tuesday, the House Ways and Means Committee tried a different tack, ratifying HB216, which would freeze the assessed value -- and tax bills -- for senior and disabled homeowners. "We always have to balance, do we take care of the people, or make sure the counties don't lose anything?" said Ways and Means Chairman Jeff Smith, R-Columbus, before the committee unanimously passed the bill on to the full House. |
| Aguirre of Tupelo announces for open state House seat | |
| Tupelo resident Shane Aguirre formally became the third candidate and the second Republican in the race for District 17 in the state House of Representatives. This is the first foray into politics for Aguirre, 42, a comptroller for Community Eldercare. "I have always been passionate about politics and the open seat is a chance for me to fulfill one of my dreams," said Aguirre. Brian Aldridge, a Republican who has represented House District 17 in the state Legislature since 2004, announced earlier this year that he would not seek re-election. A graduate of Tupelo High School with degrees from both Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi, Aguirre's platform will focus on business and public education. |
| MDOC task force seeks public input | |
| Gov. Phil Bryant's task force on corrections contracts will hold three public hearings seeking outside input about Mississippi prison system operations. Created in November after the federal indictment against former Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps, the task force specifically wants to hear from elected officials, families of victims, families of inmates, current and prospective vendors, and suppliers to the state Department of Corrections are invited. "The task force is interested in hearing real-life experiences from Mississippians, including these groups directly affected by the management of the Department of Corrections," said co-chairman Andy Taggart, an attorney and former chief of staff to Gov. Kirk Fordice. |
| Jeb Bush pushes fundraising efforts | |
 | Snow might have brought Washington to a halt on Tuesday, but it did not affect Jeb Bush's fast-paced fundraising efforts. Bush raised more than $250,000 for his super PAC Right to Rise at an event hosted by lobbying firm BGR Group's CEO Lanny Griffith, who worked in former President George H. W. Bush's administration. Other than Griffith, BGR Group is led by former Republican National Committee chairman and GOP Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and another Bush alumnus, Ed Rogers. Despite the federal government being closed, more than 150 people showed up at BGR's offices in downtown D.C. to support the former Florida governor in his continuing efforts to lay the foundation for a likely White House run. |
| Ex-lawmakers on K St. bristle at pension bills | |
 | Ex-members of Congress who have moved to K Street are bristling at a pair of bipartisan bills seeking to strip them of their taxpayer-funded federal pensions. The Hill reached out to three dozen former lawmakers -- most are now registered lobbyists -- and asked for their thoughts about the proposal. Seven agreed to talk, and those that did railed against the bills, describing them with words like "self-righteous," "disappointing" and "unconstitutional." After leaving Capitol Hill, the amount of a congressional pension varies based upon how many years the lawmaker served and may not exceed 80 percent of his or her final year's salary, among other stipulations. Watchdogs have long decried the "revolving door" between the government and the advocacy world, which they say undermines public service by allowing individuals to cash out and use their Rolodex in the private sector. |
| US Opens Up Sales of Armed Drones to Allies | |
| The US State Department announced Tuesday new rules for how and when it may sell armed drones to its allies. The move comes at a time when the Obama administration is placing a high priority on training and equipping its allies -- in particular its NATO partners -- to assume more of a role in regional stability, humanitarian and counterterrorism operations. The full scope of the changes to US policy remain somewhat murky, since the full results of an internal review remain classified. But the State Department released a statement Tuesday outlining some of the major thrusts of the new policy. From a US defense industry perspective, the new rules would also appear to make it somewhat easier to make the case for such drone sales. |
| To attract more women, cybersecurity industry could drop macho jargon | |
 | Michelle Dennedy is accustomed to being the lone woman in the room. Not only is she working in male-dominated Silicon Valley, Ms. Dennedy has successfully ascended part of the tech world where women are especially scarce: cybersecurity. The gender disparity, says Dennedy, chief privacy officer for Intel Security in Santa Clara, Calif., has consequences for the cybersecurity industry. "We pay a price for this lack of diversity," Dennedy says. Several efforts are underway to support women in cybersecurity and encourage more female computer science students to pursue the field. Yet Dennedy and others say that really tipping the scales in favor of gender diversity will require the entire industry to talk differently about security. |
| Building bodies: Epic genomics | |
