| Thursday, February 19, 2015 |
| Mississippi State prof studies why Delta deer are biggest in state | |
 | There are roughly 1.75 million deer in Mississippi and they bring an estimated $1 billion economic impact to the state. That's why Bronson Strickland, an associate extension professor at Mississippi State University, believes it is important to know which factors lead deer in some parts of the state to be bigger in size to those from other parts. Strickland spoke to the Columbus Rotary Club at Lion Hills on Tuesday about how a mixture of genetics and environment affects deer throughout the state. Strickland has been involved in a MSU experiment that studies development of deer from different parts of the state with the intention of discovering if physical characteristics -- particularly body size and antler size -- are due to genetics or environmental impact. |
| Mississippi Peanut Growers memorial scholarship honors Don Self | |
 | A scholarship honoring the late Don Self, Hamilton, Miss., peanut producer and National Peanut Board member, has been created by the Mississippi Peanut Growers Association. The $1,000 annual scholarship will be awarded to a student in the Mississippi State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Self, a pioneer grower of peanuts in northeast Mississippi, was killed last summer in an on-farm accident. At the time of his death he was completing his sixth year of service on the National Peanut Board and on the board of the MPGA. Contributions marked Don Self Scholarship may be made payable and sent to the MSU Foundation, P.O. Box 9760, Mississippi State MS 39762. |
| Horton, an MSU alum, named head of news group | |
 | Luke Horton has been named president of Brookhaven Newsmedia -- the Boone Newspapers Inc. affiliate in Brookhaven -- and publisher of The Daily Leader, The Prentiss Headlight and affiliated publications. The announcement was made over the weekend by Kevin Cooper, vice president of Boone Newspapers. Horton graduated from Mississippi State University. |
| Implications accompany Starkville interim fire chief appointment | |
| Tuesday's six-hour Starkville Board of Aldermen meeting ended with the board's appointment of an interim fire chief, allusions of racism associated with the decision and two African-American aldermen exiting the meeting before the conclusion of business. Aldermen opted to appoint Fire Marshal Mark McCurdy as outgoing Chief Rodger Mann's interim replacement over Battalion Chief Curtis Randle, a move that drew pointed criticism from Vice Mayor Roy A. Perkins. Randle is black. McCurdy is white. |
| Questions plague proposed Lowndes aluminum mill | |
| A Golden Triangle economic development leader says he believes lawsuits against a Columbus-based company that has proposed building a $1.2 billion aluminum mill could be on the horizon. Joe Max Higgins, the CEO of the Golden Triangle Development LINK, told The Dispatch on Tuesday he is becoming more concerned about American Specialty Alloys and that several local investors are mulling the possibility of filing lawsuits against the company for misrepresenting its financial situation. "Something's not right here," Higgins said. |
| Portera Touts Regional Strategy During Meridian Rotary Visit | |
 | The developer of a strategic plan to increase development in Kemper County talked about its regional benefits Wednesday at a meeting of the Meridian Rotary Club. Dr. Malcolm Portera says a regional approach is the key to developing all the counties in east Mississippi, with Lauderdale County being a strategic center. "Because of its size and because of its infrastructure, it's going to benefit from the growth of the counties around it. It's sort of a spoke and hub situation, if you think about it." |
| Public schools will get another year of relief on grades | |
 | State officials say Mississippi's public schools will get another year where they get to keep high grades even though test scores indicate lower ratings. In a news release Wednesday, the state Department of Education said that federal guidelines include a "pause" in state grading systems for one year because of the switch to new tests in most states. |
| Democratic Party announcing Slater for governor | |
| Democratic Jackson attorney and business owner Vicki Slater is announcing her candidacy for governor this morning at 10 a.m. at the Capitol, according to a press release. It says: "Slater will be accompanied by family and friends and will be introduced by State Representative David Baria." Slater in 2012 considered a run against incumbent Republican Gregg Harper for the Third Congressional District seat in Central Mississippi. |
| 28 GOP senators endorse Reeves | |
| Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves says 28 of 31 Republican Senators have endorsed him in his re-election bid. This includes, Reeves' campaign announced in a press release, seven of the Senate Conservative Coalition, a group of 10 or so created by Sen. Chris McDaniel that has often been at odds with Reeves on policy issues and Senate governance. |
| McDaniel 'would prefer federal position' | |
| State Sen. Chris McDaniel says he hasn't ruled out a run for lieutenant governor or some other state office, but his first preference would be a federal office, such as the one now held by U.S. Rep. Steven Palazzo. "If I had to rank, I think frankly I would prefer a federal position, only because I think at this stage more can be done in that regard," McDaniel, R-Ellisville, said Wednesday. "I think a close second to that is my present position. I'm happy there ...Naturally, there is no federal race this year, so that might tell you where my leaning is." McDaniel, who made national waves with his tea-party fueled, near-miss run against incumbent U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran last year, on Wednesday met with The Clarion-Ledger. |
| Mississippi lawmakers working on early version of budget | |
| Mississippi legislators are working on early proposals to fund state government during the year that begins July 1. The House passed several budget bills Wednesday, including House Bill 1536, which would add about $106 million to schools. The proposed education budget includes about $40 million for the second year of a teacher pay raise program. It also has $6 million to give raises to assistant teachers, although that number could increase later if legislators agree on a larger raise for the assistants than was originally planned. |
| House approves $106M increase to MAEP | |
| State representatives on Wednesday approved a K-12 public schools funding bill that boosts the Mississippi Adequate Education Program by $106 million -- more than the governor's proposal but less than the education agency's request. House Bill 1536 allocates more than $2.2 billion for MAEP and more than $2.5 billion for K-12 education overall. It passed the House by a vote of 120-0 with no debate, striking a sharp contrast to previous years in which lawmakers have argued for hours before approving public education funds. The measure now goes to the Senate, which will have its own education appropriation bill. |
| House OKs $106M in new education funds | |
 | The Mississippi House approved, with limited debate Wednesday, a proposal that would increase spending on the Mississippi Adequate Education Program by $106 million for the upcoming fiscal year. MAEP is the mechanism used to provide the bulk of state funding for the basic operations of local school districts. The education budget, as well as the budgets for other state agencies, passed the House with limited opposition on Tuesday and Wednesday. In the coming years, "Hopefully we will be able to move this thing toward full funding where it should be," said House Appropriations Chairman Herb Frierson, R-Poplarville. |
| Senate bill gives break for assistance after natural disaster | |
| The state may relax taxes and licensing requirements for businesses and personnel during and after a natural disaster declaration. Senate Bill 2762 says: "During such time of operating in the state on a temporary basis solely for purposes of helping the state recover from the disaster or emergency, these businesses and individual employees should not be burdened by any requirements for business and employee taxes as a result of such activities in the state for a temporary period." The Senate Finance Committee has passed the bill. It now goes to the full Senate. |
| Investor: Legislation would free up millions of barrels of Mississippi oil | |
| Supporters of legislation that conferred common carrier status on Mississippi's carbon dioxide shipping pipelines are hoping it is revived before session's end. House and Senate bills that would have compelled CO2 pipeline owners to open them up to third parties died at the Feb. 3 committee deadline. Supporters argue that since the pipelines were built using eminent domain, they should be open access. As it is, the pipeline's owners -- in Mississippi, that's almost exclusively Denbury Resources -- can restrict which operators they serve. Mark Worthey, a Texas-based energy investor and a Mississippi native, said that's leaving more than 200 million barrels of oil underground in Mississippi's smaller oil fields. |
| Mississippi appeals blocked abortion law to US Supreme Court | |
| Mississippi is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to let it enforce an abortion law that had been declared unconstitutional by a lower court. In papers filed Wednesday, state Attorney General Jim Hood asks the nation's highest court to overturn a ruling by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeals court ruled last year that the law could block access in Mississippi to a constitutionally protected medical procedure by closing the only abortion clinic in the state. |
