| Wednesday, June 24, 2015 |
| PHOTO: Education leadership celebrated at MSU-Meridian | |
 | Past graduates from the Educational Leadership Program at MSU-Meridian recently celebrated the selection of the new cohort at the Educational Leadership Orientation held recently in Kahlmus Auditorium on the university's College Park campus. |
| From pain to crowning glory for Miss Mississippi contestants | |
 | From childhood and family illnesses, to surgeries and bullying, some of the Miss Mississippi contestants say they have had some hard knocks. But through it all, the lessons they have learned have made them even stronger candidates for the job of Miss Mississippi. Miss Mississippi State University, Randi Kathryn Harmon, learned at an early age the importance of health and nutrition. It has helped her stay in shape and last year she was a swimsuit preliminary winner. "It all started when my father suffered a massive heart attack in 2007," said Harmon. "So the dietician spoke to my brother and me about how we were now at risk for heart disease and type 2 diabetes and so I vowed then my family's problem was a Mississippi problem." |
| Starkville Police Department undergoing on-site study for CALEA reaccreditation | |
 | The Starkville Police Department opened its doors and filing cabinets to Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies assessors this week as the law enforcement agency seeks a three-year reaccreditation designation from the organization. The reaccreditation process began in May, and on-site events -- in-house reviews, public listening sessions and phone polls -- were held Sunday and Monday. Officials said they will remain in Starkville at least through Tuesday. CALEA accreditation measures police departments with almost 200 standards that touch upon all facets of administering and managing law enforcement. |
| United Furniture Industries adding 100 jobs to region | |
 | Motions made Monday by District 5 Supervisor Robert Tomey and seconded by District 4 Supervisor Fulton Ware sealed the deal to bring 100 new jobs to the region. The Monroe County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously Monday on a purchase agreement and an immediate possession contract with United Furniture Industries to acquire a county-owned 500,000-square-foot building on Highway 41 in Wren formerly occupied by Lane Furniture. "At the end of the day, the goal of economic development is job creation," board president Billy Kirkpatrick said. The expansion was officially announced Tuesday morning. |
| Flag war: Mississippi Republicans split on state banner | |
 | Mississippi's state flag has jumped in and out of political conversation since the 2001 vote that legitimized it as the state's official banner. Now that it's decidedly "in," shoved there by a cascade of anti-Confederate emblem sentiment after the Charleston, South Carolina, church shooting, it has caused an awkward split in the Mississippi's Republican leadership. House Speaker Philip Gunn wants the flag changed, saying in a statement Monday night that "it has become a point of offense that needs to be removed." Gov. Phil Bryant and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves are less emphatic. |
| MEC taking wait-and-see approach this time on flag issue | |
| The Mississippi Economic Council led the way to change the state's flag 14 years ago, but this time the organization, which bills itself as the voice of Mississippi business and the statewide chamber of commerce, is sitting on the sidelines -- at least for now. "We led the charge then, but I'm not sure in retrospect that was the path to success," said Blake Wilson, CEO of the MEC. Wilson said the feeling at the time was that strong business support would lead to broader support for changing the flag throughout the state. That wasn't the case, however, as the vote to change failed by a 2-1 margin. "It probably would have been better as a grassroots effort," Wilson said. |
| Reeves: State flag issue should be left to the people | |
| Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, who presides over the Senate, stopped far short of endorsing House Speaker Philip Gunn's call for removing the Confederate emblem from the Mississippi state flag. Gunn's surprising comments came Monday night after South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley and other leading politicians there endorsed removing the Confederate battle flag from the state Capitol grounds. Haley reversed her position on the Confederate flag after the tragic shooting of nine African Americans in a Charleston church last week. On Tuesday, Reeves said the actions of the South Carolina shooter were the "results of pure evil," not a flag or any other symbol. Reeves' comments, released via e-mail, were similar to comments Gov. Phil Bryant made Monday. |
| Only Bryant can put flag issue on legislative agenda | |
| No changes will be made to Mississippi's state flag, replete with the Confederate battle emblem in its design, unless Gov. Phil Bryant chooses to act. Even though powerful House Speaker Phil Gunn, R-Clinton, surprised many political observers late Monday when he said the flag "needs to be removed," only Bryant can call the special session this year to make it happen. On Tuesday, when asked about the possibility of a special session, the Republican governor said, in an emailed response, "Mississippians have already had a discussion about the state flag. It was put to a vote, and an overwhelming majority chose to keep the flag. Mississippians have the right to revisit that decision either through their elected representatives in the Legislature or through the initiative process." |
| Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran says it's up to the legislature on the Confederate flag | |
 | Mississippi Sen. Thad Cochran (R) said on Tuesday morning that it's "up to the legislature" whether to remove the Confederate flag portion from his state's flag. "I feel that it's up to the legislature," Cochran said in an interview. GOP Rep. Steven Palazzo, who represents the southern Mississippi 4th district, also said any changes to the flag should be left up to the legislature. |
| Sen. Wicker: Mississippi's state flag 'should be put in a museum' | |
 | U.S. Senator Roger Wicker is calling for Mississippi to change its state flag, which includes the Confederate battle symbol. The Mississippi Republican issued a statement Wednesday morning saying, "After reflection and prayer, I now believe our state flag should be put in a museum and replaced by one that is more unifying to all Mississippians." Wicker said Mississippi current state flag "increasingly portrays a false impression of our state to others." The senator went on to say that while he would be happy to be part of the process of change, "this is an issue to be decided by the legislature and other state government officials and not dictated by Washington." |
| Bennie Thompson: Nix Mississippi State Flag at U.S. Capitol | |
 | After last week's shooting at a black church in Charleston prompted South Carolina's public officials at the highest levels to demand the Confederate flag at the state capitol be taken down, Rep. Bennie Thompson hopes such calls will lead to a meaningful re-evaluation of his state's flag, too. As the only black Democratic member of the Mississippi delegation, Thompson is getting ready to force a House floor vote on the issue as early as this week. The question: Should Congress remove the Mississippi flag from its place among the 49 other state flags that line the walls of the tunnel connecting the Capitol to the Rayburn House Office Building? The flag's design -- which contains the "Southern Cross" of the Confederacy in the upper-left corner -- was the subject of debate long before the June 17 massacre at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church. |
| Haley Barbour on why Mississippi's flag is different than other Confederate flags | |
| Former Mississippi governor Haley Barbour (R) noted Tuesday that Mississippi's state flag, which contains the Confederate battle cross, has been in place for more than 100 years and said that any attempt to change it should be up to residents of his state either -- through the state legislature or a ballot referendum. "This is not something that was stimulated by the Civil Rights movement," Barbour said while appearing on an energy panel as part of the Washington Post's America Answers series. Some Southern states began flying the flag again in the 1960s in response to that movement. "It's been our state flag for 120 years." |
| Once politically sacrosanct, Confederate flag moves toward an end | |
| Over the years, there have been a number of endeavors to do away with the Confederate flag, which has often projected an image of being stuck in another century. "It's a topic in boardrooms," said Andy Taggart, a Republican consultant in Mississippi. "For years we've had to grant every other state a little bit of a head start because we've needed to overcome the fact that we're still perceived as firmly ensconced in our view of the past." Former Mississippi governor Haley Barbour (R) said in an interview with MSNBC on Tuesday that he is "not offended at all by our flag or the Confederate flag." But his nephew, Henry Barbour, 50, a member of the Republican National Committee, disagreed with his 67-year-old uncle. |
| State Sen. Parker calls for change in state flag | |
 | State Sen. David Parker, R-Olive Branch, joined with State Sen. Derrick Simmons, D-Greenville, Tuesday to issue a joint statement calling for a change in the official State Flag of Mississippi. "Last year, the Mississippi Legislature changed the Great Seal of the State of Mississippi to add 'In God We Trust' to that historic symbol of our state. It recognizes our very real and historic recognition of a God who created all men equal and whose divine providence has shaped America and Mississippi." Parker said he and Simmons, both of whom have no opposition in the upcoming state election, worked together to craft the joint statement on the flag issue. |
| Coast leaders comment on Confederate flag debate | |
 | A smattering of opinions from Coast legislators and officials suggests the state flag remains a divisive issue that won't be laid to rest soon. A majority of the Republican lawmakers contacted want Mississippians to have another vote, while Democrats said it was the Legislature's duty to make the decision. Only Mississippi has the Confederate battle flag incorporated in its state flag, although many other southern states once did. Mississippians in 2001 voted by a 2-1 margin to keep the flag. Most Republicans also argued there are more pressing issues -- education, health care, economic development and roads among them. |
| Former state lawmaker Ishee dead at 85 | |
 | Former state Rep. Roger G. Ishee, who served 15 years in the Mississippi House, has died at the age 85. The Mississippi Supreme Court announced his death Monday. Ishee was the father of Court of Appeals Judge David Ishee. The elder Ishee died Sunday in New Orleans. The cause of death was not released. He was elected to the House in 1997 and retired in 2012. |
