12-11-13 SDN E-Edition.pdf - Starkville Daily News

Wednesday, December 11, 2013 • Starkville Daily News • Page A-3Smileof the DayMaura WorchOcean Springs, MSI’m smiling because it’shumpday.BONDSFrom page A-1While commissioners discussed WestOktibbeha Elementary’s building needs,Commissioner and Oktibbeha CountyBoard of Supervisors President OrlandoTrainer suggested looking at West HighSchool as a potential home for the elementaryschool after the consolidation.“Most of the children going to Sturgisare coming out of the north side of thecounty on that end anyway,” he said. “Soyou’re really bussing a lot of children outof Maben and from that end to Sturgis.What if we look at doing just the opposite?That may really be something wewant to consider.”Trainer also askedthe cost of retrofittingthe high school, which is a muchnewer building than West Elementary, toserve as an elementary school, comparedto the costs of the needed renovations atthe elementary school.Retrofitting West High School, whichalready has some amenities that wouldhave to be improved or built at the elementaryschool, like a full gymnasium,could be a less expensive option.Commissioner and OCSD ConservatorMargie Pulley said West High Schoolis in good condition. She said the optioncould be possible.WISEMANFrom page A-1“You would have to do some thingsto make it fit elementary children, butyou wouldn’t have the costs, I don’tthink, of the auditorium and those kindsof things,” she said. “You would have amore modern building. You have to thinkthat (West Elementary) is a building that’son the historical register, so you’re dealingwith an older building, and you can onlydo certain things, whereas that building(West High School) is a different situation.”The commission did consider the effectthat losing a school might have on acommunity, but Commissioner and MississippiState University Vice Presidentfor Research and Economic DevelopmentDavid Shaw pointed out that two schoolswould be closing in the community eitherway once consolidation occurred.“The challenge is we’re going to havetwo communities where we’ve got toimmediately come back and find usesfor those facilities so that they’re not justvacant buildings that fall apart,” he said.“The Maben folks also want to be surethat their community school is kept. Ithink that’s just the situation that we’rein.”Commissioners agreed to have Shaferand Pulley consider the feasibility of thematter and report back.The commission also discussed whatfunding options might be available forthis state, when he really could have doneanything. We’ll miss him, to say the least.”Dallas Breen, Stennis Institute associatedirector, said he also wanted to see the centerhonor Wiseman’s legacy by continuingto provide training, service and educationfor Mississippi cities and towns. He said hebelieved there were many other traits forwhich Wiseman would be remembered.“The impact he’s had on students, staff,faculty and citizens around the state is immeasurable,”Breen said. “He’ll be rememberedfor his ability to relate to students, hisability to communicate the various intricaciesof Mississippi government ... (and) hisability to stir the pot when it comes to localand state politics.”Wiseman said he intends to teach at MSUPOWERFrom page A-1ruptions, lasting less than 10minutes each, during connectionand disconnection fromthe county system as a standardsafety procedure.Kemp said his department,which also buys powerfrom TVA, was happy to help4-County.projects to prepare for the consolidation.Bond attorney Jim Young said thecounty could consider a reverse referendumto raise funds. Through a reverse referendum,the district could issue a noticeof intent for the bonds. In doing so thedistrict would have to allow residents anopportunity to potential gather a petitionto force the matter to an election, otherwisethe district could proceed withoutneeding a vote on the bond.“With the 60-percent requirement forpassing a bond issue, that’s an obstacle,”he said.“One of the options, in my mind, stillon the table is trying to have the legislatureimplement a bond window for a yearto do what they did back in the '80s wherepassing a bond issue doesn’t require the60 percent — it just requires running anotice in the paper. The district can issuethe bonds unless petitions are filed callingfor an election.”Young said the reverse referendumwould likely have to be the option usedto raise the funds needed for repairs andrenovations before the consolidation, unlessthe legislature provided money to thedistrict.Young also suggested a 3-mil note,which he said could be borrowed for upto 20 years and would add three mils ofad valorum tax revenue for funding. Henoted that the reverse referendum wouldagain after retiring as a professor emeritus,and he would not have retired if it meanthe had to stop teaching. He said he enjoyedgetting undergraduates to think criticallyand showing them how to have differencesof opinion without being disagreeable.“A lot of it is the fact that I get to fold myexperiences in every little nook and cranny ofMississippi into the textbook description ofdemocratic government,” Wiseman said. “Iguess it just comes easy. It’s a lot of fun. The50-minute period (for a class) seems to goby in 10 minutes when you’re doing that.”Wiseman has appeared in multiple nationalmedia outlets including the New YorkTimes, the Washington Post, CNN and MS-NBC, and he said he would be willing to appearagain if called on. He also intends to continuehis long-running newspaper column, hesaid. In the column where he announced hisretirement, he cited two reasons for it: “The“It’s normal procedure thatwe help each other,” Kempsaid. “We have a good relationshipwith 4-County.We’ve helped them out inthe past when they’ve hadoutages, and visa versa. Duringplanned outages, they’vehelped us out as well.”4-County Manager of ConsumerService Cliff Wall saidin the association’s press releasethat he appreciated customers’patience while theproblem was fixed.“Since this was a TVA poleand line, we were limited inwhat we could do,” Wall said.“As soon as the outage occurred,we worked with TVAto identify the problem and tofind alternate ways to supplylikely be the best option to pursue, however.“Ultimately, to get to where you allwant to go, and I think it’s a good place,you’re going to have to get that reversereferendum,” Young said. “The otherangle that I would maybe start workingin January or February is to start workingthe note issue angle. The only hesitation Ihave on the note issue right now is that Idon’t want the fact that you’re pursuingthat angle to undermine your ability toget the reverse referendum.”The commission also revisited theidea of county 9-12 students moving toStarkville High School for the 2014-15school year. Under the proposal, countyseventh- and eighth-grade students wouldattend the county elementary schools fora year.Shaw said he believed the idea hadsome merit.“From the standpoint of getting thecurriculum moving, and trying to movethis forward in a piecemeal fashion, themore I have thought about this personally,the more I think this is a really goodidea,” he said. “Other than some cafeteriaissues, I think we’ve acknowledged there’scapacity to handle students from 9-12.I think having the seventh- and eighthgraderswill help alleviate some of thepressure we were going to have whenwe were struggling with having to bringgrandchildren are multiplying, and I can hearthe highway calling me.”Wiseman said he felt grateful to MSUfor the opportunity to retire in good health,particularly so that he could spend qualitytime with his grandchildren. He is the fatherof Starkville Mayor Parker Wiseman, whosewife Lindsey Wiseman is expecting a son inApril, the seventh of Marty’s grandchildren.“I found I was having more and more fundoing stuff (my grandchildren) like to do,”Marty said. “I’m lucky I’ve got good health(when), for the most part, they’re at the yearsfrom 3-12 where I can enjoy them the most.”As for the highway, Marty said he and hiswife enjoyed long drives in their spare time.“Just six or eight weeks ago, I had a meetingin Washington, D.C., and rather thanride public transportation of some sort, wedrove,” Marty said. “We haven’t been outwest too much.”power to as many membersas possible. TVA respondedquickly and worked hard tominimize the inconvenienceto 4-County’s members. Wealso appreciate Starkville ElectricDepartment’s willingness to provideus with power to help energizesome of our members earlierthan they would have been.”those students.”Commissioner and Executive Directorof the Stennis Center for Public ServiceRex Buffington was more reserved on thematter.“In effect, this would move up theconsolidation,” he said. “It looks good onpaper, and I think it sounds good in principle,but I think there’s a lot of concernabout how it would actually be implementedin practice. The key to that wouldbe whether the Starkville superintendentand school board feel like it’s feasible.”Buffington said he did believe the2014-15 transition year could be used forother means to prepare for full consolidation.Commissioner and Starkville SchoolDistrict Superintendent Lewis Hollowaysaid after discussions with the district's attorney,he believed it might be difficult tobring county students in a year early dueto matters like outstanding desegregationorders, which would require approval tomove students to the new school, andconsiderations for faculty.Commissioners ultimately moved onwithout agreeing to move that part of theconsolidation ahead a year early.The commission will meet again onat 9 a.m. on Dec. 23 at the OCSD mainoffice on Main Street to discuss the proposal’sspecific points and add them to theproposal.

ForumPage A-4 I STARKVILLEDAILYNEWS.COM I Wednesday, December 11, 2013OpinionLegislature must support school consolidationPlans are comngtogether for asolidated SchoolStarkville Con-uccessful consoliationbetween themore money.District deservestarkville SchoolThis question isistrict and theone we in OktibbehaCountyktibbeha Countychool District. Aferlistening to inputand be ready toshould welcomerom parents and Brother Rogers answer.ther stakeholders,First, in theGuest Columnisthe Commission onhistory of thetarkville ConsoliatedSchool District Structure is sippi, there has never been a con-state of Missis-utting the finishing touches on solidation like this one. The legislatureacknowledged that factfinal plan.One element sure to be part when, unlike previous consolidationsin other areas, they createdf this final plan is additionalunding from the Mississippi a special commission to studytate Legislature. Members of how to make our consolidationhe legislature and the citizens successful.hey represent will ask why the What makes our consolidationhere unique is that it doesnot merge two small districtstogether for efficiency nor doesit merge two failing districtstogether in order to improveboth. Instead, for the first time,a larger award-winning districtis consolidating with a smallerdistrict that has been under stateimposedconservatorship twice.No such consolidation has everbeen tried, but if this precedentcan succeed in Starkville, thensimilar efforts can be replicatedacross the state.It is worth noting that thechildren in the Oktibbeha CountySchool District are just as capableof learning as their peersin Starkville, but due to schooldistrict lines drawn long ago,the students in the county havehad more obstacles and fewer resources.Second, since the state of Mississippihas required this consolidationby law, it has a legal andmoral responsibility to makesure the resources are providedto make the consolidation successful.Otherwise, the legislaturewill have created an unfundedmandate.The third and perhaps mostimportant reason that the statelegislature should provide additionalfunding for the newStarkville Consolidated SchoolDistrict is to help MississippiState University reach its fullpotential. MSU is the largestinstitution of higher learning inthe state. MSU needs a strongpublic school system focused onacademic achievement in orderto recruit and retain outstandingfaculty and staff.Mississippi State Universityhas an enormous impact on theeconomy of Mississippi, andit prepares more graduates forhigh-skilled jobs than any otheruniversity in the state. It is notdifficult to connect the dots fromthe quality of public schools inOktibbeha County to the qualityof the faculty at MississippiState to the quality of the educationof those who graduatefrom MSU. The future successof Mississippi is intertwined withthe success of Mississippi StateUniversity, whose success is dependenton the condition of thepublic schools in the shadow ofthe university.In short, there is a ripple effectfrom the local school districtto MSU to the entire state. It isno exaggeration to say that thefuture of our state will be impactedby the quality of the newStarkville Consolidated SchoolDistrict. We can and we mustand we will get this right. But thestate legislature, which deservescredit for putting us on this path,must now stick with us to ensuresuccess. As the late SenatorJohn C. Stennis might have putit, “They need to plow a straightfurrow all the way to the end ofthe row that they started.”Brother Rogers works at theStennis Center for Public Serviceand is a guest columnist for theStarkville Daily News.Letter to the EditorEditorSid Salter’s December 8 column well illustrates the dilemmathat faces voters. The choice is between a veteranwhose long tenure coincides with congressional failureand a candidate whose stance virtually guarantees a divisiveresult.We need a statesman who will stand in neutral territoryand effectively support the painful changes that arenecessary if our country is to fulfill its potential. We willfail if the best we can elect is someone proficient in securingfederal grants.Where was Thad when we needed changes in healthcare? Instead of introducing legislation that would preemptObamacare he was steadily bringing home thebacon. What about reforming federal election laws toprevent officeholders from converting campaign contributionsto funds they could access for personal use? Thadhas the tenure and stature to make a positive differencebut he has favored the status quo.If Thad runs on his record he should be expected toidentify legislation he has authored that has improved thelives of working people. Just saying he has helped Fultonget a wastewater treatment overhaul is like saying he isa technician oiling the machinery. We desperately needsomeone with vision who understands how to improvethe lives of middle income working families. How manytown hall meetings has he held in the past six years? Is heout of touch?Thad is emblematic of a successful politician whopleases a majority of constituents but fails to build consensusfor reform at the national level. He is the face onthe problem congress faces in the court of public opinion.Sid carefully omitted identifying those earmarks thatbenefit our alma mater. Is it because he has a dog in thishunt?David MayStarkvilleOpinionProgressives plan to destroy insurance industryAfter winning thepresidency, BarackObama pushedhealthcare reform heknew would pass becauseof overwhelmingDemocraticmajorities in bothhouses of Congress,an energized base, Daniel Gardnerand a fawning media. ContributingIn the spring of Columnist2009 the fight forhealthcare reform entered its biggestbattle, but not between Republicansand Democrats…betweenliberal Democrats and evenmore liberal progressive Democrats.Republicans were reduced tolittle more than spectators.Progressives’ political goals aregovernment control of everything,and healthcare is a crown jewelin the Americaneconomy accountingfor about 17percent of all spending.How does onecontrol healthcare?Control the money.One member of theProgressive Caucus,Jan Shakowsky (D-IL.), reportedly toldsupporters in Aprilof 2009 the goal ofhealthcare reform was to destroythe private health insurance industry.Thus, the Affordable Care Act(ACA) was designed to destroyhealth insurance companies andreplace them with governmentprovidedhealthcare.To sell ACA to the Americanpeople, progressives propagatednumerous lies, including:1. “If you like your doctor,you can keep your doctor…PE-RIOD.”2. “If you like your healthcareplan, you can keep it…PERIOD.”3. “Your annual cost of healthinsurance will go down an averageof $2,500.”The progressive mainstreammedia (MSM) reiterated these lieslike the faithful progressives theyare, failing to investigate whetherthese claims were true. Even whenRepublicans challenged these lies,the MSM refused to report thechallenges. For example, in Septemberof 2010, Senator MikeEnzi (R-WY) introduced a resolutionrepealing Obama’s regulationsthat virtually disqualified the vastmajority of health insurance policieson the market guaranteeingmillions would have their healthcareplans cancelled. Knowingmillions of Americans would losetheir healthcare plans, Democratsvoted unanimously to defeat thisresolution.The progressive MSM did notcover this story, but continued toparrot the lie that Americans couldkeep their healthcare plans…PE-RIOD. More recently, the JusticeDepartment has filed a court briefingsaying the majority of grouphealthcare policies will probably becancelled because they are not upto the new ACA standards. Thatmeans in 2014, 75 to 125 millionAmericans could lose their plansand be forced to purchase moreexpensive plans with coverage theydon’t want or need.In many states the lowest costplans available under ACA havedeductibles or out-of-pocket expensesof $5,000 per person percalendar year. This means, if youpurchase one of these plans, you’llhave to pay for the first $5,000 ofhealthcare before your insurancebegins paying. And, you’re stillpaying hundreds of dollars eachmonth for health insurance. Howmany people can afford that?The progressives’ goal wasnever providing healthcare for the30 or so million who didn’t havehealth insurance; the goal wasgaining universal control of healthcareof all Americans.The biggest lie progressives inWashington and the MSM continueto tell: Republicans have offeredno alternatives. Actually, whileACA was being designed in threeHouse committees, Republicansoffered more than 100 amendmentsin each committee, all ofwhich were defeated by party-linevotes. Those amendments includedreducing mandates on benefitsthat guaranteed Americans wouldlose their current policies.More than 5 million Americanshave had their healthcareplans cancelled due to progressives’plan to destroy the privatehealth insurance industry. Tens ofmillions more Americans will losetheir coverage and have to pay forhigher cost plans in 2014.Daniel L. Gardner is a syndicatedcolumnist who lives in Starkville, MS.You may contact him at Daniel@Dan-LGardner.com, or visit his website athttp://www.danlgardner.com Feelfree to interact with him on the Clarion-Ledgerfeature blog site blogs.clarionledger.com/dgardner/Starkville Daily News(USPS #519-660)Starkville Daily News, 304 Lampkin St., P.O. Box 1068, Starkville, MS 39760.Phone: 323-1642. FAX: 323-6586. Internet: www.starkvilledailynews.com.Starkville Daily News is the successor to the Starkville News (established in 1901)and the East Mississippi Times (established in 1867), which were consolidatedin 1926.Subscription Rates: Subscribers are encouraged to make payment and be billedthrough the Daily News office on the following basis:• By Carrier: 3 months, $36; 6 months, $63; 1 year, $106.• By Mail: 1 month $18, 3 months, $54; 6 months, $108; 1 year, $216.Postmaster: Send address changes to the Starkville DailyNews, P.O. Drawer 1068, Starkville, MS 39760. Periodicalspostage paid at Starkville, MS 39760.Copyright 2013, Starkville Daily News. All Rights Reserved.All property rights for the entire contents of thispublication shall be the property of the Starkville DailyNews. No part hereof may be reproduced without priorwritten consent.Member NewspaperADMINISTRATIVEPublisher: Don Norman, sdnpub@starkvilledailynews.comBusiness Manager: Mona Howell, admin@starkvilledailynews.comNEWSROOMEditor: Zack Plair, editor@starkvilledailynews.comNews Editor: news@starkvilledailynews.comEducation Reporter: Steven Nalley, educ@starkvilledailynews.comGeneral Reporter: Alex Holloway, reporter@starkvilledailynews.comLifestyles Reporter: Morgan Upton, life@starkvilledailynews.comSports Editor: Danny Smith, sports@starkvilledailynews.comSports Reporters: Ben Wait, Jason EdwardsDISPLAY/CLASSIFIED ADVERTISINGAccount Executives:Wendy Hays, wendy@starkvilledailynews.comAudra Misso, audra@starkvilledailynews.comClassified/Legals Rep:Abby Arledge, classified@starkvilledailynews.comSDN Staff DirectoryCIRCULATIONCirculation Manager: Byron Norman, circ1@starkvilledailynews.comCirculation Clerk: Candie Johnson, circ@starkvilledailynews.comCirculation Associate: R.W. 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Wednesday, December 11, 2013 • Starkville Daily News • Page A-5DiGiorno, supplier dropdairy farm over abuseWeatherToday's WeatherLocal 5-Day ForecastWed12/11Thu12/12Fri12/13Sat12/14Sun12/15M.L. JOHNSONAssociated PressMILWAUKEE — Top-sellingfrozen pizza brand DiGiorno and itscheese supplier cut ties with a Wisconsindairy farm Tuesday after ananimal rights group released undercovervideo showing workers beating,kicking, stabbing and whipping sickand injured cows.Wiese Brothers Farm owner MarkWiese told The Associated Press thathe fired two employees and assignedanother to duties that don't involvehandling animals after seeing the video.Wiese, who owns the 5,000-cowfarm in Greenleaf with his brother,said he was not aware of the abuseuntil late last month."My brother and I and our familiesare just very, very shook up aboutthe whole incident," he said Tuesday."And we're just going to continue tocomplete our investigation and makesure changes are made if needed andmake our business stronger and better."The farm sold its milk to ForemostFarms. Foremost supplies cheese toDiGiorno, which is owned by NestleUSA. Nestle said in a statement thatit had asked Foremost Farms notto send it cheese made from WieseBrothers Farm milk. Foremost Farmssaid it had stopped buying from WieseBrothers on Monday.Wiese Brothers also faces an investigationby the local sheriff's department.A captain there said he couldn'tcomment on the details.An activist with Mercy For Animalsshot the video while working onthe farm in October and November,said Matt Rice, the group's director ofinvestigations. Clips show cows thatcan't stand being dragged with ropesand heavy equipment or lifted withclamps. Workers whip, kick and stabother cows to get them moving. Oneanimal bleeds from cuts in its side; anotherbleeds from its rear.Since 2012, the 5,000-cow farmhas required employees who handleanimals to review and sign its humanetreatment policy as part of thehiring process. Typically, that wouldbe about seven of the farm's 45 dairyworkers, Wiese said. The farm alsoprovides training for workers who arecaring for sick animals.Since seeing the video, the farmhas taken additional steps to ensureproper treatment, including calling asupervisor to oversee care when ananimal goes down and designatingthree workers as specialists in caringfor cows too sick or injured to stand.Wiese, a second-generation dairyfarmer, said he's not sure what led tothe abuse."I can't put myself in their state ofmind at the time of these incidentsand everything like that, and that'sall stuff that's going to have to comeout as we continue to investigate," hesaid. However, he added: "It toucheda nerve with everyone in the dairy."Ari Solomon, a spokesman for MercyFor Animals, said while the farmmight present the abuse as the actionsof a couple of employees, his grouphas seen similar violence at five otherdairy and veal farms where it has doneinvestigations since 2009."The best thing people can do tostop abuse on dairy farms is not eatdairy," said Solomon, whose groupadvocates a vegan diet.Short of that, he called on Nestleto adopt an animal welfare policy thatwould specifically bar such actions asdragging cattle that can't walk, hittingand kicking animals and using electricshockdevices. Nestle has an animalwelfare policy that recognizes animals'right to be free from fear, distress,pain and injury, among other things."We will not knowingly work withcompanies that violate" that policy,spokeswoman Deborah Cross said.Chris Booth, a veterinarian whosepractice focuses on dairy animals, saidsick cows should be helped to theirfeet using straps or gentle rocking. Ifthey can't stand, a sled or mat can beused to move them to a soft surface,such as sand and straw, while they recover.Using hooks to lift cows in the airand hitting or kicking a cow to get itmoving isn't defensible, said Booth,the president of the Wisconsin VeterinaryMedical Association.Foremost Farms, a cooperativeowned by the 1,800 farms in sevenstates that supply it, had an independentauditor visit the farm soon afterit learned of the allegations."While they noted a few areas forimprovement, their overall analysisindicated our animals are clean, wellcared for and treated appropriately byemployees," the farm said a statement.Joan Behr, a spokeswoman forForemost Farms, said she generallyagreed with that but said the companystill had to take action.The video "certainly has an impacton consumer confidence in dairy handlingpractices," she said. "We needto show these activities are not somethingwe condone."Wiese said the farm is working onfinding a new buyer for its milk.54/25Generallysunny despitea fewafternoonclouds. High54F.Sunrise:6:49 AMSunset:4:48 PM47/25Plenty ofsun. Highs inthe upper40s andlows in themid 20s.Sunrise:6:50 AMSunset:4:48 PM52/44Considerablecloudiness.Highsin the low50s andlows in themid 40s.Sunrise:6:51 AMSunset:4:49 PMJackson56/2857/35Mainlycloudy andrainy. Highsin the upper50s andlows in themid 30s.Sunrise:6:51 AMSunset:4:49 PMMississippi At A GlanceTupelo51/23Greenville49/27 Starkville54/25Meridian58/2543/27Partlycloudy.Highs in thelow 40s andlows in theupper 20s.Sunrise:6:52 AMSunset:4:49 PMBiloxi61/39Area CitiesCity Hi Lo Cond. City Hi Lo Cond.Baton Rouge, LA 58 35 mst sunny Memphis, TN 45 20 sunnyBiloxi 61 39 pt sunny Meridian 58 25 mst sunnyBirmingham, AL 56 27 sunny Mobile, AL 61 38 mst sunnyBrookhavem 56 30 pt sunny Montgomery, AL 61 33 mst sunnyCleveland 49 25 mst sunny Natchez 57 32 mst sunnyColumbus 55 24 mst sunny New Albany 50 22 mst sunnyCorinth 48 21 mst sunny New Orleans, LA 61 44 mst sunnyGreenville 49 27 mst sunny Oxford 49 21 mst sunnyGrenada 52 23 mst sunny Philadelphia 56 25 mst sunnyGulfport 61 39 pt sunny Senatobia 46 20 sunnyHattiesburg 60 31 pt sunny Starkville 54 25 mst sunnyJackson 56 28 mst sunny Tunica 46 22 sunnyLaurel 58 29 pt sunny Tupelo 51 23 mst sunnyLittle Rock, AR 45 24 sunny Vicksburg 47 22 sunnyMc Comb 58 32 mst sunny Yazoo City 53 27 mst sunnyNational CitiesCity Hi Lo Cond. City Hi Lo Cond.Atlanta 54 28 sunny Minneapolis 1 -8 mst sunnyBoston 32 16 mst sunny New York 32 22 mst sunnyChicago 17 0 sn shower Phoenix 67 45 mst sunnyDallas 47 28 pt sunny San Francisco 60 40 sunnyDenver 36 22 sunny Seattle 40 35 cloudyHouston 56 39 pt sunny St. Louis 26 9 mst sunnyLos Angeles 70 44 sunny Washington, DC 35 23 sunnyMiami82 69 rainMoon PhasesFirstDec 9UV IndexFullDec 17LastDec 25This April 22, 2010 file image provided by the Humane Society of the United States, a dairy cow too sick or injured towalk lies on the ground at the Hallmark Meat Packing Company in Chino, Calif. Several California slaughterhouses, includingHallmark, and meat-packing facilities have agreed to a multimillion-dollar settlement after allegations of inhumane treatmentat their facilities led to a massive beef recall that included meat sold to the National School Lunch Program. The settlement isvalued at $155 million, but the federal government and the Humane Society of the United States expect to collect only about$3 million under terms announced Wednesday Nov. 27. (AP File Photo)Wed12/113ModerateThu12/123ModerateFri12/132LowThe UV Index is measured on a 0 - 11 number scale,with a higher UV Index showing the need for greaterskin protection.©2010 American Profile Hometown Content ServiceSat12/141LowSun12/153Moderate0 11Taxpayers to fundinsurance increaseOXFORD (AP) — The cityof Oxford is picking up a $20 amonth increase in health insurancefor its employees.The Oxford Eagle reports(http://bit.ly/1iA4toK ) thatthe city's health plan will be takenover by Blue Cross & BlueShield of Mississippi in 2014.Because of a 157 percentloss ratio last year, the city wastold by its insurance company,Morgan & White, that it couldexpect a 50 percent to 90 percentincrease in its insurancerate. City leaders began lookingat competing insurance companies,but many wouldn't evengive the city a quote due to itsloss ratio."There was no way we couldkeep everything exactly the sameas it was," Mayor Pat Pattersonsaid.Blue Cross Blue Shield offeredcoverage with a premiumincrease of 33 percent.The city's insurance costs willrise from $1.4 million last yearto almost $2 million in 2014.Insurance agent Brad Campsaid the increase was due to anincrease of claims overall includingsix catastrophic healthevents.City employees do not contributeto their insurance so citytaxpayers pay the entire premiumfor the employee only.An employee can opt to add aspouse or child, but at their cost.Patterson recommended thatemployees pay $20 a month towardtheir insurance. The boardof aldermen this last week voteddown the proposal 3-2.The board voted to cancelsome purchases and use someavailable cash to offset the increase.

