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MICHAEL WILLIAMS RECEIVES MISSISSIPPI ARTS COMMISSION FELLOWSHIP, BEGINS DEVELOPMENT ON NEXT FEATURE FILL

Joshua Ballard
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(Jackson, MS) – Michael Williams of West Point, MS, has been awarded a $5,000 grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC). This grant is a portion of the nearly $1.4 million in grants the Commission awarded in 2018-2019 and will be used to support and continue the development of future film projects. The grants are made possible by continued funding from the Mississippi State Legislature and the National Endowment for the Arts.
“Artists who receive grants from the Mississippi Arts Commission represent some of the most gifted individuals in their respective fields,” said Malcolm White, executive director of MAC. “These outstanding artists carry on Mississippi’s legacy of artistic excellence, and MAC is proud to support those who enliven and enrich their communities with the creative spirit.”

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“I’ve been making films since 2004,” says Michael Williams, filmmaker known for the award-winning films OzLand and The Atoning. “Over the years, I began to take the craft more seriously and began working professionally in film in 2007 as a camera assistant before transitioning to the role of cinematographer. While working as a cinematographer, I continued to write and direct my own films includ
ing dozens of short films and my two previous feature films OzLand and The Atoning. In 2015, I made the decision to pursue film full-time as both a cinematographer and writer/director. This wasn’t an easy choice since a majority of the work as a writer/director on the indie level is unpaid. Thankfully, MAC’s artist fellowship opportunity not only rewards the work and accomplishments by filmmakers like myself but it can also give the support one needs to make progress towards the development of new projects. As a full-time artist, it is difficult to find that time away from paying work to make real progress on the development of a feature film. This MAC fellowship gives me the ability to do just that.”

 

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“I’m thrilled to officially announce my next feature film is Rosemary, a psychological drama about a woman who is driven to the brink of insanity by a mysterious abyss that emerges in her basement. While I can’t say much about the story and its characters, this is a project that I’m extremely excited make. It is thrilling while also thought-provoking, heartfelt, and complex. It is a project that I feel shows growth and maturity in terms of storytelling since my previous feature films. Like my two previous films, I plan to shoot this film in MS utilizing as much local cast and crew as possible

 

. I am still very early in the development of this film, however, I have assembled a producing team which includes Jeremy Burgess, Mindy Van Kuren, and Myself. We will soon begin the fundraising stage to secure the budget needed to properly produce the film. Without the MAC fellowship, this early development process would’ve been less focused and taken much longer to accomplish.”
The Mississippi Arts Commission is a state agency serving residents of the state by providing grants that support programs to enhance communities; assist artists and arts organizations; promote the arts in education and celebrate Mississippi’s cultural heritage. Established in 1968, the Mississippi Arts Commission is funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, the Mississippi Endowment for the Arts at the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson and other private sources. The agency serves as an active supporter and pro

 

moter of arts in community life and in arts education.
For information from the Mississippi Arts Commission, please contact Anna Ehrgott, Communications Director, 601-359-6546 or aehrgott@arts.ms.gov.
For more information on “Rosemary” and this particular fellowship grant, please contact Michael Williams, 662-275-3285.

March Madness, Manziel, and More-Sports Week in Review 3/11-3/17

josh.pitts
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Better late than never! Welcome to this week’s sports review! Let’s take a look at what all happened this past week in the sports world!

Basketball

This week the SEC took it’s talents to Nashville to crown a conference champion.
Ole Miss would have it’s time in the country music capital be minimal. The Rebels took the court against the Alabama Crimson Tide, it would be Avery Johnson’s team to advance into day three. Bama beat the Rebels by a final of 62-57. Devontae Schuler would lead Ole Miss with 14 points and 7 rebounds in the losing effort. Breein Tyree was practically shut down in the game with only 7 points, 1 assist, and 4 rebounds.
Mississippi State on the other hand completely dominated Texas A&M in their opening game of the tournament with the final 80-54. Lamar Peters had 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 2 assists in the victory. Moving on, the Bulldogs drew the next round matchup with the Tennessee Volunteers. This is where State would end their efforts in Nashville. The Vols would win by a final of 83-76. Quinndary Weatherspoon had 17 points, 2 assists, and 1 rebound.
So where do we go from here?
It’s time for March Madness and the NCAA Tournament. Both the Bulldogs and Rebels had their names called on Sunday to be apart of the big dance.
Mississippi State was selected as a 5 seed in the East Region, their first game will be Thursday against 12th seeded Liberty University. Game time will be 6:27pm this Friday on TruTV.
Coach Kermit Davis, players, and fans celebrating after being selected for the NCAA Tournament
Ole Miss was selected as an 8 seed in the South Region. They will play 9th seeded Oklahoma, Friday at 11:40am on TruTV.