| Senate Clears Trade Bill's Way to Passage | |
 | The Senate is expected to grant President Barack Obama expanded trade-negotiating power on Wednesday, ending a messy fight that pitted unions against businesses, split the Democratic Party and opened a new debate over the country's economic priorities. The Senate's final vote passing the fast-track bill, which will only require a simple majority, was made possible by a 60-37 procedural vote on Tuesday that was the highest remaining procedural hurdle for the bill. The House has already passed the measure, a priority for Mr. Obama that would stand as one of the most significant legislative acts of his presidency and a rare monument to the ability of divided government to cut through partisan gridlock. |
| NASA warns GOP on cuts to space program | |
 | GOP-backed legislation pending in Congress would thwart NASA's push to end U.S. dependence on the Kremlin to send astronauts to the International Space Station, the agency is warning. For years, NASA has relied on Russia to send American astronauts to the station, but the space agency is developing a plan to wean the United States off of that arrangement. The plan provides for two companies -- Boeing and SpaceX -- to create vehicles to send Americans to the space station by the end of 2017. However, the House and Senate bills to fund NASA, other science agencies, and the departments of Commerce and Justice would delay that plan, NASA contends. "By gutting this program and turning our backs on U.S. industry, NASA will be forced to continue to rely on Russia to get its astronauts to space and continue to invest hundreds of millions of dollars into the Russian economy rather than our own," NASA Administrator Charles Bolden said in reference to the Senate legislation. |
| New Highway Bill Has Next Best Thing to Earmarks | |
| It may be tougher to grease the wheels for highway spending without earmarks, but the leaders of the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee have come up with the next best thing. Under the proposal outlined Tuesday, the administration will have to get the committee's approval of a list of major transportation projects to be named later -- a way for lawmakers to have some input on which bridges and highways get funded and which don't. The top four senators on the committee joined together Tuesday morning to unveil their portion of a new six-year highway bill, an issue which has long united a disparate group of lawmakers. One piece of the new bill that could generate significant interest is a proposal for new grants for projects of high importance, such as bridges and highways that are critical to the economies of their communities or the nation at large. That comes with a process for congressional approval -- highlighting the constitutional role of the legislative branch. |
| Auburn students develop # NASCARNoise campaign for FOX Sports | |
 | Last fall, College of Liberal Arts public relations professor Brigitta Brunner and representatives from FOX Sports University, a national program focused on bringing the real world into the classroom, collaborated on a project challenge for Brunner's campaigns class. The project involved NASCAR, social media and a whole lot of noise. Throughout the fall semester, the students worked with Kaitlyn Beale, Erik Arneson and Megan Englehart from FOX Sports on campaign ideas to generate NASCAR fan engagement across all different platforms of media. At the end of the semester, and in competition with each other, Brunner's students pitched their campaign ideas to FOX Sports and later discussed these ideas with NASCAR executives. |
| Fired UGA officer on track to file lawsuit, lawyer says | |
 | A fired University of Georgia police officer hasn't yet filed a lawsuit against his former employers, but it's only a matter of time, according to his lawyer. But former UGA officer Jay Park, fired after a dispute with his bosses stemming from an alcohol and drug "amnesty" law, is on track to file, said lawyer Michael Puglise. Park requested reinstatement at UGA, which was denied; Puglise has also filed a notice of his claims with lawyers for the state, he said. "We have to wait till UGA formally denies the claim," he said. Park has also filed an EEOC (Equal Employment Opportunity Commission) complaint, Puglise said. |
| Second UGA student surrenders in campus commercial gambling case | |
| A second University of Georgia student has surrendered after campus police obtained warrants charging him with commercial gambling. Max Richard Braun, 22, who faces a second felony count of possession of cocaine, was booked into the Clarke County Jail Monday afternoon and released later in the day upon posting a total bond of $3,000. His alleged accomplice, 21-year-old Brad Kirschner, surrendered last Wednesday, the same day arrest warrants were issued by an Athens-Clarke County Magistrate Court judge. Charged with one felony count of commercial gambling, he was released after posting a $5,000 bond. |
| New budget approach on agenda for U. of Tennessee trustees | |
 | The first University of Tennessee budget created using a plan to fix a "broken" funding model will be up for approval this week. The operating budget is on the agenda for the annual meeting of the UT board of trustees today and Thursday in Knoxville. Committee meetings are both days, followed by the full board meeting at 1 p.m. Thursday in the Hollingsworth Auditorium at the UT Institute of Agriculture. During the meetings, members will vote on budgets and potential tuition increases, as well as elect board leadership and honor members of the UT community. The proposed campus operating budgets will be the first of two budget cycles to use UT President Joe DiPietro's plan to fix what he has called a "broken" university funding model. |
