| Monday, May 4, 2015 |
| Mississippi State Hands Out Honors for Research Excellence | |
 | Forty-nine Mississippi State students, faculty and staff are 2015 selections for exceptional research and leadership honors. Honorees, their guests and senior administrators gathered for a campus awards luncheon Thursday. As a major student-oriented research university, Mississippi State is improving the quality of life "for millions of people here at home and around the world," MSU President Mark E. Keenum said. “Your research is helping make our public schools better, our communities stronger, our food safer, our vehicles more efficient, our critical infrastructure more secure, and our farms and factories both more profitable and more environmentally friendly,” he said. |
| Cooley Takes on New Role at Mississippi State | |
| A veteran Mississippi State University fundraiser will fill a newly created role with the MSU Foundation beginning May 1. Asya Besova Cooley will become the university's director of development for the MSU Library, the Graduate School, and the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College. She will direct major gifts fundraising for these areas. "We are pleased to offer alumni and friends the opportunity to work with Asya to further these areas of MSU. Her previous experience in leading annual giving efforts will serve her well in this new role," said Jack McCarty, executive director of development for the MSU Foundation. |
| Area students among 33 recognized with Spirit of State awards | |
 | More than 30 Mississippi State students are receiving the university's premier student recognition for exceptional personal contributions to campus life. Now in its tenth year, the Spirit of State Awards program organized by the university's Division of Student Affairs formally honors those who have made a positive impacts on peers and the broader campus community through organizational involvement, service to the institution and personal actions promoting school spirit and tradition. Golden Triangle area students recognized include Tyrus R. Hill, a senior finance major from Caledonia; Hagan D. Walker, a senior electrical engineering major from Columbus; and, all from Starkville, Dylan P. Karges, an applied anthropology master's student; Casey E. McGee, a senior communication/public relations major; Meredith D. Pearson, a senior psychology major; and Chasity R. Swoopes, a senior kinesiology/clinical exercise physiology major. |
| MSU-Meridian student honored as outstanding teacher intern | |
 | A Philadelphia senior at Mississippi State University-Meridian is the Mississippi Association of Colleges for Teacher Education selection as the university's top teacher intern for 2014-15. Haley E. McFarland, a senior special education major at MSU-Meridian, completed her internship at both the middle school and the high school of the Union Public School District. Richard Blackbourn, MSU College of Education dean and current MACTE president, said McFarland "embodies the knowledge, skills, behavior and attitude that we strive for in all of our teacher candidates. She is to be congratulated for this significant accomplishment." |
| Taj Mahal ill, unable to perform Tuesday in Meridian | |
| Grammy Award-winning bluesman Taj Mahal canceled his band's Tuesday show in Meridian after doctors ordered the 72-year-old performer to rest after he recently fell ill with the flu. The Taj Mahal Trio was set to perform at 7:30 p.m., but a release from Mississippi State University Riley Center officials states the band will not be able to make up the show. "(Taj) ... is extremely disappointed ... and hopes to return to Meridian in the near future to make it up to the fans," the release states. |
| MSU Riley Center to present 'Rapunzel! Rapunzel!' | |
| A musical theater for the whole family will brighten the MSU Riley Center stage when Wally Jones and Casa Mañana Theatre presents "Rapunzel! Rapunzel! A Very Hairy Fairy Tale" on May 19 at 7 p.m. The production, a Riley Center Family Show, features a book, music, and lyrics by Janet Yates Vogt and Mark Friedman. The story finds Princess Rapunzel banished to a tower by the evil enchantress Lady Za Za. Her only hope of rescue lies with handsome Sir Roderick and his hairdressing sidekick, Edgar, who are searching for true love and the perfect head of hair, respectively. Will the lovely, long-locked Rapunzel satisfy both quests? A lovable old dragon and a crazed gypsy woman add to the fun. |
| Wise retires from Extension Service in Union County | |
 | After 28 years of work, Stanley Wise is officially retired. He worked in Lafayette County for one year, Quitman County for two years, Alcorn County for 10 years, ad he spent the last 15 years working as the Union County Extension Agent for the Mississippi State University Extension Service. A retirement reception was held Monday for Union County Extension Agent Stanley Wise at the Union County Fairgrounds. An array of friends, family and co-workers came out to wish Wise well on his future endeavors. "I have really enjoyed my job over these last 28 years. I have met some great people and worked with so many amazing people. I am blessed to have done this job for all of these years. Thank you to everyone who came out today," said Wise. |
| On the move: Mississippi State University Extension Service | |
