| Monday, March 23, 2015 |
| SID SALTER (OPINION): Kinsey Collection of African-American art at Mississippi State | |
 | Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: "At the Mississippi State University Mitchell Memorial Library's John Grisham Suite for the next three months, Mississippians have an opportunity to experience one of the most important private African American art and history exhibits in the world in the form of the Kinsey Collection -- the life's work of Bernard and Shirley Kinsey of Pacific Palisades, California. Perhaps more valuable, Mississippians will also have an opportunity to learn more about the Kinsey couple and their son, Khalil, who is the general manager of exhibit operations. The Kinseys are a remarkable family who have turned what was at first a young son's questions about his heritage into a lifelong passion and a subsequent mission to share the collections with others." |
| MCC, MSU-Meridian partner for College Connect | |
 | The process of applying for college can be daunting. But thanks to an annual event hosted by two Meridian higher educational institutions, there is help along the path to getting into college. Meridian Community College and Mississippi State University-Meridian will hold the Fourth Annual College Connect on March 31, from 3-6 p.m. in the MCC Tommy E. Dulaney Multi-Purpose Center. At College Connect, participants can learn about the admission process at both institutions, complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) with a financial aid specialist, discuss financial aid options, complete an MCC Tuition Guarantee contract, apply for scholarships at MCC, apply for the Transfer Admissions Guarantee program at MSU-Meridian, and learn about transfer scholarships at MSU-Meridian. Candy Adams, the recruiting coordinator for MSU-Meridian, said some may think the two campuses compete for the same students, but that really isn't the case. |
| Jones County Junior College hosts unique art display | |
 | This month's art show at Jones County Junior College can be summed up in one phrase: off-the-wall. The creative works of three artists -- Adrienne Callander, Rowan Haug and Robert Ring -- will have visitors looking at art in a different way at the Eula Bass Lewis Art Gallery. "Ultimately, I take things apart to discover new wholes. Sewing also marks time and, as a process, runs parallel with my interest in beginnings and ends. Sometimes I extend a material history. I might restructure an object so that past and present identities exist in tandem," said Callander, who lives in Starkville and teaches at Mississippi State. The artwork of Haug can be found hanging from the ceiling, draped over a display block or pinned to the wall. The Starkville native teaches 3-D Design and works with the Mississippi State art department's Fiber and Paper Arts Club. |
| Ag careers have bright future | |
| Students who want to make a difference in the world should consider careers in agriculture. "Careers in agriculture are as diverse as the farming profession they support," said George Hopper, dean of the Mississippi State University College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. "College degrees are the keys to success in this industry that feeds and clothes the world." Hopper said preparing students for real-world challenges is a priority for faculty in the nine departments of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. Precision agriculture is one area in which the college is considered a leader. |
| Don't let low prices cause you to skimp on fertility | |
 | Have you been harvesting 1,400-1,600 pounds of cotton? Or 200 bushel corn? Thanks to improved varieties and better management and production methods, a lot of Delta growers have achieved those lofty yields, says Darrin Dodds. But the Associate Extension/Research professor of plant and soil sciences at Mississippi State University says many high-producing growers aren't maintaining soil fertility levels to support those yields. "When we're in a 63-cent cotton market, the first thing some growers want do is start cutting fertility rates, particularly potash," he said at the annual meeting of the Mississippi Agricultural Consultants Association. |
| 'All things home' expands garden expo at Mississippi Horse Park | |
 | The Everything Garden Expo green-thumbed enthusiasts have come to expect at the Mississippi Horse Park each spring has a new name and updated mission. The Starkville Area Arts Council-sponsored event March 27-28 will be called the Everything Home and Garden Expo. "We decided to expand the Expo to include home as well as garden this year because we wanted to offer more options to interest even more people and help the Expo grow," said event chair Ellen Boles of Starkville. More than 40 vendors will be on hand Friday, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a variety of flowers, plants and outdoor decor, as well as home decor and culinary supplies, said organizers. Entry fee is $5 per person; children under 6 attend free. |
| Starkville restaurant tax bill clears House hurdle | |
