| Monday, March 16, 2015 |
| Mississippi State hosts renowned artifact collection | |
 | One of the world's private largest collections of African-American art, documents and artifacts will make its first trip to Mississippi next week. The Kinsey Collection will be at Mississippi State University's Mitchell Memorial Library from Saturday, March 21 through June 20. It has previously been viewed by more than 4 million people at such locations as Walt Disney World and the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. "This is the most significant collection we've had, and certainly the largest we've brought to the library," said Stephen Cunetto, administrator of systems at Mitchell Memorial Library. |
| Mississippi State hosts renowned artifact collection | |
 | One of the world's private largest collections of African-American art, documents and artifacts will make its first trip to Mississippi next week. The Kinsey Collection will be at Mississippi State University's Mitchell Memorial Library from Saturday, March 21 through June 20. An opening reception with the Kinsey family is scheduled for Saturday, March 21 from 6 to 8 p.m. Bernard Kinsey will make a presentation about the exhibit on Sunday, March 22 at 3 p.m. in the Lee Hall Auditorium. |
| Starkville/MSU Symphony Orchestra's season concludes with Italian composers | |
 | The Starkville/MSU Symphony Orchestra presents "Italian Ideals" March 21, its final concert of the 2014-2015 season. The event begins at 7:30 p.m. in Lee Hall on the MSU campus. The concert features music written by Italian composers and a work inspired by Italy. The program contains two of Gioacchino Rossini's most beloved overtures, his overture to "La gazza ladra" ("The Thieving Magpie") and his overture to William Tell. The Tell overture was made famous by a masked man with silver bullets, riding a white horse. |
| Jazz fest addresses 'Business of Music' | |
 | The Mississippi State University Library is finishing preparations for the ninth annual Charles H. Templeton Ragtime and Jazz Festival, to be held March 26-28. The festival stemmed from the Charles H. Templeton Sr. Collection and Museum at Mitchell Memorial Library, which is home to more than 22,000 pieces of sheet music, 200 musical instruments and unique musical memorabilia from the 1990s-1930s. The collection highlights the industry during the late 19th and 20th centuries, when ragtime dominated popular American music. (Subscriber-only content.) |
| Hundreds Of Forestry Students Compete In 58th Annual Conclave | |
 | Hundreds of forestry students were in Oktibbeha County for a friendly competition. It's all a part of the 58th Annual Southern Forestry Conclave. More than a dozen universities nationwide were represented over the weekend. Mississippi State's forestry department hosted the event. With 15 universities represented, students put their skills to the ultimate test. |
| Forestry competition heats up | |
 | It was a first for Preston Durham. "Everybody is just fighting to get number one, you know. At the same time we're all friends," said Durham. College students traveled to Starkville for a chance to show off their forestry skills at the 58th annual Southern Forestry Conclave over the weekend at Mississippi State University. "It gets relatively competitive. Some schools take it more seriously than others, but it's nice to come home with a trophy each year," said Zach Senneff, MSU Forestry Club president. |
| Starkville's Restaurant Week underway | |
| Starkville's third annual Restaurant Week started Friday, and Greater Starkville Development Partnership leaders say event has found its stride. GSDP Special Events and Projects Coordinator Jennifer Prather said 31 restaurants had signed up to participate for the 10-day event that runs through March 22. This year, restaurant patrons will choose between the Autism and Developmental Disability Clinic at MSU, Habitat for Humanity and the Salvation Army to receive the grand prize donation. GSDP accepts public nominations for charities each year, Prather said, and the Convention and Visitors Bureau Board selects the three finalists. Previous winners are the Oktibbeha County Humane Society and the T.K. Martin Center at Mississippi State University. |
| Mississippi farmers mind fields of mud | |
 | Farmers are a patient people. And Tim Cooper, like most farmers, deals with extremes in weather with a shrug. But, just like everyone else in a large part of Mississippi lately, he's ready for some clear skies and sunshine. It's been more than just a nuisance in harvesting. Cooper also said he's about a month behind in planting spring crops. "One of the main things is we're not able to get into the fields and do any plowing or planting anything." MSU Extension Service agronomist Ernie Flynt doesn't expect the higher-than-normal rainfall to affect farmers who grow corn, soybeans and cotton. "We've seen this kind of thing before." "The only thing it might effect is corn, but there's a six- to eight-week window for that," Flynt says. |
| Where ideas come to grow: Innovate Mississippi's Startup Weekend March 27-29 | |