| At summit on extremism, Obama defends his semantic choices regarding Islam | |
 | President Obama has talked about the deadly dogma infiltrating some Muslim communities and decried the acts of terrorism carried out in the name of what he calls a "distorted" version of Islam. But as he presides over three days of discussions at the White House about the fight against terrorism, he and his staff are studiously avoiding making their efforts sound like a religiously driven campaign against the faith of more than 1 billion people. Officially, the meeting is a summit on countering violent extremism. Nobody at the White House is talking about "Islamic extremism" or "Muslim terrorists," a semantic distinction that has critics up in arms but that the administration contends is necessary to deprive extremist groups of the authenticity they crave. |
| Student activity fees added by 4 Mississippi universities | |
| Four of Mississippi's public universities are likely to begin charging student activity fees this fall, moving further away from the state's one-time policy of tuition including all charges. The College Board Wednesday approved Mississippi State University and the University of Mississippi to add $5-a-semester fee, and for Jackson State University and Mississippi Valley State University to add $10-a-semester fees. The board gave final approval for Delta State University to begin charging a $50-a-semester facilities fee. |
| MUW working on digital library | |
 | The Mississippi University for Women will use a grant to digitize images from the schools archive. The Mississippi Digital Library awarded MUW a Cultural Heritage Digitization Award. The grant will enable two individuals from MDL to visit campus in August to digitize about 770 photos. MDL also will host the images and metadata on its website for The W. MUW Archivist Derek Webb says the images will be freely available to the public without having to come to campus and look through the archives to see them. |
| New vice chancellor, dean of medical school named at UMMC | |
| University of Mississippi Chancellor Dan Jones on Wednesday announced the new vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine at the University of Mississippi Medical Center. Dr. LouAnn Heath Woodward, an emergency medicine physician and academic administrator, will be the first female and the 10th person to hold the post in the Medical Center's 60-year history. Woodward graduated from Mississippi State University and attended medical school and completed a residency in emergency medicine at UMMC. She then joined the faculty in the Department of Emergency Medicine, where she is a tenured professor. |
| Woodward chosen to lead UMMC | |
| Mississippi native Dr. LouAnn Heath Woodward was named to the head position at the University of Mississippi's Medical Center on Wednesday. Woodward was selected by Ole Miss Chancellor Dan Jones to become the institution's next vice chancellor for health affairs and dean of the School of Medicine. She was approved by the state College Board during its meeting Wednesday. "She brings a strong passion for better health in Mississippi," Jones said. "She is a Mississippian and is fully committed to better health in our state and using the resources of the medical center for that." The 51-year-old Carroll County native has spent the past five years as second-in-command at the medical center. |
| New residence hall to house interest groups at UM | |
 | The construction of the new dormitory located next to Crosby Hall at the University of Mississippi is well underway is on schedule to be completed in July to accommodate students moving in this August. It is set to house two living-learning communities and the transfer student community. According to Jennifer McClure, assistant director for marketing, this new residence hall will house 304 students for the 2015-16 school year. The students that live there for the 2015-16 school year will be the members of Mind-Body-Soul freshman interest group (currently called The Well), the Global Perspective Living Learning Community and the transfer student community. According to McClure, the new dorm is being referred to as Residence Hall No. 1 until it is given a permanent name. |
| UM chancellor hopes to return to full-time work soon | |
| University of Mississippi Chancellor Dan Jones said on Wednesday he hopes to return to full-time work in the near future. Jones was diagnosed with lymphoma in November and has been treated with chemotherapy since then. "Treatment continues to go well," Jones said. "I anticipate being back full time in the next four to six weeks." Jones is eager to return to Oxford. "There are lots of activities in the spring, and I'm looking forward to getting back and being involved in spring activities," he said. |