| The Mississippi House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved a bill renewing Starkville's 2 percent food and beverage tax through 2018 this week. Lawmakers passed HB 1664 Monday with a 110-3 margin. Sixty-eight votes were needed for passage, and the bill was referred to the Senate's Local and Private Committee, from where its counterpart to the House measure, SB 2919, has yet to move. The House bill, filed by state Reps. Gary Chism, R-Columbus, and Tyrone Ellis, D-Starkville, moves the tax's repeal date from June 30 to the same date in 2018. The Senate version, filed by state Sen. Gary Jackson, R-French Camp, omits the repeal date outright. |
| Issues, effort hampering Starkville Restaurant Week voting | |
| A number of issues with how participating Starkville Restaurant Week diners are providing and displaying charity ballots prompted organizers to say this year's total vote count could be lower than in 2014. As of Thursday, about 6,000 ballots have been collected, said Jennifer Prather, Greater Starkville Development Partnership's special events coordinator. Comparatively, about 10,000 ballots were collected three days before the event ended last year. Patrons have told the Partnership they simply have not been provided ballots by many restaurants' servers, she said. Organizers offered training sessions with participating staffs and asked them to provide ballots to customers with their bill or when they order, depending on the restaurant's method of delivery and payment. |
| Oktibbeha County murder investigation continues | |
 | Oktibbeha County Sheriff's deputies are continuing their investigation into a murder and kidnapping that happened over the weekend. One suspect is dead, another is behind bars and the victim is trying to return to her normal life. "You can cross county lines, state lines, it doesn't matter, we don't give up," said Oktibbeha County Sheriff Steve Gladney. "We don't give up." It all started early Saturday morning when deputies responded to a call just west of Starkville on John High Road for a possible homicide and kidnapping. |
| Final Unity Park plaque ready for dedication | |
| A final plaque dedication ceremony will honor famed civil rights pioneer Fannie Lou Hamer 10:30 a.m. Monday at Unity Park. Hamer's plaque installation is the last part of the Unity Park Committee's redesign of the public greenspace, which was remodeled last winter and finally opened to the public on Jan. 19's Martin Luther King Jr. Day. "It's particularly important to honor the women of the civil rights movement because women did so many things at the front of the movement, as well as behind the scenes. (Hamer) represents the women of the civil rights movement, and helps complete that missing segment," said Unity Park Committee Chairman Brother Rogers. "It's a great feeling to have this portion of our efforts behind us now." |
| Golden Triangle Regional Airport first Mississippi airport to allow expedited screening | |
| The Golden Triangle Regional Airport will become the first airport in Mississippi to have expedited screening for passengers registered with TSA Pre, according to the Transportation Security Administration. TSA Pre is a program which allows enrolled passengers to get through airport security without removing their shoes, light outerwear and belt. It also allows them to keep laptops in their cases and leave compliant liquids/gels bag in carry-ons. "The addition of TSA Pre is another innovation to enhance the customer experience at the GTR Airport," GTR Executive Director Mike Hainsey said in a TSA press release. |
| FBI bringing in 'profilers' on the Otis Byrd hanging case | |
| The FBI is enlisting the help of their fabled Behavioral Analysis Unit in the case of the hanging death of Claiborne County man Otis Byrd. Byrd, 54, was found hanging by a bedsheet from a tree not far from his last known residence Thursday after having been missing for two weeks. Local authorities called in the FBI upon finding his body, and the probe has been an all-encompassing one for federal, state, and local law enforcement over the last few days. FBI Special Agent in Charge Don Alway said investigators continue to do interviews through the weekend, but now they're putting every new detail under the microscope to see if there are any new leads that develop. |
| Workforce challenges for companies | |
 | Keeping a strong workforce available to Mississippi businesses remains a number one issue, but a challenging one, according to the head of an organization that advocates for manufacturers. Jay Moon, President and CEO of the Mississippi Manufacturers Association told the DeSoto County Economic Development Council's Quarterly Luncheon in Olive Branch Friday that a variety of changes make the issue a complex one. "Manufacturing has a big impact in terms of the number of jobs that are created because of what's called the employment multiplier," Moon said. "For every job directly in manufacturing, it creates another 2-3 jobs in the surrounding economy. The stronger the manufacturing environment, the more jobs we're creating in the local economy." But, Moon said manufacturers face challenges in meeting demands for developing a workforce amid changes, from finances to competition, an aging population and an aging pool of workers to select from. |
| Mississippi ends testing requirement for diploma | |