Baseball

Mississippi State had a successful week again. In midweek action, the Bulldogs faced Grambling and well just absolutely dominated with the final score of 18-1. MSU traveled down to Gainsville for their first SEC series of the year to face the Florida Gators. Friday

The Bulldogs brought the bats vs. Florida

was a tight one that went in the favor of the Bulldogs 6-5. Saturday would bring in a doubleheader. In the first game, State doubled up the Gators 10-5, clinching their first series win. State would go for the sweep in game three of the weekend, but would ultimately come up short losing 2-4. In all, six Bulldog players recorded multi-hit games in a series opener. That list includes Tanner Allen, Jake Mangum, Elijah MacNamee, Dustin Skelton, Justin Foscue, and Josh Hatcher.

Mississippi State will stay home this week with games against Little Rock (tonight) and Samford (Wednesday) in midweek action, followed by a weekend series with Auburn. State sets with an overall record of 18-2 and 2-1 in SEC play.
 
For Ole Miss the week started out rough. With spring break the Rebels were able to travel up to “The Bluegrass State” for a midweek two-game series with the Louisville Cardinals. Louisville would lay claim to both games victories with finals of 3-4 and 8-10. The weekend conference series opener would have the Rebels return to Oxford to face the Alabama Crimson Tide. Friday’s game would be a pitcher’s duel with Ole Miss claiming a 1-0 victory. Saturday the bats lit up but in favor of the Tide, as Alabama took the split with the final of 8-6. Sunday one team kept the bats warm, luckily that would be the case for the home team as the Rebels took the rubber match 12-2.
A. J. Brown with The First Pitch vs. Alabama

The ceremonial first pitch of Saturday’s game was tossed out by non-other than NFL Hopeful and (now) former Ole Miss Wide Receiver, A.J. Brown. Brown was a 19th round draft pick by the San Diego Padres in 2016.

Ole Miss this week will have midweek action at home against Arkansas Pine Bluff (tonight/tomorrow) and will travel to Missouri for a weekend series with the Tigers

Football

In the Alliance of American Football this week:
Johnny Manziel practicing with the Memphis Express

Memphis would suffer yet another loss, this time to the Salt Lake Stallions by an ending score of 22-9. Unfortunately, starting quarterback Zach Mettenberger suffered an ankle injury on the first play of scrimmage as was replaced by Brandon Silvers. Silvers didn’t have a horrible game as he was 23 for 37 passing with a touchdown. But Express faithful, don’t give up hope. Former Heisman Trophy winner and somewhat troublesome quarterback Johnny Manziel has started practicing with the Express and could possibly see action in his first game for Memphis this weekend as the Birmingham Iron will be coming to Liberty Bowl Stadium.

 
And on that note, to Birmingham. The Iron took on the San Diego Fleet in a close high scoring affair. The Iron at the end of the day was able to score just a little bit higher as they would take a 32-29 victory over the Fleet. Starting quarterback Luiz Perez accounted for 3 touchdowns and 359 yards in the victory. As previously stated, the Iron will head west on I-22 for a matchup against Memphis this weekend.
That’s it for this week in sports stay tuned to Our Tupelo throughout the week for breaking news in the sports world. See you next time!

The Rundown March 25th

Joshua Ballard
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Good Monday Morning, and welcome to the Rundown! Today is Monday, March 25th, 2019 and it is the 84th day of the year. There are 281 days left in this year. There are 27 days until Easter and 88 days until Summer.

Weather Outlook

I do the weather every day on here. I have gotten so used to no rain. Even though I knew rain was in forecast, it still surprised me! Here’s a look at the WTVA – The Weather Authority forecast for the day:
Expect scattered showers and a few thunderstorms to start your Monday. Otherwise, we are partly to mostly cloudy with temperatures in the upper 50s. Showers gradually begin to slack off some mid-morning.
The afternoon calls for some isolated showers and storms are possible. Highs climb into the upper 60s to lower 70s. Some afternoon storms will be strong to severe. Most of these will be concentrated over the Golden Triangle and Southeast, likely strengthening as they move into Central Alabama.
We will gradually dry out even more overnight with partly to mostly cloudy skies and temperatures into the mid-40s.

Food Trucks

Taquería Ferrus is beside Computer Universe on W. Main 10:30 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
Goku Japanese Express is behind Dollar General Pontotoc, MS on West Reynolds St. 11:00 a.m.-8:00 p.m.
local MOBILE is at Longtown Medical Plaza on Eason Blvd. With Classic Cheeseburgers as the special!11:00 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Gypsy Roadside Mobile is at Queen’s Reward Meadery 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Big Bad Wolf Truck is at Save-a-Lot on Hwy 15 in Pontotoc 11:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
Jo’s Cafe CLOSED TODAY

