| Tuesday, March 10, 2015 |
| Field day spotlights Mississippi State beef cattle research | |
 | Mississippi State University beef cattle and forage research will be featured during a field day in Pearl River County March 28. Beef cattle producers are encouraged to attend the event hosted by the White Sand Branch Unit of the Mississippi Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. Experiment Station and MSU Extension Service personnel will present highlights from recent research on various issues of concern to producers. These presentations include updates on forage research, a demonstration of heifer shrink on ryegrass, a discussion of prescribed burning as a management tool and an overview on the effects of an extended-release deworming product on performance of beef steers. |
| Early season insect control pays in peanuts | |
 | Early season insect pests are among the biggest problems for Mississippi peanut growers, says Jeff Gore, "and thrips are the one I probably get the most calls about, particularly in the Delta." In work at the Delta Research and Extension Center last year, he says, plots were treated with Dynasty, a fungicide package, CruiserMaxx, a fungicide package plus Cruiser, and completely untreated seed. Gore, who is associate Extension and research professor at the station at Stoneville, Miss., says there were "some serious seed rot problems" in the completely untreated plots that resulted in a 35 percent yield loss because of the cool, wet weather. |
| New blog showcases Mississippi sights | |
 | Mississippi State University employee Matt Warren has embarked on a new project: taking high dynamic range (HDR) photos of the state. The Columbus resident is a web designer and art enthusiast who has always found interest in photography. For the last few years, he had the idea to travel the state, take photos and compile the best pictures on a blog. Last spring, he took a picture of the Columbus Marina. That photo, one of the first he took in HDR, became the first post on his blog, mississippiinhdr.com. That was only the beginning. |
| Gasifier starts at Kemper power plant | |
 | Mississippi Power Co. announced Monday that it had fired up gasifiers at its Kemper County power plant for the first time. It's another step by the unit of the Atlanta-based Southern Co. toward moving the $6.2 billion plant to being fully operational by the end of June 2016. The gasifier is meant to take soft lignite coal and turn it into a gas that will be burned, like natural gas, to make electricity. The company said that it plans to start using lignite in the gasifier later this year. Mississippi Power has 186,000 customers from Meridian to the Gulf Coast. Customers are already paying 18 percent higher rates for Kemper, although payment plans for the plant have been thrown into doubt by a recent state Supreme Court ruling that overturned certain Public Service Commission actions and ordered refunds. |
| Tagert enters race for U.S. House seat | |
 | Northern District Transportation Commissioner Mike Tagert confirmed Monday he will run for Congress in the special election for the District 1 U.S. House seat left vacant by the death of incumbent Alan Nunnelee, R-Tupelo, on Feb. 6. Tagert, an Oktibbeha County Republican, who as Transportation commissioner represents every county in the congressional district, had been rumored for some time to be eyeing the race and will be considered one of the front-runners. |
| Tagert joins 8 others in north Mississippi U.S. House race | |
| Northern District Transportation Commissioner Mike Tagert of Starkville on Monday joined the expanding field for a vacant congressional seat in north Mississippi. The Starkville resident is at least the ninth person to announce as a candidate in the race to succeed Republican Rep. Alan Nunnelee, who died of brain cancer Feb. 6. Candidates' qualifying deadline is March 27. The election is May 12, and a runoff is June 2. Tagert, a 44-year-old Republican who has been the elected state transportation commissioner for the northern third of the state since 2011, has said he lives 4 or 5 miles outside the 1st District, but has said he could move into the district if elected. All of the congressional district is inside his transportation commission district. |
| Blogger's trial set for March 30 in Cochran photo case | |
 | A Pearl political blogger who made national news for photographing U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran's bedridden wife in her nursing home room last April was in court today for the first time since his indictment on charges of conspiracy, attempted burglary and burglary. In a brief court appearance, Kelly and his attorney Kevin Camp appeared before Madison County Circuit Judge William Chapman, III for a status update on the case. A March 30 trial date is set for Kelly, Madison County District Attorney Michael Guest said. Guest said Monday that there is no plea deal offer on the table in Kelly's case and the deadline is 5 p.m. Friday for any plea deal to be reached. |
