| Monday, April 13, 2015 |
| Mississippi State VP for Student Affairs search continues this week | |
 | Interviews will continue this week at Mississippi State University to narrow down the choice for the university's Vice President for Student Affairs position. The position is part of the president's cabinet and is involved in student life on a daily basis. All four candidates are from other universities. |
| United Blood Services Holds Blood Drive at Mississippi State | |
 | United Blood Services kicked off a week-long blood drive Sunday afternoon in Starkville. USB bloodmobiles will be located in several locations throughout Starkville and on Mississippi State's campus. A total of nine blood drives will be held in the next six days. The event's theme is "I Bleed Maroon" and is a call-to-action for students and locals to donate blood. "We think there's a possibility of getting 250 pints of blood when this is all said and done this week, which would be a quarter of the blood supply that United Blood Services needs for the month of April to supply our hospital," says Caroline Pugh, head of donor recruitment with USB. |
| Howard Art History Lecture Series at The W to feature MSU's Benjamin Harvey | |
 | Mississippi University for Women will host the Diane Legan Howard Art History Lecture Series, featuring Benjamin Harvey, associate professor of fine arts at Mississippi State University, Thursday, April 16 at 7 p.m. in the Art and Design Building. Harvey will discuss "London Ladakh, and Labrador: The Art and Adventures of Mollie Molesworth," with a wine and cheese reception to follow. The event is free and open to the public. Harvey is currently working on a book project with the working title of "Roger Fry's Cezanne." He currently serves as the Mississippi representative on the board of the Southeastern College Art Conference and as a review editor at the Open Inquiry Archive. |
| DHS supervisor gives back to MSU-Meridian social work program | |
 | Patsy Edwards spent seven years working with Burlington Industries before the company's Stonewall plant closed in 2002. Out of a job, the then-32-year-old determined to pursue a more stable career. She chose social work because she reasoned "there would always be a demand." After completing field placement in 2006 with the Department of Human Services' Meridian office, she earned a social work degree at Mississippi State University's Lauderdale County campus and was hired full-time by the state agency. A decade later, Edwards is a DHS social work supervisor who now finds herself directing her first MSU-Meridian social work major, Amanda Jenkins. "I guess you could say I've come full circle," Edwards said. |
| Tax incentive program could impact Golden Triangle | |
| A key state tax credit for preserving historic properties is reaching its cap, leaving some Mississippi developers with tough decisions about their projects. State lawmakers failed before this year's session ended in Jackson to raise the $60 million cap set in 2006 for a 25-percent tax credit for qualifying historic preservation rehabilitation projects. MDAH Deputy State Historic Preservation Officer Ken P'Pool said the program would likely reach its cap this year unless a special session is called. Developer Mark Castleberry said regardless of whether the state continues the program, it should fund projects already in the queue. His Mill at MSU project has qualified for $5 million in credits through the program for its work to restore the old Cooley Building. He plans to complete the project this year, with or without the tax credit. In the meantime, he wants to "mobilize political forces" to convince the Legislature to raise the cap this year. |
| Mississippi farmers fear pesticide restriction | |
 | New applications for a pesticide popular with Mississippi row-crop farmers will be restricted under a proposal by the Environmental Protection Agency. It's not an outright moratorium on the chemicals' use, like the one in Europe. Already-approved applications of the pesticide --- one of the more common in coating cotton seeds as they're planted --- will continue. Expanded uses will not get the required EPA approval until the agency receives data from an ongoing study evaluating how the neonicotinoid-class chemicals affect pollinators like bees. Much of the science behind whether "neonics" are among pollinator stressors is contradictory, said Angus Catchot, an entomologist with Mississippi State University's Extension Service. To improve communication between row-crop farmers and beekeepers whose hives may be affected by pesticides, Mississippi State partnered with several ag organizations to start the Mississippi Honey Bee Stewardship Initiative. |
| Starkville traffic stop leads to drug arrests | |