Page A-6 • Starkville Daily News • Wednesday, December 11, 2013Ala. board denies parole at urging of Miss lawmakerPHILLIP RAWLSAssociated PressMONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama'sparole board refused an early release Tuesdayfor a former Brighton police officerconvicted in the shooting death of the sonof a Mississippi legislator in 2009.The three-member board reached thedecision Tuesday after hearing from thevictim's mother, Mississippi state Rep.Deborah Butler Dixon of Jackson. Shesaid neither her son nor her family had receivedjustice in Alabama."The state of Alabama has robbed us,"the Democratic legislator told the board.Her 27-year-old son, Broderick Dixon,was fatally shot at an apartment complexin the Birmingham suburb of Irondale onMay 22, 2009. Chevis Finley, a Brightonpolice officer who was off duty when theshooting occurred, was convicted of manslaughterand sentenced to 15 years inprison.Both men knew a woman who lived atthe apartment complex and Finley confrontedDixon at the apartment complexat 3 a.m. that day, authorities had said.Dixon told the board that her unarmedson, a computer systems engineer forCMC Steel Alabama in Birmingham, waschased for more than 800 yards and shotseveral times."We had to do our own investigation toget justice. Alabama covered this crime upbecause he was a police officer," she said inan interview.Dixon said her son's killing promptedher to run for the Mississippi Legislaturebecause she wanted to speak out for crimevictims. "I don't think a person shouldever be paroled at any time," she told theboard.She drew support from the Alabama attorneygeneral and the speaker of the MississippiHouse, who sent representativesto the parole board meeting.Finley's family members urged theboard to give him an early release, sayinghe had a job and a home waiting on himin the Birmingham area.Parole board members told Dixon thatdespite their decision to deny parole, Finleycould get out of prison based on creditfor good behavior as early as Aug. 29,2015. Parole board member Robert Longshoretold Dixon that he's astonished thatAlabama law permits "good time" credit inmanslaughter cases, but the parole boardhas no control over that."We've done the best we can do underthe law," board member Cliff Walker toldher.Dixon said she and her husband willkeep working to try to get Finley to servelonger. "This is a horrible thing that nomother and father should have to gothrough," she said.Jackson County Sheriff Mike Byrd pleaded guilty Tuesday, in federal court in Mobile to misleading conduct toward anotherperson with intent to prevent communication to a federal law enforcement officer. In this file photo, Byrd appeared in a bondrevocation hearing on Oct. 14. (Photo by, April Havens)Mississippi state Rep. Deborah Butler Dixon goes through a scrapbook about her son'sdeath while attending a state parole board hearing Tuesday, in Montgomery, Ala. The boardon Tuesday denied parole to a former Brighton police officer convicted of manslaughter in thedeath of Broderick Dixon. (Photo by Phillip Rawls, AP)Sheriff Byrd pleadsguilty to federal chargesPASCAGOULA (AP) — Four-term Jackson County Sheriff MikeByrd pleaded guilty Tuesday to a federal felony charge of knowinglyengaging in misleading conduct toward another person with intentto prevent the communication to a federal law enforcement officer.The plea was entered before U.S. District Judge William H. Steelein federal court in Mobile, Ala. Sentencing was set for March 11,2014.Steele could send Byrd to prison for up to 20 years, but prosecutorsare recommending a much lighter sentence of just six monthshome confinement and six months' probation.Steele told Byrd that he cannot carry a firearm and must reportregularly to the probation office.Byrd told the judge he fully understands terms of plea agreementhe signed.Byrd admitted trying to persuade Sheriff's Deputy ChristopherGoff to cover up an incident where Byrd kicked a handcuffed prisonerafter a car chase. That chase began in Mississippi, but ended inAlabama, which is why the charges were filed there.Deputies stopped the car and subdued the man with a stun gun.Court records say Byrd arrived on scene, spoke angrily and cursed atStahl and then kicked him in the groin.Jackson County supervisors must now decide whether to appointan interim sheriff.Byrd's guilty plea Tuesday means no more federal charges will bebrought against the sheriff in this case, from the United States Attorney'sOffice for the Southern District of Alabama. No other federal,state or local prosecuting authorities are bound by the agreement.Byrd still faces a 31-count indictment in state court in Mississippi.Those charges include fraud, extortion, embezzlement, witness tamperingand perjury. He will be in federal court in Gulfport on Thursdayin that case.Mourning MandleaPresident Barack Obama kisses Nelson Mandela's widow GracaMachel during the memorial service for former South African presidentNelson Mandela at the FNB Stadium in Soweto near Johannesburg,Tuesday. (Photo by Matt Dunham, AP)

Wednesday, December 11, 2013 • Starkville Daily News • Page A-7Judge rejects mistrialMake your own beeffor ex-BP engineeror venison jerky giftsKEVIN McGILLAssociated PressNEW ORLEANS — A federal judgehas refused to declare a mistrial in the caseof former BP drilling engineer chargedwith obstruction of justice following the2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.In a filing Tuesday, defense lawyersfor Kurt Mix said prosecution questioningof witness Wilson Arabie on Mondayimproperly raised issues of whether Mixordered copies made of spill-related documentsin order to eliminate possibly incriminatinghand-written notes made insome of the margins.The defense said prosecutors werebarred by an earlier court order from raisingthat issue.U.S. District Judge Stanwood DuvalJr. ruled Tuesday that he would instructjurors to disregard the testimony. Howeverhe declined to declare a mistrial.Mix is charged with two counts ofobstruction of justice for allegedly deletingtext messages and voicemails aboutthe company's response to its 2010 Gulfof Mexico oil spill. He has pleaded notguilty.Mix attorney Joan McPhee, in an afternoonhearing, argued that federal prosecutorJennifer Saulino went too far in mentioningthe possibility of the hand-writtennotes and the copying of the documents.McPhee also said Saulino stepped overthe line from prosecutor to witness whenshe reminded Arabie of conversations shehad had with him about the documents.McPhee said Saulino should be disqualifiedfrom the case and should be subjectto being called as a witness.Saulino said she was merely gettingArabie to clarify his testimony. She alsosaid the testimony about the documentswas relevant because a deleted voice maildealt with the documents.Duval said Saulino "may have been onthe precipice" but did nothing to warrantremoval.He said the testimony about copyingdocuments was not relevant to the caseand jurors would be told to disregard it.For Starkville Daily NewsTis the season for creating tasty and cleverhomemade gifts for friends and family, butnot everyone needs another tray of cookies orpound of fudge.Cut the sweet stuff this year with some flavorfuljerky made at home using venison orbeef.Wes Schilling, associate professor in theDepartment of Food Science, Nutrition andHealth Promotion at Mississippi State University,said with the right tools and ingredients,home chefs are just a few steps awayfrom creating a popular, high-protein holidaytreat.“If you’re buying beef, I recommend usingtop round, and get a select cut, not choice orprime,” Schilling said. “Trim the outer layerof fat. With jerky, you want less fat, becausefat oxidizes and gives your product a rancid,fishy taste.”With both beef and venison, Schilling saidto cut the meat parallel to the muscle fibers sothe jerky holds together well.Cut slices about eight to 10 inches long,one-inch wide, and 1/4 to 3/8 inch thick sothe surface area will dry properly. If the cutis top round, ask the butcher to slice it intostrips.Once the meat has been cut to size, homechefs must decide how to flavor and dry it.Schilling, who is also a food scientist in theMississippi Agricultural and Forestry ExperimentStation, said jerky can be made usinga purchased spice mix or a homemade marinade.“The top ingredients are salt, which dehydratesthe product, and sugar, which alsodehydrates the jerky but helps counteract thesalty flavor,” he said.Adding sodium nitrite will prevent fat oxidizationand protect the jerky’s flavor overtime.“Sodium nitrite is not required for homemadejerky, but the jerky will have to be eatenmore quickly if sodium nitrite is left out,”Schilling said. “Without sodium nitrite, jerkycan have that warmed-over flavor and lose itscolor faster.”Schilling suggested using a large, plastictub to marinate large quantities of meat in therefrigerator overnight. He also recommendedmassaging the venison or beef to help themarinade soak in. Do not reuse marinade.The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommendssteaming or roasting the slices ofmeat to an internal temperature of 160 Fahrenheitas measured with a food thermometerbefore dehydrating them to kill potentiallyharmful bacteria.Once the strips of meat have been properlyheated, home cooks can dry jerky in the ovenor use a dehydrator. In either case, Schillingsaid generously spraying both sides of the dryingracks with cooking spray is critically important.“After all of the work and time invested inthe product, you don’t want it sticking to therack,” he said. “When laying out the strips ofmeat, be sure none of the pieces are touchingeach other.”Cooking times depend on the method used,Schilling said. Drying jerky in a conventionaloven usually takes about three to five hours.Line the bottom of the oven with foil to makecleaning up easier.“Ideally, you’ll cook the jerky at 140 Fahrenheitfor one hour, 150 Fahrenheit for onehour and then 160 Fahrenheit for approximatelytwo hours,” he said. “I recommendputting a pan of water in the bottom of theoven so that it will increase the humidity inthe oven for the first two hours and then takethe pan of water out so that the jerky will drymore fully.”Tim Armstrong, manager of the MississippiAgricultural and Forestry ExperimentStation’s Meat Lab, teaches students how tomake jerky in large batches.At MSU, Armstrong uses a computerizedsmokehouse to dry the product. But at home,he uses a dehydrator.“When I make venison jerky at home, I basicallymake my own marinade with a littlebit of Worcestershire sauce, salt, black pepperand celery seed,” he said. “You can get alittle nitrite from the celery seed to extend thejerky’s shelf life, but people eat it pretty quicklyafter it’s made so that’s not usually a problem.”Because venison is so lean, it is ideal forjerky.“There is a lot of work involved in makingjerky, which is why it costs so much, but that’salso what makes it a valued homemade gift,”he said.Dried jerky can be stored for one to twomonths at room temperature in an airtightcontainer. To prolong the jerky’s shelf life, putit in the freezer or use vacuum-sealed packaging.To watch an instructional video on makingjerky, go to http://techoutreach.msucares.com/practical-tips-making-beef-deer-jerky. Formarinade recipes and more tips on makingjerky, visit the MSU Extension Service Pinterestpage at http://www.pinterest.com/msuextservice.Kurt Mix arrives at the Hale Boggs Federal Building in New Orleans, Dec. 3. The formerBP drilling engineer is charged with deleting text messages and voicemails about thecompany's response to its massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. (Photo by JonathanBachman, AP)Oktibbeha County ExtensionService hosts open houseFor Starkville Daily NewsThe Oktibbeha County Extension Service will hold its annual open house from 11 a.m. to 1p.m. on Monday.There will be a Christmas cactus care demonstration at 11 a.m. followed by a demonstrationon holiday bow making at 11:30 a.m. and burlap crafts for kids at noon.Help us make a family’s Christmas merrier by bringing a canned food item to donate tothe Food for Families Food Drive. All Donations will benefit residents of Oktibbeha Countythrough the St. Joseph Food Pantry.Place your ad in323-1642Just give us a call662-323-1642

Page A-8 • Starkville Daily News • Wednesday, December 11, 20136 missing adults, children found alive in NevadaSCOTT SONNERAssociated PressRENO, Nev. (AP) — A desperate searchfor a couple and four children missing for twodays in the below-zero cold of Nevada's ruggedmountains turned jubilant Tuesday when rescuersguided in part by cellphone signals andfootprints in the snow found them alive andwell near their overturned Jeep.About 200 people had searched by landand air after the group of six failed to returnSunday from a trip to play in the snow neartheir hometown of Lovelock, in Nevada's highdesert."They stayed together and that was the keythat allowed them to live through this experience.You don't see that that often in searchand rescue," said Paul Burke, search-and-rescuecoordinator for the state. "They did some prettyunusual things, heating up rocks and things.Staying together, that was a big deal."Their Jeep had overturned just off a road.A member of the rescue team said the enginewould no longer start, but the group stayedin the upside-down vehicle for shelter, burningthe spare tire to keep warm.The six were taken to Pershing GeneralHospital, where about 100 well-wishers linedthe street and broke into cheers when two ofthe smallest children were taken from an ambulance.Others walked into the hospital on theirown."The mood where I'm at's ecstatic," said Col.Tim Hahn of the Civil Air Patrol, which usedseveral planes to search for the group. "We arethrilled beyond words."Rescuers began scouring the Seven TroughsArea wilderness on Sunday night for JamesGlanton, 34; his girlfriend, Christina McIntee,25; their two children, Evan and Chloe Glanton;and Shelby Fitzpatrick and Tate McIntee,a niece and nephew of McIntee's. The childrenrange in age from 3 to 10.The situation grew more dire as overnighttemperatures in Lovelock dipped to 16 belowzero.A cellphone forensics team analyzed whichtowers the group's phone was in contact withduring their trip, giving searchers a better ideaof where they might be, Hahn said. They wereso far out in the wilderness that they apparentlywere unable to call for help.Search volunteer Chris Montes said he andtwo rescuers with him first spotted children'sfootprints in the snow, then followed a set ofJeep tracks until they found the flipped vehicleand the family beside it."They just said that they knew somebodywas going to find them," Montes said.The discovery prompted a wave of relief onsocial media."Very glad to hear the missing family inLovelock has been found and they are safe!"Gov. Brian Sandoval tweeted. "Thank you toall who worked so tirelessly to find them!"The Seven Troughs area is named for sevenparallel canyons below Seven Trough Peak, elevation7,474 feet. It is about 20 miles southeastof Black Rock Desert, where the annualBurning Man counterculture festival is held.Most of the roads are dirt and more easilytraveled by ATVs or other off-road vehicles.Seven Troughs is a popular area for huntingchukars, a pheasant-size winter game bird."So it's not the kind of area where therewould be nobody around," Nevada Departmentof Wildlife spokesman Chris Healy said."But most chukar hunters are smart enoughnot to go out in the weather we have now."This undated family photo provided by the Pershing County Sheriff's Office shows Shelby Fitzpatrick, left, and Chloe Glanton. Rescue teams were working against the clock and the brutalold Monday, in the search for a missing couple and four children who went to play in the snow in the remote mountains of northwest Nevada but didn’t return after a night of sub-zeroemperatures. Pershing County deputies said aircraft and crews on the ground were searching in the mountains about 100 miles northeast of Reno for 34-year-old James Glanton, his 25-yearldgirlfriend, Christina McIntee, and the four children: a 10-year-old, two 4-year-olds and a 3-year-old. (Family Photo via Pershing County Sheriff's Office, AP Photo)