| Senate sends bill banning texting while driving to governor | |
| Mississippi is one step closer to becoming the 45th state to ban texting while driving, after the state Senate overwhelming passed such a bill Monday. The governor, for his part, is expected to sign the measure into law if it's not held for more debate. House Bill 389 would ban drivers from writing, sending or reading text messages, emails or social media messages. It set a $25 fine until July 1, 2016 and $100 after that. Making and receiving phone calls would still be legal. Three Republican senators -- Chris McDaniel of Ellisville, Angela Hill of Picayune and Michael Watson of Pascagoula -- voted against the bill Monday. They say that the bill would allow police officers to pull people over at any time claiming they believed someone was looking at a cellphone. |
| Driver texting ban goes to Bryant | |
| Legislation banning texting while driving is a gubernatorial signature away from becoming law in Mississippi. The 52-member state Senate -- after about an hour of debate late Monday -- sent to the governor with three dissenting votes the bill that would impose a $25 civil penalty for texting and driving. Sen. Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, argued that all human behavior could not be changed by passing laws and said there are already laws that could be used to stop someone who might be driving recklessly while texting. Sen. Sally Doty, R-Brookhaven, cited a University of Alabama study that concluded traffic fatalities were reduced by 3 percent in states with texting and driving bans. McDaniel cited other studies that indicated the ban did not make a difference. |
| Texting ban headed to governor | |
| Mississippi appears set to join 44 other states with comprehensive bans on texting while driving. The Senate on Monday evening overwhelmingly passed a House bill that would create a civil offense of texting while driving. It would initially carry a $25 fine through July 1, 2016, then increase to $100. The measure would "sunset" in three years to give lawmakers a chance to examine its efficacy before reinstating it. "This will bring Mississippi into the 21st century," said Senate Transportation Chairman Willie Simmons, D-Cleveland. "...This is about public safety." The issue has pitted individual rights -- highly valued in this conservative state -- against safety. Similarly, Mississippi was slow in passing a seat-belt law, in 1994, after most surrounding states had passed them in the late 1980s or by 1991. |
| Opponents dispute state candidates' residency | |
| Three Democratic candidates for state office, two of whom currently are serving, face qualification challenges from opponents alleging claims of false residency. State Rep. James Evans of Jackson, state Sen. Bill Stone of Holly Springs and senate hopeful Clara Dawkins-Davis of Darling must counter those claims at a hearing Friday before the Mississippi Democratic Party Executive Committee or lose their places on the 2015 primary and general election ballots. At issue in all three challenges are violations of the Mississippi Constitution, which requires legislative candidates to live in the state for at least four years, and live in the district they want to represent for at least two years, prior to the election. |
| Education Honorees Warn About Assault on Public Schools | |
| Lawmakers cautioned the audience at the Mississippi Association of Educators event Friday about the state's attack against the public school system. "And it's not an assault without significant resources. They're sincere in their efforts to do what they can to undermine the efforts of public educators," said Rep. Kevin Horan, D-Grenada. The group of educators also gave Rep. Cecil Brown, D-Jackson, the "Friend of Education" award for the years he's spent fighting for public education in the Legislature. Brown served as the House Education Committee chairman for seven years. Brown urged educators and advocates to become more active in supporting candidates who believe in the public school system. |
| Lawyers seek court control of Mississippi foster care system | |
| Lawyers who have been suing Mississippi for 10 years over conditions in its child welfare system said Monday that it's time for a federal judge to take the system over. In a contempt motion filed in U.S. District Court in Jackson, they said Mississippi's Department of Human Services is either unwilling or unable to fix the problems, breaking four agreements pledging improvements over seven years in what's known as the Olivia Y. case. At the time the case was filed, Olivia Y. was a malnourished 3-year-old in state foster care. "The children can't wait another seven years for this," Marcia Robinson Lowry, a lawyer for New York-based A Better Childhood, told The Associated Press by telephone. "It is a total misuse of state resources and who knows how many children are being harmed every day." |
