| Thursday, July 9, 2015 |
| Save the date: Mac McAnally Coming to Mississippi State in September | |
 | Mac McAnally, seven-time Country Music Association musician of the year, will perform Sept. 10 at Mississippi State. The former Tishomingo County resident's 7:30 p.m. concert in Lee Hall's Bettersworth Auditorium is being sponsored by the university's College of Education and its music department. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. McAnally currently holds the record for longest winning streak in CMA award history, topping all other recording artists and musicians in the genre. "The College of Education is proud to be able to bring a performer of Mr. McAnally's magnitude to the MSU campus," said Dean Richard Blackbourn. "In addition to being a gifted and accomplished musician, he is the type of individual that will relate well to our faculty, staff and students." |
| MSU Riley Center to Announce New Lineup | |
 | The MSU Riley Center in downtown Meridian will announce its lineup of events for the fall and winter season Thursday. The center will hold a public announcement at 5:30 p.m. in the studio theater area. The public is invited. Ticket sales will begin soon after the announcement is made. |
| On the move: Mississippi State University | |
 | Meghan Millea, finance and economics professor and former Holland Faculty Senate president at Mississippi State University, has been named interim administrative dean for MSU's Meridian campus. Millea has been employed by MSU since 1998. She previously was an associate professor of economics and a research fellow with the Social Science Research Center at MSU. She was also an associate director for Mississippi State's Center for Economic Education and Financial Literacy. |
| School district, DoJ file joint motion to approve desegregation order | |
 | A legal battle between the Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District and the U.S. Department of Justice appears closed after the two parties reached a temporary solution. The two sides filed a joint motion in U.S. Federal Court Tuesday to approve a desegregation order for the coming school year. Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Superintendent Lewis Holloway said he expects a judge to approve the desegregation order early next week. Although the school district and the Justice Department have agreed to a desegregation order for the upcoming school year, the two sides agreed to present a more permanent proposed desegregation order on Feb. 16. Both the Oktibbeha and Starkville School Districts were under a federal desegregation order from 1970, so approval of a new desegregation order was needed for the consolidated school district. |
| Starkville aldermen effectively fire mayor's assistant | |
 | Chanteau Wilson, Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman's administrative assistant, became the third person to be effectively fired by the board of aldermen this term. Aldermen voted 6-1 behind closed doors Tuesday to issue Wilson an ultimatum: Resign by 10 a.m. Wednesday or face termination. Board members did not give a reason for the firing after the hour-long executive session, and Wiseman, citing personnel matters, declined to comment if there was a specific incident that led to the decision. Wilson served in her position for three years. Wiseman said he personally recommended her for the job when she was hired. She was not in attendance Tuesday, and the mayor had to call and inform her of the board's decision after the meeting. |
| Oktibbeha's volunteer fire departments benefiting from grants | |
| U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran made an announcement Monday that Oktibbeha County firefighters have heard numerous times before: Federal grant money will help the volunteer fire department purchase needed equipment. Oktibbeha County Fire Services and 15 other Mississippi fire departments received a combined $1.45 million in Assistance to Firefighters Grants, a Federal Emergency Management Agency-administered program, for equipment and training initiatives. Oktibbeha County's seven volunteer departments -- Adaton, Bell Schoolhouse, Central, District 5, East, Maben and Sturgis -- and the overall fire services system itself has received about $1.5 million in FEMA and U.S. Forestry Department grants since 2012, said Austin Check, a volunteer firefighter who has handled the lion's share of grant-writing efforts for the department. |
| Mississippi planning head retires after four decades | |
| For six years, Clarke Holmes has told those who asked and himself that he was two years from retirement. Holmes will keep his word Aug. 1 when he retires as the only official CEO the Central Mississippi Planning and Development District has ever had. The CMPDD was created in 1968. Holmes arrived in 1971. Today, the staff has grown 20-fold and is considered a model for economic development and planning on a regional scale. The District serves seven counties and 34 counties, all of which voluntarily join the organization and whose dues fund the organization. Growing the CMPDD from a small office to a regional clearinghouse is a big part of Holmes' legacy, said Pelahatchie Mayor Knox Ross, who just ended a term as CMPDD's board of directors president. |
| Haley Barbour tells about 'the biggest fish that got away' after Katrina | |