| Senate spending plan for college programs sets up likely budget fights | |
 | A U.S. Senate subcommittee on Tuesday passed a spending bill for health, labor and education programs that would increase funds for biomedical research and boost the maximum Pell Grant -- but slash spending on workforce training and AmeriCorps and block the Obama administration from implementing regulations relating to gainful employment for vocational programs and its college rating system. The measure would increase spending for the National Institutes of Health to $32 billion, up sharply from the $30.1 billion the biomedical research agency is receiving this year and "the largest increase the NIH has received" since 2003, when an effort to double its funding ended. |
| Debate over Confederate symbols grows as Citadel seeks to move its flag | |
| Debate over Confederate symbols continues to intensify in Southern states, with public universities in the middle of the controversy in South Carolina, Texas and Mississippi. University leaders are speaking out against the use of Confederate symbols -- although not always fast enough to satisfy some students and civil rights leaders. Morris H. Stocks, interim chancellor of the University of Mississippi, on Tuesday joined those calling on the state to change its flag to remove the Confederate battle flag from one corner. The university has long debated its own Confederate history and symbols and has moved away from much of it, including use of the flag. |
| Scott Walker, going for conservative trifecta, takes on tenured professors | |
 | First, Gov. Scott Walker defeated public-sector labor unions. Then, he declawed their private-sector counterparts. Now, just weeks before his expected entry into the presidential race, the Wisconsin Republican is staring down another conservative target: college professors. The trifecta could cement Walker's reputation among conservative Republican primary voters as a bold leader willing to battle entrenched interests of the left in the name of reform. But faculty at the state's universities -- backed by national higher education groups -- say he is risking the quality and prestige of one of the country's leading state universities to fuel his presidential ambitions. The clash of values echoes many that have erupted since Walker took office after the 2010 election. |
| BRIAN PERRY (OPINION): The Speaker and the flag | |
 | Jackson-based consultant and columnist Brian Perry writes: "Speaker of the House Philip Gunn dropped a political bomb this week in response to questions regarding Mississippi's State Flag. ...For many, discussion of the Mississippi Flag quickly devolves into arguments over history, conventions, state sovereignty, and the economic politics of antebellum America. That's all fine for academics. But for many Mississippians, their own state flag and symbol of their government is an image associated with fear and oppression. You can't debate away fear. We should not attempt (nor would we succeed at) creating a society free from offense. But what we as individuals do to offend each other is a different matter than what the state does to offend its citizens." |
| BOBBY HARRISON (OPINION): Flag debate returns, but Confederate symbol flies | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Bobby Harrison writes: "While national and indeed international eyes are on South Carolina and the announcement by leading politicians, such as Gov. Nikki Haley and U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham, that they now support the removal of the Confederate flag from their capitol grounds, it is the state of Mississippi that remains the most prominent displayer of the flag. The Confederate battle cross, of course, is emblazoned prominently into the design of the flag of the state of Mississippi. Some other Southern states have some Confederate references in their state flag design, but no other state has the Confederate cross making up more than one-fourth of the flag's total design." |
SPORTS
| Howland looks to build on basketball legacy at Mississippi State | |
| Three months after being named Mississippi State's men's basketball coach, Ben Howland made his first appearance before the Starkville Rotary Club at its regular meeting Monday at Starkville Country Club. Howland expects to see much of the group, beginning this fall when his first Bulldog team takes the court for the 2015-16 season. "I think it should be a requirement that if you live in Starkville, you come to every game," Howland quipped. "If you live in Jackson and it's a Wednesday night game and you don't want to make that two-hour drive, I can understand that, I guess. But if you live here in Starkville, we expect to see you. When the Hump (MSU's Humphrey Coliseum) is packed its one of the most intimidating places in the country." |
| Mississippi State's Dak Prescott named second-team preseason All-American | |
| Athlon Sports already announced it thought Dak Prescott was the best quarterback in the Southeastern Conference. On Tuesday, the publication released where it thought the Mississippi State quarterback ranked nationally. Athlon called Prescott a preseason second-team All-American. In addition to naming the quarterback second-team preseason All-American, some of Athlon's writers also predicted Prescott would win SEC Offensive Player of the Year. Athlon also named Dan Mullen as the 19th best coach in the country. |