| GOP letter to Iran deepens White House ire | |
 | An already heated battle between the White House and Republicans over negotiations to curtail Iran's nuclear program grew more tense Monday when 47 Republican senators sent a letter to Iran designed to kill any potential deal. The White House responded by accusing the Republicans of conspiring with Iranian hard-liners, who oppose the delicate negotiations, and suggesting that their goal was to push the United States into a military conflict. "I think it's somewhat ironic to see some members of Congress wanting to make common cause with the hard-liners in Iran," President Obama said a few hours after the letter was made public. "It's an unusual coalition." |
| Millennials Are More Racist Than They Think | |
 | News about race in America these days is almost universally negative. Longstanding wealth, income and employment gaps between whites and people of color are increasing, and tensions between police and minority communities around the country are on the rise. But many claim there's a glimmer of hope: The next generation of Americans, they say, is "post-racial" -- more tolerant, and therefore more capable of easing these race-based inequities. Unfortunately, closer examination of the data suggests that millennials aren't racially tolerant, they're racially apathetic: They simply ignore structural racism rather than try to fix it. |
| Apple Watch Success Will Hinge on Apps | |
 | The value of a wristwatch is typically defined by its materials, design, features and brand. For the new Apple Watch, all those factors will apply, but so will something else: apps. Apple on Monday held a media event to explain how its long-awaited Apple Watch works and how much it costs. Just as important, it also demonstrated what the watch was capable of doing with apps made by other companies. If the watch is going to succeed, those other companies will have a lot to do with it because few devices -- not even those made by Apple -- will sell well without the help of a whole lot of app developers. |
| USM fraternity donates $9,000 to Extra Table | |
 | The men of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity at the University of Southern Mississippi hosted their 9th annual Chili Cook Off in December. As is their tradition, the fraternity selected a non-profit organization to partner with and to donate proceeds to. For 2014, Extra Table was selected for that partnership. Extra Table is a non-profit organization with the mission of ending hunger and obesity in Mississippi. The Chili Cook Off included over 20 professional, community and student entrants, more than 30 sponsors, and several auction items for silent bidding that were donated by businesses throughout the Pine Belt community. This week, Extra Table was presented with a donation from the event's proceeds, totaling $9,000. |
| U. of Alabama to publish Corolla yearbook | |
 | The University of Alabama will publish the Corolla, a yearbook for the 2014-15 academic year, according to UA faculty/staff newsletter released Monday. In September, UA's committee that oversees student media voted not to produce a Corolla, which has been published annually since 1893. The committee cited declining sales and financial losses. Monday's newsletter said that the Corolla will have a traditional format with "tech-savvy innovations." |
| Auburn Diplomatic Program provides international experience on campus | |
 | Auburn University is becoming one of Alabama's most popular destinations for visiting dignitaries from foreign governments through the university's Diplomatic Program. These international representatives provide students with global experience without studying abroad. "International experiences are becoming a necessity for college graduates to succeed in an expanding global, cultural and economic environment that is already far beyond what previous generations encountered," said Auburn University President Jay Gogue. "The dignitaries have heard of the university's reputation and always look forward to coming," said Anna Gramberg, Auburn University senior counsel to the president and coordinator of the Diplomatic Program. "Many dignitaries have visited Auburn more than once over the years." |
| ASTA's Atkinson Sees Higher Education Meeting High Tech in Arkansas | |
 | Tim Atkinson was appointed president of the Arkansas Science and Technology Authority in 2013 after years of helping scientists find funding for their work. Previously, he was assistant provost for sponsored programs at the University of Central Arkansas. He has a bachelor's in biology from Tennessee Technological University, a master's in education from Vanderbilt University and a doctorate in education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. ASTA's mission is to advance the talent and innovation necessary for Arkansas to prosper. |
| Arkansas Senate Votes to Cut Scholarship Awards for Freshmen | |