 | Cobie Rutherford is the new beef cattle associate for the MSU Extension Service. A native of Town Creek, Alabama, Rutherford grew up on an Angus farm in the northwestern part of the Alabama and showed cattle in 4-H and FFA for almost a decade. He has a bachelor's degree in animal science and a master's degree in breeding and genetics, both from Auburn University. He previously was marketing coordinator for the Beef Network of the Kentucky Cattlemen's Association. |
| West Point plant wins $31 million deal for Army vehicles | |
| The U.S. Army has exercised an option to an existing contract with Navistar Defense Plant in West Point to upgrade mine-resistant, ambush-protected vehicles for the U.S. Army. U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran's office announced the latest deal, valued at $31.1 million, Thursday. "I'm pleased the Army continues to have confidence in the capability of Mississippi's manufacturing base to carry out this important work," Cochran said in a press release his office issued. |
| New East Mississippi Business Development Corporation CEO ready to get to work | |
| Taking a regional, all-hands-on-deck approach to economic development is what will bring more jobs to Meridian and Lauderdale County, along with the rest of East Mississippi and West Alabama, said Bill Hannah, who was named Thursday as the new President and CEO of the East Mississippi Business Development Corporation. Hannah replaces former president Wade Jones, who resigned in August of last year after 13 years in the position. EMBDC Chairman Bob Luke and the agency's board of directors started work on finding a new president back in January. The group hired a professional search firm in The PACE Group out of Tupelo and Little Rock, Ark. |
| Tupelo among regional MDA regional office closings | |
 | Even as former Tupelo Mayor Glenn McCullough is taking over the state's economic development efforts, there will be one less person working to attract jobs to Northeast Mississippi. MDA announced intentions to close its eight regional economic development offices, including the one located in the Renasant Center on East Main Street in Tupelo. The decision to close the offices is based on a study the agency conducted to determine best practices and McCullough, who was appointed Thursday by Gov. Phil Bryant to head the agency, had nothing to do with the decision. On Thursday, when McCullough talked about his new post, he stressed that he was not yet running the agency that conducts the state's economic development efforts. |
| Mississippi companies go global | |
| Mississippi exported more than 11.4 billion worth of products in 2014. This statistic from the Mississippi Development Authority shows the Magnolia State is a competitor in the global market. MDA has a step-by-step process for it to become even more so. Its International Trade Office "has an objective to develop businesses and increase trade for the state, to assist companies and help them sell their products abroad and find markets for them abroad, by creating more exports and more sales then you create more jobs for the state," says Rosario "Rose" Boxx, international trade director of Global Business for the MDA. |
| New project in US South promotes music | |
 | Blues. Jazz. Country. Rock n' roll. Gospel. Southern Gospel. Cajun-zydeco. Soul/ R&B. Bluegrass. Nine of America's most well-known music genres now have their own road map. Led by Nashville preservationist Aubrey Preston, a group of historians and music lovers have come up with the "Americana Music Triangle." Stretching from Nashville to Memphis to New Orleans -- and encompassing points in between -- the triangle includes locations in the South that contributed to the birth of the musical genres, including Clarksdale, Mississippi, the home of blues masters Muddy Waters and John Lee Hooker. A city of about 17,200 about 1 1/2 hours' drive south of Memphis, Clarksdale has seen its share of population loss, poverty, troubled schools and blight, like other small towns in the triangle. But, in recent years, the city has tried to boost its agriculture-driven economy with tourist spending and the sales taxes it generates. |
| MDOC chief riles Mississippi sheriffs | |
| Mississippi Corrections Commissioner Marshall Fisher, hired to clean up after corruption removed his predecessor, has his first political fight on his hands. He is removing inmates from all of the Joint State County Work Programs Aug. 1 and moving them to the 17 state-run Community Work Centers -- a move to save $3.2 million that has upset some sheriffs and county supervisors. "It's going to be devastating to our county," said Tate County Sheriff Brad Lance. With a declining inmate population and a budget $23 million less than he asked state lawmakers for, Fisher said he's being forced to make tough decisions on saving money. |
| State inmates on passes get parties, drugs | |
| A sex offender got a free ride from jail to his Mississippi Delta home for a 30-minute "anniversary party." The deputy waited in the living room. Two weeks later, on April 24, a Quitman County deputy gave 33-year-old inmate Jason Rush another free ride to his home in Vance, this time for his "birthday party." Tipped off about the visit, investigators for the Corrections Investigation Division caught Rush -- convicted of one count of fondling a child under age 16 and two counts of aggravated assault -- at his home. Corrections Commissioner Marshall Fisher shared the details of these incidents in describing what he called the problem of sheriffs giving unauthorized passes to state inmates. "This is a public safety issue," Fisher said. "It's disappointing that the staff told investigators the guy was changing a tire when he was at a 'party.' That's wrong." |
