Thursday, July 16, 2015   
 
Mississippi State Observes 50th Anniversary of Holmes' Admission
Dr. Richard E. Holmes became the first African-American student at Mississippi State University when he entered the school on July 19, 1965. On Sunday, MSU will celebrate the 50th anniversary of Holmes' enrollment with an open house in his honor at the Colvard Student Union on campus in Starkville. In 1991, MSU renamed its Office of Minority Affairs for Holmes. That same year, he and wife Judie endowed a scholarship for MSU minority students
 
Mississippi State observes 50th anniversary of Holmes admission
Sunday marks the 50th anniversary of one of the most important milestones in Mississippi State University history, when Dr. Richard E. Holmes became the first African American student to enroll at the university. MSU marks the anniversary with an open house in Holmes' honor. Free to all, the 2 to 4 p.m. gathering takes place in the Colvard Student Union's second-floor Old Main Lounge. Light refreshments will be served. "We are very excited about this opportunity to again recognize Dr. Holmes and thank him for his contributions and unwavering support of Mississippi State University," said Cedric Gathings, MSU's new interim assistant vice president for multicultural affairs.
 
Mississippi State to commemorate 50th anniversary of admission of first African-American student
Richard Holmes was seeking no special recognition when he enrolled at Mississippi State University. "I did not come here for fanfare or publicity," Holmes wrote in a letter dated July 19, 1965. "As a lifelong Mississippian, I am here to study and learn at a high-rated Mississippi university, which happens to be in my hometown." It was on that date Holmes entered MSU as the school's first African-American student. This Sunday marks the 50th anniversary of Holmes' admission to the school. His alma mater will celebrate the occasion with an open house in his honor. "Only a university dedicated to fairness and excellence could have carried out such an orderly transition and such a quiet burial of past practices," Holmes said during a 2003 MSU commencement address in Humphrey Coliseum.
 
Majority of Oktibbeha candidates hit report deadline
About three-fourths of Oktibbeha's 44 county-wide candidates met Friday's deadline for campaign finance reports, according to a review of those records at the circuit clerk's office last week. Six incumbents and four contenders -- including District 2 Supervisor Orlando Trainer and candidate Tremell Sherman; District 5 Supervisor Joe Williams and candidate Ernest Rogers Jr.; Chancery Clerk Monica Banks; District 3 Justice Court Judge Jim Mills and candidate Cheikh Taylor; District 2 Constable Curtis Randle and candidate Andre Quinn; and Coroner Michael Hunt -- failed to meet the 5 p.m. deadline. Candidates for local and statewide races are required by law to report campaign expenditures at regular intervals. During the first reporting date, which covered campaign finance records from Jan. 1 through April 30, 13 of Oktibbeha County's then 45 candidates missed the May 8 deadline.
 
Candidate forum gives public insight to Oktibbeha justice court
Five candidates for Oktibbeha County justice court judge appeared at the 2015 Oktibbeha County Justice Court Judicial Candidate Forum on Tuesday. The event was put on by Starkville-Oktibbeha Voter Education Initiative, a local non-profit led by attorney Jay Hurdle. It was the organizations first event. Five of the 12 justice court judge candidates came to the event, which was held at Starkville Sportsplex. The candidates were questioned by a panel of three moderators: Brother Rogers of the John C. Stennis Center for Public Service; former Dispatch and current Clarion Ledger reporter Sarah Fowler; and Andrea Myles, also of the Stennis Center. The election primary is Aug. 4.
 
Battle brewing over county education building use
Starkville-Oktibbeha Consolidated School District Superintendent Lewis Holloway isn't giving up full use of the county education building without a fight. The district will push back against supervisors' decision to relegate SOCSD to the building's first floor while the Oktibbeha County Emergency Management Agency moves in and operates its second floor, he said. Holloway rationalized his displeasure with the supervisors' decision plainly: If the former Oktibbeha County School District, which served about 800 students, was allowed to use the entire building, why shouldn't SOCSD, with its 5,000-plus enrollment, get the same deal or be provided additional administrative space? Officials said they will continue to consult with counsel about how to proceed with negotiations.
 