Today & Tonight

Time at All Saints’ Episcopal Church 9:00-10:00 a.m.
Eight Days of Hope Headquarters Dedication at 142 Kings Highway @ 10:00 a.m.
IHeartRadio Blood Drive at IHeartRadio Tupelo 12:30-6:00 p.m.
Meditations of the Landscape in Art and Literature Symposium at the The University of Mississippi Museum 4:00-5:45 p.m. Exhibition Opening Reception & @ 6:00 p.m. The Lyrical Landscape with Natasha Trethewey
Yoga with kittens at Tupelo-Lee Humane Society 6:00-6:30 p.m.
Tupelo High School Parade of the Beauties at Ths Performing Arts Center @ 6:00 p.m.
Auditions for the True Story of the Three Little Pigs at Tct Off Broadway 6:00-7:00 p.m.
Post 130 American Legion Monthly Board Meeting at American Legion Post 130 @ 6:00 p.m.
Campaign Kickoff to Elect Wesley Rhudy for Lee County District 1 Constable at Ray Ray’s @ 6:00 p.m.
Boot March Fundraiser at Dry Creek Vol. Fire Department @ 6:00 p.m.

Live Music

Wes Sheffield & the Slowburners at Blue Canoe 7:30–9:30 p.m

Your Ad Could Go Here

Let us advertise for you. Do you have an event or sale coming up? Do you have a job need filling? We can advertise for you on our website and all social medias. We have more than 4,000 followers. We can give you an ad space, share it, and feature it in our daily Rundown. We have a creative staff that can get the job done and take the pressure off you.

On This Day

National Lobster Newburg Day! This is an American Seafood Dish made from Lobster, butter, cream, Cognac, sherry, eggs, and cayenne pepper. Sounds good but some ingredients I can not tolerate. Is this something you like? Where do you get yours? Today is the day to feast and indulge on it!
National Medal of Honor Day! Do you have a Medal of Honor or know someone who has? Today is the day to honor it! The Medal of Honor is the highest award for valor in action against an enemy force. It can be given to a person serving in the Armed Services of the United States. The first Medal of Honor were presented to 6 of the surviving members of Andrews’s Raiders on March 25, 1863.
World Day of Remembrance of Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic! This is a day dedicated in 2007, to honor those who suffered and died as a consequence of the transatlantic slave trade. This trade has been called the worst violation to human rights in history. In 400 years, more than 15 million men, women, and children were victimized.
Famous Birthdays- Big Sean is 31. Aretha Franklin (1942-2018) Elton John turns 72. Sarah Jessica Parker is 54. Kyle Lowry turns 33. Matthew Garber (1956-1977) Ryan Lewis is 31. Winter Ramos turns 40. Do you share a birthday with one of these famous people? Let us know!
National Women’s History Month! What have you done to celebrate this? This was declared by Congress in 1987. It is to honor the contributions of women to the events in history and contemporary society.
That’s what I can find for today, but if you have something else you know about, or have an upcoming event you are interested in promoting, please message us or drop it in a comment below. We are going to be making some announcements so stay tuned and don’t miss out.I want to invite everyone to submit your announcements, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. to Our Tupelo or myself, Tasha Marie. We will be offering a weekly surprise for a special individual in the near future.
Thanks, everyone, and have a majestical Monday and a prosperous week!

Be Actively Good, Share Love, and Make Mr. Rodgers Happy!

Mississippi’s Teen Pregnancy Epidemic

eden.rose
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Mississippi’s Teen Pregnancy Epidemic

Teen pregnancies have spiked exponentially in the United States in recent years, and according to the NCSL (National Conference of State Legislatures), Mississippi had the third highest teen birth rate in the United States in 2012, and is now number one in the nation for teen pregnancies between the ages of 15-19, 60% more than the U.S average, according to the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention.

Abstinence-only policies

Due to a law passed in 2012, Mississippi’s public school district had to adopt either abstinence-only sex education or abstinence-plus education policies. Before this new law, Public school districts were required to teach Abstinence-only sex education, and a majority of Mississippi schools adopted abstinence-only education even after this new law was passed, and continue to avoid or discourage the use of contraceptives.

Jamie Holcomb Bardwell, director of programs for Woman’s Fund of Mississippi, stated in an interview by the Huffington Post:

“Research shows that when young people have access to a curriculum that’s not abstinence-only … when it includes medically accurate information, they’re more likely to have lower pregnancy rates and lower sexually transmitted infection rates.”

According to the state Department of Education, Mississippi kept no record of how many districts taught abstinence-only under the old law.

Due to the lack of sexual health education and the overall consequence of abstinence-only education policies in Mississippi’s public schools, our youth rely solely on the internet, television, and even pornography to answer any sex-related question they might have, instead of getting their information from a well-informed health instructor or medical professional. This type of activity not only leads to risky sexual behavior, but also damages and drastically impacts our youths views on sex and relationships, as well as encourages unrealistic expectations of body image and performance.

Appearing on CBC News, sex therapist Wendy Maltz stated in an interview that “you won’t stop our young peoples curiosity about sex, and it’s important for them to know that curiosity is normal”.

Not only is abstinence-only sexual education unrealistic, it robs our youth of the opportunity to receive a well informed, professionally guided demonstration of the use of contraceptives, such as condoms and birth control, which have been proven to be 97% effective in preventing unwanted pregnancies as well as the spread of sexually-transmitted infections such as HIV and AIDS.

