| Wednesday, April 15, 2015 |
| Mississippi State A.D. hopes to keep good thing going | |
 | In his almost five years as Mississippi State Athletics Director, Scott Stricklin has spoken to the Starkville Rotary Club just three times. Even so, it was clear throughout Monday's Rotary meeting that Stricklin was at home with his audience of roughly 100. At the end of his address, he took questions from the Rotarians, calling on those who raised their hands by first names and nodding as they spoke, as if he already knew the question each would be asking. An MSU graduate, Stricklin, 44, is married to the daughter of one of MSU's most beloved athletes -- basketball legend Bailey Howell. His roots here are deep. That familiarity, along with the momentum built by Bulldogs' sports programs, most notably football, combined to put Stricklin in relaxed, jovial mood Monday. |
| Dog Cinderella story leads to new Mississippi State mascot | |
 | It goes without saying that becoming a mother for the first time means a lot of sacrifice. Pippa Nelson had to give up skateboarding and putting her head in a five-gallon bucket and running full-speed into walls. But for Pippa, an English Bulldog whose full name is Princess Pippa, the sacrifice was worth it. The Copiah County princess would one day give birth to Mississippi royalty. Her son Jak, or "Cristil's Golden Prince," will become the next Mississippi State mascot on Saturday. From the beginning, the matchup of Champ and Pippa was almost fortuitous, said Pippa's owner Tammy Nelson, of Hazlehurst. |
| Mississippi State faculty member gets national honor | |
| A Mississippi State University faculty member is a new ExCEEd Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers. Masoud Gheisari is an assistant professor in the building construction science program of the university's College of Architecture, Art and Design. Later this year, he joins others in the select group for a six-day teaching practicum focused on improving and enhancing classroom leadership skills. "This is a very prestigious invitation, and the selection process is quite rigorous," said Craig D. Capano, who directs the building construction science program and holds its Roy Anderson Endowed Professorship. |
| Business Workshop for Landowners Scheduled for May 14 at WRI | |
 | Landowners, farmers and hunting clubs wanting to earn extra income by offering recreational and other activities for visitors can learn more at a business workshop for landowners on May 14, at the Winthrop Rockefeller Institute on Petit Jean Mountain in Arkansas. The workshop is a partnership between Mississippi State University, the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture and WRI. "These workshops are designed for landowners interested in learning about developing enterprises from the natural resources on their property or simply learning more about wildlife and business management," said Daryl Jones, enterprises program director at Mississippi State. |
| Columbus up, Starkville down in Policom rankings | |
| The Golden Triangle possesses the city with the strongest micropolitan economy in Mississippi and one of the strongest in the U.S., according to a recently published study. Columbus was ranked 10th out of 576 cities evaluated nationwide by the Florida-based independent economic firm Policom Corporation. Its closest in-state competitors were 17th-ranked Oxford and 71st-ranked Tupelo, both micropolitan cities, and Jackson, which was ranked 92nd in the company's list of 381 metropolitan areas. Starkville's economic ranking amongst national micropolitan cities dropped from 195 to 216 but remained near the upper third of the list. Last year, Policom President William Fruth urged leaders to establish a new industrial park in Oktibbeha County, one that would tie in with the work and research done at Mississippi State University. |
| Newspaper challenges Mississippi Department of Education records denial | |
| The Clarion-Ledger on Tuesday filed a complaint against the Mississippi Department of Education for refusing to disclose which vendors responded to the agency's request for proposals on a multi-million-dollar contract. The newspaper is challenging MDE's reasons for withholding the names, because MDE cannot cite any legally allowed exemption to the Mississippi Public Records Act. The Clarion-Ledger on March 17th requested the names of vendors vying for a one-year contract to administer statewide assessments to tens of thousands of elementary and secondary public school students in Mississippi. |
| Mississippi delegation wins fight to keep 'Flying Jennies' at Keesler | |
 | The U.S. Air Force has abandoned attempts to relocate C-130J Aircraft and deactivate the 815th Tactical Airlift Squadron, said Chief of Staff Gen. Mark Welsh III. Welsh told lawmakers Tuesday morning the C-130 "Flying Jennies" would remain based in Mississippi at Keesler Air Force Base. The decision is the result of a three-year effort by Sens. Thad Cochran, Roger Wicker and Rep. Steven Palazzo. "Relocating the aircraft from South Mississippi never made sense from an operational or taxpayer perspective," Cochran said. "The rejection of the plan is the right decision." |