 | Entrepreneurs and others with a great idea waiting to happen can pitcher their creations and receive assessments from their peers at the next Start's Startup Weekend. The Mississippi College School of Law in downtown Jackson will host an Innovate Mississippi Startup Weekend from 8 a.m. March 27 to 5 p.m. March 29. The weekend event offers an intense 54 hours of creation and exchanging ideas. In addition to entrepreneurs, many of the participants are programmers, coders, developers and other business-minded individuals, Innovate Mississippi says. |
| Govs. Bryant, Barbour to unveil Katrina commemoration plans | |
 | Mississippi is about to unveil its plans to commemorate the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Governor Phil Bryant and former Gov. Haley Barbour will hold a news conference Monday at the Maritime and Seafood Industry Museum in Biloxi. At that news conference, the governors are expected to release information about Mississippi's 10-year anniversary effort. Monday's announcement comes just days before a Hurricane Katrina exhibit opens at the Ohr O'Keefe Museum of Art. |
| Voucher bill change could bring constitutional debate | |
| Changes made to legislation providing vouchers or scholarships to parents of special- needs children to leave the public schools and pursue private education options could make the proposal more susceptible to a constitutional challenge, some believe. The change was proposed by House Education Chairman John Moore, R-Brandon, in an attempt to garner more votes in the House for the controversial measure. The measure as it passed the House last week by a relatively slim margin is pending in the Senate. Gov. Phil Bryant has urged the Senate to concur in the House version of the bill and send it to him for his signature. Nancy Loome, executive director of the Parents Campaign, who has worked against the proposal, said the people who crafted the bill did so carefully to try to avoid any constitutional questions. But by giving funds directly to private schools, some would argue it violates Section 208 of the state Constitution. |
| Health care zone legislation may not survive | |
| Legislation that would supplement incentives offered under 2012's Healthcare Industry Zone Act could end up dead in the water -- again. The Industry Zone Act, pushed by Gov. Phil Bryant three years ago, offers property, income and sales tax breaks for new medical facilities located in a community that has developed a master plan outlined by the law. The new legislation, the Health Care Industry Zone Master Plan Act, offers another layer of incentives to the 12 communities that have already adopted a master plan set forth in the 2012 law. |
| Analysis: Senate Conservative Coalition influence wanes | |
| Nearly two years ago, the newly formed Mississippi Senate Conservative Coalition was preparing to make life uncomfortable for Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, a fellow Republican whom the coalition's leaders viewed as too willing to work across party lines. Now, the coalition has mostly unraveled, and seven of its 11 original members have even endorsed Reeves for re-election. Some former coalition members say the organization, led by Republican Sen. Chris McDaniel of Ellisville, never lived up to its own billing as a study group to create serious policy proposals. Republican Sen. Will Longwitz of Madison said he left the coalition within weeks. "From the beginning, it was an organization to promote Chris McDaniel," Longwitz told The Associated Press this past week. "I don't see anything they have accomplished. It's just policy losses followed by political fundraising. You lose, you whine, you raise money." |
| School-choice PAC eyes some GOP incumbents | |
| Before the Feb. 27 deadline for candidates to qualify to run for office, recorded phone calls were made in the state House districts represented by Steve Massengill of Hickory Flat and Margaret Ellis Rogers of New Albany searching for candidates to run against them. The recorded phone call starts with Grant Callen, president of Empower Mississippi, introducing himself and praising the schools in Northeast Mississippi, but saying improvements were needed in other parts of the state and Gov. Phil Bryant and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves had introduced needed reforms. "But your legislator, Rep. Steve Massengill, has blocked these reforms every time he has had the opportunity, This year Rep. Massengill is up for re-election and Empower Mississippi is looking for a candidate to run against him. So I have a question -- have you ever considered running for the Legislature...?" The recording goes on to detail how to contact Empower Mississippi, a nonprofit that includes a political action committee. |
| Evangelicals Aim to Mobilize an Army for Republicans in 2016 | |
