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[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-26T16:51:25 | null | 2016-08-26T11:35:53 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fslain-nuns-leave-void-mississippi-community-served%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/Nuns-killed-218x300-1.jpg | en | null | Slain nuns leave void in Mississippi community they served | null | null | djournal.com | By Emily Wagster Pettus
Associated Press
LEXINGTON – The two nuns who were killed in Mississippi were by all accounts some of the most friendly, helpful people in town, cooking and caring for anyone in their poor community – making their slayings all the more puzzling.
Their car was found abandoned a mile away from their home, and there were signs of a break-in, but police haven’t released any leads or suspects in the investigation.
The women, both 68 and nurse practitioners, were found dead Thursday morning when they didn’t report to work at the nearby clinic where they provided flu shots, insulin and other medical care for children and adults who couldn’t afford it.
They were identified as Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill.
Dr. Elias Abboud, who worked with the sisters for years and helped build the Lexington Medical Clinic, said he’s not sure what will happen to the facility in light of their deaths.
“I think the community is going to be different after this. You need somebody with that passion to love the people and work in the underserved area,” Abboud said.
“For somebody to come and do this horrible act, we are all shocked,” he added.
Authorities did not release a cause of death, but the Rev. Greg Plata said police told him the nuns were stabbed. Autopsies were to be done Friday.
“They were two of the sweetest, most gentle women you can imagine. Their vocation was helping the poor,” said Plata, who oversees a 35-member Catholic church the sisters attended.
Maureen Smith, a spokeswoman for the Catholic Diocese of Jackson, said there were signs of a break-in at the home in Durant and the nuns’ car was taken.
The abandoned Toyota Corolla was found undamaged late Thursday, barely a mile from the home and authorities were looking for clues inside it.
Abboud said the clinic provided about 25 percent of all the medical care in the county, which has a population of about 18,000, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates for July 2015.
The two nuns provided almost all the care at the clinic and cultivated relationships with drug company representatives, who often left extra free samples, according to clinic manager Lisa Dew.
“I think their absence is going to be felt for a long, long time. Holmes County, it’s one of the poorest in the state,” Dew said. “There’s a lot of people here who depended on them for their care and their medicines. It’s going to be rough.”
Motive not clear
Authorities didn’t release a motive and it wasn’t clear if the nuns’ religious work had anything to do with the slayings.
Police Chief John Haynes said officers were canvassing the area and trying to look at video from surveillance cameras in town to see if they spot anything unusual.
The Catholic community in Mississippi is relatively small. Of nearly 3 million people, the diocese said there are about 108,000 Catholics.
Held had been a member of the School Sisters of St. Francis in Milwaukee for 49 years “and lived her ministry caring for and healing the poor,” a statement from the order said.
Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki said whoever killed Held “robbed not only the School Sisters of St. Francis, but also the entire Church of a woman whose life was spent in service.”
Merrill had worked in Mississippi for more than 30 years, according to the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth in Kentucky. She was from Massachusetts and joined the order in 1979.
Two years later, she moved south and found her calling in the Mississippi Delta community, according to a 2010 article in The Journey, a publication by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth.
During an early part of her career, she helped bring a tuberculosis outbreak under control in the region, Dew said.
Merrill saw children and adults, and helped in other ways.
“We do more social work than medicine sometimes,” Merrill told The Journey. “Sometimes patients are looking for a counselor.”
After Hurricane Katrina left much of the town without power for weeks in 2005, the sisters allowed people to come to their house to cook because they had a gas stove, neighbor Patricia Wyatt-Weatherly said.
They were skilled in stretching resources, and routinely produced amazing dishes out of what seemed like a very small garden at their home, said Sam Sample, lay leader of St. Thomas Catholic Church in Lexington, where the sisters were members. The small congregation called off its weekly Bible study and meal Thursday night.
“They would do anything for anybody. Folks in Holmes County don’t realize the impact it will have without them being here,” Sample said.
–––––
Associated Press writers Jeff Amy in Durant, Mississippi, and Elizabeth Campbell in Louisville, Kentucky, contributed to this report. | http://djournal.com/news/slain-nuns-leave-void-mississippi-community-served/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/428cb783aa700e13c59aae30d9511edf022a760297a4aa48c726aabe719ebbff.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-27T08:50:02 | null | 2016-08-27T02:18:47 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fcougars-defense-steps-secure-win%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/12/football_icon_green-130x130.png | en | null | Cougars' defense steps up to secure win | null | null | djournal.com | By Jonathan Wise
Pontotoc Progress
SPRINGVILLE – South Pontotoc’s defense pitched a second-half shutout and caused four turnovers as the Cougars took down Okolona at home, 28-18, on Friday.
“I’m extremely proud of these kids,” said coach Michael Bradley. “They made some plays tonight, and I was happy to see that when adversity hit us we didn’t get down and kept playing and making some things happen.”
South had 9-point lead early in the second quarter before 45-yard run by the Chieftains’ Denarius Johnson cut it to a 15-12 game. The game threatened to turn when Okolona turned a likely Cougar scoring drive into a 65-yard fumble return for a score by Deonte Hampton.
The Chieftains never got close to scoring in the second half, and South would grab command on a great second-effort 1-yard score from Tyrese Fitzpatrick late in third. Eddie Ivy then broke free for a 38-yard scamper 20 seconds into the final period for the clinching touchdown. | http://djournal.com/sports/cougars-defense-steps-secure-win/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | djournal.com/aaaa790dceca0396e95b4a19f74de39104b70b7698e1f398e2b629dd9c90da85.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-26T16:52:05 | null | 2016-08-26T10:20:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Flifestyle%2Fstephen-thompson-paint-ceilings-color-freshen-decor%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2013/10/Thompson-Stephen-mug-e1402067521355-97x130.jpg | en | null | STEPHEN THOMPSON: Paint your ceilings a color to freshen your décor | null | null | djournal.com | The porch ceilings of Old South homes often were painted blue. Some said it would fool the bugs into thinking the ceiling was the sky, so they’d fly away to hide from birds and no longer pester us.
Others say it was to ward off ghosts, which inspired Sherwin-Williams’ Haint Blue – named after departed spirits of Caribbean legends. Whether warding off pests or ghosts, or just to be interesting, a colored ceiling adds a beautiful, time-tested touch to tall porch ceilings.
Let’s take that colored ceiling concept inside where white historically is the default color of choice. Many think painting a ceiling any color other than white makes a room feel smaller, but did you know color used on tall ceilings actually draws the eyes upward, fooling the eyes and making rooms seem larger? If you are blessed with tall ceilings, here are some enhancing decorating techniques to try.
• Cocoon-like feeling: Paint the ceiling the same color as the walls but don’t add crown molding. This will give the room a cozy feel. Another way to create intimacy is to paint the ceiling a shade darker than the walls. Doing this in a small room – an office or powder room – makes it luxurious and cozy.
• Bold and sophisticated: Paint your ceiling and walls the same color, then frame them with crisp white crown molding. Or soften this look by choosing a ceiling color from the same paint chip that is two tints lighter than the wall color.
• Subtle yet striking: Enamel the ceiling a glossier version of the wall color, then frame it with large white (or stacked) crown molding. Sunlight will make it seem much brighter during the day and when lit at night it will glow beautifully. (Your ceiling must be completely smooth, as gloss finishes show every imperfection.)
• Contrast for beauty: If you have coffered or tray ceilings, paint them a contrasting color. When tray ceilings first became popular for dining rooms and master bedrooms, multiple colors and contrasting banding were used. Now designers usually paint the uppermost, flat portion of the ceiling a color and leave the lower level neutral. Tip: If you love the current urban gray color trend, but don’t want gray walls, stain tongue-in-groove wood weathered-gray and install it in the highest flat portion of your tray ceiling for a cosmopolitan look.
• Color block and coordinate: To raise your room décor to the next level paint the ceiling a bold color, then bring that color back down into the room by adding a few accessories of the same color.
Architecturally there are many ways to enhance rooms with tall ceilings, but if you’re looking for simplicity or even a certain je ne sais quoi, accenting ceilings with paint is the way to go. A colored ceiling is no different than an accent wall; It’s just beauty on another plane.
Live well – live in beauty!
Stephen Thompson has been creating tasteful interiors in north Mississippi since 1975. For questions, comments, or consultations contact Designer Connection, P.O. Box 361, Tupelo, MS 38802 or stephen2816@mac.com. | http://djournal.com/lifestyle/stephen-thompson-paint-ceilings-color-freshen-decor/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/aa194901296654655dbc2517f85c71ca15e83025bbd57ffd6c61c6739fd66325.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-31T14:48:07 | null | 2016-08-31T08:59:05 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fopinion%2Fmarty-russell-can-hear-ukulele-space%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2013/12/Russell-Marty-mug-100x130.jpg | en | null | MARTY RUSSELL: Can you hear a ukulele in space? | null | null | djournal.com | As us space geeks eagerly await the release of the first pictures taken by the Juno spacecraft as it made its first and closest flyby of Jupiter this past Saturday, just 2,600 miles above the giant planet’s polar cloud tops, a group of six human guinea pigs were emerging from a tent-like dome on the side of a Hawaiian volcano where they had spent the past year with only each other for company.
The HI-SEAS simulation project was designed to test whether humans could live for a year in isolation as a long-term spaceflight such as a trip to Mars would require, with only radio communication with the outside world delayed by the 20 minutes it would take for such a signal to make the round trip from Mars to Earth and back, without killing each other. Think of it as your Thanksgiving family gathering that lasts a year instead of a few hours and doesn’t include tons of food or football.
Miraculously, at least it would be miraculous for most of us trapped in such a situation, the crew of international volunteers emerged from their 1,200-square-foot isolation dome Sunday apparently unscathed. The group declared the scenario as doable with one caveat.
“Bring a ukulele,” suggested Cyprien Verseux, a French member of the three-man, three-woman group.
That’s actually a pretty amazing feat when you consider how most of us would probably react to being trapped with five other people in a tiny space for a year.
“She snores,” one of us would probably complain.
“If you binge-watch “Game of Thrones’ one more time I’m going to throw either you or your DVD collection out of an airlock!” another might threaten.
It would definitely take “the Right Stuff” to pack a crew of three men and three women into a tin can and shoot them off into space for a year and not expect them to come back either (a) facing murder charges, (b) trying to convince people they’re Teddy Roosevelt, or (c) pregnant.
But this crew seems to have emerged intact and insists that such a long spaceflight can be achieved putting us one step closer to making a round trip manned excursion to Mars, which would take at least a year.
But I suspect that, on their emergence from their one year of isolation and the crew was finally briefed on the news of the past year that they had missed, thoughts of even longer space voyages began to be considered.
“You mean Trump was serious?” they probably asked. “When we went in we thought he was just joking about becoming president. Forget Canada! If he wins, we’d like to sign up for the four-year isolation experiment.”
Given that kind of incentive, who knows, even a trip to a newly discovered Earth-like planet around our nearest star, Proxima Centauri, a mere 20-year voyage one-way given today’s technology, might be feasible with no shortage of volunteers.
Marty Russell writes a Wednesday column for the Daily Journal. He can be reached at marty.russell56@gmail.com | http://djournal.com/opinion/marty-russell-can-hear-ukulele-space/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | djournal.com/e3a15e3eba3e5c8abb5ad76f7a7f4dede67d197d0ad1a7c4d999f3918bff9435.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-31T14:47:47 | null | 2016-08-31T09:12:27 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fopinion%2Fopinion-road-bridge-maintenance-ignored-wont-go-away%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2015/04/dj_favicon.png | en | null | OUR OPINION: Road, bridge maintenance ignored, won't go away | null | null | djournal.com | Despite studied indifference in the highest echelons of Mississippi’s Republican Party leadership, the issue of maintaining our state’s highways and bridges in safe condition won’t go away.
A statewide effort, led by the pro-business Mississippi Economic Council, to win approval this year of a maintenance and bridge rebuilding program hardly stirred the water.
It is a testament to the issue’s inarguable importance that it will not die among a handful of outnumbered and outspoken GOP legislators and leaders.
MEC’s push for $375 million in additional annual maintenance and bridge revenue was backed by the logical arguments and support of groups like the Mississippi Association of Supervisors and the Mississippi Farm Bureau, but nothing happened.
Farm Bureau and the MAS make persuasive arguments about the impact on their large and influential constituencies and the state at large, but the key movers and shakers act tone deaf.
Zachary Oren Smith, reporting for Mississippi Today, recently wrote extensively about the failed lobbying effort, noting that the plan’s due diligence was done by MEC in collaboration with researchers from the University of Southern Mississippi, Mississippi State University and the Stennis Institute of Government.
MEC talked about several methods for funding the infrastructure investment, but the initiative went nowhere.
At hearings by special legislative committees looking at state spending, Rep. Robert Foster, R-Hernando, asked Transportation Department Executive Director Melinda McGrath for her assessment of Mississippi’s roads and an estimate for how much additional funding is required.
McGrath’s answer was consistent with what she and other Mississippi Department of Transportation Leaders have said all along: $400 million is the adequate figure, even higher than MEC’s proposal.
No one even asked how that could be funded.
Smith reported that the MAS continues its eight years of support of maintenance and bridges as the top legislative priority
MAS Executive Director Derrick Surrette said there is great resistance to a tax increase.
“We walked the halls trying to push for road and bridge funding,” Surrette said. “I heard a lot of talk, ‘Well, nobody wants a tax increase. There is just not enough money to go around.’ Well that’s duh-huh talk. … Let’s graduate to the third and fourth grade, and let’s start thinking about why we need to do this, and how we are going to do this.”
Surrette hit the nail on the head when he said that any change in infrastructure funding is going to require Democrats and Republicans to be in the same room talking through their options.
If that once was a common practice it no longer is. The partisanship in the Capitol has declared the other side unclean.
Surrette said everybody in their right mind understands not enough money produces not enough maintenance.
Until there is consensus on the necessity of expanded funding, Mississippi won’t spend enough to maintain its roads and bridges. | http://djournal.com/opinion/opinion-road-bridge-maintenance-ignored-wont-go-away/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | djournal.com/7ca9e22471e71064f0d1d5c002e1cc03c5b7f9ff783e36f3cea01d8985fe7e6a.json |
[
"Parrish Alford"
] | 2016-08-28T14:49:15 | null | 2016-08-28T07:55:23 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Frebels-must-prepare-special-rb-cook%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/Dalvin-Cook-300x197.jpg | en | null | Rebels must prepare for ‘special’ RB Cook | null | null | djournal.com | By Parrish Alford
Daily Journal
OXFORD – The SEC had seven 1,000-yard rushers, and the Heisman Trophy winner among its running backs last year.
No. 11 Ole Miss will face a back who would have certainly been among that elite SEC group when it faces No. 4 Florida State of the ACC on Sept. 5 in Orlando.
Six different outlets named Dalvin Cook an All-American in 2015, two of them first team.
It took Cook (5-11, 213) only nine games to set the Seminoles’ single-season rushing record last year, and he went on to finish with 1,691 yards and 7.4 yards per carry.
“This guy’s special now. This guy’s in a different league,” Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said.
Cook dominated the ACC as a sophomore and finished seventh in the Heisman voting.
Last week, Freeze said tackling was one of the areas he hoped to see the most improvement in the remaining time before the start of the season.
The Rebels had varying degrees of success against the SEC’s premier backs last year. Alabama’s Derrick Henry, the Heisman winner, rushed for 127 yards with 42 of those coming in the fourth quarter when the Rebels battled fatigue with 100 plays run by Alabama. The Crimson Tide collectively rushed for 72 yards on only 12 attempts in the fourth quarter.
LSU rushed for 184 yards against Ole Miss, 108 of them from Leonard Fournette, who averaged 4.3 yards per carry.
Even with Cook the Seminoles preferred to pass in 2015. They were fourth in the ACC in passing offense at 255.8 yards a game and eighth in rushing at 168.2.
It’s possible FSU coach Jimbo Fisher could lean more heavily on Cook against Ole Miss as he’s expected to have a redshirt freshman quarterback making his first college start.
Freeze believes his defensive line is one of his team’s strengths, but Ole Miss could be without starting end Fadol Brown, whose comeback from foot surgery has been slow.
‘Up there’ with best
Ole Miss defensive back Tony Conner thinks the backs the Rebels have seen will help prepare them for Cook.
“He’s a great, explosive running back. Derrick Henry is a lot bigger. Leonard Fournette, he’s a lot more physical and everything. (Cook) is up there with those guys,” Conner said.
Conner stressed the importance of communication among Ole Miss defenders to be in the right place to make plays.
Group tackling will be important as well.
“You’ve got to get him on the ground when he’s in space,” Freeze said. “They create a lot of plays for him to get in space, and we haven’t tackled extraordinarily well.”
parrish.alford@journalinc.com
Twitter: @parrishalford | http://djournal.com/sports/rebels-must-prepare-special-rb-cook/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | djournal.com/0a36f758c0109464d6d185fc1bef7c9c82fdd236bbf89af0401608a2f07bca47.json |
[
"Zack Orsborn"
] | 2016-08-28T12:49:14 | null | 2016-08-28T07:16:43 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Flee-county-library-75-years-knowledge%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/082616-Library75-1-e1472386145296-1.jpg | en | null | Lee County Library: 75 years of knowledge | null | null | djournal.com | By Zack Orsborn
Daily Journal
TUPELO – Lewis Whitfield moved to Tupelo seven years after the establishment of the Lee County Library in 1941.
At the time, the city purchased the former home of U.S. Rep John Allen on the corner of Madison and Jefferson streets for $25,000. Decades of community support from educators and developers had finally led to a free, public circulating library.
Whitfield, a curious reader, explored the library after his walks back from school.
The library’s impact on the community stayed on his mind when he moved away from Tupelo, so he joined the Lee County Library Board in 1978 after the construction of the current library structure in 1971.
He became one of the 36 board members who will be celebrated at the 75th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony on Sept. 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the Lee County Library.
While on the board, Whitfield helped merged the A.M. Strange Library – a predominately black library – with the Lee County Library and saw the emergence of the Helen Foster Endowment Fund, which has provided intellectuals and experts to speak in Tupelo for more than 40 years.
It wasn’t always easy, however.
“It was always a concern about having enough money,” said Whitfield, senior vice president of CREATE. “It’s always been a difficult operating environment because the money was always very tight, but the Friends of the Library have become a nice, positive force here the last couple of decades.”
Whitfield served on the board until 1982, and to this day, he continues to check out books from the library. When he walks in and sees patrons on computers, he recognizes how technology spurred the library into the modern age.
With the speedy change of technology, Whitfield believes a new facility should be built. He hates to think of abandoning the building since it’s only 35 years old, but he said it has worn out its “usefulness.”
“I believe if we could get a new facility that was more accessible and more visible, it would be seen as more of a total community resource in terms of knowledge and access to knowledge,” he said.
‘A town without a library’
Frances Williams – library board member from 2004-2014 and former Tupelo High School history teacher – was surprised to hear that in 75 years, there had been only 36 members on the library board.
“I think that shows a real commitment from people in the community in the library to serve that long,” she said.
Williams said she has always loved libraries. She feels comfortable, and when she walks into the Lee County Library, she feels at home.
She began utilizing the library during her AP European History class by having study sessions at the library. A researcher herself, she spent hours in the library working on her doctorate and finding out her heritage through the genealogy and census records available.
In 2004, Williams started giving back to her second home by joining the board, serving 10 years.
Right at the end of her second term, the board began discussing the possibility of building a new facility, which spurred one of the biggest fundraisers, an educational dinner called A Novel Affair hosted by the Friends of the Library.
“We recognized that this library does not meet all the needs of the community’s population anymore,” Williams said. “It was interesting to see the preliminaries. We’re doing some fundraising now to build a new library.”
The board envisioned a library that could adapt to modern technology. Williams said the current building was not built for the modern technological world.
She can’t envision a life without the continuing influence of the library in the community.
“You know, a town without a library, there’s an empty spot there,” she said. “I think the library is the intellectual center. It stands for learning. It stands for respect for knowledge. The word itself conveys that attitude.”
‘Our role is changing’
Ashley Lancaster believes in the future of the library. As a mother and current library board chairwoman, she’s leading the discussion on how to make the library succeed.
“We’ve been thinking lately, ‘What does the community want from us in the future?’” she said. “We know our role is changing. I really enjoyed seeing that. We’re really focused on what the community needs now.”
When the library switched to C Spire fiber internet three years ago, the board saw an increase in users submitting job applications online.
Lancaster plans to put more emphasis on encouraging career growth.
“We want to set up a spot and cooperate with Itawamba Community College’s business center,” she said. “We figured out that a lot of people don’t have internet access in their homes. It seems like now we take for granted that everybody has it. That’s not true in rural Mississippi.”
At board meetings, held four times a year, the board looks over comment cards and suggestions from patrons. Lancaster wants to encourage the patrons to continue to submit suggestions to figure out what the community really needs.
Their main goal is to focus on young readers after seeing reading levels in Mississippi start to dive.
“We’re low on the education scale already,” she said. “Our job is to encourage people to read and give them resources to do research correctly. Somehow, we have to promote that in the community.”
zack.orsborn@journalinc.com
Twitter: @thedaily_zack | http://djournal.com/news/lee-county-library-75-years-knowledge/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | djournal.com/c44647ba8952b74c40320550de15b959549c6b372a97b432feac3152b8afe96f.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-26T16:49:24 | null | 2016-08-26T10:35:52 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fopinion%2Fopinion-mde-offers-information-regional-meetings%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2015/04/dj_favicon.png | en | null | OUR OPINION: MDE offers information at regional meetings | null | null | djournal.com | Changing federal laws and policies impact public education nationwide. They also don’t exempt Mississippi from anything for which other states will be held accountable.
Because the new law, called ESSA, replaces the venerable No Child Left Behind Act, understanding it is essential.
ESSA stands for Every Student Succeeds Act. The Mississippi Department of Education has set a series of public meetings, including two in Tupelo on Sept. 22, to provide forums for parents and others to hear information and ask questions of MDE officials about ESSA.
The department seeks input from the pubic school community about how Mississippi should adapt to the new federal law.
MDE must develop a plan to comply with ESSA, and every constituent of the public school system has a stake in deciding how that can be accomplished.
Each state must meet requirements related to accountability, school quality, measures of student success, school and district report cards, teacher and leader quality and school improvement strategies.
Carey Wright, state superintendent of education, said, “We want to hear from a variety of stakeholders, including educators, parents, students, businesses and community organizations. We will use this feedback as we prepare a comprehensive state plan to submit to the U.S. Department of Education.”
ESSA is the latest version of the main K-12 law; it maintains a longstanding commitment to equal opportunity for all students.
Many people across the country will be delighted to hear that one aim is to scale back the hands-on federal role in elementary and secondary education found in the NCLB legislation.
Representatives from the MDE will tour the state hosting two meetings in Meridian, Natchez, Cleveland, Tupelo, Gulfport, Jackson and Hernando. Meetings in each city will take place at 3:30 p.m. and 6 p.m.
The selected cities not only provide regional diversity but a mix of demographic factors like school system racial ratios, adequacy of financial resources, enrollment size and longer-term academic achievement.
The new law includes performance targets and school ratings that are state-driven and with multiple measures. Accountability interventions become more state-led with special emphasis on schools in the bottom 5 percent of performance. Both those provisions had strong bipartisan support.
U.S. Sen. Thad Cochran and Sen. Roger Wicker supported ESSA as passed, along with 85 other senators in both parties. U.S. Rep. Trent Kelly also voted for ESSA.
The House and Senate both passed the act by huge bipartisan margins, a strong sign of high expectations. | http://djournal.com/opinion/opinion-mde-offers-information-regional-meetings/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/28f9cc8f12ac92ce5b540691a112d65b6f2b3b2eac914c1c194bb0f487062b68.json |
[
"Gene Phelps"
] | 2016-08-31T12:52:54 | null | 2016-08-31T06:43:57 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fwave-volleyball-avenges-loss%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2015/09/spts-0916-bridges-muc-e1442407680686-91x130.jpg | en | null | Wave volleyball avenges loss | null | null | djournal.com | Posted on by in High School Sports
By Gene Phelps
Daily Journal
TUPELO – Tupelo suffered one of its three losses this season two weeks ago to Southaven.
A much-improved and focused Lady Wave defeated the visiting Lady Chargers 3-1 (25-17, 25-18, 22-25, 25-13) Tuesday in a non-division Class 6A high school volleyball match.
“We did not play well offensively or defensively that match,” Tupelo junior middle blocker Addie Bridges said, referring to her team’s 2-1 loss Aug. 13 to Southaven. “We were tired. We had played all weekend, but that’s not an excuse. We just weren’t connecting.”
Tupelo (9-3) connected in the rematch with Bridges leading the way offensively. She finished with a team-high 18 kills and added four aces.
Addy-Parker Spees, a junior outside hitter, had 13 kills and 29 assists.
Olivia Scott, a junior setter, had 21 assists and had eight kills. Senior libero Raven McHaney led the Lady Wave with 14 digs.
“I’m very, very pleased with the way we played,” Tupelo coach Laurie Bishop said. “We spent a lot of time working on our serve receive and serving. Serve receive and serving was a huge difference tonight.
“I’ve told them if we can take care of defense and serving, the offense is there. That was evident tonight.”
Coming back
Southaven (4-6) trailed 2-0, but rallied behind the aggressive play at the net by 6-foot middle blocker Zoe Merriweather. She blocked numerous shots in the third game and help the Lady Chargers build a 19-12 lead.
“We had to go around her more,” Bridges said of Merriweather. “We had to be smart with our shot selection.”
Bridges had two late kills in the game to close the gap, but Merriweather was the difference with a late block and kill.
“I think I played at a higher level in the third game,” Merriweather said. “Our defense and offense played a lot better, especially in the middle.”
Bishop was pleased with the way her team responded after losing the third game.
“Their big middle was definitely a challenge,” she said. “Southaven tried to mix it up and started tipping and rolling their shots. I thought we adjusted.”
gene.phelps@journalinc.com
Twitter: @genephelps | http://djournal.com/sports/wave-volleyball-avenges-loss/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | djournal.com/a75b6359548719cccea08cea96a405a83a720ac3e85f31506d5f5552d978bc65.json |
[
"Gene Phelps"
] | 2016-08-30T12:49:36 | null | 2016-08-30T06:43:27 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fair-force-offers-amazing-opportunity-tupelos-sanders%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/Sanders-South-e1472557375553-88x130.jpeg | en | null | Air Force offers ‘amazing opportunity’ for Tupelo's Sanders | null | null | djournal.com | By Gene Phelps
Daily Journal
TUPELO – South Sanders sat in a dugout this summer in Atlanta feeling pretty good about the way he’d played in a baseball tournament game.
A shortstop/outfielder for the Meridian-based East Coast Sox, Sanders had doubled and made a diving play in left field.
U.S. Air Force Academy assistant baseball coach C.J. Gillman was in the stands that day. He was so impressed with Sanders’ play that he offered the Tupelo resident a baseball scholarship.
“He offered me a half-million dollar full ride,” said Sanders, a backup quarterback on the Golden Wave football team. “I thought it was somebody on my team messing with me at first.
“I checked the area code on the text and it was Colorado Springs.”
Sanders, a junior, took an unofficial visit to the school last month and made a decision last week to accept Gillman’s offer and commit to the Falcons. He is expected to sign next fall.
“It’s an amazing opportunity,” Sanders said. “I don’t think anybody can top that offer.”
Change of plan
Sanders, who will play third base and pitch this season for Tupelo, said he never seriously considered a military education and career until this opportunity.
“I think it came to me for a reason,” he said. “My parents always told me I’m the type of guy that would want to grow up and do something crazy like be a professional snowboarder, a stuntman or be in the military.”
Tupelo quarterbacks coach and co-offensive coordinator Michael Campbell said he believes Sanders has the leadership qualities to do well in a military academy setting.
He said Sanders, who competed during the preseason against senior starter Ray Sandroni and sophomore Stephon McGlaun for the job, has the tools to play quarterback for the Wave.
“He’s still fighting,” Campbell said. “He’s got some swagger to him. He’s still working on some reads in the run game and reads in the passing game. He loves to push it down field, but some of those reads, checking off underneath, if he ever gets that, he would be deadly.”
Sanders said he will continue to do his part to be prepared if called on.
“I have to keep fighting and be ready,” he said.
gene.phelps@journalinc.com
Twitter: @genephelps | http://djournal.com/sports/air-force-offers-amazing-opportunity-tupelos-sanders/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | djournal.com/b5d7ae8421e1838aa10238956c2ab9c4a5b8eeb9bf5db6a2d3e26cf6a32ed2d6.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-28T14:51:36 | null | 2016-08-28T09:43:21 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fopinion%2Fbill-crawford-mississippi-needs-every-federal-dollar-can-get%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2015/02/Crawford-Bill-new-88x130.jpg | en | null | BILL CRAWFORD: Mississippi needs every federal dollar it can get | null | null | djournal.com | Let’s get real.
Ignore political ideology for a moment.
Mississippi is a poor state, persistently landing near the bottom on income, health, and education rankings. Many families depend heavily on federal benefits to survive. So, too does state government (44 percent of total spending). Many small businesses’ survival depends heavily on federally subsidized families and government.
Yes, federal spending is out of control. Yes, we have too many people on the dole. But, the reality is we desperately need every federal dollar we can get.
So, how smart was it for Mississippi to cut off SNAP (food stamp) benefits early?
Mississippi chose not to extend a waiver allowing us to pay extra SNAP benefits to unemployed, unmarried, able-bodied adults age 19 to 49 without children. Thousands will lose $190 a month unless they get a job.
Sure these people should be working. But many live in areas where there are no jobs, others where there are no jobs for their limited skill sets. Still others are paroled criminals or former drug users whom employers refuse to hire. For those with no job options, why cut them off early?
“Anything that would reduce or eliminate the means by which some customers pay for their needs couldn’t be anything but harmful,” a spokesman for Vowell’s Cash Saver grocery told Jackson’s WAPT News, adding that up to 75 percent of his business comes from SNAP users.
Meanwhile, these federal dollars continue to pour into other states.
Yes, a smart Mississippian might leverage every available federal dollar and use the taxes they generate to operate programs that will make future generations and governments far less dependent on federal funds.
So, how smart is it for Mississippi not to go after billions of Medicaid dollars?
State officials mired in anti-Obama ideology insist we can’t afford it. But, independent studies show a smart expansion of Medicaid would more than pay for itself, generate thousands of new jobs, and put billions more federal dollars into Mississippi’s economy, not to mention improving healthcare for thousands of low-income, hard working Mississippians and their families.
Kaiser Family Foundation research also shows Medicaid expansion states had higher rates of economic growth than non-expansion states.
Medicaid is a major magnet for federal dollars. This year Mississippi taxpayers are projected to put in $949 million (down from last year) plus $521 million from providers like nursing homes and hospitals to attract $4.6 billion in federal funds. That’s terrific leverage for taxpayers.
A smart Mississippi might implement plans like Republican governors Mike Pence did in Indiana and Asa Hutchinson supports in Arkansas. (Yes, Trump’s Mike Pence. His Healthy Indiana Plan is touted as the nation’s most conservative Medicaid reform plan.)
“We’re not going to leave 220,000 people without some recourse,” said Hutchinson.
“We are expanding access to care for hundreds of thousands of Hoosiers and we’re doing it the Indiana way,” said Pence.
Perhaps it’s time to set aside ideology, like Pence and Hutchinson, and honestly ask if the current Mississippi way is the smart way.
Bill Crawford is a syndicated columnist from Meridian (crawfolk@gmail.com). | http://djournal.com/opinion/bill-crawford-mississippi-needs-every-federal-dollar-can-get/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | djournal.com/344384cbce81cacecd792b7c67cf39db85fe40330e488786af38bbae2d557bf5.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-27T06:48:41 | null | 2016-08-27T01:34:14 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Frays-release-jennings%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/jennings-300x192.jpg | en | null | Rays to release Jennings | null | null | djournal.com | Associated Press
HOUSTON – The Tampa Bay Rays will release outfielder Desmond Jennings today.
The team announced the impending move on Friday before opening a series against the Houston Astros.
Manager Kevin Cash says: “It was time. Best for him. Best for us going forward … unfortunately it just didn’t work out. Couldn’t quite get him on the field as much as we would have liked. We had to make a decision.”
Jennings, who played baseball and football at ICC, has been on the disabled list with hamstring and knee injuries for all but five days since July 4. He is currently on the 15-day disabled list with a bruised left knee.
The 29-year-old hit .200 with seven homers and 20 RBIs in 65 games this season.
Jennings spent his entire seven-year career with the Rays after being drafted by Tampa Bay in the 10th round in 2006.
He is a career .245 hitter with 55 homers and 191 RBIs | http://djournal.com/sports/rays-release-jennings/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | djournal.com/da4c2985c95947dea890e49e8ecd220f8837e48e07c837018942e0209916d7ef.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-26T12:51:20 | null | 2016-08-26T06:38:49 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Ftuneup-time-get-bow-ready%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/bow-199x300.jpg | en | null | It's tuneup time: Get your bow as ready as you are | null | null | djournal.com | By Kevin Tate
Outdoors Writer
With the first days of archery season now just a little more than a month away, a few moments spent checking critical gear can avoid lots of disappointment down the road.
Compound bows are amazing machines, but they require maintenance just like any other. Knowing what to look for and how to fix it are important elements of responsible ownership. For a quick checklist, here are a few items the bow-tuning experts have to offer:
• Make sure your strings and your cables are waxed. Wax helps both of these critical components do their job without snagging or breaking. Cables and strings in need of wax will typically appear dry, with a gray or white color, and may show signs of wear in the form of fraying or fuzz.
Bow wax is available in tube form from your local archery shop. Spread a small amount of wax on a section of string or cable, then rub the area vigorously with a piece of leather to heat the wax up so it can coat evenly.
• Check your arrows for cracks or dents, especially if you’re shooting aluminum arrows instead of carbon. Dispose of any that don’t appear to be sound.
• Re-fletch any arrows that need new fletchings or vanes.
• Check your sight pins to make sure they are not loose or have any broken parts. If your setup includes a piece of rubber tubing that keeps your peep sight pointed down range, check it for dry rot or wear before it calls itself to your attention by breaking. A slap in the eye with a rubber hose is not an ideal start to a new bow season.
• Sharpen or replace broadheads. Many mechanical and fixed-blade broadheads offer replaceable parts or can be simply replaced altogether. More traditional broadheads, however, require regular sharpening whether they’ve been used or not. Like a pocket knife on a stick, oxidation alone can cause them to dull and they should be touched up often.
• If your bow is a dual-cam model, make sure their timing is on. Check for this by slowly drawing the bow. As you bring the string back, both should break over at the same time. If, instead of a single “bump,” you feel two separate bumps, the cams are out of time and should be brought to the attention of a professional.
• Consider taking your bow to an archery shop for a tune up.