| Dem, GOP lawmakers disagree over school funding initiatives | |
 | Democratic lawmaker says Republicans are trying to kill a citizen-led initiative that seeks full funding of a budget formula for Mississippi's public schools. But, a Republican lawmaker says Initiative 42 would give a judge too much control over schools. Democratic Sen. David Blount of Jackson and Republican Rep. Andy Gipson of Braxton spoke Tuesday at a forum sponsored by the Stennis Institute of Government and the Capitol press corps. |
| Legislators debate school funding initiative | |
 | Legislators differed sharply Tuesday about a citizen-sponsored initiative that supporters say would enhance the state's commitment to public education. Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson and Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, spoke extensively about Initiative 42 Tuesday at a luncheon meeting of the Mississippi State University Stennis Institute of Government/Capitol press corps. Blount also said he would like to see any special session include funds to continue a tax credit for the renovations and restorations of historical properties. The program, which also is staunchly supported by House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, was not funded during the 2015 session. Gunn has said the program's initial $60 million state investment resulted in $200 million in private investment. |
| Blount, Gipson; point, counterpoint | |
| State Sen. David Blount, D-Jackson, and Rep. Andy Gipson, R-Braxton, gave a polite point-counterpoint on the 2015 legislative session on Tuesday at the Stennis Institute of Government's Capitol press corps lunch. Much of the forum centered on the Initiative 42 ballot drive to change the state constitution to force full funding of the Mississippi Adequate Education Program formula, and the Initiative 42-A alternative passed by the GOP majority Legislature this session. A side note: Several state political observers have said they expect the two sides in the MAEP ballot fight to pump big money into campaigns this year. |
| Gov. Bryant speaks at Laurel Rotary Club | |
 | Mississippi Governor Phil Bryant attended the Laurel Rotary Club luncheon Tuesday, where he spoke to residents about his goals for the future and current conditions of the state. He mentioned the importance women's safety and the recently signed concealed carry law as well as the improvements he is working towards for the Mississippi school systems. Bryant also spoke of the importance of energy investments in the state. According to Bryant, over 22 million people toured the state in 2014, and he praised the Lauren Rogers Museum in Laurel for being a prime example of a place that tourists from across the country often visited. |
| Watchdog: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office doesn't know if examiners are doing their jobs | |
 | The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has almost no way to know if patent examiners are doing their jobs well, the agency's watchdog concludes in a report that raises concerns about the quality of thousands of patents issued each year. The sharply critical report issued Monday by the inspector general for the Commerce Department, the patent office's parent agency, found overall deficiencies with quality assurance that put at risk the federal government's role in protecting new ideas through the issuance of patents and trademarks. The weaknesses "make it difficult to distinguish between patent examiners who are issuing high-quality patents and those who are not," the 30-page audit by Inspector General Todd J. Zinser concludes. |
| Men don high heels, march to end sexualized violence | |
| At 6 p.m. Thursday on Mississippi University for Women's campus, more than 60 men will take a mile-long walk -- while wearing women's high-heeled shoes. "Walk a Mile in Her Shoes" is an event to raise awareness about sexualized violence and show support for its victims. This will be MUW Counseling Center's third year hosting the walk, according to Craig Watson, a licensed counselor at MUW in charge of organizing the march. "It's a way for men to say, 'We support you and we don't stand for this,'" Watson said. Marchers will begin arriving at 5:30 p.m. outside the Hogarth Student Center on campus. The march begins at 6 p.m. |
| Millsaps College student state's only Goldwater recipient | |
| Diane Ward Bravenec, a junior at Millsaps College, is the state's only recipient of a Goldwater Scholarship, which recognizes outstanding college students who intend to pursue research careers in science, math and engineering. Bravenec is majoring in chemistry and creative writing with a minor in mathematics. She is currently working on two projects at Millsaps: one focusing on developing analytical chemistry methods for trace residues with applications in archaeology, and the second focuses on technology in science fiction. Bravenec is a native of Brandon. |