Safer Sex Means Safer Youth

The youth in Mississippi are in desperate need of the educational and economical support from parents, teachers, coaches, and pastors or youth leaders. The youth of this generation are THE FUTURE, and their well-being matters.

The cycle with teen pregnancies in relation to criminal activity, use of illicit drugs, the state poverty level, and dependency on child welfare is all linked to the lack of education — or more specifically the failure to properly educate or inform our youth on the importance of safe sex — as well as the importance of acquiring access to nearby sexual health care clinics that offer free birth control, condoms, free testing for STD’s and other medical necessities.

Regardless of personal opinion, studies have proven over and over that these things are necessary for ensuring that our youth COME FIRST. And further, they have proven that being properly prepared for the life-long, life changing commitment of parenthood not only positively impacts the experience as a whole, but will positively impact the rate of homeless or fostered youth, criminal charges in children under 18, gang-related illicit activity, drug use and addiction, the spread of incurable, life-threatening sexually-transmitted diseases, neglectful behavior and abandonment by young parents, and ensure the promise that every young person living in our community is deserving of a healthy life filled with hope, as well as the gift of opportunity.

After all, you can’t control the choices another person will make in their lifetime, but what you CAN do is give them the means necessary for them to be successful in anything they decide to do.

Sources

http://www.ncsl.org/research/health/teen-pregnancy-in-mississippi.aspx

https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/pornography-kids-and-sex-education-what-to-do-1.2836021

https://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/27/feature-mississippi-schoo_n_1831069.html

Apex Legends Review by Jamar Howard

Joshua Ballard
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Apex Legends Review by Jamar Howard

Before I start this review I wanted to say that usually I’m not partial to battle royales. Apex Legends is that one exception. With this BR you get different legends to change the the game play experience.  Each legend have their own set of abilities to utilize during the match. My personal favorite or main is called Lifeline.

Lifeline’s skills and abilities give her an uncomplicated role – to heal and support her team. This makes it simple to use her – as long as you’re healing a teammate and staying alive, you’re doing your job.Lifeline cannot do enough fast damage to eliminate enemies and should stick to a team when in matches. Going solo will only make it harder for her to win the battle.

 

The game originally started with eight legends.  Recently, the game actually added another character called Octane.  This game is probably the most revered BR to come out since the BR giant Fortnite.  Apex claimed to have over a million players on the first day. Many big name streamers played the game at launch, myself included.  The normal battle royale format of 100 people dropping in is different in this game as well. This game has 60 players per match in twenty teams of 3.  Respawn did their homework with respawning, pun intended. They made it where a teammate can revive you like other BRs but you can be respawned if they flat out kill you.  Your teammates can get your banner from your leftover gear and take you to a respawn point on the map and bring you back. How cool is that?

The guns and shooting are actually pretty good.  All guns are customizable so you will have a lot of fun picking your favorite.  They have a melee system that is pretty solid with different strikes that can be used.  Season 1 has just started and now the grind will start for many. Overall this game is a very solid option to spend some time playing.  If you don’t like BRs give this one a try. It’s just unique enough to maybe change your opinion on the genre. All facts aside I give this game an eight out of ten.  Make sure to approach the game with an open mind and you may be pleasantly surprised.

A Note of Explanation to Non Gamers

A battle royale game is a video game genre that blends the survival, exploration and scavenging elements of a survival game with last-man-standing gameplay. Battle royale games challenge a large number of players, starting with minimal equipment, to search for weapons and armor and eliminate all other opponents while avoiding being trapped outside of a shrinking “safe area”, with the winner being the last competitor in the game. Nearly all battle royale games are played online ranging from dozens to hundreds of other players. The name for the genre is taken from the 2000 Japanese film Battle Royale, which presents a similar theme of a last-man-standing competition in a shrinking play zone.

5 Wants For Mississippi State Going Into The Spring Game

josh.pitts
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Spring practices are running strong in Oxford and Starkville. New players, new coaches, and a new year is underway for the two main Mississippi schools. This two part article I am going to explore the five wanted desires for each fan base heading into The Grove Bowl and Super Bulldog Weekend. Yesterday we covered Ole Miss today we will move on to………

Mississippi State

5) Who Can Be The Next Big Running Back?
Bulldog Running Back Kylin Hill (vs. Kansas State)

When I think of Mississippi State, I think of a powerful mauler that moonlights as a running back. I think of guys like Anthony Dixon, Jerrious Norwood, Vick Ballard, Josh Robinson, and the list can go on. But since Robinson, there hasn’t been just that explosive running back to make a splash…yet. Right now the job seems to be controlled by Kylin Hill (junior from Columbus). Hill, last season, rushed for 734 yards and 4 touchdowns with a shiny average of 6.3 yards per carry. Hill will need to be more consistent if he wants to lock down the RB1 position. Incoming this fall, will be former JUCO RB Kareem Walker who will have an even chance at achieving the RB 2 position in fall camp battles with Senior Nick Gibson.