A professional archery shop will make sure your nock point and rest are aligned correctly. It will also service the cams and check for any other problems the bow may have developed, either in use or in storage.
Avoiding crossbow blues
Crossbows, which have become wildly popular of late, have a few key points all their own that require minding.
“The life and death of crossbows is rail lube,” Paul McDaniel, of Mud Creek Archery, in Tupelo, says.
The rail on a crossbow is where an arrow, or bolt, sits once loaded and before it’s fired. The crossbow’s string, which needs wax just like those found on vertical bows, will not last long if the crossbow’s rail is left dry.
“Additionally, when you’re loading your crossbow, make sure the nock is turned correctly and engaged with the string,” McDaniel said. “Too often, people assume if the odd-colored fletching is turned down, that’s all they have to look for, but the nock may not match up. If you fire your crossbow with the nock not fully engaged, it’s essentially the same thing as dry firing it.”
Dry firing a bow or crossbow, which means drawing either and dropping the string without having an arrow properly loaded, has catastrophic consequences for either instrument’s structure and must be avoided.
“In both cases,” McDaniel said, “don’t store your bow or crossbow in the heat, and don’t shoot a bow that is hot. Even modern bows can de-laminate and shatter to ruins if you’re not careful.” | http://djournal.com/sports/tuneup-time-get-bow-ready/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/13e9656e3ba68b96b658d44c446aa285e398480e30eaff1ff958e62726c6798b.json |
[
"Parrish Alford"
] | 2016-08-26T14:50:00 | null | 2016-08-26T08:27:23 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Frebels-will-see-elite-back-early-florida-states-cook%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/Dalvin-Cook-300x197.jpg | en | null | Rebels will see an elite back early in Florida State's Cook | null | null | djournal.com | By Parrish Alford
Daily Journal
OXFORD – The SEC had seven 1,000-yard rushers and the Heisman Trophy winner among its running backs last year.
No. 11 Ole Miss will face a back that would have certainly been among that elite SEC group when it meets No. 4 Florida State on Sept. 5 in Orlando.
Six different outlets named Dalvin Cook an All-American in 2015, two of them first team.
It took Cook (5-foot-11, 213 pounds) only nine games to set the Seminoles’ single-season rushing record last year, and he went on to finish with 1,691 yards and 7.4 yards per carry.
“This guy’s special now. This guy’s in a different league,” Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said.
Cook dominated the ACC as a sophomore and finished seventh in the Heisman voting.
Earlier this week Freeze said tackling was one of the areas he hoped to see the most improvement in the remaining time before the start of the season.
The Rebels had varying degrees of success against the SEC’s premier backs last year. Alabama’s Derrick Henry, the Heisman winner, rushed for 127 yards, with 42 of those coming in the fourth quarter when the Rebels battled fatigue with 100 plays run by Alabama. The Crimson Tide collectively rushed for 72 yards on only 12 attempts in the fourth quarter.
LSU rushed for 184 yards against Ole Miss, 108 of them from Leonard Fournette, who averaged 4.3 yards per carry.
Even with Cook, the Seminoles preferred to pass in 2015. They were fourth in the ACC in passing offense at 255.8 yards a game and eighth in rushing offense at 168.2.
It’s possible FSU coach Jimbo Fisher could lean more heavily on Cook against Ole Miss as he’s expected to have a redshirt freshman quarterback making his first college start.
Freeze believes his defensive line is one of his team’s strengths, but Ole Miss could be without starting end Fadol Brown, whose comeback from foot surgery has been slow.
Ole Miss defensive back Tony Conner thinks the backs the Rebels have seen will help prepare them for Cook.
“He’s a great, explosive running back. Derrick Henry is a lot bigger. Leonard Fournette, he’s a lot more physical and everything. (Cook) is up there with those guys,” Conner said.
Conner stressed the importance of communication among Ole Miss defenders to be in the right place to make plays.
Group tackling will be important as well.
“You’ve got to get him on the ground when he’s in space,” Freeze said. “They create a lot of plays for him to get in space, and we haven’t tackled extraordinarily well.”
parrish.alford@journalinc.com
Twitter: @parrishalford | http://djournal.com/sports/rebels-will-see-elite-back-early-florida-states-cook/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/e9bdb27d2252a73d1b4d39c257e16b0528f7e4310a78f246997a23a55c3b0276.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-29T14:51:07 | null | 2016-08-29T09:41:28 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fopinion%2Fopinion-good-news-rings-true-throughout-region%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2015/04/dj_favicon.png | en | null | OUR OPINION: Good news rings true throughout region | null | null | djournal.com | From the 30th birthday of a community institution to the announcement of a new health and wellness project, there was plenty of great news last week throughout Northeast Mississippi.
Before we prepare for the week ahead, let’s take a look back at highlights from last week:
• The North Mississippi Medical Center Women’s Hospital celebrated its 30th birthday last week. For 30 years, the hospital on Eason Boulevard has been welcoming babies into the world and caring for women’s health care. When doctors and staff moved into what was then called the Women’s Health Center on Aug. 1, 1986, maternity services took a huge step forward for our community. And over the past 30 years, the Women’s Hospital has seen renovations, expansions and tremendous growth in medical technology for women and newborns. The Women’s Hospital was built with private labor and delivery rooms, private postpartum rooms, expanded nurseries, surgical suites and a wing dedicated to gynecological surgery patients. Hospital officials say the Women’s Hospital was and still is one of only a few freestanding hospitals for women. The Women’s Hospital and all other NMMC facilities are true assets to our community, and we celebrate their continued success.
• The town of Walnut has announced a new project that includes the creation of a public exercise facility as part of an ongoing health initiative. The town is renovating an existing building to create a public exercise facility. The project comes as part of a wellness initiative that began in August 2013 with the creation of a Health and Wellness Committee. Last year, Walnut was selected “Mississippi’s Healthiest Hometown” by the foundation and was awarded a $50,000 grant to use towards health and wellness initiatives. That grant has been combined with a grant from Terry and Linda Abby and from a large contribution by Waste Connections to raise more than $335,000 for the project. The building, located at 130 Smith Drive, will be modernized to meet current building codes and will include a new sidewalk connecting the facility to the walking track. The new space will feature an exercise facility designed to address the needs of the Walnut community with installation of cardiovascular equipment and machines for strength and endurance training. Equipment will be obtained with funding from BCBS foundation and the building itself will be purchased and renovated with funding from Waste Connections and the Abby family. We applaud the efforts of Walnut and its residents to create programs and facilities to improve the health of its citizens.
• Veterans and community members gathered to dedicate American Legion Post 49’s new building. The original was destroyed by a tornado that tore through Tupelo on April 28, 2014. Mike Pettigrew, post commander, recalled getting word of the destruction, then driving as far as he could before walking the last mile. The event was an opportunity to take stock in progress made and prayers answered over the past two years. The organization thanked all those who helped in the rebuilding of the facility and gave out plaques to two organizations – Eight Days of Hope and Century Construction – that stood above the rest. The American Legion is an important part of our community, and we’re glad that so many stepped up to help in the rebuilding process following the tornado’s damage.
Those are just a few of the great things that took place in our community last week, but we know there will be plenty more to share with you next week. | http://djournal.com/opinion/opinion-good-news-rings-true-throughout-region/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | djournal.com/f3677230bfab5fbe0642b9a381110bc9d7000d809558022f5a403e5205b514e1.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-26T12:56:42 | null | 2016-08-26T06:07:34 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Ftax-holiday-guns-ammo-starts-today%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/news_business_green-130x130.png | en | null | Tax holiday on guns, ammo starts today | null | null | djournal.com | Posted on by in Business
Daily Journal
TUPELO – For the third consecutive year, Mississippi will have its Second Amendment Sales Tax Holiday.
Starting today through Saturday, hunters will be able to buy guns, ammunition and certain hunting supplies without having to pay the state’s 7 percent sales tax.
Items that are exempt from tax are pistols, revolvers, files, shotguns, bullets, shotgun shells and archery equipment.
Not all hunting-related items are tax-exempt, including clothing, hats, gloves, ATVs, boating equipment, decoys, fishing equipment, gun cabinets and knives.
A complete list of items that are exempt and nonexempt from the state tax can be found on the Mississippi Department of Revenue’s website at www.dor.ms.gov.
Louisiana has its sales tax holiday next weekend. The state sales tax there is 5 percent.
Five states have no sales taxes at all: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon.
All gun and ammunition purchases in the U.S. are subject to excise taxes imposed by the federal government.
Gun sales have been soaring. The FBI says it has processed a record number of background checks every month this year.
In June, the FBI processed 2,131,485 background checks, 30 percent higher than for the same time a year earlier. Through the first half of the year, more than 13.8 million background checks have been made, a 32 percent increase.
Earlier this month, gun maker Sturm Ruger posted a 19-percent jump in its second-quarter sales. Smith & Wesson reported earnings for its latest quarter Sept. 1. In June, the company said sales were up 22 percent for the April-June reporting period. | http://djournal.com/news/tax-holiday-guns-ammo-starts-today/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/60345f115e08eb7fc1a49578ba37f3d0dbb6c3b4a35a4daeb5798a2993d2825e.json |
[
"Rod Guajardo"
] | 2016-08-28T14:47:13 | null | 2016-08-28T09:45:26 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fopinion%2Frod-guajardo-celebrate-student-act-success-invest-methods-improvement%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2015/05/03121501-Rod-Guajardo-e1431274420714-92x130.jpg | en | null | ROD GUAJARDO: Celebrate student ACT success, invest in methods for improvement | null | null | djournal.com | The anxiety of sitting in a quiet room for hours and being tested on a wide range of subjects all at once always got to me as a high school student.
That’s why I admittedly didn’t perform as well on the ACT as many of my friends and peers.
It wasn’t necessarily a failure to grasp the concepts and material found on the test.
It was the test-taking process, as well as the weight the test carried.
Since middle school, teachers and counselors had emphasized this test as one of the biggest factors in determining if colleges would accept me as a student or not.
No pressure, right?
Standardized tests were just not the format in which I shined as a student.
Thankfully, a strong GPA, extracurricular activities and community service items helped beef up my college applications for a lackluster ACT performance.
While I know there are others out there like me who hate standardized tests with a passion, I know there are also others who are the complete opposite.
My wife is one of them.
Give her an old fashioned No. 2 pencil and a test booklet and stand back.
Those same test-taking qualities appear to be prevalent throughout Northeast Mississippi as results from the college readiness test taken by high school juniors released last week show some strong performance in our region.
The results released include scores from tests taken during the 2015-16 school year for the ACT, which is designed to measure college readiness based on the skills high school teachers teach and what instructors of entry-level college courses expect.
Four Northeast Mississippi school districts had average composite scores of 20 or above: Amory, Corinth and Itawamba County school districts with 20 and Oxford School District with 22.1.
The Tupelo Public School District, which has only one high school, has an overall composite score of 19.1. That score is up from 18.8 the previous school year.
The Lee County School District’s composite score was 18.9. That score is up from 17.7 the previous school year.
Mooreville High School had an average composite score of 19.9, Saltillo High’s composite score was 20 and Shannon High’s was 16.
Across the state, Mississippi juniors saw their average scores increase in all four tested subjects, with the average composite score coming in at 18.3 – an increase from 17.6 the previous school year.
Many districts across Mississippi will continue to offer math and literacy readiness courses to help prepare the students to take the test again. The courses focus on reading, writing and math skills students must have to succeed in the workplace or college.
While many students in the region and the state did well on the ACT test, a stronger performance by high school students should still be a top priority for our educators, parents and community leaders.
All in all, Mississippi isn’t too far off the national average composite score, which came in at 20.8, according to ACT’s annual score report.
The comparison to the national average is even better when you look at some of the top-performing districts from our region.
Looking at how Mississippi students did on the test compared to students in other states is where you really start getting into some apples to oranges comparison.
It’s easy to look at the state by state results and criticize Mississippi for being second to last – above Nevada – for the lowest average score in the nation.
But those are unfair comparisons for a number of reasons – mainly because students in other states aren’t required to take the ACT as they are in Mississippi.
So while Mississippi’s composite average score is a solid representation of how all of its high school juniors performed, the average score of other states might only include the top-tier students who take the test because of a specific college admission requirement.
But regardless of how you look at the numbers, a stronger performance by our students can and should always be a priority if we expect them to compete in this new global economy.
Investing in readiness courses and ACT prep classes – especially for students who already struggle with standardized tests – are great ways to help increase those scores.
Yet we also need to remember to celebrate the success of our students on all academic achievements and help cultivate well-rounded students.
The strong scores of high school students on the ACT across the region and state need to be applauded by parents, educators and residents because we should all understand that the educational achievements of our students play a direct role in so many other areas of development and progress for our communities.
Rod Guajardo is editor of the Daily Journal. Connect with him through Twitter: @rodgjournal, by email: rod.guajardo@journalinc.com or by phone: (662) 678-1579. | http://djournal.com/opinion/rod-guajardo-celebrate-student-act-success-invest-methods-improvement/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | djournal.com/ec56330d5ff0c7b0927cdd2e0def1912bd07d7b9db0ae82cd90b32402bbe8409.json |
[
"Emma Crawford"
] | 2016-08-26T12:56:14 | null | 2016-08-26T06:19:24 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fearly-childhood-education-conference-take-place-saturday%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/news_education_green-130x130.png | en | null | Early childhood education conference to take place Saturday | null | null | djournal.com | By Emma Crawford Kent
Daily Journal
TUPELO – Childcare professionals and early childhood educators will gather Saturday in New Albany to sharpen their teaching skills and explore new approaches to prekindergarten education.
The conference, “Unlocking Their Potential,” will take place at the Magnolia Civic Center and is sponsored by the Union and Lee County Excel by 5 coalitions and the Northeast Mississippi Early Childhood Association.
Jeannie Doler, conference co-chair, said there are already between 150-200 people registered for the event.
Doler said the conference will be helpful to all kinds of professionals who work in early childcare including preschool teachers, Head Start teachers, home educators, elementary school teachers and infant/toddler teachers.
“Everything we do, we do for the children,” Doler said. “We can’t reach each child individually, so we go above and reach the teachers.”
The conference will feature several presenters including authors, early childcare professionals and professors from the University of Mississippi. Attendees will also have opportunities to participate in breakout sessions and network with their peers.
“It never hurts to bounce ideas off of one teacher to another teacher,” Doler said. “I hope they make those connections.”
Teachers can also earn continuing education credits by attending the conference.
Melinda Tidwell, certification manager of Lee County Excel by 5, said the conference will support Excel by 5’s mission of equipping parents, teachers and community members to prepare children for kindergarten.
“The conference offers continuing education for early childhood educators including daycare workers,” Tidwell said. “They have a really great speaker that will energize them about early learning and give the childcare professionals a chance to network and share ideas about early childhood education.”
Without the funding and support provided by the two Excel by 5 groups, Doler said, the conference would not be possible.
Doler said her hope is for teachers to attend, learn valuable lessons and immediately implement those new ideas in their classrooms. From her perspective, making a change in children’s lives begins with equipping teachers.
Doler said she and others who help put together this weekend’s conference are committed to doing just that.
“We want those babies to grow up and be strong leaders in Mississippi,” Doler said. “We have to give them what it takes now for them to be able to reach that.”
Anyone wishing to attend the conference can pre-register by contacting Doler at djdoler2012@hot-mail.com or register at the door on Saturday.
There is a registration fee of $20 per person.
emma.crawford@journalinc.com
Twitter: @emcrawfordkent | http://djournal.com/news/early-childhood-education-conference-take-place-saturday/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/3237278e3e9d3af26ca771f385cb71a4212153f15f0592c71d002016df8e0eeb.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-26T16:51:05 | null | 2016-08-26T10:08:50 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Flifestyle%2Fgary-bachman-tropical-looking-plants-give-late-summer-show%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/03/Bachman-Gary-99x130.jpg | en | null | GARY BACHMAN: Tropical-looking plants give late summer show | null | null | djournal.com | I make a point every week to walk around our plant trial beds at the Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi to see how everything is growing. Lately, I’ve been impressed by some of the landscape plants with tropical-looking foliage that are putting on a late summer show right now.
While it’s too late to plant some of these this year, I want to give you a couple of good ideas for plants to have in your garden and landscape for future summers.
One group of plants I seem to be amazed at each year are caladiums. I think they have a bad reputation as not being tough, but let me tell you: They are tough.
We grow caladiums because of their colorful leaves that can range from solid colors to the most flamboyant color combinations. Even during the hottest periods of summer, caladiums are colorful additions to the landscape.
Caladium foliage is distinctive. The midribs on the leaves provide streaks and flashes of color, many times providing high contrast to the rest of the foliage. Foliage colors include reds, pinks, whites and greens, and these come in various shades and combinations.
A caladium group called Painted Frog from Plants Nouveau has performed well in our coastal Mississippi landscape in both partial and full sun. Tie-Dyed Tree Frog has green leaves with a mottled yellow variegation that looks like splattered paint. Poison Dart Frog has a waxy appearance with dark-green leaves that are red splotched. But my favorite is Red-Bellied Tree Frog with its dark-green-edged leaves saturated with bright lava-red centers.
Elephant ears are possibly the ultimate tropical plant, and they just scream for attention wherever they grow. Most gardeners I know love elephant ears because they are easy to grow and have a big impact. There are lots of green-leaved elephant ears, but I tend to gravitate to the darker colors, like black.
Black Coral has large, glossy, chocolaty-black leaves with finely ruffled edges. This variety offers some of the deepest and darkest elephant leaves available in the market. Diamond Head is an outstanding Colocasia with foliage that is black and lustrous, just like its namesake volcanic cone on the island of Oahu.
Mississippi State University is also trialing a surprising tropical-looking plant that most gardeners are more familiar seeing in the kitchen cabinet: turmeric. Turmeric, which is a close relative of ginger, produces large leaves that have the desired tropical look and thrive in our coastal heat and humidity.
These plants form clumps and spread by rhizomes, which by the way, is the edible portion of the plant. Down in the middle of the foliage, turmeric forms attractive, white flowers tinged with pale-pink edges. It’s not surprising that these plants are commonly called Hidden Ginger.
We’re going to see how turmeric grows in the ground and overwinters on the Coast. We know it grows well in containers in north Mississippi, where cold-weather protection is required.
One nice thing about all of these plants is that they can be readily propagated by root offshoots. That means you can spread them around the garden or better yet, share them with family and friends.
Our trial site in Biloxi is one of five that MSU has around the state. Learn more about these trial gardens in this Southern Gardening column from 2015: http://extension.msstate.edu/news/southern-gardening/2015/trial-gardens-offer-good-info-home-gardeners
Gary Bachman is an associate extension and research professor of horticulture at the Coastal Research and Extension Center in Biloxi. His Southern Gardening column appears in the Daily Journal Home & Garden section twice a month. | http://djournal.com/lifestyle/gary-bachman-tropical-looking-plants-give-late-summer-show/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/6e057a31ce037fc08e7cf8c66f7f91fc3d89b32b8bac03099154b2cc1bf3a7ce.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-31T12:51:51 | null | 2016-08-31T06:26:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Flifestyle%2Fchili-fest-registration-now-open%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2013/10/Chili-Fest-Logo5-300x197.jpg | en | null | Chili Fest registration now open | null | null | djournal.com | Daily Journal
TUPELO – The 17th annual Chili Fest is slated for Friday, Oct. 7 in downtown Tupelo. The one-day festival will be held on South Broadway Street between Main and Troy and will consist of lunch, music and a community chili cook-off.
Hosted by the Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association, the competition portion of the festival offers teams of four members to compete against other teams in a number of prize categories including chili recipe, presentation, team spirit, costumes, most creative tent and most original theme.
Registration is $40 if sign up is completed by Sept. 23. Team registrations will be accepted as availability is available until Oct. 3 for $50. Registration forms can be downloaded at tupelomainstreeet.com or at the DTMSA office at 108 S. Broadway St. For more details, call (662) 841-6598. | http://djournal.com/lifestyle/chili-fest-registration-now-open/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | djournal.com/323c77333dddbda46e0b5769e9c852b1f6ae52eb15c2a56fd382d5540f6dea5b.json |
[
"Caleb Bedillion"
] | 2016-08-28T12:51:16 | null | 2016-08-28T06:57:30 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Flee-county-tax-lien-auction-ready-online-debut%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/county_lee_green-130x130.png | en | null | Lee County tax lien auction ready for online debut | null | null | djournal.com | Posted on by in Local Government
By Caleb Bedillion
Daily Journal
TUPELO – Lee County will conduct a tax lien auction on Monday as has been done in the past, but with one big difference.
All bidding will be conducted online rather than through a live auction.
The online portal can be found at www.govease.com/auctions.
Lee County officials chose to contract with Jackson-based GovEase to conduct the online sale.
The company won’t charge the county any money. Instead, auction participants will pay a $10 fee per parcel for which a bid is made.
As of Friday, 65 online accounts were registered to participate in Monday’s Lee County tax sale, said GovEase President Ryan Matthews.
GovEase also will conduct an online auction for Madison County.
Bidding begins at 8:30 a.m.
Work stations will be available for public use in the old county courthouse. That will allow residents without a computer or internet access the option to participate in the sale.
The state legislature only this year gave counties the option to adopt the online format. Earlier this month, the Lee County Board of Supervisors voted in favor of the online format.
District 4 Supervisor Tommie Lee Ivy cast a dissenting vote against the online format.
Ivy has expressed concern that some people may be unable to participate due to technological limitations.
The county’s contract with GovEase is only for one year. Next year, officials can evaluate whether or not to continue with the online format and, if so, whether to maintain ties with GovEase.
Matthews said 20-25 people attended an information session in Lee County on Wednesday. The session was intended to allow users to gain familiarity with the online format.
An online training webinar also was offered.
Property taxes come due in January. Past Feb. 1, penalty fees kick in on top of the taxes. Per state law, Lee County conducts an auction of unpaid taxes that still haven’t been paid by the last Monday in August.
Auction participants have the opportunity to “buy” a property’s unpaid property taxes and associated penalties.
The property itself, however, doesn’t change hands, at least not yet. The owner or lien holder has two years to “redeem” the property by paying all unpaid taxes and the penalties that have continued to accrue.
If a property is redeemed, a successful bidder gets his or her money back plus interest. County tax sales are therefore often seen as investment opportunities.
Rarely, properties are never redeemed. That means the bidder can seek to take ownership of the property.
caleb.bedillion@journalinc.com
Twitter: @CalebBedillion | http://djournal.com/news/lee-county-tax-lien-auction-ready-online-debut/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | djournal.com/508217508d30d42b76d2ae597f34dad36cdb6d4ff1f82bbabbc23bc51d894fbd.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T12:58:49 | null | 2016-08-24T10:39:32 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fopinion%2Fbobby-harrison-legislative-committees-mostly-quit-spending-long-hours-budgets%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2013/12/Harrison-Bobby1-100x130.jpg | en | null | BOBBY HARRISON: Legislative committees mostly quit spending long hours on the budgets | null | null | djournal.com | At the first meeting of the working groups formed by Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, who presides over the Senate, and House Speaker Philip Gunn to look at the state’s spending and taxing policies, Senate Appropriations Chair Buck Clarke, R-Hollandale, lamented, “We haven’t really been doing our jobs.”
One can surmise Clarke was saying the working groups formed by the speaker and lieutenant governor would allow legislators to better perform one of their core functions – to provide oversight of the executive branch of state government.
And by all means Clarke’s candor is refreshing. How often do you hear politicians say they have not been doing their job?
But with all due respect to the Senate chairman, who is one of the most amicable and in truth hard-working individuals in state government, the working groups are not needed for legislators to do their job or “to do the deep dive” into the funding of state governmental agencies.
To do that “deep dive” is the reason standing committees and sub committees of those standing committees were established long ago.
Clarke said nowadays the subcommittees meet with agency heads for about five minutes to get a budget request.
But for whatever reason, standing committees seldom if ever hold meetings any more just to garner information.
The Finance Committee does not hold meetings like those any longer. No committee holds meetings to allow legislators to learn about issues so they can be better informed when they make votes during the session.
It is as if Gunn and Reeves are not happy with the assignments they made to the more than 60 standing committees that already exist. The legislators appointed to those committees less than eight months ago were for the most part appointed at the discretion of Gunn and Reeves. But it appears about one-half year later they want a do-over on their committee assignments so they formed the working groups.
Just because the word “working” is not incorporated into the titles of the existing standing committees does not mean they cannot work.
There is nothing to prevent the existing committees from working.
Even the 14-member Legislative Budget Committee, which is comprised of the speaker, lieutenant governor and their appointees, no longer performs the functions they used to perform. Once upon a time the Budget Committee would meet for most of the month of September and do that “deep dive” into agency spending. The hearings often were tedious, but real information was gleaned from the effort.
Last year the Budget Committee met for two days in public meetings with agency heads.
Perhaps, Reeves and Gunn can claim that committee meetings conducted before they got their current positions did not result in the right-sizing of government that they are striving to achieve. But it was not from lack of oversight.
Legislative budget leaders like Jack Gordon, Alan Nunnelee, Johnny Stringer, Cecil Brown, Dick Hall, Charlie Capps and many others did those deep dives.
Clarke said legislators “should be doing every year” what the working groups are currently do.
Of course they should, and nothing, including the lack of working groups before this year, has prevented legislators from doing that.
Contact Capitol Bureau reporter Bobby Harrison at bobby.harrison@journalinc.com, or call him at (601) 946-9931. | http://djournal.com/opinion/bobby-harrison-legislative-committees-mostly-quit-spending-long-hours-budgets/ | en | 2016-08-24T00:00:00 | djournal.com/3e51e1d1d55eab2da0e385fcbe4dcf4417d19e930076773aebbb3f95f1e997e6.json |
[
"Parrish Alford"
] | 2016-08-30T14:49:58 | null | 2016-08-30T07:54:05 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fcollege%2Frebels-shrug-off-ncaa-chatter%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/07/Freeze-e1468759251483-96x130.jpg | en | null | Rebels shrug off NCAA chatter | null | null | djournal.com | By Parrish Alford
Daily Journal
OXFORD – Ole Miss players have said throughout the off-season that they haven’t been distracted by the on-going NCAA investigation into the school’s football program.
That story took another turn last week when Yahoo Sports reported the NCAA was interviewing players at other SEC schools about their recruiting experiences with Ole Miss.
That pushed the investigation story – which will soon be four years old – into the spotlight again.
While there was little from which to be distracted in the summer, that’s changed now. No. 11-ranked Ole Miss faces No. 4 Florida State on Monday night in Orlando.
“I’ve said this a hundred times. Our players are the priority. They have zero to do with whatever the noise is,” Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said. “That’s what motivates me. All of the talk or whatever is about a kid or kids that don’t play here anymore. When I look at these young men I think about what I owe them to get them ready to play.”
Freeze last week questioned the validity of the report, saying he didn’t know if it was true.
Moving on
Center Robert Conyers says blocking out media coverage really isn’t difficult.
“The guys on the team have just kind of moved on from it. It happened. Now we’ve got games to win. … We just went back to work,” he said.
Conyers sustained a torn ACL last October and had surgery weeks later. He sat out the spring but has had no major setbacks this month.
And there is relief that game week has finally arrived.
“It’s a lot better not having to go up against your own guys,” Conyers said. “There’s something to look forward to instead of just practice. We’re all excited to start playing.”
parrish.alford@journalinc.com
Twitter: @parrishalford | http://djournal.com/sports/college/rebels-shrug-off-ncaa-chatter/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | djournal.com/a7c0ef34748295a60bdfc232c2a7547247e6edea9bfca5930d546a5aa69b6625.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-31T10:48:05 | null | 2016-08-31T05:10:53 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fcommissioners-cite-need-highway-revenue%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/other_state_news-130x130.png | en | null | Commissioners cite need for more highway revenue | null | null | djournal.com | By Zachary Oren Smith
Mississippi Today
The three state Transportation Commissioners agree that more funds are needed to meet the state’s bridge and highway needs.
The trick, they note, is how to get that financing from a Legislature reluctant to raise taxes or add new ones.
Though they note that there are many avenues for Mississippi to invest in state infrastructure, both Commissioners Tom King and Dick Hall said the quickest method might be to raise the state fuel tax.
“I believe that now would be the time to increase the fuel tax,” King said. “In 2017, it will have been 30 years since it was last adjusted.”
“The price of gasoline is lower than it has been,” King continued. “(Cars) get so many more miles per gallon. I think in a short time, the next ten years, they will have an increase in the fuel tax. That’s the simplest, cleanest way to do it.”
But Hall, a former state legislator, hesitates to tell the Legislature how it should fund the Transportation Department.
“I’m certainly not going to be the one to tell the Legislature how to fund it,” Hall said. “My job is to say ‘Here is the situation. Here is the problem we have. Here is the kind of money we need.’ It’s up to them to decide (how to fund it).”
Commissioner Mike Tagert of the Northern District said that he doesn’t believe the department’s funding woes can be settled through one source.
Tagert said the Mississippi Economic Council’s push this spring for an additional $375 million felt a little spare. But being pragmatic, Tagert said he was willing to accept what he could get.
“Because of the nature of the large amount of funding and resources needed to address the program long term, the MEC ultimately campaigned for an additional $375 million for infrastructure,” he said. “They knew it wouldn’t be everything they needed, but it was a reasonable number and palatable one.”
King said, “We’re a special fund agency. We don’t receive any moneys from the Legislature unless it is through a bond or something of that nature. All of our funds come from fees and the gas tax and reimbursements. We certainly can’t tell them how to fund, however we can give them our ideas and work with them.”
One idea Tagert mentioned as a starting point would be an annual bonding for non-maintenance related projects.
The Transportation Department estimates that maintenance for roads would cost an additional $694 million per year and bridges, $145 million per year, for five years and $125 million per year afterwards.
That means that just for maintenance, an additional $839 million will be necessary for the agency to provide the maintenance the state needs.
In contrast, the agency estimates that $158 million per year will be necessary to expand corridors in high growth areas and congested freight paths. A regular bond for capacity growth might provide the necessary flexibility to grow infrastructure where need while maintaining the existing roads, Tagert said.
“If we were able to bite the bullet and fund our infrastructure the way it needs to be,” Tagert said, “that’s not just fixing the problem for us – that’s fixing the problem four, five, six generations down the line.”
If infrastructure is going to get the funding that the commissioners hope for, Tagert said awareness is key. That’s why he applauded efforts this summer by Rep. Charles Busby, R-Jackson County, to lead members of the House Transportation Committee to look at the degree of decay in infrastructure in each of the three transportation districts.
“It was only just a couple of years ago that people were wondering whether or not the need was there,” Tagert said. “If you get people to recognize there is an issue (in infrastructure), we can begin working on a solution.”
In terms of funding, the Transportation Department is an outlier – it is a special fund agency. Most state agencies are funded with the money appropriated by the Legislature from the general fund each session. Though the legislature appropriates money for transportation, the money does not come from the general fund.
More than half of the billion dollars in annual funding for state highways and bridges each year comes from the federal government, each dollar of which comes with strings attached. For example, a certain amount must be spent on Mississippi’s sections of the interstate system, another on road safety and so on.
About thirty percent of the agency’s budget comes in the form of a special fund – the gas tax. For every gallon of gas pumped into a car in Mississippi, an 18 cent tax is charged. This tax revenue goes towards funding hundreds of bridge and highway projects.
Because MDOT cannot use funds that have not already been collected in revenue, it must project revenues for each fiscal year.
For fiscal years 2017 and 2018, MDOT estimates that 43 percent of their revenues will come via federal funds. 25 percent is expected to come from the state’s 18 cent fuel tax. The remainder, approximately $375 million, is expected to come from sources like car tag fees, truck & bus taxes and fees, the contractor’s tax, motor carrier fees, and other miscellaneous state taxes and fees. | http://djournal.com/news/commissioners-cite-need-highway-revenue/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | djournal.com/0d0e86bcf72f4905d9eccde664993697f8896b40a2d53e5cf7d7c4b6615febd4.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-27T06:49:21 | null | 2016-08-27T01:29:59 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fmlb-roundup-sanchez-homers-rout%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/sanchez-300x220-1.jpg | en | null | MLB Roundup: Sanchez homers again in rout | null | null | djournal.com | Associated Press
NEW YORK – Rookie Gary Sanchez homered for the eighth time in nine games and drove in four runs to help the New York Yenkees beat the Baltimore Orioles 14-4 on Friday.
Mark Teixeira and Chase Headley also went deep for the surging Yankees, who moved five games over .500 for the first time this season.
Sanchez, who had three hits, had a two-out single in the bottom of the first. Teixeira followed with a towering shot into the right-field bleachers off Yovani Gallardo to give New York a 2-1 lead.
The Yankees broke the game open against Gallardo (4-6) with a six-run second. The right-hander was charged with eight runs over 1 1/3 innings, the shortest start of his 10-year career.
Luis Cessa (4-0) gave up three runs and five hits over six innings in his second big-league start.
Manny Machado homered twice for the Orioles, giving him 31 for the season.
METS 9, PHILLIES 4: Wilmer Flores launched a grand slam, Asdrubal Cabrera homered from both sides of the plate and even Bartolo Colon had two helpful hits while pitching the New York Mets to a victory over the Philadelphia Phillies.
Jose Reyes and Cabrera opened the Mets’ half of the first inning with consecutive home runs, only the second time the franchise has accomplished the feat. Trying to make a significant move in the crowded NL wild-card race, New York (65-63) opened a 10-game homestand by winning for the fifth time in its past six.
The 43-year-old Colon (12-7) carried a two-hitter into the eighth inning. He also lashed two sharp hits that delighted the crowd, a leadoff double in the fifth and a line-drive single in the sixth.
The pudgy pitcher scored both times, first ahead of Flores’ third career slam and then in front of Cabrera’s second homer of the night. The switch-hitting shortstop became the first Mets player to go deep from both sides in one game since Carlos Beltran at Colorado on May 12, 2011.
Phillies left-hander Adam Morgan (1-8) took the loss.
INDIANS 12, RANGERS 1: Corey Kluber pitched six strong innings for a career-best sixth straight victory and Abraham Almonte hit two run-scoring doubles, helping Cleveland rout Texas in a matchup of division leaders.
The Indians (73-54) snapped a three-game losing streak, which had tied a season high, and pulled within a game of the Rangers (75-54) for the best record in the American League a night after losing 9-0 to Texas ace Cole Hamels.
Adrian Beltre hit a solo homer in the sixth for the AL West-leading Rangers, but Kluber (14-8) struck out the other three hitters in the right-hander’s final inning to finish with seven strikeouts. The 2014 AL Cy Young winner has a 1.75 ERA over the nine starts covering the winning streak.
Martin Perez (8-10) was the loser.
TIGERS 4, ANGELS 2: Justin Verlander pitched into the eighth inning and Justin Upton homered for the fourth time in five games to lead Detroit past Los Angeles.