| MPA denounces Delta State for eliminating journalism major, shuttering newspaper print product | |
 | The state newspaper association is condemning a plan that will eliminate journalism courses at Delta State University and shutter the school's 83-year-old student newspaper print product. In a cover letter to the Mississippi Press Association says it sent to DSU President William LaForge dated April 13, MPA President Joel McNeece said the cuts are a "terrible and disheartening precedent" to set for the school. Members of the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board of Trustees are expected to meet this week on proposed budget cuts at Delta State. |
| Northeast Mississippi Community College president announces retirement | |
| At the regularly scheduled Board of Trustees meeting this month, Northeast Mississippi Community College president Dr. Johnny L. Allen asked for and received support from the Board to retire from service to the college effective June 30. Allen, 60, was named the ninth president of Northeast in 2004. He previously served as vice president of instruction and student services (2003-04), dean of instruction and vocational-technical director (1990-2003) and as an instructor of agriculture and natural science (1982-1990). He began his career in education as an agriculture education teacher at Alcorn Central High School (1978-82). Allen is one of only two Northeast alums to serve as its president. |
| Pearl River Community College board makes Breerwood president-elect | |
| The Pearl River Community College Board of Trustees has designated Dr. Adam Breerwood president-elect of the two-year college, to succeed PRCC President William Lewis upon his retirement. Breerwood, 40, serves as vice president for the Poplarville Campus and Hancock Center. He has been affiliated with PRCC as an employee since 1997 when he was hired as assistant baseball coach and previously played baseball at The River in 1994 and 1995. "Dr. Breerwood has demonstrated the leadership abilities that the board feels are necessary to assure that Pearl River Community College continues to grow and be successful," said Dale Purvis, chairman of the board of trustees. |
| U. of Alabama to join fight against human trafficking | |
 | University of Alabama student-athletes will join multiple organizations to raise awareness of human trafficking by uniting the student body with student-athletes through educational events from Sunday through April 23 with a "Shut Out Trafficking" awareness week. The week kicks off at 6:30 p.m. Sunday at Coleman Coliseum with a dual keynote address from Richard Lapchick, founder of the National Consortium for Academics and Sport, and Malea Otranto of the U.S. Fund for the UNICEF End Trafficking Program. Human trafficking is the fastest-growing criminal industry in the world, and Interstate 20/59 from Tuscaloosa to Atlanta is ranked the top trafficking highway in the U.S., according to the National Human Trafficking Resource Center. |
| Business school Bible verse offensive, group tells U. of Florida | |
 | A national nonprofit church-state watchdog group says a Bible verse carved into an archway of a building named for one of the University of Florida's biggest donors violates the Constitution and must be removed. "The verse inscribed on Heavener Hall is religious, preaches obedience to the Christian God, and must be removed," Andrew Seidel, staff attorney for the Freedom from Religion Foundation, said in letter sent to UF President Kent Fuchs on Monday. "The University of Florida is committed to complying with the laws that apply to public institutions," said Janine Sikes, UF assistant vice president for media relations. "We are carefully reviewing the letter received late Monday from the Freedom from Religion Foundation." |
| UGA vet school finds pneumonia at Gwinnett County Animal Shelter | |
| Officials say a metro Atlanta animal shelter remains closed with preliminary tests by the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine indicating pneumonia is the cause of several dogs becoming ill. Gwinnett County Animal Shelter officials say the UGA vet school found one dog tested positive for pneumonia. Shelter officials say 23 dogs have shown symptoms. |
| Community involvement gets personal for UGA students at Clarke elementary school | |
 | Some University of Georgia students are learning the meaning of community up close and personal in a special course for freshmen, while at the same time they're helping kids in an Athens school. The course, taught by UGA educational psychologists Tarek Grantham and Meg Easom Hines, has the long title of "University-Community Engagement in Minority Student Talent Development." It's one of the dozens of 1-credit-hour "First-Year Odyssey" courses that first-year students can choose to fulfill a university requirement -- everybody has to take one during the freshman year. |