 | One afternoon last week, David Lane watched from the sidelines as a roomful of Iowa evangelical pastors applauded a defense of religious liberty by Senator Ted Cruz of Texas. That night, he gazed out from the stage as the pastors surrounded Gov. Bobby Jindal of Louisiana in a prayer circle. For Mr. Lane, a onetime Bible salesman and self-described former "wild man," connecting the pastors with two likely presidential candidates was more than a good day's work. It was part of what he sees as his mission, which is to make evangelical Christians a decisive power in the Republican Party. "An army," he said. "That's the goal." His hope is that the politicized pastors will help mobilize congregations that have been disheartened by the repeated failure of socially conservative candidates, and by a party that has softened its opposition to same-sex marriage. |
| Top-secret U.S. replica of Iran nuclear sites key to weapons deal | |
 | Inside a top-security building at a classified U.S. site, government experts intensely monitor rows of tall, cylindrical machines that may offer the Obama administration its best hope for persuading the public to back a nuclear deal with Iran. Using centrifuges acquired when Libya abandoned its nuclear program in 2003, as well as American-built equipment, the government has spent millions of dollars over more than a decade to build replicas of the enrichment facilities that are the pride of Iran's nuclear program. Since negotiations with Iran began in earnest, U.S. nuclear technicians have spent long hours tinkering with the machines to test different restrictions and see how much they would limit Iran's ability to convert uranium into bomb fuel. The facts accumulated over more than a dozen years by a small army of experts from the Energy Department and other agencies will play a key role in selling a deal to the public, officials said. |
| Rural hospitals, beset by financial problems, struggle to survive | |
 | Experts and practitioners cite declining federal reimbursements for hospitals under the Affordable Care Act as the principal reasons for the recent closures, but rural hospitals also suffer from multiple endemic disadvantages that drive down profit margins and make it virtually impossible to achieve economies of scale. These include declining populations; disproportionate numbers of elderly and uninsured patients; the frequent need to pay doctors better than top dollar to get them to work in the hinterlands; the cost of expensive equipment that is necessary but frequently underused; the inability to provide lucrative specialty services and treatments; and an emphasis on emergency and urgent care, chronic money-losers. Rural health-care experts say that unless the problems of rural hospitals are addressed by state and federal officials, there could be a repeat of the widespread closings that followed an overhaul of the Medicare payment system 30 years ago. |
| Pension Fight Comes to a Head in Memphis | |
 | Many states and cities are facing pushback from workers as they seek cutbacks on pension entitlements to existing employees---not just new workers or retirees---as they try to control their budgets and fill pension gaps. But Memphis is particularly notable because workers have moved beyond rhetoric and into action. More than 250 police and firefighters have quit and new recruits are proving difficult to attract, after Memphis opted to end its traditional defined-benefit pension and cycle a portion of retirement benefits for many current employees next year into a 401(k)-style account. Pension showdowns are brewing elsewhere. |
| Millennials consume news daily, usually through social media, friends | |
| Young adults have a reputation for being connected to one another and disconnected from the news. But a survey has found that mobile devices and social networking are keeping them more engaged with the broader world than previously thought. They want news, they say, though they don't always aggressively seek it out -- perhaps simply happening upon it on a friend's online feed. And they want it daily. The survey of Americans ages 18 to 34, sometimes called the millennial generation, found that two-thirds of respondents said they consume news online regularly, often on a social networking site. Of those, 40 percent do so several times a day, according to the poll, conducted by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research and the American Press Institute. |
| 2015 fall semester brings parking changes to UM | |
 | The University of Mississippi will be adding more parking and new ways to pay for it this upcoming fall semester. Parking expansions will include the on-campus garage, a new lot, additional meters and the use of a mobile app. "We would hope that we are making positive changes through the use of technology and better parking inventory control," said Mike Harris, the director of parking and transportation. The new parking lot will be for commuters and add 75 spaces. The parking garage will be available for charge, costing $2 the first hour and an additional $1 for each hour up to $10 for a 24 hour period. |
| Southern Miss team places third in Blueprint Mississippi Social Business Challenge | |
 | Students from Mississippi Public Universities had the opportunity to showcase their ideas, creativity and ingenuity as they competed in the inaugural Blueprint Mississippi Social Business Challenge, which was held today at the State Capitol in Jackson. The teams presented solutions to some of Mississippi's most pressing problems and outlined ideas to help reach the goals established by Blueprint Mississippi. The University of Southern Mississippi received the third place award. The USM team concentrated on promoting and supplementing film industry-specific workforce training programs and providing grants and low interest loans for development of film industry-related infrastructure. |