| There is not much point in being multicellular if all your cells are the same. It is division of labour and specialisation of cell function which gives animals and plants their edge in the struggle for life. How that specialisation comes about, though, is understood only hazily. Most cells in any given body have the same set of genes. The trick is that only about half of those genes are switched on. Some (those involved in basic metabolism, for example) are active in pretty well all cells. But a majority work in only a few sorts of cells, or possibly even just a single cell type. Discovering how all this is regulated is the province of a branch of biology called epigenomics. And one particular group of epigenomicists, an international consortium called the Roadmap Epigenome Programme, has published a dozen papers on the topic in this week's Nature. |
| Body found in home near Jackson State University | |
| Police are on the scene of a body found in a Jackson home. WLBT-TV has been told the body was found in a home on Poindexter Street near Jackson State University. Commander Tyree Jones with the Jackson Police Department says that the body is of a male about 55 years of age. He says they have no further information. The coroner is on the scene and has ruled it a death investigation. |
| Auburn University ranked top public university in the state | |
 | The Business Journals ranked Auburn University as the top public university in Alabama and No. 52 in the United States. The report identified 484 national public universities and colleges with an objective of recognizing those schools that offer the best educational experiences to their students. "The rankings by The Business Journals affirm Auburn's commitment to our land-grant mission and reflect our institution's strategic goal of offering a quality education that encompasses impressive faculty, relevant programs and effective student services," said Timothy Boosinger, provost and vice president for academic affairs. Auburn received four out of five stars in the selectivity, advancement and prestige categories, as well as posting an 89 percent retention rate. |
| Historic Newell Hall poised to become U. of Florida's most technologically advanced | |
 | Built in 1910, Newell Hall for decades flourished as an agricultural experimentation station on the University of Florida campus. These days, the historic building is surrounded by fences and is showing its age via the mold, asbestos and lead paint that's present inside the hall. By December 2016, UF's third-oldest structure will be the most technologically advanced building on campus, UF officials say. But UF student government needs help to get there. Students can provide input on the planned renovations by emailing newell@sg.ufl.edu, tweeting with the hashtag #ReNewell or visiting the project's website, which will go live in April. |
| UGA student accused in fraternity shooting incident surrenders | |
 | A University of Georgia student accused of a weekend shooting incident during an on-campus dispute between two fraternities surrendered to authorities Monday night. Gregory John O'Brien, 21, is charged with two counts of aggravated assault and one count each of possession of a weapon on school grounds and reckless conduct. UGA police said O'Brien is among members of the Tau Kappa Epsilon who early Saturday morning were involved in an altercation with members of neighboring Pi Kappa Alpha on Greek Park Circle on UGA's North Campus. It remains unclear what started the inter-fraternity altercation and what motivated O'Brien to allegedly point and fire the gun. |
| Soledad O'Brien examines racial equality during UGA event | |
| Does race still matter in America? Journalist Soledad O'Brien built a case that yes, it certainly does, as she brought her Black in America Tour to the University of Georgia on Tuesday. About 600 people listened in the Grand Hall of UGA's Tate Student Center as O'Brien made her case with statistics and real people the multiple Emmy and Peabody Award winner has interviewed. Most who gathered to listen were young and African American. O'Brien explored America's race issue deeply in a series of CNN documentaries over the past several years. She is now chairman of Starfish Media Group in addition to work with several major media networks. |
| Aggies fighting to keep Dream Act alive, continue offering in-state tuition to undocumented immigrants | |
 | Gabriela Castillo is a "Dreamer," one of the undocumented high school graduates attending a university in Texas and paying in-state tuition due to the Dream Act. Without the low rate of tuition, her only option would have been to attend school in El Salvador, but now the junior political science major at Texas A&M University aims to move on to law school. "This is what I want to do, I want to study, I want to pursue a higher education," Castillo said. "Without the help of in-state tuition, I would not be here." Castillo is now a member of the Council for Minority Student Affairs, which held a panel regarding in-state tuition for undocumented immigrants Tuesday evening. The organization brought in five experts from the departments of history, English, educational psychology, political science and sociology to discuss the benefits of the Dream Act, which was signed in 2001 by then-Gov. Rick Perry. |
| Johnson, Bush Libraries offer rare peek behind the scenes of former administrations | |