| Mississippi State freshman Campbell focusing on getting stronger | |
| Zion Campbell usually is one of the tallest players on the basketball court. At 6-foot-3, Campbell has grown accustomed to having her way in the post, whether it has been at Riverdale Baptist School (Md.), St. John's College (Washington, D.C.) High School, or Hilton Head (S.C.) High. Part of "owning" the paint involves knowing how to throw your weight around and to bang bodies with opponents to get position for rebounds or to set yourself up close to the basket for an easy shot. It has taken only a few weeks for Campbell to realize she likely will have to try to new way to utilize her size to help her make an impact on the Mississippi State women's basketball team. |
| LOGAN LOWERY (OPINION): Bulldog baseball won't be down for long | |
| The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Logan Lowery writes: "Over the past couple of weeks, several people have asked my opinion on how Mississippi State fared in the MLB Draft. The glass-half-full side of me feels that the Diamond Dogs are bringing in one of the nation's top classes, filled with an abundance of left-handed pitching. My glass-half-empty version saw MSU lose three key components of its 2015 class when Austin Riley, Gray Fenter and Greg Pickett all signed professional contracts and will not step foot on campus. ...This past year may be a forgettable one for MSU standards, but John Cohen hasn't forgotten how to coach. Nor has Cohen lost his touch on the recruiting trail. ...Cohen is committed to keeping Mississippi State in the national picture, and with the talent that will be on the roster in 2016, it may not take long before the Bulldogs are back playing in the postseason." |
| Judge grants mistrial in Vanderbilt rape case | |
 | Two former Vanderbilt University football players found guilty of raping an unconscious student learned Tuesday -- two years to the day after the rape -- they could get a new trial. Nashville Criminal Court Judge Monte Watkins declared a mistrial in the case against Brandon Vandenburg, 22, and Cory Batey, 21. The ex-players have been in custody since a jury found them guilty Jan. 27 of aggravated rape, attempted aggravated rape and aggravated sexual battery charges. Watkins granted defense mistrial motions, saying one juror who heard the case was biased. The juror did not disclose that he was a past victim of a sexual assault. "Our system of justice cannot tolerate a trial with a tainted juror regardless of the strength of the evidence against the defendant," Watkins said a written decision. |
| Avery Johnson to make $2.8 million as Alabama basketball coach | |
 | Avery Johnson is the University of Alabama's newest $3 million man. Nearly. The details of Johnson's , UA's new men's basketball coach, contract were released Tuesday afternoon when the university's compensation committee approved his along with nine football assistant coaches/staff contracts. Johnson will make $2.8 million per year for a contract that runs until 2021. The contract includes a base salary of $265,000 with a talent fee of $2.535 million and an expense account of $12,000. Other perks of the contract include bonuses for various goal-oriented achievements. |
| Pooping birds targeted in 4-month-long construction project at LSU's Alex Box Stadium | |
 | The days of bird droppings raining down on LSU baseball fans are over. Crews are attaching netting to the bottom side of the Alex Box Stadium grandstands overhang, a four-month-long project that's expected to keep the birds away. Construction began about two weeks ago and is scheduled to end just in time for fall practice in October, coach Paul Mainieri said. "If you sit in the stands, you run the risk of bird droppings hitting you because so many birds nest in the structure, in the beams," Mainieri said. The solution: netting. The infield of Skip Bertman Field will be closed for the next 16 weeks as cranes and other construction equipment are used for the project. Crews will also replace the net protecting the grandstands from foul balls. |
| Attendance monitoring programs common in college athletics | |
| It's a common occurrence at many colleges: a player from the basketball or football team is about to enter a classroom when he is stopped by a fellow student asking for his signature. Signing this autograph won't land the athlete in trouble with the National Collegiate Athletic Association, however. Instead, his signature is required to remain eligible. The signature is proof he showed up for class that day. The other student is a class checker. To coaches and athletic departments facing increasing scrutiny to make sure players are experiencing college as students, not just athletes, the system is a way of guaranteeing athletes don't play hooky. But to critics, the practice represents a deep lack of trust in an athlete's ability to accomplish what they see as the easiest part of a course: simply showing up. |
| Athletic trainers endorse new standards for spine injuries | |
| A national medical group that represents athletic trainers is calling for more rigorous standards to treat sports-related spine injuries. The National Athletic Trainers' Association plans to unveil its revised guidelines Wednesday as part of its annual convention at the America's Center in downtown St. Louis. The professional association is also scheduled to discuss a program in conjunction with the National Football League to boost the number of athletic trainers in high schools. |
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