| USM's Pride of Mississippi marching band wins in Ireland | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi's marching band, The Pride of Mississippi, was named the overall winner of the International Band Parade in Limerick, Ireland, on Sunday. Twenty-four marching bands featuring 1,100 musicians from across Ireland, Europe and the United States performed in the 45th annual parade. The Pride will travel to Dublin today for the St. Patrick's Day Parade there on Tuesday. "Limerick was named Ireland's first National City of Culture in 2014, and the residents there know great music," said Steve Moser, dean of the College of Arts and Letters, who is with The Pride in Ireland. About 130 band members traveled to Ireland to march in the parades. |
| USM student newspaper takes home awards | |
| The Student Printz, the student run newspaper at the University of Southern Mississippi, took home a number of Best of the South awards at the Southeast Journalism Conference 2015. The Student Printz was ranked in the top 10 in the Best College Newspaper category and received fourth place for Best College Website. "I am so proud of everyone on the Printz staff for contributing to these many awards," executive editor Kathryn Miller said. "It is such an honor to be selected in the top 10 best college newspapers in the Southeast. It is shown through our consistent hard work and commitment to producing a diverse range of news for the campus community." |
| U.S. News & World Report moves U. of Alabama's MBA program up 16 spots | |
 | The University of Alabama's MBA program has been ranked 58th among accredited MBA programs by U.S. News & World Report. UA's masters of business administration ranking is 16 spots higher than last year's ranking. UA's MBA ranked 31st among public schools and is fifth among its Southeast Conference peers. "Ranking in the top 12.5 percent of all MBA programs is good news for Culverhouse and our graduate school," said a statement from Dean J. Michael Hardin of the Culverhouse College of Commerce. |
| Auburn's BIG Event draws thousands of volunteers | |
 | Several Auburn University students were hustling and bustling all across town Saturday, but they weren't rushing toward class. Instead, they were looking to give back to the City of Auburn through Auburn University's The BIG Event. More than 2,000 students volunteered to help during the 13 th annual event, organized by the university's Student Government Association. "It started at Texas A&M actually, 33 years ago. It was part of an initiative by students to have a service project that all students could participate in," said Katelyn Ahern, assistant executive director of The BIG Event. "We kind of picked it up from Texas A&M and have blown it up here. Our goal is just to go out into the Auburn community and say thanks for letting us college students take over for 10 months of the year." |
| Birmingham lawmaker's bill would change trustee system, give UAB new board | |
| A Birmingham lawmaker introduced a pair of bills Thursday to amend the state Constitution and create a separate supervisory board of trustees to oversee the University of Alabama at Birmingham and provide more equal representation among the three campuses on the existing board. Rep. John Rogers, D-Birmingham, a UAB alumnus, introduced the proposed amendments, which would require approval by a super majority in the Legislature and by voters during a statewide referendum. Lawmakers from Jefferson County including Rogers, who has introduced similar legislation in the past, resurrected the idea of separating the campus from the University of Alabama System soon after the December announcement by UAB President Ray Watts that the Birmingham campus would discontinue its football, bowling and rifle programs. |
| Kouchehbagh Joins U. of Arkansas Bumpers College Staff | |
 | Melody Kouchehbagh has joined the staff of the University of Arkansas Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences as development and external relations coordinator, the school announced Friday. Kouchehbagh will coordinate and manage Bumpers College development and external relations events; help conduct major donor research and oversee maintenance of development-related records; identify and cultivate members and representatives for boards, societies and other key constituent groups; and manage stewardship of all assigned prospects and donors. |
| UGA ecologists find another way fertilizer damages streams | |
 | Scientists have long known that excess nitrogen and phosphorus can damage rivers and streams, but a research team led by University of Georgia ecologists recently uncovered a type of harm previously unrecognized -- chemicals commonly found in fertilizers speed up the rate at which bits of leaf and wood disappear from streams. Those leaf and wood fragments are the base of the food chain for aquatic life in many streams, but phosphorus and nitrogen stimulate the microbes and insects that break down the woody material. With those extra nutrients, they break down the material faster, leaving little behind during the summer, said UGA ecologist Amy Rosemond. |