MDOT shows off behind-the-scene techniques
As a truck driver, Clark Gray stops for daily inspections processed by officers from Mississippi Department of Transportation Law Enforcement in order for his 18-wheeler to keep on rolling. On Wednesday, Gray participated in a truck inspection demonstration in Starkville hosted by MDOT to spread awareness about how officers preserve Mississippi's roadway infrastructure with advanced technology. Transportation Commissioner Mike Tagert highlighted issues MDOT runs into including lack of funding and properly maintaining the road and bridge system to administer the weight enforcement to reduce burdensome wear-and-tear.
 
State poultry industry bracing for avian flu
The avian flu has gotten as close as Arkansas, but has yet to reach Mississippi. There's no guarantee it will, but state officials and the poultry industry are preparing for the possibility. Reported cases of the disease carried by migratory birds has been concentrated on the West Coast and in the Midwest. The greatest chance of exposure here will come later in the year, when migratory geese and ducks pass through on their way to South America for the winter. That was the primary topic of conversation during a hearing last week Sen. Thad Cochran, R-Tupelo, held with USDA representatives. Cochran said in a press release he wanted to ensure the agency had a response plan in place should the avian flu strike Mississippi's $5 billion poultry industry.
 
Lowndes County supervisors give new tax breaks to Steel Dynamics
Lowndes County supervisors approved two new fee-in-lieu agreements with Steel Dynamics during Wednesday's board meeting, bringing the number of such arrangements with the steel company to four. Acting on the recommendation of Golden Triangle Development LINK CEO Joe Max Higgins, the board unanimously approved 10-year fee-in-lieu agreements for Steel Dynamics' Phases 3 and 4, which represent a combined investment of $247 million. "We probably have more fee-in-lieu deals than any other county in the state," Higgins told supervisors. "They've worked out well for us." Higgins said that while fee-in-lieu agreements with other large industries have had a 30-year term, the Steel Dynamics fee-in-lieu arrangements have been for 10 years each.
 
Report: Mississippi gets mixed grades on manufacturing
Mississippi's manufacturing industry got mixed grades in a report card Ball State University's Center for Business and Economic Research just released. The state did well overall, earning a "B-", in sector diversification ("A"), tax climate ("B"), and performed adequately in logistics and worker benefit costs, earning a "C" in each. The poorest grades came in expected liability gap, innovation and global outreach, where the state earned a "D" in all three. Human capital, or quality of workforce, is where Mississippi failed. The state got an "F" in that category. It's been an issue for a while, Mississippi Manufacturers Association president Jay Moon said earlier this year in an interview with The Clarion-Ledger. "As manufacturing becomes more technical, they need higher skill levels, and in many cases, it's simply not there," Moon said.
 
Judge: Mississippi not obligated to fully fund schools
Mississippi legislators are not obligated to fully fund an education budget formula every year, a judge ruled in a lawsuit filed by a former governor. Hinds County Chancery Judge William Singletary's ruling was signed Tuesday and filed Wednesday in a lawsuit that former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove brought last year on behalf of 21 school districts. Musgrove will ask the state Supreme Court to reverse Singletary's ruling, said George Shelton, a partner in a political consulting firm with the former governor. A separate political struggle over school budgets is shaping up in the coming months because two proposed constitutional amendments that deal with school funding will be on Mississippi's statewide ballot in November.
 
Judge rules against Musgrove on school funding lawsuit
Former Gov. Ronnie Musgrove's lawsuit to force the Mississippi Legislature to fully fund local school districts has been rebuked by Hinds County Chancery Judge William Singletary. Singletary's written order rejecting Musgrove's claim that a 2006 state law mandated that the Legislature fully fund the Mississippi Adequate Program was filed Wednesday. The legislative leadership, as well as Gov. Phil Bryant, opposed Musgrove's lawsuit. The office of Attorney General Jim Hood, who also has said he supports full funding, argued in court against the Musgrove lawsuit on its merits. The AG argued that one legislative session cannot bind future legislators to financial commitments.
 