The Tigers have won five straight to move back into contention in the AL Central and wild-card races.
Upton was hitting .226 when Tigers manager Brad Ausmus held him out of the starting lineup for three days last week. Since returning Saturday, he’s batting .417 with seven extra-base hits and 11 RBIs.
Verlander (14-7) allowed two runs and four hits in 7 2/3 innings. He walked one and struck out eight in his ninth straight quality start. Francisco Rodriguez got the last four outs for his 36th save.
Ricky Nolasco (4-12) was the loser.
MARINERS 3, WHITE SOX 1: Chris Sale struck out 14 but got outpitched by Felix Hernandez and the Seattle bullpen, and the Mariners beat Chicago to end a three-game skid.
Hernandez (9-4) improved to 5-0 in eight starts since returning from the disabled list, throwing 7 1/3 innings of one-run ball. Sale (15-7) gave up five hits and walked none in his fifth complete game of the season. He retired the final 16 batters, striking out 10 of them.
Sale struck out six straight in the sixth and seventh innings, one shy of Joe Cowley’s team record.
Franklin Gutierrez hit a solo home run and Adam Lind added an RBI double off Sale.
Todd Frazier’s 32nd home run in the seventh was one of eight hits off Hernandez.
NATIONALS 8, ROCKIES 5: Jayson Werth and Daniel Murphy hit solo homers and drove in two runs each, and Gio Gonzalez earned his 100th career victory in Washington’s win over Colorado.
Gonzalez (9-9) threw six innings and allowed two runs and four hits with one walk and five strikeouts.
Nick Hundley hit a three-run homer for the Rockies.
While Gonzalez hit the century mark, Rockies rookie Jeff Hoffman (0-2), remains in search of his first major league win. Hoffman allowed a homer to the second batter he faced when Werth went deep for the second time in twos many days and the 18th time this season.
Murphy gave the Nationals a 4-2 lead in the fifth with his team-leading 25th homer. The solo blast gave the Nationals second baseman 500 career RBIs.
ASTROS 5, RAYS 4: Carlos Correa and Evan Gattis hit back-to-back homers in the ninth inning to lift Houston past Tampa Bay.
Mikie Mahtook’s first homer this season, a towering shot with two outs in the ninth inning, had put the Rays on top before Houston’s dramatic comeback.
Correa connected on the first pitch in the ninth inning from Alex Colome (1-4) on a home run to the seats in right field to tie it 4-4. Gattis then fought through eight pitches before sending the ninth to right field for his 21st homer that gave Houston the win.
Ken Giles (2-3) was the winner.
Jake Marisnick homered in the second for Houston.
ROYALS 6, RED SOX 3: Eric Hosmer and Alex Gordon homered, and Ian Kennedy allowed one run through five innings and Kansas City beat Boston.
Kansas City has won 11 of its last 12 games and is 18-6 in August.
Kennedy (9-9) had a chance set a club record by allowing one or fewer runs in six straight outings of at least six innings. But he left with a runner on after 5 1/3 innings and wound up charged for two earned runs in the game. He finished with nine strikeouts.
Kelvin Herrera earned his 10th save.
Lorenzo Cain added a solo homer in the eighth inning.
Steven Wright (13-6) took the loss.
CARDINALS 3, ATHLETICS 1: Jedd Gyorko homered and Luke Weaver pitched six strong innings to earn his first major league win as St. Louis beat Oakland.
Gyorko’s 423-foot shot in the first extended the Cardinals’ home run streak to 15 games, the longest active streak in the majors, and made it 2-0 after just two batters.
Weaver (1-1) gave up one run and four hits in a career-high six innings in his home debut for the Cardinals. Five of his seven strikeouts were looking.
Yonder Alonso’s solo homer in the second inning was the A’s only run.
Seung Hwan Oh got the last three outs for his 13th save helping the Cardinals get their first interleague win at home in eight tries this season.
Ross Detwiler (1-3) took the loss.
BLUE JAYS 15, TWINS 8: Russell Martin and Justin Smoak each homered and drove in five runs and Toronto handed Minnesota its eighth straight loss.
Josh Donaldson and Darwin Barney also homered. Francisco Liriano had his first win with Toronto to help the Blue Jays take a one-game lead in the AL East.
Trevor Plouffe hit a solo homer for the last-place Twins.
Smoak connected off Pat Dean (1-4) in the second inning and Donaldson followed three batters later with his 30th. Barney homered off Andrew Albers to begin a four-run sixth for the Blue Jays. Martin capped the inning with a three-run double off Pat Light.
PIRATES 5, BREWERS 3: Jordy Mercer’s first career grand slam capped a five-run sixth inning that started with two errors by Milwaukee third baseman Jonathan Villar, and Pittsburgh held off the Brewers.
Villar bobbled a bouncer by Andrew McCutchen to open the sixth, then threw wildly to second after making a diving stab on Gregory Polanco’s hard shot.
Starling Marte followed with an RBI double off starter Matt Garza (4-6) to break a scoreless tie. Three batters later, Mercer cleared the bases with his homer to left-center.
The Brewers rallied in the bottom of the sixth behind a three-run shot from rookie shortstop Orlando Arcia, his first in the big leagues.
Pittsburgh’s problematic bullpen barely held on from there to back starter Ryan Vogelsong (3-3). Domingo Santana popped out to end the game with the potential tying run at second.
Tony Watson escaped the jam for his ninth save.
GIANTS 7, BRAVES 0: Jeff Samardzija and two relievers combined on a seven-hitter for San Francisco.
Angel Pagan homered while Brandon Belt, Denard Span and Buster Posey added two hits apiece for the Giants. San Francisco scored six runs on two-out hits and benefited from three Atlanta errors.
Samardzija (11-9) had an uneven outing and had to pitch out of two early jams to win for only the fourth time since May 30. Samardzija allowed seven hits, walked three and struck out six. He also doubled and scored in the fourth.
Freddie Freeman had two hits for Atlanta.
San Francisco had four consecutive two-out hits off starter Joel De La Cruz (0-7) in the first inning following a throwing error by Atlanta shortstop Dansby Swanson.
DIAMONDBACKS 4, REDS 3, 11 INN.: Arizona’s Brandon Drury scored the winning run on a wild pitch with two outs in the 11th inning.
After the Diamondbacks gave up a 2-1 lead in the ninth and then rallied to tie it in the 10th, a wild pitch by Blake Wood ended the game.
Drury doubled with one out off Wood (5-3) and took third on a groundout. A walk brought up Jean Segura, and Wood’s first pitch bounced in front of home plate and went all the way to the backstop.
Drury slid home head-first for Arizona’s second extra-inning win in three nights.
Edwin Escobar (1-2) got the victory with a scoreless inning.
CUBS 6, DODGERS 4, 10 INN.: Kris Bryant hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the 10th inning to go with an earlier solo shot to lift Chicago in the series opener between NL division leaders.
Bryant’s 35th homer capped a comeback from an earlier two-run deficit and extended the Cubs’ winning streak to four games.
Chicago improved to 19-4 in August while earning its major league-leading 82nd victory.
Travis Wood (4-0) got the victory with one inning of relief. Aroldis Chapman struck out two in the 10th to earn his 10th save.
Adam Liberatore (2-1) took the loss, allowing two runs and four hits in one inning. | http://djournal.com/sports/mlb-roundup-sanchez-homers-rout/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | djournal.com/3ee844f63c2e43cff9a8c45037981cbe39bf8b8b4b690a9d28d7b343a728c508.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-26T12:57:37 | null | 2016-08-01T17:04:51 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Ftupelo-officer-cleared-wrongdoing-shumpert-shooting%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/08011603-John-Weddle.jpg | en | null | Tupelo officer cleared of wrongdoing in Shumpert shooting | null | null | djournal.com | Video excerpts from the Weddle press conference:
Daily Journal
TUPELO – A Lee County grand jury met Monday and cleared Tupelo policeman Tyler Cook of any criminal wrongdoing in the June 18 fatal shooting of Antwun “Ronnie” Shumpert.
The June grand jury was recalled Monday morning at 9 a.m. and listened to all of the evidence.
“The grand jury found that officer Cook acted lawfully on June 18 and have cleared him of any wrongdoing,” said District Attorney John Weddle.
During a press conference later in the day, however, Shumpert family attorney Carlos Moore pledged to keep fighting. Moore noted a civil lawsuit he has filed in federal court. He also said he has asked the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Department of Justice to conduct an independent investigation into Shumpert’s death.
“The family is simply crushed,” Moore said.
Shumpert, 37, fled a routine traffic stop in the Lee Acres neighborhood. During a confrontation with Cook, Shumpert was shot four times in the chest and abdomen.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation was called in to complete an independent investigation, which was monitored by the FBI.
Weddle said the investigation showed that Tupelo Police were watching the Townhouse Motel on June 18 after repeated reports of drug activity. After the car Shumpert was driving pulled into the motel parking lot and left after just a few minutes, it was pulled over by officer Joseph Senter around 9:30 p.m.
Weddle said the car did not have a working tail light and failed to signal turns, both valid reasons for a traffic stop. Shumpert ran, despite orders from Senter to remain in the car.
Cook and his K-9 unit located Shumpert hiding in a crawl space under the house on the 900 block of Harrison Street.
“When Shumpert retreated further under the house, officer Cook released the K-9,” Weddle said. “During the struggle, the dog lost control but still had Shumpert’s jersey.
“Shumpert emerged from under the house, charged officer Cook and tackled him.”
Weddle said Shumpert got on top of Cook and while sitting astride the officer, began hitting him in the head with his fists.
“Officer Cook had his weapon in his right hand (using the flashlight to search for Shumpert in the dark) and was trying to defend himself with his left hand,” Weddle said. “When he felt he was losing consciousness, he fired four times.”
The autopsy report, compiled by state medical examiner Dr. Mark LeVaughn, said the first shot entered the groin, traveling from front to back. The next three shots all traveled in an upward direction from front to back.
Shumpert’s family members have said the shooting was unjustified, seeking $35 million in damages in a federal lawsuit against the city. They’ve also called for a federal civil rights investigation into Shumpert’s death and the broader practices of the Tupelo Police Department.
“While we are incredibly disappointed that the officer who killed Antwun ‘Ronnie’ Shumpert will not be charged with a crime by the state of Mississippi, we will continue to monitor the investigations currently being conducted by the FBI and Department of Justice,” said Carlos Moore, a lawyer for Shumpert’s family, in an email to members of the media.
Weddle refuted claims by Shumpert’s family and their attorney that Shumpert had suffered improper violence at the hands of Cook and a police dog.
“There are no wounds described in the autopsy that are consistent with a dog bite,” Weddle said.
Weddle said physical evidence showed Shumpert was shot four times at close range, consistent with Cook’s version of events that Shumpert had emerged from under a house and attacked the officer, leading Cook to shoot Shumpert when the officer feared for his life.
Weddle also refuted claims that Shumpert had been bitten in the groin by Cook’s police dog, saying that was a gunshot wound. He also said cuts on Shumpert’s back came from efforts to remove the bullets and were not seen in pictures taken at the scene.
Finally, he refuted Moore’s claims that he had found an eyewitness who had recorded video, saying the woman in question was held by a police officer near the scene of the original traffic stop and could not have seen the altercation in the backyard of a house.
The version of events compiled by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation and recited by Weddle mirrors an account given last month by Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton.
Check back with the Daily Journal for more information as this story develops.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Video of the entire Weddle press conference:
LIVE UPDATES FROM PRESS CONFERENCE
• Tupelo Mayor Jason Shelton just released the following statement:
“The Grand Jury had a great weight on its shoulders, and I appreciate our fellow Lee Countians for their time and service. The Grand Jury was presented with the facts of the case, which were ascertained through an independent review by the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, and based its decision solely on these facts. I hope all citizens will join in respecting the decision.
We must also remember that the loss of life is always a tragedy, especially for the family. Our hearts go out to the Shumpert family with sympathy and acknowledgement of their loss and grief.
This situation, though tragic, has shone a light on much work that must be done. We are committed to the hard work that is ahead of us and will continue meeting with community leaders to move forward. We will not rest until our goal, a better Tupelo for all, is reached. City officials will review details released today from the independent investigation and comment further at a later date.”
• District attorney announces a grand jury has found that Tupelo Police Department Officer Tyler Cook acted lawfully during the June 18 fatal shooting of Antwun “Ronnie” Shumpert and has cleared the officer of any criminal wrongdoing.
• MBI made contact with Moore, asked he provide witness names he had. Was given two names, affidavit from passenger.
• Weddle: Physical evidence supports Cook’s account of altercation.
• Injuries to Shumpert’s back are from exploratory cuts to locate two bullets in his body, two deeper ones to excise bullets.
• Two neighbors were outside during incident, reported hearing gun shots.
• No other evidence of traumatic injury revealed in autopsy. Nothing that would suggest a dog bite.
• Weddle: Autopsy report on Shumpert reveals he died from multiple gunshot wounds.
• Passenger Charles Foster was patted down, cuffed. Foster told officers he didn’t know why Shumpert ran, only knew his first name (Ronnie).
• Weddle: Cook said he was starting to lose consciousness, fired weapon.
• Weddle: Shumpert eluded dog, attacked Cook, began striking him in head with fist. Cook had firearm in right hand.
• Weddle: Cook identified himself, told subject to show hands. Shumpert went further under house. K-9 released, struggle ensued
• K-9 led Cook to back yard on Harrison, entered yard, saw hand holding crawl space door shut, drew weapon, opened door, saw Shumpert.
• Officer pursued Shumpert on foot, lost sight of him. Contacted other officers, including Tyler Cook, who had K-9 with him.
• Weddle: One officer drew weapon, gave commands for Shumpert to return to vehicle. He did not comply.
• Weddle recounting facts as determined by MBI investigation.
• Weddle says he will go through MBI report and discuss his office’s role in the case.
• Weddle confirms case was presented to grand jury today. Passes press conference over to Mississippi Bureau of Investigation spokesman Warren Strain.
Daily Journal
TUPELO – District Attorney John Weddle is slated to announce developments this afternoon in the June 18 fatal shooting of Antwun “Ronnie” Shumpert at the hands of a Tupelo Police Department officer.
Weddle’s office announced a press conference for 3:30 p.m. today at the Lee County Justice Center.
The Daily Journal will provide live streaming of the event and live updates of the press conference on this page.
Weddle, who is the district attorney for the 1st Circuit Court District, said last month that, if possible, he would call a special grand jury to hear the evidence in the officer-involved shooting.
Shumpert ran from police during a traffic stop around 9:30 p.m. June 18 in the Lee Acres neighborhood. Following an altercation with TPD Officer Tyler Cook and a K-9 unit, Shumpert was shot four times and died at the hospital early the next morning. The details regarding the incident are disputed.
The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation was conducting a full investigation into the incident, and MBI spokesman Warren Strain confirmed Monday morning that all files regarding the investigation had been turned over to Weddle’s office.
Following Weddle’s press conference, The Tupelo City Council will hold a special called meeting to discuss pending litigation and personnel. | http://djournal.com/news/tupelo-officer-cleared-wrongdoing-shumpert-shooting/ | en | 2016-08-01T00:00:00 | djournal.com/27d6840662f482f698d67ef494d5cd0f43f5f86711473544d5d884bde3b76153.json |
[
"William Moore"
] | 2016-08-26T20:46:33 | null | 2016-08-26T15:32:17 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Ftwo-teens-arrested-charged-adults%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/other_crime_alt1-130x130.png | en | null | Two teens arrested, charged as adults | null | null | djournal.com | Daily Journal
TUPELO – Two 17-year-old males are facing felony charges as adults after a Thursday afternoon incident.
Tupelo Police responded to the theft of a car and the burglary of a home on Augusta Street around 5 p.m. Thursday. Using security camera footage, police were able to get a description of the suspects.
Around 9 p.m. the same night, patrol officers spotted two males matching the description near the intersection of Wayne Street and Lakeview Drive.
Nigel Washington and Camron Watson, both of Tupelo, were booked into the Lee County-Tupelo Adult Jail and charged with felony taking of a motor vehicle and burglary. The car was recovered. | http://djournal.com/news/two-teens-arrested-charged-adults/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/4fd19f290d37da35bfcc4e0b0c8ec1dd23c49eb3f68c334375761188a9315405.json |
[
"Parrish Alford"
] | 2016-08-31T14:49:08 | null | 2016-08-31T09:37:49 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fpolk-impresses-coaches-will-big-role-vs-florida-state%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/07/K1F3_Ole_Miss_logo-130x118.jpeg | en | null | Polk impresses his coaches and will have a big role vs. Florida State | null | null | djournal.com | By Parrish Alford
Daily Journal
OXFORD – Who’s been the best practice player on the Ole Miss defense this month?
Tayler Polk might not immediately spring to mind as your answer.
The former walk-on kind of burst into consciousness for most Ole Miss fans in the season opener against Boise State in 2014. Serderius Bryant was hurt early in the game, and suddenly Polk, a junior who played at Brandon High School, was in the game more than anticipated. It was his college debut, and he finished with four tackles and a tackle for loss.
The need for speed on defense has made it hard for Polk (5-foot-11, 212 pounds) to climb the depth chart, but he’s carved out an important role as a reserve and on special teams.
Now Dave Wommack says he’s been the Rebels’ best practice player this month.
“Tayler Polk’s going to play a lot in the game because he’s practiced so well. I don’t think anybody’s practiced better than Tayler Polk this fall,” the Rebels’ defensive coordinator said.
Ole Miss opens the season Monday against No. 4 Florida State and running back Dalvin Cook, the ACC’s leading rusher who finished seventh in the Heisman Trophy voting last year.
Look for Ole Miss to start junior DeMarquis Gates at middle linebacker, but Gates could slide outside quite a bit because of recent advances in the middle by Oregon State graduate transfer Rommel Mageo. | http://djournal.com/sports/polk-impresses-coaches-will-big-role-vs-florida-state/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | djournal.com/39e3d4fb0aa66620fe48c27d990a0ac266b6df0ef8721803df3592bb7aa61564.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-29T02:46:58 | null | 2016-08-28T21:04:20 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fromo-injury-makes-rookie-prescott-sudden-starter-cowboys%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/Dak-300x223-1.jpg | en | null | Romo injury makes rookie Prescott sudden starter for Cowboys | null | null | djournal.com | By Schuyler Dixon
AP Sports Writer
FRISCO, Texas – Dak Prescott grew up rooting for the Dallas Cowboys in Louisiana. He suddenly finds himself in line to start their opener as a rookie quarterback with Tony Romo sidelined by yet another back injury.
Receiver Brice Butler believes the fourth-round pick out of Mississippi State pictured this years ago.
“He ends up getting drafted here. Now he’s the starting quarterback,” Butler said Sunday. “I don’t know if he thought it was going to happen this soon. But I’m pretty sure when he got here, he was like, I’m going to be the future of this franchise.
“He’s in a situation now where he’s the starter and basically that comment I just said is going to depend on how he plays. And I think he’s ready for it.”
The 23-year-old Prescott was the No. 3 quarterback for the Cowboys going into training camp before backup Kellen Moore broke his right ankle in practice.
Prescott was impressive enough in the first two preseason games to make owner and general manager Jerry Jones comfortable with him as Romo’s backup, rather than bringing in a veteran.
After Romo broke a bone in his back on the third play of the third preseason game at Seattle, Jones is ready to roll with Prescott. Assuming the Cowboys do grab a veteran, it figures to be a backup for now. The current No. 2 is Jameill Showers, a second-year player who hasn’t appeared in a regular-season game.
“I don’t know if this stuff will ever hit me,” said Prescott, set to be the first rookie quarterback to start the opener for Dallas since Quincy Carter 15 years ago. “I feel like I belong here. This is where I’m supposed to be. I just come in every day with the right attitude.”
The Cowboys haven’t said how long Romo will be out following his fourth back injury in less than four years, but it’s likely to be the opener at the very least. Jones and his son, executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones, have said they are comfortable giving Prescott a shot as the starter.
The next question is whether Prescott plays in the preseason finale against Houston on Thursday night. Starters generally sit out that game and turn their focus to the regular season. The Cowboys open Sept. 11 at home against the New York Giants.
Coach Jason Garrett wouldn’t say whether Prescott will be held out against the Texans. Dallas has just the two quarterbacks on the roster, not counting Romo.
“I don’t know if a number of snaps makes a difference if I’m ready or not,” said Prescott, who is 39 of 50 passing for 454 yards with five touchdowns and no interceptions in three preseason games. “I’m going to be ready. Practice is going to get me ready. We are going to game plan the right way. And I’m going to be focused.”
Different mentality
Dallas went 1-11 without Romo last season when he was twice sidelined by a broken left collarbone, and the Cowboys slumped to 4-12 a year after winning the NFC East at 12-4. Because of that, Jerry Jones opened training camp by declaring Dallas would no longer pin its hopes on star players returning from injuries.
The Cowboys might not have envisioned this severe a test this soon.
“The mentality is different,” said receiver Dez Bryant, who missed seven games last season because of a broken foot. “It ain’t even just with the backup quarterback. It’s like with all the players. It’s just different strategy, believing in one another. Like I said, keeping each other lifted and building real chemistry.”
Prescott, who also has two rushing touchdowns, led a scoring drive in his first full possession against the Seahawks after Romo’s injury. He took the Cowboys to a field goal in the final two minutes of the first half. He has looked comfortable running the offense and made strong throws down the field.
The eighth quarterback taken in the draft with the 135th overall pick, Prescott is likely to be the first of those to start in the regular season.
“How do you create a name for yourself without stepping up on those situations and becoming that guy?” cornerback Brandon Carr asked. “Dak has been in the fire early and often. He has done well. It’s going to take all guys to help each other out.” | http://djournal.com/sports/romo-injury-makes-rookie-prescott-sudden-starter-cowboys/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | djournal.com/9362e75229c8176e951b057d441c64407a7101145709ae499191ca27957a2f62.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-26T12:49:02 | null | 2016-08-26T06:47:29 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fcross-country-paths-lead-new-albany%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/prep_icon_green-130x130.png | en | null | Cross country: All paths lead to New Albany | null | null | djournal.com | By David Wheeler
Special to the Journal
Cross country schools in Mississippi get to lace up their spikes good and tight for the first time this weekend.
In Northeast Mississippi, the first big area cross country meet will be the Myrtle Invitational on Saturday, with the race course at BNA Bank Park in New Albany.
“It’s going to be hot, but the course is relatively flat,” said Myrtle cross country coach Chris Greer, whose boys team is the defending Class 1A state champions. “This is the first time we’ll have Tupelo, Pontotoc, and Saltillo at our meet at the same time, and we’ll have over 900 runners lined up.”
The event will feature eight defending state title holders in their respective first meets of the season. Greer is expecting 31 teams, including teams from Arlington, Tenn.
Six races
There will be six races, beginning with the girls Class 1-3A race at 8 a.m. That will be followed by the 1-3A boys at 8:35 a.m., the 4-6A races at 9:10 and 9:40 a.m., and the junior high races at 10:20 and 10:50 a.m.
The defending state champs entered at this point are Myrtle boys and Hickory Flat girls in 1A, East Union boys and girls in 2A, Senatobia boys and Pontotoc girls in 4A, and Saltillo boys and girls in 5A.
“We’ve got a young team, with a lot of junior high boys and girls, but we have some veterans, too,” Greer said of his Myrtle squads. “Right now, you would figure Hickory Flat and Tupelo Christian girls, and us, Hickory Flat, and TCPS boys would be favored in 1A.”
Greer points toward Titus Gillard and Evan Gann as two of his top boys, while Caroline Greer and Ivy Montgomery are two of his top girls.
The MHSAA state cross country meet is scheduled for Nov. 5 and 7 in Clinton. | http://djournal.com/sports/cross-country-paths-lead-new-albany/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/c0c497253c7c3002d65d0eef20f9e93d88646b9dfe8a529004a55130e1bc7e40.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-29T20:48:08 | null | 2016-08-29T13:49:10 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2F2-slain-nuns-remembered-christian-love-action%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/Nuns-funeral-e1472496478797-1.jpg | en | null | 2 slain nuns remembered for 'Christian love in action’ | null | null | djournal.com | By Emily Wagster Pettus
Associated Press
DURANT – Hundreds of people filled a cathedral in Mississippi’s capital city on Monday to remember two nuns who spent decades helping the needy and were found stabbed to death last week in their home in one of the poorest counties of the state.
An initial court appearance was scheduled to take place hours later for the man charged with two counts of capital murder in the slayings of Sisters Margaret Held and Paula Merrill, both 68. It was not immediately clear whether Rodney Earl Sanders, 46, of Kosciusko, Mississippi, would be represented by an attorney during his appearance Monday afternoon in Durant city court.
Capital murder can be punishable by execution or life in prison, and the sisters’ religious orders have issued a joint statement against the death penalty.
Sanders confessed to the killings but gave no reason, said Holmes County Sheriff Willie March, who was briefed by Durant police and Mississippi Bureau of Investigation officials who took part in Sanders’ interrogation. Sanders had been living about 15 miles east of the sisters’ Durant home. He has been held at an undisclosed jail since his arrest late Friday.
Merrill and Held worked as nurse practitioners at Lexington Medical Clinic, about 10 miles west of Durant, where they often treated poor and uninsured patients with diabetes and other chronic conditions. Their bodies were found in their home after they failed to show up at work Thursday.
The clinic in Lexington and the nuns’ home in Durant are in Holmes County, population 18,000. With 44 percent of its residents living in poverty, Holmes is the seventh-poorest county in America, according to the Census Bureau. The killings shocked people in the small communities where the women committed their lives to helping the poor.
Bishop Joseph Kopacz and more than 20 priests from the Diocese of Jackson celebrated a memorial Mass on Monday at the small but ornate Cathedral of St. Peter in downtown Jackson, about an hour’s drive south of Durant. The front pews were filled by family members and sisters from Held’s and Merrill’s religious orders, the Kentucky-based Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and the School Sisters of St. Francis of Milwaukee.
The Rev. Greg Plata, who ministers at the church in Lexington, Mississippi, where Held and Merrill led Bible study, praised them for their lives of service.
“I have often referred to women religious as unsung heroes of the church,” Plata said. “It is the religious women who are often in the nitty-gritty of life.”
Plata said Held and Merrill could express frustration at times, but never wavered in trying to help people.
The priest said that people in Mississippi – where there are only about 108,000 Catholics in a population of 3 million – sometimes have trouble understanding Catholic concepts like religious life.
“What they do understand and see quite clearly is Christian love in action,” he said. “That’s what the good people saw at the Lexington Medical Clinic, was love in action. We all recognized that love, and you couldn’t help but love them back.”
Plata noted the joint statement against the death penalty released Sunday by the Sisters of Charity of Nazareth and the School Sisters of St. Francis of Milwaukee.
“Justice for a heinous crime demands punishment, but it does not demand revenge,” Plata said.
On Sunday, more than 300 people attended a service at the church in Lexington. About 145 people filled the small white-frame church to capacity, and folding chairs were set up outside for the overflow crowd of about 160.
Authorities have said Sanders was developed as a person of interest early in the investigation.
Warren Strain, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety which includes the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, said the organization would neither confirm nor deny that Sanders confessed.
Records from the Iowa Department of Corrections show Sanders was in prison from June 2004 to February 2011 on a conviction of second-degree robbery. Records show he also was in prison in Iowa from August 1999 to August 2002 on a conviction of theft, and from April to October 1996 for two counts of third-offense drunken driving.
Sanders was on probation after a prison term for a felony drunken-driving conviction in Mississippi last year, said Grace Simmons Fisher, a spokeswoman for the Mississippi Department of Corrections. He was also convicted of armed robbery in Holmes County, sentenced in 1986 and served six years, Fisher said.
Plata said he does not think people at the church knew Sanders.
The nuns’ death leaves a gaping hole in what was already a strapped health care system. The clinic provided about 25 percent of all medical care in the county, said Dr. Elias Abboud, who oversees the clinic. He said Sanders was not a patient at the clinic.
–––––
The Associated Press’ Rogelio V. Solis contributed from Lexington, Mississippi, and Rebecca Santana contributed from New Orleans. | http://djournal.com/news/2-slain-nuns-remembered-christian-love-action/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | djournal.com/937e35af4e5448ca66c96c0671a06d4d83c18ce353d71d58581c247f1be4b078.json |
[
"Parrish Alford"
] | 2016-08-30T14:50:18 | null | 2016-08-30T08:38:49 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fseminoles-cant-rush-crazy-kelly-ole-miss%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/Fisher-Jimbo-99x130.jpg | en | null | Seminoles can't 'rush crazy' against Kelly, Ole Miss | null | null | djournal.com | Posted on by in College Sports
By Parrish Alford
Daily Journal
Florida State coach Jimbo Fisher hasn’t needed to break down a lot of video to familiarize himself with Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly.
Fisher got to know Kelly in the recruiting process.
Before signing Jameis Winston, the FSU coach tried to lure Kelly, who eventually signed with Clemson.
The Sun Sentinel reports that Kelly eventually committed to Clemson over FSU and Alabama.
It would certainly have been an interesting dynamic to have the nephew of Jim Kelly, the former Miami Hurricanes quarterback, playing in Tallahassee.
Fisher had high praise for Kelly at his Monday presser. He talked about his team’s need to put pressure on him but not to “rush crazy” and give Kelly running lanes to hurt the Seminoles with big plays. | http://djournal.com/sports/seminoles-cant-rush-crazy-kelly-ole-miss/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | djournal.com/08c5194593d4e8feed30dbd20e73c587a0b9e190921cf9003d5ca84cb7c44a93.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-31T10:48:25 | null | 2016-08-31T05:00:41 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fchickasaw-county-cemetery-vandalized%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/county_chickasaw_green-130x130.png | en | null | Chickasaw County cemetery vandalized | null | null | djournal.com | By Floyd Ingram
Chickasaw Journal
VAN VLEET – The vandalism of tombstones in Asbury Cemetery has both law enforcement and the community shaking their heads.
The Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Department is looking for the person or persons responsible for breaking and tipping over approximately 13 tombstones at Asbury Cemetery sometime between Aug. 16 and 23.
“The thing about vandalism is it doesn’t make any sense,” said Chickasaw County Sheriff James Meyers. “Nobody profits from vandalism, especially this kind of damage to a little private cemetery.”
Meyers said anyone with any information on the incident should contact the Chickasaw County Sheriff’s Department at 456-9411, call 911 or contact CrimeStoppers at 1-800-773-8477.
“Someone really had to work to break those tombstones and tip them over,” said Meyers. “The taller tombstones had pipes inside to keep them together. It looks like someone took something heavy and used it to break some of the markers.”
And Meyers said the crime is being taken very seriously.
“Since some of the tombstones were Confederate soldiers, we have contacted federal authorities,” said Meyers. “When we catch these folks, they may be charged with a federal crime.”
Vandalism is often legally defined as malicious mischief, and there are special provisions for cemeteries, churches and buildings with historical significance. If the damage is valued under $500, the crime is a misdemeanor, which carries a sentence of up to one year in jail and $1,000 in fines. If the damage is more than $500, it is a felony and is punishable with up to five years in prison and fines reaching $10,000.
Meyers said he does believe they will catch the culprits.
“If it was someone local, we’ll probably hear about it,” he said. “We are urging anyone who saw anyone, hears anything or who saw a vehicle in the vicinity about the time of the crime to call us.”
Van Vleet resident Ruth “Chick” Carter said the cemetery association works hard to keep the cemetery mowed, neat and clean.
“We had something like this happen about 25 years ago and they finally caught that person and made them apologize and pay restitution,” said Carter. “I don’t know what would make someone do something like this.”
Carter said some of the markers were old sandstone headstones. She said no one makes them anymore.
“There is nothing we can do to fix them,” said Carter. “We can repair the others, but they won’t be right. This damage is permanent.”
Carter said many mistake the Asbury Cemetery with Witch Dance on the Natchez Trace.
“The place on the Trace is not the right place either,” said Carter. “Witch Dance is about three miles from here at the base of three hills.”
Meyers said people used to respect churches and cemeteries.
“We used to never hear of someone breaking into a church or messing with a cemetery,” said Meyers. “Folks around here were just raised to respect those kinds of things.”
A cemetery in Biloxi saw more than 75 tombstones vandalized in 2015. Green Lawn Cemetery in Franklin, Alabama, saw two juveniles joy-ride in a dump truck through that cemetery in 2014, damaging dozens of tombstones. In 2013 a Corinth man and three women were charged with stealing thousands of dollars of floral arrangements from cemeteries in Alcorn County. | http://djournal.com/news/chickasaw-county-cemetery-vandalized/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | djournal.com/2fdc7c7e010eff1e1c0a29b9c71e0c3126ed4e2f9c50ac0d943ad12f7a5072f2.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-29T22:48:09 | null | 2016-08-29T16:21:29 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fiuka-men-charged-trailer-theft%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/LANIER.jpg | en | null | Iuka men charged with trailer theft | null | null | djournal.com | Daily Journal
IUKA – The Tishomingo County Sheriff’s Office and the Iuka Police Department joined forces to arrest two men on larceny charges.
The two departments pooled their resources and information in investigating the theft of flatbed trailers in the County Road 241 Iuka area. In addition to the arrests, investigators found more possibly stolen property, along with other unclaimed items.
Randall Lanier, 38, of 23307 Highway 25, Iuka, was charged with four counts of grand larceny. Corey Degraw, 29, of 1350 Fulton Drive, Iuka, was charged with accessory after the fact to grand larceny
Both men were transported to the Tishomingo County Jail and are awaiting bond to be set by Justice Court. | http://djournal.com/news/iuka-men-charged-trailer-theft/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | djournal.com/2ec43277f9414ce30ee6a6829714b8fcd745145c0eedd6dba23eabcef6511f75.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-29T12:48:23 | null | 2016-08-29T07:01:57 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fvideo-newsbreak-aug-29-2016%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/newsbreak-logo_condensed-1_REV.jpg | en | null | VIDEO: Newsbreak, Aug. 29, 2016 | null | null | djournal.com | Wake up and get ready for your day with the Daily Journal’s Newsbreak – a quick summary of news, sports, weather and everything else Northeast Mississippi to keep you informed and updated on the latest happenings in your community.
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Newsmax
Polls What’s the most likely record for Ole Miss after the first month of the season? 4-0
3-1
2-2
1-3 View Results Loading ... Loading ... | http://djournal.com/news/video-newsbreak-aug-29-2016/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | djournal.com/dfc55da26a119c8d0c6f7629d642a8d81e1f311b3db66f1901536b72a4e48943.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-26T16:49:45 | null | 2016-08-26T10:30:41 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters-editor-aug-26-2016%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/other_letters_editor-130x130.png | en | null | Letters to the Editor: Aug. 26, 2016 | null | null | djournal.com | One like Trump came ahead of our times
Do we really think America is deserving of a great godly leader to guide this nation in the right direction. I wish this was the case, but half of this nation is “ok” with electing leadership that has no problem with promoting the slaughter of the unborn or sexual perversion of the family.