| U. of Florida students' community projects gain financial support | |
 | Three local community projects conceived by University of Florida undergraduates are getting a little extra support from the Bob Graham Center for Public Service's Healthy Civic Campus and Community program. The program, modeled after the international Davis Projects for Peace, awarded a total of $5,000 to three student-run grassroots projects in Gainesville. "We are surrounded by a great deal of student ingenuity and passion for helping others, but there is not much in the way of financial support for launching such endeavors," Emma Humphries, civic engagement coordinator at the Graham Center, said. Launched this year, the program invited undergraduate groups to submit project proposals and received 12 submissions. |
| U. of South Carolina's popular 'Open Book' author series back for fourth year | |
 | The University of South Carolina's popular Open Book series is back again for its fourth year -- this time featuring six authors, an extra week and several guest speakers including host Elise Blackwell, an author herself. "Usually, by the end, I'm tired and ready for it to be over," says Blackwell, laughing. "But then, about a week later, I'm already looking forward to next year's event." Blackwell, who teaches in the university's graduate program in creative writing, says the series seems to be growing in popularity. Registrations for the free event are on the rise and the program has found a place not only at USC but within the Midlands book-loving community as well. "(The series) functions as sort of a community group read and a book club," she says. |
| Michael Young leading Aggies to the top of the SEC presidential salary bracket | |
 | Texas A&M University System administrators were left with two options in finding a replacement for R. Bowen Loftin when he stepped down as president of the main A&M campus in 2014: The Board of Regents and System Chancellor John Sharp could either hire a candidate at a rate similar to Loftin's annual base salary of $425,000 and maintain the status quo, or hire the very best and pay them accordingly at a rate of at least $1 million per year. Earlier this week, the A&M got its million-dollar man by confirming Michael Young, former president of the University of Washington, as the flagship school's next president. Despite A&M's successful effort to grab top talent and pay him accordingly, Young's position at or near the top of the highest-paid standings may not last long. |
| Alumnus donates $1 million to U. of Missouri College of Arts and Science | |
 | The University of Missouri celebrated its second $1 million gift of the week Friday morning. MU alumnus Mark Wilkins, a private wealth adviser for Merrill Lynch's Private Banking and Investment Group in St. Louis, gave the MU College of Arts and Science $1 million to create a fund in his name to benefit faculty recruitment and retention. The Mark Wilkins Fund for Excellence will fund faculty stipends, staff support and research and travel expenses for research and education presentations. The gift is unrestricted, said Tom Hiles, vice chancellor for development and alumni relations. |
| Amid controversy, U. of Missouri to show 'American Sniper' | |
 | The Missouri Students Association announced in a statement Friday that it will continue with its plan to show the film "American Sniper" on campus in April, despite opposition from members of the Muslim community and other members of the student body. In a statement on its website, MSA said that it would use conversations fostered by the screening to "help cultivate an inclusive campus climate." The decision came after MSA met with veterans and members of the Muslim community on Monday to discuss objections to the film. |
| Survey finds increases in faculty pay and significant gaps by discipline | |
 | Median base salaries of full-time faculty members at four-year colleges and universities increased by 2 percent in 2014, down from 2.1 percent the year before, according to a report being released today by the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources. The survey found slightly larger gains for those at public institutions (2.1 percent) than at private institutions (2.0 percent). With the Consumer Price Index at 1.6 percent for the year, that means real spending power increases (but small ones) for full-time faculty members at four-year colleges. The CUPA-HR study is one of two annual reviews on the state of faculty salaries. A larger study by the American Association of University Professors, which also includes data from community colleges, will be released in April. |
| Amid Rising Concern About Addiction, Universities Focus On Recovery | |