 | Former Gov. Haley Barbour, who helped secure $570 million in federal Katrina funds for the state port in Gulfport, told a crowd Wednesday night the state should use millions more in BP funds to help deepen the port's channel. He said the state's share of funding would have been $150 million, maybe more today, with the federal government picking up most of the tab. Barbour pointed out that $750 million of the money coming from BP is to be used for economic development. Barbour said a deeper channel, and a port connector road planned to Interstate 10, are essential for port growth. His vision of port expansion after the hurricane included a ship channel deepened from 36 feet to 45 feet. But plans to secure an appropriation from Congress did not come through. "That's the biggest fish that got away," Barbour said. |
| South Mississippi officials mum on settlements with BP; attorneys could get large paydays | |
| It isn't just the cities in South Mississippi that will benefit from the BP settlements but also the attorneys hired by the cities to handle their claims after the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. They stand to earn up to one-quarter of the money received. One firm will get almost $1 million. Cities, counties and school districts are under confidentiality agreements not to talk about the terms of the settlement and face an undisclosed deadline with BP for accepting the settlement. The terms with BP say the Coast cities will receive payment in 30 days and city officials should not make public statements disparaging BP. Most of the cities contacted by the Sun Herald Wednesday wouldn't make any comment on settlement details. |
| House may reverse course on Confederate flag | |
 | The House on Thursday will vote on a Republican amendment to a spending bill that would undo new restrictions members approved only this week on the display of the Confederate flag on federal land. The amendment to the House's Interior and Environment spending bill would allow for the display of Confederate flags at national cemeteries managed by the National Park Service even though members voted to ban the practice earlier this week. It would counteract another amendment to the same bill blocking the service from selling Confederate flag memorabilia in gift shops in the future. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) offered the amendment in the closing minutes of floor debate on the spending bill Wednesday night. He made only a token statement in support of the amendment before setting up a roll call vote on it for Thursday. |
| Palazzo not happy with move to ban Confederate flag in federal cemeteries | |
 | The Coast's congressman disagrees with a House vote that could ban the display of Confederate flags at historic federal cemeteries in the Deep South. The low-profile move came Tuesday evening after a brief debate on a measure funding the National Park Service, which maintains 14 national cemeteries, most of which contain graves of Civil War soldiers. Rep. Steven Palazzo said he doesn't like the amendment on the flag or the way it was handled. "I strongly oppose the inclusion of this amendment, which was slipped into the bill in the dead of night with no debate," he said in an emailed statement. "Congress cannot simply rewrite history and strip the Confederate flag from existence." |
| Thompson demands 'swift action' on Confederate flag removal | |
| Rep. Bennie Thompson called on leaders of a key committee Wednesday to take "swift action'' on his request that all items bearing the Confederate battle flag be removed from the House. Thompson, D-Miss., wrote to Rep. Candice Miller, R-Mich., chairwoman of the House Administration Committee, and Pennsylvania Rep. Robert Brady, the panel's top Democrat, urging them to quickly hold a hearing on his resolution, which he introduced last month. The resolution also would apply to the flag of Thompson's home state of Mississippi, which hangs in the Capitol along with other state flags. The House voted to refer the resolution to the House Administration Committee. At the time, Miller promised to give it "every serious consideration.'' |
| OPM Breach Was Enormous, FBI Director Says | |
 | Federal Bureau of Investigation Director James Comey said Wednesday the White House soon will announce that "millions and millions" of government background investigation records -- dating back 20 years -- were stolen by hackers who broke into the Office of Personnel Management's network. Mr. Comey, describing the theft as an "enormous breach" during testimony before the Senate Intelligence Committee, said his own personal information was stolen as part of the intrusion, which Director of National Intelligence James Clapper has said likely was carried out by Chinese hackers. Chinese officials have said they weren't involved. "It is a very, very big number," he said of the number of Americans whose data was stolen. "It is a huge deal." |
| Lawmakers Blast US Army Force Cuts | |
 | Lawmakers are lining up to decry an US Army plan to cut 40,000 and shrink the size of the force from 490,000 to 450,000 by 2017. The 450,000 figure was already known, but plans to draw down to that amount by 2017 is a year sooner than previously announced. The new plan, reported by USA Today, includes 17,000 civilian lay-offs, and downsized brigades at Fort Benning, Georgia, and Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Alaska. "People who believe the world is safer, that we can do with less defense spending and 40,000 fewer soldiers, will take this as good news. I am not one of those people," Rep. Mac Thornberry, chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, said in a statement Wednesday. Sen. John McCain, chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, called the Army's plan a "dangerous consequence of budget-driven strategy." |