Our hope for our nation can’t be in a man but it can be in a leader that will allow God’s people to regain their freedom to rebuild what has been lost. God is looking for change in his people more than change in leadership. God has already placed a man very similar to Trump to set his people free before. This man didn’t even know God (Isaiah 45:4). He only had a notion of him. This king had already conquered most of the known world(he was not a softy). God’s people had been in captivity for seventy years for all of their corruption, perversion and idol worship. Isaiah had prophesied 150 years before this king (Cyrus) had taken control, that he would set the nation free again and they could restore worship in their land again. The Bible says that God had stirred up the heart of a king that only had a notion of him (Ezra 1:1) to allow them to go and rebuild their city and worship again in their nation. He even helped fund the rebuilding of the temple and the rebuilding of the wall. This wall, rebuilt from burned out rubble, is very symbolic to the state of Christians today with burnout and disappointment. No, Trump was not originally my pick but he could mercifully be God’s. Oh, by the way, King Cyrus was known for his building ability.
Buddy Bright
Tupelo | http://djournal.com/opinion/letters-editor-aug-26-2016/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/fa05454ef5b5c7134c8fa7574b5b8b33d78b2d1dbcb070a46c565ade178d4d7f.json |
[
"Emma Crawford"
] | 2016-08-27T06:50:23 | null | 2016-08-27T00:59:31 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fteachers-eye-paperless-classrooms-google%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/01/01191602-Tina-Fitts-e1472277519260-93x130.jpg | en | null | Teachers eye paperless classrooms with Google | null | null | djournal.com | By Emma Crawford Kent
Daily Journal
TUPELO – Tupelo Middle School teacher Tina Fitts runs an almost completely paperless classroom using Google applications.
Her eighth-grade students access homework assignments, submit reading responses and annotate assigned texts all online through Google.
As education becomes increasingly technology-based, Fitts said, going paperless and using free resources like Google is a no-brainer.
Both the Lee County and Tupelo school districts have brought these tools into the spotlight with Google-centric professional development sessions throughout the summer and into the school year.
Earlier this week, Fitts lead a session called “Google Classroom and a paperless learning environment” for teachers in the Tupelo Public School District.
She taught similar workshops during TPSD’s annual May Institute.
Google’s suite of applications, much like Microsoft Office, is free and accessible online rather than as software purchased and downloaded onto individual computers or devices. Documents created in the applications are shareable and collaborative.
Google Classroom is an application designed for use by teachers and students.
Teachers can create an interactive “classroom feed” for each class where students can find information and assignments, submit work and work from home on collaborative projects with their peers.
“You’re able to have everything organized and it sends every resource and document out to the students,” said Fitts, noting that students can access the apps from any device, regardless of operating system.
She said she even has students who work on their phones.
“No matter where a student is they can get their cell phone out, which they prefer anyway, and do their assignments in the palm of their hand,” Fitts said.
Niki Peel, director of technology for TPSD, said the interface resembles a social media newsfeed, which students are very well accustomed to.
In June, Chris Conwill, curriculum adviser for Lee County Schools, taught teachers the ins and outs of Google applications during a workshop called “Google in the classroom.”
Although most teachers aren’t using the Google Classroom app yet, Conwill said many use the basic Google apps.
Conwill said teachers can use Google Documents, Sites and Surveys to interact with their students online. For example, teachers can survey students on whether or not they enjoyed a particular assignment by creating a survey in the app and sharing it with them via email.
Educators’ use of these applications depends on their students’ access to devices, though, and Conwill said teachers at the middle and high school levels are more likely to use them regularly.
Students at all levels in both Lee County and Tupelo have access to devices at school. At Tupelo Middle and Tupelo High, students check out laptops for the school year that they can take home to use.
“Our students have access to the technology, so now it’s, ‘how do we use those productivity tools so that they are enhancing the educational experience?’” Peel said. “…It makes a lot of sense to our students.”
Fitts has been using Google apps in her classroom for more than two years now, but other teachers are just starting to dive in to the paperless classroom approach.
Gina Fremont, English teacher at Milam, has toyed with the idea of using Google Classroom with her students. Once she gets the hang of it herself, she said she will likely introduce it.
For Fremont, going paperless could mean better organization and participation from her students.
“Because it’s computer technology, it keeps them focused because they want to work on the computer,” Fremont said.
emma.crawford@journalinc.com
Twitter: @emcrawfordkent | http://djournal.com/news/teachers-eye-paperless-classrooms-google/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | djournal.com/34e1fe0d724f4e16f3124ab2bdea12b86d306e4d9a7b7a3954187fe774ef3e75.json |
[
"Dennis Seid"
] | 2016-08-30T12:49:16 | null | 2016-08-30T06:10:01 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2F840-ashley-jobs-coming-mississippi%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2013/10/Ashley_Furniture_HomeStores_logo-130x128.jpg | en | null | Some of 840 Ashley jobs coming to Mississippi | null | null | djournal.com | By Dennis Seid
Daily Journal
Ashley Furniture Industries is laying off 840 workers at its manufacturing plant in Colton, California, and shifting production to plants in North Carolina, Mississippi and Wisconsin.
Already one of the largest private employers in Northeast Mississippi, Ashley employs some 4,000 workers at its plants in Ecru, Ripley and Verona.
The company says the majority of production at its California site east of Los Angeles is going to the other U.S. plants to create more efficiency.
It says closing the Colton plants on Oct. 25 will help keep the company competitive.
The company said it gave employees 60 days’ notice and complied with federal regulations governing layoffs.
According to Furniture Today, Ashley said that “rebalancing our manufacturing mix strengthens production capability and cost structure and will help ensure Ashley’s continued ability to compete effectively long-term in the global marketplace from a U.S. base.”
The bedding and upholstery production from the facility will be absorbed by other manufacturing facilities.
The world’s largest upholstered furniture manufacturing plant is in Ecru, where Ashley opened in 1994. Last October, the company announced a $6 million, 175,00o-square-foot addition to the Ecru plant, its 13th expansion. It covers nearly 3 million square feet.
Ashley acquired the 275,000-square-foot facility in Verona that was once home to Morgan Fabrics. It produces mattresses and sleeper sofa.
Ashley is a huge economic engine, with an annual economic impact of more than $240 million in the state. The company also supports some 400 local suppliers.
Employees at the Ashley distribution centers in Colton, California and nearby Redlands, where employment has grown in recent years, are not affected by the layoff announcement. | http://djournal.com/news/840-ashley-jobs-coming-mississippi/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | djournal.com/bfb9c6fb63654b2b8637a00479b8683476006c6ebf264395cb9c053aaf5ae90d.json |
[
"Zack Orsborn"
] | 2016-08-26T12:49:59 | null | 2016-08-26T06:30:09 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2F14-immigrants-become-american-citizens-naturalization-ceremony%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/08251601-Immigration-e1472210936237-1.jpg | en | null | 14 immigrants become American citizens in naturalization ceremony | null | null | djournal.com | By Zack Orsborn
Daily Journal
TUPELO – Moments after saying the Pledge of Allegiance for the first time as an American citizen, Ahmed Saifeldin slipped his certificate of citizenship into a thick, clear folder.
Ever since he was a child living in Egypt, he dreamed of moving to America, a place that valued freedom, liberty and opportunity.
His dream came true at the United States Citizenship and Immigration Service’s naturalization ceremony at the Natchez Trace Parkway Visitors Center on Thursday.
“America to me was like a theme, an idea and a dream,” he said. “I’ve lived in different countries, and I feel like I want to be in a country where real liberalism and democracy and freedom is.”
A pharmacist by trade, Saifeldin plans on advancing his career by studying business administration to possibly open his own business.
Eventually, he wants to start a family.
“When I have kids, I will try to integrate my culture and heritage into their American culture and heritage,” he said. “I want my kids in the future to be Americans. I will teach them they have rules from somewhere else, but I want them to be Americans first.”
Saifeldin joined 13 other new American citizens from all over the world including Mexico, China, El Salvador, Eritrea, India, Macedonia, Morocco, Philippines, St. Lucia and Vietnam.
‘The whole trajectory of democracy’
Paulette Meilke was born and raised in Jamaica, but she wanted to explore America’s culture as a sociologist and professor.
She began studying for her Ph.D. in America, beginning a journey of discovery.
She was fascinated by the political and economic structures in place.
“The thing that stood out to me about America was the whole trajectory of democracy and what it means to be a mature democracy,” she said. “I think Americans who grew up here take it for granted, but when you come from overseas and you look at all the political and economic instability, you come here and see organized politics.”
She began teaching gender analysis, comparative cultures and diversity at Delta State University before taking a position as associate dean at University of Arkansas Fort Smith.
Now, she plans to focus on studying how to close the wealth gap, particularly in low and middle income families.
She wants to see a “dent in intergenerational poverty.”
“America is an amazing country from the architecture to the topography to the diversity,” she said. “As a sociologist, there’s no better place to study sociology than here.”
Meilke’s friends came to see her become a citizen, their faces wide with smiles. She gave them a hug while waving a tiny American flag.
“And I’m proud to be an American,” Meilke sang.
‘This is what makes our country great’
Lynuel Dennis, Memphis field office director with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, welcomed the 14 new citizens.
She said the U.S. welcomes “millions of immigrants to our shores.” In 2015, USCIS naturalized approximately 730,000 people nationwide.
“Immigrants in the United States have always had a profound impact on our country and world,” Dennis said. “They strengthen the fabric of our nation with the contributions to American society and prosperity. I’m confident as new citizens you will continue to add to the strength and character of our nation.”
She encouraged the new citizens to share their heritages, cultures and talents.
“As you build your lives here, I encourage you to build your talents to achieve active citizenship and give back to the community in your new country through civic participation,” she said. “Be proud of your rich heritage and share it openly with your fellow Americans. That is what makes our country great.”
zack.orsborn@journalinc.com
Twittter: @thedaily_zack | http://djournal.com/news/14-immigrants-become-american-citizens-naturalization-ceremony/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/7bc70deecf09d209099b0e65d5a77e54fc18c54b1e9ae66512045b9b79dbf4dc.json |
[
"Blake Morgan"
] | 2016-08-27T04:47:18 | null | 2016-08-26T22:51:44 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fgood-effort-makes-blue-devils-less-perfect-execution%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/08261630-Baldwyn-vs-Booneville-fball-e1472269820922.jpg | en | null | Good effort makes up for Blue Devils' less-than-perfect execution | null | null | djournal.com | Posted on by in High School Sports
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
By Blake Morgan
Daily Journal
BALDWYN – Booneville head coach Mike Mattox said earlier in the week that the Blue Devils would have to play a perfect game to defeat Baldwyn on Friday night in the annual “Skunk Bowl.”
On a soggy field with some trick plays, Booneville was able to pull off the 13-6 victory over Baldwyn.
“Well, we didn’t play a perfect game,” Mattox said. “I tell our kids every week that effort makes up for a lot of things, and I thought we had the best effort tonight.”
Booneville’s first scoring drive came after tackling the Baldwyn punter on fourth down; Booneville quarterback Preston Stroupe threw a backward pass to Tyrese Bell, who threw the ball 38 yards down to Jarius Crump to set up the Blue Devils.
The next play, Stroupe connected with Crump on a 13-yard touchdown pass to give Booneville a 7-0, which was held into halftime.
Stroupe added a 12-yard touchdown pass to Bell in the third quarter.
The Baldwyn offense was becoming regular guests in the end zone after strong performances in the jamboree and season opener but was unable to break any big plays against Booneville.
“They got after us up front,” Baldwyn head coach Michael Gray said. “They put a lot of pressure especially when they knew we were going to throw late in the game.”
Johndrix Robinson scored Baldwyn’s lone touchdown late in the fourth on a 5-yard run.
Read more in Saturday’s Journal and at DJournal.com. | http://djournal.com/sports/good-effort-makes-blue-devils-less-perfect-execution/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/be268a6cbdf0b101db4fb801ffa4ad1f838626325ff3d0887d749fdc61a34f06.json |
[
"Parrish Alford"
] | 2016-08-27T04:46:38 | null | 2016-08-26T17:33:31 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Ffreeze-talks-liggins-return-practice-latest-ncaa-story%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/07/K1F3_Ole_Miss_logo-130x118.jpeg | en | null | Freeze talks Liggins' return to practice, latest NCAA story | null | null | djournal.com | By Parrish Alford
Daily Journal
OXFORD – A few notes from today’s practice, which included several viewing periods.
Suspended offensive tackle Jeremy Liggins was back at practice. He’ll begin being worked back into practice reps but will not play against Florida State.
He still has some work to do to regain his status as team member in good standing, Freeze said. Liggins is listed No. 1 at left tackle on the first depth chart. Rod Taylor is currently getting first-team reps.
Also back was wide receiver Markell Pack, who has been out with a hand injury.
Freeze said he has confidence in 10 offensive linemen to play.
Here’s Freeze:
He talked a little about the Yahoo story that reports the NCAA has made visits to other campuses to ask other SEC players about their involvement in recruiting with Ole Miss.
Freeze questioned the validity of the story.
“This has become the norm around here and I’m just kind of numb to it, and it actually makes us stronger. You’d have to ask whoever wrote the article with no sources. From our end, we protect what’s going on in it (the investigation), and I would hope the same for everyone involved. But that was total … I had no idea. I don’t know if it’s true or not. Is it or is it not? I have no idea.” | http://djournal.com/sports/freeze-talks-liggins-return-practice-latest-ncaa-story/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/665b3a236e2e8c36093fe2085add684d319255af8f7d6e65d19198d3c01c37f7.json |
[
"Logan Lowery"
] | 2016-08-26T12:48:08 | null | 2016-08-26T06:57:04 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fmullen-expects-know-starting-qb-monday%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/Fitzgerald-e1472212999880.jpeg | en | null | Mullen expects to know his starting QB by Monday | null | null | djournal.com | By Logan Lowery
Daily Journal
STARKVILLE – With the start of the 2016 season only eight days away, the quarterback race at Mississippi State is starting to take shape.
While coach Dan Mullen is still not ready to reveal which signal caller will start next Saturday’s opener against South Alabama, he did provide some insight into how the battle is going.
“So it’s starting to sort itself out,” Mullen said “I see us playing more than one quarterback in the first game. I probably feel good with knowing who is going to start by Monday.”
Junior Damian Williams, sophomore Nick Fitzgerald and redshirt freshman Nick Tiano are still continuing to split snaps during practice. Each of their reps have increased since Elijah Staley announced he was transferring to Tyler Junior College in Texas over two weeks ago.
“It’s pretty close, even in the grading system,” Mullen said. “You’d think that will sort it out. It’s all within one percentage point of each other after about 2,500 snaps. So they’re all pretty much right there.”
Although Mullen hasn’t named a starting quarterback – in public or privately – he suspects his signal callers have an idea who he will go with.
“I think the guys kind of are getting that feeling of how it’s going to shake out a little bit themselves,” Mullen said. “If you ask them I bet they’d have a good feeling, even though I haven’t met with them all about it.”
Whichever way Mullen decides, the Bulldogs will be unable to avoid having inexperience behind center to start the year. Williams and Fitzgerald have combined to throw just 84 passes in their careers.
Williams is the only one of the group with any starting experience. The 6-foot-1, 229-pounder’s lone start came in the 2013 Egg Bowl as a true freshman and has seen action in 12 total games. He redshirted last season while recovering from a labrum injury.
Fitzgerald served as Dak Prescott’s understudy last season and played in eight games completing 11 of 14 passes for 235 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. The 6-foot-5, 230-pounder also rushed 23 times for 127 yards and three more scores.
Tiano is the wild card of the competition. The 6-foot-4, 239-pounder hit on 8 of 13 passes for 99 yards, one touchdown and one interception in MSU’s spring game while also adding 76 yards on 10 carries on the ground.
“They all bring something different to the table, different skill sets,” said MSU quarterbacks coach Brian Johnson. “In a perfect world, you would have liked to have had (the starter) defined in the spring. But we don’t live in a perfect world. You play the hand you’ve been dealt.”
Mullen was not happy with the quarterback play during the Bulldogs’ initial fall scrimmage but saw vast improvement in their decision making during the second last Friday.
logan.lowery@journalinc.com
Twitter: @loganlowery | http://djournal.com/sports/mullen-expects-know-starting-qb-monday/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/3d53ea4de7565d990a657d223dfcfb992d0f3758ada3e14d4eedd51e34d7047f.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-31T04:47:42 | null | 2016-08-30T23:25:38 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Ftwo-more-universities-furl-mississippi-flag-bears-banner-confederacy%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/news_inthenews_green1-130x130.png | en | null | Two more universities furl Mississippi flag that bears banner of Confederacy | null | null | djournal.com | By Jeff Amy
Associated Press
JACKSON – Two more Mississippi universities have stopped flying the state’s flag featuring the Confederate battle emblem, decisions that drew rebukes from the governor.
Mississippi State University and the Mississippi University for Women confirmed Tuesday that they removed the flag from outdoor flagpoles over the summer. The universities’ actions came after state lawmakers failed to act on changing the flag this year.
“The university community supports a flag that unites everyone in the state behind it,” said Jim Borsig, president of the Mississippi University for Women.
Delta State University is the only public Mississippi university still flying the flag. A statement from that school Tuesday opened the door to removing it if the university cabinet votes to do so.
Gov. Phil Bryant told reporters Tuesday that he disagrees with the universities’ decision to remove the flag. He cited a state law calling for Mississippi’s flag to “receive all of the respect and ceremonious etiquette given the American flag” if displayed. The law doesn’t require public agencies to fly the flag. K-12 schools are required to, but some ignore it.
“Whether you like the flag or not, the state law calls for it to be treated with equal respect,” Bryant said.
In a 2001 referendum, Mississippi voters strongly supported keeping the flag, which has included the Confederate battle emblem in its upper left corner since 1894. But agitation against the flag resumed following the 2015 massacre of nine black worshippers at a church in Charleston, South Carolina. The white suspect in that case posed for photos with Confederate flags.
After the church shooting, Bryant had said he wanted to give voters another chance to decide whether to change Mississippi’s flag. He repeated that position Tuesday.
“I believe the people have the right to speak on this,” he said.
The changes at both schools came quietly while many students and faculty were away. MSU spokesman Sid Salter said Tuesday that President Mark Keenum approved campus leaders’ requests to remove the flag from five locations on the Starkville campus in June and July. Salter said the flags have been replaced with larger American flags, to mirror the large American flag that has flown alone in MSU’s central quad for at least 15 years. He said 21,000-student MSU removed Mississippi flags from athletic arenas several years ago.
Borsig said 2,700-student MUW was expanding a driveway where the only state flag stood. Borsig said he acted after campus groups discussed the flag last year and he encouraged them to lobby elected officials. He also cited the 50th anniversary of the university’s integration and Mississippi’s 2017 bicentennial.
Flag opponents welcomed its removal.
“It was important to us to take it down because it just reminded us of the Civil War and people who wanted to keep us slaves,” said Deborah Frazier, president of the MSU campus branch of the NAACP. “Now it doesn’t remind us daily when we see the flag of that oppression.”
Frazier, a junior English major from Benton, was among students who protested the flag in front of Keenum’s office in April. A Keenum said taking the flag down was “a symbolic gesture that accomplishes nothing toward actually changing the state flag.”
Salter said Tuesday that Keenum “has been outspoken in expressing his heartfelt personal support for flag change and has maintained an open dialogue with those representing diverse points of view on the question of the state flag.” Salter said Mississippi’s flag remains part of a display of state and international flags in the university’s main cafeteria.
The University of Mississippi, MSU’s archrival, lowered the Mississippi flag in October. The University of Southern Mississippi also removed state flags last year and three historically black universities removed them earlier. Some Mississippi lawmakers introduced unsuccessful bills in 2016 to force governments and schools to display the flag.
Delta State spokeswoman Jennifer Farish said that 3,500-student university would remove the flag if President Bill LaForge’s cabinet, including faculty, staff and students, votes to do so.
“Delta State continues to fly the State flag out of respect to our relationship with the State of Mississippi, and despite our disagreement with symbols that cause an unfortunate barrier to understanding,” Farish said. | http://djournal.com/news/two-more-universities-furl-mississippi-flag-bears-banner-confederacy/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | djournal.com/97291f79322f51d178250632021e33af40d9533eed58ded3c6747ffd76c1b0c3.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-26T12:47:36 | null | 2016-08-26T07:10:07 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fminor-leaguer-renfroe-likely-september-callup%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/04/Renfroe-Hunter-e1461681860602-94x130.jpg | en | null | Minor leaguer Renfroe likely September callup | null | null | djournal.com | Posted on by in MS State Sports
Daily Journal
Hunter Renfroe, the former first-round draft pick out of Mississippi State, continues to build on a strong season in the Triple-A Pacific Coast League.
Playing for the San Diego Padres’ farm club in El Paso, the 24-year-old Renfroe is hitting .309 with 28 home runs and 97 RBIs.
Renfroe was hitting just .217 in his last 10 games, however, as he’s struggled with a forearm injury after being hit by a pitch on Aug. 7. But it’s still widely expected that he’ll be a September callup for the Padres (53-74).
San Diego drafted him 13th overall in 2013. | http://djournal.com/sports/minor-leaguer-renfroe-likely-september-callup/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/bdcfa858d8aa8fa888e01935b8643bc5a57cf6a84a84fb42c4cca9cb8c3da17f.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-29T16:47:26 | null | 2016-08-29T10:10:01 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fmemorial-mass-scheduled-today-2-nuns-killed-mississippi-home%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/AP16242020721204.jpg | en | null | Memorial Mass scheduled today for 2 nuns killed in their Mississippi home | null | null | djournal.com | DURANT (AP) — A memorial Mass will be held Monday for two 68-year-old nuns who were killed in their Mississippi home, even as authorities continue to investigate the stabbing. A man from about 15 miles away has confessed without giving a reason, according to the sheriff.
The Mass will be at the Cathedral of St. Peter the Apostle in Jackson, about an hour’s drive from Durant, the town of 2,500 where Sisters Margaret Held and Paula Merrill lived until last week.
They both worked at a health clinic for the poor in nearby Lexington, where they also led Bible study at a church. And more than 300 people came Sunday to St. Thomas Church to say farewell.
About 145 people filled the church to capacity, and there was an overflow crowd outside, where 160 folding chairs were set up and still people had to stand to watch on a monitor as Bishop Joseph Kopacz of the Jackson Diocese led the service.
The church’s priest, the Rev. Gregory Plata, spoke about how far-reaching the nuns’ work was, and how much they’ll be missed.
The final hymn, described as Sister Margaret Held’s favorite, was “How Can I Keep from Singing?”
Afterward, nuns from the dead women’s orders, people from other faiths, and members of the community embraced the women’s families.
The killing shocked people in the small communities where the women committed their lives to helping the poor.
Rodney Earl Sanders, 46, of Kosciusko, Mississippi, has been arrested and charged in the stabbings. The county sheriff said Sanders confessed to the killings although many people are struggling to comprehend why anyone would want to take the two women’s lives.
Their bodies were found after they failed to show up for work Thursday at the clinic.
Authorities have said Sanders was developed as a person of interest early in the investigation.
Holmes County Sheriff Willie March said he was briefed by Durant police and Mississippi Bureau of Investigation officials who took part in Sanders’ interrogation and was told that Sanders confessed to the killings but gave no reason.
Durant police could not be reached for comment Saturday or Sunday. Warren Strain, a spokesman for the Department of Public Safety which includes the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, said the organization would neither confirm nor deny that Sanders confessed.
Sanders was on probation after a prison term for a felony DUI conviction last year, said Grace Simmons Fisher, a spokeswoman for the Mississippi Department of Corrections.
Sanders was also convicted of armed robbery in Holmes County, sentenced in 1986 and served six years, Fisher said.
People who knew the nuns, known for their generosity and commitment to improving health care for the poor, have been grappling with why anyone would want to kill them.
Sanders was not a patient at the clinic, said Dr. Elias Abboud, the physician who oversees it.
Plata said he does not think people at the church knew Sanders.
Authorities said Sanders was being held in an undisclosed detention center pending a court appearance. They have not given any details on why they think Sanders killed the women or whether he knew them but they do say they believe he acted alone.
Strain said he does not know if Sanders has an attorney.
The clinic and the nuns’ home in Durant are in Holmes County, population 18,000. With 44 percent of its residents living in poverty, Holmes is the seventh-poorest county in America, according to the Census Bureau.
The nuns’ death leaves a gaping hole in what was already a strapped health care system.
The clinic provided about 25 percent of all medical care in the county, Abboud said. | http://djournal.com/news/memorial-mass-scheduled-today-2-nuns-killed-mississippi-home/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | djournal.com/554bc3a7392d8a2bbf84c4e4bcbb5a0fdd5fb93a8a91e9aaee0d055626bd45ab.json |
[
"Parrish Alford"
] | 2016-08-26T16:47:11 | null | 2016-08-26T10:34:25 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fherbstreit-kellys-poise-important-another-possible-monster-year%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2015/11/Kelly-Chad-new-e1446484871936.jpeg | en | null | Herbstreit: Kelly's poise important for another possible 'monster year' | null | null | djournal.com | By Parrish Alford
Daily Journal
ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit hosted a conference call earlier this week and was asked about Ole Miss quarterback Chad Kelly.
Who needs a big year from Kelly more, Ole Miss or Kelly himself?
Well, it’s still a team game. Individual awards and even notice from NFL scouts tend to find players who lead successful teams even if other players may have more robust stat lines.
Here’s Herbstreit: “If Chad Kelly has a big year individually, and their team goes 7-5, nobody cares about Ole Miss or Chad Kelly. If Ole Miss knocks off Florida State, they find a way to beat Alabama, then Week 3 all of a sudden they’re 3-0 and ranked in the top five in the country, now everybody cares about Ole Miss and Chad Kelly.
“So I think it’s much more important for Ole Miss for Chad Kelly to go out and play well and not feel the pressure to live up to the standard that he set a year ago where he was such a great player in his first year of Hugh Freeze’s offense, running and throwing and avoiding the disastrous play for the most part. So long as he doesn’t feel like he has to push it himself or force himself out there to make plays, then I think he can have another monster year.” | http://djournal.com/sports/herbstreit-kellys-poise-important-another-possible-monster-year/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/ec7e6e40c7edc54339db98dc6bb01ada1889579525113435481fa3ef318a326d.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-29T14:48:44 | null | 2016-08-29T09:37:50 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fopinion%2Fbill-minor-voice-slavery-provides-archive-long-ago-time%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/01/Minor-Bill-86x130.jpg | en | null | BILL MINOR: Voice from slavery provides archive of a long-ago time | null | null | djournal.com | Can you imagine reading a 105-year-old ex-slave’s detailed account of his extraordinary life on Mississippi’s Gulf Coast in the 19th century?
Well, that’s what I discovered last week in the latest issue of the Pearl River Historical Society’s “Historical Reporter,” a remarkable monthly publication produced by self-made historian-researcher Mark Davis of Gulfport.
Davis has located a transcript of an interview with Henri Necaise, done in approximately 1935 (Henri died in 1937) by a woman employee of the Federal Writer’s Project of the Works Progress Administration. The WPA was one of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s programs to provide employment during the Great Depression.
It’s noteworthy that during 1930s Depression years nationally acclaimed Mississippi novelist Eudora Welty landed a job with a WPA writer’s project.
But back to Henri, our ex-slave from Hancock County: He was part-French and part-black, an indentured laborer owned by Ursin and Louise Ladner. It must be understood at the outset that Henri was not treated as an ordinary field hand. As best can be determined Henri was distantly related to Ursin Ladner and was entrusted to carry out transactions for the Ladner family.
Henri relates in his WPA interview that his father was a white man, Anatole Necaise, while his mother was black. Henri adds that his mother was “sol’ from me an’ her other chillun” before he got to know her.
During most of his life, Henri tells the interviewer, he and his family spoke French, a fact that stood him in good stead when French cargo ships landed on the Coast and needed a local translator.
When the Civil War began, Henri says he was given responsibility of driving and selling five steers raised on the Ladner farm in Mobile to feed the family. During the war, Henri says some men in the community did fight but others were “arunnin and hidin.” Henri admits he brought food to white slackers hiding in the swamp.
He adds: “De Yankees came to Pass Christian. I was der ean seen ‘em. Dey tore up things as they went along.” One thing that comes through in the words of Henri Necaise is that as a slave he ate better and was clothed better than when he was a free man at the pit of the Great Depression.
Henri says of the Carpetbaggers who came down after the War: “Dey went on and turned us loose lak a passel of cattle an’ didn’t show us nothing or give us nothing.” The ex-slave says he soon set out on his own, bought a schooner and began hauling charcoal to sell in New Orleans. After two years of eeking out a living, a big storm hit Bay St. Louis and he lost his schooner. But after picking up money at odd jobs, Henri was able to buy a small plot of land and build a cabin.
A tiny photograph of Henri, Davis writes, has been acquired by Dorty Necaise, a Bay St. Louis policeman who is a distant relative of Henri. Dorty, Davis writes, is an amateur genealogist, who has searched without success to find Henri’s burial site.
Syndicated columnist Bill Minor has covered Mississippi politics since 1947. Contact him through Ed Inman atedinman@earthlink.net. | http://djournal.com/opinion/bill-minor-voice-slavery-provides-archive-long-ago-time/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | djournal.com/5742790a401c04a6a81b60c4440dd3cf3b95b6ca5ef69c44f49e6fe62adb9a31.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-30T12:47:35 | null | 2016-08-30T06:54:35 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Frookie-prescott-living-dream-dallas%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/prescott-e1472558052677-292x300-1.jpg | en | null | Rookie Prescott living the dream in Dallas | null | null | djournal.com | By Stephen Hunt
Special to the Journal
DALLAS – Growing up in Louisiana, Dak Prescott was a Dallas Cowboys fan. And now that the Mississippi State product is the starting quarterback for America’s Team, it’s a dream come true.
The 23-year-old Prescott was the No. 3 quarterback for the Cowboys going into training camp before backup Kellen Moore broke his right ankle in practice. Veteran starter Tony Romo broke a bone in his back in a preseason game last week and could be out six to 10 weeks.
So, Dak is the man.
“It’s been exciting. This is what I’ve worked for my whole life, is to get to this level,” Prescott said Monday. “It happened in an unfortunate way. Obviously, my sorrows are out for Kellen and Tony for the way they’ve gone down. That’s never good, but I’m next man up, got to step up, and I’m excited about my position.”
It’s a huge responsibility, but his veteran teammates say he’s ready for the opportunity.
“He’s done well. He’s made it look easy,” said Dallas tight end Jason Witten, a perennial All-Pro selection. “He’s prepared, he’s mature, he’s poised. He’ll come in, play well for us and win games for us, that’s what we believe.”
Prescott arrived in Dallas in May after the Cowboys drafted him in the fourth round. And after rookie minicamp, a mandatory minicamp and most recently training camp in Oxnard, California, the former Bulldog has had several months to learn the ins and outs of the Cowboy offense and feels comfortable in the scheme employed by coordinator Scott Linehan.
Comfort zone
One reason he’s adjusted so quickly is because of coaches like quarterbacks coach Wade Wilson, who helped him learn the playbook, Linehan, who has helped the mental part of his game, and head coach Jason Garrett, who has helped refine Prescott’s throwing motion through extra throws with his young signal caller after practice.
“Yeah, definitely feel comfortable,” Prescott said. “I’ve had a good amount of time to just absorb the playbook, learn stuff over and over. I learned a good bit from Tony and Kellen in the time we spent together (by) watching them on the field and getting to spend time with them in the film room.”
Through three preseason games, Prescott is 39 for 50 passing for 454 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions. He’s also rushed for 53 yards on seven carries with two touchdowns. And even though Witten has been one of Romo’s favorite targets in the Dallas offense for a number of years, he knows the team is still in good hands with Prescott under center.
“I think our offense will continue to be an attacking offense. That’s what we pride ourselves in,” Witten said. “He’s athletic and that is something that he’s done well for us, and something I’m sure we’ll build on.”
Cheering MSU
Prescott takes immense pride in his Mississippi State roots and would have loved to be in attendance onSaturday when the Bulldogs open the against South Alabama in Starkville.
But even though the Cowboys don’t open the season until Sept. 11 against the Giants, he will be cheering on MSU from Dallas.
“I think they’re going to do well, they’ve got a great coach,” he said. “Coach (Dan) Mullen is a guy that’s going to put them in a position to win. He obviously propelled me to do successful things in my college career, so I’ve got all the confidence in him and the team he’s going to put together.”
And even though he’s still a rookie, he hasn’t had to endure many rookie rites of passage in the NFL. He’s carried shoulder pads after several practices and like every rookie, had to sing in front of the team during training camp. Prescott picked “My Girl” from the Temptations as one of his two songs, but honestly can’t complain about how the Dallas veterans have treated him thus far.
“We’ve got good vets who just are about coming in and working, not really about picking on anybody or making rookies do anything,” Prescott said. “They like to see rookies coming in with a lot of confidence and just work their butts off.”
Stephen Hunt is a freelance writer based in Frisco, Texas. | http://djournal.com/sports/rookie-prescott-living-dream-dallas/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | djournal.com/5f1e9aeb13ff837a471735a874c22b15804207504802ed4da36a81a939b49444.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-26T20:47:34 | null | 2016-08-26T15:09:33 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fmonroe-county-man-juvenile-charged-separate-cases%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/county_monroe_green-130x130.png | en | null | Monroe County man, juvenile charged in separate cases | null | null | djournal.com | Monroe Journal
Two arrests have been reported in Monroe County in separate cases.
Derrious Deandre Fair, 28, of Prairie, was arrested in Aberdeen on Wednesday and charged with possession of stolen property. He was released on Thursday on a $3,000 bond.
In a separate case, a juvenile from Aberdeen was arrested on an alias capias in Aberdeen, on an armed robbery charge. He is being held in the Monroe County Detention Center on the armed robbery charge.
The juvenile was later charged with simple assault and aggravated assault. His bond was set at $500 on the simple assault charge and $50,000 on the aggravated assault charge. | http://djournal.com/news/monroe-county-man-juvenile-charged-separate-cases/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/1ff8594a1132714f413085a9bbddb244b7b4987b5de88fef0afe7b99a686e964.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-30T14:49:17 | null | 2016-08-30T09:29:09 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters-editor-aug-30-2016%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/other_letters_editor-130x130.png | en | null | Letters to the Editor: Aug. 30, 2016 | null | null | djournal.com | Common language holds threads of culture in place
“Power human currents shape culture to a new reality.”
Wow, if you missed Sonny Scott’s column on Aug. 20 look it up.