Initiative 42 backers prepare for campaign
Initiative 42, the referendum on a constitutional amendment that would mandate the Legislature fully fund public schools and empower judges to enforce the directive, would make a drastic difference in the quality of education on the Coast and across the state, proponents of the measure told the Sun Herald. Yet the measure, which seems benign on its face -- it would have the Legislature use a funding formula already on the books -- has been anything but. So backers of the initiative are planning an even more aggressive push aimed at turning out voters, getting them to prioritize education and explaining the difference between Initiative 42 and Initiative 42A.
 
Jeff Smith: State budget uses no one-time money
Jeff Smith, who represents House District 39 in the Legislature, spoke to the Columbus Rotary Club on Tuesday about the legislature's budget following the 2015 session. The budget was more than $6 billion, and Smith said this year was the first in history with no one-time money assigned in the budget. Only reoccurring funds were used. "For years we've plugged holes in Medicaid, in K-12, especially the prisons, with one-time money," Smith said. "But the federal government has been good to Mississippi." Smith said for every dollar Mississippi sends to Washington, the state receives $2.39 back. Smith also addressed concerns raised by Rotarians that leadership on the state flag issue was needed. Although the governor decided not to call a special session to address the flag, Smith assured the Rotary Club that the issue would not be skirted by legislators.
 
Local Greek-Americans fault media in economic downturn
While recognizing Greece's financial hardships, some in Jackson's Greek-American community have said that the media is partly to blame for the country's economic problem. Chris Grillis, the son of Greek immigrants, inherited his parent's eatery Lamar Restaurant in downtown Jackson as well as some real estate on the Greek island of Patmos. Grillis says it is quite common for Greeks to bequeath property to their children living abroad in the U.S. Fortunately for Grillis, a renter has been leasing his inherited property for over 22 years. With Greece's current economic climate, Grillis has even lowered the rent to ensure he does not lose the renter. As a businessman, he has been watchful of Greece's economy and has worked to escape the effects of the country's financial crisis. The media, says Grillis, has wrongly depicted Greece as a madman's land, with protests and riots spurred by the economic problem.
 
Coast groups: New state flag better for business
The Gulf Coast Business Council has become the latest business group to endorse asking the state Legislature to remove the Confederate emblem from Mississippi's state flag. GCBC chairman Ron Peresich said the board's vote Tuesday was unanimous, with about 20 board members present. "It's time for a change," he said. "It offends too many people." The board of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Chamber of Commerce voted June 24 for the Confederate emblem's removal from the flag. A day earlier, House Speaker Philip Gunn had issued a statement calling for the change.
 
Confederate flags greet Obama in Oklahoma
President Obama was greeted by people waving Confederate flags when he arrived in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night. Several dozen people stood on the sidewalk as the presidential motorcade arrived at hotel where Obama was staying. About 10 people were waving Confederate battle flags. Obama is in Oklahoma to visit a federal prison as part of his push to overhaul the criminal justice system. The greeters also included Obama supporters. Obama and political leaders in both parties have called the flag a symbol of hate and called for it to be taken off government grounds across the South. People waving Confederate flags also showed up when Obama visited Tennessee earlier this month.
 
Economists See U.S. Strong Enough to Withstand Global Risks
China and its swooning stock market pose a growing risk to the global economy, say economists surveyed this month by The Wall Street Journal. But healthier U.S. consumer spending and a stronger housing market will provide enough domestic power to offset any drag coming from the world's No. 2 economy. The market pullback in China could curtail optimism and restrain business investment, weighing on the rest of the world, economists said. "The risk is the hit to confidence about the economy" in China, said Nariman Behravesh of IHS Global Insight. In general, the panel of 63 economists, not all of whom answered every question, sees stronger supports at home allowing the U.S. economy to withstand China's turmoil, barring an unexpected meltdown in China.
 
MUW names new chair of nursing program
Mississippi University for Women has named a faculty member and alumna as chair of the Associate of Science in Nursing program. Dr. Maria Stephens, of Steens, began her role as chair of the department July 1. "I want to work closely with both our students and faculty to ensure the continued success and excellence of The W's associate nursing program as we prepare students to provide care to patients in the community with acute and chronic health care needs," said Stephens. Stephens holds a doctorate of nursing practice with academic nurse educator concentration from Samford University. She also holds a master of science in nursing and bachelor of science in nursing from The W.
 