| It's official: Mississippi high school seniors no longer must pass all four subject-area tests to graduate. State Board of Education members voted Friday on the change, which takes effect immediately. According to the new policy, this year's seniors who failed one or more of their subject-area tests can apply for graduation by demonstrating adequate mastery of course content when taking into account both the test score and the grade they earned in the related class. Next year's seniors will be able to graduate if they achieve a combined minimum score from all four tests. Or they can apply for graduation by demonstrating mastery. Starting in the 2016-2017 school year, however, subject-areas test scores will account for 25 percent of a student's final grade in the related course. |
| Mississippi clergy unite against private prisons | |
| Religious leaders appalled at Mississippi's embattled correctional system amid the proliferation of private prisons will lobby for change through a newly formed group called Clergy for Prison Reform, or CPR. Boasting a statewide membership of some 50 church leaders representing numerous faiths -- including Baptist, Catholic, Episcopalian and Methodist -- the coalition plans to take an active role in ongoing efforts to improve the Mississippi prison system. Mississippi has the nation's second-highest incarceration rate with more than 17,600 men and women behind bars this month alone, according to MDOC statistics. Nearly one-fourth of them are at the six privately run prisons. |
| Mississippi prison costs, abuse face scrutiny | |
| Former U.S. Attorney Brad Piggott said Friday that if Mississippi was a separate country, its incarceration rate would be higher than Iran, North Korea and the Republic of China. "Name a brutal regime, and we're higher," he said. "Surely we can agree to do something about the debacle of over-incarceration." Pigott's remarks were part of a public forum Friday before the governor's task force, which is examining the contracts and other aspects of the Mississippi Department of Corrections in the wake of the indictment of longtime Corrections Commissioner Chris Epps, who recently pleaded guilty to taking bribes and kickbacks. Former Corrections Commissioner Robert Johnson questioned whether private prisons are actually operating cheaper than public prisons. |
| State tax cut dead for session | |
 | The efforts of Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, Speaker Philip Gunn and Gov. Phil Bryant to pass a tax cut during the 2015 legislative session appear to have died a quiet and uneventful death Friday. Friday was the deadline to reconsider the vote by which the House killed what Reeves had described as a compromise between what the House passed earlier this session and what was passed by the Senate. But the Republicans could not muster the three-fifths vote earlier this week to pass the plan. Democrats voted in near unanimity against the proposal. |
| Plans to raise pre-K funding stalled | |
| During a recent meeting of the Senate Education Committee, where members confirmed the nominations of Karen Elam of Oxford and Johnny Franklin of Bolton to the state Board of Education, both nominees were asked their thoughts on pre-kindergarten education. Both said they believed strongly that pre-K is important to the betterment of the Mississippi public school system. At that point, Sen. Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula, asked what the state board could do to improve Mississippi's early childhood education efforts. Both talked in general terms about informing the public of the importance of early childhood education, but what was lost in the conversation -- or at least was not mentioned -- was the role -- or some might say the lack of a role -- by the Mississippi Legislature. |
| Senate committee cuts funding for casino counties out of HB 1630 | |
 | The Senate Finance Committee this week stripped the proposed $7 million for casino counties out of House Bill 1630 and directed all of the $36 million to used to back bonds to build and repair bridges throughout the state. Five senators -- Tommy Gollott, R-Biloxi; Philip Moran, R-Kiln; Sean Tindell, R-Gulfport; Michael Watson, R-Pascagoula; and Brice Wiggins, R-Pascagoula -- voted against cutting the money to those counties that have casinos in them. Among the 46 who voted for the amendment to remove the $7 million from casino counties were local senators Angela Burkes Hill, R-Picayune; Philip Gandy, R-Waynesboro; Billy Hudson, R-Hattiesburg; Tony Smith, R-Poplarville; and Deborah Dawkins, D-Pass Christian. |
| Cruz's Liberty Speech: Why It's Happening Monday | |
 | The night before Sen. Ted Cruz is expected to deliver a speech launching his 2016 presidential bid, the Texas Republican's political operation texted supporters telling them to pay attention. "Ted Cruz will make an exciting announcement soon," the text message read. "Stay tuned to @tedcruz on Twitter around midnight to be the first to know!" Ahead of that bit of news, much of the attention about Cruz's planned Monday morning appearance here at a Convocation event on the campus of Liberty University focused on two basic choices by the candidate and his advisers: time and place. The choice of venue for Monday's formal rollout --- outside of the state he represents in the Senate and a place steeped in an Evangelical Christian tradition --- sent an unmistakable signal about the kind of supporters (and both primary voters and caucus-goers) Cruz and his advisers might focus on in what looks to be a crowded primary field. |