He hit the nail on the head with “the Maginot Line for our culture has been the English language,” the glue that binds us together During the 19th and early 20th centuries, immigrants looked forward to the promise of America – and learning its language that we might all better understand each other. For 250 years that glue has worked. And as Sonny s eloquently put it, that sip has sailed and we have encouraged the “fruit salad and homogenized” America today as a beginning of a dissolution as a culture ad ultimately as a nation/state.
Only time will tell how long will remain the greatest nation, one that people all over his plant strive to get to.
Brint Passmore
Saltillo
–––––
Killing gospel radio turns off listener
I completely agree with letter-writer Eddie Mack about the removal of gospel music from radio station 99.3. My family and I were avid listeners of Max Wilson, as well as the ministry programs on WBVV.
It is our opinion, especially in these chaotic times, that we need more stations like 99.3, and more announcers like Wilson and Donald Talent. I am also in whole hearted agreement with Mack that I will no longer be a listener of any I-Heart media station until this matter is corrected.
Ryan Cooper
Red Bay, Alabama | http://djournal.com/opinion/letters-editor-aug-30-2016/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | djournal.com/86f6c051f2ad7a0273bfc51e91843871c5acd76b02da8206839ca1c4be015f74.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T12:47:22 | null | 2016-08-29T07:06:47 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fcosts-grow-faster-states-lacking-medicaid-expansion%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/06/Holland-Steve-e1464870293198-96x130.jpg | en | null | Costs grow faster for states lacking Medicaid expansion | null | null | djournal.com | By Bobby Harrison
Daily Journal Jackson Bureau
JACKSON – Barely a word was spoken of possible Medicaid expansion recently during meetings of legislative working groups formed by House Speaker Philip Gunn and Lt. Gov, Tate Reeves to look at state’s revenue collections and expenditure.
Instead, the focus of the working group dealing with Medicaid was the growth in the existing state program that Executive Director David Dzielak said does not provide health care coverage for able-bodied adults, except for poor pregnant women. That program has grown from $763 million in state funds in fiscal year 2012 to at least $948.6 million for the current fiscal year,
That growth in state spending on Medicaid has been cited by Mississippi’s political leadership as a reason not to expand Medicaid. Expansion is allowed under the federal Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, to cover the working poor. It is been estimated that the expansion could add 300,000 adults to the Mississippi Medicaid rolls. But a study by the nationally known non-profit Henry Kaiser Family Foundation found that in fiscal year 2015 state spending on Medicaid was more in the then-22 states that had not expanded Medicaid than in the then-29 states that had expanded. State spending on Medicaid grew by 3.4 percent in the expansion states and by 6.9 percent in the non-expansion states, including Mississippi.
For the first two years of the expansion, the federal government paid 100 percent of the costs of treatment for the new enrollees, explaining why there was not more costs to the states.
But starting in 2017, the amount paid by the federal government will drop to 95 percent and eventually to 90 percent in 2020.
“It has cost us about $1 billion in federal funds by not expanding,” said Rep. Steve Holland, D-Plantersville, adding the expansion would be a boom for health care and the state’s economy.
But many others, particularly the Mississippi’s Republican leadership said the Medicaid budget already is a drain on state revenue collections.
“Instead of assuming enormous costs that we cannot afford, I would suggest that we spend our time and efforts in finding good jobs for all Mississippians. We should be compassionate by lowering our Medicaid population through economic growth, personal responsibility, and providing more access to private sector health care,” Bryant said during his 2015 re-election campaign.
The Kaiser study revealed that federal funding and Medicaid enrollment increased by about 18 percent in expansion states – significantly faster than in non-expansion states.
In recent days, the Mississippi State Medical Association, which is comprised of many of the state’s physicians, has endorsed using the Affordable Care Act to improve access to heath care in the state while not citing Medicaid expansion by name. Also, the Mississippi Hospital Association has reiterated its support for Medicaid expansion.
bobby.harrison@journalinc.com
Twitter: @BobbyHarrison9 | http://djournal.com/news/costs-grow-faster-states-lacking-medicaid-expansion/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | djournal.com/1b9377cde520ccc7d68b4a03ad4a07ee95587e54798e97bb1dedec799a6d018e.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-26T16:49:03 | null | 2016-08-26T10:32:49 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fopinion%2Ferrol-castens-value-white-space%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/Castens-Errol-92x130.jpg | en | null | ERROL CASTENS: The value of 'white space' | null | null | djournal.com | Most of us need more “white space.”
No, I’m not referring to all-Caucasian neighborhoods or the USA’s level of Euro-ethnicity. I mean the context of “white space” as publishing-industry designers think of it.
In that context, white space is margin, even emptiness – a formless something that gives room for fonts and photos and other forms to do their magic of attracting the eye and conveying meaning. Publications packed too tightly with print and pictures leave no pleasing places for the eye to rest, and readers find them uninviting and overtaxing.
In our lives, “white space” is margins of time, energy, emotion, money and other resources. It’s the breathing room that allows our work and worship, earning and learning, relationships and recreations to be fulfilling rather than just filling.
For some of us, white space might mean more time in books that matter. (Matt Perman, in “What’s Best Next,” contends that we read periodicals for awareness and books for understanding. And the Book of Proverbs teaches us, “… discretion will watch over you, understanding will guard you …”.)
It might mean time in a boat, away from electronic media and electronic toys, with nothing but rebaiting hooks to distract from coaxing out a grandchild’s dreads and dreams.
White space could be paring down our kids’ schedule of sports, clubs and other activities so suppers together less often come through a window, and bedtime can sometimes be a relaxing routine rather than an exhausted collapse.
Maybe white space for some would entail lifestyle cuts that, in turn, require less time – and in a less stressful position.
It may mean having a weekend retreat that allows for the family to spend more time together. On the other hand, white space could mean selling the lake house (and its upkeep headaches) or cutting back on weekend athletic leagues in favor of being more plugged into church. Conversely, for those caught in the jaws of the 80/20 rule, it could mean saying “no” to serving on yet another church committee to have more time for one’s own spiritual growth.
The lengthy ritual of smoking a cigar with friends might be one form of white space. A 5:30 a.m. run with a buddy could be another, and Thursday afternoon bridge parties that allow for lots of catching up on one another’s lives can be yet another.
We can’t exhaust in 18 column inches all the forms that white space might take in our lives, but we can begin to make the case for it.
Errol Castens grows ideas and other living things in Lafayette County. Contact him at ehcastens@gmail.com. | http://djournal.com/opinion/errol-castens-value-white-space/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/973245b9cd30ef3ca9e80a12e945615dcc6f57bf85d2a5b9dc3cc6ace57c6425.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-28T14:48:34 | null | 2016-08-28T09:41:44 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters-editor-aug-28-2016%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/other_letters_editor-130x130.png | en | null | Letters to the Editor: Aug. 28, 2016 | null | null | djournal.com | Viewer expresses frustration with WTVA/DirecTV impasse
I am writing in frustration with the disagreement between WTVA/DirecTV. I know the station is not locally owned and their corporate people have no compassion for local viewers. I know the Daily Journal is unlikely to take an editorial stand on this situation, however, any help you out there can bring to help resolve this situation would be greatly appreciated. Further, I feel the withholding of service could become a matter of welfare, for instance, weather reports in case of severe weather. Maybe WTVA will be more responsive to their viewers when advertisers cancel contracts.
Billie Ballard
Tupelo
–––––
A young man’s help earns deep appreciation
Last weekend my wife and I, while driving north on Highway 45, ran over something in the highway and soon had a ruined and flat tire. We pulled over on the shoulder to change the tire, which I was not looking forward to as I had just celebrated my 90th birthday.
As I got out of the car to inspect the tire I was surprised to find another car had pulled in behind me, and a young man introduced himself and offered to help change to tire. I eagerly accepted but soon found his offer to “help” consisted of doing all the work and getting us back on the road to get the tire repaired and on our way. We are most appreciative of his good deed.
It is nice to be reminded that there are still “Good Samaritans” in our times.
Hugh and Bea Lucket
Tupelo | http://djournal.com/opinion/letters-editor-aug-28-2016/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | djournal.com/74bcee2a8bc36359afbd813f6a50e578071209a664d272eb221fbcf6cc0623f9.json |
[
"Parrish Alford"
] | 2016-08-31T14:49:48 | null | 2016-08-31T09:08:53 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fswinney-eager-contribute%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/0-16.jpg | en | null | Swinney eager to contribute | null | null | djournal.com | By Parrish Alford
Daily Journal
OXFORD – When news came down that Ole Miss running back Jordan Wilkins would miss this season, Eric Swinney knew his role would change.
He’s ready for the challenge, he says.
Swinney would have been part of the rotation anyway. He’ll likely be a bigger part now.
How the running backs will sub in and out remains to be seen. The Rebels open the season against No. 4 Florida State on Monday night in Orlando.
Running back by committee has kind of been the thing at Ole Miss under Hugh Freeze. Akeem Judd will be the starter. The season opener will give an indication as to whether the committee will expand or if its anticipated members will get more snaps.
Pass protection is a big part of determining a running back’s playing time. Swinney touches on that and much more here: | http://djournal.com/sports/swinney-eager-contribute/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | djournal.com/35c4e19f4bb387b9ad1415c653aec1b38f9073f13ad6c0424ff1351ecf15bac2.json |
[
"Parrish Alford"
] | 2016-08-28T14:50:35 | null | 2016-08-28T08:06:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Frebels-judd-ready-rumble-whatever-scales-say%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/09051583-Akeem-Judd-e1472389526986-1.jpg | en | null | Rebels’ Judd ready to rumble, whatever the scales say | null | null | djournal.com | By Parrish Alford
Daily Journal
OXFORD – The Ole Miss roster would have you believe Akeem Judd is a biscuit and gravy away from 230 pounds.
That’s not true, Judd says, nor does he want to see 230.
Judd and Jordan Wilkins were picking up big yards after contact at the end of last season.
With the recent news of Wilkins’ ineligibility, Judd is the odds-on favorite to be named the starting running back.
Judd was 223 pounds when Ole Miss camp began. He’s not sure where the roster weight of 228 came from.
“I think I might have eaten something that day. I don’t know what it was,” he laughed. “I can play at 230, but it’s not comfortable.”
The idea of a 230-pound back toting it for th Rebels, something that hasn’t occurred under coach Hugh Freeze, lends itself to more broken tackles.
The two most prolific backs in the SEC last year – Alabama’s Derrick Henry and LSU’s Leonard Fournette – were both over 230 pounds. A third who could have been among the league’s elite if not for injury – Georgia’s Nick Chubb – played at 228.
“It depends on how much critical mass you have. You can be 230. If you can function with that weight that’s a good deal. I’ve seen people weigh 205 pounds and break tackles. That’s just a mind thing,” Judd said.
Some of the top Ole Miss rushers in recent seasons, Jaylen Walton and Jeff Scott, were well south of 200 pounds.
Getting bigger
While no one resembles a 230-plus specimen more Ole Miss backs are bigger this season.
Only Eugene Brazley at 5-9, 192 is less than 200 pounds. Sophomore D.K. Buford is listed at 5-10, 227. Redshirt freshman Eric Swinney, rated the No. 11 running back in the 2015 recruiting class by 247Sports.com, is listed at 5-9, 210.
Wilkins checked in at 6-1, 215.
Regardless of size, physical running is expected.
“That’s just some coach (Derrick) Nix harps on,” Judd said. “We want to be one of the most physical groups in the country. It ain’t always about breaking long runs. It’s about getting the 3- and 4-yard runs to move the chains. That’s what it’s all about.”
Judd rushed for 421 yards and three TDs on 77 carries last year.
While Fournette and Henry were the primary backs for their teams running back has at Ole Miss has often been by committee under Freeze.
Judd doesn’t believe that needs to change even with Wilkins’ absence.
“In the SEC you really need a 1-2 punch. Leonard Fournette, when he played against Alabama, he couldn’t do it by himself,” Judd said. “This is the SEC. We’ve got a tough schedule, one of the toughest period. You can’t do it as one running back. You’re going to need help.”
parrish.alford@journalinc.com
Twitter: @parrishalford | http://djournal.com/sports/rebels-judd-ready-rumble-whatever-scales-say/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | djournal.com/b62bd085e1928b7bf0bcadde563b846bd09f98318406478db4c6dd2613943417.json |
[
"Michaela Morris"
] | 2016-08-26T13:00:26 | null | 2016-08-25T06:07:52 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fobamacare-tax-credits-protect-many-people-rate-hikes%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/12/news_djournal_green-130x130.png | en | null | Obamacare tax credits to protect many people from rate hikes | null | null | djournal.com | By Michaela Gibson Morris
Daily Journal
Premium tax credits will shelter the majority of those who purchase insurance through the Healthcare.gov marketplace from the sting of rate hikes, according to a federal analysis released Wednesday.
“The tax credit will protect consumers from rate increases,” said Katie Martin, acting assistant secretary for planning and evaluation for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Because 2017 rates haven’t been finalized, the federal analysis looked at hypothetical rate increases of 10, 25 and 50 percent.
In Mississippi, the analysis suggests 71 percent of shoppers would find plans for $75 a month or less if there was a 10 percent increase. The percentage that would find $75 or less monthly premiums increases to 73 percent if there was a 25 percent increase and 76 percent if there was a 50 percent increase.
Tax credits go up with premiums, according to the analysis. For 2016, the average premium increased $4 a month nationally. The average deductible was $850, federal officials said.
For 2016, nearly 108,000 Mississippians were among the 16.1 million people who accessed insurance through the exchanges. Some 90 percent of the Mississippi enrollees qualified for subsidies.
Even if premiums and tax credits rise, the overall cost of Obamacare is still $49 billion below the original projections from the Congressional Budget Office. Since 2010, costs per enrollee for both public and private health insurance have grown more slowly than in previous decades.
On a Wednesday afternoon conference call, federal officials were repeatedly asked about insurers exiting the marketplace and many rural counties having a single choice of insurer. Even if choice of insurers is diminished, federal officials said consumers were still better off than they were before Affordable Care Act provisions kicked in, particularly being denied insurance because of a pre-existing conditions.
michaela.morris@journalinc.com | http://djournal.com/news/obamacare-tax-credits-protect-many-people-rate-hikes/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | djournal.com/c428f8b99f4e2055599d747e2dd456d9b0f83bc1b3cc74d6d8bfdf4f4e03c0e3.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-26T16:50:05 | null | 2016-08-26T11:42:29 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fformer-nemcc-player-targets-arenabowl-success%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/stevenson.jpeg | en | null | Former NEMCC player targets ArenaBowl success | null | null | djournal.com | Northeast Mississippi CC
GLENDALE, Ariz. – After falling short twice, LaRico Stevenson is feeling eager for success as he leads his Philadelphia Soul into tonight’s Arena Football League (AFL) championship contest, ArenaBowl XXIX.
Stevenson and the Soul will meet the Arizona Rattlers for the league title. It will air on ESPN at 6 p.m.
“I’m very excited,” said Stevenson, the Northeast Mississippi Community College product who’s making his third Arena-Bowl appearance in five seasons with the Soul.
Philadelphia fell to these same Rattlers in the title tilt during back-to-back seasons from 2012-13.
“We’ve been working real hard to try to get over the hump that we had those last two times,” Stevenson said. “I’ve just been dedicated to trying to do whatever I can.”
Prolific athlete
Stevenson (5-foot-11, 205 pounds) has established himself as one of the top athletes in the AFL since arriving in the organization for the 2010 campaign. He has become a consistent force as both a defensive back and as a kick returner.
He started his tenure in the AFL with brief stops for the Tulsa Talons, New Orleans VooDoo and Pittsburgh Power before settling in nicely at Philadelphia midway through the 2012 season.
The Olive Branch native has nearly 450 tackles, 48 pass breakups, 19 interceptions, nine fumble recoveries plus 2,000 return yards in his six-year AFL career.
His impact may be even deeper on special teams. Stevenson has fielded 124 kickoffs for 1,956 yards while with Philadelphia to produce an average of 15.8 yards per return on the shortened 50-yard field.
Stevenson is fifth on the squad with 34 tackles and four pass breakups entering the ArenaBowl.
“Our expectation is to go out there and make minimal mistakes,” he said. “We can’t give them so many chances to try to score.” | http://djournal.com/sports/former-nemcc-player-targets-arenabowl-success/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/16ad27c8409800b814f8a0c09ed4b03e1c1a19da4ef5015c0c22d8688f6ee766.json |
[
"Logan Lowery"
] | 2016-08-30T12:47:55 | null | 2016-08-30T07:07:51 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fmsu-notebook-senior-runners-get-bulk-snaps%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/holloway-293x300-1.jpeg.jpg | en | null | MSU Notebook: Senior runners should get bulk of snaps | null | null | djournal.com | By Logan Lowery
Daily Journal
STARKVILLE – Mississippi State coaches Dan Mullen and Greg Knox were able to balance four scholarship running backs when preparing a game plan last year.
Now, the Bulldogs will have to find a way to feed six hungry backs the football as redshirt freshmen Nick Gibson and Alec Murphy join the mix.
Mullen mentioned during his press conference on Monday that seniors Brandon Holloway and Ashton Shumpert would receive majority of the reps at the position. That duo split the starting role last season.
“I think it’ll play out the same as last year except that we’ll have more people in our arsenal,” Holloway said. “Aeris (Williams) will get a lot more playing time and so will (Dontavian) Lee. I think it’s going to work really well.”
Although all will likely dress in the first two games at home, the younger tailbacks may have to make an impact on special teams for them to be added to the travel roster for the first road game at LSU on Sept. 17.
“We’re not going to take six tailbacks to a game,” Mullen said. “I might take four tailbacks and a special teams player, so we’ve got to see who are the guys that are standing out on special teams.”
Proud of Prescott
Former MSU quarterback Dak Prescott has been the talk of the NFL this preseason.
In three games, Prescott has completed 78 percent of his passes for 454 yards, five touchdowns and no interceptions while also rushing for 53 yards and two more scores.
“When I see what he’s done, I’m proud of him and what he’s accomplished,” Mullen said.
Prescott was named the Week 1 starter for the Cowboys after it was revealed veteran Tony Romo would be out 6 to 10 weeks with a compression fracture in his back.
“I’m sure it’s not how he wants to become the opening day starter, but knowing Dak he’ll be 100 percent prepared for that moment,” Mullen said. “The great thing about a guy like Dak is he’s going to handle the moment well. He’s been in and played in a lot of pressure situations and is going to prepare the right way.”
Status updates
Mullen did not elaborate on the specific status of senior defensive tackle Nick James after he was arrested in Starkville early Sunday morning for public intoxication.
However, James is not listed on the depth chart.
MSU will wait and announce any suspensions just prior to kickoff of Saturday’s season opener against South Alabama.
One player who will not play in that contest is senior viper Will Coleman. Coleman suffered a lower back injury in the Bulldogs’ first fall practice and is expected to miss the next two weeks.
logan.lowery@journalinc.com
Twitter: @loganlowery | http://djournal.com/sports/msu-notebook-senior-runners-get-bulk-snaps/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | djournal.com/0404d824e76ee82a413914e590cd9014a98b9ccbb7d8ba77aff17ca2dc097bca.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-26T12:53:46 | null | 2016-08-26T06:33:07 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fkevin-tate-sometimes-breathtaking-adventures-surpass-dreams%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/11/Tate-Kevin-new3-92x130.jpg | en | null | KEVIN TATE: Sometimes, breathtaking adventures surpass dreams | null | null | djournal.com | We lay on our backs or our sides where we fell, sprawled on a roll of land that hung partway up a Colorado mountain, heaving deep breaths one after another to little effect, holding the stitches in our sides and picking bits of sage from our tongues. Just at that moment, nothing short of a grizzly could have gotten us to our feet, and it would have required a fair-sized grizzly at that. The first morning of any elk hunt is always a special kind of challenge for a flatlander, and this one was no exception.
The first rays of sunshine had joined us on our morning hike when we were already well underway. We walked and listened in increments, covering long yards, moving steadily uphill, breathing hard at every step.
We crested a rise as the sun crossed a peak to our east. In its light, moving through a shallow valley a half mile below, we saw three nice bulls exchanging threats as a group of 50 cows milled steadily along. As always, they were angling away from us, steeply enough that we probably couldn’t cut them off, but not so steep that we wouldn’t at least try. As stealthily as we could, we cut a two-mile swath at maximum fat boy speed to intercept, tipping across a shale slide and struggling up a sandy knoll. The last bull followed the last cow out of the valley through a gap while we were still 500 yards short and five minutes too late.
Being out of breath due to altitude is different from being out of breath from exertion alone. Just moments after stopping, lungs catch up quickly in the thin air. That’s what everyone who’s hunted the West will tell you. What they won’t tell you is this: you never really get to stop. Elk are big, long-legged critters and, when they’re on their feet, they’re never really still. Even walking slowly, they’ll cover several miles in the course of a day. Even walking slowly, the hunters who chase them will always be out of breath.
It’s a challenge that makes a hunter want to do it every minute for the rest of their lives, and also quit immediately, both emotions fighting for dominance at once. Usually, the first emotion wins. When it loses out, it regains its place moments later, when the hunter can finally breathe.
Kevin Tate is V.P. of Media Productions for Mossy Oak in West Point. | http://djournal.com/sports/kevin-tate-sometimes-breathtaking-adventures-surpass-dreams/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/d5471b2e33133cf3bf6a91001c2026f6019553549009546c8bc07e308abc1daa.json |
[
"Caleb Bedillion"
] | 2016-08-28T12:47:33 | null | 2016-08-28T07:05:56 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fefforts-unroll-build-trust-create-engagement%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/08251622-city-committee-e1472385826426-1.jpg | en | null | Efforts unroll to build trust, create engagement | null | null | djournal.com | By Caleb Bedillion
Daily Journal
TUPELO – Work is underway on a process set in motion by Mayor Jason Shelton to increase trust and engagement between local citizens and local government.
The effort is especially intended to help address mistrust some in the city feel toward the Tupelo Police Department, mistrust that erupted to the surface in June after a police officer fatally shot Antwun “Ronnie” Shumpert.
Earlier this month, Shelton announced plans to form six committees, each tasked with the study of a different initiative or proposal.
Some of these proposals, such as those involving community policing and a civilian review board of police action, have been demanded by local advocacy organizations.
Last week, committees began to hold initial sessions. Those committees will now begin holding weekly meetings, said city Chief Operations Officer Don Lewis.
The committees are composed of city officials, city council members and community members. Each committee has been empowered to compile a package of proposals to put before the Tupelo City Council by Nov. 1.
With these recommendations in hand, council members must then decide how to proceed.
Shelton said he’s trying to keep at least some distance between himself and the work of the committees.
“I don’t want it to be, ‘we’re here to do what the mayor wants,’” he said. “I’m trying not to be heavy handed.”
Representatives of relevant city departments sit on each committee. For example, city attorney Ben Logan represents the mayor’s office on a committee designed to study the possibility of civilian oversight of law enforcement.
Police Chief Bart Aguirre holds a non-voting seat on a committee designed to expand community-oriented policing efforts. Sgt. Katarsha White is the police department’s voting representative to the community policing committee.
A maximum of three city council members may also serve on committee. At present, all committees have two or three council members on them.
Shelton may also appoint two community members to each committee. Each city council member may appoint one community member per committee.
That’s a maximum possible total of nine community members per committee. As of Friday, Lewis said not all council members had maxed out their possible appointments.
Community members who have been appointed to committees thus far include Lee County NAACP President Chris Traylor and former city council member Doyce Deas.
At least three members of the recently formed Coalition of Concerned Pastors and Leaders also have been appointed to seats. Those members are Clarence Parks, Charles Penson and James Hull.
The committees are studying the following six topics: further development of community-oriented policing; the creation of a civilian review or police advisory board; review of the city’s hiring and training policies; development of grass-roots engagement through the city’s neighborhood coordinator; engagement with the local faith community; and the implementation of a new position in city government, a community liaison.
Though several committees echo demands made of the city by community activists, Shelton has already indicated that, in at least one instance, results will fall short of those demands.
There have been calls for a civilian review board to study allegations of police misconduct. There have been demands that such a body have the authority to issue subpoenas.
Shelton, however, has indicated he does not believe the city of Tupelo has the legal authority to create a board possessing subpoena power.
caleb.bedillion@journalinc.com
Twitter: @CalebBedillion | http://djournal.com/news/efforts-unroll-build-trust-create-engagement/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | djournal.com/39c8f7edb742f145bc78028635d6c572ec8898da8d4791195c4d355b7e6a5b71.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-26T13:00:01 | null | 2016-08-19T19:55:35 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Flook-away-dixieland-ole-miss-band-ditching-dixie%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/09/UM-logo-130x130.jpg | en | null | Look away, Dixieland: Ole Miss band ditching 'Dixie' | null | null | djournal.com | By Jeff Amy
Associated Press
JACKSON – “Old times there are not forgotten” proclaim the lyrics to the Southern anthem “Dixie.”
But the University of Mississippi, whose athletic traditions were once overlaid with Confederate symbolism, is ready to forget the song.
Athletics Director Ross Bjork said Friday that he asked the university’s marching band, known as the “Pride of the South,” to create a new pregame show that excludes all the variations of Dixie it has traditionally played.
“Because the Pride of the South is such a large part of our overall experience and tradition, the Athletics Department asked them to create a new and modern pregame show that does not include ‘Dixie’ and is more inclusive for all fans,” Bjork said in a statement.
The website Mississippi Today first reported the story.
It’s another in a series of steps away from Confederate symbols for the university that still lives in the spotlight of racial issues, more than 50 years after federal troops put down violent protests against integration, paving the way for James Meredith to attend class.
That symbolism runs deep. The nickname “Ole Miss” is a term of affection for the school’s alumni and fans, but “Ole Miss” is also what slaves called a plantation owner’s wife.
The Ole Miss Rebels were once led onto the football field by a giant Confederate battle flag and a Southern colonel, while fans waved Confederate battle flags in the stands and a rebel-grey uniformed band played Dixie.
But one by one, the university has sidelined those symbols.
In 1997, then-Chancellor Robert Khayat banned hand-held flagpoles from the stadium, effectively ending the waiving of battle flags. Then in 2003, the university cut ties with Colonel Reb, the grey-whiskered Southern planter, tapping a bear as its on-field mascot instead. In 2009, then-Chancellor Dan Jones told the band to stop playing “From Dixie With Love,” which blended the Confederate anthem with the Union Army’s “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” Some fans were yelling “The South will rise again” during the song. Ole Miss fans had once yelled the same at the end of the original version of Dixie.
Outside the athletic arena, Ole Miss has renamed Confederate Drive, stopped flying the Mississippi state flag because it features the Confederate battle emblem, and is working on a plaque to acknowledge slavery in front of the monument to university students who died fighting for the South during the Civil War.
Bjork told The Associated Press that university leaders renewed discussions about Dixie during the spring and summer of 2015. Last year, the band had stopped playing versions of the tune during games, but still played it beforehand. Bjork said that with $60 million in upgrades and expansions to Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in recent years, now is the time to make the change.
“It’s just an ongoing conversation with our leadership about how we can move forward,” Bjork said, “As part of our new stadium, there can be new traditions.”
None of these changes were without controversy. Jones said he got angry letters and phone calls over the earlier Dixie decision, some opponents tried to put an initiative on the ballot so voters could force Ole Miss to retain Confederate symbols, and there have been periodic protests by Confederate flag supporters.
“In any organization, leadership has its challenges and opportunities. We’ve had both since I’ve been here,” said Bjork, who became athletic director in 2012
But officials have said that looking away from Dixieland, as the lyrics go, is necessary if the school is going to grow and thrive. | http://djournal.com/news/look-away-dixieland-ole-miss-band-ditching-dixie/ | en | 2016-08-19T00:00:00 | djournal.com/3c1e4b5408bc29d37bf4fa42d5dc729c53b8e4c859518e4b84dea31a85dc3d3f.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-26T12:52:22 | null | 2016-08-26T06:45:53 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fmlb-roundup-moore-loses-no-hitter-ninth%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/Matt-Moore-253x300-1.jpg | en | null | MLB Roundup: Moore loses no-hitter in ninth | null | null | djournal.com | Associated Press
LOS ANGELES – San Francisco lefty Matt Moore lost his no-hit bid with two outs in the ninth inning on a soft, clean single by Corey Seager, and the Giants beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 Thursday night.
Moore’s try ended on his 133rd and final pitch – he missed most of the last two seasons after Tommy John surgery. He was immediately pulled after Seager’s hit plopped onto the grass in shallow right field.
Giants center fielder Denard Span sprinted for two outstanding catches, including a leadoff grab in the ninth, to give Moore a chance.
Moore earned his first win for the Giants since they got him in a trade with Tampa Bay on Aug. 1.
Moore nearly gave San Francisco a major league record five straight years with a no-hitter. And he almost became the first Giants pitcher to no-hit the archrival Dodgers since 1915, when New York’s Rube Marquard stopped Brooklyn.
NATIONALS 4, ORIOLES 0: Max Scherzer allowed two hits over eight innings, Bryce Harper had a two-run double and Washington avoided a four-game home-and-home sweep.
Scherzer (14-7) struck out 10 and did not walk a batter. He retired 12 straight after Adam Jones’ fourth-inning double and 21 of 22 before Mark Trumbo’s leadoff single in the eighth.
Jayson Werth’s solo home run staked Washington to a 1-0 lead. Daniel Murphy’s RBI double in the eighth came before Harper’s second hit helped the Nationals pull away.
The Nationals had lost four straight including three in a row to the Orioles, who won twice in Baltimore before the teams shifted to Washington.
Ubaldo Jimenez (5-11) allowed one run and five hits over six innings.
Trumbo stole second base with two outs in the eighth, but J.J. Hardy flied out to deep center field on Scherzer’s 95th and final pitch. Mark Melancon allowed one hit in the ninth.
METS 10, CARDINALS 6: St. Louis pitcher Adam Wainwright lost his glove trying to tag out Yoenis Cespedes and lost the game, too, when Alejandro De Aza homered and drove in five runs for New York.
Seth Lugo (1-2) pitched five scoreless innings for his first big league win. The Mets took two of three to win their first series at Busch Stadium since 2008.
Brandon Moss hit two home runs for the Cardinals and Jedd Gyorko and Stephen Piscotty also connected.
The Mets led 3-0 in the fifth when Wainwright (9-8) and Cespedes were involved in a bizarre play.
Cespedes tried to go from first to third on a bloop single by James Loney. When several Cardinals chased the ball, Wainwright covered third base. Cespedes slid and his cleat pinned Wainwright’s glove to the bag — he would’ve been out, but when Wainwright pulled away his hand, the mitt stayed stuck under Cespedes’ foot. Because Wainwright didn’t control the ball, Cespedes was called safe in a ruling upheld by replay. Moments later, De Aza hit a three-run homer to make it 7-0.
BRAVES 3, DIAMONDBACKS 1: Matt Wisler, called up from Triple-A in time to start for Atlanta, didn’t allow Arizona a hit for six innings.
The 23-year-old Wisler (5-11) allowed a run and two hits with four strikeouts and three walks in eight innings. Jim Johnson pitched the ninth inning for his 12th save.
Paul Goldschmidt broke up Wisler’s no-hit bid with a leadoff single in the seventh. Goldschmidt scored on Chris Owings’ groundout.
Robbie Ray (7-12) was the loser.
ANGELS 6, BLUE JAYS 3: Albert Pujols reached the 100-RBI mark for the 13th time, the fifth player in history to achieve the feat, Mike Trout had three hits and drove in four runs, and Los Angeles beat Toronto.
Jered Weaver pitched 5 2/3 innings to snap a three-start losing streak and help the Angels win consecutive games for the first time since Aug. 2-3.
The Angels also prevented J.A. Happ from becoming the first 18-game winner in the majors. After winning 11 straight decisions, Happ (17-4) suffered his first lost since June 10 at Detroit. He allowed four runs and six hits in five innings.
One day after his 584th home run moved him past Mark McGwire into sole possession of 10th place on the career list, Pujols joined Jimmie Foxx, Lou Gehrig, Alex Rodriguez and Babe Ruth as the only players with 100 or more RBIs in 13 seasons.
RANGERS 9, INDIANS 0: Cole Hamels allowed only two singles over eight innings for his 14th victory, Carlos Gomez hit a three-run homer in his first at-bat with Texas and the AL-best Rangers beat Cleveland in the opener of a four-game series matching division leaders.
Hamels (14-4) retired 19 straight batters after Francisco Lindor’s two-out single to left in the first. The only other baserunner for the Indians was Carlos Santana after a leadoff hit in the eighth, though he was stranded at second after advancing on a passed ball.
Adrian Beltre and Rougned Odor also homered for the Rangers (75-53).
Josh Tomlin (11-8) lost his fifth consecutive start in August.
ROYALS 5, MARLINS 2: Alcides Escobar homered and drove in two runs to lead surging Kansas City past Miami.
Salvador Perez and Kendrys Morales also drove in runs. The defending champion Royals have won 15 of 18 to pull within four games of the second AL wild card spot.
Edison Volquez (10-10) pitched five innings and allowed two runs, both unearned, and three hits.
The Royals’ bullpen, which has been a successful formula for the reigning two-time AL pennant winners, pitched four scoreless innings to push its franchise-record scoreless streak to 38 2/3 innings – the best in the majors since 2002-03 when San Francisco tossed 39 1/3 straight.
Kelvin Herrera pitched the ninth for his ninth save in 11 chances.
Tom Koehler (9-9) was the loser.
PIRATES 3, BREWERS 2, 10 INN.: Andrew McCutchen hit a home run and a pair of RBI singles, including the tiebreaker in the 10th inning, and Pittsburgh beat Milwaukee to stop a nine-game skid at Miller Park.
McCutchen has 44 RBIs in 56 career games at Miller Park, his highest total at any opposing park.
McCutchen homered into the second tier of seats in left field off Wily Peralta in the first for his 18th home run of the season. He then hit an RBI single that beat the shift in the third.
Pinch-hitter John Jaso blooped a single off Carlos Torres (2-3), advanced on a sacrifice, took third on a ground out and scored on McCutchen’s liner through the right side of the infield.
Antonio Bastardo (2-0) picked up the win in relief, and Tony Watson pitched a scoreless 10th for his eighth save.
RAYS 2, RED SOX 1: Enny Romero earned his first major league save, relieving with two outs in the ninth inning and fanning Boston slugger David Ortiz to give Tampa Bay a four-game split.
After Tyler Sturdevant struck out Hanley Ramirez and Jackie Bradley Jr. to begin the ninth, Romero was summoned. Romero sent Ortiz to the ground with a high-and-tight 1-2 fastball, then got him to look at strike three. A day earlier, the 40-year-old Ortiz reached 30 home runs and 100 RBIs. Ortiz was rested for the final day of an 11-game road trip that saw Boston go 7-4. The Red Sox, who began the day tied with Toronto for the AL East lead, lost the final two games of the series.