4) Joe Moorhead’s Offensive Mastery Show
Before arriving in Starkville, Joe Moorhead was Penn State’s offensive coordinator. Additionally, he was acknowledged as one of the best offensive minds in college football. Fast forward to 2018, Moorhead’s first season as Head Coach, and most fans overwhelmingly feel that the offense was a let down. Now before we go any further remember, Joe had the likes of Saquon Barkley and Trace McSorley on his roster. So it is a bit unfair considering the talent of those two players alone. Any who back to the golden triangle. Moorhead’s offense is designed to put players in one-on-one opportunities and situations. With that you need a quarterback that can pass the ball.
Nick Fitzgerald was not that.
Now let’s not take away from Nick, he was a dynamic ball carrier, a leader, and a thrower (not a passer). Seeing as that Fitzgerald is no longer with the team (graduation), hopefully we will see a passing quarterback come in and show what Joe has up his sleeves and that his offense is really up to snuff to hang with the big boys of the SEC.
3) Now Hiring: Starting Quarterback
Keytaon Thompson (vs. Louisville)

Last season State ranked 13th in the SEC in passing offense. As mentioned in the last piece, Fitzgerald is no longer on the Bulldog roster. So hey, hey, hey we have us a quarterback competition down at Davis-Wade. Junior Keytaon Thompson is the fan favorite, in my opinion, as he was wanted by most Bulldog faithful to replace Fitzgerald last season. But for whatever reason, that was not in Coach Moorhead’s agenda. Notably also, Thompson is the only QB on the roster that has taken meaningful college football reps. The other 2 thoroughbreds in this race is Jalen Mayden (redshirt freshman) and Garrett Schrader (4-star signee). Expect this battle to go all the way into fall camp, but I expect Thompson to be the starter game 1. But his leash will be very short, Moorhead didn’t bring in the other two just to give play calls on the sideline.

2) The Wide Receivers to Step Up
It seems like it’s been an eternity since the Bulldogs had Fred Ross, Fred Brown, and De’Runnya Wilson. Since then, there seems to have been nobody to really just step up and be a household name receiver. The next thing that will be needed to make wish list item #3 to happen is that there has to be consistency and development at the wide receiver position. Last year was the 2nd year in a row that no Bulldog receiver has caught more than 27 passes. Can we blame that on Nick Fitzgerald. Absolutely! But we are done beating up Nick in this article, so let’s leave him alone. The bright side for the maroon and white is that practically everyone is back this season to catch the ball. Stephen Guidry, Osirus Mitchell, and Devonta Jason can make the most of this spring and be the trio of wide receivers that Bulldog fans would be happy to ring a cowbell to.
1)  D-E-F-E-N-S-E
DE Chauncey Rivers (vs. Alabama)

This whole article, to this point, has been about the offense. However, the toughest task for Coach Joe will be replenishing a defense from 2018 that was absolutely elite. Montez Sweat, Jonathan Abram, and Jeffrey Simmons are all gone due to graduation or to go make big dollars in the NFL. The 2018 defense ranked number 1 in all of college football in total defense and the bulk of that is gone now. But put down the paper bag and quit breathing so heavily, State should be fine. Do I think they will be the top defense in the land again? No. However, they should still be a challenge for opposing offenses. Chauncey Rivers will be expected to lock down the edge that is now vacant from Montez Sweat’s departure. The linebacker corps will have a returning Leo Lewis, Willie Gay, and Errol Thompson so if anything we should see improvement due to experience. In the secondary Cameron Dantzler returns at corner and I fully expect to see Fred Peters to fulfill Jonathan Abram’s former role, Peter’s tape is very comparable to Abrams. The biggest concern will be the interior defensive line and how it will operate if someone is unable to eat up block like Simmons did.

The Maroon and White game will be Saturday April 13th at 1pm at Davis-Wade Stadium in Starkville. The game will be televised on ESPNU and admission is free.
MS State Defensive Ranking provided by NCAA.com

5 Wants For Ole Miss and Mississippi State Going Into The Spring Game

josh.pitts
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Spring practices are running strong in Oxford and Starkville. New players, new coaches, and a new year is underway for the two main Mississippi schools. This two part article will analyze the five wanted desires for each fan base heading into The Grove Bowl and Super Bulldog Weekend.

Ole Miss

5) Progression of the linebackers in a new linebacker heavy package
Sanogo With The “Fins Up” Gesture

After the departure of Wesley McGriff from the defensive coordinator position, Coach Luke brought in a former National Coach of the Year and defensive mind to fill the void with former Colorado Head Coach, Mike Macyntire. “Coach Mac” brings to the Rebels a base 3-4 defense. For those that may not be savvy with that term well here ya go: a 3-4 defense is a package that involves three linemen (End, Nose, End) and four linebackers. Considering the Rebels seem to have once decent linebacker (Mohamed Sanogo) returning to this year’s team the task can seem daunting. Defensive Ends, Charles Wiley and Qaadir Sheppard, have been taking reps as outside backers. Rushing the backfield should come natural to them but, it will need to be seen if they are able to drop back in coverage. The 2019 recruiting class will bring in the aid of Brenden Williams, Lakia Henry and Eric Jeffries to the position and don’t be shocked to see former Tupelo High School standout, Tavario Standifer, to drop down in the box.