| Mississippi Capitol eagle undergoes golden restoration | |
| The eagle atop the Mississippi Capitol has a new golden glow. Craftsmen recently coated the statue with a fresh layer of 23 3/4 karat gold leaf. That's about $10,000 worth of material manufactured in Italy especially for this project. The work is part of an overall restoration of the 112-year-old statehouse, designed to keep the building in good working shape for decades to come. Workers started last year on the most comprehensive restoration of the Mississippi Capitol since the late 1970s and early 1980s. The $8.3 million project includes waterproofing to fight leaks that have plagued the building for years. |
| Bryant's number of IHL picks a first | |
| Later this month, eight of the members of the 12-member Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning will be appointees of Gov. Phil Bryant. And if Bryant wins re-election later this year, as expected, he will become the first governor to have appointed all members of the College Board, which oversees the state's eight public universities, before he leaves office in January 2020. The terms of four members appointed by Bryant's predecessor -- Haley Barbour -- are slated to end May 9. Bryant already has appointed four replacements, who were confirmed earlier this year by the state Senate. Nicole Webb, a spokeswoman for Bryant, said the fact that he is getting extra appointments to the College Board has not influenced his decisions. |
| MUW to offer degrees in health care management | |
| With the demand for skilled and educated employees in the health field increasing, Mississippi University for Women will begin offering health care management education opportunities in the fall. "We evaluated programs from all across the country. We researched best practices and wanted to build the best quality program we could," said Dr. Scott Tollison, dean of the College of Business and Professional Studies. The new health care management program will provide students with the option to enter the field or further their education in health care. Upon completion of the degree, students will be suited to work in administrative settings within hospitals, medical clinics, health departments, nonprofits and long-term care. |
| Community unites for Nepal at MUW candlelight vigil | |
| About 100 candles lit up the area around the Bryan Green Gazebo on Mississippi University for Women's campus Thursday night as students, faculty and Columbus community members held a candlelight vigil to honor the country of Nepal, which suffered a 7.8 magnitude earthquake Saturday. MUW is home to over 30 students from Nepal. Many have family members who were affected in the earthquake. Mississippi State University has 39 students from Nepal. Shristi Khati, a junior studying biology and public health, is from southern Nepal but grew up in the capital, Kathmandu -- one of the areas hardest hit by the earthquake. |
| Campus police investigate sexual assault at Ole Miss | |
| Ole Miss campus police are investigating a sexual assault that was reported on campus around 3 a.m. on Saturday morning. Police say a female student was assaulted by a male acquaintance at an on-campus fraternity house. The chapter president of Phi Kappa Psi says the alleged incident happened in their house, but added that they are cooperating with police. He says the fraternity does not condone these actions and the suspect has been suspended indefinitely. This attack is the second of its kind in just one week. Police say another student was assaulted in a campus parking lot last Saturday. |
| Delta State introduces Okra Scholars program | |
| The Okra Scholars program at Delta State University was introduced Wednesday on the second floor of the H.L. Nowell Union building. Delta State University was one of only 24 institutions selected and the only institution in Mississippi to receive funding from the "First in the World" program through the U.S. Department of Education's Fund for the Improvement of Post-Secondary Education. President William LaForge said, "This is an exciting day and an exciting program. This is an important mission-to make a success path available to all students." "We appreciate the advisors, mentors, and instructors who are part of this program. I commend the participants," he said. |
| Jackson State class of 2015 one for the books | |
| Sounding remarkably like a Baptist preacher, Cornell William Brooks, president of the NAACP, returned to his alma mater Saturday morning to deliver a rousing commencement address about social involvement. He described the class of 2015 as the "Class of Now" during Jackson State University's commencement held at the Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium. While reflecting on events that have made national headlines such as the deaths of Frederick Gray, Michael Brown and Trayvon Martin, Brooks said, "this is an extraordinary moment. This is an extraordinary time. This class arrives at a powerful moment in history -- uncomfortably situated between the past and present." |
| Tom Joyner addresses Tougaloo College graduates | |
