July 24, 2020 MBJ E-EDITION

• Small Business M S B U S I N E S S . C O M

| July 24 - Aug. 6, 2020 | Vo. 43 • No. 4 • 24 pages

$40 MILLION MULTI-USE PROJECT IN FONDREN

{Section begins P12} » Volunteers have made and donated 10,400 masks on the Mississippi Gulf Coast » For small town Mississippi, the pandemic could not have come at a worse time.

• Education & Work-force Training {Section begins P16} » Coronavirus on Campus: The Financial Impact of COVID-19 in Higher Education » Colleges work around pandemic restrictions for their training programs

» Chico Patel (left) talks with colleagues at a construction site.

» Page 2

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Patels unveil $40 million mixed-use project across from their new Fondren hotel

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

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t’s as if Chico Patel is trying to upstage himself.

Patel, co-founder of the Wealth Hospitality Group, formerly Heritage Hospitality Group, revealed a plan this week for Fondren Landing, a $40 million to $42 million condominium/apartment and retail project.

In the same conversation, Patel said the Homewood Suites hotel will open July 27.

The 125-room hotel is across State Street from the next project, which will be built on one acre.

“It’s badass,” Chico Patel said of Fondren Landing in a telephone interview.

There will be 140 to 150 loft-style apartments and condos, he said.

There will be about 10,000 square feet for bars, restaurants and retail on the ground level of Fondren Landing.

Currently, Green Ghost Tacos and Fondren Guitars by Patrick are located in one building.

Work won’t actually start till about 2022, Patel said. That’s because the Fondren Station Post Office in a separate building on the site has a lease for another year or so, Patel said.

Wealth Management will handle the construction, he said. Also, there will be underground parking for residents.

The timing of the projects typifies the style Patel has established: move forward while others seemingly are still thinking about it.

Wealth Hospitality was formed in December by Patel and his cousin, Bruce Patel, who was chief executive of Tupelo-based Fusion Hospitality. Chico Patel’s brother, Mike, will be vice president for construction.

Meantime, the Homewood Suites is about ready to open its doors. It was announced in August 2017.

Staffing is in place and “we’re ready to get this thing going,” Patel said, noting that the hospitals in the medical center area of Jackson are at capacity because of the coronavirus pandemic. That means families and out-of-town physicians need a place to stay, and the extended-stay Homewood can provide that, he said.

The cousins Patel have already collaborated on projects.

Fusion and Hospitality and other investors, for instance, bought the 200-room

Cabot Lodge in Ridgeland for $3.7 million last year.

They will convert the hotel into a senior-citizen housing facility.

As of March, the new company had 59 open hotels with 5,213 rooms in seven states, including Chico Patel Alabama, Texas, Oregon, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Louisiana and Mississippi, according to Asian Hospitality magazine.

» Fondren Landing's one acre site currently occupied

by Green Ghost Tacos, Guitars by Patrick, and the Fondren Station Post Office.

Bruce Patel

July 24 - Aug. 6, 2020

Feds to decide if 2 Mississippi turtles need protection

The federal government says it will decide whether protection is needed for a freshwater turtle found only in Mississippi and a related species found in Mississippi and Louisiana.

The agreement settles a lawsuit filed in January calling for a declaration that Pearl River map turtles and Pascagoula map turtles are endangered or threatened. One is found in the Pearl River watershed in Louisiana and Mississippi, and the other only in part of Mississippi’s Pascagoula River system.

“North American turtles survived the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs, but these two species need help to live through the havoc we’re wreaking on rivers,” Jason Totoiu, a senior attorney for the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a news release Monday. “These turtles are in steep decline and need the safeguards afforded by the Endangered Species Act before it’s too late.”

The government agreed to make a decision on the turtle’s status by Oct. 29, 2021, said the statement from the Center for Biological Diversity and Healthy Gulf, another ecological nonprofit. The settlement was proposed June 12 and approved Thursday by a U.S. District Court judge in Washington, D.C. According to the lawsuit, plans for a dam in Hinds and Rankin counties in south-central Mississippi could wipe out the Pearl River map turtle by turning the rivers where it lives into a lake.

Threats to both species include both selling turtles and removing logs and snags where the turtles bask so that boats can move through more easily, Totoiu said in January. He said the turtles are sold both as pets and to Asian food and medicinal markets.

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature considers both species endangered.

Pascagoula and Pearl River map turtles are among 13 species of map turtles, named for shell markings that resemble maps. They also are called sawbacks because their shells have a central ridge that sometimes develops saw-like points.