4) Reloading the Offensive Line
The Rebels are seeing the four of their five offensive linemen leave for the NFL Draft and graduation. Greg Little, Sean Rawlings, Jordan Sims and Javon Patterson are gone which will have the Rebel offensive line not only losing a lot of talent but, losing a lot of experience. Coach Luke and Bicknell made the ditches a focus on the 2019 recruiting class, signing 7 offensive linemen. Expect junior center, Eli Johnson, to take over the duties of the snap for the departing Rawlings. For the left tackle position I feel Bryce Matthews to have the edge. For the guard position players such as Royce Newman, Chandler Tuitt, and Ben Brown to take the battle all the way into fall camp for the two guard positions left vacant by Patterson and Sims.
3) The NWO staying Nasty
Ole Miss Wide Outs aka “The NWO”

You dub yourself the nickname “Nasty Wide Outs” for one of two reasons. The first that you are so talented at your position that it is just plain nasty for opposing defenders. The second is that you have poor hygiene. I can only vouch for the the first mentioned statement. The trio of A.J. Brown, DaMarkus Lodge, and D.K. Metcalf were one of the most dominating factions of receivers in college football last season. Here we are to this season and all three are heading to the National Football League. The Rebels will return Elijah Moore, who saw a good amount of playing time last season. Expect Moore to stay in the slot due to his shiftiness and route running ability. One of the outside positions should be taken up by Braylon Sanders as he had good production last season in limited roles. The other outside position, in my opinion, is up for grabs. Returning players Miles Battle and Demarcus Gregory will be competing with one another through the spring for the position but fall camp will bring in more of the 2019 class recruiting class. Dontario Drummond, Jonathan Mingo, and Jordan Jernigan (Tupelo) will be coming in ready to make waves in the big pond that is the Ole Miss wide receiver corps. But wait, the NWO also has to have a muscle. The muscle I am referencing is the tight end. Dawson Knox, like his faster brethren, is headed to the league so that is another “what are we going to do here” positions. Gabe Angel has left the team pursuing transfer but, look to seniors Jason Pellerin and Octavious Cooley to take up the reigns. Former quarterback Alex Faniel has also moved to the tight end position so there’s three options there. I expect Cooley to be the 1 and Pellerin to be the 2 in the pecking order.

2) Matt Corral taking charge (and who will be second in line)
Rich Rodriguez Oversees The Progression of QB Matt Corral

Last season in mop up duty and in the Egg Bowl we got a glimpse of the talent that Matt Corral possesses. Corral will return in 2019 as a Redshirt Freshman with the keys to the Rebel offense in his hand. It’s literally his job to lose. Corral has a cannon for an arm and the ability to take off down field as a ball carrier. Matt also has a lot of “fire” in his personality, take that as you will, and can be either a great team builder or a headache waiting to happen. As for who will be in waiting in the quarterback position brings in, you guessed it, 2019 signees. Grant Tisdale and Kinkead Dent are already on campus to get a head start to learning the “Rich Rodfense”. Tisdale is a former four star (consensus) quarterback from Allen, TX. During his high school career he compiled 101 touchdowns ( 69 passing and 32 rushing) to only 9 interceptions. Dent is a former Jackson Prep standout and 3 star rated quarterback. Dent is deceptively fast and doesn’t waste motion. I look for Tisdale to get the nod as numero 2 in the quarterback room, I see Dent as a project to redshirt this fall to gain weight on his 6’5” frame and work on his throwing motions. The fall will bring in two sport athlete John Rhys Plumlee who is listed as a quarterback but I feel will make his name best as a safety on the other side of the ball.

1) Offensive Consistency and a Farewell to Red Zone woes
Last season in the red zone the Rebels had a scoring percentage (touchdowns and field goals) of 84.62%. But that’s not too bad right? Well let’s dig a little deeper. The final three games of the season (Texas A&M, Vanderbilt, and Mississippi State), the Rebels were at 75%. Compared to a 2017 stat of 97.3%, for those keeping score at home, is a 12.68% decline for an offense that had: a consistent quarterback all season, a better running back, a veteran offensive line and three of the most talented receivers in the SEC under Phil Longo.
But, “Longo Ball” is not a thing anymore in Oxford.
Enter Rich Rodriguez.
“Rich Rod” is a former head coach (West Virginia, Michigan, Arizona) who is credited for being an innovator of the zone read offense. The zone read is very comparable to what Rebel fans have seen over the last several seasons from the aforementioned Longo and previously Dan Werner. However, the “Rich Rodfense” is based on timing. Everybody has a job and a specific time to clock in. The Grove Bowl may not be a “proving ground” per say to see if the offense can put points on the board inside the 20’s but, seeing if the players can gel in new packages will be key. Do the players understand their roles? Can the players execute the plays being called? Have the players bought in to Rich Rod and his system?
The Grove Bowl is scheduled for Saturday April 6th at 3 pm at Vaught-Hemingway Stadium. Admission is free and will also be televised on the SEC Network.
Check back tomorrow as we will dive into Mississippi State’s 5 Wants under year two of Joe Moorhead.
Ole Miss red zone stats provided by TeamRankings.com

True Crime: The Labor Day Murders

April Simmons
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I wanted to share with you a little-known cold case out of Starkville.