| Starkville police officers arrested three people after a traffic stop led to the discovery of cocaine, marijuana and Ambien. A vehicle driven by Akem Olajuwan Grasaree, 26, of Macon, was pulled over Thursday for a window tint violation when officers discovered Grasaree had a warrant for his arrest. A Starkville Police Department release said a subsequent search of the vehicle yielded discoveries of cocaine, marijuana and Ambien, a prescription sleeping pill. A female passenger, 34-year-old Corliss Anita Hudson of Starkville, was also discovered possessing a small bag of cocaine, the release stated. A third passenger, John Earl King Jr., 29, of Starkville, was arrested for a misdemeanor warrant and misdemeanor marijuana charges. |
| New West Point golf course underway | |
| Two West Point brand names are teaming together to build a new attraction in sleepy Clay County. Toxey Haas, founder of Mossy Oak, and George Bryan, owner of Old Waverly Golf Club, are combining their skills and passions to build Mossy Oak Golf Course. The course -- scheduled for completion in spring 2017 -- will be right across the street from Old Waverly. "It's really about two families coming together, the Haas and the Bryant family," said Mossy Oak executive vice president Lannie Wallace. Wallace said this course has been decades in the making. But ground was finally broken at an early April ceremony attended by Gov. Phil Bryant. |
| Senate Elections Committee: Where bills go to die | |
| In the Mississippi Senate, elections bills aren't sent to the Senate Elections Committee for debate and passage. They're sent there to die. Senate Elections didn't even hold a meeting this legislative session. Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves and Senate Elections Chairman Chris McDaniel, R-Ellisville, have been at political odds for years, and McDaniel has been back-benched. When Reeves routes a bill to Elections, it's "double-referred" to other committees first. The bills don't clear those committees, so McDaniel's doesn't even get a crack at voting on them. If there is by chance an elections measure that Reeves might consider, he routes it to another committee. |
| School standards bill's status uncertain | |
 | Gov. Phil Bryant is noncommittal on whether he will sign legislation establishing an 11-member commission to make recommendations to the state Board of Education on academic standards for local school districts. The legislation was passed during the final days of the just-completed 2015 session as a response to concerns expressed by many -- primarily from Republican and Tea Party-related groups -- about the Common Core academic standards the Mississippi Board of Education and most other states have enacted. Many Common Core opponents say the legislation falls far short of their goal -- a complete repeal of Common Core. When asked about the legislation, Bryant said recently, "Mississippi children are capable of achieving and exceeding challenging education standards. As with all legislation that reaches my desk, I am reviewing this measure very closely before taking action." |
| What happened to the 'SEC Primary?' | |
| Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann in December assured his counterpart in Georgia that Mississippi would move up its 2016 presidential primary and join a Deep South super-Tuesday. Handwritten at the bottom of a letter to Georgia Secretary Brian Kemp on other topics, Hosemann wrote: "We will pass March 1. Everyone on board in the Legislature." But everyone wasn't on board, particularly Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves. Bills for Mississippi to join the March 1 "SEC Primary" -- aimed at increasing the region's presidential politics clout -- passed the House unanimously and the Senate 40-10. Hosemann said it appeared to have widespread, bipartisan support. But then Reeves put a last-minute kibosh on the final bill, bottling it up without a vote or negotiations as the legislative session ended. The death of the SEC Primary legislation is a microcosm of current Mississippi legislative politics. |
| Speaker Pro Tem Snowden talks tax cuts, legislative session | |
| Mississippi House Speaker Pro Tempore Greg Snowden (R-Meridian) said the Legislature's recent term was productive but lamented the fact that no tax cut legislation made it to Gov. Phil Bryant's desk. District 43 Democratic House Rep. Michael T. Evans said he had a problem with the Republicans' math on the proposed tax cuts and their neglect of what he called a deep laundry list of state needs. Snowden said the Legislature passed a $6.2 general fund budget. He said the budget was balanced, limited "one-time monies" and kept the Rainy Day Fund at the statutory maximum, which he said are essential hallmarks of fiscal responsibility. |
| Google to see Mississippi records on probe of online content | |