These two species look so similar that until June 2010 — two months after environmental groups asked protection for the Pascagoula map turtle — they were considered one species.

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New rights for LGBTQ workers on collision course with religious freedom claims?

In other words, said Gorsuch in his 33-page ruling, employers can’t avoid liaay, lesbian, bility “just by citing some bi-sexual and other factor that contribtranssexual people uted to its challenged emin Mississippi no longer ployment decision. fear that their workday may TED CARTER Added the Justice: “So long end with a pink slip unrelated to as the plaintiff ’s sex was one ‘butjob performance. for cause’ of that decision, that is enough.”

The U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in As an example, consider an employmid-June instead puts the responsibility er with two employees, both of whom on employers to treat LGBTQ workers are attracted to men, Gorsuch suggested. the same as all other workers. Anything “The two individuals are, to the employless violates Title VII of the 1964 Civil er’s mind, materially identical in Rights Act, Trump-appointee Justice Neil all respects, except Gorsuch wrote in a 6-3 opinion joined by that one is a man Chief Justice John Roberts and the court’s and the other a liberal justices. woman. If the But Mississippi could be a test of how employer fires far the ruling actually reaches. In addition the male emto a workplace doctrine of “at-will” em- ployee for no ployment, it has a sweeping anti-gay reli- reason other gious freedom law, House Bill 1523, enact- than the fact ed in 2016 and upheld all the way to the he is attractU.S. Supreme Court. ed to men, And it was, after all, the Supreme the employer Court’s upholding of same-sex marriage discriminates that prompted Mississippi legislators to against him pass HB 1523, titled the Religious Liber- for traits or actions it tolerates in his feties Accommodations Act. male colleague.”

But the head of the Mississippi ACLU Or, Gorsuch continued, take an emdoes not see a potential for the state’s faith- ployer who fires a transgender person based law to become the tool to offset the who was identified as a male at birth but newly declared LGBTQ job protections. who now identifies as a Don’t look at it as a work-around to female. If the employthe Gorsuch ruling in Bostock v. Clayton er retains an otherwise County, Ga., said Tom F. Joshua, legal diidentical employee rector and interim executive director of who was identified as ACLU of Mississippi. female at birth, the “Bostock invalidates any contrary proemployer intentionalvisions of HB 1523,” Joshua insisted in ly penalizes a person an email, though lawyers for employers identified as male at in Mississippi still think the state’s law could Morgan birth for traits or acclash with precedents set in the new ruling. tions that it tolerates in Joshua said it comes down to this: “An an employee identified as female at birth. at-will employee may not be fired for dis“Again, the individual employee’s sex criminatory reasons, which include race, plays an unmistakable and impermissible color, religion, sex or national origin.” role in the discharge decision,” he said.

This is because Bostock, a case involving the dismissal of a county worker who Tolerance as a Guide joined a gay softball league, set “sex” as While Mississippi lawmakers may have a distinct characteristic but inseparable put a priority on anti-gay legislation in refrom the concepts of sexual orientation cent years, businesses in the state and elseand gender identity; it therefore includes where have preferred policies of tolerance, LGBTQ individuals, Joshua added. prompted by significant rulings from the Gorsuch suggested thinking of it as federal Equal Employment Opportunities whether an employer would keep cer- Commission in 20212 and 2015, and fedtain workers on the payroll but for their eral appellate decisions since then.

LGBTQ lifestyles.

There’s no longer a block on the courtBy TED CARTER mbj@msbusiness.com

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room door, say LGBTQ worker rights advocates.

Steven Cupp, an employment lawyer with Fisher & Phillips in Gulfport, said the high court’s constitutional validation of same-sex marriage led him to anticipate a ruling that tied LGBTQ worker rights to protections included in Title VII of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Most important, said Cupp, he needed to prepare for a sizable uptick in cases on behalf of employers.

The ruling in favor of Gerald Bostock and two deceased plaintiffs from a pair of other cases will have a “far-reaching impact on employment law,” he said. “We’re going to see a lot of litigation.”

The reason is Mississippi’s Religious Restoration Act, Cupp said.

“It will be especially interesting when Mom & Pops start raising issues of religious freeCupp dom,” he said.

Cupp cited Gorsuch’s statement in the ruling that a need to protect a business owner’s religious beliefs “could raise serious issues” under a 1993 federal religious freedoms restoration law.

But use this argument at your own risk, Cupp said. “Aren’t you admitting that this is the reason you fired this person?”

Cupp wondered aloud how “something like this,” a tacit admission of the cause of the firing, proceeds. “Is it up to a jury” to decide questions of religious faith?