| Ole Miss Chancellor Dan Jones' contract not renewed | |
| Days after returning to his office because he has been fighting cancer, University of Mississippi Chancellor Dan Jones learned the state College Board decided against renewing his contract. Jones' contract concludes Sept. 14, and Commissioner of Higher Education Jim Borsig said the board has voted to direct him "to begin appropriate preparations to conduct a search process for the next Chancellor of the University of Mississippi in accordance with the board's policy." |
| UMMC issues cited in Jones' ouster | |
| The Institutions of Higher Learning cited financial issues at the University of Mississippi Medical Center as the reason for not renewing the contract of UM Chancellor Dan Jones, according to a news release sent late Saturday. The Board voted 9-2 on Friday not to extend Jones' contract, which expires on Sept. 14, and to begin the search for a new leader at the 23,000-student institution. The university's 16th chancellor, Jones has been at the helm since 2009. That vote came after Board members met with Jones on Thursday to resolve concerns they had, the statement said. Discussions had begun prior to November, when Jones was diagnosed with lymphoma and were suspended during the chancellor's four-month medical leave. Jones, 66, returned to campus last week, and the discussions with the Board resumed. |
| UM campus responds to non-renewal of Jones' contract | |
 | University of Mississippi student leaders have organized a rally to take place at noon Wednesday between the Lyceum and the J.D. Williams Library in response to the Institutions of Higher Learning's decision to not renew Chancellor Dan Jones' contract. As of Friday evening, almost 1,600 people have signed up to participate. Alex Borst, sophomore international studies major and co-organizer of the "I Stand with Chancellor Jones" rally, said students were in disbelief at the announcement of the board's decision and immediately started uniting from a wide variety of student organizations. "What we want is a positive message behind this," Borst explained. "We are pushing for reinstatement. That's ultimately what we want." Students knew something was wrong about the decision, according to Borst, and were unhappy because Jones' term as chancellor has brought great things to the university, including record enrollment and racial reconciliation. |
| Anger over state board's decision not to renew U. of Mississippi chancellor | |
 | Is Dan Jones this year's Teresa Sullivan? On Friday, the state higher education board in Mississippi announced, without detail on why, that it would not renew the contract of Jones, who has been chancellor of the University of Mississippi since 2009. The news surprised Jones as well as faculty and student leaders at the university, where many think he has been highly successful -- on academic issues and finances. And so all weekend, faculty members and students have been circulating articles about the 2012 ouster of Teresa Sullivan as president of the University of Virginia for vaguely stated reasons and against the wishes of faculty and student leaders. Under intense pressure, the Virginia board reversed itself. And that's why petitions are circulating in Oxford, Miss., and online. |
| USM's research vessel Point Sur navigates Panama Canal's locks | |
| Saturday night the journey through the Panama Canal began for a group from the University of Southern Mississippi who traveled to Panama to meet the Point Sur. The recently purchased research vessel is on its way from Monterey, California, to its new home in Gulfport. It took several hours to get through the first set of locks, but preparation began long before. Capt. Nicholas Allen said the first step he took in preparing for a journey across the Panama Canal was to hire an agent at the canal to set everything up and work with the canal's authorities. |
| USM hosts first national conference on interscholastic athletics | |
 | People from around the nation are in Hattiesburg for a first-ever summit on after school and interscholastic safety and security. It's being hosted at Southern Miss' Trent Lott Center by the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security (NCS4). The three-day event began Saturday with a panel discussion featuring administrators from Hattiesburg, Laurel and Lamar County schools. The conference is focusing on six issues, including emergency operations planning, identifying risks and threats and building a safety/security-aware culture. This summer, NCS4 will publish a list of "best practices" to address the issues discussed at the summit. |
| Keeping young professionals in Mississippi goal | |
| James Wilcox has an intellectual grasp on what the Hattiesburg area can offer young professionals who have decided to build careers here. But for the 32-year-old director of the University of Southern Mississippi's Center for Economic and Entrepreneurship Education, that insight is personal, as well. "I'm a young professional myself," he said, "and being located, more or less, in a college town, certainly helps with the atmosphere that comes with that, whether it's local venues that are offering concerts or other types of things that are attractive. To me, as a recent graduate, Hattiesburg does a pretty good job of offering those type of things." It's a segment that advertisers want to reach, mentors seek to groom and communities hope to nurture. |