TasteSTARKVILLEDAILYNEWS.COM I Wednesday, December 11, 2013 I Section BIt’s alwaysa good timefor donutsI think it’s time wetalked about donuts. Iknow they come up a lotin my travelogues, butI’m pretty sure I havenever devoted all my allottedwords to the subject.And why not now,when just about everybodyis resigned to thefact that it’s the holidays– all diets are off and allgym memberships are Jay Reedinactive until January 2, Eats One Ateanyway. A perfect timeto explore the exciting world of fried dough.Ultimately, that is what we are talking about –fried dough. And we have been frying dough for along time. The form may have changed, but even inthe book of Leviticus (verse 12, chapter 7) the Hebrewswere instructed to present offerings of peaceand thanksgiving in the form of fried cakes of fineflour. Sing it with me now: “I eat donuts, this Ido, for the Bible tells me to.” (That may not be theway you learned the song, but people add verses tohymns all the time.) A plain donut straight fromthe hot oil through the glaze waterfall is definitelysomething I can be thankful for.Let’s camp here a moment, near the hot oil. I’llgo out on a limb here and say that a fresh, hot donutas described above has no real equal when onetakes into account the total experience. It’s almostlike biting into sweet, sticky air. There is a shapeuntil a bite is taken, then the dough practically meltsin the mouth. This is why I look for the illuminated“Hot Donuts Now” sign whenever I am inthe vicinity of a Krispy Kreme store. (Some willeven give you a free one if you make it in underthe glow of the red neon.) This is why at Shipley’sI scan the scene prior to placing my order to see ifthere are hot ones on the rack. I may still get a sausageroll, apple fritter or blueberry cake in my bag,but if there are hot, plain, glazed donuts available,I must have at least one. I must. And this is why Ipractically inhaled (to carry on the air analogy) twoof the round beauties at work not long ago, justafter having a perfectly good low-carb breakfast athome before I arrived. I have no willpower withhot donuts. I attribute some of my behavior to myparental units, who taught me early in life that evena day-old donut is pretty good heated, a habit madeeven easier with the invention of the microwave.(Yes, kids, there was a day in my lifetime when theydid not exist. I am that old.)Allow me to make another blanket statement:I am not a donut snob, per se. I’ve just finishedJohn T. Edge’s book, “Donuts, An American Passion”in which he speaks both of corporate giants(like Krispy Kreme) and local artisanal donut makers.Though I am normally the anti-champion whenit comes to chain restaurants, with donuts I makean exception. I like the fact that a hot glazed KrispyKreme in Columbus is essentially equal to a hotglazed Krispy Kreme in Kuwait. And I can testifythat they are. I have not had a Shipley’s as far awayas Houston, Texas, but I have had them in Oxford,and the same principle holds true. Even the blueberrycake I had at the Dunkin’ Donuts in Dubaisatisfied the same craving as it did here in the US ofA. Which brings me to another point in my “I amnot a snob” speech. My favorites outside of a hotglazed are apple fritters and blueberry cake, handsdown (and sticky). But I will not turn away fromany other flavor or filling if that’s all that’s left in thebox. No uppity donut critic here.Edge also mentions that in a pinch, he has beenknown to deep fry canned biscuits with holes cut inthe center. I can also testify to the surprising goodnessof that recipe, and its crazy simplicity. I triedthe same method last week with canned cinnamonrolls with mixed success, but I won’t let that determe from trying again.Another childhood favorite in the donut categoryis the dunkin’ stick. The idea, I assume, is to dunkthe stick in coffee or another appropriate beverage.That may be good, but I prefer just to eat themout of the wrapper, right outside the service stationwhere I tend to find them most often. Yes, I couldprobably buy a whole box from any Little Debbiepurveyor, but having a whole box of dunkin’ sticksat my disposal is a dangerous wager. There is anundefinable flavor found in these pastries and a texturethat is hard to match in any other. Though Iwill say that a good cruller does share some of thoseethereal characteristics.Donuts are inspiring. Edge also wrote three otherbooks about iconic American foods: fried chicken,apple pie and hamburgers and fries – all wereSee REED | Page B-3Cowbells Sports Grill’s was recently awarded a spot in the Top 10 Best Steak in Mississippi by the Mississippi Beef Council and MississippiCattlemen’s Association. (Photo by Morgan Upton, SDN)Cowbells awarded Top 10 Best SteakBy MORGAN UPTONlife@starkvilledailynews.comTucked away in the Highland Plantationresidential community sits CowbellsSports Grill. Many flock to the grill atnight for their drinks, but the Cowbellsfamily is smiling about something else.The grill was recently awarded a Top10 Best Steak in Mississippi by the MississippiBeef Council and MississippiCattlemen’s Association.It is the second time in three years thegrill was given the award. Jay Bradleyco-owns Cowbells with Rick Welch andBlake Williamson. Bradley said they wereinformed they were in the Top 10, andsaid they would learn later in the springif they were deemed No. 1. Until then,The Enchanted Forest is a Hunter’s HavenForestry is important to theeconomy of Mississippi withmore than 65 percent of thestate’s land in forests. However,timber and other forestproducts are not the only benefitsfrom these tree coveredlands. These lands are home tomany animals – deer, squirrels,rabbits, turkeys and other wildlifespecies. The abundance ofwildlife makes our state a havenfor hunters, as well as wildlifephotographers, bird watchersand anyone who enjoys a strollin the woods to see the beautyof nature.The state’s economy isboosted because more than half of Mississippiansengage in some form of wildlife recreationand hunter and wildlife enthusiaststravel to Mississippi from other states. Recentresearch conducted by Mississippi StateUniversity’s Forest and Wildlife ResearchCenter scientists found that the economicbenefit to the state is significant, contributingabout $2.8 billion annually.This study also found that hunting, fishingand wildlife-related recreation producesjobs, employing Mississippians throughoutthe state. These outdoor activities createmore than 66,000 full- and part-time jobsthat pay more than $1.15 billion in wagesand salaries. Hunting generates the largestoutput at $1.18 billion, while fishing andBradley said the small staff at Cowbellswould bask in the recognition.“It’s a true honor for us because thoseguys know their beef,” Bradley said.“They’re a pretty big deal so we’re prettyexcited about it.”Cowbells opened in 2008 as a restaurant,but became known more for its latenight hours. Bradley said the restaurantserved bagged food at first.Over time, the cooks began tryingtheir handed at new recipes with theirproducts, and now everything but thecheese sticks and French fries are madein-house. Bradley said steak wasn’t onthe original menu and it was only bychance that one was even cooked.“We were having an employee partyor something and our head securitywildlife-watching generate $773million and $829 million, respectively.Since hunting is a very popularsport and hobby in Mississippiand more than half thehouseholds are possibly involvedin this activity, wild game cookeryis something that should bemastered by every homemaker.If the men in your life enjoythe outdoor sport of hunting,you will soon be called upon toprepare some wild delicacy. Andeven if you don’t have a hunterin the family, your friends mayshare their game with you. Wildgame can also boost the foodbudget.When I married over 40 years ago, I hadno idea how to cook anything wild. I was aneducated cook, as my friend says since I havea Home Economics degree, but game meatwas never in the cooking classes and I did notgrow up in a home where hunting was done.However, it was not long after the weddingthat hubby went hunting and brought homeall sorts of wild creatures. Trying to be thegood little wife and being somewhat of anexperimental cook, I tackled the challenge.After a little practice, I mastered some basicgame cookery techniques. I have learned tocook the game, but I do leave the skinningand dressing to him.My worst experience came one springNelda StarksGuest Columnistguy was saying something about howhe could make steaks,” Bradley said.“They got back there and started playingaround with it and found out we weregetting a really good piece of steak. Weall tried it and they didn’t do that muchto it because we didn’t have anythingback there.”Bradley said quality of meat was oneof the most important things about thesteaks as well as the consistency theywere cooked. The kitchen staff takesgreat pride in their food, especially thesteaks.Dallas Hawkins, kitchen manager atCowbells, said cooking their steak wasa simple process, but he doesn’t plan onSee COWBELLS | Page B-8early into our marriage when my husbandbrought home a wild turkey. He had defeatheredthe bird and dressed and broughtit into the kitchen and suggested I roast it totake to my mom’s for Easter dinner. I lookedat the scrawny bird sitting on the kitchencounter and began to cry. Turkeys were supposedto be plump with smooth skin. Thisbird was far from a Butterball and the skinwas bruised and torn and not very pretty,not to mention that there were pin feathersstill attached. Paul tried to comfort me byexplaining that wild turkeys do not look likedomestic ones, but have a nice flavor. I didnot want to be comforted and I sure didn’twant to cook this bird that reminded me of ascrawny chicken hanging in the butcher shopof an old Blondie and Dagwood comic strip.The rest of the story is that I cooked the turkey,took it for Easter Dinner, it was edibleand Paul was happy. I cannot tell you howthat turkey tasted, I’m not even sure I tastedit. Since then, I have learned to cook wildturkey without tears, as well as other game. Iwill not be giving you a recipe for roast wildturkey, since that is not the best way to preparethem. The breast is very meaty and canbe delicious, but the remainder of the birdis tough and stringy. So bone out the breastand pan fry it or boil it and use it in recipescalling for cooked chicken. Boil the remainingparts and bones and this will make a nicebroth or soup stock.See STARKS | Page B-4

Page B-2 • Starkville Daily News • Wednesday, December 11, 2013TasteFAMILY FEATURESStrawberries are a quickand easy snack foradults and children.It’s no wonder whythey’re a top fruit juice inkitchens and lunchboxeseverywhere. Plus, these tastyfruits are packed with almost140 percent of immunesystem boosting vitamin C.“Strawberries always puta smile on my face,” saysChef Justin Timineri, execu -tive chef and culinary ambas -sa dor, Florida Department ofAgricul ture and ConsumerServices. “My favorite recipe Chef Justin Timinerifor them is to simply ‘Rinse,eat and repeat.’”You can find more snack ideas and recipes athttp://bit.ly/floridaberries.How to buyChoose strawberries that are plump, fragrant andfirm, with no signs of bruising or leaking.How to storeIt’s best to eat strawberries on the day of purchase.You can freeze strawberries by hulling, lightlywash ing and drying them. Arrange in a single layerbefore placing in the freezer.Hulling tipsNever hull strawberries until after they have beenwashed or they will absorb too much water andbecome mushy.wberry Dessert Pizza: 2 to 3 servingst:2 pound butter, two sticks3 cup sugar1 egg4 teaspoon baking powder8 teaspoon salt2 teaspoons vanilla extract3 cups all-purpose flouring:1 8-ounce package cream cheese1 tablespoon honey2 tablespoons sugar3 pints Florida strawberriese:1 tablespoon honey1 teaspoon waterake crust, cream together butter andwith mixer until fluffy. Add egg, bak -owder, salt and vanilla extract untilre is smooth. Add flour and mix untilth dough is formed. Place finishedh in between two sheets of wax paperefrigerate for 20 minutes. Remove fromerator and roll dough out to 1/4-inchness and in round shape. Place doughased 12-inch pizza pan and bake inated 350°F oven for 25 min utes or untilis light brown. Cool completely.make topping, combine cream cheese,y and sugar until smooth. Spreadly over cooled cookie crust, leavingnch border uncovered. Place slicedberries around outside border; fill inle of pizza.make glaze, combine honey andr; brush over top of finished pizza.Can: Glaze top of finished pizza.e sliced strawberries on top of pizza.n Up Alert: Adults should helpoven.Fluffy Stuffed StrawberriesYield: 16 servings1 pound Florida strawberries8 ounces low-fat cream cheese,softened3 ounces low-fat yogurt1/8 teaspoon vanilla extractCut stems off strawberries and carefullyscoop out 2/3 of inside with knife orspoon, creating a cup. Be careful not tomake any holes. Cut piece off bottom tipof strawberries to allow them to stand up.Beat cream cheese and yogurt untilfluffy. Fold in vanilla extract.Working in batches, place cheese mix -ture into pastry or sealable bag with smallcorner cut off. Fill strawberries with cheesemixture. Garnish with mint and serve.Kids Can: Place cheese mixture intopastry bag and fill strawberries.Grown Up Alert: Adults should stem thestrawberries.Sign-up to receive a FREE copy of the“Kids inthe Kitchen” cookbook at: http://bit.ly/flfffkids.Strawberry MuffinsYield: 12 servings1 1/2 cups Florida strawberries, chopped3/4 cup sugar1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, unsifted1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg1/4 teaspoon salt2 eggs, beaten1/4 cup butter, melted1 teaspoon vanilla extractCombine strawberries and 1/2 cup sugar in small bowl.Set aside for 1 hour. Drain and reserve liquid and straw -berries separately. Preheat oven to 425°F. Combineflour, baking soda, nutmeg and salt. Set aside. Mixeggs, butter, vanilla extract, remaining sugar andliquid from strawberries in medium bowl. Add flourmixture. Stir until combined. Fold in reserved straw -berries. Spoon into 12 greased muffin cups. Bake forapproximately 20 minutes. Serve warm.Kids Can: Spoon mixture into muffin cups.Grown Up Alert: Adults should help with oven.wberry-Mango Milkshake: 3 servings3 tablespoons sugar2 teaspoons vanilla extract2 cup low-fat milk6 ice cubes3 cup plain yogurt0 Florida strawberries, hulled1 mango, peeled and slicedish:1 dollop whipped cream1 Florida strawberry1 slice of mangoverything but fruit into blender; blendw, gradually increasing speed. Onceth, add fruit and finish blending untilletely smooth. Pour into tall glassnjoy.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013 • Starkville Daily News • Page B-3Classic, comforting soupgets a pork-inspired twistNational Pork Board“If I wasn’t a BBQ expert,I’d be cooking soups like thisone all day long,” said Chef RayLampe, BBQ expert and authorof the just-released cookbook,“Pork Chop.” He’s referringto his modern interpretationof a classic comfort food dish,Pork Chop Noodle Soup - adish he says is “a better cure forthe common cold,” filled withchunks of juicy, perfectly seasonedpork as well as carrots,celery, a blend of savory herbsand tender rotini pasta.Flavors that take you backLike many feel-good foodshave the tendency to do, ChefLampe’s pork chop soup recipetakes him back to his youth,8-10 servingsIngredients:3 ribeye pork chops, bone-in, about 3/4-inch thickSalt and pepper2 tablespoons vegetable oil2 cups chicken broth or pork stock4 cups unsalted vegetable broth1 red onion, chopped4 carrots, chopped2 large celery sticks, chopped2 garlic cloves, crushed1 teaspoon dried thyme1/2 teaspoon dried basil1 cup dried rotini pastawhen “soup day” was an extraspecialtime for his family.“Anytime my mom took thebig pot out of the cabinet andgot all the different ingredientsready, we knew it was going tobe a good day,” he said. “Today,when I get a craving formy mom’s cooking, I often addsomething that makes it allaroundheartier and tastier - likebone-in ribeye pork chops. Thehardest part is not eating thechops before the soup is ready.”Warm, comforting dishesAfter simmering all dayon the stove, a bowl of ChefLampe’s soothing, heart-warming,pork-filled soup is the perfectcomplement to a grilledSwiss cheese sandwich or a freshsalad - whether you’re feelingPork Chop Noodle Soupunder the weather or just cravinga little pick-me-up.Remember, for juicy andtender chops as an ingredientor center-of-the-plate star, cookto an internal temperature between145∞F (medium rare),followed by a three-minute restand 160∞F (medium), using adigital thermometer to ensureaccuracy.For more inspiration on givingcomfort food favorites pastand present a fresh twist withpork, download the NationalPork Board’s free “Cooking ForComfort” eCookbook at www.PorkBeinspired.com/cookingforcomfort.Share your owncomfort food recipes at www.PorkBeinspired.com/porksocialand look for Lampe’s “PorkChop” cookbook whereverbooks are sold.Directions:1. Season pork chops with salt and pepper.Heat oil in Dutch oven over medium-high heat.Add chops and cook for about 4 minutes, untilgolden brown. Flip and cook for 4 minutesmore, until golden brown. Transfer chops toplate and set aside.2. Pour half of chicken broth into pot,scraping all browned bits from bottom. Add remainingchicken broth, vegetable broth, onion,carrots, celery and garlic. Mix well and bringto a simmer. Add 1 quart water, thyme, basil,2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Mixwell and bring to a simmer. Add chops back topot and return to a simmer. Reduce heat andsimmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally,being careful not to break up chops.3. Transfer chops to plate, trying not tobreak them up. Set aside to cool. Raise heatand bring soup to a boil. Add pasta and cookfor about 12 minutes, until tender. When chopsare cool, pull them apart, discarding all bonesand fat. Add meat back to soup and stir well.Taste for salt and pepper, and add if needed,before serving.TasteSharing Hometown Recipes, Cooking Tips and CouponsBy Janet TharpeA Sure-Fire Family Favorite Slow Cooked Pot Roast“Both mysons lovethis!”Teresa JacobsonJacksonville, FL(Pop. 821,784)Family FavoriteSlow Cooked PotRoastWhat You Need1 chuck roast (2-4 pounds)2 can(s) cream of chickensoup (10.75 oz. each)3-6 oz baby carrots4 oz sliced mushrooms2 russet potatoes, cut intospears (optional)Slow cooker recipes have become popular again, andI couldn’t be happier. It’s just so easy to make awonderful family meal.And Teresa Jacobson’s Family Favorite Slow Cooked PotRoast is a slow cooker recipe your family will love. Theaddition of creamed soup makes a wonderful gravy. On acold winter’s night, this is a perfect dinner.See step-by-step photos of Teresa’s recipe plus thousandsmore from home cooks nationwide at:www.justapinch.com/potroastYou’ll also find a meal planner, coupons and chances towin! Enjoy and remember, use “just a pinch”...Directions-Janet• Place all ingredients into crock-pot.Do not add water!• Cook on high for 5-6 hours or on lowfor 8 hours.• If desired, skim off any fat.• If necessary, after removing meatand veggies, whisk in a tablespoon offlour to gravy to thicken it.• We love this served with mashedpotatoes.REEDFrom page B-1Submitted by: Teresa Jacobson, Jacksonville, FL (Pop. 821,784)www.justapinch.com/potroastsubtitled, “An American Story.” But donuts are“An American Passion.” Dough for thought.Comedian Tim Hawkins has been heard to saythat eating a Krispy Kreme is like eating a babyangel. A bit irreverent, perhaps, but clearly hehas been affected profoundly by the experience.The heavenly beings are also evoked bywriter and humorist Roy Blount Jr., who said,Brought to you by American Hometown Media“Krispy Kremes are to other doughnuts whatangels are to people.”I have had a donut sundae: donut base toppedwith ice cream and other decadent toppings. Ihave had donut cobbler: so sweet it sets yourteeth on edge but so good you don’t care. I havehad a donut burger: don’t knock it till you’vetried it. I have made donut French toast: try itwith a cake donut, it just works better. Donutsare a paradox: international but local, timelessbut ephemeral, sinful but angelic. Eat a hot onethis holiday.