“I see this a very slippery as we move along,” he said.

In the meantime, employers must See LGBTQ, Page 5

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State’s case against solar panel firm settled for $2.5 million Circuit Court Judge Tomie T. Green.

The dismissal with prejudice means that the case cannot be n April 13, a case pursued again. against Stion Solar Stion Solar, which had been that at one point manufacturing photovoltaic film had been valued at $93 million JACK WEATHERLY and cells, was no longer a part of the was settled for $2.5 million case, having relinquished control of what with the signature of Hinds County

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

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was left of the manufacturer to a firm specializing in disposing of failed companies.

Stion shut its manufacturing doors in Hattiesburg in October 2017.

The Mississippi Development Authority had lent Stion $75 million.

As of June 22, the MDA said in an email in response to a Mississippi Business Journal query that “the state has received $15,149,658

Panelists include:

MOLLY BRASFIELD

University of Mississippi Medical Center

LINDSAY THOMAS DOWDLE Jones Walker LLP

CAROL HARRIS

Mississippi Development Authority

And:

Date: August 25, 2020 Location: Virtual Time: 11:30am-12:30pm

ANNA WOLFE Mississippi Today

To purchase tickets or sponsorships, or for more information, please visit https://bit.ly/2NnWAa0

in interest only payments and $732,838 toward the principal balance.”

“The company has $74,127,360 in outstanding principal and $789,446 in accrued interest.”

Yet, the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office stated an email to the Journal on July 7 that “there is no pending case against Stion Solar.

“The State determined that the cost of pursuing a claim against Stion was not worth the potential benefit.

“However, the State did litigate against DSI (Development Specialists, Inc.), which managed Stion’s assets after it failed.

DSI settled and paid MDA $2.5 million.”

The MDA endorsed the message from the attorney general’s office.

San Jose, Calif.-based Stion Solar opened the factory in Hattiesburg in 2011, with the hope of creating at least 1,000 jobs and attracting $500 million in investments in the first six years.

In November 2013, Khosla Ventures took a controlling sharein the venture.

Then-State Auditor Stacy Pickering said in March 2018 that Stion Solar in Hattiesburg owed the state $93 million in its failed effort.

During Gov. Haley Barbour’s two fouryear terms, from 2004 through 2012, the state made a stake in some ambitious, but ultimately failed, start-ups.

Khosla Ventures,founded by billionaire Vinod Khosla, was behind another alt-energy venture in Mississippi, KiOR, which failed to produce biocrude in a commercial viable amount.

More than five years ago, the state of Mississippi sued billionaire Vinod Khosla and others, contending that they knew that bankrupt firm KiOR had poor prospects for success in making biocrude oil but misled the state into making the company a $75 million no-interest loan.

The KiOR Inc. Liquidation Trust subsequently sued officers in the KiOR project for misleading presentation of the endeavor.

Twin Creeks Technologies, a facility for which was built in Senatobia at a cost of $27.7 million by the state for the solar-panel manufacturer, closed without producing marketable panels.

The state eventually leased the building and then-Gov. Phil Bryant said he expected the state to make full recovery.

The MDA said last week that the state is still receiving payments on the project from the city of Senatobia from the current tenant, ABB Low Voltage Technology, a Swiss-Swedish firm.

The failure of the Mississippi Power Co. “clean-coal” facility in Kemper County cost taxpayers no money but overran projections by $4.5 billion as it failed to produce synthetic coal gas on a marketable scale.

July 24 - Aug. 6, 2020

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» Analysis

Session brings wide range of new Mississippi laws

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ississippi is enacting a wide range of laws based on bills passed during this year’s legislative session, including some that separately regulate wine, school buses and scooters.

Mississippi residents who visit wineries in other states will be able to have bottles of wine shipped back home, in a roundabout way. House Bill 1088 will become law Jan. 1.

It says a person may purchase wine from a winery and have it shipped to a package retail store in Mississippi, and that package store will ensure that the Mississippi Department of Revenue collects all taxes, fees and surcharges that the state is owed — expenses that will, presumably, come from the wallet of the consumer and not from the retailer acting as the middle man.

School bus drivers may now go as fast as 65 mph on interstate highways, up from a previous limit of 50 mph. That change is in House Bill 1176, which became law July 1.

Vicksburg and Jackson received permission to regulate motor-assisted scooters on certain city streets, through Senate Bills 2921 and 3036.

Gautier and Walnut Grove received permission to let people drive golf carts of other lowspeed vehicles on city streets, through Senate Bill 3033 and House Bill 2150. Another measure, House Bill 1468, clarifies the types of regulations that Pass Christian may set for people puttering along in such vehicles.