| MUW's Homecoming celebration set for March 26-29 | |
| Mississippi University for Women alumni, friends and guests are invited to participate in a weekend full of activities planned for Homecoming weekend March 26-29. "Homecoming is my favorite time of the year. This is not only a great time for our alumni to reconnect with old friends but also to reconnect with the university and learn about The W as it exists today. I encourage all members of The Long Blue Line to come back home." said Lyndsay Cumberland, director of alumni relations. Registration is Thursday, March 26 from 1-5 p.m. in Welty Hall, second floor. Dinner Party in the Caf follows from 5-7 p.m. There will be live music, a dance floor, student performances and fried chicken. The cost is $8.75, at the door. |
| East Mississippi Community College to present Pine Grove Arts Festival | |
| The Pine Grove Arts Festival has returned to East Mississippi Community College's Scooba campus. The celebration of arts, from visual to choral to culinary, kicked off Saturday with an employee Grill Master BBQ competition at the EMCC baseball field. On Monday, Starkville artist Joe MacGown returns to EMCC with a selection of his work for a reception at 2:30 p.m. in Aust Hall. MacGown last exhibited his work at EMCC in 2008, but returned to speak to art students last year. The public is invited to the reception. MacGown describes his work as "subconscious meandering." He uses multiple media (pen and ink, acrylic paint, spray paint, water colors) to layer ideas of a similar theme without a concrete vision of the final product. |
| Auburn interior design school offices get remodeled, transform into 'working labs' | |
 | New desks, chairs and carpet that have upgraded a handful of offices in Auburn University's Spidle Hall serve not only as instruments for writing, sitting and standing. They also double as tools for interior design students looking to learn via a hands-on approach. Eleven offices, two labs and a storage room used by professors and students in Auburn University's Department of Consumer and Design Sciences in the College of Human Sciences were remodeled last summer with new furniture, flooring, decorative accents and fresh coats of paint -- replacing furniture that had been in the building since it was opened in the 1960s -- thanks to a collaboration between university entities and industry partners. |
| LSU to ask legislature for tuition authority, more autonomy over internal affairs | |
 | The LSU Board of Supervisors Friday approved two resolutions asking the state Legislature to grant the university tuition authority without legislative restrictions and more autonomy on its campuses. With the university facing deep budget cuts from the state, possibly losing funding to hire new faculty and perhaps eliminating course offerings, setting its own tuition and buying employee compensation from the market, would help offset potential cuts to the university. Board member Rolfe McCollister says he supports both resolutions, but acknowledges the part the university has to play in operating an efficient institution. "We do recognize our role," McCollister said. (We need) to help find ways to innovate and improve efficiencies on our campuses." |
| LSU chief emerges as key voice against budget cuts | |
 | "Be annoying." That's the advice LSU President and Chancellor F. King Alexander has given to students who oppose what could become deep cuts to state higher education funding in the coming year. "Sometimes, you don't have to be so polite. This is a time when you need to fight," Alexander said. By all appearances, Alexander isn't shying away from following his own advice. This week, Alexander will appear at the Baton Rouge Press Club on Monday and the Rotary Club on Wednesday. It's the latest in his campaign against what could be a dramatic hit to higher education funding as the state grapples with a $1.6 billion funding shortfall. |
| LSU Board revamps number of scholarships its members give | |
| The LSU Board of Supervisors has quietly agreed to give out fewer of its hand-picked scholarships and provided structure to the little-known program. A legislative audit last year raised questions about the Board of Supervisors scholarships, which have been seen as a perk bestowed upon the well-connected, governor-appointed board members. The audit found several lapses in the process for doling out the tuition exemptions -- essentially free tuition to 20 students per board member. The board approved the policy change with no discussion at its meeting Friday. Under the new policy, LSU will gradually scale back the number of scholarships each board member can award to 15. Not every board member gives out the maximum allowed. |
| Majority of LSU medical students to stay in Louisiana | |