 | Google will get to see documents it claims may show Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood was doing the entertainment industry's bidding in his fight over content available through the company's search engine and YouTube site. Google sued Hood last year, claiming the state was trampling its legal rights in probing whether some of that content is offensive and possibly criminal in nature. Google persuaded a federal judge in Jackson, Mississippi, on Friday to force Hood to turn over papers including some that may support its contention that subpoenas he issued may have been drafted by people outside his office. |
| Clinton strikes populist tone in long-awaited campaign announcement | |
 | Hillary Rodham Clinton entered the presidential race Sunday, saying she wants to fight for the economic futures of regular people and ending years of speculation about whether she would redeem the disappointment of her failed 2008 attempt to become the country's first female commander in chief. "I'm running for president. Everyday Americans need a champion, and I want to be that champion," Clinton said in a Twitter message. An accompanying video features a diverse assortment of Americans talking about their hopes and aspirations as they undertake a new challenge. |
| China again heads foreign visitor list at Oak Ridge National Laboratory | |
 | China once again headed the roster of foreign nationals visiting Oak Ridge National Laboratory in 2014, continuing a trend in place for at least the past decade. According to statistics provided by ORNL, there were 3,799 total visits by foreign nationals in 2014, with about a fourth of those visits (937) involving Chinese citizens. Some of the foreign nationals visited the lab more than once, so the total number of foreign visitors was 2913 and the number of unique visitors from China was 659. The number of foreign visitors to one of the top U.S. research labs is a somewhat sensitive subject, given the worldwide concerns about science espionage and hacking events often attributed to China or, more recently, Russia. |
| State College Board VP Offers Perspective On Restructuring IHL System | |
 | Outrage and protests followed the March announcement that the College Board chose not to renew Ole Miss Chancellor Dan Jones contract. He decided a subsequent two-year deal was not acceptable. Chronicles of Higher Education Reporter Eric Kelderman says a similar scenario played-out in Oregon in 2011. A popular chancellor was fired by the statewide board. In response laws changed and the university has its own trustees. Kelderman says there's no perfect solution. He explained there's tension between statewide college boards that look at the big picture, manage tight budgets and oversee university presidents, whose focus is on the day to day campus operations. Mississippi College Board VP Alan Perry says, the state can't afford separate boards. "You want a system that has the staff and ability to look at the financial transactions that all eight universities are doing and you really don't want eight of those staffs because that would make it unworkable. In terms of expense you just couldn't do that," Perry said. |
| MUW's Jennifer Miles to be prepped to lead university | |
| Jennifer Miles, vice president for student affairs and professor of educational leadership at Mississippi University for Women, has been chosen for the Millennium Leadership Initiative, a program designed to prepare individuals to serve as college and university presidents and chancellors. She became a vice president in 2011. |
| Virginia president to address UM graduates | |
| The person who will deliver the last University of Mississippi commencement address during Dan Jones' chancellorship will be someone who can relate to his situation. University of Virginia President Teresa Sullivan, a respected sociologist, will visit UM on May 9 to deliver the main address during the university's 162nd commencement. Sullivan was forced to resign by the university's Board in 2012 before public uproar eventually led to her reinstatement. Jones did not have his contract renewed by Mississippi's IHL Board, a move that also sparked a public backlash. Sullivan, Virginia's first female president, also led the university through a sexual assault scandal sparked by a 2014 Rolling Stone story that has been discredited and recently retracted. |
| USM Gulf Park announces funds for raises, new building | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Park campus received almost $10 million from the state for improvements to the Gulf Coast Research Laboratory and for a new building to house several academic programs, officials said Friday. About $6 million was allocated for the research lab and $3.5 million will go to the Holloway Complex Building Replacement Project. USM will match the $3.5 million. University officials also announced the first salary increases for faculty and staff in four years. "This (funding) allows us to support dedicated faculty and staff; extend our coastal research enterprise; and transform the campus both aesthetically and functionally," USM President Rodney Bennett said. |