| The bullhorn President George W. Bush used to speak to first responders at ground zero after the 9/11 attacks, a recorded phone conversation between President Lyndon B. Johnson and wife Lady Bird Johnson and letters between Presidents George Bush and Ronald Reagan were among the items shared during a President's Day celebration at the George Bush Presidential Library and Museum Tuesday night. Two staff members from each of the three presidential libraries in Texas joined for "National Treasures: The Presidential Libraries of Texas" to share some of their most iconic, unique and humorous items with a packed theater at the George Bush Library. |
| U. of Missouri's Lafferre Hall approved for $38M renovations by Board of Public Buildings | |
 | The University of Missouri's Lafferre Hall has been approved for $38.5 million in renovations after the Board of Public Buildings voted Tuesday to issue bonds to fund the project. Renovations will include structural updates and additional lab and research space, according to a news release from Gov. Jay Nixon's office. In the release, Nixon, who voted to approve the bond sale, said the updates to Lafferre Hall will help the MU College of Engineering "keep up with enrollment growth" and help train Missourians in science, technology, engineering and math-related fields. |
| Research suggests pipeline of science talent may leak for men, women at same rate | |
 | For years, experts on the academic and scientific workforce have talked about a "leaky pipeline" in which women with talent in science and technology fields are less likely than men to pursue doctorates and potentially become faculty members. A study published Tuesday in the journal Frontiers in Psychology says that the pipeline may no longer be leaking more women than men. The study suggests that academic science may be losing a lot of talent -- men and women alike -- so the leaky pipeline metaphor may still be valid. But it may not be gender based anymore -- at least with regard to the proportion of bachelor's degree recipients in various science and technology fields who go on to earn Ph.D.s in those fields. |
| At international ed conference, speakers ask whether expectations for study abroad high enough | |
| Are American institutions expecting too little of the students they send abroad? In a time in which the majority of students going abroad are doing so on highly structured, faculty-led, short-term programs -- some as short as one week -- "How are we guiding students to go beyond their comfort zone?" asked Mary Anne Grant, president and CEO of International Student Exchange Programs (ISEP) at a session Tuesday at the Association of International Education Administrators' annual conference. Against the backdrop of a campaign to double American study abroad participation numbers, speakers at several sessions at the conference made a call to not sacrifice quality for quantity. |
| Did South Carolina Sabotage Its Public Historically Black College? | |
 | Last week, South Carolina lawmakers proposed shutting down the state's only public historically black college for two years. "We are looking at a bankrupt institution," state House Rep. Jim Merrill told reporters. "No one takes any pleasure in recommending this." And indeed, the school is in rough shape. It owes millions, enrollment has plummeted over the past eight years, and only about 14 percent of its students graduate in four years. But a group of students and alumni has filed a federal suit blaming state officials for the school's current woes. In essence, they say, South Carolina State was set up to fail. |
| CHARLIE MITCHELL (OPINION): Mississippi Power gets high-court knockdown | |
| Longtime Mississippi journalist Charlie Mitchell writes: "The little guy has won a slobber-knocker in Mississippi. Whether it's good policy or not remains to be seen, but five members of the Mississippi Supreme Court say the state Public Service Commission ran roughshod over customers -- and Mississippi Power Company has to give back lots of money. 'An analysis of these proceedings leads to the inescapable conviction that the commission failed to fulfill its duties and obligations pursuant to statutory directives and our existing law and that the overwhelming majority of 186,000 ratepayers was not accorded due process from the beginning.' So wrote Justice Michael Randolph in the majority opinion for the court, which divided 5-4 on the decision made public last week. Not a lot of wiggle room. Here's the background." |
| BRIAN PERRY (OPINION): 1st District special election creating interesting dynamics among possible candidates | |
| Jackson-based consultant and columnist Brian Perry writes: "In 2010, Alan Nunnelee was running for Congress but bogged down in controversial negotiations as Chairman of the state Senate's Appropriations Committee. As Democratic attacks sought to capitalize on his legislative decisions, he was encouraged by many to let someone else handle those duties and focus on his campaign. But he said he believed he should do his job well and if he did, politics would work itself out. Good policy being good politics, he was right. After settling the budget disputes in the state Senate, he defeated incumbent Democratic Congressman with 55 percent of the vote and was re-elected in 2012 and 2014 with little opposition. Congressman Nunnelee passed away on February 6 at his home in Tupelo. The vacancy created by his passing sets up a special election contest in Mississippi's First Congressional District, creating interesting dynamics among possible candidates early in a statewide election year." |