| "LSU Plastics!" Jenny Lavie shouted. In her hand was a letter confirming her admission to the plastic surgery program at LSU School of Medicine. The letter was visibly shaking. "I was so nervous," she said, having just received the envelope before a crowd of hundreds. "I knew I was matched, but I didn't know what program I was matched to." She was not the only purple-and-gold fan packed into the Sugar Mill event space on Convention Center Boulevard. Fifty-six percent of LSU Health's graduating class decided to stay in Louisiana, and 85 percent of those will enter an LSU residency program, according to a university spokeswoman. "That so many of them have chosen to remain in Louisiana this year is a vote of confidence in the quality of our graduate medical education programs," Dr. Larry Hollier, chancellor of LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans, said. |
| Yik Yak founders at UGA as Thinc. Week begins today | |
 | The founders of the controversial social media app Yik Yak headline this week's "Thinc. Week" on the University of Georgia campus. Yik Yak founders Tyler Droll and Brooks Buffington are scheduled to talk at 7 p.m. tonight in the Tate Student Center Theater about how they launched Yik Yak in 2013, and the site's exponential growth and controversies since then. Thinc. Week wraps up Friday with the third annual TEDxUGA, a series of brief talks by UGA students and faculty about ideas they and the panel of judges who picked them believe are worth broadcasting. |
| New U. of Florida lab director puts the human into human-centered computing | |
 | Fourteen graduate students in royal blue polo shirts emblazoned with University of Florida College of Engineering logos sit around conference tables and at their computer stations, awaiting their team leader, adviser and director of the Human Experience Research Lab. Juan Gilbert walks in and takes his seat in front of a giant white board with all sorts of quotations and calculations scribbled on it, and Jessica Jones notices he's wearing a white shirt. "You look like the choir director for a youth choir," she says, eliciting bursts of laughter from her fellow students. He smiles and launches into the day's topics -- the design for a new logo for the lab, an editor's job description -- when there is a sudden interruption from a three-foot-tall robot being operated by Jones that gets more chuckles. |
| 'No winners... only losers:' Anatomy of a U. of Tennessee sexual assault report | |
 | A report of an alleged sexual assault by a female student set in motion the investigation process the University of Tennessee and colleges around the country are constantly revising to meet changing federal standards. The complications in this case of two freshmen changed the way UT approaches sexual assault allegations and brought damage to both students and the university itself. The News Sentinel obtained nearly 300 pages of documents from the two investigations and interviewed UT officials and the female student's father to report this article. Normally, the university would reject releasing such information, arguing it is protected by federal student privacy laws or FERPA. Because neither student was identified in the media reports, the university agreed to release certain information after redacting names and identifying details. |
| U. of Kentucky report: Expanded forestry sector could be boon to eastern, southern Kentucky | |
 | Forest industries have the potential to provide thousands more jobs in Eastern and southern Kentucky as leaders in the region search for ways to improve the economy, according to an analysis. Expanding the forestry sector could provide $1.49 billion in new revenue and nearly 7,500 additional jobs in a 54-county region that includes areas hit hard by a sharp decrease in coal jobs, researchers in the Department of Forestry at the University of Kentucky concluded. That growth would drive more jobs in other sectors as well, the study said. There are programs and organizations in place that could help boost forestry. But UK forestry professors Jeffrey W. Stringer -- one of the researchers on the analysis -- and Christopher D. Barton said in a recent commentary that programs to deal with issues such as sustainable forest development and environmental threats to forests are "generally underfunded." |
| U. of South Carolina professor, others decry lack of reliable information when police shoot in the line of duty | |
 | It's a national embarrassment that no one knows exactly how often police fire at or kill suspects in the United States, and the lack of sufficient information makes it harder to grapple with the controversial issue, a USC criminal justice professor said. "The government is very aggressive about giving us numbers to protect us from the free market," the University of South Carolina's Geoff Alpert, a nationally recognized expert on police use of force issues, said in an interview. "But not much when it comes to our civil liberties. Researchers and criminologists across the nation complain of inaccurate, incomplete and disjointed data that paint partial pictures of life-changing uses of government power. Alpert took his concerns in January to a U.S Justice Department presidential task force on 21st century policing. |
| U. of Missouri, historical society at odds in scramble for state bond funding | |
 | The University of Missouri is elbowing its way into discussions for using a $75 million construction fund by suggesting to lawmakers that a research center and museum for the State Historical Society of Missouri cannot be built if higher education projects are not eligible for the money. The money was included in a bill, passed on a 26-5 vote Thursday in the Missouri Senate, to revise the allocations for $600 million in Board of Public Buildings bonds authorized by a law passed last year. |
