| Tuesday, May 19, 2015 |
| Very bullish: Bulldogs reap benefits from national spotlight | |
 | Mississippi State's athletic department enjoyed plenty of success during the 2014-15 school year with 11 of its 16 programs being ranked in the top 25 at some point during their respective seasons, highlighted by a five-week run at No. 1 in football this past fall. The Bulldogs' time in the national spotlight is already producing dividends not only for the athletic department but the student body overall. During a visit to Tupelo Monday evening, director of athletics Scott Stricklin said applications were up 20 percent over last year and licensing royalties were up over 60 percent over the previous year. |
| Hands-on learning: Science Day at Agri-Center features 'awesome' experiments | |
| Seeing the same lessons learned in the classroom applied to hands-on science experiments Friday afternoon only reinforced the idea for Michael Gusmus that he wants to be a scientist one day. "I love science," said the second-grade student from Saltillo Primary School. "We got to do a lot of experiments, so that was awesome." Gusmus and his second-grade classmates spent Friday at the Lee County Agri-Center for a day of science and learning sponsored by Toyota Motor Manufacturing Mississippi and the Mississippi State University Extension Service. For the first time, students were also exposed to the agriculture side of science inside the center, where members of an extension service project called "FARMtastic" set up stations on barnyard animals, horticulture, forestry and fisheries, among others. |
| A look at Oktibbeha County campaign finance reports | |
 | Thirteen of Oktibbeha County's 45 candidates for office this election cycle failed to file their first campaign finance reports before May 8's deadline, and four of those seeking office have still failed to turn in their respective paperwork. Those late-filing politicians include: District 2 supervisor candidates Robert "Bubba" Lee Gray Jr. and Gene Autry Perry, and incumbent Orlando Trainer; District 4 Supervisor Daniel Jackson; District 5 Supervisor Joe Williams; circuit clerk candidate E. Regina Evans; Chancery Clerk Monica Banks; Coroner Michael Hunt; District 3 justice court judge candidates Hardy Mitchell and W.L. "Will" Hutchinson; unopposed District 1 Constable Shank Phelps; District 2 constable candidate Andre Quinn; and District 3 Constable James Lindsey. |
| Cappe's Steakhouse closed after Saturday fire | |
| Cappe's Steakhouse in Starkville is closed until further notice after a Saturday fire gutted its kitchen area. Starkville firefighters from four of the city's five stations were dispatched to the scene about 11:30 p.m., said Fire Marshal Stein McMullen. The blaze damaged the front and side portion of the building, but no employees were at the restaurant at the time of the incident. No injuries were reported. McMullen said the fire's cause is still undetermined. |
| Cal-Maine spared in flu outbreak as shares soar | |
 | Jackson-based Cal-Maine Foods thus far has been unscathed in the outbreak of avian flu, which has forced egg producers in the Midwest to kill and dispose of millions of laying hens, said the Jackson-based company's chief financial officer, Tim Dawson. Meantime, Cal-Maine has benefited from the outbreak. Its shares have risen from $38.38 on March 20, the day it reported a near-record net income for the quarter at $50.9 million, to $54.95 on Friday on the Nasdaq stock market, approaching a 52-week high. The company "is uniquely positioned to resupply depleted flocks," USA Today reported. It leads the nation in production of in-shell fresh eggs, with about a quarter of the market. |
| Bryant, CertainTeed execs laud reopened plant as American Dream | |
 | Calling it "a new chapter in the American Dream," Mississippi Gov. Phil Bryant and CertainTeed's North America President and CEO John Crowe lauded the reopening of the company's Meridian plant Monday afternoon in the east Meridian Industrial Park. Two years ago, Bryant was at the CertainTeed plant in Meridian to announce plans to reopen. The plant closed in 2009 due to the failing economy, leaving 120 people without jobs. Today, plant officials say 75 employees are back at work, thanks to the cooperation of state, county and city officials. As many as 40 more employees could be added in coming months as CertainTeed ramps up production at the Meridian plant. |
| Clinton retail development proposed near Mississippi College | |