| Future of nuclear arms control looks bleak, experts say | |
 | The nuclear weapon treaties that have helped preserve peace for nearly half a century have begun to fray. Stirring concern are recent Russian treaty violations, growing tensions between nuclear powers and the continuing ambitions of nations seeking their own strategic weapons. The latest blow came with Russian President Vladimir Putin's announcement last month that he would add 40 new intercontinental nuclear missiles to his arsenal -- not a treaty violation, but a powerful message about Russia's robust plans for its nuclear forces. Although both the U.S. and Russia are still below treaty limits set in the years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, the prospect is growing dim for continued reductions in weapons. The U.S. is now considering deploying its own medium-range missiles in Europe, a serious blow to the era of arms control. |
| On the move: USM Foundation | |
| Stace Mercier has been appointed interim executive director of the USM Foundation. Mercier has both a bachelor's degree in accounting and a master's in professional accountancy from the University of Southern Mississippi. She has worked for the foundation more than a decade in several capacities, most recently as chief financial officer and associate director for finance. |
| USM professor: Chinese market plunge to have minimal impact on American market | |
 | A professor at the University of Southern Mississippi believes the recent plunge in Chinese stocks will have little impact on American financial markets. The volatility in the Chinese markets probably won't effect American markets much, according to Edward Sayre, associate professor of economics at USM. "I wouldn't expect any more than a one or two percent effect on the U.S. markets," said Sayre. "And that's something we could absorb in any given week." Sayre also said he expects some additional volatility before the Chinese markets are able to correct themselves. |
| USM research helping protect from the football field to the battlefield | |
 | The University of Southern Mississippi is doing some important work to help protect the human brain from serious injuries. The polymer science technology developed at USM is already being used in football helmets worn by players in the NFL. The university is now trying to develop a helmet to protect our military fighters on the battlefield. Summer campers at the Infinity Science Center in Hancock County learned about the life saving polymer science technology being developed at USM to protect the brain from damage. The students were then able to see some of the research and development happening at USM with special foams and plastics to improve the protection helmets offer. |
| Court dismisses civil lawsuit against Delta State University's president | |
| he United States District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi has dismissed a civil lawsuit filed against Delta State University President William N. LaForge by faculty member William Hays. Following standard practices and procedures, the University did not renew Hays' at-will contract as chair of the Division of Languages and Literature at the end of fiscal year 2014. In a 34-page Memorandum Opinion Granting Defendant's (LaForge's) Motion to Dismiss, U.S. District Judge Glen Davidson concluded, "...Plaintiff's (Hays') Second Amended Complaint in its entirety fails to state a claim for First Amendment retaliation. Accordingly, Defendant's motion to dismiss shall be granted on this ground." "This is an outcome well-deserved by President LaForge and Delta State," said attorney Cal Mayo of Oxford. "Disgruntled employees cannot hold the institution hostage out of anger over decisions made in the best interests of the University and the students and broader community it serves." |
| On the move: Mississippi College | |
| Piper Dawson Walters, a former fitness leader at two hospitals and a Clinton-based acrobatic dance instructor for girls, has been hired as wellness coordinator at Mississippi College. Walters has a bachelor's degree in fitness management and a master's in exercise physiology, both from Mississippi State University. |
| Tuition bumped up at East Mississippi Community College | |
| Tuition at East Mississippi Community College is going up. Tuition has been $1,100 per semester the past several years. This school year it is increasing to $1,200 per semester, Paul Miller, executive vice president of EMCC, told The Dispatch Wednesday morning. The reason for the increase is that state appropriations are behind in terms of funding as enrollment has slowly declined, Miller said. Meanwhile, the costs of operating the college have gradually increased. EMCC's enrollment last year was approximately 4,200 students, Miller said. On average, a student attending one of Mississippi's 15 community or junior colleges will pay $2,577 for two semesters of full-time classes, up from $2,476 in the 2014-2015 year. |
| Auburn University replaces Toomer's Oak on Magnolia Avenue with thriving tree | |