A pasta class at The W is 'all in the family' -- and all about community outreach
There was a party going on in Columbus Saturday, a family pasta party. There was plenty of entertainment, what with mixing mounds of flour, eggs and olive oil by hand, chopping herbs like a TV chef, and the ultimate -- running sheets of dough through the mixer's pasta attachment to cut strands for spaghetti or fettuccine, or smooth, flat pasta for lasagna. Six participants in the Family Pasta Class at the Mississippi University for Women Culinary Arts Institute did it all from scratch. The class, and others scheduled for the academic year, are part of the CAI's community outreach.
 
New U. of Alabama president spends first day meeting students
New University of Alabama President Stuart Bell has spent his first days on the job meeting with students, faculty and local officials, beginning his presidency with assurances he would be accessible. "Certainly, first and foremost, I want to be out there and accessible to our faculty and staff," Bell said Wednesday. Bell used part of his first official day as president to visit the Fresh Food Co., which was crowded with a lunchtime rush of incoming freshman on campus for orientation. Bell, shadowed by photographers from the university and local media, shook hands with students in the dining hall, as well as posing for photos. Bell said he was using the beginning of this time on campus to connect with students and their aspirations while at Alabama.
 
How many U. of Alabama students are seeking sugar daddies?
As college tuition costs rise, it's natural for students to find ways to pay for their books, classes, or living expenses. And some of them have found it not through waiting tables or workstudy programs, but through, ahem, arrangements. That is, financial arrangements and relationships with older male and occasionally female suitors called sugar daddies or sugar mommas. According to that site, the University of Alabama is the eighth fastest growing university for 'sugar baby' signups (usually female, but occasionally male young people seeking financial and romantic arrangements with sugar daddies/mommas). 2014 saw 210 Alabama students sign up for the service, which is free to sugar babies, but not for the sugar daddy/momma.
 
U. of Florida offers faculty 2% raise; more bargaining on Thursday
University of Florida administrators have come back with a 2-percent raise offer after faculty representatives criticized the initial offer of half a percent. Both sides will come back to the negotiating table Thursday afternoon to discuss the latest offer, which is still 4.5 percent shy of what the collective bargaining unit that represents 1,700 faculty had originally requested. "I don't normally come back with a second offer after you've responded, but that's OK because I want to bring closure to this," Bill Connellan, head of labor relations for management, told the union reps last week. The university has 25,000 employees to consider.
 
UF's Fuchs heaps praise on Florida's High Tech Corridor
As the new kid on the corridor, University of Florida President Kent Fuchs said he's really proud to be a part of the Florida High Tech Corridor and to benefit from the work of the educators, legislators and business leaders who created it 20 years ago. During a panel discussion in Orlando on Wednesday at the annual Florida Economic Development Conference, Fuchs was asked to talk about his leadership while provost at Cornell University in creating a tech campus in New York City and how that could be applied here. Three years ago, Fuchs led a group that won a competition to build Cornell Tech, a new campus for technology education on Roosevelt Island. He partnered with Technion -- Israel Institute of Technology to design, build and run the new school.
 
Russia Moves to Limit Scientific Exchange With the West
The Russian Council of the Federation -- the upper house of the Russian Parliament -- is proposing to ban certain foreign scientists and organisations operating in Russia who may pose a threat to the country's national security, according to a spokesman of the press service of the Council. Some of them are organisations which search for talent in Russian universities and schools and encourage them to study abroad. A list of scientists, organisations and foundations deemed a threat is being drawn up by officials and members of the State Duma and the Council of the Federation and is expected to be completed this week.
 
New study identifies best way to make low-income families aware of fed financial aid options
For some students, plans to attend college take shape during high school. But according to researchers, high school can be too late to start planning -- financially and academically. A new study released by the Urban Institute today, available on its website at 10 a.m., identifies new ways to help make middle schoolers and their families aware of their financial aid options, letting them know that college can be a reality for those who might think they can't afford it. Looking at programs such as free- and reduced-price lunch programs, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), and Medicaid, in which many of the participants would be eligible for Pell Grants, the authors found the best way to spread information on financial aid isn't to rely on one solution, but instead requires a multifaceted approach to engage as many potential applicants as possible.
 