Page B-4 • Starkville Daily News • Wednesday, December 11, 2013TasteSTARKSFrom pageB-1Even though I have been cooking wild game meats for manyyears, I thought I would do a little research to make sure I wastelling it right. I came across an article at AmericanHunter.orgentitled “The 5 Most Common Wild-Game Cooking Mistakes”by Georgia Pellegrini. I want go into much detail, but I will listthese mistakes. For more information and some very good scientificfacts concerning these mistakes, follow up with the website.u Not aging the game first. Aging cause an enzymatic changein the muscle tissues, resulting in a more tender meat with enhancedflavor.u Not Brining or Marinating the Game First. The purpose ofbrining is juiciness, whereas the purpose of marinating is tenderization.After the meat comes out of the brine, let it rest a whilebefore cooking to allow the moisture to retreat back into themeat. The recipe for a good brining solution is two tablespoonsof salt to four cups of water.u Overcooking the Game. If you have been turned off bygame meats, it is probably because they are fry and tough, conditioncaused by overcooking. Most game should not be cookedto more than medium, but rare is even better.u Cooking it the Wrong Way. The more tender cuts can becooked by dry heat methods such as grilling or searing, whereasthe tougher cuts should be cooked by moist heat methods likebraising.u Overcompensating. Often times, we add too many ingredientsto game which cover up the flavor of the meat itself. Theauthor states, “If it’s aged, brined and cooked properly there isno reason to crack open that can of mushroom soup. After all,you’ve worked too hard to bring it to the table, let your workshine.”The following recipes are some of my favorites and fairly simpleto make. I have found that most folks that claim not to likevenison will eat and enjoy the first two recipes.Venison Salami or Summer SausageIngredients:2 pounds lean ground venison½ teaspoon mustard seed½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper¼ teaspoon Red pepper flakes (optional)1 teaspoon Black peppercorns (optional)3 tablespoons Morton Tender Quick Salt1 clove garlic (or equivalent garlic powder, do not use garlic salt – itsmake the mixture too salty)1 teaspoon liquid smoke in 1 cup waterDirections:Mix all ingredients well. Refrigerate at least 24 hours. Mix severaltimes during this period. Form into 3 rolls and place on broiler pan.Bake at 250 degrees for 3 hours. Turn once or twice to brown evenly.Good hot or cold. Freezes well.Venison JerkyVenison or beef round steak, cut into ¼ inch strips, acrossthe grain (Work best when frozen slightly.) Place the meatstrips in a gallon size zipper seal bag and marinate the meatstrips in the mixture below for several hours or overnight:Ingredients:¼ cup soy sauce½ teaspoon onion powder¼ cup Worcestershire sauce1 teaspoon salt1 tablespoon liquid smoke½ teaspoon garlic powder½ teaspoon black pepperDirections:Shake off excess liquid and place strips of meat on a broiler rackthat has been sprayed with non-stick cooking spray. Set the ovento the lowest setting (140-160 degrees) and allow meat to cook for4-8 hours depending on the thickness and moisture content. Jerkyshould be brittle when done. Place jerky in plastic bags or jars andrefrigerate or freeze until ready to use.Sweet Venison RoastIngredients:3-5 pound venison roast½ cup Worcestershire sauce2 tablespoons soy sauce1 tablespoon salt½ pound butterDash pepper1 cup water 1 ½ cups wine, beer or cola1 teaspoon lemon juiceDirections:Place roast in a large zipper seal plastic bag. Mix remainingingredients and pour over roast in bag. Marinate several hours orovernight in the refrigerator. To cook, remove roast from marinade,let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes and place in a coveredroaster; cook at 300 degrees for 4 hours.Note: onions, potatoes, carrots or sweet potatoes can be cookedalong with roastFried Wild TurkeyIngredients:Wild turkey breast, cut into stripsFlourSalt and Pepper ( I use lemon pepper and seasoning salt)Oil1 teaspoon lemon juiceDirections:Dredge turkey strips with seasoned flour. Heat oil in skillet andadd turkey strips. Fry until golden brown.Wild Turkey Rice PilafIngredients:2-3 cups diced cooked turkey meat½ cup butter1 cup long grain rice – white or brown1 cup chopped onion½ cup chopped celerySalt and pepper to taste4 cups turkey broth (from boiling turkey )Directions:Melt butter in large skillet; add rice and vegetables. Cook untilvegetables are tender and rice browned, stirring often. Add turkeyand broth; cover and bake at 375 degrees until rice fluffs. Add morebroth, if needed. Serves 4-6.Variation:For a Fruit-Nut Pilaf, add 1 package dried fruit bits and ½ cup sliveredalmonds or other chopped nuts to mixture before baking. For anextra fruity flavor, use 1 cup orange or apple juice with 3 cups broth.Fried Wild RabbitIngredients:2 wild rabbit, cut into piecesWaterLemon juiceFlourSalt and Pepper (I use lemon pepper and seasoned salt)Other spices to taste½ cup flour½ cup bread crumbsOilDirections:Place rabbit pieces in saucepan and cover with water; add asmall amount of lemon juice. Parboil for 10 minutes. Drain, pat dryand sprinkle rabbit pieces with seasonings. Combine milk and eggsin a bowl. Dip rabbit pieces into the milk/egg mixture, then into theflour and finally into the bread crumbs.Heat 1-inch of oil in iron skillet and add rabbit pieces. Cook rabbituntil brown on all sides. Lower heat and cook until done – about 20minutes. Makes 6-8 servings.Country Style SquirrelIngredients:2 squirrels, cut into serving piecesSalt and pepperFlour6 tablespoons oil2 cups waterDirections:Place flour and seasoning into a paper bag; shake to combine.Add squirrel pieces to bag and shake to coat with seasoned flour.Place oil in large skillet and heat; add squirrel pieces to skillet andcook until brown. Remove squirrel from skillet and pour off grease allbut 2 tablespoons oil. Add water bring to a boil. Return squirrels toskillet; turn heat to low, cover and cook for about 1 hour until meatalmost leaves the bones. Makes 4-6 servings.Hey Kids!Send your letters now!On Tuesday, December 24th,The Starkville Daily Newswill publish a special section full of Christmaswishes and letters to Santa. Send your letterto the address below and we’ll make sure thatSanta sees it!Mail your letter to: Mr. S. Clausc/o Starkville Daily NewsP.O. Box 1068Starkville, MS 39760Or drop it off at: Starkville Daily News304 Lampkin StreetBe sure to mail it in time to get here before December 16th!Kids are invited to also draw on their letters to Santa. The best drawingswill be scanned and printed with the letters.The Starkville Daily News will print as many letters as space allows.Tarragon Flavored Venison SteakIngredients:2 pounds venison steak, trimmed and cut into pieces2 tablespoons bacon drippings1 medium onion, sliced½ cup flour½ teaspoon salt1/8 teaspoon marjoram1/8 teaspoon thyme1/8 teaspoon basil¼ teaspoon black pepper1 can sliced mushrooms1 cup beef broth or 1 cup water with beef bouillon cube6 tablespoons tarragon vinegar or red wine vinegarDirections:In heavy skillet, lightly brown onions bacon drippings. Remove onionsfrom skillet and set aside. Mix flour and seasonings in a shallowpan and dip meat in flour mixture. Brown meat in hot skillet; sprinklemeat with remaining flour. Add onions, undrained mushrooms, brothand vinegar. Cover tightly and bake at 300 degrees for about 2 hoursuntil tender. Serves 6.Deer BurgersGround venison should be seasoned with your choice of seasoningsand made into patties. Cook the patties on a hot grill until almostdone. Do not overcook. Serve burgers immediateUses for Ground Venison:Many hunters have most of the deer meat ground into deer sausageor into ground venison which may or may not have beef or porkfat added to it. The ground venison is an excellent low-fat meat basefor spaghetti sauce, chili sauce or similar type dishes. Just use yourfavorite recipe.Place your ad in323-1642Just give us a call662-323-1642

Wednesday, December 11, 2013 • Starkville Daily News • Page B-5CrossworDCOMICSHoroscopeby Jacqueline BigarARIES (March 21-April 19)Others don’t hesitate to challenge you. Youmight feel as if you need to adapt to an authorityfigure’s wishes. You could go overboardin your response. Don’t worry; thisperson anticipates that you will stand firmin support of your beliefs.TAURUS (April 20-May 20)When given some perspective, you mightthink someone’s idea is hogwash. You canbe sure that, regardless of whether you sayanything, the other party can see your facialexpressions and/or hear the tone in yourvoice. Be diplomatic.on This Day...December 11, 1973Theory is advanced that Hughes linkwith Nixon’s brothers is burglary motiveSenate investigators believe the Watergate break-in was an attempt to findout if The Democrats had information linking Pres. Nixon’s two brothers withbillionaire Howard Hughes. Lawrence F. O’Brien, who was supposed to havethe information, said Monday he knew nothing of the kind.O’Brien, Democratic national chairman at the time of the break-in, issued astatement after transcripts were filed in U.S. District Court that advanced thetheory that the break-in was related to a number of additional matters involvingHughes, including allegations that his associates wanted the government tostop nuclear testing in Nevada.suDokuHere’s How It Works:To solve a sudoku, the numbers1 through 9 must fill each row,column and box. Each numbercan appear only once in eachrow, column and box.CRYPTOQUIPGEMINI (May 21-June 20)You work well with people in general.You’ll find out how caring certain associatescan be. Thanking someone for his or hersupport will mean more than you realize.Express yourself in a way that others willidentify with you. Do not act like a boss.CANCER (June 21-July 22)Tension increases no matter what youchoose to do or how you try to change yourthoughts. You could be a little too tolerantof someone who makes heavy demands onyou. Know the possibilities, and realize thatyou need to relax in order to think clearly.LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)Keep reaching out to a dear friend. Onceyou connect, you can relax. You might havebeen worried about a situation involvingthis person. Recognize how fortunate youare, especially with interpersonal matters.VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)Use your intuition when dealing with aperson who is fundamental to your wellbeing.You might need to have a discussionwith him or her involving your welfare.Opportunities pop up out of the blue thatencourage this talk. Remain optimistic.LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)Others will be challenging. You could havea strong initial reaction, but that will pass.You might be too concerned about a personalmatter. For the time being, remain ontopic and trust that the right time will cometo work through this issue.SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)Emphasize cooperation rather than willfulness.You often get caught up in wantingthings to go a certain way. You could hearnews that initially might not make you happy.Give yourself some time and you willreact differently.SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)Let your fiery side emerge, and it will bringyou a better sense of direction. At first, aconflict might seem inevitable between youand someone else. A sudden change willencourage a resourceful solution. The prosand cons of a risk need some thought.CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)Stay on top of a difficult situation. Youmight want change involving a personalmatter. Trying to force what you want willnot work. Allow someone some time to understandwhere you are coming from. Atthat point, this person will be more receptiveto you.AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)Communication excels and allows greatergive-and-take. At the same time, an opinionof yours is transforming. You could besurprised at how off a snap judgment mightbe. Use your high energy to get some holidayshopping done.PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)Take time to go over your holiday gift list.You will be much happier if you honor theamount you can spend on each item. Youalso could come up with a creative idea thatmight be more fun than a present wouldbe. Follow your imagination.Dennis The Menace“I had no information regarding Pres. Nixon, his brothers or his friends so ifthe speculation is groundless,”oh Brian said through a spokesman. “This is simplyanother in a string of theories I’ve heard and I’m sure there will be more.”The transcripts, verbatim accounts of secret testimony given the Senate Watergatecommittee by several Hughes aides, contrasts sharply with the theorythat the June 17, 1972 break-in was funded by Nixon re-election officials tolearn about Democratic campaign strategy.The transcripts were part of a suit to block further executive session interviewswith 16 Hughes associates who have been subpoenaed by the committee.The variety of matters, Lenzner said, where the President’s approval of thesale of Airwest airlines to Hughes; the dropping of the Justice Department suitthat blocked expansion of the Hughes gambling empire in Nevada; and “theattempt by Hughes Tool Company to stop a EC testing in Nevada.”Lenzner then tied the information in Greenspun’s safe to O’Brien.“Lawrence O’Brien’s relationship with Hughes Tool Company was investigatedby the next administration in 1969 and 1971,” Lenzner said.The committee, he said, was trying to determine “whether the break-in atand the electronic surveillance placed on his phone at the Democratic nationalheadquarters had any relationship at all to the information he may have receivedfrom the employees of Hughes relating to the gifts of Mr. Rebozo and Hughes.THE LOGIC PUZZLE THATMAKES YOU SMARTER.BeeTle BaileypopeyeBlonDiehagar The horriBleRules:1. Each row and column must containthe numbers 1 through 5 without repeating.2. The numbers within the heavily outlinedset of squares, called cages, mustcombine (in any order) to produce thetarget number in the top corner of thecage using the mathematical operationindicated.3. Cages with just one box should befilled in with thetarget numberin the top corner.A numbercan be repeatedwithin a cageas long as it isnot in the samerow or column.Barney google & snuffy sMiTh

Page B-6 • Starkville Daily News • Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Wednesday, December 11, 2013 • Starkville Daily News • Page B-7

Page B-8 • Starkville Daily News • Wednesday, December 11, 2013TasteHoliday Baking: Cream Cheese SquaresChristmas parties and cookie swaps are officiallyin full swing.At the grocery store the other day, I boughtfive dozen eggs, a 20 pound bag of sugar andmore melting chocolate than I could everimagine myself needing. (I always end up usingmore than I think. Often, I will go back tothe store for more and they will be sold out.)I started my baking last week, gettingthrough three or four tried and true recipes everyday. Most of these treats ended up going toholiday parties over the weekend.One of my favorite things to bake any timeof year is these Cream Cheese Squares. Mymom got the recipe from a friend several yearsago and they have been on regular rotationever since.They are everything that a good dessertshould be - fast, easy and delicious.I had two friends that were getting engagedon Valentines Day 2012. Thegroom planned how he was goingto pop the question and choseto do it in the presence of lots offriends and family. He decided tohave a dessert party and invite theirclose friends and their significantothers (this part she knew about).He also secretly invited their parentsand a few other adults thatwere basically family. (Back to thecream cheese squares) These wereby far her favorite dessert at thetime and he specifically asked me to bring theseto the proposal. Ever since, that is the memorythat I associate with this recipe.The first ingredient for making these delicioustreats is two cans of crescent roll dough.When we first started making them, we had topinch the edges of each roll back together toConnor GuytonWho’s Hungry?make them into a sheet of dough.Now, Pillsbury make a seamlesssheet of dough because so manypeople had come up with recipesthat had you re-sealing the doughthat they went through so muchtrouble to cut.Either one works, though. I likeusing the seamless dough, but it’spossible that you can’t find it at yourgrocery store in which case normalcrescent rolls that you pinch backtogether are fine.Roll one of these cans into the bottom ofa 9-by-13 baking dish that you have greased.Next, take two eight ounce packages ofcream cheese (that have been softening on thecounter) and mix them with one cup of sugar,one egg yolk and one teaspoon vanilla.Once this has all come together, spread it ontop of the layer of crescent roll dough. Coverwith the second package of dough and brushthe top with a beaten egg white.Then, in a small bowl, combine 1/2 cupfinely chopped nuts (I always use pecans), 1/2cup sugar and one teaspoon cinnamon.Sprinkle this over the top - some of it willmelt into the egg wash, I just put extra onthose areas.Bake them for 25-30 minutes, or until goldenbrown. In my mom’s oven it takes 25 minutes,in my oven it took closer to 40 to cookthe dough all the way through. If you use aglass baking dish, you can see the color of thedough on the sides. Once they are golden, theyare done. Allow them to cool completely thencut into small squares and serve.I love these, especially during the winter.Something about cinnamon makes me feelwarm on a cold day.Cream Cheese Squares are an easy dessert that adds variety to your holiday baking list. Great for any winter party, they can even be made the night before and stored in an airtight containernce they have cooled. (Photo by Connor Guyton, SDN)Cream Cheese SquaresIngredients:2 packages crescent roll dough1 1/2 cups sugar, separated2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened1 egg, separated1 teaspoon vanilla1/2 cup nuts, finely chopped1 teaspoon cinnamonHoliday BakingDirections:Preheat oven to 350 degrees.Grease a 9-by-13 baking pan.Mix cream cheese, vanilla, one cup sugar and egg yolk withmixer until smooth. Press first package of crescent rolls in bottompan. Spread cream cheese mixture over layer of rolls. Cover withsecond layer of roll dough. Brush the top with beaten egg white.Combine 1/2 cup sugar, nuts and cinnamon in a bowl. Sprinklemixture over the top.Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until edges of dough are goldenbrown. Allow to cool and cut into squares.COWBELLSFrom page B-1changing it anytime soon.“We handcut our own steaks and trim them ourselves,”he said. “We have our special secret sauce that’s put onthem. I play around every now and then but not too much.We kind of like what we’ve got going on.”Hawkins works with two other cooks to prepare thefood. Bradley said when a steak order goes into the kitchen,the cooks’ excitement is easily noted.“When a steak order goes in you can almost see theireyes light up because they’re excited to cook the steak,”Bradley said. “They really enjoy it.”Because Cowbells’ food is a bit of a secret, the staffknows almost everyone who comes in by name. Hawkinssaid there are regular customers who come in each weekto enjoy a steak, and he said it’s almost like cooking forfamily.Lynn Odom is one of those repeat customers thatHawkins sees every week. Odom comes with his wife onFriday nights and the two eat steak. Odom said he had eatenmany steaks, and this was the one to beat in Starkville.“It’s a good quality steak,” he said. “They have a goodprice on it and I mean, it’s really about the best one inStarkville. I tell everybody they’ve got the best in Starkville.I think a lot more people in Starkville should try it.”The Cowbells crew is a family, and the notoriety issomething Bradley is happy to see. While the recognitionis nice, Bradley said he’s just glad to be having fun.“We’re getting to the point, finally, where we’re comfortablewith saying ‘Come get our food now,’” he said.“When we first opened it wasn’t anything to brag about.Slowly, but surely, we’ve taken one or two products andperfected them each year. We’re just a bunch of guys thatlike to hang out.“It’s pretty fun,” he added. “It’s stressful from time totime but other than that, it’s anything I’ve ever wantedsince I was 20.”Send us your recipesfor holiday treats!The December 18 edition of the Starkville Daily News Taste Sectionwill be dedicated to our readers’ favorite Holiday Baking Recipes. Tosubmit your favorite, e-mail the recipe along with your contact informationto life@starkvilledailynews.com by Friday, December 13th.As many recipes as possible will appear in the section.