 | In front of just a few fans Wednesday morning, Auburn University lowered a new oak into Toomer's Corner after the tree planted on Magnolia Avenue in February failed to thrive. The university has been monitoring the Magnolia oak for months, Auburn Facilities Design Project Lead Ben Burmester said, after the tree didn't grow leaves this spring. Officials made the call to replace it last month with the intention of relocating it. "Since we made that call, we've continued to monitor it and water it, and it just continued to decline," Burmester said. "We made the decision that we wouldn't transplant it to another location; that it would just be a futile effort. We coordinated a lot of that with a lot of our academic folks on campus, our Tree Preservation Committee specifically." University officials do not believe the previous Magnolia oak's deterioration is related to the 2010 poisoning of the original Toomer's Oaks by Harvey Updyke. |
| Residency program launched at U. of Florida engineering college | |
| A $ 1 million donation from a University of Florida alumni is being used to establish a new residency program at the College of Engineering. Named after one of two women who graduated in 1972 with degrees in systems engineering, the Linda Parker Hudson Leader in Residence Program will be part of the UF Engineering Leadership Institute. The goal is to give students a chance to meet and learn from prominent leaders in education, public policy and technology. Hudson, who was at UF recently for the gift-signing ceremony, became the first female CEO of a defense company at BAE Systems, overseeing 40,000 workers and annual revenues of $12.75 billion. She created the Cardea Group in 2014 after leaving BAE Systems. |
| Pereira ready for role as student regent on Texas A&M University System board | |
 | Texas A&M senior Gabriel Pereira didn't give up on serving his community after losing a bid to the College Station City Council last fall. Instead, the political science major found a different outlet for his quest to learn more about government: He recently was appointed by Gov. Greg Abbott to serve as the lone student regent on the Texas A&M University System board. On Wednesday, Pereira recounted getting the call last week from Abbott's office confirming his appointment: He was in Washington, D.C., where he works as an intern for the Republican National Committee, and each day since has been eager to return to College Station. "I was extremely excited," Pereira said. "Hopefully, this will carry a lot of responsibilities." |
| U. of Missouri Press moving back to campus | |
 | After 25 years in southeast Columbia, the University of Missouri Press is moving back to the campus where it was founded more than 50 years ago. The new on-campus location will increase visibility, MU Press Director David Rosenbaum said. "One of the problems this press faced several years ago was that ...people didn't know we existed," Rosenbaum said. "This puts us both literally and figuratively back on the map." For more than two decades, the press was tucked away on Lemone Industrial Boulevard, which Rosenbaum said was difficult for visitors to find. The press started moving Wednesday to its new home in the Heinkel Building at 201 S. Seventh St. "We are part of the Columbia campus," Rosenbaum said. "Moving to campus made sense to me." |
| Simplifying Financial Aid: Gates Foundation Joins the Chorus | |
 | The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation joined the debate over Fafsa simplification on Wednesday, issuing a paper that calls for making the process of applying for student aid simpler, more open, and better timed. The document, the first postsecondary-policy paper by the megafoundation, adds the nation's biggest philanthropist to the chorus of voices calling on the U.S. Congress and the Education Department to slim down the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and to let students apply for aid earlier in high school. Some of the paper's solutions have been proposed before, including allowing applicants to populate the form with tax data from two years earlier. Others are more novel, including a plan to sort applicants according to the complexity of their financial situations. |
| Is the admissions process broken for Chinese students? | |
 | Is the admission process broken for Chinese applicants to American colleges? Variations of that question came up again and again during sessions on Wednesday at the Overseas Association for College Admission Counseling [OACAC] conference. Persistent concerns about standardized test fraud, doctored transcripts and fake admission letters -- and the role of agents in helping to "pollute" the application process (as one session description put it) -- are causing some to worry that Chinese students might think cheating is their only choice. "We need to make it [the application process] safe for honest applicants," said Terry Crawford, the chief executive officer and co-founder of InitialView, a video interviewing company based in Beijing. |
| At Work: Employers, Colleges Need To Work Together More | |
| Employers lament that young entrants into the labor force lack critical hard and soft skills and are opting not to pursue fields like math and science, yet companies have been slow to collaborate with colleges and universities, according to a new report from the Human Capital Institute, a trade group for human-resources professionals. That will hamper companies' ability to fill key roles, according to the report, making it imperative that employers develop more meaningful partnerships with colleges that are training the next generation of workers. In general, corporations are much more likely to team up passively with educational institutions. Seventy-six percent offer internships to students and 69% set up tables at campus career fairs. By contrast, 35% of employers partner with schools for research and development and 30% help design courses. |
