Thursday, September 2, 2010

Preliminary Fall Enrollment Figures Show Increase of 4.1 Percent For Mississippi Universities

Across Mississippi's eight public universities, preliminary fall 2010 enrollment figures show an increase of over 3,000 students or 4.1 percent from fall 2009 numbers, according to data released by the Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Instutions of Higher Learning today.

System-wide enrollment has increased annually since 1994.

“The trend lines indicate that more individuals are seeking to enhance their lives through increased post-secondary educational attainment,” said Dr. Hank M. Bounds, Commissioner of Higher Education. “We must find ways to support their efforts and increase retention and graduation rates in order to move Mississippi forward.”

Preliminary enrollment figures are unduplicated and count students one time if enrolled on more than one campus.

The only decreases occur at two of the states "historic black universities". Jackson State is expected to have a slight decrease of 1.1 percent, and Mississippi Valley State is expected to lose over 12 percent of last years enrollment numbers, according to the data.

The numbers below indicate the Fall of 2009 enrollment, the preliminary figures for Fall of 2010 and the percent change per university.
Alcorn State University
3,334
3,682
10.4%

Delta State University
4,031
4,324
7.3%

Jackson State University
8,783
8,689
-1.1%

Mississippi State University
18,601
19,644
5.6%

Mississippi University for Women
2,476
2,592
4.7%

Mississippi Valley State University
2,850
2,491
-12.6%

University of Mississippi Total
18,344
19,536
6.5%

University of Mississippi
15,932
17,067
7.1%

University of Mississippi Medical Center
2,412
2,469
2.4%
University of Southern Mississippi
15,293
15,778
3.2%

System Total
73,712
76,736
4.1%

The Mississippi Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning governs the public universities in Mississippi, including Alcorn State University; Delta State University; Jackson State University; Mississippi State University including the Mississippi State University Division of Agriculture, Forestry and Veterinary Medicine; Mississippi University for Women; Mississippi Valley State University; the University of Mississippi including the University of Mississippi Medical Center; and the University of Southern Mississippi.

Oil Rig Explodes Off Coast of Louisiana

Here we go again? I hope not.



Sun Herald: Blast rocks rig in Gulf


GRAND ISLE, La. -- The Coast Guard is responding to an explosion involving an offshore petroleum structure in the Gulf of Mexico.

Petty Officer Casey Ranel says the blast was reported by a commercial helicopter company about 9:30 a.m. today. Seven helicopters, two airplanes and four boats are en route to the site, about 80 miles south of Vermilion Bay along the central Louisiana coast.

Ranel says it hasn’t been determined whether the structure is a production platform or a drilling rig or whether workers were aboard. Ranel says smoke was reported but it is unclear whether the rig is still burning.
SH

Then there is this from the New York Times:


NYT: Oil Rig Explodes in Gulf of Mexico, Coast Guard Says

A commercial helicopter company reported the blast around 9:30 a.m. CDT Thursday, Coast Guard Petty Officer Casey Ranel said. Seven helicopters, two airplanes and four boats were en route to the site, about 80 miles south of Vermilion Bay along the central Louisiana coast.

The Coast Guard said initial reports indicated all 13 crew members from the rig were in the water. One was injured, but there were no deaths.

The platform owned by Mariner Energy (NYSE:ME) is in about 2,500 feet of water, the Coast Guard said, and was not currently producing.

About 206 million gallons of oil from an undersea well spilled into the Gulf after BP's (NYSE:BP) Deepwater Horizon rig exploded April 20, killing 11 workers.

NYT

Charges Against Flora Man Accused of Negligent Manslaughter Dropped.

Hinds Co. fatal car crash charges dropped

Charges are being dropped against a Flora man accused of causing a 2006 crash that killed a 2-year-old and injured the child's mother because of inconclusive accident-reconstruction reports.

Hinds County District Attorney Robert Shuler Smith tells The Clarion-Ledger that two recent accident reconstructions did not determine fault in the crash.

Earlier this year, a grand jury indicted 55-year-old Gary Beckwith on a culpable negligence manslaughter charge in the death of Ariyanna Patton of Bolton and aggravated assault for injuries to her mother, Kenya Harris.

Beckwith's attorney, Marc Brand, said prosecutors saw it was nothing more than an accident.

Beckwith's trial was scheduled for Sept. 20 in Hinds County Circuit Court.

SH

Cops Grants for Cities and Counties include money to Ridgeland and Madison County

Miss. cities, counties share cops grants

Twenty local governments, including Madison and Rankin counties and Ridgeland, will split $630,000 in federal law enforcement grants.

The grants come from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program.

"Each of these grants is intended to assist law enforcement in Mississippi to fight illegal activities, promote public safety and prosecute crimes," Sen. Thad Cochran said in a statement announcing the grant recipients.

The grants are as follows:

• City of Vicksburg/Warren County — $52,471 to purchase one police vehicle with patrol accessories.
• City of Meridian/Lauderdale County — $47,613 for the city to purchase technology to combat drug-related crime and for the county to enhance its communications capabilities.
• City of Greenville/Washington County — $47,747 to purchase equipment to improve data-gathering and communications equipment for the city and county.
• Cities of Olive Branch and Southaven — $37,597 for Olive Branch to establish a full-time traffic enforcement unit and Southaven to purchase mobile work stations for patrol units.
• City of Laurel/Jones County — $30,421 to purchase equipment for city and county law enforcement.
• City of Grenada/Grenada County — $19,135 to purchase equipment.
• City of Starkville/Oktibbeha County — $11,885 for the city and county to purchase Tasers.
• City of Tupelo — $23,620 to purchase Tasers and related equipment.
• City of Holly Springs – $21,078 to enhance officer safety, retention and equipment.
• City of Ridgeland – $10,240 to retrofit and equip a previously owned Federal Emergency Management Agency trailer to become a mobile command center.
• Leflore County — $31,468 to purchase video cameras for patrol units.
• Jackson County — $26,759 to purchase police radios and portable navigation systems for the aerial department.
• Marshall County — $21,676 to purchase and outfit a used patrol vehicle.
• Lowndes County — $19,808 to replace outdated equipment.
• Tunica County — $16,893 to upgrade patrol units with digital recording mobile systems.
• Lee County — $15,996 to update technology and improve data keeping.
• Lamar County — $13,529 to purchase new equipment and upgrade existing equipment.
• Rankin County — $11,810 to purchase portable radios.
• Panola County — $11,511 to purchase technology upgrades, including hand-held radios, laptop computers and website development.
• Madison County — $10,838 to purchase in-car laptops.

CL