| The Arkansas Senate voted Monday to reduce the lottery-funded scholarships incoming freshmen will receive and base its eligibility solely on standardized testing, despite concerns from Democrats that the move will hurt minority and low-income students. By a 22-12 vote, the Republican-controlled Senate supported changes to the scholarship program that supporters say are needed because of the lottery's dwindling revenue. The bill had narrowly failed late last week after several Republicans were absent because of winter weather hitting the state. The proposal now heads to the House. The bill lowers the scholarship amount incoming freshmen receive from $2,000 to $1,000 and increase the amount students receive in the second year from $3,000 to $4,000. |
| UGA expert: Mitochondrial disorders more common than previously known | |
 | Evidence is growing that mitochondrial disorders play a bigger role in autism spectrum disorders than previously thought. "It's far more common than we ever anticipated," said Dr. Fran Kendall, who specializes in treating mitochondrial disorders. Kendall, an adjunct faculty member in the University of Georgia's department of kinesiology, recently discussed the disorders in the UGA Center for Physical Activity and Health seminar series. When mitochondria fails work properly, they are most like to affect the body's central nervous system; impaired mitochondria can also affect muscles, kidneys, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal systems. |
| Law school rankings place UF No. 1 in Florida | |
 | The University of Florida Levin College of Law has regained its spot as the state's No. 1 law school. UF surpassed Florida State University, according to the U.S. News & World Report's 2016 Best Law Schools rankings. UF rose two places to rank 47th nationally while FSU fell five positions to 50th nationally. UF also received the top marks for its graduate tax program. "Rankings like this back up our belief that UF Law continues to be one of legal education's best values," Interim UF Law Dean George Dawson said in a news release. UF's climb in the rankings was due to improvements in employment and bar passage rates for graduates, and how much the college spends on each student's education. |
| 3 U. of Tennessee graduate programs rank in US News top 10 | |
 | Three graduate programs at the University of Tennessee are in the top 10 for their programs at public universities, according to the 2016 U.S. News and World Report graduate rankings. Among public universities, UT nuclear engineering ranked fourth, supply chain management ranked fifth and clinical law training ranked eighth. Nuclear engineering and supply chain management were also in the top 10 for all universities -- fifth and eighth respectively. Several UT programs also moved up in the rankings for public universities from 2015. |
| Smartphone app lets U. of Kentucky students give their locations to campus police | |
 | A new smartphone app will allow University of Kentucky students to give campus police their exact location in an emergency, officials announced Monday. The University of Kentucky Student Government Association and UK Police said the LiveSafe smartphone app is available as a free download from iTunes or Google Play. "Last year, the number one concern I heard from students was off-campus safety," SGA president Jake Ingram said. "Arming students with LiveSafe on their smartphones will help everyone take responsibility for their own personal safety and the safety of the entire community." The app also allows students to anonymously report suspicious behavior. UK will pay a flat fee of $25,000 annually for the app. |
| Site survey planned for proposed STEAM Academy on U. of Kentucky campus | |
| The first steps are underway toward construction of a high school on the University of Kentucky campus to house Fayette County Public Schools' STEAM Academy. On March 23, the school board will be asked to approve a $21,800 contract with Endris Engineering to conduct a survey of 12.2 acres on campus. Mary Wright, senior director of operations and support for the school district, said Monday at a board planning meeting that the site was adjacent to the College of Education. The university will provide the school site. The school district will build the academy. |
| South Carolina House moves to defund state's Commission on Higher Education | |
 | Angered by higher college costs and the implosion of S.C. State University, the South Carolina House voted Monday to defund the agency that oversees the state's colleges. State Rep. Jim Merrill, R-Berkeley, pushed to take the Commission on Higher Education's proposed $3 million budget and move the money to the state Treasurer's Office. Merrill said he is frustrated the commission has acted as an advocate for S.C. public colleges, instead of regulating them. Merrill wants the state to establish a more powerful state board of regents to regulate universities, a proposal he has pushed unsuccessfully for years. Merrill said the budgets of state colleges have exploded while the schools ask for more state money. |