| Lawmakers Move to Limit Government's Role in Education | |
 | Congress on Wednesday moved to substantially scale back the federal government's role in education, particularly the use of high-stakes standardized testing to punish schools, in the first significant proposed revisions since the No Child Left Behind law was passed 14 years ago. While there is near-universal agreement that the law should be retooled, the paths to change are starkly different. The House on Wednesday passed its version, a measure laden with conservative prescriptions that congressional Democrats and President Obama opposed. The Senate began debate on its alternative, a bill with at least some bipartisan support, but one the White House still finds wanting. In the Senate, there were calls for cooperation. "We've asked senators to show restraint," said Senator Lamar Alexander, Republican of Tennessee, who is working with Senator Patty Murray, Democrat of Washington, on a compromise bill. |
| BRIAN PERRY (OPINION): Angst in Mississippi over marriage equality | |
| Jackson-based consultant and columnist Brian Perry writes: "The United States Supreme Court ruling causing every state to allow two people of the same sex to be married runs contrary to Mississippi's state Constitution... The now void and unenforceable provision was adopted by a statewide vote almost 11 years ago with 86 percent of voters approving it. More than 950,000 Mississippians voted for it while fewer than 160,000 citizens voted against it. ...This type of federal ruling from a 5-4 split on the Supreme Court creates great dissonance in a conservative state like Mississippi where many religious people view it as an assault on deeply believed values. ...Could these latest culture war battles invigorate or depress voters? Will voter turnout increase or decrease in this statewide election year? How will the Court's ruling jive with constitutionally protected religious liberty? The results, like all issues, depend partially on candidates and campaigns." |
| BOBBY HARRISON (OPINION): Madison House race pits differing GOP views about public education | |
 | The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal's Bobby Harrison writes: "Some incumbent Republican House members have taken the unusual step of getting involved in the Republican primary for the open District 58 state House seat. The contest between Joel Bomgar and Bruce Bartley, both of Madison, is no doubt the state's most-watched primary election. The winner of the August primary does not face a general election opponent. ...this will perhaps be the first south Madison legislative race that will pit a more traditional education supporter -- as Bartley appears to be -- against a proponent of non-traditional education options, such as school choice, where the candidates will be on relatively equal footing. The race is interesting for that reason and because it highlights the growing split in the Republican Party on education issues." |
| BILL CRAWFORD (OPINION): MAEP ballot initiatives invite court rationalizations | |
 | Syndicated columnist Bill Crawford of Meridian writes: "And you thought it absurd when the U.S. Supreme Court rationalized what Congress meant for Obamacare subsidies though the law clearly specified subsidies would go only to exchanges 'established by the state.' Ha! Mississippi courts have two cases where they must rationalize what the Mississippi Legislature meant by the complex word 'shall.' ...Court rationalizing spectacles will only get more flagrant if Mississippi voters adopt either MAEP related Initiative 42 or Initiative 42A. ...Yes, indeed, using the initiative process to give courts new opportunities for word and phrase rationalization will provide years of George-Carlin-like entertainment... but, as such things normally go, little educational benefit for your children and grandchildren. To avoid all this you should vote 'no,' whatever that means." |
| SID SALTER (OPINION): Frierson giving just the facts on MAEP funding | |
| Syndicated columnist Sid Salter writes: "Mississippi House Appropriations Committee Chairman Herb Frierson, R-Poplarville, is being chewed up and spit out by supporters of Initiative 42 as an enemy of public education -- despite the small fact Frierson is a former teacher and coach. But more to the point, Frierson is being accused of engaging in political scare tactics over the possible fiscal consequences if state voter embrace Initiative 42, which would require the Legislature to 'fully fund' the Mississippi Adequate Education Program each year regardless the state's fiscal condition. That's happened only twice in 18 years since MAEP was authorized." |
SPORTS
| Mississippi State's Mullen on preseason polls: They vote us last every year | |
| Despite climbing to No. 1 in the country last year, the respect hasn't followed Mississippi State into 2015. The Associated Press projected MSU to play in the Birmingham Bowl. Athlon Sports slotted the Bulldogs to finish last in the Southeastern Conference's west division. Las Vegas' Golden Nugget placed Mississippi State as underdogs in seven SEC games and Bovada set the over/under win total at seven. The next prediction will come during SEC Media Days, which begin next week. MSU coach Dan Mullen hopes nothing changes. "I think they vote us last every year," Mullen said on the Finebaum Show on Wednesday. "They voted us last last year and we did OK." |