| STUART ROTHENBERG (OPINION): Past and Precedent: What Makes This Mississippi Special Election Interesting | |
 | Analyst Stuart Rothenberg writes for Roll Call: "You might think the best way to understand Mississippi's upcoming 1st District special election to fill the late Rep. Alan Nunnelee's seat is to examine the 2008 special election in the same district. After all, that previous special election to fill the seat left open by Roger Wicker's appointment to the Senate happened less than seven years ago. If you think that, you are wrong." |
| BOBBY HARRISON (OPINION): The wrong kind of attention | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Bobby Harrison writes: "Here in Mississippi, it often seems to be two steps forward and one step backward -- and that is on a good day. And truth be known, if it wasn't for our politicians it is possible Mississippians could overcome the negative images that have engulfed the state for as long as anyone cares to remember. ...Mississippi is a good state filled with many good, smart and talented people. But for some reason we keep on shooting ourselves in the foot, or at least our politicians do." |
SPORTS
| Wearing Mississippi State uniform is dream come true for Reynolds | |
| In his backyard in Forest about a decade ago, Luke Reynolds mimicked the batting stance of former Mississippi State all-conference performer Jeffrey Rea. He envisioned stepping to the plate at Dudy Noble Field wearing the interlocking M and S. His dream was to play baseball, but it was almost expected that Reynolds would go to Mississippi State. His two older brothers attended, following in the footsteps of their parents, as they did theirs. Except out of high school, Reynolds wound up at Hinds Community College. "It was always a dream to play at Mississippi State," Reynolds said. "I didn't know if it was a reality." His dream came true when he pinch hit in the bottom of the fourth inning Friday in Mississippi State's season-opener against Cincinnati. |
| Mississippi State's Robson earns first honor | |
 | Through four games, sophomore center fielder Jacob Robson owns the hottest start of any Mississippi State baseball player. He also owns the first national award for a Bulldog this season. On Monday, Collegiate Baseball named Robson the Louisville Slugger National Player of the Week. It is Robson's first career honor. "We are doing a good job getting on base, getting good at-bats, especially Robson," MSU coach John Cohen said. |
| Mississippi State's Robson named Collegiate Baseball's National Player of the Week | |
 | After reaching base in 16 of his 17 plate appearances this past weekend, Mississippi State University redshirt sophomore center fielder Jacob Robson was named Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week, the organization announced this week. Starting in the five-hole in all four of MSU's victories on opening weekend, Robson recorded a statline of .600/.765/.700, leading the Southeastern Conference after the first week of play with eight runs and five walks. The Windsor, Ontario, Canada, native's on-base percentage and average both currently rank second in the league. |
| Weekly awards piling up for Mississippi State | |
| A pair of Bulldogs received national recognition for their performances last week. Mississippi State's women's basketball player Victoria Vivians earned U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) National Freshman of the Week. MSU baseball player Jacob Robson was named Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week. For Vivians, it was her second award of the week. The Carthage native also won Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week. She averaged 24.5 points per game leading her team to a 1-1 record last week. Robson hit .600 for the weekend and leads the SEC with eight runs and five walks. |
| Richardson adds balance for Bulldogs | |
| Breanna Richardson did a great job Sunday hiding tired legs. On a day the Mississippi State women's basketball team matched a single-season record for wins, Richardson showed why she is so important to the Bulldogs' success. The 6-foot-1 sophomore forward tied for game-high scoring honors with 16 points, grabbed six rebounds, and had three assists to lead then-No. 13 MSU to a 75-62 victory against Florida before a season-high crowd of 5,183 at Humphrey Coliseum. "We just have to come out and be aggressive," Richardson said. "Like (MSU) coach (Vic Schaefer) said, we started off dead, so I felt like we needed some offense, so I needed to attack and finish." |
| Mississippi State women's track and field ranked in top 20 | |
| Continuing to move up in the polls, the Mississippi State women's track and field team ranks No. 17, according to the USTFCCCA rankings. "Each week we get closer to our goal," MSU coach Steve Dudley said. "These athletes have worked hard all year and have constantly strived to build this program. We are starting to prepare for post-season and I can't wait to see how strong they finish." The Bulldogs saw success this past weekend as the team split action between the Spire Invitational and the Samford Invitational. |
| RICK CLEVELAND (OPINION): Mississippi hoops have admirably followed up state's football madness | |