 | Tougaloo College's Class of 2015 joins the ranks of graduates following commencement ceremonies Sunday morning. Tom Joyner host of the nationally syndicated Tom Joyner Morning Show gave the commencement address. One hundred 41 degrees were conferred in education, humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. Joyner told graduates that his wife Sybil's parents attended Tougaloo in Jackson. "If it hadn't been for Tougaloo there'd be no Mrs. Wilkes, no Sybil. I wouldn't be using the word extravaganza, maybe something more old school like bum diggity. So thank you Tougaloo," said Joyner. |
| U. of Alabama dean named Samford provost | |
 | The dean of the University of Alabama's Culverhouse College of Commerce will take over Samford University's provost position, the school announced Friday. J. Michael Hardin will replace J. Bradley Creed, who is leaving Samford for the presidency at Campbell University in North Carolina. Hardin began his teaching career at Mississippi State University in 1986 before moving to the University of Alabama at Birmingham for several years. Hardin joined the faculty at UA in 2001 as a statistics professor and associate dean of research. He was later appointed to an senior associate dean position before he was named dean in 2011. |
| Record number of U. of Alabama graduates receive Fulbright awards | |
| Fourteen University of Alabama spring graduates have been awarded Fulbright Awards, the highest number of scholarships per class the school has ever seen. The graduates will spend the next year abroad as English Teaching Assistants or researchers. Eight UA students were named scholars last year. The prestigious Fulbright U.S. Student Program, administered by the U.S. Department of State, typically attracts more than 11,000 applicants each year for some 1,200 Scholar positions. |
| UGA New Media Institute director Shamp departing for FSU | |
 | Saturday's New Media Institute Slam was a birthday party for the University of Georgia program, when students showed off nearly two dozen innovative projects they'd worked on in teams -- virtual reality goggles, apps for the Apple watch, and other student capstone projects. But it was also a farewell of sorts for Scott Shamp, the institute's chief architect. Shamp is retiring from the University of Georgia after 28 years, but not from academia. His next stop will be Tallahassee, where he's accepted a post as an associate dean in Florida State University's College of Fine Arts. |
| Texas A&M's new president Michael Young excited, grateful on first day in Aggieland | |
 | A new era of Texas A&M University leadership is officially underway. Michael Young was announced as the sole finalist to be the school's 26th president in February after a yearlong search, and began his first day on the job at the Jack K. Williams Building Friday morning. With his wife, Marti, by his side, Young addressed local media about his transition from Seattle, where he was president of the University of Washington for three years, to A&M. He delivered his first "howdy" as president and shared his vision for the school and the state and potential of the school's global impact. |
| U. of Missouri's Cornell Leadership Program receives $6 million gift | |
 | Nearly a decade after donating money to help create a program for top business students at the University of Missouri, Harry Cornell has given another $6 million to MU to fund the program in perpetuity. The project started about 12 years ago with a plan to create a program focused on leadership for high-achieving business undergraduates, said Bruce Walker, co-director of the Cornell Leadership Program at the University of Missouri. "We outlined a plan," Walker said. "We developed a budget. And then quickly realized we don't have the money to do this. Clearly we needed a donation to turn this idea into reality." |
| Search for Idaho ag college dean narrowed to four candidates | |
| The search for the next dean of University of Idaho's College of Agricultural and Life Sciences is down to the final four. A 14-member committee that has been conducting a nationwide search since January has narrowed the pool of candidates from 25 to four. The candidates include Mickey Latour, dean of agricultural sciences, Southern Illinois University. He received his Ph.D. from Mississippi State University, and is known nationally and internationally for his work in lipid metabolism and distance learning. |
| Duke announces results of investigation into noose found on campus | |
 | Duke University announced Friday that the student who left a noose on a tree in April, unsettling the campus, had done so out of "ignorance and bad judgment." While the student has received a sanction from the university, Duke will allow the student to return next semester. The university also published an apology from the student (whose name has not been revealed). The apology has suggested to some on campus that the student is from outside the United States. Duke declined to comment on the background of the student. However, sources with knowledge of the situation said that the person in question was indeed an international student. The debate about Duke's response to the noose incident and the racial climate at the university has continued with Friday's announcement. |
| JEFF AMY (OPINION): Analysis: Community college fight attracts little attention | |