SportsInside C-3Bulldogs honoredSTARKVILLEDAILYNEWS.COM I Wednesday, December 11, 2013 I Section Cby SEC coachesHigh School BasketballSmith on sportsJackets sting ChargersDanny P. SmithSports EditorLady Jacketsstay focused,now on a rollIt’s a credit to coach KristieWilliams and her staff tokeep the Starkville LadyYellowjackets focused after arough start to the season.After losing back-to-backgames to New Hope andMeridian to start the season,it would have been very easyfor the Lady Jackets to havegotten down on themselvesearly.Rather than that, SHS wentto Noxubee County to get awin, which is never an easything to do, then returnedhome to beat West Point,won its first Class 6A, Region3 game at Columbus andknocked off Grenada Tuesdaynight.“We started off kind ofrough against two top 10teams, so we got battled testedearly,” Williams said. “Afterthose two bumps, we wereable to regroup, have thislittle mini-streak going andhopefully it will continue.”It wasn’t always pretty forthe Lady Jackets during the53-43 victory over the LadyChargers at the Bee Hive, butthey were able to stretch theirwinning streak to four games.Starkville has a one-twopunch with Mississippi Statesignee Blair Schaefer andImane Montgomery, but bothwill tell you that Tuesdayagainst Grenada was not oneof their better games.Even though Schaefer andMontgomery scored 14 pointseach for the Lady Jackets, theyleft many more points on thecourt.Teammates like KaylaMinor, who recorded a doubledoubleof 10 points and 10rebounds, Tanita Thompson,Timber Halbert and TaylorPrice were able to pick up thescoring slack during the game.If SHS can continue toSee SMITH | Page C-8By JASON EDWARDSsports@starkvilledailynews.comIt was a rocky beginning for theStarkville Yellowjackets, but the situationgot much smoother as Tuesday’s basketballgame went along.In the end, the Jackets defeated theGrenada Chargers 72-56.“It is amazing how seeing that ball goin effects your energy level,” SHS boyscoach Greg Carter said. “(in) the firstquarter, we struggled to score (and) wedon’t play with as much energy. (In the)second, third and fourth quarter, we scoreand we play with all the energy in theworld.”Dontavius Self and Richard Evansdid all they could in the first period, butdespite their nine points, Starkville trailed21-16 at the end of the first period.Jarrell Nurse cut the Chargers lead tothree points with second period openingbasket.Back-to-back shots from Self gaveStarkville the lead at 26-23 while a pairof free throws compliments of RaphealLeonard took it to 28-25. Moments laterSelf completed an old-fashioned 3-pointplay pushing the Jacket lead to 31-25.Later on in the second period, abrief 6-0 run which included shots fromLeonard, Zeb Rice and Evans made it a40-27 contest.Starkville ended the period with backto-backbaskets from Fontavius Smith andSelf to lead 45-30 entering the half.Offensively, the Jackets kept their footon the gas as they opened the third periodwith a 5-2 run to go up 50-32.Baskets by Evans, Rice and Self madeit 59-38 before a Tyson Carter shot closedthe period with Starkville leading 60-41.As the fourth period got underway,the Jackets extended their lead to 66-42,but the Chargers suddenly found new life.Grenada embarked on a 16-0 run makingit a 66-56 contest before Self ended theStarkville scoring drought with 1:30 leftto play.The Jackets scored the final four pointswhich was capped off by a Self basketbringing his total to a team leading 27points. Just behind Self was Rice, whoended his night with 15 points.The Starkville offense was on pointTuesday, but without the strong defensivepressure, the Jackets might not haveaccomplished all they did.“The press helped us a lot,” Carter said.“They were a little shaky against the press.When we didn’t get a turnover in the backcourt, they would take shots we didn’tmind them taking and we were able to getbreaks off those shots.”Starkville looks to carry the momentuminto Friday when they travel to faceNorthwest Rankin for a Class 6A, Region3 game before heading to Louisville onSaturday.Starkville's Imane Montgomery (22) takes a shot against Grenada Tuesday night.(Photo by Jim Lytle)Dontavius Self (23) was the high scorer for the Yellowjackets Tuesdaynight with 27 points. (Photo by Jim Lytle)SHS girls turnto defense for winBy DANNY P. SMITHsports@starkvilledailynews.comThe Starkville Lady Yellowjacketsrelied on another part of their gamewhen one wasn't as sharp as itneeded to be.When looking back for the bestoffensive nights of the season, theLady Jackets probably won't pointto Tuesday night as one of them.Starkville was only able to score53 points against the Grenada LadyChargers, but played tough defensethroughout the game and won a 53-43 decision at the Bee Hive."We had to do something on thedefensive end because our offensewas not working at all," Lady Jacketsenior Blair Schaefer said. "Wecouldn't hit shots we normally makewith our eyes closed. We just hadto figure out something else to do,so in the end defense wins games sothat's what helped us."The home team found it difficultto find separation from Grenada inthe first quarter and only led 12-10at the end of the frame.Kayla Minor had a stretch of sixstraightpoints in the second quarteras SHS increased its advantage to25-14 with 2:24 left.The Lady Chargers were able tocut the margin back to 29-22 byhalftime.Schaefer hit a pair of 3-pointfield goals as the Lady Jackets foundanother spark of offense in the thirdquarter and had a 45-35 lead goinginto the fourth.The two teams scored 10 pointseach in the final quarter to providethe final total.Starkville head coach KristieWilliams was glad to see her squadrespond even though the start wasnot what she wanted to see."We came out very flat,"Williams said. "We had a very highintensityand emotion-filled gamewith Columbus (last Saturday). Forsome reason over the course of theweekend, we just didn't regatherSee GIRLS | Page C-8College BaseballMSU has productive fall workoutsBy BEN WAITsports@starkvilledailynews.comthings you want to have happen, during a) really good blocker. Randolph knewthe fall, happened. So I’m pretty pleased our pitchers the best because he was here awith it.”year ago. He showed a lot of maturity andMississippi State lost a good many Maybe the biggest returning piece is a lot of leadership. He probably managedpieces from last season’s College World junior first base Wes Rea. Rea was selected the game the best out of that group ofSeries team.as a captain, along with senior pitcher Ben guys.”Outfielder and big stick Hunter Renfroe Bracewell. Rea made a name for himself in With the departure of Frazier, thathas since moved on to professional Omaha and many Bulldog fans are excited leaves a big hole in the middle of thebaseball. Shortstop Adam Frazier and for his return.infield and at the top of the lineup. Frazierarms Chad Girodo and Kendall Graveman One of the biggest positions that will led all of Division I in hits last season, andare also giving it a shot at professional see new faces this season is catcher. Both he was one of the more reliable gloves inbaseball.Mitch Slauter and Nick Ammirati, who the infield.Those four players were a big reason got all of the time behind the plate the lastthe Bulldogs made it all the way to the two seasons, have graduated.Junior Matthew Britton had one of thebetter falls and has definitely put his nameCollege World Series in Omaha, Neb. Cohen and his coaching staff have in the hat for the shortstop position.They finished as runner-ups as UCLA a good many options behind the plate. “(For) the guy that made the biggestswept the national championship series. Redshirt junior Zach Randolph, junior jump, Matthew Britton would fall in thatThis fall has been about finding guys to college transfer Cody Walker, redshirt category,” Cohen said. “He made a bigfill holes and developing a host of young freshman Daniel Garner and true freshman jump. The door was open at shortstop andplayers. Head coach John Cohen liked Gavin Collins will all vie for the starting he’s done everything you can do to try towhat he saw from his team during the fall catching role early in the season. win that job. The bat came alive this fall.”practices.“All four of those guys just have Sophomore Kyle Hann will also get“We had a very productive fall,” Cohen something tremendous to offer,” Cohen a look at the 6-hole, along with juniorsaid at a press conference last week. “I’m said. “Garner had the best offensive fall college transfer Seth Heck.really proud of our kids. They put a lot into to me out of the four of them. He just “Seth Heck is the new guy in thatour strength and conditioning program. had tremendous at-bats, then you look at rotation that I thought had a great fall,”We needed our older kids to lead and Cody Walker and there’s no denying the Cohen said. “We are really impressed withthere’s no question that they did that.“We needed some new players tofact that he has incredible arm strength.“We really like the freshman Collins. Hehis level of maturity. (He’s) just a grinder,(and) just a guy that keeps on producing.”Wes Rea will be the biggest returning piece from last step forward. That happened both on did not have a great numerical statisticalseason’s Mississippi State baseball team. (SDN file photo) the mound and positionally. All the little fall. (He’s got) really soft hands and (he’sSee MSU | Page C-8