| Southern Miss students help individuals in recovery | |
| The Collegiate Recovery Community and the Southern Students About Service at the University of Southern Mississippi are dedicated to helping individuals in recovery. "We are a student organization whose mission is to assist in the community in any way that we can," said Charlie Osborne, a master of social work student and intern at the Southern Miss Counseling Center. "We are composed of people in recovery or those who support the process of recovery." Osborne and other students and faculty lead narcotics anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous meetings every week. |
| MVSU raises budget by $1.1 million for modular housing loss | |
 | Mississippi Valley State University has raised its budget by $1.1 million to cover costs of buying and installing modular housing on its campus. The university originally intended to lease the dorms, but concluded it would be better to buy them. However, the school is collecting less revenue than expected, because MVSU had projected it would house 50 more students than it has room for, College Board documents state. President Bill Bynum said the units that were delivered had fewer beds than those for which the school had budgeted. |
| Coahoma Community College radio station coming to fruition | |
| A fundraising campaign to support a new radio station on the Clarksdale campus of Coahoma Community College has brought in $175,000. The Clarksdale Press Register reported that the state is providing $150,000 while county supervisors this past week kicked in $25,000. State Sen. Robert Jackson, D-Marks, said the Federal Communication Commission gave final approval to the station in April. The goal is to have the 50,000-watt station operational by November. |
| Itawamba Community College mobile lab introduces students to advanced manufacturing | |
| Plantersville Middle School eighth-grader D'andre Davis had a new appreciation for robots on Friday afternoon. After touring Itawamba Community College's Advanced Manufacturing Mobile Lab on Plantersville's campus Friday, D'andre said he better understood how the machines are used by today's manufacturers. Placed inside a truck trailer, the mobile lab is designed to introduce students to high-tech manufacturing jobs and to what programs ICC offers in those fields. It has five stations students visit – industrial laser, industrial robotics, 3D printing, programmable logic controller systems and CNC router. The mobile lab travels regularly to schools and fairs, said Michael Holloway, recruiter/adviser at ICC. |
| Bill seeks genuine members representing UAB, UAH on Alabama board | |
 | Lawmakers from Vestavia Hills have introduced another round of bills proposing changes to the makeup of the University of Alabama Board of Trustees, which is defending its current structure in the face of criticism that it needs more voices on behalf of its Huntsville and Birmingham campuses. "I think it is fair, I think it is reasonable to give UAB two genuine members and UAH two members," said State Sen. Jabo Waggoner, R-Vestavia Hills, the sponsor of the latest bills to be introduced. Amid the criticism spurred by a December decision by the University of Alabama at Birmingham to cancel football and two other athletic programs, the University of Alabama System's leadership has defended the existing organization, arguing it is a successful system that equally represents the interests of its three campuses. |
| How to fly a drone? Learn at Auburn flight school | |
| Auburn University's aviation center plans to being offering courses about how to fly drones. The school said Friday it has received federal approval to operate a new Unmanned Aircraft Systems Flight School as part of its aviation center. Auburn says it's the first school in the nation to receive FAA approval for such a program. The FAA didn't immediately have any comment on the planned course. |
| Whistleblower tour takes place Wednesday at Auburn University | |
 | As an investment advisor at Samex Capital Advisors in Fishers, Ind., Scott Noble discovered $7 million in accounting irregularities in 2011. He had a choice: keep quiet or blow the whistle on his employer, Samex Capital CEO Keenan Hauke. He blew the whistle. On Wednesday, Noble will visit Auburn University and share his story -- as part of the 2015 Whistleblower Tour in Lowder Hall Room 113-A. Hosted by the School of Accountancy in the Raymond J. Harbert College of Business, the event is open to the general public and the campus community. Noble will be joined by Louis Clark, founder and president of the Government Accountability Project, the leading whistleblower protection organization in the country. The event is co-sponsored by the Auburn University School of Accountancy. |