 | Clinton's Planning and Zoning Commission will hold a hearing May 26 to consider rezoning land at the intersection of Springridge Road and U.S. 80 that could be the site of a 240,000-square-foot retail development. The 38-acre parcel abuts Mississippi College and is zoned special use. The zoning petition seeks to switch that to commercial use. Blackwater Resources, the Birmingham-based developer, filed the petition. The shopping center would be oriented to face Mississippi College. It would share a signalized intersection with one of the college's main entrances. The projected size is comparable to Flowood's Dogwood Festival Market (304,000) but considerably smaller than Renaissance at Colony Park in Ridgeland (500,000) in terms of square footage. |
| B.B. King to be buried at Mississippi museum | |
| The King of the Blues will be buried at the museum preserving his legacy. Officials for the B.B. King Museum in Indianola confirmed the decision Monday as they make preparations for the funeral and burial expected to take place next week in Mississippi. King, 89, died Thursday in Las Vegas after a series of strokes. A public memorial service is set for Friday in Las Vegas, followed by a private memorial service on Saturday. The decision to bury King on the museum grounds is not without precedent. Elvis Presley is buried at Graceland in Memphis. |
| Police vigilant as 'credible' gang threats surface | |
| A Jackson police officer shot at the corner of Northside Drive and Bailey Avenue may have been shot from an adjacent empty lot, officials said Monday. "That's where we believe right now that the shots were fired. We were able to recover some shell casings in that area and we were able to take five people into custody to question them about the incident," Jackson Police Chief Lee Vance said, adding that it could have been that the officer was targeted. "I think anything is possible right now, we're not discounting anything. It's certainly a possibility." A "law enforcement only" bulletin obtained by The Clarion-Ledger features chilling language about what seems to be the smoldering beginning of a war on police. Chief Joey East of the Oxford Police Department, which is home to the Mississippi Association of Gang Investigators, said there have been several such bulletins sent out. |
| BIPEC releases legislative report card | |
| The Business and Industry Political Education Committee released its Legislator Business and Jobs Report Card Monday. Two Democrats received an "A." Rep. Nick Bain was the only House Democrat to get an "A." He got an "A" last year. Sen. Steve Hale was the only Senate Democrat to get an "A." He got a "B" last year. Ninety-four Republicans made up the rest of what BIPEC considers a "Business and Jobs Champion." Lawmakers who voted for the selected bills were more likely to receive a higher grade. Most of the legislation was pushed by Republican leadership. |
| MAEP initiative hearings scheduled | |
| The Mississippi Secretary of State's Office will hold eight hearings across the state about Initiative Measure 42 and Alternative Measure 42-A. Initiative 42 seeks to amend the constitution to require that Mississippi fully fund public schools in accordance with the Mississippi Adequate Education Program (MAEP). It also gives the chancery court the power to enforce the requirement. The alternative to the initiative, passed by the Legislature early in the session, changes the wording "adequate and efficient" public school system to "effective" public school system. It also keeps funding decisions in the hands of the Legislature. "Our agency wants to give as many Mississippians as possible the opportunity to attend one of the initiative hearings," said Secretary of State Delbert Hosemann in a press release Tuesday. |
| Experts: U.S. claims Ramadi a mere setback are 'delusional' | |
 | The Obama administration Monday called the fall of the capital of Iraq's Anbar province to the Islamic State a temporary setback that Iraqi forces would reverse with U.S. support. Experts dismissed that assessment as ludicrous. "Delusional, really, is the better word," Ali Khedery, a former U.S. official who served as an adviser to five U.S. ambassadors to Iraq and three heads of U.S. Central Command, said of the administration's statement. "It's unbelievable, frankly. I now know what it's like to have lived through Vietnam, I guess." Experts called the loss a stunning blow to the Iraqi government and U.S. strategy. |
| Deadly Texas biker battle was rooted in feud, police and experts say | |
 | It started, the police were told, with an argument over a parking space outside a sports pub in a shopping mall. Another dispute broke out in the bathroom, and it didn't take long before a battle was underway -- knives, clubs, brass knuckles and bullets flying past the familiar facades of Best Buy and Office Depot. By the time it was over, the parking lot at the Twin Peaks restaurant was strewn with shell casings, puddles of blood, bullet-riddled cars and abandoned motorcycles. Nine people were dead, 18 injured and more than 170 arrested on suspicion of engaging in organized crime. Authorities are still trying to piece together the genesis of the brawl -- reportedly a territorial dispute between biker gangs. "I think there's something different happening here. It seems bolder, more in-our-face," said Randy McBee, an associate professor at Texas Tech University who studies biker culture. |