 | In murder mystery novels, when the hero, a private detective or homicide cop, drops by a late-night Alcoholics Anonymous meeting to stave off a sudden craving for a beer or two or 20, it's usually in some dingy church basement or dilapidated storefront on the seedier side of town. There's a pot of burnt coffee and a few stale doughnuts on a back table. The Center for Students in Recovery at the University of Texas could not be more different. In a bit of inspiration, UT located the center inside the luxurious athletic facilities attached to the university's football stadium. There are martial arts and dance studios; fencing, squash and steam rooms. It means the students in recovery are rubbing shoulders with UT's many student-athletes -- another group with priorities besides partying. The scholarship athletes and the recovering addicts make for an interesting mix. |
| BILL CRAWFORD (OPINION): Blog takes McDaniel conservatives to task | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: "The Mississippi based political blog 'Y'all Politics' has taken the 'MS Tea Party' and Chris McDaniel's Conservative Coalition to task... The blog emphasizes the lack of a serious 'Conservative Coalition' challenge to Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves... Could it be that most in the tea party are satisfied with current leaders? After all, Republican statewide leaders are all pro-gun, pro-life, anti-tax, anti-spending, anti-regulation, free market, small government, anti-Obama constitutionalists. That matches up pretty good with the ultra-conservative Club for Growth mantra that McDaniel et al mimicked." |
| PAUL HAMPTON (OPINION): There is life after the Grand Old Party | |
 | The Sun Herald's Paul Hampton writes: "You may remember Evan Alvarez. Up until July, he was a rather normal college kid with a bent for politics. Like a lot of young folks, as a youngster he dreamed of being president. He interned in Gov. Phil Bryant's office. Political Guru he calls himself on Twitter. And he's a SigEp, a marathon runner and lover of caffeine. Oh, and he's former chairman of the Mississippi Federation of College Republicans. But now he's a Democrat. Now you remember Evan Alvarez? He bailed on his role with the GOP last year in a big way after a spat with a fellow member over the contentious Sen. Thad Cochran-state Sen. Chris McDaniel primary campaign. Like a lot of mainline Republicans, he was fed up with the Tea Party and its desire to drag the party all the way to the right." |
| SAM R. HALL (OPINION): Paul LaCoste Sports bootcamp a life-changing experience | |
| The Clarion-Ledger's Sam R. Hall writes: "In January I started a three-month long training program with Paul LaCoste Sports, a boot camp that is designed essentially to kick your butt into shape. Marshall Ramsey has done the boot camp for several years and has always been a strong advocate of it, not just from the physical benefits but from the relationships you build and the emotional strength you gain. Marshall is a big reason that I did the boot camp. He's always talking about how much he runs, how his mindset has changed and how being healthy and active have really changed his life and lifestyle. Still, I was in the worst shape of my life and bigger than I've ever been." |
| GEOFF PENDER (OPINION): Pressure is on GOP to pass tax cuts | |
| The Clarion-Ledger's Geoff Pender writes: "After all the talk and effort on tax cuts, the pressure is on the GOP legislative leadership to pass some into law this election year, lest somebody look foolish. But as the 2015 legislative session enters the home stretch, it's unclear how, or if, that will happen. ...A deadline this week will force some telling action. Each chamber has to vote on the other's plan, although final deals don't have to be reached for another couple of weeks. GOP leaders can, and most assuredly would, try to lay off failure to pass tax cuts this year on Democrats. But in this case, failure to pass tax cuts would be as much about Republican leaders failing to work together as it would be about partisanship." |
| SID SALTER (OPINION): Growing fed share of revenues contradicts constitutional vote | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: "Should Mississippi become the third state -- after Georgia and Alaska -- to sign onto a plan to call a constitutional convention to force Congress to balance the federal budget and to require that the states grant Congress permission to raise the federal national debt? By a vote of 68-51, the Mississippi House of Representatives has expressed their will that Mississippi follow that path. The state Senate passed the bill in February by a vote of 30-19 with three abstentions. The bill now is headed to Gov. Phil Bryant's desk and it is difficult to imagine that he will not sign it into law. ...For FY2013, Mississippi adopted a budget of $18.2 billion. But of that state budget, some 42.9 percent of it was met with federal dollars. Over the last decade, federal revenues as a share of all Mississippi state government revenues increased from just over 35 percent in 2000 to just fewer than 53 percent in 2011. Specifically, federal funds in Mississippi pay for Medicaid, education, social welfare, and highways." |
SPORTS
| ADAM MINICHINO (OPINION): Waiting almost over for Mississippi State women's basketball team | |