I first heard about it through the Knock Knock Podcast and was riveted by this tragedy and also shocked and elated when they recently apprehended a suspect in the case.

Let me start at the beginning.
Small Town Crime Is On the Rise

On the night of September 3rd, 1990 (Labor Day) in Starkville, MS; 65 year old Betty Jones hears a knock at the door. She is staying with a church friend, Kathryn Crigler, to care for her due to recent amputation of 81 year old Crigler’s leg.

When Jones answered the door, her throat was slashed, she bled out quickly and passed away.
From there, the horror only grows. After the murder of Jones, the intruder made his way to the bedroom where Crigler was sleeping. He raped her and then left her for dead, locking the door on the way out of her home.
Crigler managed to drag herself down the hallway into the kitchen to call 911.
She lived only a few months after the attack. They were able to get DNA via a rape kit and she gave them a description of the assailant.
However, decades passed with the case sitting unsolved. The community was rocked by this tragedy.
Along comes Sgt. Bill Lott who begged to work on the cold case and did so even during his off hours. He wanted to see justice for his grandmother.
Also, the step-grandsons of Betty Jones, Simon and Jason B. Jones decided to start looking into the case since it was something that haunted their family. They started the Knock Knock Podcast to bring attention to the crime.
Since the DNA on file had not matched with anyone, an online petition was started to get Mississippi to allow a familial DNA search. This is the method that is solving a lot of cold cases these days. This was a stretch but seemed to be the only hope in a case like this that had hit a proverbial wall.
A Podcast Created By the Grandsons of One of the Victims.

On October 6th 2018, a suspect was arrested. Michael Devaughn, 52, of Rienzi was charged with capital murder and sexual battery. He was in the Tishomingo County jail for a June arrest for felony possession of a controlled substance (methamphetamine). He was a DNA match but it’s unclear from the variety of news sources how the DNA was obtained for the match.

Jan 30th, 2019 the suspect was denied bond and plead not guilty. Officials say the case will be pushed forward as soon as possible.
I found it fascinating because the podcast made a push for use of familial DNA search in Mississippi, via a petition, which could benefit a lot of cold cases. I would love to see this happen since familial DNA is solving cases all over the world right now.
If you are interested in finding out more about the case, you can check out the podcast or the recent 48 hours episode on the subject.
Sources for this article:
Knock Knock Podcast
The Clarion Ledger
WCBI.com
48 Hours episode

Sports Review – Week of 3/4- 3/10

josh.pitts
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…. I need that 1 hour of sleep back. Engage a Monster and let’s slap this bad boy together.

Basketball

It’s almost time for March Madness! Teams are giving it their all to improve their seeding in the conference and national tournaments.
Peters with the jumper for three.

Mississippi State started their week off against a team not too many have had the opportunity to pull off a victory against. The Bulldogs would join the ranks of the many and drop their matchup in Knoxville with a final of 71 – 54 in favor of the Volunteers. Tyson Carter would lead the Bulldogs with 14 points. Next, to close the regular season, MSU would host Texas A&M and look to send their seniors out with a final victory at the Hump. 8,732 spectators would see the Bulldogs get the victory 92-81 off of Lamar Peters’ team-leading 21 points 2 rebound day.

Breein Tyree after the victory over Missouri

As for the Rebels, Ole Miss would host their senior night on Tuesday against the Kentucky Wildcats. This game would go down to the wire but to at the end of the buzzer “Big Blue” would be victorious 80-76. Terrance Davis would end the night with 25 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists. Saturday, Coach Davis and crew would travel to Columbia, MO to face off against “Mizzou”. The red and blue would get their final regular season victory to the tune of 73-68. Breein Tyree would lead the team with 21 points with the assistance of Devontae Schuler’s 18 points 3 steal day.

SEC Tournament matchups, dates, times, and channels.

Next, for the Bulldogs, Rebels, and the rest of the SEC is a trip to Nashville for the SEC Tournament. Mississippi State will be a 6 seed and play the winner of Texas A&M and Vanderbilt on Thursday in the second round. Winner of that matchup will go on to face Tennessee. Ole Miss draws a 7 seed and will face Alabama on Thursday in the second round, the winner of this matchup will go to the quarterfinals to face Kentucky.