| Michael Young to sign contract that offers $1 million annually as Texas A&M's new president | |
 | Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp wasn't kidding last month when he said incoming president Michael Young's salary won't compare to that of his predecessor's: Turns out it's more than twice the amount. Young will be paid $1 million annually, receive a yearly $200,000 housing allowance and be given $800,000 up front for signing on with Texas A&M, according to the proposed contract that officials said is "close to being signed." The System Board of Regents confirmed Young as the flagship school's president during a telephonic meeting Monday, unanimously voting to hire Young and pay him more than any other A&M president has earned. The five-year contract starts May 1. |
| U. of Missouri professor gifts theatre department $1 million | |
 | News conferences at the University of Missouri never end with a theatrical production and rarely include an announcement of a faculty member pledging a $1 million gift. Except when Suzanne Burgoyne is involved, that is. Burgoyne, curators' teaching professor of theatre at MU, pledged a $1 million estate gift to the university to create the Center for Applied Theatre and Drama Research in the theatre department. Through applied learning, people can better understand learning strategies that can then be applied to other disciplines, Burgoyne explained after Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin and Mike O'Brien, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, announced her gift. |
| U. of Missouri Greeks react to U. of Oklahoma video | |
 | A video of racist chants from the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity chapter at the University of Oklahoma is sparking conversation about the racial climate among Greek organizations at the University of Missouri. In Columbia, the president of the Alpha Chapter of the national fraternity issued a strong statement. The MU Panhellenic Association, which has representatives from all the sororities on campus, discussed the video and how it pertains to the MU Greek community during its regularly scheduled delegation meeting. Greek women expressed some concerns about racial and religious problems they've witnessed on campus. |
| Racism in Oklahoma Frat Video Is Widespread at Colleges, Researcher Says | |
 | The University of Oklahoma chapter of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity became the focus of outrage on Monday as a result of the online posting of a video that shows its members celebrating the chapter's exclusion of African-American men in a song containing a racial slur and lynching reference. The video, leaked to the university's student newspaper, prompted the fraternity's national organization to disband the Oklahoma campus chapter and David L. Boren, the university's president, to order the fraternity's house on the campus immediately closed. Among those who have watched the video is Nolan L. Cabrera, an assistant professor of higher education at the University of Arizona who has conducted several studies in which he interviewed white male college students about their thoughts on race. The Chronicle interviewed him to see how the incident fits in with his findings. |
| Several Sigma Alpha Epsilon chapters accused of racism in recent years | |
 | Despite the fact that its members agree to memorize and follow a creed known as The True Gentleman, Sigma Alpha Epsilon has frequently been accused of racist and discriminatory behavior over the years. Now the largest fraternity in the country, SAE seems to have played a disproportionate role in some of the most offensive incidents in recent decades -- and yet remains a house in good standing at more than 200 campuses. A detailed analysis of fraternity deaths by Bloomberg last year found that SAE is the country's deadliest, and it is often accused of promoting a culture that helps lead to campus sexual assault and hazing. (Note: This article contains explicit and potentially offensive terms that are essential to reporting on this situation.) |
| Oklahoma racist frat chant: glimpse of what goes on behind closed doors | |
 | The response to a video that surfaced Sunday, showing Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity members singing a racist chant on a bus, was swift. By Sunday night, SAE's national headquarters had closed its chapter at the University of Oklahoma and suspended all those members, and the university severed "all ties and affiliations" between the school and fraternity. But plenty of people on social media have stepped forward to say that, as ugly as the chant is, it's hardly surprising and that they know of similar events that simply didn't happen to be caught on video. Matthew Hughey, a University of Connecticut sociologist who has studied the Greek system, says that the video is simply a very visible sign of how the system is fraught with inequality and racism. |