WigginsNoteworthy26The number of points true freshmanAndrew Wiggins scored for Kansas in a67-61 loss to Florida Tuesday night.High School BasketballLady Volunteerstake road victoryFrom Staff ReportsGREENVILLE – The Starkville Academy Academy LadyVolunteers are starting to mimic the way they have playedthe last couple of seasons.The Lady Volunteers downed Washington School 46-31Tuesday night on the road to improve to 9-3 overall and 2-0in district play.Sallie Kate Richardson led SA with a double-double of20 points and 12 rebounds. Nora Kathryn Carroll added 11points.The Lady Vols took a 17-16 lead into the second quarter,but that's where the score stood heading into the lockerroom at halftime. Neither team was able to score in thesecond period.SA came out and took control in the third quarter as itoutscored Washington School 14-7 to take a 31-23 lead intothe final period.The Lady Vols kept the offense coming and outscored theLady Generals 15-8 in the fourth quarter.SA will be back in action Thursday when they travel toJackson Academy for another district game. Action starts at4 p.m. with the junior high girls team.BRIEFLYQB Club sets Liberty Bowl meetingThe Starkville Quarterback Club will hold its Liberty Bowlmeeting on Thursday night at the Starkville Country Club.Jan Gwin, former Mississippi State football player, 1971graduate and current member of the Liberty Bowl Committeewill address the club regarding activities surrounding MSU’sparticipation in the Liberty Bowl on December 31. One of themembers of the MSU coaching staff will be on hand to give theclub a scouting report on Rice and an update on our team.The social hour will begin at 6 p.m., dinner will be served at6:30, and the meeting will start at 7 p.m. Dinner for the eveningwill be fried catfish, black-eyed peas, turnip greens, cornbreadmuffins, salad bar, rolls, dessert and tea.For more information you may contact Starkville QuarterbackClub president Daniel Bryant at 662-323-6546 or emailstarkvillequarterbackclub@gmail.com.MSU Gardiner, McVey earn honorsAdding another first to the Mississippi State volleyball recordbook, Kimmy Gardiner and Roxanne McVey earned spots on theAmerican Volleyball Coaches Association All-Region team forthe southern district, the group announced Tuesday afternoon.They are the first two Bulldogs to earn AVCA All-Region honorsin school history.“Kimmy and Rox are both outstanding players and each arethe focal point of our offense and defense,” fifth-year Bulldoghead coach Jenny Hazelwood said. “For the two of them receivethe first All-Region selections in Mississippi State history asunderclassmen shows the progress the program has made and thepotential it has over the next few years.”Gardiner turned in 399 kills on the season to go along with a.244 hitting percentage, 247 digs, 44 blocks, 26 assists, 24 serviceaces and 445.0 points.She was twice chosen Southeastern Conference Freshman ofthe Week during year. Her first selection came just one weekendinto her career when she earned Maroon Classic All-Tournamentteam honors by tallying 64 kills, 52 digs and five blocks in thefour-match tournament. Gardiner’s second selection came afterturning in 32 kills, 18 digs, four aces and three blocks against then15th-ranked Kentucky and Georgia.The opposite from Grapevine, Texas, finished the seasonleading all SEC non-seniors with 4.03 kills per set, which wasthird-best overall. She also led all underclassmen with 4.49 pointsper set and was fourth overall in the category. Gardiner turned in10 double-doubles on the season, good enough for sixth-mostamong NCAA rookies.Gardiner was also selected to the Southeastern Conference All-Freshman Team.McVey never missed a beat after breaking the SEC record fordigs per set (5.64) during her freshman campaign. In fact, she tiedher own record again this season. Her 5.64 average this seasonranks sixth-nationally.The Magnolia, Texas, native finished the season with an MSUsingle-season record 632 digs, once again breaking her own schoolrecord of 558 digs. McVey also ranks eighth all-time in Bulldoglaurels with 1,190 career digs. On her current pace, she will breakthe school record for career digs midway through her junior year.McVey earned SEC Co-Defensive Player of the Week honorson Nov. 18 after posting an astounding 7.57 digs per set againthen-No. 17 Kentucky and Georgia. Her 53 digs that weekendwould only be out-done by a 55-dig weekend against Alabamaand Tennessee to conclude the season.The SEC tallied 23 athletes across all regions and tacked onanother four with Honorable MentionsFans can follow the Mississippi State volleyball program onTwitter @HailStateVB, Instagram @HailStateVB and Facebookat facebook.com/HailStateVB.DVD documents Sullivan’s lifeSCOOBA – A new documentary about the life of legendaryEast Mississippi Community College football coach Robert“Bull” Sullivan is available on DVD.“Bull Cyclone Sullivan and the Lions of Scooba, Mississippi”is based on a book of the same name by Jackson attorney MikeFrascogna, who also wrote “Gridiron Gold,” “Y’all vs. Us” and“Mississippi JUCO: The Toughest Football League in America.”Sullivan guided the Lions to eight winning seasons and fivepostseason bowl appearances during his 16 years (1950-52,1956-68) at the East Mississippi football helm. The film includesinterviews with many of Sullivan’s former football players as wellas the coach’s children.Priced at $25, all Christmas orders for the Sullivan DVD mustbe received before Dec. 16. Orders received after Dec. 16 will beshipped the week of Jan. 4. To place an order, call EMCC’s Officeof Alumni Affairs at 662-476-5063.Page C-2 • Wednesday, December 11, 2013Starkville Daily NewsScorecardCollege FootballCoaches All-SEC TeamFirst TeamOFFENSETE – Arthur Lynch, GeorgiaOL – Jake Matthews, Texas A&MCyrus Kouandjio, AlabamaGabe Jackson, MississippiStateWesley Johnson, VanderbiltC – Reese Dismukes, AuburnWR – Mike Evans, Texas A&MJordan Matthews, VanderbiltQB – Johnny Manziel, Texas A&MRB – Tre Mason, AuburnT.J. Yeldon, AlabamaAP – Odell Beckham, Jr., LSUDEFENSEDL – Michael Sam, MissouriJadeveon Clowney, SouthCarolinaDee Ford, AuburnKelcy Quarles, South CarolinaLB – C.J. Mosley, AlabamaRamik Wilson, GeorgiaA.J. Johnson, TennesseeDB – Cody Prewitt, Ole MissHa Ha Clinton-Dix, AlabamaE.J. Gaines, MissouriVernon Hargreaves, FloridaSPECIAL TEAMSPK – Marshall Morgan, GeorgiaP – Drew Kaser, Texas A&MRS – Christion Jones, Alabama *Odell Beckham, Jr., LSU *Second TeamOFFENSETE – Malcolm Johnson, MississippiStateOL – La’el Collins, LSUAntonio Richardson, TennesseeJustin Britt, MissouriAnthony Steen, AlabamaC – Travis Swanson, ArkansasWR – Odell Beckham, Jr., LSUJarvis Landry, LSUQB – AJ McCarron, AlabamaRB – Mike Davis, South CarolinaJeremy Hill, LSUAP – Marcus Murphy, MissouriDEFENSEDL – Anthony Johnson, LSUChris Smith, ArkansasEd Stinson, AlabamaTrey Flowers, ArkansasLB – Lamin Barrow, LSUJordan Jenkins, GeorgiaAvery Williamson, KentuckyDB – Andre Hal, VanderbiltChris Davis, AuburnNickoe Whitley, MississippiStateKenny Ladler, VanderbiltSPECIAL TEAMSPK – Michael Palardy, TennesseeP – Cody Mandell, AlabamaRS – Solomon Patton, FloridaAP Top 25Record Pts Pv1. Florida St. (56) 13-0 1,496 12. Auburn (4) 12-1 1,444 33. Alabama 11-1 1,376 44. Michigan St. 12-1 1,278 105. Stanford 11-2 1,217 76. Baylor 11-1 1,185 97. Ohio St. 12-1 1,130 28. South Carolina 10-2 1,099 89. Missouri 11-2 1,066 510. Oregon 10-2 880 1211. Oklahoma 10-2 878 1812. Clemson 10-2 848 1313. Oklahoma St. 10-2 797 614. LSU 9-3 726 1415. UCF 11-1 629 1516. Arizona St. 10-3 614 1117. UCLA 9-3 544 1718. Louisville 11-1 525 1919. Wisconsin 9-3 383 2120. Texas A&M 8-4 282 2221. Fresno St. 11-1 227 2422. Duke 10-3 201 2023. Georgia 8-4 196 2524. N. Illinois 12-1 144 1625. Notre Dame 8-4 76 NROthers receiving votes: Southern Cal 74,Iowa 48, Miami 47, Vanderbilt 25, Texas22, Cincinnati 11, Bowling Green 10,Washington 9, Rice 7, N. Dakota St. 4,Minnesota 2.USA Today Top 25 PollRecord Pts Pvs1. Florida State (62) 13-0 1550 12. Auburn 12-1 1486 33. Alabama 11-1 1414 44. Michigan State 12-1 1342 95. Baylor 11-1 1275 t76. Ohio State 12-1 1211 27. Stanford 11-2 1188 108. South Carolina 10-2 1108 t79. Missouri 11-2 1088 510. Oklahoma 10-2 913 1511. Clemson 10-2 899 1112. Oregon 10-2 887 1213. Oklahoma State 10-2 845 614. LSU 9-3 719 1415. Central Florida 11-1 658 1716. Louisville 11-1 611 1617. Arizona State 10-3 602 1318. UCLA 9-3 520 1919. Wisconsin 9-3 408 2120. Fresno State 11-1 344 2221. Texas A&M 8-4 247 2521. Duke 10-3 247 2023. Northern Illinois 12-1 149 1824. Georgia 8-4 135 NR25. Miami (Fla.) 9-3 73 NROthers receiving votes: Cincinnati 47;Vanderbilt 40; Southern California 33;Iowa 30; Texas 27; Rice 23; BowlingGreen 12; Notre Dame 8; Minnesota 6;Ball State 2; Nebraska 1; Virginia Tech1; Washington 1.BCS Standings1. Florida State2. Auburn3. Alabama4. Michigan State5. Stanford6. Baylor7. Ohio State8. Missouri9. South Carolina10. Oregon11. Oklahoma12. Clemson13. Oklahoma State14. Arizona State15. Central Florida16. LSU17. UCLA18. Louisville19. Wisconsin20. Fresno State21. Texas A&M22. Georgia23. Northern Illinois24. Duke25. Southern CalFBS Bowl GlanceAll Times ESTSaturday, Dec. 21New Mexico BowlAt AlbuquerqueWashington State (6-6) vs. ColoradoState (7-6), 2 p.m. (ESPN)Las Vegas BowlFresno State (11-1) vs. Southern Cal(9-4), 3:30 p.m. (ABC)Famous Idaho Potato BowlAt Boise, IdahoBuffalo (8-4) vs. San Diego State (7-5),5:30 p.m. (ESPN)New Orleans BowlTulane (7-5) vs. Louisiana-Lafayette(8-4), 9 p.m. (ESPN)Monday, Dec. 23Beef ‘O’ Brady’s BowlAt St. Petersburg, Fla.Ohio (7-5) vs. East Carolina (9-3), 2p.m. (ESPN)Tuesday, Dec. 24Hawaii BowlAt HonoluluOregon State (6-6) vs. Boise State (8-4), 8 p.m. (ESPN)Thursday, Dec. 26Little Caesars Pizza BowlAt DetroitBowling Green (10-3) vs. Pittsburgh(6-6), 6 p.m. (ESPN)Poinsettia BowlAt San DiegoNorthern Illinois (12-1) vs. Utah State(8-5), 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)Friday, Dec. 27Military BowlAt Annapolis, Md.Marshall (9-4) vs. Maryland (7-5), 2:30p.m. (ESPN)Texas BowlAt HoustonMinnesota (8-4) vs. Syracuse (6-6), 6p.m. (ESPN)Fight Hunger BowlAt San FranciscoBYU (8-4) vs. Washington (8-4), 9:30p.m. (ESPN)Saturday, Dec. 28Pinstripe BowlAt New YorkNotre Dame (8-4) vs. Rutgers (6-6),Noon (ESPN)Belk BowlAt Charlotte, N.C.Cincinnati (9-3) vs. North Carolina (6-6), 3:20 p.m. (ESPN)Russell Athletic BowlAt Orlando, Fla.Miami (9-3) vs. Louisville (11-1), 6:45p.m. (ESPN)Buffalo Wild Wings BowlAt Tempe, Ariz.Kansas State (7-5) vs. Michigan (7-5),10:15 p.m. (ESPN)Monday, Dec. 30Armed Forces BowlAt Fort Worth, TexasMiddle Tennessee (8-4) vs. Navy (7-4),11:45 a.m. (ESPN)Music City BowlAt Nashville, Tenn.Mississippi (7-5) vs. Georgia Tech (7-5), 3:15 p.m. (ESPN)Alamo BowlAt San AntonioOregon (10-2) vs. Texas (8-4), 6:45p.m. (ESPN)Holiday BowlAt San DiegoArizona State (10-3) vs. Texas Tech (7-5), 10:15 p.m. (ESPN)Tuesday, Dec. 31AdvoCare V100 BowlAt Shreveport, La.Arizona (7-5) vs. Boston College (7-5),12:30 p.m. (ESPN)Sun BowlAt El Paso, TexasVirginia Tech (8-4) vs. UCLA (9-3), 2p.m. (CBS)Liberty BowlAt Memphis, Tenn.Rice (9-3) vs. Mississippi State (6-6), 4 p.m. (ESPN)Chick-fil-A BowlAt AtlantaTexas A&M (8-4) vs. Duke (10-3), 8p.m. (ESPN)Wednesday, Jan. 1Heart of Dallas BowlAt DallasUNLV (7-5) vs. North Texas (8-4),Noon (ESPNU)Gator BowlAt Jacksonville, Fla.Nebraska (8-4) vs. Georgia (8-4),Noon (ESPN2)Capital One BowlAt Orlando, Fla.Wisconsin (9-3) vs. South Carolina (10-2), 1 p.m. (ABC)Outback BowlAt Tampa, Fla.Quoteworthy“I can’t even begin to tell you howexcited I am.”Pitcher Mark Mulder said of a possiblecomeback next season. He hasbeen out of the MLB since 2009.The Area SlateTodayNo area games scheduledWHAT’S ON TVTodayGOLF10:30 p.m.TGC — Asian Tour, Thailand Championship,first round, at BangkokNBA BASKETBALL7 p.m.ESPN — Chicago at New York9:30 p.m.ESPN — Dallas at Golden StateNHL HOCKEY7 p.m.NBCSN — Philadelphia at ChicagoSOCCER1:30 p.m.FSN — UEFA Champions League,Celtic at BarcelonaFS1 — UEFA Champions League, Arsenalat NapoliIowa (8-4) vs. LSU (9-3), 1 p.m. (ESPN)Rose BowlAt Pasadena, Calif.Stanford (11-2) vs. Michigan State(12-1), 5 p.m. (ESPN)Fiesta BowlAt Glendale, Ariz.Baylor (11-1) vs. UCF (11-1), 8:30p.m. (ESPN)Thursday, Jan. 2Sugar BowlAt New OrleansAlabama (11-1) vs. Oklahoma (10-2),8:30 p.m. (ESPN)Friday, Jan. 3Orange BowlAt MiamiOhio State (12-1) vs. Clemson (10-2),8 p.m. (ESPN)Cotton BowlAt Arlington, TexasMissouri (11-2) vs. Oklahoma State(10-2), 7:30 p.m. (FOX)Saturday, Jan. 4BBVA Compass BowlAt Birmingham, Ala.Vanderbilt (8-4) vs. Houston (8-4), 1p.m. (ESPN)Sunday, Jan. 5GoDaddy.com BowlAt Mobile, Ala.Arkansas State (7-5) vs. Ball State (10-2), 9 p.m. (ESPN)Monday, Jan. 6BCS National ChampionshipAt Pasadena, Calif.Florida State (13-0) vs. Auburn (12-1),8:30 p.m. (ESPN)Saturday, Jan. 18East-West Shrine ClassicAt St. Petersburg, Fla.East vs. West, 4 p.m. (NFLN)Saturday, Jan. 25Senior BowlAt Mobile, Ala.South vs. North, 4 p.m. (NFLN)National Football LeagueAll Times ESTAMERICAN CONFERENCEEastW L T Pct PF PANew England 10 3 0 .769 349 287Miami 7 6 0 .538 286 276N.Y. Jets 6 7 0 .462 226 337Buffalo 4 9 0 .308 273 334SouthW L T Pct PF PAy-Indianapolis 8 5 0 .615 313 316Tennessee 5 8 0 .385 292 318Jacksonville 4 9 0 .308 201 372Houston 2 11 0 .154 250 350NorthW L T Pct PF PACincinnati 9 4 0 .692 334 244Baltimore 7 6 0 .538 278 261Pittsburgh 5 8 0 .385 291 312Cleveland 4 9 0 .308 257 324WestW L T Pct PF PAx-Denver 11 2 0 .846 515 345Kansas City 10 3 0 .769 343 224San Diego 6 7 0 .462 316 291Oakland 4 9 0 .308 264 337NATIONAL CONFERENCEEastW L T Pct PF PAPhiladelphia 8 5 0 .615 334 301Dallas 7 6 0 .538 357 348N.Y. Giants 5 8 0 .385 251 334Washington 3 10 0 .231 279 407SouthW L T Pct PF PANew Orleans 10 3 0 .769 343 243Carolina 9 4 0 .692 298 188Tampa Bay 4 9 0 .308 244 291Atlanta 3 10 0 .231 282 362NorthW L T Pct PF PADetroit 7 6 0 .538 346 321Chicago 7 6 0 .538 368 360Green Bay 6 6 1 .500 316 326Minnesota 3 9 1 .269 315 395WestW L T Pct PF PAx-Seattle 11 2 0 .846 357 205San Francisco 9 4 0 .692 316 214Arizona 8 5 0 .615 305 257St. Louis 5 8 0 .385 289 308x-clinched playoff spoty-clinched divisionThursday’s GameJacksonville 27, Houston 20Sunday’s GamesGreen Bay 22, Atlanta 21Baltimore 29, Minnesota 26Kansas City 45, Washington 10Tampa Bay 27, Buffalo 6Miami 34, Pittsburgh 28Philadelphia 34, Detroit 20Cincinnati 42, Indianapolis 28New England 27, Cleveland 26N.Y. Jets 37, Oakland 27Denver 51, Tennessee 28San Francisco 19, Seattle 17San Diego 37, N.Y. Giants 14Arizona 30, St. Louis 10New Orleans 31, Carolina 13Monday’s GameChicago 45, Dallas 28MulderThursday, Dec. 12San Diego at Denver, 8:25 p.m.Sunday, Dec. 15Philadelphia at Minnesota, 1 p.m.Washington at Atlanta, 1 p.m.San Francisco at Tampa Bay, 1 p.m.Seattle at N.Y. Giants, 1 p.m.Chicago at Cleveland, 1 p.m.Houston at Indianapolis, 1 p.m.Buffalo at Jacksonville, 1 p.m.New England at Miami, 1 p.m.Kansas City at Oakland, 4:05 p.m.N.Y. Jets at Carolina, 4:05 p.m.Arizona at Tennessee, 4:25 p.m.New Orleans at St. Louis, 4:25 p.m.Green Bay at Dallas, 4:25 p.m.Cincinnati at Pittsburgh, 8:30 p.m.Monday, Dec. 16Baltimore at Detroit, 8:40 p.m.College BasketballTop 25 FaredTuesday1. Arizona (9-0) did not play. Next: vs.New Mexico State, Wednesday.2. Syracuse (9-0) did not play. Next:at St. John’s, Sunday.3. Ohio State (8-0) did not play. Next:vs. Bryant, Wednesday.4. Wisconsin (10-0) did not play.Next: vs. Milwaukee, Wednesday.5. Michigan State (7-1) did not play.Next: at Oakland, Saturday.6. Louisville (8-1) did not play. Next:vs. Western Kentucky, Saturday.7. Oklahoma State (8-1) did not play.Next: vs. Louisiana Tech, Saturday.8. Duke (7-2) did not play. Next: vs.Gardner-Webb, Monday.9. UConn (9-0) did not play. Next: vs.Stanford, Wednesday, Dec. 18.10. Villanova (9-0) did not play. Next:vs. La Salle, Sunday.11. Kentucky (8-2) beat BoiseState 70-55. Next: at No. 18 NorthCarolina, Saturday.12. Wichita State (9-0) did not play.Next: vs. Tennessee, Saturday.13. Kansas (6-3) lost to No. 19Florida 67-61. Next: vs. New Mexico,Saturday.14. Baylor (8-1) did not play. Next:vs. Northwestern State, Wednesday,Dec. 18.15. Oregon (8-0) did not play. Next:vs. Illinois, Saturday.16. Memphis (6-1) did not play. Next:vs. UALR, Friday.17. Iowa State (7-0) did not play.Next: vs. No. 23 Iowa, Friday.18. North Carolina (6-2) did not play.Next: vs. No. 11 Kentucky, Saturday.19. Florida (7-2) beat No. 13 Kansas67-61. Next: at No. 16 Memphis,Tuesday.20. Gonzaga (9-1) beat West Virginia80-76. Next: vs. South Alabama,Saturday.21. Colorado (9-1) did not play. Next:vs. Elon, Friday.22. UMass (8-0) did not play. Next:vs. Northern Illinois, Saturday.23. Iowa (10-1) did not play. Next: atNo. 17 Iowa State, Friday.24. Missouri (9-0) did not play. Next:vs. Western Michigan, Sunday.25. San Diego State (7-1) did not play.Next: vs. Southern Utah, Wednesday,Dec. 18.National Basketball AssociationAll Times ESTEASTERN CONFERENCEAtlantic DivisionW L Pct GBBoston 10 13 .435 —Toronto 7 13 .350 1½Brooklyn 7 14 .333 2Philadelphia 7 15 .318 2½New York 5 15 .250 3½Southeast DivisionW L Pct GBMiami 16 6 .727 —Atlanta 11 11 .500 5Charlotte 10 11 .476 5½Washington 9 11 .450 6Orlando 6 15 .286 9½Central DivisionW L Pct GBIndiana 19 3 .864 —Detroit 10 12 .455 9Chicago 8 11 .421 9½Cleveland 8 13 .381 10½Milwaukee 5 16 .238 13½WESTERN CONFERENCESouthwest DivisionW L Pct GBSan Antonio 16 4 .800 —Houston 15 7 .682 2Dallas 13 9 .591 4Memphis 10 10 .500 6New Orleans 9 10 .474 6½Northwest DivisionW L Pct GBPortland 18 4 .818 —Oklahoma City 16 4 .800 1Denver 13 8 .619 4½Minnesota 10 11 .476 7½Utah 4 19 .174 14½Pacific DivisionW L Pct GBL.A. Clippers 14 8 .636 —Phoenix 11 9 .550 2Golden State 12 10 .545 2L.A. Lakers 10 10 .500 3Sacramento 6 13 .316 6½Monday’s GamesL.A. Clippers 94, Philadelphia 83Denver 75, Washington 74Charlotte 115, Golden State 111Memphis 94, Orlando 85Portland 105, Utah 94Sacramento 112, Dallas 97Tuesday’s GamesIIndiana 90, Miami 84Cleveland 109, New York 94San Antonio 116, Toronto 103Brooklyn 104, Boston 96Oklahoma City 101, Atlanta 92Minnesota 121, Detroit 94Milwaukee 78, Chicago 74Phoenix at L.A. Lakers, lateToday’s GamesOrlando at Charlotte, 7 p.m.L.A. Clippers at Boston, 7:30 p.m.Philadelphia at Minnesota, 8 p.m.San Antonio at Milwaukee, 8 p.m.Oklahoma City at Memphis, 8 p.m.Detroit at New Orleans, 8 p.m.Chicago at New York, 8 p.m.Utah at Sacramento, 10 p.m.Dallas at Golden State, 10:30 p.m.Thursday’s GamesL.A. Clippers at Brooklyn, 8 p.m.Houston at Portland, 10:30 p.m.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013 • Starkville Daily News • Page C-3NATIONAL COLLEGE FOOTBALLBulldogs honored by SEC coachesFor Starkville Daily NewsWith another day comes another honor forGabe Jackson.On Tuesday, the senior guard from Liberty,was voted first-team All-SEC by the leaguecoaches one day afterreceiving the samerecognition from theAssociated Press.This time,though, he wasn’talone as senior safetyNickoe Whitley wasnamed to the second teamalong with junior tight end Malcolm Johnson.Whitley was also voted honorable mentionby the AP.“All three are very deserving,” said MSUcoach Dan Mullen, whose 6-6 team faces Riceon Dec. 31 in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl.“They give us relentless effort each day, andthat has resulted in theirexcellent play on the field.”Last week, Jacksonbecame the first offensivelineman to win the C SpireConerly Trophy winnerwhile also tabbed as the firstKent Hull Award recipientas top offensive lineman inMississippi.He has also been instrumental in helpingMSU to one of its best offensive seasons inprogram history, averaging 426.2 yards agame, which is on pace to break the singleseasonrecord of 422.0 yards per contest, setin 1982. The Bulldogs’ 5,114 total yards aregood for second on the program’s singleseasonchart behind the 2010 squad’s 5,217yards.Whitley made two of thebiggest defensive plays forthe Bulldogs all season witha pair of forced fumbles.He halted a potential gamewinningdrive by Arkansasand ended the Egg Bowl byjarring the ball away fromBo Wallace.He was tabbed the Dec. 2 Co-SEC DefensivePlayer of the Week following his Egg Bowlheroics. A native of Jackson, Whitley is theFBS active leader in career interceptions with15 and owns 229 career tackles.He also excelled against then No. 1Alabama with two touchdowns-savingtackles, chasing down T.J. Yeldon at theMSU 28-yard line duringthe Crimson Tide’s finaldrive of the opening halfand breaking up a passin the end zone on theCrimson Tide’s first play ofthe fourth quarter.Johnson is currentlythird on the team with 29Jackson Whitley Johnsonreceptions for 378 yards.Named to the Mackey Award watch listearlier this season, he has 50 receptions for755 yards and six touchdowns.Texas head coach Mack Brown's future is unknown at this time with the Longhorns. Reportsave surfaced that he will step down by the end o the week. (Photo by Christopher Jackson,P)Texas AD: ‘No decisions’made yet about BrownBy JIM VERTUNOAssociated PressAUSTIN, Texas — Texas Athletic DirectorSteve Patterson says no decision has been madeabout the future of Longhorns coach MackBrown.Texas released a statement by Pattersonseveral hours after Orangebloods.com reported,citing two unidentified sources, that Brown willannounce he is stepping down by week’s end.“We continue to discuss the future of TexasFootball,” Patterson said. “Mack Brown has notresigned. And, no decisions have been made.”Joe Jamail, Brown’s longtime friend andattorney, told The Associated Press on Tuesday:“Mack Brown has not resigned.” He saysBrown’s future with Texas is still up to thecoach.Horns247.com, a Texas recruiting website,reported that Brown denied the report in a textfrom Florida, where he was recruiting.Brown wrote to Horns247: “I have notdecided to step down.”Texas just completed another regular seasonthat didn’t meet expectations. The Longhornswent 8-4, recovering from a 1-2 start and beatingOklahoma, but still finishing with lopsided lateseasonlosses to Oklahoma State and Baylor.There has been speculation about Brown’sfuture in Austin since even before the seasonstarted, and it became rampant after blowoutlosses to BYU and Mississippi in September.Brown fired defensive coordinator MannyDiaz after the BYU loss and replaced him withGreg Robinson. The move seemed to help. TheLonghorns played better, and the season peakedwith a 36-20 victory against rival Oklahoma inOctober.Texas is set to play Oregon in the AlamoBowl on Dec. 30.Longtime Texas athletic director DeLossDodds announced that he would be steppingdown earlier this season, and former ArizonaState AD Steve Patterson has already been hiredto replace him.The future of another powerful ally ofBrown’s could also be decided later this weekin Texas.The University of Texas system Board ofRegents is meeting Thursday and they arescheduled to discuss and possibly vote onwhether Bill Powers will remain the universitypresident at Texas.Powers has had a tenuous relationship withthe board for several years and is believed tohave a slim majority of support among the ninemembers.No decision on Brown was expected to comeuntil after Power’s future at Texas was decided.Brown is 158-47 at Texas, including anational championship in 2005 and anotherBCS title game appearance in 2009. Since thatseason, the Longhorns are 30-20 and 18-17 inthe Big 12.If the Longhorns job comes open, expectmore speculation about Alabama coach NickSaban replacing him.The AP reported last month that after lastseason Texas regents had spoken with Saban’sagent about the possibility of replacing Brownand approached Brown about stepping down.Baylor’s Briles unanimous AP Big 12 coach of yearBy STEPHEN HAWKINSAssociated PressArt Briles talked about winning gamesand championships when he becameBaylor’s coach six years ago.Back then, the Bears hadn’t managed awinning record in their first 12 seasons inthe Big 12, and those sure seemed like loftygoals.They are a reality now, with the Big12 champion Bears (11-1) headed to the BrilesFiesta Bowl to play UCF on Jan. 1 in theirfirst Bowl Championship Series game.“ You have the plan and the vision and you love to see itcome to fruition. If it does, it makes you look like you knewwhat you were talking about,” Briles said. “We don’t feel likewe’re at the mountaintop, though. We’re still striving to bea respectable program year in and year out. ... That’ll neverchange.”Briles was the unanimous pick for the AP’s Big 12 coachof the year award announced Tuesday. He got all 20 votesin balloting by media members who cover the Big 12 on aregular basis.With a 30-10 win over Texas on Saturday to close out 64seasons at Floyd Casey Stadium before moving into a $260million campus stadium next fall, the Bears clinched theirfirst outright title in any league since the 1980 SouthwestConference championship. That team had Mike Singletaryand Walter Abercrombie playing for coach Grant Teaff.This is the first 11-win season in school history, andthe sixth-ranked Bears are making four consecutive bowlappearances for the first time. They are 29-9 over a threeseasonspan that began in 2011 with Robert Griffin IIIwinning the Heisman Trophy.When Briles arrived in Waco, the private school had wononly 11 of its 96 Big 12 games — and were 35-101 overallin that span with four different coaches. The Bears wereroutinely at the bottom of the standings and were then miredin a 12-game conference losing streak, only a few seasonsremoved from a record 29 consecutive Big 12 losses.During his introduction in November 2007, Briles talkedabout the Bears getting bowl eligible and winning a Big 12title. The coach acknowledged then that “lip service is easy”but said he had a plan. And he still has never really lookedback at what happened before he got there.“To be honest, when you have someone with that muchof a vision and determination for things, it’s almost, whoa,that’s too much,” Bears quarterback Bryce Petty said afterthe Texas game. “But to be in the spot we’re at with thisteam, I couldn’t be more proud. ... I said it all along, this isa special team and it was going to take us places this year.”Petty was named the AP Big 12 offensive player of the yearMonday, when the quarterback was joined on the All-Big 12first-team offense by three teammates: offensive guard CyrilRichardson, Big 12 leading rusher Lache Seastrunk and topreceiver Antwan Goodley. The Bears, with their fast-pacedspread offense, are the FBS leader with 624.5 total yards and53.3 points per game. They have four 70-point games and twoother games with at least 63 points.Briles, who turned 58 last week, has a 44-31 record at Baylorand last month got a new 10-year contract through the 2023season.The Texas-born coach has spent his entire coaching careerin his home state. He came to Baylor from Houston, where hewas 34-28 from 2003-07. The Cougars were 0-11 two seasonsbefore he arrived, but Briles led them the 2006 Conference USAchampionship and four bowl games.“He’s just a cool person,” Goodley said. “He’s just an amazingguy, and outstanding guy to be around. I love him as a coach.”