| With future of Louisiana higher ed threatened, lawmakers seeking deficit plug | |
 | During the past seven years under Gov. Bobby Jindal, the Louisiana Legislature has cut taxes repeatedly for individuals and favored companies. Don't expect that to happen this year. Facing a massive $1.6 billion deficit that threatens the future of the state's colleges and universities, lawmakers have filed dozens of bills that would raise more revenue. Some measures would increase taxes on smokers and drivers, while others would end or trim tax breaks that allow many of the state's biggest companies to pay little or no corporate income taxes, or even get rebates from taxpayers. "I've never seen so many bills that generate revenue versus bills that take it away," said Greg Albrecht, the Legislature's chief economist. "The norm is the opposite." Albrecht estimated that up to 95 percent of this year's tax bills would make individuals and companies pay more. |
| Massive records request made for U. of Florida documents | |
 | A criminal defense and family lawyer from Stuart has made a massive public records request of the University of Florida for all records related to a report recommending a hotly contested purchase of thousands of acres of private land for Everglades restoration projects. The size and timing of the request has led to speculation about the motive behind it and who attorney Lance P. Richard represents, but Richard himself is not talking. He has not returned repeated calls to his law office over the last week requesting an interview. Richard made the request March 11, 10 days after the UF Water Institute released its study -- which was subsequently reported by Florida media outlets. University officials estimate the records request encompasses nearly 140,000 documents and have advised Richard that it could cost as much as $30,000. |
| Vanderbilt students use kites to offer link to Chinese culture | |
 | For about an hour Sunday afternoon, the sunny silence on Vanderbilt University's Alumni Lawn was broken by the sound of children's laughter. About a dozen children dodged bemused college students as they chased after the custom-made kites that were darting overhead. They embodied the kind of joy that transcends language and reaches beyond borders. But the Vanderbilt students who organized the kite-flying event said the playtime offered the children, who are of Chinese descent, a link to their native culture. Vanderbilt student group Dores to China reaches into the Nashville community to work with Chinese families and American families that adopt children from China. The group brought several families together Sunday to make and fly kites in honor of the Qingming Festival. |
| Poultry Flock Health Tied to Biosecurity | |
 | Sometimes the first sign of disease in a poultry flock is a dead bird. Preventing the spread of the disease sometimes comes down to the basics of biosecurity, the concept of ensuring the safety and well-being of a flock by curbing the disease's introduction in the first place. One of the state's key educators on biosecurity is Dr. Dustan Clark, poultry veterinarian for the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture's Cooperative Extension Service and associate director of the Center of Excellence for Poultry Science in Fayetteville. "Poultry has some of the best biosecurity practices in place, and so every company has those in place for their own growers. What we've been concentrating our efforts on is getting information out to those who have small flocks, hobby flocks, things like that," Clark said. |
| U. of Tennessee Police Department investigates two reports of rape on campus in two days | |
| The University of Tennessee Police Department investigated two different reports of rape on campus over the course of two days. The first happened on Friday in a residence hall on the west side of campus, according to an email sent to UT students. The second reported rape happened Saturday morning in a residence hall room. Officers did not release the exact locations of the crimes to protect the victims' identities. |
| Book details technological advancements in agriculture at Texas A&M over past 100 years | |
 | Texas A&M's College of Agriculture and Life Science is celebrating the 100th anniversary of its biological and agricultural engineering department with the publishing of a historical book by Texas A&M historian Henry Dethloff. Dethloff said the book, titled Engineering Agriculture at Texas A&M: The First 100 Years, focuses on how the field of agriculture developed in the last century and how the Aggies have helped engineer new concepts in the field. The book will be available on April 30 from Texas A&M University Press. Engineering Agriculture was co-authored by Dethloff, a noted historian and former A&M professor, and Stephen W. Searcy, current head of the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. |