| First of 3 public hearings on MDOC contracts set for USM | |
 | The public will have an opportunity to contribute suggestions, comments and criticisms regarding the Mississippi Department of Corrections' bidding contracts. The first of three public hearings will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the University of Southern Mississippi's Thad Cochran Center. The other public hearings are set for March 7 at Delta State University in Cleveland and March 20 at the Woolfolk State Building in Jackson. |
| William Carey University opens on-campus medical clinic | |
| A few days ago, Campbell Holland was suffering through the symptoms of a sinus infection -- headache, fluid behind an ear and dizziness. On Monday, the 8-year-old was treated, but not with antibiotics. She received hands-on therapy at the William Carey University osteopathic manipulative treatment clinic. "It really helped. This was her first appointment and she felt so much better," said her mother, Rebecca Holland, of the treatment delivered by Dr. Richard Sloan and Dr. Dennis Rau, faculty members at Carey's College of Osteopathic Medicine. Seeing patients by appointments from 12:30-4:30 p.m. Mondays, the facility opened Jan. 26 and offers Carey students, faculty, staff and their families the services. |
| U. of Kentucky promotes College of Pharmacy Dean Tim Tracy to provost | |
 | The University of Kentucky named Tim Tracy, dean of the College of Pharmacy, as its chief academic officer Wednesday evening. Tracy will begin work as UK provost on Monday, said President Eli Capilouto. "Tim is an accomplished scholar and academic leader, which has been clear since he joined our campus community in 2010," Capilouto said in a news release. Soon after former provost Christine Riordan announced in December that she would leave to become president of Adelphi University, Capilouto said he would initiate a speedy and internal search because of ongoing initiatives, such as a new strategic plan and programs to improve student graduation and retention rates. |
| U. of Kentucky, many school districts cancel classes for the week | |
| Much of Kentucky's education system, including the University of Kentucky and Fayette County Public Schools, will take the rest of the week off, citing the potential dangers of expected subzero temperatures. Public schools in Lexington and several other Central Kentucky counties canceled classes for Thursday and Friday, as did UK, Eastern Kentucky University, and Western Kentucky University. UK officials announced late Wednesday that classes would be canceled Thursday and Friday, although its Chandler and Good Samaritan hospitals and UK Clinics will remain open with regular hours. Classes at UK were canceled Monday and Tuesday after heavy snowfall, but opened on Wednesday. |
| Louisiana higher education authorities seek tuition authority | |
 | As Louisiana colleges and universities brace for potentially catastrophic budget cuts in the coming year, higher education leaders again plan to urge the state Legislature to give schools the flexibility to set tuition prices without legislative interference. But, as in years past, even supporters of the proposal say they expect it will be hard to convince state lawmakers to part with their control over tuition rates. The state Board of Regents is slated to outline its legislative agenda during a meeting Monday. Tuition autonomy is just one of the pieces of a complex puzzle leaders are facing as they head into negotiations over the state budget. Higher education funding is facing a nearly $383 million hit -- about 40 percent of the state's spending on colleges and universities -- in the state budget that starts July 1. |
| U. of Florida again among leaders in Peace Corps volunteers | |
 | Once again, the University of Florida has produced the most Peace Corps volunteers of any college or university in the state, and placed in the top five nationally. The Peace Corps released its 2015 ranking of colleges and universities placing students in the field. UF ranked third with 66 in 2014. Since its formation in 1961, alumni from more than 3,000 colleges and universities across the nation have served in the Peace Corps, including nearly 1,300 from UF, the Peace Corps said. |
| Chores, walking help cut heart attack risk, U. of Florida study shows | |
| You want to head off a possible heart attack? Pick up a mop. Or go get the mail. Do something, anything. And if you want to see your chances of cardiac arrest increase, just sit on your keister all day. That's the conclusion from a new University of Florida study that says as little as 20 minutes of mild, everyday physical activities can reduce the risk of heart attack in older adults. The UF Institute on Aging study looked at more than 1,100 people ages 74 to 84 who later participated in its Lifestyle Interventions and Independence for Elders, or LIFE, study on the benefits of physical activity. |