Page C-4 • Starkville Daily News • Wednesday, December 11, 2013SOUTHEASTERN CONFERENCE BASKETBALLators beat Jayhawks 67-61By MARK LONGAssociated PressGAINESVILLE, Fla. — As ScottieWilbekin jogged off the court, studentschanted his name.It was a feel-good moment for a senior whowas suspended to start the season and struggledin last week's loss at No. 9 Connecticut.Wilbekin scored a career-high 18 points,Dorian Finney-Smith added 15 and No. 19Florida held on to beat No. 13 Kansas 67-61on Tuesday night.The Gators bounced back from a buzzerbeaterloss against the Huskies and extendedtheir home winning streak to 21 games.The latest victory came in the Big 12-SECChallenge and surely will be meaningful whenthe NCAA tournament seeds are settled inMarch."It just feels like we're coming together as awhole," Wilbekin said.Wilbekin, who injured his right ankleagainst UConn eight days ago, made 7 of12 shots and added six assists. It was a muchbetter performance than his last game, whenhe had more turnovers (3) than assists (2).Some of his best work Tuesday came inthe second half as Kansas kept slicing intoFlorida's lead. Wilbekin had a teardrop runner,a driving layup and a three-point play."We were teetering there a little bit," Gatorscoach Billy Donovan said. "He made someplays that really helped our team."Freshman Andrew Wiggins led theJayhawks (6-3) with 26 points and 11rebounds — his first double-double and bothcareer highs. Kansas has lost two straight,both on the road.This one wasn't nearly as heart-breakingas Saturday's loss at Colorado, which hit a3-pointer at the buzzer to win 75-72.The Gators (7-2) went on a 21-0 run andled by as many as 18 points in the first half."I think we should have had an electricalshortage and canceled the game after (leading10-3)," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "We madea couple of shots and played pretty well thefirst four or five minutes. But we were awfulafter that. ... That was not a good team playingthere at all, and when things started to go bad,we didn't do anything to stop it. That wasfrustrating."Self called several timeouts, but couldn't doFlorida forward Will Yeguete (15) goes to the basket for two points. (Photo by Phil Sandlin,AP)anything to stop Florida's momentum.Surely Florida's four senior starters andplaying at home were factors, especially whenpitted against Kansas' young and inexperiencedlineup."I'm not sure young guys have ever faced asituation like that," Gators center Patric Youngsaid. "We've been blown out before. We'veblown people out before. We know both sidesof the spectrum. ... We did a great job turningthem over."The Jayhawks committed 16 turnovers inthe first 20 minutes — as many as they had inany game this season."We've got to get everyone playingtogether," Self said. "I can't blame it all onyouth. ... A lot of it may be youth, but I thinkwe can still play better individually."Kansas clawed its way out of the huge holeand made it 60-55 on Wiggins' 3-pointer with55.8 seconds remaining. It was his second 3 inthe final 1:20.Florida closed it out from the free-throwline — barely.The Gators made 20 of 34 free throws,including nine of their final 11.Kansas got it as close as 65-61 with 10.9seconds left. Florida's Kasey Hill ended anychance of a comeback by draining two freethrows.Aside from Wiggins, who made 7 of 15shots, Kansas had no one else score in doublefigures.The biggest issue for the Jayhawks was 24turnovers. Many of those came in the decisiveearly run.The Gators, who missed six of their firstseven shots in the game, got hot from the field.Hill, returning to the rotation after missing thelast four games with a high-ankle sprain, gotthe spurt going with a driving layup.Wilbekin had a 3-pointer, a floater in thelane and a driving bank shot in the huge run.Finney-Smith and Young came up big, too.Finney-Smith, the former Virginia Tech starterwho is finding his niche in Gainesville, hit two3-pointers. And Young was a beast in the paintand on the boards.Young's three-point play gave Florida a 32-14 lead with 4:14 remaining in the first half.But for everything the Gators did on theoffensive end of the court, they were evenbetter on defense.Donovan had his team playing a 1-3-1 zonefor much of the game, with big men on thewings and the team's best defender (Wilbekin)running the baseline. It forced poor shots andmistakes."I think anything that could go wrong wentwrong," Self said. "It's just sad that you haveto get down like that before you come out andplay with reckless abandonment."Boise State's Derrick Marks, center, attempts to fight through the defense of Kentucky'sAaron Harrison, left, and James Young. (Photo by Timothy D. Easley, AP)No. 11 Kentuckybeats Boise StateBy GARY B. GRAVESAssociated PressLEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — James Youngscored 17 of his 21 points in the first half andNo. 11 Kentucky used solid defense to handBoise State its first loss, 70-55 on Tuesdaynight.Outrebounded by 15 in losing to No. 14Baylor last Friday, the Wildcats (8-2) bouncedback by dominating the Broncos (8-1) 43-27on the glass. Kentucky held the nation's No.2 offense 37 points below its average, limitingBoise State to 8-of-35 shooting in the secondhalf and 22 of 69 overall (32 percent.)Kentucky 7-footer Willie Cauley-Stein hada lot to do with that, matching his career highwith nine blocks.Julius Randle had 17 points and 11rebounds for the Wildcats, while guardsAaron and Andrew Harrison each scored 13points and combined for seven rebounds.Kentucky's 27-of-51 shooting helped denyBoise State its first 9-0 start.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013 • Starkville Daily News • Page C-5NATIONAL COLLEGE BASKETBALLGasser sparks WisconsinWisconsin forward Sam Dekker (15) and teammate Josh Gasser (21) cheertheir team on earlier this season. (Photo by Steve Helber, AP)By GENARO C. ARMASAssociated PressGet to the spot in the lane ahead of the dribbler. Setthe feet. Absorb the blow.Josh Gasser is Wisconsin’s take-a-charge player inthe backcourt. The tough junior gets just as muchpleasure from drawing charging fouls or shuttingdown an opponent’s best scorer that he would nailing agame-winning bucket.The fourth-ranked Badgers (10-0) are off to theirbest start in two decades thanks in part to Gasser, who’sback after missing a year with a left knee injury.“He makes plays for his size and makes plays in areasthat a lot of people don’t,” coach Bo Ryan said aboutthe 6-foot-3 Gasser.Wisconsin can match its best start since 1993-94by beating intrastate rival Milwaukee on Wednesdaynight. The only other time the team was ranked inthe top five was during a 12-week run in the 2006-7season, including one week at the top spot.Defense remains a focus, but the Badgers haveoffensive versatility this year too. Frank Kaminsky(14.6 points) is the big man who can shoot the 3,while forward Sam Dekker (14.4 points) can frustratefoes with his inside-out game. Sharpshooter Ben Brust(11.4 points) leads the team from long range, whilepoint man Traevon Jackson (11.2 points) can hit clutchshots.Gasser (10.4 points) completes the three-guardrotation, but scoring might be his least-importantresponsibility.He typically draws the toughest defensiveassignment, like when he stymied Virginia’s Joe Harristo two points on 1 of 10 shooting in a 48-38 win lastweek.“It’s a good role to have, to be honest, as a guy whohas to defend one of the other team’s better scorers,”Gasser said this week. “I kind of want to make life alittle more difficult for them.”In Saturday’s 70-64 win over Marquette, Gasserexpertly drew another charge. He tracked down a looseball to save a possession, dribbled into the lane to drawdefenders before side-arming a pass to an open Dekkerin the corner for a 3.Every good team usually has someone like Gasser,a “glue guy” who relishes doing the little things anddoesn’t mind letting other guys get the headlines.But Gasser does his job so well, it’s hard not tonotice, either.“We couldn’t ask for anything else from him,” Ryansaid. “He’s just a tough, young man who on takes everyassignment and gives it his best.”Wisconsin advanced to the Big Ten tournamentchampionship last year before losing to Ohio State,then lost its first game in the NCAA tournament as aNo. 5 seed to 12th-seeded Mississippi.Imagine what the Badgers could have done withGasser, who could only watch after suffering a tornACL during training camp.It’s been a long, tough comeback since then. Gasserseemingly gets questioned about how he’s feelingalmost every time he speaks with reporters. He’s gettingused to playing with a brace on that knee.“Each week as we go, as we get deeper into theseason here, I’m definitely thinking about it a lot less,”Gasser said. “It is part of me now. It feels very naturalwith it on.”A decorated Wisconsin prep player, Gasser averaged23.9 points as a senior and holds career records forscoring, rebounding and free-throw percentage athis high school in Port Washington. But Gasser saidhe quickly knew what his limitations might be at thecollegiate level, where teams are full of players whohold high school records.“It’s such a different game,” Gasser said. “I came inwith the mindset to try to do anything I can do to helpus win.”Note: Asked about his team’s ascension to No. 4in the AP poll, Ryan said the Badgers’ attention wasfocused on preparing for Milwaukee. “You have todeal with that, but everybody’s going to come at us thesame way. Everybody’s going to want to, even more so,try to get a piece of the Badgers,” Ryan said.Former Rutgers player sues over Rice behaviorFrom Wire ReportsTRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Aformer Rutgers basketball playerclaims in a lawsuit that he wassubjected to physical and emotionalabuse at the hands of fired coachMike Rice.Derrick Randall played forRutgers from 2011 until last spring.He was seen in practice videoswhere players were shoved, kickedand berated by Rice. After thevideos went public last spring, Ricewas fired and athletic director TimPernetti and other school officialsresigned.Randall’s lawsuit, filed Fridayand made public Monday, claims hesuffers from learning disabilities andexperienced emotional trauma fromRice’s behavior. Randall left Rutgersthis year.“Defendants, directly and/orthrough their agents, willfully,recklessly, negligently and withdeliberate indifference, placedDerrick in a hostile environmentin which he was regularly andcontinuously subjected to physical,mental, verbal and emotional abuseof the most outrageous nature,” thesuit claims.Named in the lawsuit are Rice,Pernetti, former assistant coachJames Martelli, Rutgers presidentRobert Barchi and two other schoolofficials. It seeks unspecified punitiveand compensatory damages.Martelli resigned after the videosurfaced. The two officials, Rutgersboard of governors member MarkHershhorn and Janine Purcaro, CFOfor intercollegiate athletics, are stillemployed by the university.The suit alleges negligence andbreach of fiduciary duty on thepart of all defendants and accusesRice of assault and battery andintentional infliction of emotionaldistress. It also accuses the school ofviolating the federal Americans withDisabilities Act.A Rutgers spokesman saidTuesday the university had not yetbeen served the lawsuit.No. 17 Iowa State’soffense clickingDES MOINES, Iowa — Mostteams that fall behind by 18 pointsto a team as methodical as NorthernIowa are doomed to defeat.Not Iowa State. The 17th-rankedCyclones needed just seven minutesto rally from a 49-31 deficit againstthe Panthers on Saturday.Northern Iowa overcame IowaState’s 23-2 run and forced overtime,but the Cyclones scored 20 points inthe extra five minutes and won goingaway, 91-82, on a neutral floor inDes Moines.Iowa coach Fran McCaffery, whowas in the same gym waiting toplay Drake later that night, couldn’thelp but take notice of Iowa State’sexplosiveness with a road gameagainst the Cyclones (7-0) set forFriday.“Any time a team comes back, yousay, ‘Wow. That was impressive.’ Tome it was the way they did it. Whenyou’re down 18 with less than 16 togo, that is often panic time. Theydidn’t panic at all,” McCaffery said.They shared the ball. They defended.They got one stop, one bucket at atime.”If there’s any team in the countrythat can get buckets when they needthem, it’s the Cyclones.Iowa State entered Tuesdayranked third in the nation in scoringat 91.7 points a game. The Cyclonesare shooting 49.3 percent from thefield, 37.4 percent from 3-pointrange and are averaging over 10 3sa game.Iowa State is also secondnationally in assists per game at 19.9and sixth in assist-to-turnover ratio(1.76), which isn’t terribly surprisinggiven the addition of senior pointguard DeAndre Kane and his 15.4points, 8 rebounds and 5.2 assistsper game.But the biggest revelation amongcoach Fred Hoiberg’s new crop oftransfers is forward Dustin Hogue.Hogue has far surpassedexpectations coming out of IndianHills Community College in Iowa.He’s shooting 59.3 percent, topsamong Cyclones regulars, and has10.4 rebounds a game.While Hogue has given IowaState’s offense an unexpected boost,he’s also been a standout interiordefender for a team that doesn’t playtoo often with a true center.“He does a little of everything forus. The No. 1 thing he brings is justan element of toughness to help getstops late in games and control theglass,” Hoiberg said. “He’s so strongon the interior and he can playmultiple positions, and he’s knockingdown his open shots right now, andhe just has that warrior mentality. Ilove everything about the kid.”Hogue is also a prime exampleof how much offense Iowa Stategenerates from its defense.The Cyclones lead the nation with36 defensive rebounds a game — 4.4more than second-place BYU. Thathelps them get out in transition forlayups and 3-pointers.Hoiberg said he’s been pleasedwith how often Iowa State has forcedteams to settle for low-percentagemid-range jumpers. The Cycloneshave also been adept at grabbingthose misses and putting quickpressure on opponents at the otherend of the floor.Four of Iowa State’s starters areaveraging at least four defensiveboards per outing, led by Hogue’s56 in seven games.“Our guys have really bought intowhat we’re trying to do,” Hoibergsaid. “I think we’re defending the3 well, and I think we’re doing adecent job of limiting teams in thepaint. And again, when teams havea size advantage on you, that’s whatyou have to do.”Oklahoma’s Hornbeakout with broken footNORMAN, Okla. — Oklahomasophomore guard Je’lon Hornbeakwill miss the next four to six weeksbecause of a broken bone in his leftSooners coach Lon Kruger saidTuesday that Hornbeak was hurt inpractice that morning and the injuryaveraging 5.7 points, 2.3 rebounds,2.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 21minutes per game as a reserve for thefoot.will not require surgery.The 6-foot-4 Hornbeak isSooners (8-1).Oklahoma hosts Tulsa onSaturday.