| Feds propose multi-pronged plan to bolster decline in bees | |
 | The federal government hopes to reverse America's declining honeybee and monarch butterfly populations by making more federal land bee-friendly, spending more money on research and considering the use of less pesticides. Scientists say bees -- crucial to pollinate many crops -- have been hurt by a combination of declining nutrition, mites, disease, and pesticides. The federal plan is an "all hands on deck" strategy that calls on everyone from federal bureaucrats to citizens to do what they can to save bees, which provide more than $15 billion in value to the U.S. economy, according to White House science adviser John Holdren. |
| 50 livers in 2 years: UMMC transplant program thriving | |
| When Utica resident Dennis Mitchell received a new liver April 14 at the University of Mississippi Medical Center, it greatly improved his chances of enjoying a normal life. It also marked a huge milestone for the Medical Center. Mitchell received the 50th liver since the 2013 jump-starting of UMMC's long-dormant liver transplant program. His surgeons were Dr. Mark Earl and Lucedale native Dr. Christopher Anderson, who was recruited to UMMC in August 2011 with a mission: Bring back the liver transplant program following a 20-year hiatus, and build an abdominal transplant team to keep that momentum going. |
| East Mississippi Community College Looks to Lauderdale County for Help in Expansion Plans | |
 | One local community college is continuing its expansion plans, and is asking Lauderdale County for financial help. Representatives from East Mississippi Community College came before the Lauderdale County Board of Supervisors Monday night with a $12 million expansion proposal. It includes $7 million for a new dormitory and $5 dollars for a new athletic facility. University officials were asking for $3.6 million dollars from Lauderdale County over a 20 year period. The current president of the university says if the county invests in the college, it will benefit all parties. |
| East Central Community College's Lucille Wood Dies | |
| One of the longest serving and most well-loved college instructors in east Mississippi has died. Former East Central Community College coach and instructor Lucille Wood passed away Sunday night at the age of 84. She retired from teaching at East Central in 2011 after 58 years at the school. Wood was also recognized as a pioneer of women's athletics at Mississippi community colleges. She coached the EC women's basketball team for many years. |
| Chinese professors among 6 charged with economic espionage | |
 | Two Chinese professors are among six Chinese nationals accused by federal prosecutors of economic espionage sponsored by their home government in the alleged theft of sensitive radio frequency filter technology developed by two U.S. companies. The professors, who attended the University of Southern California, allegedly obtained the trade secret information -- designed in part to limit interference in mobile phone reception and other devices -- as part of a "long-running effort" to benefit universities and companies controlled by the Chinese government. |
| Restoration on UGA's Arch begins Tuesday | |
 | The University of Georgia Arch undergoes a preservation process starting today and continuing through the summer. During the process, the Arch will receive a thorough cleaning as well as new primer, paint and wiring. Preservation repairs will be made, and a corrosion treatment will be applied. UGA's Facilities Management Division will complete the work prior to the start of fall semester. "The Arch is a very historic campus landmark, and it will be handled with the utmost care throughout this process," said Brett Ganas, director of the grounds department. "These preservation efforts will last for decades and will ensure the Arch continues to be a longstanding part of UGA's campus." |
| Media mogul Steve Harvey praises U. of Kentucky hospital | |
 | Comedian Steve Harvey was singing the praises of the emergency room at the University of Kentucky Chandler Medical Center on his popular morning radio show Monday, after his daughter was treated there following a riding accident. Harvey, whose The Steve Harvey Morning Show can be heard in the Lexington area on WBTF-FM 107.9 (The Beat), spent several minutes Monday talking about how well he and his family were treated at UK. According to the Chicago Tribune, Harvey and his wife, Marjorie, missed a Windy City gala because their daughter, Lori, suffered a horse-related injury Saturday. It said, Lori, 18, was expected to make a full recovery. |