| U. of Missouri gets $10 million gift to help build new music building | |
 | Jeanne Sinquefield wants to make the University of Missouri "a mecca for composition." To do so, she has given MU the largest gift the university ever has received to support the fine arts. Sinquefield -- wife of multibillion-dollar political donor Rex Sinquefield -- donated a $10 million gift Friday to benefit ongoing efforts to build a new School of Music building at MU. "The whole process doesn't just work with composers," she said. "To make this work, I need musicians; I need audiences; I need concerts. So the new building is to be able expand not only composition, but all music." Friday's donation extends to the $74 million building project, which will be done in phases, said Tom Hiles, vice chancellor of advancement at MU. |
| UM System president endorses 'Missouri Promise' program | |
| University of Missouri President Tim Wolfe told the UM Board of Curators on Friday that he supports an initiative called the Missouri Promise that would help pay for tuition at colleges and universities. State Treasurer Clint Zweifel is spearheading the effort to put a tobacco tax increase on the ballot, with the money going into a scholarship fund to help pay in-state tuition for high-achieving students at two- and four-year schools. Under the Missouri Promise, the state would pay tuition and fees at a Missouri college or university for students who earn a 3.0 grade point average in high school and perform community service. Students would need to maintain a 3.0 average in college to keep the scholarship. |
| State Spending on Higher Education Shows 'Sizable' Increase | |
 | The buds of a recovery in state and local support for higher education that appeared in 2013 blossomed even more in the 2014 fiscal year, a new report shows. But the effects of the Great Recession still linger, according to the State Higher Education Executive Officers association. Even with what the group called a "sizable" 5.7 percent increase in spending over the previous year's figure, the $86.3-billion in overall state and local funding remains below 2008-11 levels in inflation-adjusted dollars. More than three out of every four of those dollars go to support public colleges and universities. (The rest goes to financial aid, research, agricultural extension, and other purposes.) And at public colleges, too, there were small positive signs. For the first time in years, public colleges' reliance on tuition revenue dipped slightly on a per-student basis relative to what they received from state and local appropriations. |
| Faculty Salaries Are Up Slightly but Still Recovering From the Recession's Effects | |
| Faculty salaries rose faster than inflation last year but failed to regain all of the ground lost after the most recent recession, according to an annual report on faculty pay released this week by the American Association of University Professors. Controlling for inflation, salaries for full-time faculty members in the 2014-15 academic year were up 1.4 percent over the year before, marking the second year in a row in which they rose faster than the rate of inflation, the AAUP's report says. "We are not losing ground as we were in previous years immediately following the recession. That is the silver lining there," says John Barnshaw, a co-author of the report and senior higher-education-research officer at the AAUP. |
| Report shows public higher education's reliance on tuition | |
 | Tuition dollars made up roughly 47 percent of revenues for public higher education for the third straight year in 2014, cementing a trend in which tuition revenue now rivals state appropriations as the main funder of public colleges and universities. Tuition dollars in 2014 made up 47.1 percent of public higher education revenues, down slightly from last year's level of 47.7 percent, an all-time high, according to the State Higher Education Finance report for fiscal 2014 released today by the State Higher Education Executive Officers association. Public colleges rely on tuition dollars nearly a third more than they did before the recession. |
| Chemistry Departments Try to Attract More Students by Retooling the Major | |