| Mississippi syndicated sports columnist Rick Cleveland writes: "After a watershed Mississippi college football season, what in the world could our basketball teams provide for an encore? Quite a bit, as it turns out. Mississippi State's women, nationally ranked at 24-4 (with two double overtime losses) lead the way. If the Big Dance started today, the Ole Miss men would surely be two-stepping at 17-8 and 8-4. There's more from all levels of Mississippi college basketball. If this is the third week of February, then March Madness can't be far behind. In the Magnolia State, the madness begins with the presentation of the C Spire Gillom and Howell trophies that go to the most outstanding female and male players in the state." |
| QB Shea Patterson commits to Ole Miss; brother Sean no longer on LSU's staff | |
 | Shea Patterson won't be an LSU Tiger, and his brother is not one anymore. Patterson, a 6-foot-2, 195-pound five-star quarterback from Calvary Baptist Academy in Shreveport, committed to Ole Miss over LSU and Southern California on Tuesday. His brother, Sean, is no longer a graduate assistant at LSU, Patterson's father, also named Sean, confirmed Tuesday to The Shreveport Times. Sean left the program last week, his father said. Patterson is expected to graduate in December and plans to enroll in school early. |
| Indoor practice facility could cost UGA $30 million | |
| An indoor practice facility for the Georgia football team will cost "in the ballpark of $30 million," UGA Athletic Director Greg McGarity said Tuesday. Despite the hefty price, McGarity said the UGA Athletic Association is "moving very quickly, as quickly as possible" toward building the facility. A firm decision hasn't been made on a timetable or site, but UGA is focused on a location off Lumpkin Street, near the football team's outdoor practice fields and Stegeman Coliseum. At $30 million, it would cost twice as much as the reported price for an indoor practice facility at the University of Florida, currently under construction. It would be paid for from Athletic Association funds and private donations. |
| Malzahn apologizes to female veteran after alleged verbal harassment from Auburn players | |
 | Auburn coach Gus Malzahn apologized Tuesday to a veteran who says two Auburn football players harassed her and her service dog on her way to class that morning, according to Shari Duval, president of K9s for Warriors, a Florida-based organization that trained the dog. Duval also told AL.com that the two players have acknowledged their actions and wish to apologize to the veteran. Auburn's athletic department has not issued a statement on the incident. Ashley Ozyurt, 25, identified herself as the victim to WTVM late Tuesday night. Ozyurt is an Air Force veteran who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder stemming from sexual assault during her three years in the military. |
| 1st Amendment groups seek to join Vanderbilt rape records lawsuit | |
 | Two First Amendment groups have requested permission to file briefs in support of a public records lawsuit brought by The Tennessean and other media organizations that goes before the state's Supreme Court in May seeking evidence in a rape case against four former Vanderbilt University football players. The Tennessean, eight media organizations and the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government filed suit against Metro Nashville last fall seeking access to records in the case that were not created by government entities but were in the hands of police. Those records include text messages between Vanderbilt football coaches and players. The Tennessee Court of Appeals ruled against the media coalition, but in January the state's highest court agreed to review the case. |
| Clemson, other South Carolina colleges could use state planes for recruiting | |
 | Air Dabo soon could be cleared officially for takeoff again. Clemson University's head football coach, along with other athletics officials at South Carolina colleges, would be able to use state planes for recruiting athletes if lawmakers reverse a ban put in place in 2013. The full House budget-writing panel will consider reversing that ban this week. If the proposal to revoke the ban passes, schools would have to reimburse the state for using one of its planes on recruiting trips with money that does not come from state taxpayers -- tuition money or athletics donations, for example. Despite the recruiting ban, Clemson still uses the planes heavily, compared to other state agencies. |
| Athletes take easier courses to fit in with teammates, study asserts | |
| In an endless cycle of perpetuating stereotypes, college athletes care a great deal about academics, a recent paper suggests, but some purposefully underperform academically in a misguided attempt to fit in with their teammates. Previous research has suggested several explanations for their underperformance, including the demanding time requirements of playing a sport, special admissions practices that enroll underprepared students and an apparent lack of motivation from athletes. The new paper by researchers at the University of California at Los Angeles and Princeton University asserts that there may be an additional explanation: athletes study less and gravitate toward easier courses because they want to better align with what they assume are the views of their peers. |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