| New student housing tower near U. of South Carolina gets name, seeks tax break | |
 | A new, 15-story student housing tower planned for south Main Street has a name: Icon on Main. Memphis-based private student housing developer Education Realty Operating Partnership in documents filed with the city of Columbia said it chose the name because it is the first new tower to be built on south Main in many years. The tower will have 246 units with 704 beds. That brings to nearly 6,400 the number of beds marketed to University of South Carolina students in eight separate projects around the city. Education Realty also filed the documents to apply for a new city incentive that would halve property taxes on the tower for 10 years. The passage of the incentive last spring, which applies specifically to private dorm projects of more than $40 million, set off the downtown student housing boom. |
| Nixon releases $10 million to fund U. of Missouri business school building | |
 | A new $20 million applied learning center for the University of Missouri College of Business will provide labs where students can trade securities and develop sales and marketing campaigns, taking education beyond the lecture hall. The center is designed to meet the demands of companies that want prospective employees with broader knowledge of business practices and techniques, said Sam Hamacher of Harbour Group. Hamacher represented donors who provided $10 million of the overall cost during a Monday news conference when Gov. Jay Nixon released the state's share of the cost. Nixon's appearance in Columbia is the latest in a series of visits to communities where new construction projects or major repair and renovation projects are being funded with state appropriations. |
| VA delays requirement that student veterans receive in-state tuition | |
 | The Obama administration has delayed a new federal requirement that public colleges and universities receiving GI Bill funding provide recent veterans with the benefit of in-state tuition, regardless of their residency. Secretary of Veterans Affairs Bob McDonald on Friday announced that he was pushing back the deadline for public institutions to comply with the in-state tuition provision of the Veterans Access, Choice and Accountability Act that Congress passed last August. The provision will now take effect Jan. 1 of next year instead of July 1, 2015. |
| Urban Farmers Say It's Time They Got Their Own Research Farms | |
 | About 80 percent of Americans now live in urban areas, and more and more of us are growing food in cities as well. But where's an urban farmer to turn for a soil test or when pests infiltrate the fruit orchard? Increasingly, they can turn to institutions that have been serving farmers in rural areas for more than 150 years: land-grant colleges and universities. From Cornell University to the University of Florida to Texas A&M, land grants dispense practical advice to farmers and hobby gardeners across the country. The agricultural arms of these universities have historically focused on regions far from cities where the majority of our food is still grown. But their research on crop varieties, soil quality and pest resistance is just as relevant -- and now in high demand -- inside the city. |
| OUR OPINION: Graduates emerge into stronger jobs market | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal editorializes: "Daily Journal Business Editor Dennis Seid's reporting this week on a strong job market for recent college graduates reflects a substantial body of data gathered by a large, diverse group of businesses who monitor the employment market, some calling it the best market in years. Seid reported that hiring of college graduates is expected to increase 9.6 percent compared to 2014, by the assessment of the firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. ...Preliminary results from the National Association of Colleges and Employers' First Destination Survey show that 52.9 percent of bachelor's degree graduates were employed on a full-time basis this past winter, and 7.3 percent worked part time. The strong market reinforces the need for every employable person to reach their maximum educational attainment in a growth field." |
SPORTS
| How Ben Howland convinced Malik Newman on Mississippi State | |
| Ben Howland had about a month as the face of Mississippi State basketball to convince Malik Newman to join him in Humphrey Coliseum this fall. MSU hired Howland on March 23. Newman announced his decision to attend Mississippi State on April 24. The process went back further though and didn't begin with Howland, but assistant George Brooks. "He had recruited Malik and his father Horatio for three years, actually three-plus years," Howland told ESPN's Andy Katz and Seth Greenberg. "He did a great job developing a relationship so we had a person on our staff that they were very comfortable with." Newman's addition to the roster instantly gave the Bulldogs credibility in the Southeastern Conference and across the national landscape. |