| Spring Break crackdown: Has the college ritual really gotten worse? | |
 | It may be the ultimate love-hate relationship: the annual spring migration of hordes of college-aged Spring Breakers into sunny Florida versus conservative beach towns that relish the cash flow but squirm at the debauchery of unleashed youth. While other Florida beach towns have basically banned the spring break ruckus, Panama City Beach this year is taking a strict yet nuanced view of the estimated 300,000 revelers flocking southward as the dogwoods prepare to bloom. Already, the county sheriff's department has arrested over 500 people and processed them in open-air jail cells. And given the legality of alcohol on the beach proper, the debauchery is on the national front burner, largely thanks to the work of Fox News. The town has balked at banning the festivities entirely, thanks mostly to the $1 billion the fest pumps into the local economy every spring. |
| NC State halts fraternity parties after pledge book with rape, lynching jokes surfaces | |
 | North Carolina State University announced an immediate halt to all fraternity activities involving alcohol Friday, less than 24 hours after campus officials obtained a copy of a "pledge book" filled with jokes about sexual assault and lynching black men. The Pi Kappa Phi fraternity was suspended Thursday night, after a student showed the book to the staff of WRAL, a Raleigh television station. On Friday afternoon, the campus announced a "temporary cessation of all social activities including alcohol" for the school's fraternal organizations. "This is about working with the Greek community to agree on shared values and to exceed the behavioral standards," Mike Mullen, vice chancellor for academic and student affairs at the university, said in a statement. |
| DENNIS SEID (OPINION): Do we want to educate our kids or settle for less? | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Dennis Seid writes: "Economic development leaders and state leaders consistently talk about the need to have a skilled, educated workforce. These workers are needed today and in the future if we expect to remain competitive and offer good jobs for future generations. No, not everyone is college material. But everyone can -- and should -- increase their knowledge and skills. Post-secondary school education is critical, whether it's at a vocational school, a community college or a four-year college. But how can we continue to expect to produce tomorrow's workers if we keep short-changing our school systems today?" |
| PAUL HAMPTON (OPINION): When I say transparency, your eyes will begin feeling heavy | |
| The Sun Herald's Paul Hampton writes: "Maybe we should rename Sunshine Week. How about Mostly Cloud Week? It has, after all, been a dreary seven days. ...You would have thought the hospital 'transparency' bill would have sailed through the House after it unanimously passed the Senate. It hasn't. And the bill isn't all that stiff either; it contains plenty of exceptions that would allow public hospitals to keep plenty of secrets. Many employees of Singing River Health System see the need for more access to the board's doings after they were kept in the dark as their pension plan spiraled toward Earth. Hospitals say because of the highly competitive nature of the business secrecy is necessary. No doubt. Can you imagine trying to recruit a top-shelf physician with the slogan 'We haven't funded our pension plan in years?' It's just more obfuscation from the now-now-you-just don't-understand school of government." |
| BILL CRAWFORD (OPINION): Surely Republicans will pass some tax cut | |
 | Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: "As every legislator knows, no bill is really dead until the Legislature leaves town... especially if the governor wants it to live. But as this column was written late last week, major tax cut bills were all but dead. ...The Republican political machine immediately launched a campaign against Democrats. 'Mississippi Democrats Kill Tax Relief' read the headline in a message crafted by the Mississippi Republican Party. The message ended with a plea for donations to defeat Democrats. Which leads to this question posed by one GOP insider: Was the House really interested in enacting tax cuts this session or more interested in positioning Democrats as tax cut opponents for the upcoming elections?" |
| GEOFF PENDER (OPINION): Did GOP really want tax cuts, or albatross for Dems? | |
| The Clarion-Ledger's Geoff Pender writes: "The large GOP tax cuts appear dead for this legislative session. But they will live on, at least through November, in campaign push cards, robocalls and ads. Republican House Speaker Philip Gunn has already repeated the chorus: Democrats killed the tax cuts. They did. In the House, Democrats caucused and blocked the three-fifths supermajority needed to pass $555 million in corporate and individual tax cuts. But if Republican leaders really wanted tax cuts instead of just campaign fodder they shoulda-coulda-woulda done things differently. They should have worked together. They did not. The Great Tax Cut Hullabaloo of 2015 raises a recurring question: Can the state's Republican leaders not get together, at least on major state-altering policy?" |