| Social media, irresponsible reporting fed meningitis scare, UGA president says | |
 | The president of the University of Georgia on Wednesday blamed misinformed commenters on social media and irresponsible broadcast news reporting for spreading false rumors that a UGA student died this week from bacterial meningitis. UGA President Jere Morehead said the comments and reports spread unwarranted fear across the campus. "The rumor mill that has blown up around her passing is unfortunate and is feeding speculation that simply is not true," he said. |
| Second U. of Missouri dean candidate talks diversity, love of students, leadership style | |
 | David Kurpius stressed his commitment to students at a forum Tuesday during his visit at the University of Missouri. Kurpius is one of four finalists vying for the open dean spot at the MU School of Journalism. His day of interviews and forums was moved to Tuesday after Sunday's snow closed MU on Monday. At an open forum focused on students Tuesday afternoon in Hulston Hall, Kurpius spoke to a room full of faculty, staff and students about his background and how he can help the college. "Students first. Period," Kurpius said when an alumnus asked him what he would prioritize if hired: student education or boosting MU's ranking in the Association of American Universities. |
| U. of Missouri, Columbia Christians celebrate Ash Wednesday | |
 | Churchgoers celebrated Mass on Ash Wednesday at the Newman Center at the University of Missouri, marking the first day of Lent, a 40-day preparation for Easter. This day typically brings a large turnout at the Newman Center, according to the Rev. Richard Litzau. Many attendees participated in Holy Communion and had ashes put on their foreheads. "There's something powerful that brings us together on this day," the Rev. Dan Davis said. "It's not just any Wednesday." |
| Open dialogue at U. of Missouri addresses gray areas in black culture | |
| Black students at the University of Missouri crowded into the Gaines/Oldham Black Culture Center Tuesday evening to fill in the blank of the night's question: "Am I still black if...?" Jonathan McElderry, director of the Black Culture Center, organized the event aiming to illustrate how each black person's personality and background add to the diversity of black culture. "I want them to walk out of this event knowing that being black is not a monolithic experience," McElderry said. "We all have unique experiences and come from different backgrounds." For Malcolm Bouchee, an MU junior, being black has meant wrestling with stereotypes and the expectations they breed. |
| UMass Amherst reverses policy barring admission to Iranian students in certain fields | |
 | The University of Massachusetts at Amherst has reversed a controversial new policy that would have barred Iranian students from certain science and engineering programs, the institution announced on Wednesday. The move followed consultations with the U.S. State Department and outside counsel. Following an intense backlash, university officials now say that rather than restrict Iranian students from enrolling, they will develop "individualized study plans" that ensure that these students' courses and research endeavors comply with requirements imposed by the sanctions. |
| In Bid to Allow Guns on Campus, Weapons Are Linked to Fighting Sexual Assault | |
 | As gun rights advocates push to legalize firearms on college campuses, an argument is taking shape: Arming female students will help reduce sexual assaults. Support for so-called campus-carry laws had been hard to muster despite efforts by proponents to argue that armed students and faculty members could prevent mass shootings like the one at Virginia Tech in 2007. The carrying of concealed firearms on college campuses is banned in 41 states by law or by university policy. Carrying guns openly is generally not permitted. But this year, lawmakers in 10 states who are pushing bills that would permit the carrying of firearms on campus are hoping that the national spotlight on sexual assault will help them win passage of their measures. |
| Open letter calls for legislators to reconsider campus sexual assault bills | |
| More than a dozen student affairs associations, nonprofit organizations and victims' advocate groups are releasing an open letter today urging state legislators to reconsider pending bills in several states that the letter says would interfere with colleges' efforts to prevent campus sexual assault. The letter, written by NASPA: Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education, was sent to lawmakers in all 50 states; in several states, legislatures are considering bills that would require college officials to refer all reports of sexual violence to law enforcement or that would give accused students judicial rights, such as allowing a lawyer to fully participate on their behalf, that are not available to accusers. |