| The Associated Press' Jeff Amy writes: "Mississippi's Community College Board should be thankful that the state's College Board got crossways with University of Mississippi Chancellor Dan Jones. Without the dispute over Jones leaving Ole Miss to distract them, more members of the general public might have noticed the train wreck on the board that coordinates the state's 15 community and junior colleges. It's at least as bad as what's happened at the universities, and maybe worse. Since December, the 10-member board has been locked in a 5-5 stalemate over who should be hired as the board's next executive director." |
| BILL CRAWFORD (OPINION): McCullough will have hands full at Mississippi Development Authority | |
| Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: "Eminently qualified to head up the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA), Glenn McCullough won't have a cakewalk. Gov. Phil Bryant announced McCullough's appointment last Thursday, saying, 'He can build a consensus and get things done. We have great momentum in Mississippi, and Glenn will take that success to the next level.' First, though, McCullough must grapple with budget and staffing issues and changing priorities. ...Trying to recruit jobs in the midst of MDA's changing priorities, a tight budget and unfilled positions, and the risk of small communities becoming disconnected will leave the talented McCullough with his hands full." |
| GEOFF PENDER (OPINION): McDaniel wins one, Bryant gets tea party groove back | |
| The Clarion-Ledger's Geoff Pender writes: "Gov. Phil Bryant's recent veto of a Common Core bill marked a rare victory for state Sen. Chris McDaniel, who'd been the patron saint of lost tea party and conservative causes. It also helped Bryant get his tea party groove back. He's getting an 'attaboy from conservatives who were upset he backed incumbent Sen. Thad Cochran over McDaniel in the Great Republican Mudfest last year. The veto was an election-year poke in the eye for Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, with whom fellow Republicans Bryant and McDaniel are often at odds. Reeves had championed the Common Core bill, ironically, to try to gain some tea party-conservative creds himself." |
SPORTS
| Walkoff win provides Mississippi State seniors fitting exit in Starkville | |
| Mississippi State's seniors walked off Dudy Noble Field for the final time on Saturday. The last home game of the season concluded with three celebrating seniors. Seth Heck singled between LSU's shortstop and second baseman. It allowed Jake Vickerson to score from second in the 12th inning. Wes Rea, lifted Vickerson at home plate in celebration of MSU's 8-7 win over No. 1 LSU. Vickerson pumped his fist as Rea held him in a bear hug. The rest of the Bulldogs swarmed Heck at second base. "There's no feeling like it," Heck said. |
| Mississippi State's Clark, Palmeiro profiled on TV tonight | |
| A documentary on former Mississippi State baseball All-Americans Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro entitled "Thunder and Lightning" will debut at 8 p.m. on the SEC Network as part of the SEC Storied series. Clark and Palmeiro were key members of the Diamond Dogs famed 1985 squad that won both the SEC and the SEC Tournament titles and finished third at the College World Series. Four future MLB All-Stars were on that roster including Jeff Brantley and Bobby Thigpen. |
| Smith, McKinney headline Mississippi State draft class of five | |
| Both Preston Smith and Benardrick McKinney waited patiently to hear their names called in the NFL Draft, a wait that lasted through the First Round on Thursday. They would not wait long on Friday. The two Mississippi State products were taken quickly during the second round of the NFL Draft, ending each player's journey to the National Football League. They were joined on Saturday by three more teammates, giving MSU a total of five players selected in this year's NFL Draft, one short of the school record. Linebacker Matt Wells was taken by the New England Patriots, tight end Malcolm Johnson was picked by the Cleveland Browns and tailback Josh Robinson's name was called by the Indianapolis Colts, all in the sixth round. |
| Mississippi State's Preston Smith used strong combine showing to boost his stock | |
 | One of the main criticisms that Preston Smith heard coming away from his senior season at Mississippi State had to do with the speed of his play, and whether or not he had what it took to develop into a top-level pass rusher in the NFL. At times, Smith was told by talent evaluators, he looked a little slow off the ball. But the three-year starter insisted that he was faster than he appeared on tape and that his responsibilities in Mississippi State's system had dictated the pace of his play. The 6-foot-5, 271-pound Smith -- who last fall recorded nine sacks and earned first-team All-SEC honors -- then used strong performances at the Senior Bowl in January and the NFL Scouting Combine in February to prove his point. |
| Mississippi State's Ally McDonald, Jessica Peng earn All-SEC honors | |
| Ally McDonald finished her final season at Mississippi State as a first-team All-SEC performer the league announced on Friday. Her teammate, Jessica Peng, earned second-team honors. "It is such an honor to make the All-SEC team," McDonald said. "The SEC is such a strong conference, with a lot of the best players. It's the third straight season McDonald took home first-team honors. The Fulton native will leave Mississippi State holding the majority of the program's women's golf records. The two resume play with the rest of the squad on May 7-9 at the NCAA Regionals in Raleigh, N.C. |
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