Mikie Mahtook ended a stretch of 34 hitless at-bats with a go-ahead double in the seventh off Drew Pomeranz (Ole Miss). Jake Odorizzi (9-5) improved to 6-0 in eight starts since the All-Star break. He gave up one run and five hits in seven innings.
WHITE SOX 7, MARINERS 6: Todd Frazier tied it with an RBI single in the seventh inning and lifted Chicago past Seattle with a line drive down the left-field line in the ninth.
Adam Eaton led off the ninth with a bloop single off Nick Vincent (3-4) and went to second on Tim Anderson’s sacrifice. Jose Abreu was walked intentionally before Frazier’s liner over third scored Eaton, leading to a pileup of players behind the pitcher’s mound.
David Robertson (4-2) worked around a walk and two incidents of fans running on the field in the ninth that delayed play for several minutes.
Robinson Cano hit his 29th home run and the Mariners wasted a solid return off the disabled list by James Paxton in their third straight loss.
TIGERS 8, TWINS 5: James McCann had a three-run homer and finished with four hits, Daniel Norris pitched into the seventh inning and Detroit completed a sweep for Minnesota’s seventh straight loss.
The Tigers are 10-2 against the Twins this year. They have won eight in a row at Target Field.
Norris (2-2) struck out five in 6 1/3 innings, allowing six hits without a walk in his longest and strongest start this season. He took a shutout in the sixth, surrendering RBI singles by Robbie Grossman and Eduardo Escobar over his last two innings.
Francisco Rodriguez struck out two in a perfect ninth for his 35th save. Jose Berrios (2-4) was the loser. | http://djournal.com/sports/mlb-roundup-moore-loses-no-hitter-ninth/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/935a34e70499569383b77827b8e64b9548f8ed7bac9d5795a2bc3d9f21f8187d.json |
[
"Zack Orsborn",
"Ron Kelman",
"Bunnyluv Mac",
"Andrea E",
"Jacquie Schmidt",
"Patricia A Cora",
"Debbi Buegeleisen",
"Jim Roberts",
"J J",
"Linda Sue"
] | 2016-08-27T16:52:37 | null | 2016-08-13T06:52:55 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Ftippah-county-fair-makes-efforts-better-rabbit-care-petition-ban-surfaces%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/081216-RabbitScramble-3-e1471093039232.jpg | en | null | Tippah County Fair makes efforts for better rabbit care after petition surfaces | null | null | djournal.com | By Zack Orsborn
Daily Journal
TUPELO – After rabbits were taken out of their cages and let loose on the Tippah County Fair Grounds, kids and their parents waited behind a white chalk line drawn into the dirt floor in the main building.
Crystal Graves, fair volunteer, addressed the crowd of nearly 250 attendees on Thursday before she started her countdown for the kids to chase and catch rabbits at the Tippah County Fair Rabbit Scramble.
A couple weeks before, a petition on change.org surfaced calling for the ban of the Rabbit Scramble, a fair tradition for more than 15 years.
The petition included images – taken from the Tippah County Fair Grounds Facebook page that have since been deleted – of six children holding rabbits by the ears or neck along with a video of the alleged animal abuse.
The petition garnered 51,216 signatures and spurred the call for a protest.
“I’m sure everybody in this room knows that there have been protests and bad publicity put out about the Tippah County Fair,” Graves said. “Our fair is rich in heritage. We want to show that. Any publicity that we have, we count it as gain because that’s free publicity.”
Because of the petition and outcry, Graves shared how to “handle” the rabbits. She asked that no one pick the rabbits up by the legs or ears, but that they may grab the body of the rabbit.
Fair volunteers were on the ground to make sure the rabbits were handled correctly.
Families who caught rabbits were given a “care kit,” which included a cardboard box, a bag of food, and a two-page guide on how to properly take care of them if they chose to take the rabbit home.
“It’s one more way we can help you take better care of your rabbit when you get it home,” she said.
Sean Akins, lawyer for Tippah County, denied a request for comment at the Fair, but sent a statement through email addressing the controversy.
In the statement, he said county officials received numerous calls and emails regarding the Rabbit Scramble. Tippah County recognized their right to disagree and “appreciates their interest in improving our county.”
“The Tippah County Fair Association appreciates the concern for the rabbits and is equally interested in the health and safety of the animals at the Fair,” the statement read. “Neither the Fair Association nor any county officials condone the abuse of animals. The Fair Association has put measures in place that are intended to permit the children to enjoy the event while protecting the animals.”
The statement also said there would be a demonstration on how to properly hold and carry the rabbits, but no physical demonstration was shown on Thursday.
Once the kids and parents were given the go-ahead, they darted for the rabbits. No rabbits were picked up the ears or legs during both the 1 and 2 age group and the 3 and 4 age group.
One adult participant dropped a rabbit numerous times but managed to catch the rabbit as it tried to escape. Another adult was seen holding a rabbit by its neck.
Desensitization
Doll Stanley, director of Justice for Animals Campaign, believes the Rabbit Scramble is a “pointless event,” and even though it doesn’t teach kids to abuse animals, it teaches them to “improperly take of care of them.”
After seeing the images and videos of the past Rabbit Scrambles, Stanley said the event violated Mississippi Statute 97-41-5, which state that it’s a misdemeanor to carry an animal improperly with your hands: “If any person shall carry, or cause to be carried by hand or in or upon any vehicle or other conveyance, any creature other than a dog or cat in a cruel or inhuman manner, he shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.”
According to rabbit.org, picking up a rabbit by the ears damages cartilage. When a rabbit’s body is suspended without support, it can fracture the rabbit’s spine, leading to paralysis.
“It may be fun for adults. It may be tradition, but isn’t it time when we break from tradition when it doesn’t have a purpose?” Stanley said. “You’re not teaching kids to respectfully take care of animals.”
Stanley said the Rabbit Scramble “desensitizes” children to not respect rabbits, which are considered prey animals.
“It’s not a bullfight, but the reality is, you’re looking at one of the most vulnerable animals,” she said. “If you had an adult twist your ear, it hurts. I promise you, the rabbits are not having fun. They are terrified.”
Along with the Animal Advocacy Initiative of Mississippi, Stanley and her team offered Tippah County officials an alternative to the Rabbit Scramble.
They want to get a team of young people to coordinate events with kids that are “packed with fun.”
“It’s time for us to take a step back, be respectful and implement something that is a win for everyone, including the rabbits,” Stanley said.
zack.orsborn@journalinc.com
Twitter: @thedaily_zack | http://djournal.com/news/tippah-county-fair-makes-efforts-better-rabbit-care-petition-ban-surfaces/ | en | 2016-08-13T00:00:00 | djournal.com/fe70aa2b2251f62744158fff6ebddb17b17e477d8425993a0532f09a1f470c70.json |
[
"Gene Phelps"
] | 2016-08-27T04:46:58 | null | 2016-08-26T22:18:05 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Frocket-man-williams-wave-race-past-warriors%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/08261608-Jaquerrious-Williams-e1472267732354.jpg | en | null | Rocket Man: Williams, Wave race past Warriors | null | null | djournal.com | Posted on by in High School Sports
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
By Gene Phelps
Daily Journal
TUPELO – Tupelo sophomore running back Jaquerrious “J-Rock” Williams might want to consider changing his nickname.
In Friday’s 44-21 Golden Wave victory against Corinth, the 5-foot-9, 180-pound speedster played more like “J-Rocket” as he rushed for 167 yards and scored two touchdowns.
Williams lit up Corinth with scoring bursts of 51 yards and 32 yards in the first half. He had a 35-yard TD scamper nullified by a holding call in the second quarter.
Wave senior running back Labryant Siddell had a solid night with limited touches. He set up two touchdowns with runs of 46 and 40 yards. He finished with 88 yards.
“J-Rock and Labryant played really well and made some big plays,” Tupelo head coach Trent Hammond said. “Some things were there for them and working.”
Tupelo (2-0) led 24-7 at the half on the strength of Williams’ touchdowns and Josh Smith’s 44-yard field goal.
Ray Sandroni, Donte Freeman and Corey Hodges had second-half TDs to help Tupelo build a 44-7 lead.
Tupelo’s defense gave up 134 yards rushing and 164 yards total offense. Corinth (1-1) scored two late touchdowns off Golden Wave fumbles.
“Our first group on defense played really well,” Hammond said.
Read more in Saturday’s Journal and at DJournal.com. | http://djournal.com/sports/rocket-man-williams-wave-race-past-warriors/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/335ca64361de2402375a6d30ca8482ddab1787e9d847ae80e5aa5ac38aa7970c.json |
[
"John L. Pitts"
] | 2016-08-29T14:50:05 | null | 2016-08-29T08:16:21 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fsuper-sized-opening-week-starts-thursday%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/12/football_icon_green-130x130.png | en | null | Super-sized opening week starts Thursday | null | null | djournal.com | By John L. Pitts
Daily Journal
The opening weekend of college football is so big this year, it’s going to take five days.
It begins with a batch of games on Thursday night, including the season’s SEC opener, and continues through Monday night when No. 11 Ole Miss plays No. 4 Florida State in Orlando.
Mississippi State and Southern Miss will stick with good ol’ Saturday openers – the Bulldogs at home against South Alabama at 11 a.m. and the Golden Eagles at Kentucky for a 6:30 p.m. kickoff.
Two SEC teams that are unlikely to figure into the champ-ionship race will get league play started Thursday night, as South Carolina visits Vanderbilt for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
No. 9 Tennessee also opens on Thursday, at home against Appalachian State.
By the time the Rebels and Seminoles take the field on Monday night, it’s possible – if unlikely – that Florida State could be playing with a chance to be the nation’s top-ranked team.
The AP poll’s top three teams all have potentially dangerous openers away from home – No. 1 Alabama against No. 20 Southern Cal at Arlington, Texas; No. 2 Clemson at Auburn; and No. 3 Oklahoma at No. 15 Houston, in that city’s NFL stadium.
john.pitts@journalinc.com
Twitter: @JohnLPitts | http://djournal.com/sports/super-sized-opening-week-starts-thursday/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | djournal.com/c161a34d210cb0c919c44c18700e2de6cb0e3a03f8c49e288f1ed1327075ca6e.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-27T06:51:03 | null | 2016-08-27T00:08:33 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fbreaking-man-charged-death-mississippi-nuns%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/Rodney-Sanders.jpg | en | null | BREAKING: Man charged in death of Mississippi nuns | null | null | djournal.com | Daily Journal
A Kosciusko man has been arrested and charged in the deaths of two nuns in Durant.
Rodney Earl Sanders, 46, has been charged with two counts of capital murder, according to Department of Public Safety spokesman Warren Strain.
Sister Margaret Held and Sister Paula Merrill were found dead Thursday morning after they didn’t report to work at a nearby clinic where they provided medical care for children and adults who couldn’t afford it.
According to a press release, Mississippi Bureau of Investigation agents conducted an “exhaustive” interview on Friday and were able to gain enough information to charge Sanders.
“Sanders was developed as a person of interest early on in the investigation,” MBI Director Lt. Col. Jimmy Jordan said.
Sanders is being held in an undisclosed detention center awaiting his initial court appearance.
Authorities did not release a cause of death, but the Rev. Greg Plata said police told him the nuns were stabbed. Autopsies were scheduled to be done Friday.
The victims’ car was found abandoned a mile away from their home, and there were signs of a break-in.
–––––
The Associated Press contributed to this report. | http://djournal.com/news/breaking-man-charged-death-mississippi-nuns/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | djournal.com/b2c15e100d0e8517810a2e7689c5a88b419c7e427e6f1bd4c8ea05a7f359cf2d.json |
[
"William Moore",
"Jason Ruthermore"
] | 2016-08-28T10:52:44 | null | 2016-01-09T06:55:46 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fpharmacist-seeks-end-to-federal-drug-probation%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/01/MN-0109-jim-bain-MGC-e1452344134763-92x130.jpg | en | null | Pharmacist seeks end to federal drug probation | null | null | djournal.com | By William Moore
Daily Journal
TUPELO – Former pharmacist and ex-Lee County school board member Jim Bain has petitioned a federal court to end his probation almost a year early.
Bain, 62, pleaded guilty in December 2013 to selling the painkiller hydrocodone without a prescription. He faced up to 10 years in prison. Instead, he was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Court Judge Sharion Aycock to six months in prison, two years probation and fines and restitution of more than $10,000.
Bain entered the federal correctional institution in Forrest City, Arkansas, in June 2014. The Federal Bureau of Prisons says he was released on Dec. 19, 2014.
After serving about 54 weeks of two years supervised release, Bain filed a motion in federal court in Aberdeen on Jan. 4 asking that his probation end early. Two days later, the case was shifted from Aycock’s court to U.S. District Court Judge Glen Davidson.
There is no time frame for the court to take action on the motion.
Bain owned an independent pharmacy on North Gloster across from Milam school. He sold the pharmacy in 2011, but continued to work for the new owners. Bain was elected to the Lee County School Board in November 2010. He resigned from the school board abruptly and without explanation in March 2012.
It was later learned that Bain was recorded on video in January 2012 selling hydrocodone to undercover federal agents on the pharmacy premises after hours. He surrendered his pharmacist’s license the following month.
william.moore@journalinc.com | http://djournal.com/news/pharmacist-seeks-end-to-federal-drug-probation/ | en | 2016-01-09T00:00:00 | djournal.com/4996d160040357eeb31c1230f6e2ed045f5ab1ca0f853931d4299e9da66c30bc.json |
[
"Parrish Alford"
] | 2016-08-26T12:48:36 | null | 2016-08-26T06:51:43 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fyoung-safeties-working-step%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/Woods-Zedrick-e1472212287550.jpeg | en | null | Young safeties working to step up | null | null | djournal.com | By Parrish Alford
Daily Journal
OXFORD – Zedrick Woods has only one season of college football under his belt, but now he’s a veteran.
Those are the breaks.
Ole Miss lost two talented safeties off last year’s 10-3 team. Filling the void left by Trae Elston and Mike Hilton on the back end has fallen mostly to young players.
Woods is running first team at free safety ahead of junior C.J. Hampton. Strong safety, called Rover in the Rebels’ 4-2-5 scheme, is manned by true freshmen in the top two spots: Myles Hartsfield and Deontay Anderson.
“It’s always tough replacing guys. Both of them were great players, great tacklers and knew the defense,” Woods said. “That’s tough, but we need to step up as a unit.”
Woods did not arrive with the attention of more highly rated recruits but quickly earned the trust of his coaches.
He appeared in 13 games while starting two. He finished with 25 tackles, eight plus an interception in the last three games.
“Any time you have two new safeties that are running the defense you’ve got some teaching to do,” defensive coordinator Dave Wommack said. “I think we’re starting to develop some guys and some depth there.”
Hartsfield, an early enrollee, played nickel back at the start of the spring. He was listed No. 1 at Rover on the first depth chart, and nothing has changed.
Wommack said Hartsfield and Anderson have made a lot of progress, though Anderson is playing now with a wrist fracture.
Both are being pushed to be ready for big roles when the Rebels take on Florida State on Sept. 5.
Playing time helps
Extensive playing time as a freshman gave Woods a lift in confidence.
“I kind of knew what to expect in learning the defense,” he said. “I feel like that helped.”
The Rebels ranked No. 13 in the SEC in passing yards allowed last year, No. 9 in pass defense efficiency.
Hartsfield was rated the No. 1 prep school safety by 247Sports.com and was a track All-American in high school in New Jersey, where he excelled in the jumps. Anderson was listed No. 1 at the position by ESPN.
It’s Woods, though, who ‘s the old man in the secondary at a young age.
“He’s a solid player,” Ole Miss coach Hugh Freeze said. “He’s got a lot of snaps under his belt so we’re depending on him not to make those mistakes.”
parrish.alford@journalinc.com
Twitter: @parrishalford | http://djournal.com/sports/young-safeties-working-step/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/fe291723ace413470ab2d63438315ce6c500ff2d9c101d735884f05c8d9ee793.json |
[
"Emma Crawford"
] | 2016-08-31T10:47:45 | null | 2016-08-31T05:05:31 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Flee-countys-dickerson-voted-vp-state-ed-council%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/DICKERSON-e1472617009227-92x130.jpg | en | null | Lee County’s Dickerson voted VP of state ed council | null | null | djournal.com | By Emma Crawford Kent
Daily Journal
TUPELO – Lee County Schools Special Education Director Kathy Dickerson is ready to take her passion for special needs students to the state level after being elected vice president of the Mississippi Council for Exceptional Children (CEC).
Dickerson was voted into the position by her peers.
“It’s an honor. It’s a little overwhelming, a little intimidating,” Dickerson said. “They’re a good group of people, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
CEC is a national organization with state branches that promotes advocacy for special education and reviews special education policy. The council also holds conferences for special education teachers and provides professional development and training.
Dickerson said her first task as vice president will be planning Mississippi’s annual CEC conference, which is slated to be held in Biloxi this year. Dickerson was the keynote speaker at last year’s state conference, which took place in Tupelo.
The position is progressive, Dickerson said, meaning she will first serve as vice president pro tempore, then as vice president and finally as president.
She said she looks forward to her term leading the group and advocating for special education on a new level.
“It just takes it on a larger scale,” Dickerson said. “Here, I focus on our students and teachers in Lee County Schools, but with this I’ll be able to see a bigger picture. I’ll get to be a part of something that will hopefully, eventually filter down and benefit the students here in Lee County.”
For Dickerson, who said she has always had a passion for special education, her new position with CEC is a natural next step.
She has worked in the Lee County School District as a counselor, assistant principal and special education teacher before taking the position as the district’s special education director, which she has held for seven years.
“So many students with disabilities need a little more or not even necessarily more but different,” Dickerson said. “I’m passionate about looking beyond the disability to see what kind of support we can provide or what kind of support this student needs to be able to go and be like their regular ed peers.”
emma.crawford@journalinc.com
Twitter: @emcrawfordkent | http://djournal.com/news/lee-countys-dickerson-voted-vp-state-ed-council/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | djournal.com/8a0a51c2cb324859a3c5591078a351b0e8e238473189360304e396eb9e20c54e.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-27T06:47:41 | null | 2016-08-27T01:09:35 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fopinion%2Frheta-johnson-shout-whispering-bills-book%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2013/07/rheta_grimsley_johnson-e1413615172744-91x130.jpg | en | null | RHETA JOHNSON: A shout-out about Whispering Bill's book | null | null | djournal.com | It’s almost like one of those “Where’s Waldo?” books, when you find the man in the funny cap on every page in every location in every situation.
The subtitle of Whisperin’ Bill Anderson’s new book, “An Unprecedented Life in Country Music,” is not hyperbole. You find Whisperin’ Bill grooming country legend Connie Smith, singing to the disco beat, acting on the set of “One Life to Live,” co-writing Anna Nicole Smith’s favorite song and giving Taylor Swift her first opportunity to sing in public. Did I mention he once was a good if cautious baseball pitcher and has a college degree in journalism?
None of these things is what he’s best known for, of course, because Bill Anderson was at the top of the country charts in 1958, when he was 20 years old, with “City Lights” and – except for a few off years – has been writing hits ever since. For 58 years. He’s a songwriter’s songwriter.
I like this book, written with Peter Cooper, music historian. I especially like the part when Bill Anderson describes his personal song-writing process, always a mystery to me. Which came first, I wondered, the lyrics or the tune, or was it different with each artist, or perhaps each song? Anderson is a lyrics man.
He wrote one of my all-time favorite country songs, made famous by Porter Wagoner in the late 1960s, called “The Cold Hard Facts of Life.” It’s an industrial-strength classic, with a husband coming home early from a trip, stopping at a corner wine store, buying a bottle of champagne to celebrate with his wife only to find her “entertaining” someone else.
“The story was gripping and spine-tingling as I was writing it, until I suddenly realized I didn’t have the foggiest idea how my little soap opera was going to end,” Anderson writes. “I had exactly 16 bars of music, about four lines of lyrics, and possibly a tag line with which to wrap the whole thing up …”
Writing a song can be like a painter painting himself into a corner and wondering how to get out of the room, he says. Well, he leapt out of the “Cold Hard Facts” corner with an agile, three-word phrase that you can find on YouTube if you’ve made it this far in life without hearing that wonderful song. I won’t spoil it.
He describes hearing song ideas buried in idle chatter or baseball lingo or other unlikely places. And that’s just the start of the jigsaw. He’s mastered the art.
It’s a funny book, a story told without excess ego or exaggeration like some I’ve read in this genre. Despite great success, he’s kept his humility and remains accessible to fans.
“Oh, Bill Anderson,” one fan said to him, “it’s such a thrill to meet you. I’ve liked you ever since back when you used to be popular.”
When he thought his career was dead, he collaborated with younger songwriters and wrote another round of country hits. It was his hairstylist who insisted he call her friend Vince Gill, and that was the beginning of a beautiful collaborative friendship.
This book won’t be in the inspirational section of your local book store, but it probably should be. The main message is to follow your passion, never give up and be nice to people.
Rheta Grimsley Johnson is a syndicated columnist. Comments are welcomed at rhetagrimsley@aol.com. | http://djournal.com/opinion/rheta-johnson-shout-whispering-bills-book/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | djournal.com/ccbbd33218031daabad0e5b40d0b48f5fb7e2b7a5d81ef1385bfeda5594b21dd.json |
[
"Logan Lowery"
] | 2016-08-30T14:48:16 | null | 2016-08-30T09:38:54 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fex-michigan-state-de-commits-bulldogs%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/Sweat-Montez-e1472567917150.jpeg | en | null | Ex-Michigan State DE commits to Bulldogs | null | null | djournal.com | Copiah-Lincoln Community College has not only produced five current Mississippi State players, but it is also home to four future Bulldogs.
The latest Wolfpack player to commit to MSU is defensive end Montez Sweat. The 6-foot-6, 250-pounder spent two years at Michigan State before transferring to Co-Lin in June.
Sweat received a redshirt his initial season for the Spartans after appearing in only two games in 2014, with four tackles and a half-sack. The Stone Mountain, Georgia native played in two more contests last year before being suspended.
Sweat is the 21st member of the Bulldogs’ 20th ranked recruiting class.
Logan Lowery | http://djournal.com/sports/ex-michigan-state-de-commits-bulldogs/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | djournal.com/7aa5956d362ae9bde0b1ae4dcc02e91a18e51d243b7d20b2e81d3072d22e59f7.json |
[
"M. Scott Morris"
] | 2016-08-29T12:47:02 | null | 2016-08-29T07:15:09 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Ffulbright-scholar-digging-ground-tapscott-germany-bound%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/08231607-John-Tapscott-e1472472803647-1.jpg | en | null | Fulbright Scholar: After digging the ground, Tapscott Germany bound | null | null | djournal.com | By M. Scott Morris
Daily Journal
TUPELO – If everything goes as he planned, John Tapscott will take his farmer’s tan to Germany in a couple of weeks.
In May, Tapscott graduated from Vassar College in New York with degrees in economics and German studies. The latter surprised him.
“I had intended to take Spanish. I felt like it was a continuation of what I did at Tupelo High School, but the class was full,” the 23-year-old said. “Somewhat on a whim, I ended up taking German and ended up being pretty good at it.”
After his sophomore year, he won a scholarship from Vassar to spend eight weeks near Munich, Germany. His second trip was part of a Columbia University program, and he studied at Freie Universität Berlin for six months.
“It’s ‘Free University’ in English,” Tapscott said.
During his two immersive experiences, he developed an enduring appreciation for the country.
“I once described it to a friend as a bizarre version of the U.S.,” he said. “It’s not so different that you feel like you’re somewhere totally foreign, but the German culture has so many minor differences that make it totally unique compared to the U.S.”
The transition from junior year in college to senior year is a time to focus on potential careers. But Tapscott figured out a way to delay decisions about his future.
He applied to the Fulbright Scholar Program, and eventually was selected to make his third trip to the country that has so captured his imagination.
“I’ll teach English,” he said. “I’ll be working with teenagers, 13- to 16- or 17-year-olds.”
He got the OK from the German government in March, so he knew what his fall would look like, but his summer was a question mark.
“I arrived in Mississippi from New York in mid-June,” he said. “I wasted away a week or so.”
He knew he wanted to work, so he contacted Will Reed with Native Son Farm in Tupelo. Tapscott said his parents, Mike and Marsha Tapscott, were shocked that he chose a labor-intensive job, but he wanted the learning experience.
And he certainly learned.
“It was a wake-up call. Just a few weeks earlier, I had graduated from college,” he said. “I was dropped down in this heat on the farm. It was pretty tough the first few days. I would say I had some pretty soft hands from spending time on my computer in the library doing homework. I quickly developed some calluses.”
He’s harvested okra, tomatoes and peppers, and he’s planted Brussels sprouts, cabbage and kale. He’s also become proficient at spreading manure around the crops with a hoe.
The end of each day found him covered in dirt and sweat from honest labor under the unforgiving Mississippi sun.
“I have a literal farmer’s tan. That’s one of the funnier things to happen to me this summer,” he said. “When I get home, I’ve taken to hosing myself down and getting the dirt off before I go inside. It would actually clog up the drain of the shower.”
Tapscott’s season on the farm taught him a few things about himself, as well as what it takes to work the land.
“I do feel like I could potentially manage a backyard garden, but nothing more,” he said. “I’m enjoying working out here, but I think farming is something that might be too tough for me to do beyond the backyard.”
Tapscott has since hung up his hoe to prepare for the big trip, which is about two weeks away. As of last Tuesday, he hadn’t figured out living arrangements yet, so that was exciting, as was the prospect of buying a one-way ticket to spend nearly a year in a different country.
He admitted that other than watching a miniseries on Netflix and reading a novella, he hasn’t been practicing German as much as he probably should.
“I’ll have to knock off the rust the final couple of weeks I’m here,” he said.
In addition to teaching, he hopes to provide people in Germany a positive image of Americans. Perhaps his farmer’s tan and callused hands will testify to his work ethic.
He also hopes to do something that eluded him during previous visits.
“I’ve met a lot of people there, but I wouldn’t say I have any real lasting relationships with Germans, other than with my host families,” he said. “That’s something I‘d like to change. Ten months is a long time. I’d like to make lasting connections.”
scott.morris@journalinc.com
Twitter: @mscottmorris | http://djournal.com/news/fulbright-scholar-digging-ground-tapscott-germany-bound/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | djournal.com/6ccc08069bfe6de7ab44fb2011cb0b4a2617f37c81753ca4bbe698f582159a64.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-30T16:47:37 | null | 2016-08-30T11:05:38 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fmississippi-state-stops-flying-state-flag%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/news_inthenews_green1-130x130.png | en | null | Mississippi State stops flying state flag | null | null | djournal.com | DAILY JOURNAL
STARKVILLE – Another public university in Mississippi has stopped flying the state flag that prominently features the Confederate battle emblem.
Mississippi State University becomes the sixth of the state’s eight universities to do so.
University spokesman Sid Salter said Tuesday that President Mark Keenum approved deans’ plans to remove the flag from most parts of the Starkville campus. It has been replaced with larger American flags.
Mississippi’s Confederate-themed flag has been criticized as a symbol of racial oppression. State voters overwhelmingly supported keeping it in 2001.
Salter didn’t immediately say how many flags were removed or when. He said Mississippi’s flag remains part of a 50-state display in a cafeteria.
The University of Mississippi and the University of Southern Mississippi removed state flags last year. Three historically black universities removed them earlier.
The Reflector, Mississippi State’s student newspaper, first reported the removal.
Keenum told the student newspaper multiple factors led to the state flags’ removal and replacement across campus.
“The underlying sense, is you have students, faculty, and leadership of administration on record calling for a change,” Keenum said. “It’s a quite natural thing that the respective colleges on campus would want to emulate the display of the American flag on the Drill Field with their college and that’s what transpired.”
Keenum has previously voiced his support of changing the flag through policies in the state legislature.
Salter told the student newspaper that the university chose to remove the flags quietly, without making a statement or holding a press conference, because the removal of the flag has been an evolving process involving many channels within the university.
Flags most recently flew near the Wise Center, the Hunter Henry Alumni Center and the Veteran’s Center. The state flag also flew near the MAFES conference center off Highway 182 and in the Perry Cafeteria. The flag in the Perry was moved from its position next to the U.S. flag this past year.
The Associated Press contributed to this report | http://djournal.com/news/mississippi-state-stops-flying-state-flag/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | djournal.com/b50db0f93caaa1e88862f1a3638c4a10d0d502cc07a0eb746cdbd09a3fb8dee9.json |
[
"Caleb Bedillion"
] | 2016-08-30T12:53:41 | null | 2016-08-30T06:12:19 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Ftupelo-selects-part-time-neighborhood-coordinator%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/town_tupelo_green1-130x130.png | en | null | Tupelo selects part-time neighborhood coordinator | null | null | djournal.com | Posted on by in Local Government
By Caleb Bedillion
Daily Journal
TUPELO – City officials are taking action to maintain engagement with Tupelo neighborhood associations.
Longtime city employee Sherrie Cochran recently retired and for the short-term future will be replaced on a part-time basis by KC Grist.
Cochran held various titles during her tenure with the city of Tupelo but remained active in supporting and engaging with the city’s network of neighborhood associations.
Grist will carry the title of neighborhood coordinator. She’ll seek to make sure the city remains engaged with local neighborhoods and communities even as city leaders discuss what that coordinator job should look like in the future.
“We needed someone to step in and immediately begin working with our neighborhoods,” said Development Services Director Shane Hooper.
The neighborhood coordinator works out of Development Services.
Hooper believes that robust engagement with the city’s neighborhoods fosters economic development, improves the quality of life and enhances citywide communication.
The neighborhood coordinator position is under the microscope right now as a series of city-appointed committees study ways to increase trust and engagement between city leaders and local communities.
Chief Operations Officer Don Lewis said one of those committees will reexamine the neighborhood coordinator job position and discuss whether any changes are needed.
There will also be efforts to ensure the neighborhood coordinator remains distinct from a new position Mayor Jason Shelton wants to create, that of community liaison.
Grist was for several years the director of marketing for the Boys & Girls Clubs of North Mississippi and currently works as a consultant dealing with management, government relations and professional development.
According to Hooper, he selected Grist in part because of her organization abilities and people skills.
He also believes that she will bring an ability to direct small dynamics.
“The job is about listening to neighborhood associations and what they want to accomplish,” Hooper said. “We are not here to dictate to them.”
caleb.bedillion@journalinc.com
Twitter: @CalebBedillion | http://djournal.com/news/tupelo-selects-part-time-neighborhood-coordinator/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | djournal.com/157943cffd86458a5530b00bd3fd521a28658ffc07539fcedf702b23b9f487e0.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T20:47:28 | null | 2016-08-29T15:11:50 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fveteran-lawmaker-read-named-appropriations-chairman%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/read-120x120.jpg | en | null | Veteran lawmaker Read named Appropriations chairman | null | null | djournal.com | By Bobby Harrison
Daily Journal Jackson Bureau
JACKSON – House Speaker Philip Gunn, R-Clinton, has turned to the Gulf Coast to fill the Appropriations Committee chairman vacancy, naming veteran lawmaker John Read, R-Gautier, to the influential post.
“John has more experience and knowledge of the appropriations process than anyone in the House of Representatives,” Gunn said Monday afternoon in a news release. “He has 25 years of legislative experience. He has been a member of the Appropriations Committee for more than 20 years and has served as the vice chairman of Appropriations for eight of those years.”
Read served as vice chairman of the committee that oversees the writing of the budget in the House during one term each of the tenures of previous speakers Tim Ford and Billy McCoy.
Read has been chairman of the Conservations and Water Resources Committee in the House. It it not sure when and how Gunn will address that post, but it would be rare for a member to hold both committee chairman positions.
Rep. Mac Huddleston, R-Pontotoc, who is in his third term in the House, serves as vice chairman of the committee. There was some speculation that he was under consideration for the chairmanship, but the speaker opted to go with the more experienced lawmaker.
The 14-member Legislative Budget Committee will begin work in the coming weeks to develop a budget plan for the full Legislature to use as a roadmap when in convenes in January.
As the new Appropriations chairman, Read will take part in that work.
The post is vacant because Herb Frierson, R-Poplarville, stepped down as Appropriations chairman in June to accept the appointment by Gov. Phil Bryant as the commissioner of the Department of Revenue. | http://djournal.com/news/veteran-lawmaker-read-named-appropriations-chairman/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | djournal.com/36e11f266a408c81802caac781f5ec21303f1b7d58a9019ed0c8e5f66f19869f.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-31T14:48:27 | null | 2016-08-31T07:00:06 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fvideo-newsbreak-aug-31-2016-2%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/newsbreak-logo_condensed-1_REV.jpg | en | null | VIDEO: Newsbreak, Aug. 31, 2016 | null | null | djournal.com | Wake up and get ready for your day with the Daily Journal’s Newsbreak – a quick summary of news, sports, weather and everything else Northeast Mississippi to keep you informed and updated on the latest happenings in your community.
Browse by Date: Select month August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002 January 2002 December 2001 November 2001 October 2001 September 2001 August 2001 July 2001 June 2001 May 2001 April 2001 March 2001 February 2001 January 2001 December 2000 November 2000 October 2000 September 2000 August 2000 July 2000 June 2000 May 2000 April 2000 March 2000 February 2000 January 2000 December 1999 November 1999 October 1999 September 1999 August 1999 July 1999 June 1999 May 1999 April 1999 March 1999 February 1999 January 1999 December 1998 November 1998 October 1998 September 1998 August 1998 July 1998 June 1998 May 1998 April 1998 March 1998 February 1998 January 1998 December 1997 November 1997 October 1997 September 1997 August 1997 July 1997 June 1997 May 1997 April 1997 March 1997 February 1997 January 1997 December 1996 November 1996 October 1996 September 1996 August 1996 July 1996 June 1996 May 1996 April 1996 March 1996 February 1996 January 1996
Newsmax
Polls Are you concerned with the increased Zika cases in Mississippi? Yes
No View Results Loading ... Loading ... | http://djournal.com/news/video-newsbreak-aug-31-2016-2/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | djournal.com/33e11f5ab2b35d684c05c54e61f043fe972ce874e1b1d56583aff3224c51f1fd.json |
[
"Jack Makokov"
] | 2016-08-26T13:00:52 | null | 2016-08-25T06:24:23 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Freport-state-revenue-completion-lagging%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/other_state_gov-130x130.png | en | null | Report on state revenue completion lagging | null | null | djournal.com | By Bobby Harrison
Daily Journal Jackson Bureau
JACKSON – With the month of September quickly approaching, the report detailing Mississippi revenue collections for the month of July is still not complete.
Normally, the staff of the Legislative Budget Committee has the monthly reports completed within a few days of the end of the month.
But the July report has created unique problems. Debbie Rubisoff, director of the Budget Committee staff, said changes made to the method of collecting state revenue during the 2016 legislative session is having to be incorporated into the July report – the first of a new fiscal year.