| Superbug linked to 2 deaths at UCLA hospital; 179 potentially exposed | |
| Nearly 180 patients at UCLA's Ronald Reagan Medical Center may have been exposed to potentially deadly bacteria from contaminated medical scopes, and two deaths have already been linked to the outbreak. The Times has learned that the two people who died are among seven patients that UCLA found were infected by the drug-resistant superbug known as CRE -- a number that may grow as more patients get tested. The outbreak is the latest in a string of similar incidents across the country that has top health officials scrambling for a solution. UCLA said it discovered the outbreak late last month while running tests on a patient. State and federal officials are looking into the situation at UCLA as they wrestle with how to respond to the problem industrywide. |
| SID SALTER (OPINION): MDOT chief calls for contract reform scrutiny | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: "Is it any wonder the Mississippi Legislature is actively, earnestly debating legislation that seeks to improve the process of how government contracts are awarded to remove opportunities for corrupt officials to engage in more looting of the public trust? ...There are three legislative vehicles available to lawmakers that seek to address state contracts -- House Bill 825, Senate Bill 2400 and Senate Bill 2553. The Senate bills have been sent to the House and HB 825 awaits Senate action. ...Mississippi Department of Transportation Executive Director Melinda L. McGrath, who has led that agency since 2011, understands better than most the intricacies of state contracts. McGrath said she welcomes 'any legislation that serves to protect the public trust.' But she expressed concerns that in their zeal to make a strong response to the MDOC corruption scandal, lawmakers might be tempted to 'take a one size fits all' approach." |
SPORTS
| Bulldogs, Rebels ready for return engagement | |
| It was the most frustration Craig Sword has shown all season. Standing just outside the visiting locker room at Tad Smith Coliseum on the heels of a 79-73 loss to arch-rival Ole Miss on Jan. 29, Sword did not have the look of a player who had just scored a season-high 27 points. Instead, his expression was despondent as he looked back on a game that got away from he and his teammates. "We got close," said Sword. "We just didn't finish. We have to be better next time." Next time has arrived. Just over three weeks removed from a disappointing six-point loss in Oxford, MSU returns home as the season series shifts to Starkville. |
| Mississippi State hopes history repeats itself against Ole Miss | |
| Through the last five seasons, the transition under Rick Ray brought new players and a different coaching philosophy. Adidas debuted uniforms. Even the Southeastern Conference evolved from a 12 to a 14-team league. Through it all, Mississippi State has hung its hat on one constant: beating Ole Miss at home. "That's one of the biggest games of our season, you know our rivals," junior Gavin Ware said. "If you're not ready for this game you need to have your heart checked." The Bulldogs enter today's matchup with the Rebels having won five straight at home. This edition of the rivalry tips at 8 p.m. on ESPN2. |
| Bulldogs hope to maintain Starkville dominance | |
| Mississippi State hopes to hold serve at home against Ole Miss at 8 p.m. tonight on ESPN2 and continue to make Humphrey Coliseum a house of horrors for the Rebels. The Bulldogs have won five straight at home in the series -- in a venue where Ole Miss left victorious only three times in the last three decades. "Everybody traditionally plays better at home compared to playing on the road," said MSU coach Rick Ray. "But when you add the rivalry part of it, you know that you're going to have a great fan base and the fans will come in here supporting you and with more hatred in their veins when they walk in. I think it ends up making a difference and provides a little bit more energy to our guys." |
| Ole Miss could use a reversal of history in Starkville | |
| There's no denying that Ole Miss just does not play well in Starkville. It has won just once at Mississippi State in Andy Kennedy's first eight seasons, in 2009. The Rebels have not swept the season series since 1998, which was the last time before that they won at their rivals. That's the opportunity in front of Ole Miss (17-8, 8-4) on Thursday (8 p.m., SEC Network) when it plays at Mississippi State (12-13, 5-7). |
| Mississippi State's Demetrius Houston: Just playing hard | |