SPORTS
| Sources: Howland a leading candidate to replace Ray | |
| Ben Howland has emerged as a leading candidate to fill Mississippi State's men's basketball coaching position, multiple sources confirmed to the Clarion-Ledger Sunday night. NBC Sports first reported MSU's interest in the former UCLA coach. The move would be a home-run hire for MSU athletic director Scott Stricklin. The deal could happen quickly. Stricklin said Saturday that he hoped to have a replacement "relatively short order." He was in the process of finding a replacement as early as Saturday afternoon. |
| Former UCLA coach on Bulldogs' radar? | |
| Ben Howland was making the most buzz in Mississippi on Sunday, after an NBC report that he's a "serious candidate" for the Mississippi State men's basketball job that opened up on Saturday. Mississippi State athletic director Scott Stricklin let Rick Ray go after three losing seasons. Howland, 57, took UCLA to three consecutive Final Fours (2006-2008) but was fired by the school in 2013 -- after a 25-10 season in which the Bruins lost its NCAA tourney opener to Minnesota. Since then, he's worked as a color commentator for college games on Fox and NBC. |
| HUGH KELLENBERGER (OPINION): More charisma needed at Mississippi State | |
| The Clarion-Ledger's Hugh Kellenberger writes: "I don't know who Mississippi State's next basketball coach is going to be, but I feel pretty confident in saying the charisma will be evident upon arrival. That's what that program needs right now. Someone to connect with fans who have fallen off the wayside during the last few, mostly miserable, seasons. Someone to pull everyone together in the athletics department, and get their respect immediately. Someone that understands that Mississippi State is not an easy job, but if Dan Mullen, John Cohen and Vic Schaefer can all win there then he probably can, too. Because you can have success in Starkville. A lot of it, actually." |
| Cody Brown shines, Mississippi State avoids sweep at Kentucky | |
| Designed hitter Reid Humphreys slugged a pair of home runs Sunday as No. 20 Mississippi State knocked off Kentucky 12-5, in the final game of a three-game SEC series at Cliff Hagan Stadium. MSU (18-8, 2-4 SEC) salvaged the final game of the weekend series. Vance Tatum (3-0) got the win. A two-run double from Biloxi's Cody Brown in the sixth inning and an RBI-single from Collins in the eighth inning boosted the Bulldogs' lead. Robson collected a career-best four hits, while Collins had three hits. Brown and Humphreys each had multiple hits. Humphreys had a career-best five RBIs, while Brown and Collins each drove in a career-best three runs. |
| Mississippi State's dream season ends in second round of NCAAs | |
| The tears hadn't dried from Kendra Grant's cheeks before the Mississippi State senior looked to her left and smiled. A 64-56 loss Sunday to Duke ended her career as a Bulldog, but the coach sitting one chair away gave her one to remember. "Three years ago when coach (Vic) Schaefer came, he told us, if the (players) he inherited stayed out, we're going to get you here," Grant said. "Three years later we're here. Obviously, he's a man of his word." Grant's first three years in the program ended with a finish toward the bottom of the Southeastern Conference. When she walked off the court at Cameron Indoor Stadium, it came in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Mississippi State fell one game short of its first Sweet 16 appearance since 2010. Instead, Duke advances to the third round for the fifth time in six years. |
| Mississippi State women's season ends with 64-56 loss to Duke | |
 | No Mississippi State team has won more games than these Bulldogs did. That's little consolation for the Bulldogs that wanted at least one more victory. They fell to Duke 64-56 on Sunday in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, bringing an end to one of the best seasons in school history. Victoria Vivians scored 15 points and Kendra Grant added 12 for the fifth-seeded Bulldogs (27-7). Morgan William had 11 points and Dominique Dillingham finished with 10 rebounds for Mississippi State. The Bulldogs set school records for wins both overall and in Southeastern Conference play, but were denied their second Sweet 16 berth. "We have a lot to build on," Dillingham said. |
| How Adidas Aims to Get Its Cool Back: German Sports Brand Wants to End its Long U.S. Slump | |
 | Adidas AG notched a big win when it signed a deal in January to sponsor University of Miami sports. The school had been rival Nike Inc.'s turf for decades, a perfect place to show that Adidas's new U.S. chief was breaking its long slump in America. But many fans of "The U" balked, starting anti-Adidas chatter on social media. Miami's coaches seemed excited, says Mark King, Adidas's new North America president. "But at the kid level," he says of students, "they're like, 'Why would you sign with Adidas?' " That's been a recurring question about Adidas in America, and it speaks to the hurdles facing the world's second-biggest sports brand as it tries to regain footing in the biggest sports market. Mr. King's challenge, simply put: Adidas isn't cool in America, and cool is what sells sports gear. At stake are huge U.S. sales. |
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