| Amid Changing Landscape, Lab Schools Search for New Roles | |
 | As policymakers seek ways to get K-12 and higher education systems to work together more closely, the laboratory schools offer a cautionary tale of the challenge of creating and maintaining active partnerships to train teachers and improve instruction. The vision of the laboratory school---where teachers and researchers can develop and spread instructional innovation---is nearly as old as American public education itself. More than a century later, many such schools are still working to find their place in a rapidly changing education landscape. Many laboratory schools have changed in the face of decades of tightening university budgets and more-regimented K-12 accountability. |
| Obama administration will create student loan complaint system, centralized payments for borrowers | |
| The Obama administration will announce Tuesday that it plans to create a centralized complaint system for federal student loan borrowers as well as a single Web site where they can manage their loan payments. In remarks at the Georgia Institute of Technology, President Obama will discuss what White House officials have dubbed a Student Aid Bill of Rights that includes a series of executive actions aimed at helping the growing share of Americans who owe student loans held by the federal government. Obama will direct the U.S. Department of Education to create a new online feedback system by next July that allows students and borrowers to file complaints about federal student loan lenders, servicers, collection agencies and colleges and universities. |
| As Demand for Welders Resurges, Community Colleges Offer Classes | |
| In recent decades, welding -- like a litany of other blue-collar trades that once provided high-school graduates with a reliable route to the middle class -- seemed to have about as promising a future as rotary phones. But many of these once-faltering occupations are finding new life in Texas and the Gulf Coast region, where an industrial revival built around the energy boom continues to spawn petrochemical plants and miles of new pipeline despite the plunge in crude oil prices. The insistent hunger for welders in the Gulf Coast region has created an unusually close partnership between the energy industry and local community colleges to train people for disappearing skills. |
SPORTS
| Dak Prescott OK after being attacked on spring break | |
| Dak Prescott and two Mississippi State teammates are back on campus Tuesday morning after their spring break trip to Panama City was cut short due to an alleged assault. Prescott, a 2015 Heisman Trophy hopeful, backup quarterback Damian Williams and defensive lineman Torrey Dale were jumped by a group of men at a Waka Flocka concert, according to multiple sources. MSU spokesperson Bill Martin said the attack was unprovoked. None sustained serious injuries or needed medical attention at a hospital. The police were not involved. Prescott suffered cuts to his face but was not pressing charges. Mississippi State and its players have no further comment on the situation. |
| Mississippi State's Dak Prescott attacked at concert in Florida | |
 | Mississippi State quarterback Dak Prescott and two of his teammates were attacked Monday while on spring break in Panama City Beach, Fla., MSU director of media relations Bill Martin confirmed Monday night. Martin said that Torrey Dale, a reserve defensive lineman, and Prescott's backup, Damian Williams, were the other two victims of the attack. "Dak and Damian Williams and Dale, all three were jumped by a random group of people," Martin said. Martin said that no police were involved in the incident and that Prescott does not plan to press charges. |
| Mississippi State's Vivians wins Gillom Trophy | |
| Victoria Vivians -- only a freshman -- smiled broadly as she held the Gillom Trophy on Monday afternoon. These were the kinds of moments she envisioned when she opted to stay close to home and join Mississippi State's basketball program. "I stayed in the state to do all this, to make my mark on my state," Vivians said. "But without my teammates or coaches, I wouldn't be here." The 6-foot-1 Vivians -- who led the Southeastern Conference in scoring this season -- won the Gillom Trophy during a presentation at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame. Ole Miss guard Stefan Moody won the Howell Trophy. The Gillom is given to the state's top women's player, while the Howell is given to the top men's player. |
| First meeting with Auburn sparked improvement from Mississippi State | |