| Demetrius Houston saw something in an inexperienced and out-manned Mississippi State program during his recruitment that made him want to be a part of it. Rick Ray spent his first two seasons with the Bulldogs working with only six or seven scholarship players. Now, with the addition of Houston and others this season, MSU (12-13, 5-7 SEC) has already won more Southeastern Conference games than in the previous two years. "The things they were doing even without a full roster were pretty good," Houston said. "I was wondering what those coaches could do with a full roster. I believed in them and knew they could make it happen." |
| Mississippi State's bullpen starts strong in first four games | |
| Mississippi State baseball coach John Cohen spent much of the preseason telling media, fans, and his players about the importance of a dominant bullpen. In an effort to continue his team's recent trend of strong bullpens, Cohen made several changes. Among them was moving senior Trevor Fitts, a starting pitcher, to closer and moving Vance Tatum, another starter, to reliever. Cohen also wanted to have senior left-hander Ross Mitchell (24-5 record entering the season) as an option out of the bullpen. So far, so good. Four games into the season, MSU's bullpen has picked up where it left off last year. |
| Mississippi State baseball adjusts times for weekend series | |
| Mississippi State has changed the start times for this weekend's series against Marshall and Alabama A&M. Each doubleheader on Friday, Saturday and Sunday has been moved up. Friday and Saturday's games will begin at noon. Sunday's finale will start at 11 a.m. t's the second straight week the team has changed its start times. Mississippi State swept last weekend's series against Cincinnati and Miami (Ohio) starting the season 4-0. |
| Mississippi State softball faces Southeastern Louisiana, Penn State | |
| A challenging non-conference schedule has helped pave the way for the Mississippi State softball team to make three straight NCAA regional tournament appearances. The Bulldogs continue to fight to join the upper echelon of the Southeastern Conference. While making that transition, the quality wins outside league play have help ensure the necessary Ratings Percentage Index number needed to make postseason play. MSU will continue the quest to bolster the non-conference win column this weekend when Southland Conference foe Southeastern Louisiana and Big Ten for Penn State come to town. "This is a big weekend for our team," MSU head coach Vann Stuedeman said. |
| ADAM MINICHINO (OPINION): Schaefer has Mississippi State women blazing historical path | |
| The Dispatch's Adam Minichino writes: "Vic Schaefer knew he could win at Mississippi State. The veteran coach realized someone could be successful in Starkville shortly after talking with school administrators and touring the athletic facilities in 2012. Schaefer had been to MSU plenty of times in the past as a coach at Arkansas, so he understood the women's basketball team didn't draw robust numbers to Humphrey Coliseum. But Schaefer sensed something more was there. The construction of Mize Pavilion was part of it. In addition to the new practice facility built onto the Hump, there also was an energy and a willingness to believe that magic could be created." |
| Nicholls State stuns LSU 6-3 | |
| LSU's lofty rankings will likely take a tumble now. Freshman right-handed pitcher Doug Norman struggled in his first career start, and the Tigers hitters missed a host of scoring chances as Nicholls State stunned LSU 6-3 on Wednesday night at Alex Box Stadium. Norman allowed nine hits and four earned runs in less than five innings, and the Colonels (3-1) knocked off an LSU team ranked as high as No. 2 in the nation on a chilly night in Baton Rouge. Nicholls beat the Tigers for the first time since 2009, the year LSU won the national championship, smacking the state's flagship program with an ugly loss. |
| SEC swimming and diving championships boosts business in Auburn, Opelika | |
 | Auburn University is hosting the 2015 SEC Swimming and Diving Championships, which means a big boost for the economies of Auburn and Opelika. "Capital H-U-G-E," said John Wild, president of the Auburn-Opelika Tourism Bureau. "Swimming and diving is great and have a big impact on our area that people may not already know." With 12 women's teams and 10 men's teams for a total of 484 swimmers and divers -- all eating three meals a day and staying seven nights in the area -- Wild said the local economy is sure to see a boost. While he was able to estimate total revenue brought in by the championship, Wild said the James E. Marin Aquatics Center annually brings in thousands of visitors, second only on campus to Jordan-Hare Stadium. |
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