“Senate Bill 2362 of the 2016 legislative session impacted the general fund by requiring that various funds previously designated as special funds now be deposited into the general fund,” Rubisoff explained in an emailed response. “This is a big change to the revenue reporting process, and since July is the first month in this new process, it’s simply taking us more time to adequately review collections.”
Senate Bill 2362 is the Budget Transparency and Simplification Act, which has been anything but simple and transparent thus far for state officials dealing with the budget and revenue. The legislation transfers some special funds, derived from levying fees or assessments to pay for specific programs, into the state general fund and, instead, funds those specific programs out of general tax collections. In addition, the legislation stops the practice of state agencies charging other agencies for the services they provide.
Senate Appropriations Chair Buck Clarke, R-Hollandale, and Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves, the lead advocates of the legislation, said it would give the Legislature more oversight of the budgeting process by placing the special funds in the general fund, giving legislators the final say on the level of funding of some of the special fund agencies. In addition, the bill is meant to provide additional general fund revenue to shore up sluggish tax collections.
But others said the legislation had unintended consequences. Soon after the 2016 session ended in April, Reeves and House Speaker Phil Gunn, R-Clinton, conceded that the legislature spent $56 million more than it should because it overestimated the impact Senate Bill 2362 would have on revenue collections.
Plus, Attorney General Jim Hood said because of the way the legislation was written about $80 million in special funds that legislators thought would be transferred to the general fund would not be. In an official opinion, the attorney general said those funds had to remain in special fund accounts and would not be available to spend on general fund programs. Reeves and others criticized the AG’s ruling, which does not carry the weight of law, but provides protection from lawsuits for public officials who adhere to it.
State Fiscal Officer Laura Jackson, who handles the day-to-day disbursement of funds to state agencies, has said in published reports she would follow the AG’s opinion.
As a result of the $56 million overestimation and of the attorney general’s opinion, the state is entering the new fiscal year already in a hole of about $130 million.
In addition, while the revenue report has not been completed, various reports indicate general tax collections on income, retail items and other items is $14 million short of projections for the month of July. This comes after a fiscal year where the state collected less revenue than the previous year for only the fourth time since 1970.
bobby.harrison@journalinc.com
Twitter: @BobbyHarrison9 | http://djournal.com/news/report-state-revenue-completion-lagging/ | en | 2016-08-25T00:00:00 | djournal.com/90d23d10f2c8497a6163e079f4328fd74c7df7582dd4d8ef7fda559163c4ce30.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-28T12:46:52 | null | 2016-08-28T06:46:27 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fchanges-jail-policies-poor-applauded%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/other_state_news-130x130.png | en | null | Changes in jail policies for poor applauded | null | null | djournal.com | By Patsy Brumfield
Mississippi Today
JACKSON – Mississippi legal leaders urged fellow attorneys to be more involved with helping the state’s poor resolve legal issues as the state’s Access to Justice Commission observed its 10th anniversary Thursday.
Keynote speaker Lisa Foster, director of the U.S. Justice Department’s Office for Access to Justice, praised an Oxford-based legal organization for its efforts in changing local policies, which held poor people in jails when they couldn’t pay bonds or fees.
“Mississippi is in first place on how you can change the way courts treat people,” she said.
She cited recent court settlements between the MacArthur Center for Justice with the city of Jackson and between the ACLU of Mississippi and the city of Biloxi to change their fines and bail policies. The cities previously held the poor under a “pay or stay” policy if the defendants couldn’t afford fines or fees.
“These settlements are models for the rest of the country, not just here,” Foster said.
Foster said the country’s justice system actually contributes to poverty when the poor cannot secure legal representation or advice on solving everyday problems.
Earlier, outgoing chairman Judge Denise Owens of Jackson recalled the years it’s taken to organize the state’s Access to Justice network.
“Ten years just went by so fast,” said Owens, “but there’s so much work to be done.”
Owens told her audience at the Mississippi Supreme Court building that more than 600,000 state citizens qualify for free legal aid, but too few attorneys are available to meet that need.
“The problem with access to justice is a problem with poverty,” said co-chairman Rodger Wilder, a Gulfport attorney.
He said there’s “no one way we’re going to solve this problem” without new solutions.
Educating the poor to represent themselves is key, Wilder noted, saying “I’m afraid we’re never going to have enough lawyers” to personally help every poor Mississippian who needs legal help.
Wendy Scott, dean of the Mississippi College School of Law, told participants, “There is a justice gap in this country, so the work of this commission is very important.”
Work to establish the access commission began some 15 years ago and accelerated in 2006 through the leadership of Chief Justice Ed Pittman and Justice Jess Dickinson.
The commission brings together free legal services from the Mississippi Volunteer Lawyers Project, Mississippi Legal Services, the Mississippi Center for Justice, Mission First Legal Aid Office, Gulf Coast Women’s Center for Nonviolence/Northcutt Legal Clinic, Disability Rights Mississippi, Domestic Violence Legal Assistance at Catholic Charities and the American Civil Liberties Union of Mississippi.
Tiffany Graves, the commission’s executive director, told participants about plans to develop a mobile app to provide information to people who must represent themselves, especially on minor civil matters in municipal and justice courts.
She also announced a new internet site – ms.freelegalanswers.org – for the poor to ask questions of real volunteer attorneys about civil legal issues. Graves, who serves on the board of Mississippi Today, urged state attorneys to be involved with the web site. | http://djournal.com/news/changes-jail-policies-poor-applauded/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | djournal.com/df5830a4504b3ca22f9dec11be0ba11b1bbda930ea406f2099055d786f0e1d31.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-31T12:48:46 | null | 2016-08-31T06:50:45 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fmyrtle-football-team-wins-debut-game%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/12/football_icon_green-130x130.png | en | null | Myrtle football team wins its debut game | null | null | djournal.com | By Donica Phifer
New Albany Gazette
NEW ALBANY – Less than a year from the go-ahead decision for Myrtle to field a football team, the Hawks gained a historic win on Monday night.
The first game in school history, played at BNA Bank Park, saw Myrtle post a 46-6 junior high victory over Walnut.
“You don’t plan it out or expect to win by that much,” Hawks coach Justin Hollis said. “But I knew with the effort that these kids had put in that we could. And they just laid the hammer down.”
Jaden Taylor threw for two touchdowns, one to Jackson Mayer and another to Eli Thompson. Thompson and Mayer, along with Ethen Hunt, each scored two TDs. | http://djournal.com/sports/myrtle-football-team-wins-debut-game/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | djournal.com/be5e43e661be0fb9d05fd6e9e3c03f750ffd6ca67d5478d2e4c3541cf263f40f.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-26T22:47:14 | null | 2016-08-26T17:14:16 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Foxford-high-student-suspended-facing-sanctions-role-threat%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/town_oxford_green1-130x130.png | en | null | Oxford High student suspended, facing sanctions for role in threat | null | null | djournal.com | By John Davis
Oxford Citizen
An Oxford High student is suspended and possibly facing additional sanctions for taking part in a threat against the school Aug. 19.
The school district locked down OHS, as well as other schools, for two hours after an assistant principal received a threat from an individual via text message. The threat revolved around the use of a gun, and not a bomb or fire, according to law enforcement. Because of the threat, the marching band from OHS was unable attend the Chargers’ game at Southaven.
Superintendent Brian Harvey gave an update on the lockdown Monday night during the monthly school board meeting. At the time, it appeared that finding a perpetrator may prove to be too difficult.
That changed Tuesday morning, Harvey said, as more information came to light. And by Wednesday, members of the Oxford Police Department in charge of investigating the case were able to pinpoint an individual and make an arrest.
That person is under the age of 18 and as a result falls under a different set of circumstances involving punishment. If the person was over 18, they would have been booked into the Lafayette County Detention Center and have to post bond.
A felony for cyberstalking would have been the most logical choice for the OPD to use in regards to a charge. According to Mississippi Code 97-45-15, it is “unlawful for a person to use unlawful for a person to use in electronic mail or electronic communication any words or language threatening to inflict bodily harm to any person or to that person’s child, sibling, spouse or dependent, or physical injury to the property of any person, or for the purpose of extorting money or other things of value from any person.”
If any of the following applies, then the person is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for no more than five years or a fine of not more than $10,000 or both.
The investigation is still ongoing, but a youth court complaint has been made, and the next step in the legal proceedings is for the individual to make an appearance in that setting at a later date.
The student is also going to have to appear before a disciplinary hearing committee at a later date.
Principal Bradley Roberson is the one who will make a recommendation as far as punishment from the school relating to the matter. The maximum is being expelled from all classes for the remainder of the school year and beyond. Harvey said it was unfortunate that anybody would think to harm a school and make such a threat, which was taken very seriously by the district.
Davis McCool, the editor of the The Charger student newspaper, was the first to break the story on the arrest of the student. In his story, he said the student was released to the custody of parents. McCool reported David Bell is the judge who is the presiding referee over youth court in the county. | http://djournal.com/news/oxford-high-student-suspended-facing-sanctions-role-threat/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/7b7fcd133989860000e9c803c0299e898e41016b00c3802f8f34eeff9cbc55c6.json |
[
"Dennis Seid"
] | 2016-08-28T12:47:53 | null | 2016-08-28T06:42:03 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fplans-moving-ahead-transform-historic-cotton-mill%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/08241658-JJ-Rogers-Building-e1472384314223-1.jpg | en | null | Plans moving ahead to transform historic cotton mill | null | null | djournal.com | By Dennis Seid
Daily Journal
TUPELO – Six years after buying the old cotton mill in downtown Tupelo, Greg Pirkle’s vision hasn’t changed for the building that was built more than a century ago.
The plans have been tweaked, but the overall vision remains the same – transforming it into a multi-purpose facility that will draw more people to the Mill Village area and into Tupelo.
A partner in the Phelps Dunbar law firm in Tupelo, Pirkle in 2010 initially anticipated transforming the 109,000-square-foot space with a restaurant, sandwich shop, upscale grocery, movie theater, gym, residential lofts, office space, a mixed-use performance venue, an open-format artist cooperative, a bicycle shop and an apartment.
Many of those elements remain part of his plans.
“When I bought the building I had an idea of what I wanted to do with it, and that’s stayed consistent with what I want it to become,” he said. “My goal in buying it was personal and community based. I want to live down there, I want to have something I can do through retirement or anything else.”
His approach to accomplish what he wants has been the biggest change. Instead of trying to do everything at once, Pirkle has a multi-year plan to phase in the project, biting off bits and pieces at a time.
“I’ve looked at so many different ways to pay for it. In the end, it comes down to money and how am I going to pay for it and do all this,” he said. “Initially I was going to borrow all the money to do everything at once. I wanted to be able to use tax credits and new markets credits for that on those things that might be available.”
But that type of financing was inconsistent with what Pirkle wanted to do with the building, he said.
“Those type of credits are more on the lines of what they did in Starkville with that cotton mill, making it into offices where you go out and get leases and you can take that to the bank,” he said. “New markets credits and historic credits are just another form of financing. It does have some government incentive, but you still have to have the same collateral.
“For this building, I didn’t want only offices and leases. I want a restaurant, a bowling center, some office space, some event space, and you’re not going to be able to get a seven-year lease on all these things and take a bunch of those leases to the bank as collateral.”
Instead, Pirkle’s reimagining project is a multi-million-dollar investment spread over several years. Going this route provides more stable cash flow as well, an important detail when asking a bank for a loan.
Another shot
The mill, also known as the J.J. Rogers building, was built in 1901 and is the namesake for the neighborhood it sits in: Mill Village. Its square tower and circular smokestack are part of the skyline of downtown.
The Rogers family bought the old cotton mill in the 1940s and used it to house their distributing company.
The building has been all but empty since 2007.
Pirkle’s plan isn’t the only overhaul proposed in recent years. In 2008 and 2009, a North Carolina-based company tried to obtain state funding toward converting the building into what would have been Cotton Mill Lofts.
The proposed $9.4 million residential project called for 48 units with below-market rent, an on-site playground, a computer room, GED classes and washer-dryer combos in each unit.
But the funding wasn’t granted and the project didn’t happen, leaving an opening for Pirkle.
Pirkle bought the property in 2010 and has spent time talking with architects, engineers, contractors, the state’s historic experts, consultants and potential tenants.
He said buying the property then – in the midst of the recession – probably forced him to step back a little from the project. Financing was made more difficult as the country endured the deepest economic downturn since the Great Depression. Pirkle took the opportunity to reevaluate his plans, and he says that was probably a good thing.
“I think now, with all that’s happening downtown, is the time to be doing this,” he said.
Event space first
The initial phase of his grand project should be completed by the end of the year – turning much of the first floor space of the main building into an event space with the capacity to hold about 1,500 people.
It’s meant to complement, not compete, with other venues in town.
The space has been used for numerous weddings and special events over the years, so Pirkle knew there was plenty of interest in the building.
“People are already paying money to use that space, so I already have a business model for that,” he said.
A stage is being built for the event space, which can be lowered for a wedding or remain in place for corporate events and other functions.
An additional stage can be placed on top for live performances. Pirkle says the idea is similar to The Lyric in Oxford and Minglewood Hall in Memphis.
New wood flooring is being placed on top the old flooring, but one section isn’t quite so new. A wall had to be taken down to accommodate the plans for what will become a small theater, but the wood was repurposed to serve as the dance floor in front of the stage.
Mike Gillentine, no stranger to rehabilitating old buildings, is behind the work being done to J.J. Rogers building.
He’s taking Pirkle’s vision and turning it into reality. He’s also bringing his own creative ideas to the table.
“For example, he’s gone through the building and taken all the old period lights that were scattered through the building – there’s about 70 of them – and they’re going to hang over the event center,” Pirkle said. “It’s that kind of creativity that I really like.”
Gillentine also is replacing the windows – 98 of 100 – in the building to be historically accurate. Two windows are originals, having been hidden from view behind wood over the years. Doors also follow the pattern.
“What we’re also doing is using as much material from the building itself to build the windows and the doors,” Gillentine said. “It takes some time, though, to make all the windows.”
Other plans
After the event center space is opened, the next phase is to ready the south end of the building complex for a business that will be unique to Tupelo.
Originally, Pirkle was going to build the bowling center as well as fix an apartment space for himself after the event space. But he said the other business opportunity took priority.
Pirkle wasn’t ready to reveal publicly what that business will be, but said it would add a new trendy element to the city.
“I’m already living in a wonderful neighborhood in a beautiful home, so I’m staying put for now while we fix the south end of the building” he said. “Number one, it provides additional cash flow and No. 2, I think it helps attract more people to that building and that end of town. In my mind, this will have a major impact on the community.”
Upstairs, in addition to the apartment he eventually will add, the upper floor could become a boutique hotel with 16 rooms. Or the space might be used for additional living space, perhaps eight living units.
“That may be ultimately what it becomes, but I really want a boutique hotel there,” he said.
To complement the event space downstairs, Pirkle wants to add a restaurant, some retail tenants, some office space, and a holistic spa center of some kind.
And when the event space isn’t being rented or used for wedding or corporate events, he’d like to make it available to get the community more involved, giving them something else to do, he said.
“That’s not solidified in my mind yet, but hopefully that’s a part of it,” he said.
All the plans will eventually fall in place only after the first piece is laid. The event space gets the ball rolling.
“I want it to start the excitement,” Pirkle said. “I know it can make money because I’ve already been making money on this venue. So if I can get people excited, I know it will be exciting for the community. Once we open the second opportunity in place on the south side, it’s going to utilize both the inside and the outside of the space with some visual appeal. It will give us an opportunity to really showcase the building, too.”
Pirkle said a person living in Mill Village is within walking distance to any number of dining and shopping spots, as well as entertainment and even groceries. Transforming the J.J. Rogers building only adds to the appeal of the area, he said.
“You can walk anywhere you want and almost have an almost urban experience so you don’t have to drive for miles to get the convenience you want,” he said. “That’s the vision.”
dennis.seid@journalinc.com
Twitter: @dennisseid | http://djournal.com/news/plans-moving-ahead-transform-historic-cotton-mill/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | djournal.com/33e9c7db8e49d78b36c597265a4ab77688c781ea4407fc7bbba71c3d0ef784f6.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-29T14:49:45 | null | 2016-08-29T08:05:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fmlb-roundup-rangers-stand-tall-al-showdown%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/Holland-240x300-1.jpg | en | null | MLB Roundup: Rangers stand tall in AL showdown | null | null | djournal.com | Associated Press
ARLINGTON, Texas – Derek Holland has been a model of consistency for the Texas Rangers since coming off the disabled list.
Even though he’s only made two starts, the left-hander’s effort so far is a positive sign for the American League’s top team as it tries to solidify its rotation behind Cole Hamels and Yu Darvish over the final five weeks of the season.
Holland allowed a run and four hits with five strikeouts in six innings on Sunday, the same as in his return five days earlier. The Rangers beat the Cleveland Indians 2-1, taking three of four games in a series between division leaders.
“What we always talk about is being consistent and I want to make sure I’m showing that,” Holland said. “I know it’s two games in a row. … I’ve got to continue to worry about staying consistent.”
Ian Desmond and Jonathan Lucroy each had an RBI single for Texas, which has an 81⁄2-game lead over Houston and Seattle after both those AL West rivals lost Sunday. Left fielder Carlos Gomez made two highlight-reel catches, including a runs-saving grab to end the sixth against the last batter Holland faced.
Holland (6-6) missed two months with shoulder inflammation before starting Tuesday at Cincinnati, a 3-0 loss. He threw 62 of his 84 pitches for strikes against the AL Central-leading Indians.
“When Derek throws strikes, Derek has success,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. “He had a great mix today.”
Cleveland loaded the bases in the ninth against closer Sam Dyson, who allowed a single and consecutive one-out walks before striking out pinch-hitter Tyler Naquin and retiring Abraham Almonte on a fly ball to end it.
It was Dyson’s 29th save in 33 chances.
“We had a few chances,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “But not a ton of chances.”
BLUE JAYS 9, TWINS 6: Josh Donaldson had his first career three-homer game, Troy Tulowitzki also went deep and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Minnesota Twins to complete a three-game sweep.
Donaldson hit a solo homer off Kyle Gibson in the second, then delivered a go-ahead, two-run blast off Pat Light (0-1) in the seventh.
Dozens of fans tossed hats onto the field to celebrate the home run hat trick after Donaldson, the AL MVP in 2015, hit a solo shot off Alex Wimmers in the eighth. Groundskeepers and even the Blue Jays mascot helped clear the hats away.
Donaldson’s fourth multi-homer game this season and the 10th of his career also marked the 17th three-homer game in the majors this season.
Jose Bautista had his first three-hit game of the season for the AL East-leading Blue Jays.
Minnesota lost its season-worst 10th straight. The Twins have lost seven straight in Toronto.
Scott Feldman (7-4) earned the win by getting two outs in the seventh. Jason Grilli worked the eighth and Roberto Osuna finished.
DODGERS 1, CUBS 0: Brock Stewart and four relievers combined on a four-hitter and Andrew Toles scored on a fielder’s choice in the eighth inning, leading Los Angeles past Jon Lester and Chicago.
Los Angeles remained two games ahead of San Francisco in the NL West.
Stewart struck out eight in five innings of two-hit ball, and Jesse Chavez, Grant Dayton, Joe Blanton and Kenley Jansen finished. Blanton (5-2) got the win, and Jansen worked the ninth for his 39th save.
With one out in the eight, pinch-hitter Toles was hit by a pitch, and then Trevor Cahill (3-4) threw away Howie Kendrick’s short roller, allowing Toles to reach third.
After an intentional walk and a strikeout, Adrian Gonzalez hit a grounder toward third, and Javier Baez double-clutched before throwing too late for a force play at second base, allowing Toles to score.
Lester struck out six and pitched three-hit ball over six innings.
GIANTS 13, BRAVES 4: Joe Panik homered twice and matched his career high of four RBIs to back Madison Bumgarner, and San Francisco beat Atlanta for its second series win since the All-Star break.
Panik hit a solo homer in the second and added a two-run shot in the fourth. The second baseman also reached on an infield single in the sixth and had a sacrifice fly in the seventh.
Denard Span and Eduardo Nunez also homered, Brandon Crawford had three hits and Jarrett Parker drove in three runs for San Francisco. The Giants took two of three from the Braves.
Bumgarner (13-8) allowed three runs over seven uneven innings. He struck out five and walked two.
Freddie Freeman and Gordon Beckham homered for Atlanta. Ender Inciarte doubled, tripled and scored twice, but the last-place Braves have lost 13 of 18.
Aaron Blair (0-6) was the loser.
PADRES 3, MARLINS 1: Rookie Luis Perdomo benefited from a team-record six double plays and pitched a six-hitter for his first complete game, helping San Diego beat Miami.
The complete game was the Padres’ first this year.
Perdomo allowed the leadoff batter to reach in five innings, and each time the runner was erased on a double play grounder. In addition, after Perdomo gave up a one-out single in the seventh, Ichiro Suzuki lined out to the pitcher, who then trotted to first base to double off the runner.
Five Marlins hit into double plays, and they went 6-4-3, 4-6-3, 6-4-3, 6-3, 1, and 5-4-3. The six DPs were a nine-inning team record for the Padres defensively, and a Marlins batting record.
Perdomo (7-7) walked three, struck out three and threw only 99 pitches, retiring the side in order in the ninth. Ryan Schimpf had an RBI triple, singled and scored for the Padres.
PHILLIES 5, METS 1: A.J. Ellis had a big hit in his Philadelphia debut, breaking a seventh-inning tie with a two-run double that sent the Phillies past New York.
Vince Velasquez and four relievers quieted a streaking Mets lineup that was minus ailing sluggers Yoenis Cespedes (quad) and Neil Walker (back).
New York also lost shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera in the first inning. He exited with soreness in his left knee, a problem area that has sidelined him twice before this season.
David Hernandez (3-3) pitched a scoreless inning for the win. Robert Gsellman (1-1) lost in his first start in the majors.
ORIOLES 5, YANKEES 0: Kevin Gausman tamed the torrid Yankees hitters, Mark Trumbo lined his major league-leading 40th home run and Steve Pearce also connected to help Baltimore avert a sweep.
The Orioles got battered in the first two games, outscored 27-9. Baltimore bounced back in the matchup between AL East contenders, halting its three-game skid and ending New York’s winning string at four.
Gausman (6-10) threw seven innings, giving up seven hits while striking out nine and walking none. He posted a rare road win after going 0-16 in his previous 25 starts away from Camden Yards.
Yankees rookie sensation Gary Sanchez doubled and singled. He had homered in three straight games and is hitting .404 in 22 games this year. CC Sabathia (8-11) was the loser.
ROCKIES 5 NATIONALS 3: Nolan Arenado went 4 for 4, hitting his 35th home run and a triple, and drove in three runs in Colorado’s victory over Washington.
Arenado and David Dahl hit back-to-back home runs in the third inning off Nationals rookie Lucas Giolito. Chad Bettis (11-7) allowed two runs, both on solo homers, and five hits with six strikeouts over seven innings in his longest start since April 10.
Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Wilson Ramos homered for Washington.
Giolito (0-1) allowed four runs and six hits in five innings for the NL East leaders. Washington has dropped six of eight.
Adam Ottavino recorded the final three outs for his second save after Harper homered off Boone Logan leading off the ninth. Colorado took two of three from Washington.
ROYALS 10, RED SOX 4: Raul Mondesi hit a bases-loaded triple and Eric Hosmer added a two-run single during an eight-run sixth inning, lifting surging Kansas City past Boston.
Salvador Perez hit his third solo homer in two games for Kansas City. The defending champion Royals took two of three at Fenway Park and are 17-4 in their last 21 games.
David Ortiz hit his 534th homer, a solo shot, for the Red Sox, tying Jimmie Foxx for 18th on the career list. Boston has lost four of five.
Matt Strahm (2-0) pitched 2 2/3 innings of hitless relief.
Eduardo Rodriguez (2-6) gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings.
ATHLETICS 7, CARDINALS 4: Rookie Andrew Triggs earned his first win and Stephen Vogt and Khris Davis homered to lead Oakland past St. Louis.
Triggs (1-1) allowed three runs on four hits, walked none and struck out eight in six innings. Ryan Madson pitched the ninth for his 27th save in 33 chances.
Jaime Garcia (10-10) gave up a three-run homer to Vogt with two out in the third and a two-run shot to Davis, his 34th, with two out in the first.
Matt Carpenter doubled twice, homered and scored the Cardinals’ first three runs. His homer in the third extended the Cardinals’ streak to 17 games with a homer, matching their season best. Ryon Healy doubled in the third to extend his hitting streak to 14 games, the longest active streak in the majors.
ANGELS 5, TIGERS 0: Former Tiger Jefry Marte had three RBI and Tyler Skaggs shut down Detroit in Los Angeles.
After scoring 35 runs in the four games before this series, the Tigers were limited to six runs in the three-game weekend set against the Angels. It is the ninth time this season the Tigers have been shut out.
The victory gave the Angels back-to-back road series wins for the first time this season.
Marte hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning off Anibal Sanchez (7-13). It was Marte’s 10th home run of the season and first since Aug. 17. He played in 33 games with the Tigers last season.
The Angels added three more runs in the sixth, on sacrifice flies by Andrelton Simmons and Marte, plus an RBI double by Nick Buss. Skaggs (2-3) allowed two hits while striking out six in six innings.
RAYS 10, ASTROS 4: Chris Archer struck out 10 in seven innings, Corey Dickerson hit a three-run homer and Tampa Bay beat Houston.
Matt Duffy and Nick Franklin also went deep for the last-place Rays. They have homered in 21 of their last 24 games. Houston, in the hunt for an AL wild card, had won three straight.
Archer (8-17) gave up three runs on four hits and two walks. With his strikeout of A.J. Reed in the sixth, the right-hander joined David Price and James Shields as the only Tampa Bay pitchers with multiple 200-strikeout seasons.
Franklin and Evan Longoria each had three hits for the Rays, who jumped out early against Doug Fister (12-9). Jose Altuve hammered for Houston.
WHITE SOX 4, MARINERS 1: Carlos Rodon pitched into the seventh inning, Justin Morneau had a two-run single and Melky Cabrera drove in a run and scored twice in Chicago’s victory over Seattle.
Jose Abreu also drove in a run. Chicago took three of four in the series and has won six of eight.
Robinson Cano hit a solo homer, his 30th, and Kyle Seager had three hits for Seattle.
Rodon (5-8) allowed the run and five hits in six-plus innings before giving way to the bullpen.
Chris Beck and Dan Jennings worked out a jam in the seventh, Nate Jones pitched a 1-2-3 eighth and David Robertson got the last three outs for his 33rd save.
Taijuan Walker (4-9) allowed four runs on four hits in 7 1/3 innings. He also hit three batters.
DIAMONDBACKS 11, REDS 2: Yasmany Tomas homered, Welington Castillo drove in four runs and Archie Bradley won for the first time in more than a month in Arizona’s victory over Cincinnati.
Tomas delivered a pinch-hit three-run shot in the sixth inning off Reds reliever Ross Ohlendorf, his team-leading 27th of the season. Castillo had two hits, a run-scoring single in the fifth and an RBI double in the eighth, and knocked in runs with a fielder’s choice grounder and a sacrifice fly.
Bradley (5-8) allowed two runs and five hits with three strikeouts over six innings.
The Diamondbacks scored four runs in the first off Reds starter Homer Bailey (2-3), all on singles, force outs and an error.
PIRATES 3, BREWERS 1: Ivan Nova threw six sharp innings before leaving early because of a hurting left hamstring and Pittsburgh hit three solo homers to rally for its eighth straight road victory.
John Jaso and Gregory Polanco homered in the sixth off Brewers starter Chase Anderson (7-11) to complete Pittsburgh’s first sweep at Miller Park since 2004. Starling Marte had a solo shot in the eighth.
Nova (4-0) retired 10 of his final 11 batters after allowing Jonathan Villar’s homer in the third. Tony Watson pitched the ninth for his 10th save. | http://djournal.com/sports/mlb-roundup-rangers-stand-tall-al-showdown/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | djournal.com/f6c1c15a3ec35f5b8439faf237c09927eb22ee30b21db11d1fd8ac24b34c4600.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-29T16:48:26 | null | 2016-08-29T11:30:44 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Flafayette-teen-killed-one-vehicle-wreck%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/news_accident_green-130x130.png | en | null | Lafayette teen killed in one-vehicle wreck | null | null | djournal.com | By Chaning Green
Oxford Citizen
The Lafayette community is mourning the loss of a local student who was killed in a car accident Sunday evening.
Around 6 p.m. on County Road 100, 14-year-old Walker Atkinson, a Lafayette Middle School student, was killed in a one-vehicle crash.
Chad Chism is head principal at LMS and began his second year in the position this month. He remembers Atkinson as a happy kid who was well loved by everyone in at the school.
“I have been here for a year, just started my second year this month, so there are certainly people here that know him better than I do,” Chism said Monday morning. “When I think of Walker, I know that he was always a happy-go-lucky guy. The one thing I will always remember about Walker is that no matter where I saw him or when I saw him or what he was doing, Walker was going to have a smile on his face. He was a kid who, as can be obviously seen by the pain that our student body is experiencing right now, was a kid who is loved throughout this building and the district.”
District officials were informed of the accident Sunday night shortly after it happened and Atkinson was identified as the deceased.
“As soon as we got word last night and I passed on the information to his teachers, I was getting calls from his pervious teachers,” Chism said. “His sixth grade teacher as well as people from the upper and lower elementary were calling and they all describe Walker exactly the same way that I would. He was just a kid with a sweet spirit who was easy to love and easy to get along with. He will be deeply, deeply missed. When I think of him, I just see him walking down the hallway smiling. That’s the visual I’ll always have of him.”
Chism said that he does not have any additional information on the crash itself and that his focus right now is on making sure the teachers and students are being well taken care of during this difficult time. He said that he would be keeping Atkinson family in his thoughts and prayers for the many days to come.
chaning.green@journalinc.com | http://djournal.com/news/lafayette-teen-killed-one-vehicle-wreck/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | djournal.com/4d1bd20ca7965e5985dae01b35191695791ed8fedec7e2ee40687b6317c07908.json |
[
"William Moore"
] | 2016-08-26T22:46:37 | null | 2016-08-26T15:48:49 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fsupreme-court-upholds-ruling-late-judge%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2015/10/100911-talmadge-littlejohn-e1445957873674-97x130.jpg | en | null | Supreme Court upholds ruling against late judge | null | null | djournal.com | By William Moore
Daily Journal
JACKSON – The Mississippi Supreme Court ruled against the family of late Chancery Court Judge Talmadge Littlejohn.
Earlier this month, Littlejohn’s estate asked the high court to recall its previous sanctions. Executrix Christy Littlejohn Adair said the widow is now being punished for something the husband did.
In September 2015, the court ordered Littlejohn suspended for 30 days without pay, publicly reprimanded and to pay $2,600 in fines and court costs.
Littlejohn served the suspension, but died Oct. 26, 2015 before the reprimand was read in open court or the fine and costs could be paid. The Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance filed a claim against Littlejohn’s estate for $2,606.47.
Adair argued that the suspension without pay would permanently reduce the retirement benefits paid to widow Julia Littlejohn, 76.
“The additional sanctions ordered by this court cannot further punish a dead man,” the appeal said, “but in reality will have the effect of punishing his elderly widow.”
In their response, the commission noted that Littlejohn accepted the suspension and had already set up a payment plan for the fine and court costs before his death.
In a 7-2 ruling Thursday, the high court dismissed the motion, noting that a motion to amend or correct a mandate must be made within 14 days. Adair’s motion was filed more than 10 months after the mandate.
In March 2012, Littlejohn changed an 11-year-old custody agreement and ordered a non-custodial father to pay $15,000 within 90 days to purchase a car for his minor child. The man appealed. Despite the case being appealed, Littlejohn ordered the man jailed for not paying.
After reviewing the case, the Commission recommended that Littlejohn be fined $500, publicly reprimanded and ordered to pay $200 in court costs. Littlejohn rejected the offer and asked for a hearing before the supreme court. The Supreme Court decided to make the penalties stiffer, since Littlejohn was reprimanded before in 2010.
william.moore@journalinc.com | http://djournal.com/news/supreme-court-upholds-ruling-late-judge/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/84869c830802dfad86085b684d50aa612531567315743225280a92ebf7ae668c.json |
[
"Logan Lowery"
] | 2016-08-27T06:49:01 | null | 2016-08-27T01:38:07 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fnew-corners-step-bulldogs%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2015/03/Graham-Jamoral-e1427719767992-89x130.jpg | en | null | New corners have to step up for Bulldogs | null | null | djournal.com | By Logan Lowery
Daily Journal
STARKVILLE – The landscape at cornerback for Mississippi State has been drastically altered since two senior starters went down with injuries.
Tolando Cleveland was lost for the year with a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee while Cedric Jiles will be out until mid-season with a broken right arm leaving the Bulldogs’ depth depleted at the position.
“We’ve got to get guys to step up,” said MSU head coach Dan Mullen.
That task likely falls first on juniors Jamoral Graham and Lashard Durr. Those two players are now the leading candidates to replace departed starters Taveze Calhoun and Will Redmond, who’ve moved on to the NFL.
Graham is still relatively new to the position having switched to the secondary in the spring of 2015 after spending his freshman year as a wide receiver. The 5-foot-10, 183-pounder appeared in a dozen games as a reserve corner last season making 21 tackles but did not have an interception or pass deflection.
“He definitely doesn’t lack confidence in anything that he does,” Mullen said. “So I guess corner is a good spot for him because you’ve got to have a short memory, you’ve got to be a confident guy to go make plays.”
Durr joined the team in January after two years at Copiah-Lincoln Community College. The 5-foot-11, 197-pounder broke up 22 passes and made three interceptions during his juco career.
‘Very excited’
“He’s coming along and doing a very good job,” said MSU cornerbacks coach Terrell Buckley. “We are very excited about him. He has very good man-to-man skills. He uses his hands well and plays hard and that’s what you like.”
Sophomore Chris Rayford is the only other cornerback with game experience having made five tackles in 13 games as a reserve last year.
The injury situation has also forced the Bulldogs to shift some players around in the secondary. Safeties Maurice Smitherman and Jamal Peters have both started to work at cornerback as a result of Cleveland and Jiles going down.
Cornerback comes second nature to Smitherman, who played the position last fall and spring while redshirting his freshman year before moving to safety this fall. Peters appeared in a dozen games as a true freshman and made two starts at safety last season and brings some size to cornerback at 6-foot-2, 217-pounds.
“Maurice Smither-man has played corner and he’s rotating in there,” Mullen said. “Jamal Peters has the physical tools to go out there and play some corner. And the young guys have to step up and go play.”