| Exclusive: 'Mid-rise' tower planned for Columbia near U. of South Carolina's Horseshoe | |
 | A Tennessee-based college-housing developer wants to build a residential tower -- about 15 stories high -- not far from the University of South Carolina's Horseshoe. Memphis-based EdR has plans to build a single-tower housing complex with parking near the intersection of Main and College streets. A company representative said EdR has a contract to buy two properties at the site: a Sandy's, a downtown Columbia hot-dog mainstay, and the Baptist Collegiate Ministry's student center. Representatives of Sandy's and the Collegiate Ministry did not return requests for comment. Susan Jennings, EdR's vice president of corporate communication and marketing, said the deal is not yet sealed. |
| Texas A&M students shacking up to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity | |
 | An overnight stay in a crowded shack with no windows is not an ideal living arrangement, but it is how Texas A&M University students are raising money for an area family in need. Aggie Habitat for Humanity kicked off its annual weeklong Shack-A-Thon Monday to make a final push toward a $50,000 fundraising goal, which will help the Bryan-College Station Habitat affiliate build a home for a local family and raise awareness for poverty housing around the world. Members from 10 campus student groups built and designed their own 10- by 12-foot shacks outside the northeast corner of Kyle Field, where they will do homework, eat and sometimes sleep through Friday. |
| Police investigate anti-Semitic messages found in U. of Missouri residence hall | |
 | The chancellor of the University of Missouri on Tuesday called last week's outbreak of anti-Semitic messages in a campus residence hall "deplorable and unworthy of this institution and its values." Jewish organizations at MU have been pressing the university to speak out publicly against the swastikas, threats and other graffiti found Thursday and Friday in Mark Twain Residence Hall. It has since been removed. "I remind you that a core value of our university is respect, and these incidents negatively impact our campus climate," Chancellor R. Bowen Loftin said in a prepared statement. He said bias reports have been filed with the MU Equity Office, and individuals found responsible would be disciplined and could face criminal charges. |
| U. of Missouri Museum of Art and Archaeology prepares to reopen after 18 months of moving, renovation | |
| A single bead from a clay necklace was the only loss during the 18-month move and renovation of the Museum of Art and Archaeology at the University of Missouri. And anyway, the number of beads may have been miscounted, said Alex Barker, the museum director who supervised the methodical transfer of roughly 16,000 pieces of art to what is now called Mizzou North. On Sunday, seven galleries reconfigured from a wing of operating rooms on the second floor of the old Ellis Fischel Cancer Hospital will open to the public. In all, 785 paintings, artifacts, sculptures, jewelry and other cultural symbols, representing a span from antiquity to modern times, will be unveiled for a grand opening at 2 p.m. |
| Bad apples or the barrel: How widespread are the issues facing fraternities? | |
 | The issue of whether Greek misdeeds are perpetrated by a few bad apples or are more widespread is important. Relatively few colleges have actively tried to eliminate Greek systems. The norm -- suspension for serious infractions but welcoming back the house a few years later -- is based on the assumption that the system is a net positive and not more likely than other housing to cause problems. "It would be helpful if fraternities at both the national and individual college campus level could define how many apples it takes to spoil the barrel," said John Foubert, a professor of higher education and student affairs at Oklahoma State University and founder of the sexual assault prevention program One in Four. |
| Medical-College Entrance Exam Gets an Overhaul | |
 | The essay section is out and sociology is in, and test-takers will need to be as familiar with psychology terms like "reciprocal determinism" as they are with organic chemistry. The 8,200 aspiring doctors expected to take the Medical College Admission Test, or MCAT, this week will find a very different exam than their predecessors took. The new test, the first major revision in 25 years, is longer (by 3 hours), broader (covering four more subjects), and more interdisciplinary than past versions. Throughout, students will need to demonstrate not just what they know, but how well they can apply it, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, which develops and administers the MCAT. The changes are designed in part to mirror the evolution of health-care delivery and even the nature of illness, the AAMC says. |