| Mississippi State's Prescott featured at SEC Media Days | |
| Mississippi State's Dak Prescott will be one of five quarterbacks featured next week at SEC Football Media Days in Hoover, Ala. The league released the list of invited athletes on Wednesday. Prescott is one of three seniors representing the Bulldogs on Tuesday afternoon. He's joined by defensive back Taveze Calhoun and defensive end Ryan Brown. Media Days events will run Monday through Thursday and will be extensively televised on the SEC Network. |
| Five Bulldogs with something to prove in 2015 | |
| Mississippi State's success last year placed a target on the Bulldogs heading into 2015. As MSU's season opener against Southern Miss on Sept. 6 approaches, the target is becoming smaller and smaller. Each new day seemingly brings a new doubter questioning Mississippi State's ability to repeat its success. It's placed a collective chip on the shoulders of the Bulldogs, but there are five individuals with more to prove than others. Here are five Bulldogs with the most to prove. |
| Mississippi State golf programs excited by renovations at Old Waverly | |
| Mississippi State golf coaches will have a hard time finding a better college facility than the one the Bulldogs will be using come August. It was announced last year that Old Waverly Golf Club in West Point would become the new home to both MSU men's and women's varsity golf programs. The $2.2 million project will add all sorts of amenities for the student-athletes to help better their games. Old Waverly, which hosted the 1999 U.S. Women's Open, is already one of the better golf courses in the south. By adding the new facility, it has a chance to stand alone when compared to other facilities in the Southeastern Conference and around the country. "There will be no facility in the country, especially in the SEC, that can mirror what we have," said Brown-Lemm who will start her sixth year at MSU in the fall. "It's that good, the quality is there, and the maintenance is there. It's just going to be an amazing facility to get better on." |
| Delta State announces Family Roadshow schedule | |
| The Delta State University Family Roadshow is coming to a Mississippi Delta town near you this summer, just in time to get ready for another exciting fall semester. Over a three-week period, President William N. LaForge, head football coach Todd Cooley and representatives from campus will be traveling to five counties in the Delta to give updates and connect with Statesmen and Lady Statesmen alumni, fans and supporters. The event is made possible by a partnership between the National Alumni Association, Department of Athletics and Delta State University. "The surrounding communities are an important part of the Delta State family," said LaForge. "We are excited to reach out to our friends, fans, alumni and supporters in their hometowns and in such a unique way. I invite all supporters of the Green and White to come out to show the flag." |
| Southern Mississippi set to unveil new Golden Eagles athletic logo | |
 | The wait is over for Southern Mississippi athletic fans. The Golden Eagles have a new logo. A press release from university officials says that the Southern Miss Department of Athletics is pleased to announce the successful completion of the trademarking and registering process for the new Southern Miss Golden Eagle logo. The new Golden Eagle logo has officially gained trademark status by the United States Patent and Trademarking Office. Merchandise and apparel featuring the new Golden Eagle logo will be officially available for purchase beginning July 15. In celebration of the logo release, Southern Miss Athletics, in conjunction with Barnes and Noble, will be hosting a launch party on the University's Hattiesburg campus. The Barnes and Noble location at the Gulf Park Campus will also have merchandise featuring the new logo and will have several promotions and discounts as well. |
| Taking Confederate flag down opens door for U. of South Carolina to bid on postseason events | |
 | As the state legislature decided what to do with the Confederate flag on Wednesday, the University of South Carolina athletics department planned its next move. If the flag is removed from the Statehouse grounds, USC and the state stands to benefit economically. "There have been some opportunities that have not been possible in the past that we would get a chance to engage in," USC athletics director Ray Tanner said. "If the flag is removed and the sanctions are lifted, then we can bid for events, whether it's a women's regional championship or basketball for the men, the first or second rounds, and other events around the state." Tanner hopes that if the flag comes down, the boycott will immediately be lifted and USC can begin bidding on other postseason events. |
| Vanderbilt rape case: New trial set for Nov. 30 | |
 | A second trial for former Vanderbilt University football players accused of rape has been set for Nov. 30. That date could change as defense attorneys have already voiced concerns about having enough time to be prepared for the second trial of Brandon Vandenburg, 22, and Cory Batey, 21. They are facing charges of aggravated rape and aggravated sexual battery. A jury found them guilty of those charges in January. Because of an issue of juror bias, Judge Monte Watkins declared a mistrial in the case last month. When asked whether the rape victim was ready for a second trial, Deputy District Attorney Tom Thurman said, "she is." |
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