| Mississippi State carried the weight of 22-straight road losses when it traveled to Auburn nearly two months ago. More than two years passed since Rick Ray won his first -- and only -- Southeastern Conference road game. No. 23 looked inevitable as MSU fell behind 7-0. Then it clicked. The Bulldog outscored Auburn 50-25 to take an 18-point lead with 15:22 remaining. "I thought our guys started accepting their roles and do some things that we needed to do offensively," Ray said. "I think it's always a struggle getting young men to see what your vision is." Mississippi State won 78-71 and plays Auburn again Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the SEC tournament at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. |
| Oliver's story: Getting adjusted for Bulldogs | |
| For Oliver Black, it simply took some time to figure out what his role would be this season. The true freshman forward was always a post presence and the top scoring option on his high school teams in both Mississippi and Florida. But during his first year at Mississippi State, Black has had to adjust to new responsibilities on a new team. "In high school, I was the go-to guy for my team to score points," Black said. "I came into a new program and people here have already shown their worth. You get pushed back because you're not as confident as you were in high school. Now you're in a role instead of being the guy." However, he admits that transitioning into a league known for physical post play like the SEC was quite an adjustment. |
| Mississippi State's Bougard named SEC women's co-field athlete of the year | |
 | After an outstanding senior indoor track and field season, Mississippi State's Erica Bougard has been named the SEC Women's Co-Field Athlete of the Year. "I'm very proud of Erica," MSU coach Steve Dudley said. "She's had an outstanding career at MSU. I'm so happy she is being recognized for all of her hard work and accomplishments. She is an amazing athlete and is so deserving of this award." The Byhalia, Miss., native will compete in her last meet of her MSU indoor career at the NCAA Championships Friday and Saturday. This is Bougard's fourth-consecutive year to attend the championships. |
| U. of Missouri hires Houston's Mack Rhoades as new athletic director | |
| After five weeks of searching, the University of Missouri has found its new athletic director. Mack Rhoades, who has headed the University of Houston's athletic department since 2009, will replace Mike Alden at MU, the university announced in a news release Monday morning. CBSSports.com first reported the news Sunday night. The UM Board of Curators met Monday morning and entered executive session. All but two curators called in to the meeting before it went to executive session, and Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin, General Counsel Steve Owens and Chief Communications Officer John Fougere sat in on the meeting, which lasted a little more than 50 minutes. Rhoades' most recent achievement at Houston was spearheading fundraising efforts for TDECU Stadium, the Cougars' new $128 million football venue that opened in August. |
| New Missouri athletics director Mack Rhoades focused on long-term | |
| Mack Rhoades will have a plan, just as he did in Houston. Just ask James Dickey. He's seen it before. "He sees the big picture," said Dickey, who coached the Houston Cougars men's basketball team from 2010 to 2014 before stepping down for personal reasons. Rhoades will be formally introduced as the MU athletics director Tuesday afternoon in the University of Missouri Student Center. But his vision for the Cougars' program is still coming to life, even as he leaves. "That's really going to be his legacy leaving UH -- that they got the facilities renovated," said Sam Khan Jr., who covered Cougar athletics for the Houston Chronicle before leaving to cover the Southeastern Conference for ESPN. |
| Renderings show Georgia's indoor practice facility could end up in a lot places | |
| The University of Georgia has denied multiple open records requests from The Atlanta Journal-Constitution -- and presumably other media outlets -- to share renderings and other informational documents produced by the architectural firm that it contracted for hundreds of thousands of dollars to figure out where it could put an indoor practice facility for football. To date, those requests have produced only a fee proposal and a 66-page boilerplate contractual agreement. However, UGA has now posted some of the renderings created by the Collins Cooper Carusi Architects on its website and sent them out to potential donors. They are not, however, very revealing. |
| LSU leads college baseball in paid attendance after the first month of the season | |
 | Top-ranked LSU leads college baseball in paid attendance one month into the season with an average of 10,431 fans per game and a total attendance of 135,611 after 13 games at Alex Box Stadium. Arkansas is second on the list with an average of 7,430 fans and a total attendance of 52,010 after seven home dates. South Carolina is third with an average of 7,259 and a total attendance of 79,857 after 11 home dates. |
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