Those “young guys” are redshirt freshman Chris Stamps and true freshmen Corey Charles and Cameron Dantzler.
logan.lowery@journalinc.com
Twitter: @loganlowery | http://djournal.com/sports/new-corners-step-bulldogs/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | djournal.com/e7046f0b3e16182d240aff684daf3e206fe8117e9c8612ccd072990d3fb1fe8e.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-27T08:51:02 | null | 2016-08-27T02:26:02 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Findians-find-balance-beating-bulldogs%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/IAHS-logo.jpg | en | null | Indians find balance in beating Bulldogs | null | null | djournal.com | By Donica Phifer
New Albany Gazette
NEW ALBANY – Sophomore running back Lamarcus Rhodes ran for 189 yards, but it was the passing game that did the most work for the Itawamba AHS Indians in Friday’s 21-7 win against New Albany.
Itawamba opened the game with a dramatic statement with senior quarterback Austin King hitting receiver Caleb Whittle for a 68-yard touchdown.
In a game with over 100 yards in penalties for both the Bulldogs and the Indians, Itawamba had the cushion of that opening play and maintained the advantage for the duration, expanding to a three touchdown lead at halftime behind another deep ball and a 61-yard run that set up another score.
New Albany saw the majority of its offensive output from running back Jordan Lipsey, who closed in on 100 yards for the Bulldogs and caught a touchdown in the third quarter.
“We have to cut out our mistakes,” New Albany head coach Jake Hill said, “The kids played hard tonight … but the mistakes we made tonight, we can’t afford those against a good team like Itawamba.” | http://djournal.com/sports/indians-find-balance-beating-bulldogs/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | djournal.com/552a9387558a9235d7622f094f821e9206b7a8ed181b6ab0078dc0589227b6d0.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-29T16:48:06 | null | 2016-08-29T10:28:11 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fdaily-journal-high-school-football-rankings-week-2%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2015/04/dj_favicon.png | en | null | Daily Journal High School Football Rankings, Week 2 | null | null | djournal.com | Browse by Date: Select month August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 September 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 May 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 December 2008 November 2008 October 2008 September 2008 August 2008 July 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007 October 2007 September 2007 August 2007 July 2007 June 2007 May 2007 April 2007 March 2007 February 2007 January 2007 December 2006 November 2006 October 2006 September 2006 August 2006 July 2006 June 2006 May 2006 April 2006 March 2006 February 2006 January 2006 December 2005 November 2005 October 2005 September 2005 August 2005 July 2005 June 2005 May 2005 April 2005 March 2005 February 2005 January 2005 December 2004 November 2004 October 2004 September 2004 August 2004 July 2004 June 2004 May 2004 April 2004 March 2004 February 2004 January 2004 December 2003 November 2003 October 2003 September 2003 August 2003 July 2003 June 2003 May 2003 April 2003 March 2003 February 2003 January 2003 December 2002 November 2002 October 2002 September 2002 August 2002 July 2002 June 2002 May 2002 April 2002 March 2002 February 2002 January 2002 December 2001 November 2001 October 2001 September 2001 August 2001 July 2001 June 2001 May 2001 April 2001 March 2001 February 2001 January 2001 December 2000 November 2000 October 2000 September 2000 August 2000 July 2000 June 2000 May 2000 April 2000 March 2000 February 2000 January 2000 December 1999 November 1999 October 1999 September 1999 August 1999 July 1999 June 1999 May 1999 April 1999 March 1999 February 1999 January 1999 December 1998 November 1998 October 1998 September 1998 August 1998 July 1998 June 1998 May 1998 April 1998 March 1998 February 1998 January 1998 December 1997 November 1997 October 1997 September 1997 August 1997 July 1997 June 1997 May 1997 April 1997 March 1997 February 1997 January 1997 December 1996 November 1996 October 1996 September 1996 August 1996 July 1996 June 1996 May 1996 April 1996 March 1996 February 1996 January 1996
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Featured Jobs | http://djournal.com/sports/daily-journal-high-school-football-rankings-week-2/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | djournal.com/1c8f24353df2959605ae0b585a3ee21fb441f9458b56a04976096b127c522564.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-31T12:49:07 | null | 2016-08-31T06:39:13 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fmlb-roundup-wieters-blast-lifts-orioles%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/wieters-300x201-1.jpg | en | null | MLB Roundup: Wieters' blast lifts Orioles | null | null | djournal.com | Posted on by in Professional Sports
Associated Press
BALTIMORE – Matt Wieters hit a tiebreaking two-run homer off Jason Grilli in the eighth inning, leading the Baltimore Orioles to a 5-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night.
The Orioles pulled within three games of the first-place Blue Jays, who had won four in a row.
Michael Saunders tied it at 3 with a two-run homer against Orioles starter Ubaldo Jimenez in the seventh.
Jonathan Schoop walked with two outs in the Baltimore eighth and Wieters followed with a drive to right off Grilli (4-2) for his 12th homer of the season.
Brad Brach (8-2) picked up the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Zach Britton got his league-leading 39th save.
METS 7, MARLINS 4: Curtis Granderson came off the bench and homered twice, powering the Mets to the victory.
Asdrubal Cabrera extended his recent tear at the plate, hitting a two-run homer in his return to the lineup after missing one start due to a sore left knee. Rookie right-hander Seth Lugo (2-2) pitched six effective innings and Jeurys Familia earned his major league-leading 43rd save as the Mets won for the eighth time in 10 games.
By taking the first two games of the four-game series, New York (68-64) moved ahead of slumping Miami for second place in the NL East.
Christian Yelich hit a two-run homer for the Marlins, who have dropped four straight and six of eight overall. Tom Koehler (9-10) got the loss.
NATIONALS 3, PHILLIES 2: Max Scherzer struck out 11 in eight innings, helping Washington to the road win.
Scherzer (15-7) allowed two runs and three hits. Mark Melancon pitched a scoreless ninth for his 37th save.
Phillies starter Jerad Eickhoff (9-13), who had walked just six batters in his last eight starts, issued three walks and yielded five hits and three runs through six innings.
Ryan Howard hit a two-run homer in the seventh for Philadelphia, which has dropped six of eight to fall 12 games below .500.
CUBS 3, PIRATES 0: Kyle Hendricks threw seven dominant innings to lower the majors’ best ERA to 2.09 and Anthony Rizzo homered in the Cubs’ 21st victory in August.
Hendricks (13-7) allowed three hits and walked one. Carl Edwards Jr. worked the eighth and Aroldis Chapman finished the four-hitter for his 31st save as the Cubs improved to 21-6 this month, one win shy of the best August in franchise history set in 1932.
Rizzo belted a two-run homer off Chad Kuhl (3-2) in the first and Miguel Montero added an RBI single as the Cubs improved to 84-47.
Kuhl allowed four hits in five innings as the Pirates lost their second straight after winning four in a row.
RANGERS 8, MARINERS 7: Rougned Odor hit a game-ending two-run homer, sending the AL-best Rangers to the victory.
Odor’s 25th homer was a drive to the hill in center field on a 2-2 pitch from Edwin Diaz (0-3), who had converted his first 11 save chances of the season.
Adrian Beltre also homered for the Rangers, who won their fourth straight game and have a 10 1/2-game lead over third-place Seattle in the AL West. Houston remained 8 1/2 games back after winning earlier Tuesday against Oakland.
Matt Bush (6-2), who yielded a go-ahead sacrifice fly to Robinson Cano in the eighth, came back for the ninth to finish the game.
INDIANS 5, TWINS 4: Francisco Lindor drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth inning and Cleveland extended Minnesota’s losing streak to 12 games.
Lindor’s double off Alex Wimmers (0-1) snapped a 4-4 tie and helped the Indians maintain their lead over second-place Detroit in the AL Central.
Rajai Davis hit a three-run homer and Jason Kipnis added a solo shot for Cleveland, which trailed 4-1 in the second after the Twins knocked around Josh Tomlin. Dan Otero (4-1) pitched 2 2/3 hitless innings, Bryan Shaw worked out of a jam in the seventh and Andrew Miller got five outs for his third save since joining Cleveland.
Minnesota’s current slide is the third longest in club history. The Twins lost 13 straight in 1961 and a team-record 14 consecutive games in 1982.
TIGERS 8, WHITE SOX 4: Ian Kinsler homered and drove in four runs, helping Detroit rally for the win.
Kinsler came into the game hitting .085 (4 for 47) in his last 13 games, but he hit a two-run homer in the fifth and added a two-run single in Detroit’s four-run sixth inning.
JaCoby Jones had two hits and two RBIs for the Tigers in his major league debut. Bruce Rondon (5-2) picked up the win in relief of Daniel Norris, who allowed three runs in five innings.
Todd Frazier homered for Chicago. Matt Albers (2-6) got the loss.
CARDINALS 2, BREWERS 1, 10 INN.: Zach Duke stranded the bases loaded with a strikeout in the 10th after Randal Grichuk hit an RBI single in the top half of the inning, lifting St. Louis to the road win.
Seung Hwan Oh (4-2) pitched out of a jam in the ninth to get the win. Duke got his first save with the Cardinals by striking out pinch-hitter Manny Pina after Matt Bowman walked three batters.
The Cardinals’ Jhonny Peralta led off the 10th with a single off Corey Knebel (0-2) and moved to third on Yadier Molina’s ground-rule double. Jeremy Hazelbaker, who ran for Peralta, scored the winning run on Grichuk’s flare to right.
St. Louis’ Adam Wainwright and Milwaukee’s Wily Peralta dueled for seven innings, leaving a 1-1 game for the bullpens.
ASTROS 3, ATHLETICS 1: Collin McHugh threw six scoreless innings for Houston, and Colby Rasmus and Evan Gattis homered.
Rasmus put Houston up 1-0 with a homer in the second inning in his first at-bat since returning from the 15-day disabled list. Rasmus went on the DL on Aug. 5 with a cyst in his right ear.
Gattis hit a solo homer in the seventh to make it 3-0.
McHugh (9-10) allowed four hits and struck out five. Ken Giles pitched the ninth for his sixth save.
Houston remained two games behind Baltimore for the second AL wild card.
Oakland’s Kendall Graveman (MSU) allowed three runs and four hits in seven innings and fell to 10-9.
RAYS 4, RED SOX 3: Evan Longoria broke a tie with a solo homer in the eighth inning, clearing Fenway Park’s “Green Monster” and rallying Tampa Bay to the victory.
Tampa Bay’s Luke Maile hit a two-run drive with two outs in the seventh for his second career homer. Enny Romero (2-0) pitched a scoreless seventh for the win and Alex Colome got three outs for his 29th save.
Hanley Ramirez hit his 18th homer and drove in two runs for Boston. Clay Buchholz (5-10) took the loss, pitching the eighth and allowing Longoria’s 31st homer.
BRAVES 7, PADRES 3: Julio Teheran won for the first time in 10 starts, and Braves rookie Dansby Swanson drove in three runs.
Teheran began the night with the lowest run support in the major leagues, but the two-time All-Star used a rare offensive outburst by Atlanta to earn his first home victory since last Oct. 2, a span of 14 starts.
Oswaldo Arcia homered for San Diego. Edwin Jackson (3-5) was charged with five runs and seven hits in 2 2/3 innings.
Teheran (4-9) allowed two runs and struck out eight in seven innings. | http://djournal.com/sports/mlb-roundup-wieters-blast-lifts-orioles/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | djournal.com/766e229262cc7ed85b50cedad07b5b3c8767938fa5ea0ca8f6b47395bd1b9090.json |
[
"Blake Morgan"
] | 2016-08-29T14:48:24 | null | 2016-08-29T08:14:11 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fhigh-school%2Fjackets-remain-6a-team-beat%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2015/08/Starkville-logo.jpg | en | null | Jackets remain 6A team to beat | null | null | djournal.com | By Blake Morgan
Daily Journal
After two wins, one against defending 4A state champion Noxubee County and the other on the road in the “Little Egg Bowl” against Oxford, one thing has become clear for undefeated Starkville:
Head coach Ricky Woods has his team trending in the direction to repeat as 6A state champions.
In Woods’ first season at the helm for Starkville, the team went 14-1, lost only one game in the division and boasted a defense that gave up only 10.6 points per game last season.
Coming into this season, Woods’ squad returned only four starters on the defensive side of the football, but that has not kept the unit from wreaking havoc on opposing offenses.
After giving up just two touchdowns in the first week; the defense followed up the performance by limiting Oxford’s offense to only two touchdowns.
It was an effort led by Ole Miss commit Willie Gay, who finished the night with nine tackles and two pass breakups.
As a whole, the defense came away with six sacks to throw off Oxford’s offense for most of the night.
“We’re playing aggressive football on defense,” said Woods, who’s won a state championship with every team he’s coached. “We’re playing hard and getting even better every day.”
The starting quarterback was the other big question mark heading into the season for the ’Jackets.
In a three-man QBrace, sophomore Malik Brown rose to the top.
In two games, Brown has thrown for three TDs, passed for 204 yards and rushed for 103.
“He is the quarterback,” Woods said. “He’s played real well and gets better every week.”
The top two-ranked large schools in the Journal rankings will face off against each other Friday as West Point travels to Starkville.
“We’re hoping to score more points,” Woods said. “It’s going to be a bloodbath.”
blake.morgan@journalinc.com
Twitter: @BlakeMorganDJ | http://djournal.com/sports/high-school/jackets-remain-6a-team-beat/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | djournal.com/af282b82fa902e2ad97c4ce74b6945301c3e271a46b305b06c0dfe0687b9c61d.json |
[
"Michaela Morris"
] | 2016-08-30T12:51:19 | null | 2016-08-30T06:14:31 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Ftournament-help-keep-autism-center-course%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/12/news_djournal_green-130x130.png | en | null | Tournament to help keep autism center on course | null | null | djournal.com | By Michaela Gibson Morris
Daily Journal
TUPELO – The Autism Center of Northeast Mississippi is hoping the Tupelo Luncheon Civitans can help it go the distance.
Golfers will tee up to support the autism center on Monday at the Civitans’ sixth annual golf tournament at Okolona Country Club.
“Every bit helps,” said Brittany Cuevas, director of business development and administration for the center. “Donations are helping us keep the doors open.”
The club will split the proceeds between the Tupelo center and Civitan Internal Research Center, which studies autism, Alzheimer’s and other neurological and developmental conditions.
“It’s part of our mission,” to help children and those with disabilities, said Marla Elmore, who is one of the event organizers.
Registration for the tournament will begin at 7 a.m., and the four-person scramble will start at 8 a.m. The $50 per person entry fee includes 18 holes of golf and post-tournament fish fry.
Funds from the golf tournament and other community donors will go to the center’s scholarship fund, which allows the center to offer sliding scale fees to families whose children need applied behavioral analysis therapy.
“We’re stretching (the dollars) as far as we can get them,” Cuevas said.
Right now, the staff is able to provide 27 children therapy services four hours a week. There are 100 children on the waiting list.
The center is several steps closer to receiving Medicaid reimbursement. Earlier this year, its certified applied behavior analysts passed the newly established state licensure requirements, Cuevas said. The center has completed the paperwork with Medicaid and is awaiting final approval as a provider.
Once Medicaid approves it, the center will be able to apply for some limited reimbursement under temporary codes, but the hope for a sustainable stream of funding that will allow the center to provide more therapy lies with the more comprehensive permanent codes for service.
The Division of Medicaid is working on the permanent codes for applied behavioral analysis for a state plan amendment, which will have be submitted to Centers for Medicare and Medicaid for approval, said Erin Barham, Division of Medicaid deputy administrator for communications.
michaela.morris@journalinc.com | http://djournal.com/news/tournament-help-keep-autism-center-course/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | djournal.com/192fc69ae37a763d2f02ab637f5543c50e66ff1f348a41abd6c3d887309dc208.json |
[
"William Moore"
] | 2016-08-26T12:55:47 | null | 2016-08-26T06:14:51 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fofficials-spice-bath-salts-still-problem%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/12/news_djournal_green-130x130.png | en | null | Officials: Spice, bath salts still a problem | null | null | djournal.com | By William Moore
Daily Journal
TUPELO – Synthetic drugs like Spice and bath salts offer a legal high, but the substances can carry a high price.
Designed to mimic marijuana and amphetamines, the drugs have caused serious medical and physical problems, even deaths, according to speakers and officials who gathered in Tupelo for a three-day Mississippi Drug Court conference.
“With Spice, we just don’t know enough about its toxicity,” said Dr. Kevin Freeman, a behavioral pharmacologist at the University of Mississippi Medical Center.“We see people who are seasoned marijuana users showing up in emergency rooms in varying states of psychosis.
“Bath salts are chemically similar to amphetamines but the problem is you don’t know the potency. What might be a normal amount of drug A could cause an overdose with drug B.”
Freeman, who spoke Thursday, is studying ways to make prescription painkillers less addictive.
Northeast Mississippi has seen a sharp decline in Spice and bath salts in recent years. Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson said his department has not had any complaints since a March arrest and seizure at a convenience store on the Lee-Itawamba County line.
New anti-drug regulations allow states to control entire classes of drugs, making it harder for chemists to tweak formulas to have a new legal version. But there is always something new. One of the latest entries is a synthetic opioid in drink form already available on the shelves.
“The biggest issue with unrestricted drugs is the ease of access,” Freeman said. “Children 15 or 16 can try it and experience a slight opioid euphoria. Statistically, around 10 percent of them will want more.
“Anytimeyou’resellingsomething psychoactive in a gas station, it should be a red flag.”
The Mississippi Drug Court conference continues through today.
william.moore@journalinc.com | http://djournal.com/news/officials-spice-bath-salts-still-problem/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/bb7e306c2c84a2ebd59a13e1b9daa0c0e57879f46766e169e879e839e3245019.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-30T16:47:57 | null | 2016-08-30T11:12:09 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Foxford-man-jail-sunglasses-incident%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/daniel-ford-e1472573496760-94x130.jpg | en | null | Oxford man in jail after sunglasses incident | null | null | djournal.com | Daily Journal
OXFORD – An Oxford man was jailed after allegedly stealing the sunglasses right off a victim’s head.
Daniel Charles Ford, 20, has been charged with one count of strong armed robbery after an incident on Sunday.
Police say Ford approached a man who was working on his house at Oxford Wheel Estates, grabbed the victim’s sunglasses off his head, and shoved him to the ground before running away.
The victim called 911 and gave a description of the suspect to police, who headed to the area. They spotted Ford, who ran when he saw the officers.
He was taken into custody after a short foot chase.
Ford’s bond was set at $2,500. | http://djournal.com/news/oxford-man-jail-sunglasses-incident/ | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | djournal.com/294b77dbfa6c6b0d2f8b07dbf18f363f09adfb97501c890e23d076ac329f75e8.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-27T08:50:22 | null | 2016-08-27T02:40:41 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Flate-hit-cullens-turns-tide-tigers%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/12/football_icon_green-130x130.png | en | null | Late hit against Cullens turns tide for Tigers | null | null | djournal.com | By Kedrick Storey
Southern Sentinel
ECRU – North Pontotoc at Ripley turned on one play.
A dead-ball play.
With no time on the first-half clock, Vikings defensive back Zay Cullens was called for a dead-ball late hit. He was ejected for targeting. At the time, the senior had 70 yards rushing and two scores to help North Pontotoc lead 16-0.
Ripley (1-1) seized the moment in the second half. They shut down the Vikings (1-1) offense – save two late scoring drives – and converted five straight possessions to rally for a 34-30 victory.
Ripley coach Chad Cook said he wasn’t thinking about the Cullens ejection, but more about how his team was playing.
“I can’t speak for Coach (Brian)Sutton, but he’s a heck of a player. But I was more worried about us,” Cook said. “I thought we just didn’t play with no fire (in the first half). At halftime, I told them, ‘Are we going to use our pads or just go out there and take them off?’ I said, ‘Let’s play the way we coached ya’ll to play.’’’
Ripley did just that, putting up 20 points in the third quarter on an Owen Childs 1-yard quarterback sneak, an 89-yard TD by Lester Campbell and a 30-yard TD pass from Childs to Isaiah “Speedy” Godwin for a 20-16 lead they would never relinquish.
Childs went out with a foot injury in the fourth quarter, but sophomore Trey Blancherd entered to lead two more scoring drives, finding Godwin from 15 yards out and scoring on a 2-yard run.
All the while, the Ripley defense held the Vikings to 11 yards rushing in the second half.
“I think we grew up some tonight,” Cook said.
Extra Points
Turning Point: The ejection of North Pontotoc’s Cullens.
Point Men: Childs, Goodwin and Blanchard accounted for all five Ripley TDs and 364 total yards.
Talking Point: “Right now it’s not a lot of people believing that we could do it, but I give it all to God.” – Ripley CB Bryce Blackmon
Notes
• Ripley has won five straight against North Pontotoc.
• Vikings quarterback Clark Mills was 14 for 30 for 197 yards and two scores.
• Ripley freshman LB Jamal Brooks had two sacks.
• Ripley travels to Corinth next week, while North Pontotoc hosts Falkner.
kedrick.storey@journalinc.com
Twitter: @KedTheSprortsGuy | http://djournal.com/sports/late-hit-cullens-turns-tide-tigers/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | djournal.com/366480f7e64298fce6efebf27e9fde3f48cd1d40d46be7aa0f60b87130cd75b2.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-31T12:51:08 | null | 2016-08-31T06:41:13 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Ftigers-prep-thursday-opener%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/Northeast-logo-130x97.jpg | en | null | Tigers prep for Thursday opener | null | null | djournal.com | Posted on by in Community College Sports
By David Wheeler
Special to the Journal
Head football coaches value knowledge, and Northeast Tigers’ coach Greg Davis certainly likes what he knows about his 2016 squad.
But this week brings a frustrating unknown – just who the heck are the Pearl River Wildcats?
Davis and the Tigers will find out about Pearl River on Thursday night, as the two football teams collide at 6:30 p.m. in Booneville, part of the opening of the 2016 Mississippi junior college football season.
“We don’t know anything about Pearl River, we’re blind,” said Davis, entering his second season in charge of the Tigers. “They’ve got a new coaching staff, and that’s a tough thing.
“But it’s going to be an interesting game.”
Pearl River is coming off a 2-7 season, and are under first-year head coach David Saunders. Last season, Northeast beat Pearl River 26-23 on Oct. 17.
But that was last season, and while the Tigers do sport a mixture of veteran and new faces, Davis likes the potential of this year’s Tigers.
“The only way to find out if we’re ready is to play Thursday night,” Davis said. “I feel confident we’ve addressed everything we’ve can address.
“But there are a lot of what-ifs.”
Ready to roar
Northeast also only managed a 2-7 effort last season, but Davis feels the Tigers are ready for success.
That gut feeling begins with the defense, with Davis looking especially at the middle of the unit for Game 1 leadership.
Linemen Anthony Rush and Blake McClain and linebackers Demarcus Rogers (Tupelo) and Brenden Williams will be key, as perhaps will corner Keawvis Cummings (Shannon).
Davis has yet to name a starting quarterback, but fully expects to rotate sophomore Bailey Walker (Lake Cormorant) and Mason Cunningham.
Impact plays could also come from running back Dorian Banks and wide receivers Toreano Minor and Cameron Montgomery (Shannon).
Northeast lost last season’s opener 40-23 to Gulf Coast, after leading 14-3 early. A missed first-half field goal, and back-to-back turnovers in the third quarter are still sore spots for Davis.
“It’s who plays the best special teams, and who takes care of the football in the first game,” Davis said. “With the unknown of Pearl River, we have to prepare for every avenue.” | http://djournal.com/sports/tigers-prep-thursday-opener/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | djournal.com/e24dd1f6545afeb726aadd0a94e93c8c4c6c719ffd118a0307749445123fd3a0.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-27T08:47:00 | null | 2016-08-27T02:34:44 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fwarriors-pile-467-yards-offense-victory%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/08261621-Kossuth-vs-Pontotoc-fball-e1472283074435.jpg | en | null | Warriors pile up 467 yards of offense in victory | null | null | djournal.com | Posted on by in High School Sports
This slideshow requires JavaScript.
By Ryan Moody
Pontotoc Progress
KOSSUTH – Back in the summer, Pontotoc head coach Jeff Carter said, “Our offense will have to take the next step and score more points this year for us to take the next step.”
The offense came through Friday night as Pontotoc put up 467 total yards en route to a 38-26 win over Kossuth.
Pontotoc struck first on the scoreboard as its offense drove 83 yards and capped the drive off with a Gabe Harmon 1-yard touchdown run.
Kossuth quickly struck back as, driving 80 yards to tie the game. Kossuth quarterback Matthew Bobo hit Kenner Mills on a 22-yard strike to cap off the drive.
Kossuth took a 10-7 lead early in the second quarter. Kossuth went into its bag of tricks and ran a halfback pass. Charlie Bonee was handed the ball running right, and he threw a strike to Beau Lee for a 65-yard gain, but the Warriors’ defense stood tall and only allowed a field goal.
Pontotoc took a 14-10 lead as the Warriors drove the length of the field in four minutes and 50 seconds right before half.
Pontotoc quarterback Jacob Carter threw a 25-yard strike to Austin Morphis on fourth down and 11 to take the momentum into the half.
The Warriors carried that momentum into the third quarter as they struck for another score on their first possession.
Carter rolled out left and found a wide open Jerrick Ray for a 48-yard touchdown to give Pontotoc a 21-10 lead.
Pontotoc led 31-19 midway through the fourth quarter when Kossuth running back Jaley Adams put his imprint on the game. Adams, who had 140 yards on 20 carries, broke a 50-yard touchdown that saw him break two tackles and streak into the end zone to make the score 31-26.
Kossuth caught the Warriors by surprise and recovered an onside kick but they couldn’t turn it into points.
The Warriors tacked on one more score on a 1-yard quarterback sneak to seal the win.
Extra Points
Turning Point: The Warriors took control of the game with back to back scores before and after the half.
Point Man: Pontotoc quarterback Jacob Carter was 21 of 30 for 346 yards, three passing touchdowns and one rushing.
Talking Point: “We just beat a really good football team. Our team never quit and we executed well on offense tonight. Proud of our team.” – Pontotoc coach Jeff Carter
Notes
• The game was delayed in the second half by a power outage.
• Kossuth came into the game as the Journal’s No. 1-ranked small school. | http://djournal.com/sports/warriors-pile-467-yards-offense-victory/ | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | djournal.com/347f000d429f4d1793d2a9e32911df6a7f1f21ad1d49c85bd47a244e452fc628.json |
[
"Blake Morgan"
] | 2016-08-26T14:47:21 | null | 2016-08-26T09:35:30 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fsports%2Fskunk-bowl-matches-1-0-baldwyn-booneville%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2013/11/Mattox-mug-e1472222045541-90x130.jpg | en | null | Skunk Bowl matches 1-0 Baldwyn, Booneville | null | null | djournal.com | By Blake Morgan
Daily Journal
BALDWYN – Early touchdowns are becoming a habit for Baldwyn after scoring in 30 seconds or less to begin its jamboree and last week’s season opener.
Booneville hopes to make Baldwyn break the habit tonight in the annual “Skunk Bowl.” The game got its name after a skunk ran onto the field during a Booneville comeback against Baldwyn in 2012.
“The very next play we returned a pick 70 yards and won the game,” Booneville head coach Mike Mattox said. “The guys listened to me that night, and we had some luck on our side.”
After dominating performances from Baldwyn last week and in the jamboree, the Bearcats seem to have already hit their stride offensively. The success is a result of senior leadership and strong athletic abilities.
“This may be the best Baldwyn team I’ve seen, even better than last year,” Mattox said. “All the skill players are really good. The quarterback is a year older and gets the throws to them on time.”
Booneville enters the game after winning its season opener over Falkner 22-12. The Blue Devils were able to stifle the big-play ability from Walnut’s Monterio Hunt.
Limiting Baldwyn’s athletes from making plays in space will be a key to victory for Booneville.
“They are hard to match up with,” Mattox said. “There isn’t just one guy you can key.”
Baldwyn has two playmakers at wide receiver who can put a lot of stress on the opposing defense. Calvin Harris caught two touchdowns last week, and Felix Hayes – who stars on the basketball team as well – added his own receiving touchdown to a 42-15 win against Mooreville.
“That’s the thing about us, it’s not just one kid,” Baldwyn head coach Michael Gray said. “I hope the advantage we have offensively is the defense has to choose which one to key on.”
The advantage has paid dividends with touchdowns so far early in the season.
blake.morgan@journalinc.com
Twitter: @BlakeMorganDJ | http://djournal.com/sports/skunk-bowl-matches-1-0-baldwyn-booneville/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/80ac0cc29d40190f58d28b3899471d81a3f73886828e6c99dacda74f7a069daa.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-26T20:46:53 | null | 2016-08-26T15:31:53 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Ftwo-teens-arrested-new-albany-armed-robbery%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/King-Dorian-e1472243491727.jpg | en | null | Two teens arrested in New Albany armed robbery | null | null | djournal.com | New Albany Gazette
NEW ALBANY – New Albany police made a quick arrest following an alleged armed robbery at Trio Sales on East Bankhead Street on Tuesday afternoon.
Police Chief Chris Robertson said two black males entered the store in the Sunflower Shopping Center about 1:30 p.m.
Robertson said one of the suspects pulled a handgun on the store owner and demanded his wallet and cell phone. The owner complied, and the two left the building on bicycles.
However, police were able to apprehend the suspects a short time later several blocks away in the north part of town.
Charged with armed robbery is Dorian King, 18, of New Albany.
Although only 16, the second suspect was certified to be tried as an adult Wednesday afternoon, and he was identified as Jeffery Jones, also of New Albany.
Robertson said officers were able to recover the wallet, containing some cash, and the phone.
Catching the suspects was made easier in that one of them had done some work for the store owner in the past.
Bond for King was set at $350,000, and Robertson said Jones would probably have the same bond.
The weapon turned out to be a BB pistol, officers said. | http://djournal.com/news/two-teens-arrested-new-albany-armed-robbery/ | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | djournal.com/f69f5939b3975c825246af130b0ff92b65c49a206f49ff4bf18f7b2bc3008935.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-28T12:51:36 | null | 2016-08-28T06:32:42 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fdave-ramsey-paying-cash-doesnt-make-smart%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/05/Ramsey-Dave-93x130.jpeg | en | null | DAVE RAMSEY: Paying cash doesn’t make it smart | null | null | djournal.com | Q. What is your opinion on paying cash for a “tiny house”?
A. This may be a really un-hip or un-cool thing to say, but I wouldn’t buy a tiny house at all. Paying cash for something like that might make the mover smarter, but that still doesn’t mean it’s a smart choice.
Now, don’t take what I’m saying the wrong way. I don’t have a problem with people who build tiny houses or buy them. My problem with these things is that there’s no track record on them. There’s also a pretty good chance they’re going to be just a fad. Another problem is that you’d have a really small market when it comes time to sell your tiny house. In other words, they probably won’t go up in value like a traditional home. They may actually lose value over the years.
There’s a thing in economics called the supply-demand curve, and from what I’ve seen tiny houses also have a tiny demand and pretty narrow market appeal. Their appeal seems to be mostly for early adopters and people who think they’ll never be able to afford a house. That means they’re not going to have broad appeal when you get ready to sell them, either. And that creates a problem.
I could be wrong, though. I mean, if enough people buy tiny houses and they become a real part of our culture, then maybe they’ll do OK. But right now it’s an unproven product line and an unproven concept. So I wouldn’t buy a tiny house. Honestly, I wouldn’t even buy one at half of its current value because I’d be afraid it would drop to a fourth of its value. There’s just no proven record at this point of these things going up in value.
Q. My father loaned my husband and I money 20 years ago to help us start a business. The business eventually failed, and it forced us into bankruptcy. After this, we never seemed to get around to paying him back. He died earlier this year, and when we got together with my brother and sister for the reading of the will, we realized he had deducted the amount of the loan from my inheritance. Everything was equal between us before that. I think that’s wrong. What’s your opinion?
A. I’m really sorry about your dad. I’m also sorry this was never taken care of or discussed while he was still alive.
There are a lot of emotions at play, so I don’t want to beat you up too much. But legally, he didn’t have to leave you anything in his estate. The stuff we’re talking about, money included, was his to do with as he saw fit. It was a little odd that he didn’t address this with you beforehand, but there are lots of instances where kids get nothing from an estate or not as much as others. It’s not uncommon.
In my mind and from the sound of it, his, too, he left you an equal share minus what you still owed. He loaned you the money, and he had the right to set terms on that. I understand your frustration. You feel like he took something away that was yours. My point is it was never yours; it was his.
I know it still hurts though. This is one of the reasons I advise never borrowing money from, or loaning it to, relatives. The best of intentions can end up in places like this.
Dave Ramsey is a radio show host and best-selling author. Follow him on Twitter at @DaveRamsey and online at daveramsey.com. | http://djournal.com/news/dave-ramsey-paying-cash-doesnt-make-smart/ | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | djournal.com/e9d15e436cfca323a6f9ae9e4a5ba3862e4234de5e15e7d930e84d91bb9b70aa.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-31T12:47:46 | null | 2016-08-31T07:00:06 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2Fvideo-newsbreak-aug-30-2016-2%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2016/08/newsbreak-logo_condensed-1_REV.jpg | en | null | VIDEO: Newsbreak, Aug. 30, 2016 | null | null | djournal.com | Wake up and get ready for your day with the Daily Journal’s Newsbreak – a quick summary of news, sports, weather and everything else Northeast Mississippi to keep you informed and updated on the latest happenings in your community.
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Polls Are you concerned with the increased Zika cases in Mississippi? Yes
No View Results Loading ... Loading ... | http://djournal.com/news/video-newsbreak-aug-30-2016-2/ | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | djournal.com/452671244dbd1a101214b59043594f2d8169043a370fc6f5ef096f2727686145.json |
[
"Daily Journal"
] | 2016-08-29T20:48:28 | null | 2016-08-29T14:51:59 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fdjournal.com%2Fnews%2F1-new-case-west-nile-virus-confirmed-mississippi%2F.json | http://djournal.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/42/files/2014/02/news_medical_green-130x130.png | en | null | 1 new case of West Nile Virus confirmed in Mississippi | null | null | djournal.com | Posted on by in Medical
JACKSON (AP) – Mississippi health regulators say one new human case of West Nile virus has been confirmed in the state, bringing the 2016 total to 15.
The Mississippi State Department of Health, in a news release Monday, said the reported case is in Copiah County.
So far this year, human cases have been reported as follows: four in Hinds, two each in Lamar and Copiah and one each in Calhoun, Chickasaw, Grenada, Leflore, Lowndes, Perry and Rankin.
In 2015, Mississippi had 38 West Nile virus cases and one death.
The department encouraged residents to protect themselves from mosquitoes by using repellent and removing standing water to prevent mosquito breeding. | http://djournal.com/news/1-new-case-west-nile-virus-confirmed-mississippi/ | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | djournal.com/3deddc13f87abe03264373dc8d1445747237d57b70c2fda1c7369f7eaaf45a62.json |
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