| The Dispatch's Adam Minichino writes: "With all of the acronyms -- RPI and SOS -- flying around at this time of the year, three words might mean more to help turn things in favor of the Mississippi State women's basketball team. No bad losses. MSU has recorded a program-best 26 victories, including a team-best 11 in the Southeastern Conference, this season thanks in part to its ability to do what it was supposed to: Win games it had scheduled. ...At 6 p.m. Monday, MSU will find out its other dancing partners when the pairings for the NCAA tournament are announced on ESPN." |
| Mississippi State softball walks off vs. No. 19 Texas A&M, clinches series | |
| With its backs against the wall on what head coach Vann Stuedeman calls "Toughness Sunday," the Mississippi State softball team (20-6, 3-3 SEC) used a four-run seventh inning to claim a 7-5 walk-off win over No. 19 Texas A&M (21-7, 3-3 SEC), Sunday at the MSU Softball Field. The Bulldogs clinched their first Southeastern Conference series win of the season and now sit at 4-4 on the season against top 25 opponents. The next matchup for the Bulldogs is Tuesday, March 17 at Southeastern Louisiana Lions with first pitch set for 5 p.m. |
| Mississippi State's Cohen looking for answers to help struggling bullpen | |
| Mississippi State's starting pitchers threw 364 pitches against Alabama this weekend. John Cohen coulnd't leave anything in the tank. He had no choice. The bullpen cost the Bulldogs two games against the Crimson Tide, including a 8-4 loss in the rubber game Sunday at Dudy Noble Field. "We're just not challenging the strike zone," Cohen said. "I've likened it to our pitchers right now late in the game trying to walk through rain without getting wet. It's a very tentative type of approach." Mississippi State (16-6, 1-2) blew its second eighth-inning lead of the series in the Southeastern Conference series finale. The loss was MSU's sixth in the last nine games. It came after the Bulldogs began the season 13-0. |
| Mississippi State 's Bougard runner-up in pentathlon at NCAA indoor | |
| Mississippi State senior Erica Bougard finished second in the pentathlon on Saturday at the NCAA Indoor Track and Field Championships for the second year in a row. Bougard, from Byhalia, scored 4,566 points to finish as runner-up to Georgia sophomore Kendell Williams, who broke her own 2014 record with 4,678 points. In 2013, Bougard won the NCAA indoor pentathlon crown. |
| MSU receiver Wilson arrested on drug charges | |
| Mississippi State wide receiver De'Runnya Wilson and three others have been arrested on drug charges in south Alabama. Covington County Jail officer Melissa Leslie said Saturday that Wilson and the others are charged with marijuana possession second degree and possession of drug paraphernalia. She says they were arrested at about 9:20 p.m. Friday in River Falls, Alabama. The 20-year-old Wilson, the Bulldogs' leading receiver, was released after posting $2,500 bail. |
| Road to redemption continues for Cox | |
| The road to redemption continues for Justin Cox. Three months after his Mississippi State football career ended with the West Point native missing his last three games to suspension following a Nov. 25 arrest for domestic violence, Cox continued the journey back to being a sought-after NFL prospect. After the domestic violence charge was dismissed on Jan. 6 at the request of the victim, Cox's path picked up steam when he was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine in late January.After an impressive performance there, Cox continued his rebound. Cox's road traveled through Scooba this week, as the West Point native participated in his own Pro Day, this one held at East Mississippi Community College. |
| Alabama men's basketball coach Anthony Grant fired | |
| The University of Alabama will replace head basketball coach Anthony Grant, UA confirmed on Sunday. UA athletics director Bill Battle is expected to begin a national search for Grant's successor immediately, the source said. Grant, who was hired in March 2009 from VCU, compiled a 117-85 record at UA, including an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2012. In the last two seasons, however, UA had slipped to a 31-33 record, including a 15-21 mark in SEC play. Alabama was eliminated in the first round of the SEC Tournament in each of the past two seasons. |
| Feds promote artificial turf as safe despite health concerns | |
 | Lead levels high enough to potentially harm children have been found in artificial turf used at thousands of schools, playgrounds and day-care centers across the country, yet two federal agencies continue to promote the surfacing as safe, a USA TODAY analysis shows. The growing use of turf fields layered with rubber crumbs has raised health concerns centered mostly on whether players face increased risk of injury, skin infection or cancer. The U.S. has more than 11,000 artificial turf fields, which can cost $1 million to replace. But largely overlooked has been the possible harm to young children from ingesting lead in turf materials, and the federal government's role in encouraging their use despite doing admittedly limited research on their health safety. |
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