 | Forget economics. Chemistry might be the real dismal science. Undergraduate programs have been characterized for decades by rigid, yearlong sequences of organic, physical and biochemistry classes that emphasized rote memorization and taught about reactions in isolation. They left little room to pursue side passions -- and attracted worrisomely few students, policy makers say. As business and biology majors get a reboot, chemistry professors find themselves waging a fierce battle to appeal to undergraduates who might want a scientific grounding to pursue careers in forensics, molecular gastronomy or politics, but who are turned off by the degree's onerous demands. In what some faculty call the most radical shift in half a century, schools are ditching their traditional chemistry programs in favor of interdisciplinary foundational courses and an array of electives that might woo students with broader interests. |
| LYNN SPRUILL (OPINION): Have some fun: Volunteer | |
| Contributing columnist Lynn Spruill writes in the Dispatch: "[This] week is National Volunteer Week. Volunteer Starkville uses that week to hold an awards banquet to show appreciation for the copious hours spent by members of the community on causes they hold near and dear. Starkville is joined by co-host, the Maroon Volunteer Center, in sponsoring the event and recognizing MSU volunteers. Volunteer Columbus has a similar recognition luncheon for its cast of outstanding volunteers. ...Columbus, Starkville and MSU are lucky to have such organization... It is particularly inspiring to know MSU has a strong level of student volunteer commitment. We often assume our teenagers and college students are so self-absorbed they don't give back in appreciable measure. That is clearly not the case." |
| LLOYD GRAY (OPINION): Lessons from Trent Lott | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Lloyd Gray writes: "For decades, the name Trent Lott was synonymous with the conservative Republican agenda in Mississippi and the nation. First as a member of the U.S. House representing south Mississippi and then in the U.S. Senate, Lott was a leading proponent of bedrock conservative goals. He was one of the earliest congressional supporters of Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign and always positioned himself to the right, even to the right of some segments of the Mississippi GOP. Today, though, Lott's conservative bonafides would be questioned if he were still in the Senate and practicing politics the way he did when he was Senate majority leader. After all, he made deals." |
| BILL CRAWFORD (OPINION): Bryant confronts tale of two Mississippis | |
| Columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: "The tale of two Mississippis persists. One Mississippi is made up of people comfortable with their way of life. Some are well off and more than comfortable. But, for others, their hard-earned finances along with faith, family, and friends make their lives good enough. ...The other Mississippi is made up of people struggling to get by, people depending on others to get by, and lost people ranging from the homeless to chronic criminals. ...While the comfy Mississippi dominates politics today, the needy Mississippi dominates demographic trends. ...If these and other trends hold, it won't be long before needy Mississippians outnumber comfy Mississippians. Not only does that bode ill for the state, it portends big problems for Republican politicians." |
| SID SALTER (OPINION): Be careful what you wish for in handcuffing the Legislature | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: "The battle cry behind support for Initiative 42 and former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove's even more misguided MAEP lawsuit is that we've underfunded MAEP by $1.5 billion in recent years. The fiscal reality is that K-12 education isn't alone in that status and hasn't been in the past. ...Putting MAEP funding levels in stone in the poorest state in the union is great for public education but is an almost certain recipe for fiscal disaster for every other function of state government. What happens in the next recession? What happens after the next Katrina-type natural disaster? That's the fiscal aspect of this debate. The political aspect is a more blunt discussion." |
SPORTS
| Defense shines at Mississippi State scrimmage | |
| Mississippi State's offense controlled its initial spring scrimmage on April 3, leaving coach Dan Mullen challenging his defense to have a better showing the second time around inside Davis Wade Stadium. The results were exactly what Mullen had hoped for. The Bulldogs defense accounted for 14 tackles for loss, seven sacks and two forced fumbles during the two-hour scrimmage on Saturday. "I thought they played with some good energy out there on the field today," Mullen said. "I liked their demeanor and attitude. I don't know that we played poorly last week on defense but there were some communication issues. It was also tougher for the defense with the way we set it up. Today was more substitution oriented on longer drives which helped the defense more." |