| OUR VIEW: Hail State: Mississippi State marketing efforts beginning to bear fruit | |
| The Dispatch editorializes: "As sibling rivalries go, there are few more intense than the one between Mississippi State and Ole Miss. For decades, Mississippi State has been closing the gap on what was once a one-sided competition. The gap between the schools is now almost imperceptible, although fans of either school might protest that conclusion. Over the past decade, as the Southeastern Conference has grown in prestige, power and revenue, the Bulldogs and Rebels have benefited from that relationship. But to attribute all of that growth and success to conference alignment is to dismiss the vision and leadership each school has enjoyed over the past decade. In terms of facilities, coaches and most tangible measures, MSU has matched, and in some cases, exceeded its rival." |
| CHARLIE MITCHELL (OPINION): Solar power tested in state; net metering on the horizon | |
| Longtime Mississippi journalist Charlie Mitchell writes: "Among Mississippi's abundant blessings -- and the state is abundantly blessed -- is sunshine. The Magnolia State has great soil, lush forests, abundant wildlife and delicious fresh food from gardens, lakes and the Gulf of Mexico. Plentiful water is another natural asset, though there is reason to be prudent lest we find ourselves like California or other places where scarcity is very real. In terms of manmade resources, Mississippi has a variety of power-producing generators fired by nuclear or fossil fuels. There's very little wind or hydropower, but last week a corner was turned on solar." |
SPORTS
| An update on stadium construction at Mississippi State | |
| Mississippi State athletic director Scott Strickin used Twitter on Tuesday to update construction projects around campus. The project on most fans' minds is the $40 million facelift to Dudy Noble Field. Stricklin provided the least amount of information on that project. The athletic director said the plans are still not finalized. Mississippi State selected Wier Boerner Allin Architecture as well as Populous as the lead design team. Stricklin said in the past, crews will break ground once the school raises $20 million. |
| Williams ready to break loose at Mississippi State | |
| High school football fans in North Mississippi are very familiar with Aeris Williams. After all, the former West Point standout rushed for 3,994 yards during his prep career en route to being named Mississippi's Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior in 2013. Next on Williams' agenda is introducing himself to the Southeastern Conference after his redshirt freshman season at Mississippi State. He is one of four tailbacks vying for a starting job in the Bulldogs backfield in the fall. "I've gotten a lot stronger and a lot faster," Williams said. "I've gained 13-pounds. I learned the plays and am picking up my protection. I think I'm learning a good bit from (Ashton Shumpert and Brandon Holloway) because they're older guys who know everything. I think I'll do good this year." |
| Mississippi State replenishing depth on defensive line this spring | |
| Preston Smith watched his former teammates from the sideline Tuesday during practice. Ryan Brown, who Mississippi State hopes can reproduce Smith's production, slapped the dummy before performing a swim-move. He repeated the motion three more times. Smith smiled. "I don't know if Ryan's going to fill the role of Preston," MSU defensive line coach David Turner said. "Ryan Brown's just gotta be Ryan. If he does that, it'll be good enough." Brown is the only returning starter on the defensive line. The trio leaving – Smith, Kaleb Eulls and P.J. Jones – tallied 113 tackles, 19 tackles for loss and 13 sacks last year. The loss on paper appears irreplaceable. The reality might be different. |
| Mississippi State looks to build on historic season in women's basketball | |
| Legacy. Years from now, Vic Schaefer hopes historians will be able to look back on the 2014-15 season and call it the year the Mississippi State women's basketball team re-established itself on the national scene. In his third season in Starkville, the longtime assistant and associate head coach at Arkansas and Texas A&M and his staff blended the talents of back-to-back nationally rated recruiting classes with a group of players they inherited from the previous regime and produced a history-making season. |
| Mississippi State soccer to play in Tupelo Wednesday night | |
 | Aaron Gordon has been pleased with the growth his young Mississippi State soccer team has shown this spring. He hopes for a strong finish to the exhibition slate Wednesday as the Bulldogs head to Tupelo for an 8 p.m. contest against Memphis. Wednesday's contest, which will be played at Ballard Park, will be the second meeting between the two squads in four days. |
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