WAIT A SECOND! That’s not all!
Coach Vic Schaefer and his team celebrating the tournament victory!

Just in case you didn’t know, Mississippi State’s women’s basketball team (about 5 hours ago) won the SEC Tournament. Teaira McCowan had 24 points and 14 points as the Lady Bulldogs obliterated Arkansas 101-70.

Baseball

Moving along to the diamond, Ole Miss and State both had the schedule of 5 games this week.
Kevin Graham had himself a day vs UAB

The Rebels started their week off against Little Rock on Tuesday with an 11-8 victory. Wednesday, the Rebels would try to follow suit of their rival Bulldogs from Tuesday (we will get to that in a minute) with a victory over East Carolina. Unfortunately for the Rebs, they would fall 3-2 to the #14 Pirates. Next Coach Bianco welcomed in a weekend series versus UAB. The Rebels would clinch their second-weekend series sweep in a row with offensive clinics Friday and Saturday victories (15-9, 13-4) and a defensive battle Sunday (2-1). Ole Miss sets at 12-3 for the season with a daunting two-game series mid-week at #8 Louisville before beginning SEC play hosting a three-game series against Alabama next weekend.

JT Ginn is making himself a name in Starkville

Mississippi State started their week off Tuesday against the previously mentioned #14 Pirates of ECU. The matchup would be more favorable to the Bulldogs as they would achieve the victory 4-1. Wednesday the Bulldogs would take their ECU score and add 10 to it as they dominated Arkansas Pine-Bluff 14-1. The weekend series would bring in Maine. Due to the inclement weather that was projected for Saturday, Friday would be an iron man contest with a doubleheader. MSU would take both matches with victories (9-2, 5-1). After the day off Saturday, State would close the series with a neck to neck 9-8 victory for the sweep. The Bulldogs set at 15-1 on the season so far. Upcoming will be a Wednesday matchup against Grambling followed by an SEC opening series in Gainesville versus the Florida Gators.

Football

This week in Alliance Football action would not be kind to either of our highlight teams.
Birmingham the league’s top Defense would face off against the league’s top offense in the Orlando Apollos. Birmingham would try to make a game of it in the 3rd quarter but would end up dropping it against Orlando 31-14. Birmingham sets at 3-2 on the season.
Memphis would travel to “Hot-lanta” Sunday to go head to head with the Atlanta Legends. Zac Stacy would be the workhorse running back for the Express with two touchdowns on the day. Stacy’s efforts, however, would not be enough as Atlanta’s kicker, Younghoe Koo, would nail a game-winning field goal to lead the Legends to a 23-20 victory.
Next week Birmingham and Memphis will head to the wild wild west as the Iron will matchup against the San Diego Fleet and the Express will go head to head with the Salt Lake Stallions.
That’s it for this week in sports stay tuned to Our Tupelo throughout the week for breaking news in the sports world. See you next Sunday!

Days Gone By – Opinion by Joshua Ballard

Joshua Ballard
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Days Gone By – Opinion by Joshua Ballard

I’m a gamer. I’m very proud that at 42 years of age I own over a hundred games on “Steam” (a digital game distribution and platform if you are unfamiliar with it) as well as dozens of other games. I’ve got so many there are several I’ve never even installed. Those I got as part of “bundles” wherein you buy a set of games for one price. Usually you are really after 1 or 2 of the games in the bundle, but with some bundles I’ve gotten upwards of 10.

I like my old school games too. The NES/SNES era games are a ton of fun and are way more challenging than you might think when compared to modern games. Just remember, there were no saves in Super Mario Bros. If you died on the final world, you started at the beginning.

But I usually played games on my computer. I loved the control a keyboard (and all the custom key bindings) and mouse would bring you, and the really crazy stuff back when things were beginning to take off were all on PC.

What brings this up? Well I was researching something completely different when I found out a classic is back on PC. What classic is that?

The Classic PC Game, Diablo. Box Art

Ignore for a moment the legendary status this game has in the gaming community and industry. What makes me most nostialgic about the Original Diablo was the hours and hours my wife and I spent playing this game together. I connected our computers and we would stay up late and slay demons and loot dungeons together.

It was one of our first co-op gaming experinces and it layed the groundwork for many more years of game time. We would go on to play MMOs, virtual worlds, and many other games. We played Diablo II when it hit, and just last year played Diablo III on our son’s XBox 360 like it was the 90s all over again.

Don’t for a moment get the impression she was just humoring me. No, she was kicking my but left and right when we played PvP, and pretty much leading me in every game and on every team we have ever played. She usually plays Rouge/Archer type characters similar to the one shown here.

We’ve gotten older. We don’t game as much as we used to, and we do get out and do more in the real world. Neither of us have the same keen vision we had when we first started, and we’ve just recently gained a new appreciation for board games.

But we will always be gamers. And we will always game together when we can. After 20 years of marriage, I know I need her support to max out my abilities and her bow at my side to take on the next great challenge. I love you Angela.

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