BRIAN PERRY (OPINION): Pols and family newspapers
Jackson-based consultant and columnist Brian Perry writes: "Last month the Mississippi Press Association held its annual summer convention in New Orleans. Typically the organization's summer convention is held in Biloxi, but last year the MPA hosted the Louisiana Press Association in a joint convention in Mississippi and this year they reciprocated. My firm is an affiliate member of the MPA and I've been attending the conventions for years. It always feels like an adopted family reunion to me. For many community newspapers in Mississippi, the newspaper business is very family oriented: second and third-generation publishers; husband and wife teams running the papers; newspapers and their civic responsibilities passed down to children like many other small businesses and family farms."


SPORTS
 
Another day, another watchlist for Prescott, Mississippi State
A day after Dak Prescott appeared on his second preseason watchlist, the Mississippi State quarterback earned a spot on another Thursday. Prescott was named one of 24 players on the Davey O'Brien Award watchlist, an award given annually to the nation's top quarterback. Prescott joined other big-name signal callers like TCU's Trevone Boykin, Ohio State's Cardale Jones and USC's Cody Kessler. Prescott has also been named to the Maxwell Award and Wuerffel Trophy watchlists this summer. Prescott had company on Thursday's watchlist announcements. Ashton Shumpert received his first honor of the preseason. The running back was named to the Doak Walker Award watchlist. The award goes to the nation's top running back.
 
Bulldogs remain in usual underdog role despite big 2014 season
Mississippi State has the Southeastern Conference's top returning quarterback in senior Dak Prescott. The Bulldogs have a 6-foot-5 wide receiver in De'Runnya Wilson who has amassed more than 1,000 receiving yards combined the past two seasons. They're coming off their best season since 1999, and Coach Dan Mullen's 2015 recruiting class was the highest-ranked in his seven-year tenure. Yet, when the preseason media poll is released Thursday, Mullen fully expects his team will be listed near the bottom of the SEC's West Division. Mullen's teams consistently have outperformed expectations. "We believe in heart over hype any day," MSU senior defensive end Ryan Brown said.
 
SEC West is Home to Huge Salaries -- But Everyone Can't Win
The Southeastern Conference Western Division is college football's land of plenty, with all seven schools throwing huge piles of money at their respective coaching staffs to try and gain an upper hand. The theory: More cash invested equals more victories. But Texas A&M coach Kevin Sumlin summed up the conundrum facing the seven schools with three simple words during SEC Media Days: "Everybody can't win." After Mississippi State gave Dan Mullen a raise in the offseason, it assured that every coach in the Western Division will make at least $4 million next season. That puts all of them among the nation's top 25 in yearly salary. "It's a dog eat dog world," Mississippi athletic director Ross Bjork said. "And you better be able to thrive in that environment."
 
Mississippi coach Hugh Freeze supports changing state flag
Mississippi football coach Hugh Freeze says he supports removing the Confederate battle emblem from the state flag. Freeze spoke Thursday before appearing at Southeastern Conference Media Days. He says that while he is "not a political figure" he believes "it's time we move in a different direction and change the flag." Freeze grew up in Mississippi and has "great appreciation" for people who have pride in the state's heritage. But he adds "that symbol has been hijacked by some groups that mean ill will toward some people." Both Ole Miss and Mississippi State have already issued statements in support of changing the flag.
 
Eagles evolve: USM officially unveils updated logo
Southern Miss' four-year game of logo limbo has officially come to an end. The Golden Eagles unveiled their revised athletic mark Wednesday at Barnes and Noble on the university's Hattiesburg campus. It's the 10th logo the university has had since becoming the Golden Eagles in 1972. A mix of Southern Miss coaches, student-athletes and fans, totaling roughly 150, gathered for the announcement. "I'm most happy for our fans because I know the journey it's been for them," Golden Eagle athletic director Bill McGillis said. "Even as I walked over to the press conference today, I'm still thinking to myself, 'Man, is there something we haven't thought of? Something we've missed?'" The answer turned out to be no, which was a relief for most everyone involved. Especially given the bumpy road that led to Wednesday's event.



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