| Mississippi State defense responds in second scrimmmage at Davis Wade | |
| Nick James jumped across the line during the goal line portion of Thursday's practice. Whistles blew the play dead. Before the defensive line could reset, Mississippi State coach Dan Mullen burst into the defensive backfield. He fired expletives toward the defensive coaching staff. Since that time the defense has stopped the offense more often than not, including Saturday's scrimmage inside Davis Wade Stadium. "I thought they played with some good energy out there on the field today," MSU coach Dan Mullen said. "I liked their attitude and demeanor." MSU used only two quarterbacks with the first and second-team offenses on Saturday. The first-team offense, led by Dak Prescott, didn't score until its fifth possession. |
| Diaz enjoying return to Mississippi State football program | |
| What's old is new again in Starkville. That much was clear at Mississippi State's spring football practice this week, and it became evident when Manny Diaz saw something he didn't like from one of his players. Diaz, who has returned to serve as MSU's defensive coordinator after a four-year absence, was standing near the line of scrimmage at the start of a play during team drills on Tuesday afternoon. As soon as the play ended, a play that saw MSU redshirt freshman defensive back Chris Rayford get beat for a long completion, Diaz sprinted more than 40 yards to Rayford and immediately voiced his displeasure. By the time the next play started, Diaz had sprinted back, showcasing the energy and enthusiasm that helped him mold the No. 19 defense in the country in 2010. It's that same energy that he is employing this spring as he tries to reshape an MSU defense that's dealing with the loss of eight starters. "It's a lot of fun," said Diaz. |
| Schaefer receives extension, raise after historic season at Mississippi State | |
| Mississippi State rewarded Vic Schaefer on Friday for guiding women's basketball to unprecedented success last season. MSU announced a four-year extension for the coach worth an average of $662,500 annually. "Vic does a phenomenal job overseeing every aspect of Mississippi State's women's basketball program," MSU athletic director Scott Stricklin. "His ability to teach, mentor and recruit is special. And he has engaged the Bulldog Family in a manner that has produced heightened interest and record-setting attendance for women's basketball." |
| Mississippi State drops series to Texas A&M | |
| Mississippi State lost its fourth Southeastern Conference series of the season on Sunday. Texas A&M beat MSU 13-5 to secure the series in the rubber game at Olsen Field. The Aggies broke the game open with a four-run fourth inning to take an 8-3 lead. But the overall damage began right off the bat. Texas A&M plated two in the first two innings. The No. 1 team in the country knocked starter Vance Tatum out of the game in the second inning. The lefty didn't record an out in the second. The Bulldogs return to Dudy Noble Field for the first time since April 4 on Tuesday. They host Northwestern State, before hosting Florida during Super Bulldog Weekend. |
| Bats evicted from Texas A&M's Kyle Field find homes across the street | |
| An estimated 250,000 or so Mexican free-tailed bats that typically live in Kyle Field had already migrated south of the Texas border by the time the west side of the stadium was reduced to rubble. When the time came to return to their home in Aggieland at the start of spring, half of it was gone, and entrance points to the other half were blocked with nets as an effort by Texas A&M University to keep them out. With not many options, the bats have started taking up residence around campus, and even caused a temporary shutdown last week of the natatorium in the school's Rec Center, which is also under construction. The situation has unfolded on other college campuses. |
| Why Masters Champion Jordan Spieth Hired a Former Schoolteacher as His Caddie | |
| The man who celebrated with Jordan Spieth on the 18th green at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday made his first trip here only three years ago. Michael Greller wasn't even a professional caddie at the time. He was a sixth-grade math teacher who won a lottery for Masters tickets and spent the day following Rory McIlroy. "I had a few beers and enjoyed the walk," he said. Greller's path from standing outside the ropes to carrying the bag of the Masters champion is far more improbable than Spieth's impressive victory. And it reveals both the randomness of the caddying business and the way Spieth has approached the game. |
The Office of Public Affairs provides the Daily News Digest as a general information resource for Mississippi State University stakeholders.
Web links are subject to change. Submit news, questions or comments to Jim Laird.
