The Daily Mississippian – July 11, 2012

Page 1

SUMMER DM SCHEDULE:

New fitness center OPENS in Oxford

P. 5

A look inside: Ole Miss defense

P. 8

Check us out online at theDMonline.com

T H E D A I LY

W

e d n e s d ay

, J

u l y

DURING THE SUMMER, THE DM WILL PUBLISH THREE DAYS A WEEK, TUESDAY–THURSDAY, DURING THE FIRST, SECOND AND FULL SUMMER TERMS.

11, 2012 | V

o l

. 100, N

o

. 315

MISSISSIPPIAN T h e S t u d e n t N e w s pa p e r

of

The University

of

M i ss i ss i p p i | S e r v i n g O l e M i ss

and

Oxford

since

1911

UM STUDENT CONFIRMED State fails to reform DEAD TUESDAY IN MADISON child welfare system David Bradley Taggart, 21 of Madison, was confirmed dead yesterday evening. This is the second Ole Miss student death this week, as Caroline Bartley died Sunday in a plane crash. BY JACOB BATTE jabatte@go.olemiss.edu

University of Mississippi student David Bradley Taggart, 21, was confirmed dead by Madison County Coroner Alex Breeland yesterday evening, according to WAPT of Jackson. Friends close to Taggart on campus said his death was the result of a gunshot wound. Taggart was a junior business student this past fall. Dean of Students Sparky Reardon said he had not heard anything official as of this report but the loss is devastating if true. “To lose a student is very painful to the university,” Reardon said. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, especially his brother Drew, who was Associated

CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

David Bradley Taggart

Student Body president during his time here. We’re thinking and praying for them.” The Madison Police Department could not confirm

or deny any reports Tuesday. Mitchell Diggs, University of Mississippi spokesperson and associate director of media and P.R., said Taggart had no record of being enrolled this past spring semester. David is the son of Madison lawyer Andy Taggart and his wife Karen. His brothers Drew and Rob are both currently enrolled in graduate programs at the university, law and business respectively. This is the second University of Mississippi student to have died this week. Caroline Bartley, a biology sophomore, and her parents died in a plane crash near Tupelo on Sunday. Details concerning both students’ deaths will be reported as they become available.

Three reported cases of West Nile Though no cases of West Nile Virus have been reported in North Mississippi, residents should exercise caution. BY KAYLEIGH SKINNER kaskinne@go.olemiss.edu

West Nile Virus has not disappeared in the South, despite the low number of reported cases. The Mississippi State Department of Health (MSDH) reported three human cases of the West Nile Virus (WNV) this past week. The report was last updated July 3, and three different counties have been affected this year: Hancock, Lauderdale and Lincoln. Mosquitoes in Forrest, Lincoln, Rankin and Pike county tested positive for the virus as well. Director of University Health Services Barbara Collier said no students at the University of Mississippi have come to the health center with WNV. At this point,

Lafayette County has not had any reported cases. Collier said the majority of these cases happen in the central or southern part of the state. No northern counties reported any cases of the virus this year. There were 52 reported cases last year, however, five of which resulted in death. District Health Officer Dr. Roma Taylor advises Mississippians to avoid mosquitoes entirely if possible. “They carry a lot of diseases,” Taylor said. “(WNV) is prevalent this time of year.” Taylor suggests people carry insect repellent that contains DEET. She also said make sure to remove items that will collect standing water because it is the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. Used or discarded tires have

become a popular breeding ground, too, and strong perfumes can occasionally attract them. Taylor said to be careful around dawn and dusk because those are the times of day mosquitoes are most prevalent. When possible, wear long sleeve shirts and pants. “The best prevention is preventative action,” Taylor said. Symptoms of WNV can easily go unnoticed because they can be mild. These include generalized aching, rash, headaches, nausea, vomiting and eye pain. In severe cases, the virus can cause encephalitis or meningitis which can result in death. Symptoms typically last three to six days, but informaSee WEST NILE, PAGE 4

The Mississippi Division of Family and Children’s Services failed to meet certain state-mandated reforms, leaving them vulnerable to a contempt of court lawsuit if progress is not made soon.

GRAPHIC BY WILL STROUTH | The Daily Mississippian

BY ADAM FLAHERTY gaflaher@go.olemiss.edu

Mississippi’s child welfare system has failed to show meaningful progress toward instituting court-ordered reforms, according to a recent report filed by a court-appointed monitor. The system changes are designed to improve the quality of life for children in the state’s care and protect their rights. It also includes requirements like caps on social worker caseloads and time frames for child abuse investigations. The local office of the Division of Family and Children’s Services declined to comment on the matter. The reforms were stipulated in a settlement agreement following Olivia Y. v. Barbour, a class action lawsuit brought against the state alleging that the state had violated the rights of over 3,000 children in its custody. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of the children by the nonprofit children’s advocacy organization Children’s Rights. Senior Staff Attorney at Children’s Rights Miriam Ingber described the organization as “a non-profit that focuses on child welfare.”

“We focus on changing the system through court-enforceable class-action lawsuits,” she said. Ingber said litigation that produces court-enforceable requirements for state care is a powerful tool in protecting the rights and well-being of children in state care. “There are very significant implementation problems in many areas,” she said. “Serious safety problems exist: in cases of reported abuse, almost 80 percent of children were not visited by their social worker within the time limits imposed by the agreement.” The reforms were implemented to alleviate the dismal problems plaguing the state’s child welfare system, said Ingber. “We filed our original lawsuit (in 2004) after an in-depth investigation yielded reports of overburdened caseworkers and children being placed in unsuitable homes, among other problems,” she said. In addition to the reforms mandated by the agreement reached, the court appointed a monitor to gauge the state’s progress in meeting these reSee WELFARE, PAGE 4


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.