| Tulane cancels its 2016 football game with Mississippi State | |
| Scheduling for the 2016 season hasn't been easy. The Southeastern Conference requires all of its football teams to play a Power 5 opponent beginning in that season. Mississippi State met that requirement but needs to fill another. Tulane canceled its agreement to play at Davis Wade Stadium in 2016, the school confirmed to the Clarion-Ledger. Tulane owes Mississippi State $350,000 for breaking the contract. It leaves an opening for the Bulldogs on Sept. 24. The meeting between MSU and Tulane in 2016 was the final in a seven-game series. |
| Seth Heck helps Mississippi State rewrite SEC history books | |
| Mississippi State had a forgettable season on the field, but Seth Heck had a record-setting year off of it. MSU's senior earned the Southeastern Conference' Scholar Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season the league announced on Monday. His teammate, Ryan Gridley received a spot on the All-Freshman team. It's the third year in a row a Bulldog won the award. Sam Frost earned the honor after the 2013 season. Mississippi State is the only school to bring home the award three straight seasons. Heck finished with a 4.0 GPA every semester at Mississippi State. |
| Silkwood delivers in circle for Bulldogs | |
| When postseason play began, Mississippi State softball coach Vann Stuedeman said her squad would go as far as pitcher Alexis Silkwood could carry them. Silkwood carried the Bulldogs to the doorstep of the championship round of the NCAA tournament Lafayette Regional. However, the bats couldn't help guide the team through to a matchup against Louisiana-Lafayette. Silkwood threw back-to-back complete games and pitched 19 of her team's 20 innings in the double-elimination event. In the end, second-seeded Baylor scratched out enough offense to take a 2-0 win against third-seeded MSU in an elimination game Sunday at Lamson Park. In her team's finale, Silkwood drew strength from playing alongside seniors Julia Echols, Erika Gaul, Katie Gentle, and Ashley Phillips for the final time. |
| USM's McMahon wins Ferriss Trophy | |
 | Southern Miss senior James McMahon has won 11 games so far this year, as well as a pair of Conference USA Pitcher of the Week awards. Monday morning, McMahon added the C Spire Ferriss Trophy to his growing list of winnings becoming just the second Golden Eagle player to win the award (Tyler Koelling, 2011). He's also the first pitcher honored since 2012 (Chris Stratton). The Ferriss Trophy, named for former Boston Red Sox pitcher Boo Ferriss, is awarded annually to the most outstanding college baseball player in Mississippi. Other finalists included Scott Weathersby (Ole Miss), Wes Rea (Mississippi State), Melvin Rodriguez (Jackson State) and Keith Shumaker (Millsaps). |
| SEC Baseball Tournament by the numbers: LSU seeks third straight title | |
 | The SEC begins its baseball tournament at Hoover Metropolitan Stadium at 9:30 p.m. CDT Tuesday. The Ole Miss-Alabama game is the first of four single-elimination contests on Tuesday's schedule. Missouri-South Carolina, Kentucky-Auburn and Arkansas-Tennessee are the other games, with the four higher-seeded teams -- LSU, Vanderbilt, Texas A&M and Florida -- in line to start play on Wednesday. |
| LSU's Joe Alleva fighting off push from TV to move game vs. Texas A&M to Thursday night | |
 | The LSU Tigers played all seven of their home games at night last season for the first time since 2009. Athletic Director Joe Alleva would like to keep it that way. After years of lobbying unsuccessfully for the Southeastern Conference to do away with permanent cross-divisional opponents, Alleva has chosen as his cause something a little closer to home: preserving Saturday night in Death Valley. "The whole thing about permanent partners, that battle is lost for now," Alleva said Friday. "It won't come up again for a vote for a long time. Given that, my No. 1 priority is night games in Tiger Stadium." |
| Neyland's Game Maxims to be part of 'new tradition' at U. of Tennessee | |
 | Tennessee coach Butch Jones announced Monday night that the Vols plan to start a new game-day tradition for fans this season that will incorporate one of the program's longstanding traditions. Jones said he's hoping to have fans recite Gen. Robert Neyland's Seven Game Maxims a few minutes before each home game at Neyland Stadium, and Tennessee might try to introduce the new routine before its season opener Sept. 5 against Bowling Green at LP Field in Nashville. |
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