Page C-6 • Starkville Daily News • Wednesday, December 11, 2013NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATIONGinobili, Spursoutlast RaptorsBy IAN HARRISONAssociated PressTORONTO — Tony Parker praised"the usual guys" on San Antonio's bench fortheir role in beating the Toronto Raptors,then singled out Australian big man AronBaynes for special attention.Baynes scored a career-high 14 points,Manu Ginobili had 16 and the Spurs beatthe Raptors 116-103 on Tuesday night.Jeff Ayers made the first start of hisSpurs career in place of injured centerTiago Splitter, but it was Baynes whosecontribution proved most vital to SanAntonio's sixth straight victory againstToronto."Tiago is a big part of what we do sosomebody has to step up," Parker said."Right now, Baynesie is doing good."Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was just aspleased with Baynes' performance."Baynes did a great job," Popovich said."He hasn't played that much but he wentdown to the D-League and played a fewgames to stay in shape, kept himself readyand it showed tonight. He came in and dida really good job for us."Baynes had scored just 17 points onthe season coming into Tuesday's game,but blew past that mark by shooting 7 for9 from the field and matching his seasonhigh with six rebounds."Baynesie did a great job, both offensivelyand defensively," said Manu Ginobili, whohad 16 points. "We need it."Undrafted out of Washington State,Baynes played professionally in Lithuaniaand Greece before joining San Antonio.He may not boast a star's resume, but he'simpressed his teammates nonetheless."We see him in practice all the timeso we know we have somebody who canplay," Parker said. "He played internationalbasketball, he's been to an Olympics. He'sgot some experience."Splitter missed his second straight gamewith a sore left calf, and did not join theteam for a two-game trip to Toronto andMilwaukee.Tim Duncan scored 14 points as theSpurs overcame a 14-point first quarterdeficit, improving to 26-9 all-time againstToronto.San Antonio has won three of six sinceits 11-game winning streak was halted witha loss at Oklahoma City on Nov. 27.Danny Green had 14 points for theSpurs, while Marco Belinelli had 12 andPatty Mills 11.Ginobili had nine assists for the Spurs,who are 10-1 this season when he has atleast five."He played a great game," Popovichsaid. "He's really starting to look likeManu, which is great for us, obviously."DeMar DeRozan scored 19 points andAmir Johnson had 19 points and ninerebounds for the Raptors, who lost for thesixth time in seven games. Terrence Rossscored 14 points in his first start of theseason, Jonas Valanciunas also had 14 andKyle Lowry had 11."I'm going to chalk this one up totravel," said Raptors coach Dwane Casey,whose team returned from Los Angeleson an overnight flight Sunday, landing inToronto at 5:30 AM Monday. "We ran outof gas."Toronto, which traded Rudy Gay,Quincy Acy and Aaron Gray to Sacramentoon Monday, was still awaiting the arrivalof forwards Chuck Hayes and PatrickPatterson and guards John Salmons andGreivis Vasquez in return.Hayes, Patterson and Salmons were dueto arrive late Tuesday night while Vasquez,who had to make a detour to New YorkCity for a work visa, was not expected untilWednesday afternoon.Raptors forward Tyler Hansbrough(left shoulder) missed his second straightgame Tuesday, leaving Toronto with just10 players against the Spurs.Splitter's absence proved to be animmediate problem for San Antonio'sdefense. Valanciunas and Johnson eachscored 10 points in the first and combinedfor eight rebounds as Toronto led 36-24after one quarter. It was the most firstquarterpoints allowed by the Spurs thisseason.San Antonio closed the gap by openingthe second quarter with a 13-4 run, cuttingthe deficit to one. Parker scored eightpoints in the second and Baynes had sevenas the Spurs led 59-53 at halftime.Duncan scored nine points in the thirdas San Antonio stretched its lead, taking an89-74 edge into the fourth.Miami Heat center Chris Bosh, left, fouls Indiana Pacers forward David West as he shoots inthe second half. (Photo by Michael Conroy, AP)Pacers rally lateto beat Heat 90-84By MICHAEL MAROTAssociated PressINDIANAPOLIS — Roy Hibbert scored 24points and Paul George had 15 of his 17 pointsduring a second-half rally to lead the Pacers pastMiami 90-84 Tuesday night in a matchup of theEastern Conference’s top two teams.Indiana improved its league-best record to 19-3and extended its lead to three full games by beatingMiami at home for the fourth straight time.LeBron James led the Heat with 17 points, 14rebounds and six assists but had only three basketsand nine points over the final 36 minutes. DwyaneWade also scored 17 for Miami, which has now lostthree of five.The Heat led by 13 in the first half and didn’ttrail until Hibbert completed a three-point playwith 6:12 left in the third quarter to put the Pacersahead 58-57. But with George heating up, Hibbertdominating the middle and Indiana’s bench playingsolid, Miami couldn’t tie it or take the lead again.The difference for Indiana, as usual, was thethird quarter.Only this time, the knockout punch came withmuch more significance against the two-timechamps.Indiana, which made a late charge from a13-point deficit late in the first half to close to 47-40 at halftime, opened the third with back-to-backbaskets including the Pacers’ first 3-pointer of thegame to close the deficit to four. Indiana finally tiedthe score at 55 when George Hill hit a 3 with 8:15left in the third.Hibbert’s second three-point play of the quarterfinally gave Indiana its first lead, 58-57, with 6:12to go, and then George went to work. The NBA’sNo. 4 scorer managed only two points in the firsthalf and made his first basket with 3:51 to go in thethird but still managed to score 12 in a quarter thatthe Pacers took a 68-64 lead.The surge didn’t stop there.When Hibbert returned early in the fourth, thePacers immediately went to him on back-to-backpossessions, starting the decisive 12-6 run that gaveIndiana an 82-74 lead with 4:59 to go.Irving, Cavaliers thump Knicks 109-94From Wire ReportsCLEVELAND (AP) —Kyrie Irving had 37 points and11 assists and Jarrett Jack added17 points, leading the ClevelandCavaliers to a 109-94 victoryover the sinking New YorkKnicks on Tuesday night.Irving, an All-Star pointguard, had 12 points in thethird quarter, when the Cavsoutscored the defenseless Knicks33-20 and pulled away. TristanThompson added 12 points andnine rebounds as Cleveland wonits fourth straight at home.New York, coming off anembarrassing 41-point loss athome to Boston, dropped to5-15 and made coach MikeWoodson’s future even moreuncertain.Carmelo Anthony scored 29points and Amare Stoudemirehad 15 for the Knicks, whoerased an early 18-point deficit,gave it all back, fell behind by 19and lost for the 11th time in 13games.After being outscored 22-4during one stretch of the secondquarter, the hard-to-figureKnicks got it together — briefly.New York only trailed by threeat halftime and were showingsome signs of life, one game afterenduring the most lopsided lossin the NBA this season.Anthony’s 3-pointer pulledNew York within 53-52,but Thompson scored on asensational, one-handed putbackdunk, triggering an 8-0 runthat made it 61-52.Irving hit a 3-pointer, andmoments later, Cleveland’sAlonzo Gee tipped the ball awayfrom New York guard PabloPrigioni near midcourt. Geepicked up the loose ball andled a three-on-none Cavs breakpast a helpless Woodson, whostood on the sideline with hisarms folded as Cleveland scoredanother easy basket.The Cavs pushed their leadto 88-69 in the fourth quarterbefore the Knicks made one lastrun, getting within 90-77 on ajumper by Andrea Bargnani.But Jack hit a 3-pointer, Irvingmade one from long range andCleveland finished off its largestwin this season.Looking for a spark and someinside muscle at both ends tooffset the loss of Tyson Chandlerand Kenyon Martin, Woodsonstarted Metta World Peace,who came off the bench in NewYork’s first 19 games.“Metta has earned the rightto be out there,” Woodson said.“He’s patiently waited for hisopportunity.”Woodson’s opportunity, onthe other hand, could be ending.On Monday, New York’sthird-year coach said he’s “up tothe task” of fixing the Knicks. Hemay not have much more timeto get them repaired.When the final horn sounded,Knicks assistant coach HerbWilliams helped Woodson getout of his courtside chair bypushing him from behind.He may soon be pushedaside.Thunder 101,Hawks 92ATLANTA — Kevin Durantscored 30 points and theOklahoma City Thunder wonfor the 11th time in 12 games,holding off the Atlanta Hawks.Shelvin Mack scored 17points off the bench to lead anAtlanta comeback but finallycooled off at the end.Coming off an impressive118-94 home victory overIndiana, the Thunder had moretrouble on the road against theHawks. But the result was thesame: another Oklahoma Cityvictory, despite a tough nightfor Russell Westbrook. He washeld to 14 points on 6-of-21shooting, though he did sink animpressive reverse layup with1:41 remaining to help finish offAtlanta.Durant made 9 of 21 from thefield and 11 of 15 free throws.Paul Millsap led the Hawkswith 23 points.Timberwolves 121,Pistons 94AUBURN HILLS, Mich.— Kevin Love had 26 pointsand 16 rebounds to lead theMinnesota Timberwolves to arout of the Detroit Pistons.Love only played 30 minutes,sitting out the fourth quarterwith the big lead. Detroit wasunable to stop him inside,outside or on the break. Severalof his seven assists came on histrademark 70-foot outlet passesoff missed shots.Nikola Pekovic and KevinMartin added 18 points each forMinnesota, which finished withsix players in double figures.Brandon Jennings had 20points for Detroit, but GregMonroe and Andre Drummondwere held to a combined total of18 points and 10 rebounds.The Pistons have relied heavilyon their frontcourt this season,but didn’t have the advantage inthat matchup against Minnesota.Nets 104,Celtics 96NEW YORK — DeronWilliams scored a season-high 25points in his return to the lineup,Brook Lopez added 24, and theBrooklyn Nets beat the BostonCeltics in the first matchup forPaul Pierce and Kevin Garnettagainst their former team.Garnett had 11 points, justhis third time in double figuresthis season, and grabbed ninerebounds. Pierce finished withfour points and seven reboundsin his first appearance off thebench in six years after makinga quick recovery from a brokenright hand.Bucks 78,Bulls 74CHICAGO — John Hensonhad 25 points, 14 reboundsand six blocked shots, and theMilwaukee Bucks beat theChicago Bulls in a matchup ofinjury-riddled teams trying tobreak out of a slump.Brandon Knight added 19points and 10 rebounds forMilwaukee, which had droppedthree of four. O.J. Mayo was just2 for 12 from the field, but hadseven assists and made a coupleof big plays in the fourth quarter.Chicago used only eightplayers after Joakim Noah wassidelined by a bruised rightthigh. Carlos Boozer was theonly starter in the lineup fromthe season opener at Miami.Mike Dunleavy scored 18of his 24 points in the secondquarter, but the Bulls struggledon offense in the latter part oftheir fourth loss in five games.Boozer finished with 21 pointsand 12 rebounds.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013 • Starkville Daily News • Page C-7Hits to head remainNATIONAL FOOTBALL LEAGUEprevalent in leagueBy EDDIE PELLS,NANCY ARMOURAssocited PressAlmost once a game, an NFL player absorbsan illegal blow to the head or neck that couldput his career — or worse — at risk.The NFL has been trying to prevent suchblows over the past four years, targetingimproper technique and making a point topenalize and fine players for hits that leavethem and their opponents vulnerable. Yet anAssociated Press review of penalties throughthe first 11 weeks of the season found those hitsare still prevalent.The AP reviewed 549 penalties, 491 of whichfell under the category of major infractions:unnecessary roughness, unsportsmanlikeconduct, roughing the passer, face masks androughing the quarterback.Of the penalties charted over the first 162games of the season, the AP identified 156involving contact with the head and neck — anaverage of .962 per game. Of those, 38 werefor head-wrenching face masks, 25 were forhorse collars and 93 were for hits to the head.Quarterbacks (40) and receivers (38) sharedthe brunt of those hits almost equally, withplayers at other positions absorbing the other15 blows.The numbers can be interpreted a variety ofways.The league declined comment, though itmade a statement of sorts in the offseason whenit decided against the 5 percent hike in minimumfines, as allowed for in the union contract, afterdetermining players were adjusting to the rules.A sentiment among the players the AP spoketo on offense was that they appreciate all theNFL has done to protect them. But, in thewords of Titans running back Chris Johnson,they know that “sometimes you just can’tcontrol where you hit somebody.”Defensive players acknowledged they haveto do their part to make the game safer.“The face mask, that’s going to happen.The pass interference, those things are goingto happen. The stupid fouls, hitting thequarterbacks late and doing all the other stuffwe’ve done, we have to eliminate it,” saidTitans safety Bernard Pollard, who has beenfined $62,000 this season.But the defenders also reiterated a long-heldbelief that they’re held to a different standardthan their offensive counterparts.“No doubt,” Packers cornerback TramonWilliams said. “Guys are still getting penalizedfor clean shots, getting fined for clean shots,and there’s no other explanation to it. Justlike they’re holding us accountable for tryingto make that right hit, they’ve got to holdthemselves accountable for making the rightcalls on the field, and making the right decisionon who to fine and how much to fine.”True to the defenders’ complaints, the APreview tallied 224 major infractions against thedefense, with only 69 going against the offense.Similarly, penalties for low hits, which manythought would rise when defenders were forcedto focus away from the head and neck, wererelatively low — only 35. That small numberincluded illegal cuts, chop and peelback blocksagainst the offense for hits on defenders —penalties the defensive players argue are calledfar too rarely and put their careers at as muchrisk as the above-the-shoulder hits.“The way offenses are playing now andthe way running backs block now, I think it’salmost every play,” Broncos defensive tackleTerrance Knighton said when asked how oftena defensive player’s legs get targeted.New England tight end Rob Gronkowski’sseason ended abruptly Sunday with a kneeinjury when he took a low hit from Clevelandsafety T.J. Ward. No penalty was called. Wardsaid he knows he can’t go for the high hit.“But we have to play this game,” Ward said.“We have to play it the way that they force usto, and unfortunately, it incurred an injury forhim.”Of the 35 penalties for low hits, 10 cameagainst the defense for hits to the quarterbacks.The league’s propensity for protecting thepasser continues at almost every spot on thefield. Over the first 11 weeks, there were 32flags for infractions against quarterbacks thatdidn’t involve hits to the head or legs — forexample, a late hit on a sliding quarterback.The NFL still makes a big splash out ofsuspensions and fines levied under the umbrellaIn this Nov. 17, 2013, file photo, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees (9) is sackedby San Francisco 49ers outside linebacker Ahmad Brooks (55) in the second half of an NFLfootball game in New Orleans. Brees fumbled and the 49ers recovered, but Brooks was calledfor an illegal hit. (Photo by Dave Martin, AP)of protecting players. Ndamukong Suh, amultiple offender, got a $100,000 fine —largest in league history for on-field conduct —for his Week 2 low block on John Sullivan ofthe Vikings during an interception return.More recently, Titans safety Michael Griffinserved a one-game suspension for a low hit onOakland tight end Mychal Rivera. When askedwhat he could have done differently, Griffinsaid a league official “told me there’s no clearblack-and-white answer.”“You have to start thinking about howyou’re going to hit the guy when you get there,”Titans coach Mike Munchak said. “I think it’svery, very hard, very difficult. It definitely isnecessary. I think it has helped the game in thatway. But I think you’ve got to be careful in howthese guys are fined and things like that goingforward.”Whatever the mixed messages, the NFLappears satisfied with the way players areadjusting to the rules, given the league’sdecision not to raise fine amounts.Total fines issued by the NFL have declinedby 32 percent from 2009 to 2012 (668 to 451)and also decreased 4.5 percent between 2011and 2012 (472 to 451). Fines for illegal hits onquarterbacks have declined 46.4 percent since2009 (114 to 61).All of which points to a safer game — but agame that nevertheless, at least on average, putsat least one player in jeopardy in every gamein every stadium every Thursday, Sunday andMonday.“It’s a warrior game,” said Broncos defensivetackle Kevin Vickerson, on injured reserve aftersuffering a dislocated hip on a play in whichfour players took turns blocking him, bothhigh and low. “You’re going to have collisions.You’re going to have those injuries. You justtry to do the best you can with them and playwithin the rules they set.”Ravens’Stokleyout forseasonFrom Wire ReportsOWINGS MILLS, Md.(AP) — The Baltimore Ravenshave placed wide receiverBrandon Stokley on injuredreserve, ending his season.Stokley sustained aconcussion in Sunday’s gameagainst the Minnesota Vikings.He has had multiple concussionsover his 15-year career, and theRavens determined after testingthat the 37-year-old would notbe able to return anytime soon.Stokley began his careerwith the Ravens in 1999 andsigned a one-year contractas a free agent in August. Hebattled through a series ofinjuries and played in only sixgames, catching 13 passes for115 yards.Stokley was replaced onthe roster by running backBernard Scott, who was waivedSaturday to make room fortight end Dennis Pitta.Mathieu on IR,Cards get TaylorTEMPE, Ariz. — TheArizona Cardinals have placedrookie defensive back TyrannMathieu on injured reserve andpromoted safety Curtis Taylorfrom the practice squad to takethe vacant roster spot.Mathieu, the second-leadingtackler on the team, toreligaments in his left knee inSunday’s 30-10 victory over St.Louis and will undergo surgerynext week. No timetable wasannounced, but coach BruceArians says the recovery periodwill be “a long one.”Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Brandon Stokley, left, hasbeen placed on injured reserve and will miss the remainder ofthe season. (Photo by Gail Burton, AP)Taylor has been on theArizona practice squad allseason. He played in 12 NFLgames for San Francisco in2009 and 2010.Miami’s Patterson,Stanford placedon reserve-injuredDAVIE, Fla. — MiamiDolphins cornerback DimitriPatterson has been placed onthe reserve-injured list becauseof a groin injury that hasbothered him since September.Reserve cornerback R.J.Stanford also went on thereserve-injured list Tuesdaywith a right leg injury. Themoves end the season for bothplayers.The Dolphins signed freeagent cornerback Justin Rogers,and signed safety MichaelThomas off the San Francisco49ers’ practice squad. Rogersstarted the first five games thisyear with Buffalo and playedin one game with the HoustonTexans before they waived himNov. 28.Patterson played in sixgames this season and had fourinterceptions. He aggravatedhis groin injury during Sunday’swin at Pittsburgh.Legue movesBears-Eaglesto night gameNEW YORK — The NFLwill move the matchup betweenChicago and Philadelphia tothe prime-time slot on Sunday,Dec. 22.The Bears (7-6) will travelto face the Eagles (8-5) at 8:30p.m. (EST) on NBC.The New England Patriotsgame against the BaltimoreRavens will move to 4:25 p.m.(EST) on CBS.

Page C-8 • Starkville Daily News • Wednesday, December 11, 2013Major League BaseballMark Trumboto D-backsin 3-team tradeBy RONALD BLUMAssociated PressLAKE BUENA VISTA,Fla. — Arizona generalmanager Kevin Towershad been talking trade withChicago White Sox GM RickHahn for a month when hearrived at the winter meetingslast weekend and sent a textto Angels counterpart JerryDipoto.“Can I get your attentionin that Trumbo deal forSkaggs and Eaton?” heremembered writing.“Sure, why don’t youcome down and talk?” Dipotoquickly replied, according toTowers.Two days later, a threeteamtrade fell into place.Chicago acquiredoutfielder Adam Eaton fromArizona for left-handerHector Santiago, and theDiamondbacks then sentSantiago and left-handerTyler Skaggs to the Angelsfor slugger Mark Trumbo.Arizona also will receive aplayer to be named or cashfrom each of the other clubs.“It’s nice when you’reable to have three clubs uphere all feeling good aboutthings,” Hahn said Tuesdayduring a news conference.“Obviously, as Jerry pointedout, it does hurt a little bit,but it costs something to getsomething.”Trumbo, 27, hit .234with 34 home runs and 100RBIs this year, playing firstbase in 123 games becauseAlbert Pujols was hurt.Despite hitting 95 homersduring the last three seasons,MSUFrom page C-1Senior Brett Pirtle will morethan likely retain his startingposition at second base, butHann may also get a look there.Alex Detz played on bothcorners last season, but settledin at third base and was veryreliable.True freshman ReidHumphreys may throw a kinkinto things at third base.“Reid Humphreys is a guywho’s going to be a greatplayer,” Cohen said. “I lovethe fact that he’s with a kidlike Alex Detz at third basethe sometimes outfielderwas deemed superfluous byLos Angeles, which cravedstarting pitching behindJered Weaver, C.J. Wilsonand Garrett Richards.“Right now we’d line upwith both guys as starters,”Dipoto said.Trumbo was used tohearing his name in tradetalk.“I think it’s been rumoredfor years now,” he said. “Iknew that this one was aserious thing.”He’ll join a battingorder that includes PaulGoldschmidt, who led theNL with 125 RBIs and tiedfor the league lead in homeruns with 36.“We all addressed some ofour biggest needs,” Towerssaid. “We’ll give him someprotection.”After finishing last in theAL Central with their worstrecord since 1970 at 63-99,the White Sox were lookingto make changes, and Hahnis counting on Eaton toprovide a spark.“We lacked a little bit ofenergy and a little edge,”Hahn said. “This is a dirt-bagbaseball player. This is a guywho has been described tome by someone at this tablewith words I can’t use.”Santiago, 25, was 4-9with a 3.56 ERA in 23 startsand 11 relief appearances.His fastball velocity hasdipped from 93.8 mph in2011 to 92.8 in 2012 to91.8 last season, according tofangraphs.com.Eaton, a 25-year-oldspeedy leadoff hitter, wasbecause Alex has been standingout there when it mattered themost.”The pitching staff is solidwith All-American closerJonathan Holder returning.Junior left hander Ross Mitchelldidn’t pitch in the fall due tohip surgery, but will be readywhen February rolls around.Brandon Woodruff had agood fall showing after missingthe first couple of weeks afterhaving surgery in May.“He came back slowly fromhis rehab, but his last threeoutings of the fall were justphenomenal,” Cohen said. “Itwas very much worth the wait.”sidelined from spring traininguntil July 9 by a sprainedleft elbow. He hit .252 withthree homers, 22 RBIs and44 strikeouts in 250 at-batsfor the Diamondbacks thisyear.Skaggs, 22, went to SantaMonica High School, wastaken by the Angels with thethletics trade Anderson to RockiesBy JANIE McCAULEYAssociated PressOAKLAND, Calif. — The Oakland Athleticsfound a trade partner for pitcher Brett Andersonand his big salary.The A's dealt the left-hander and cash to theColorado Rockies for lefty Drew Pomeranz andminor league right-hander Chris Jensen on Tuesday.Two-time AL West champion Oakland hadbeen looking to move Anderson, who is due tomake $8 million this season and has a $12 millioncontract option for the 2015 season. That includesa $1.5 million buyout.The 25-year-old Anderson was the Athletics'GIRLSFrom page C-1ourselves and it took us quitea few minutes in this game toget going."It was one where Blair andImane (Montgomery) couldn'tget a rhythm going. We got aspark off our bench with someof our players. We're glad wecan go to our bench and getthat spark."Schaefer and MontgomerySMITHFrom page C-1get contributions from thesupporting cast, it’s going tomake it better into the secondhalf of the season.The Lady Jackets have wontwice in December and that’sexactly what Williams wants.“We challenged ourselvesto take each month, look athad 14 points each for theLady Jackets, but Minoraccomplished a doubledoublewith 10 points and 10rebounds."I can't say enough aboutKayla Minor," Williams said."She played one of her bestgames I've ever seen. She hadbeen starting for us, but wasdoing so many little things(Tuesday night). She haddeflections and was all overher girl defensively. The energyour number of games and seta goal to see how many wecan win,” Williams said. “Canwe go undefeated this month?We’re taking it step by stepuntil we reach the final goalof making the playoffs.”Starkville travels onceagain in the region to takeon Northwest Rankin Fridaynight.It would be a huge lift forThe Los Angeles Angels traded Mark Trumbo to the Arizona Diamondbacks in a 3-team trade on Tuesday. (AP file photo)starter on opening day this year. He went 1-4 witha 6.04 in five starts and 16 appearances, finishingup as a reliever in an injury-interrupted season."Thanks to the A's Organization and Fans foreverything," Anderson posted on Twitter. "I'llnothing but fond memories of my time there."Of his move to Denver, he added: "PeytonManning and I are going to become best friends...fact."This marked A's general manager Billy Beane'sfourth trade in just over a week."We had a lot of starting pitching, and in theacquisition of Pomeranz, it allows us to turn backthe clock a little with another very talented lefthander,"Beane said.came from other sourcesbesides Blair and Imane."Starkville improved itsrecord to 4-2 and now looksto its second Class 6A, Region3 game of the season atNorthwest Rankin on Friday."We needed a road blockand this was a good test for usto prepare for our district gameon Friday because we knowNorthwest is a good team,"Williams said. "Going to theirhouse will always be tough."the Lady Jackets if they couldpick up their second regionvictory before 2013 comes toa close.Danny P. Smith is sportseditor and columnist for theStarkville Daily News. Theopinions in this column are hisand do not necessarily reflectthe views of the Daily News orits staff.Junior Jacob Lindgren, whowas the opening day starter lastseason, will be moved to thebullpen.“We feel like he has a chanceto be a Chad Girodo type ofguy,” Cohen said. “(He canbe) a guy that can fill in severalroles.“He’s in love with it (therole). He envisions himselfpitching in the big leagues ofout of the bullpen.”The outfield will be anchoredby seniors CT Bradfordand Demarcus Henderson.Sophomore Jacob Robson willalso get some playing time inthe outfield.40th overall selection of the2009 amateur draft and wasdealt to the Diamondbacksin August 2010 to completethe trade that brought DanHaren to Los Angeles.Skaggs made his big leaguedebut in 2012, when he hadsix starts, but spent much ofthis year in the minors. Hewas 2-3 with a 5.12 ERAin seven starts this year forArizona, leaving him with a3-6 career mark.Trumbo is eligible forsalary arbitration for the firsttime this winter. Santiago ison track to be eligible afternext season, Eaton following2015 season and Skaggs afterthe 2016 season.For Towers, the dealmeant mission accomplished.“We’ve got a guy that wecan control now for threeyears. Two of the probablybetter right-handed powerbats in the National League,”he said, “Excited for springtraining.”