The bills dealing with scooters and golf carts are “local and private” legislation, which deal with issues in specific cities or counties.

In a local and private measure unrelated to golf carts or scooters, House Bill 1586 let Coahoma County spend local money for specific projects — up to $2 million for costs related to a new justice complex and a new fire station, and up to $2 million toward construction of a Jonestown highway bypass.

Other local and private bills allow several cities to either extend existing taxes or set new ones. The taxes on restaurant meals and hotel and motel stays typically pay for parks and

recreation programs.

One new statewide law prohibits convicted sex offenders from having further contact with their victims. Senate Bill 2009 became law July 1. It says that a convicted sex offender may not “threaten, visit, assault, molest, abuse, injure or otherwise interfere with the victim,” including by following EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS the person to work, school or home or by contacting the victim by phone, written communication or electronic means. Violation is punishable by five to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.

A judge could grant exception for contact at the request of the

victim or the victim’s parent, guardian or conservator “if the court determines that reasonable grounds for the victim to fear any future contact with the defendant no longer exist.”

Republican Sen. Brice Wiggins of Pascagoula is chairman of the Judiciary B Committee, which was the first to examine the bill. Wiggins is a former prosecutor, and he said it has been standard practice in some court districts to have sentencing orders that prohibit sex offenders from having further contact with victims. But, he said those could differ “from place to place and judge to judge.”

Wiggins said some convicted sex offenders have tried, while inside prison, to contact their victims.

“It puts these criminals who have been convicted on notice that if they violate that, it creates another crime that they’ve committed,” Wiggins said Friday.

Another new law requires the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services to form teams to assess and respond to children who are victims of human trafficking and commercial sexual exploitation. This requirement is in House Bill 1559, which became law July 8. » EMILY WAGSTER PETTUS has covered Mississippi government and politics since 1994. Follow her on Twitter: http:// twitter.com/EWagsterPettus.

LGBTQ

Continued from Page 3

prepare to operate under new rules, said Cupp, advising a first step should be a review of the company anti-discrimination policies. If they don’t have policies on gender transfers, put them in, he said.

“Make sure your reporting-and-retaliation proceedings are up to speed,” Cupp added.

That is the easy part. Instilling attitudes of tolerance among managers could be a tougher task, but efforts must be made to “engage in appropriate training of supervisors.”

Like Cupp, Jackson employment lawyer Mary Clay Morgan saw a strong likelihood LGBTQ workers would eventually gain the same rights as their heterosexual co-workers.

“I have been recommending to my clients that they act under the assumption that sexual orientation and gender identity would eventually be recognized as protected classes under Title VII,” said Morgan, a partner with Bradley Arant Boult Cummings, in an email.

Getting equal employment opportunity and harassment policies up to date has been a main focus, she said.

Informing and training supervisors on the new workplace protections have also been an emphasis, Morgan said, adding it is equally important for employers to update their employee training materials to ensure that any equal employment opportunity and harassment training makes clear to all employees that LGBTQ employees are protected.

It’s further important that employers understand the ruling protects all employees from discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity, Morgan noted. “It doesn’t matter whether the orientation is gay or straight.”

Cupp and Morgan emphasize that Bostock should be at the forefront of hiring decisions as well as actions to address workplace harassment. “Refusal to hire someone on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity is now prohibited under Title VII,” Morgan said.

Expect LGBTQ worker rights issues to become even more prevalent in the years ahead, including questions of spousal benefits for same-sex couples, Cupp said.

“I think people are going to feel more comfortable about coming out,” he said.

“And that shouldn’t be a reason” for retaliation.

PERSPECTIVE July 24 - Aug. 6, 2020 • www.msbusiness.com • Page 6

» INSIDE MISSISSIPPI

Hard won change comes to reluctant Mississippi

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hese are still “times that try men’s souls,” Mr. Paine, but not as they did in your time.

When you penned these famous words in your pamphlet “The Crisis,” the passionate issue was freedom from English tyranny.

“Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered,” you wrote, as you belittled the “summer soldier” and “sunshine patriot” who “shrink from the service of their country.”

Not all agreed and heeded your words, but enough people did that independence was won and the United States born.

Today, the passionate issue is freedom from the tyranny of “Tyranny, racism. Not like hell, is all agree, but enough do not easily that change, conquered” at long last, is spreading across America (and Mississippi). Racism, like tyranny and hell, is not easily conquered.

And the enemy is not a wayward king on a distant island, but our own wayward brothers and sisters.

As American independence was not won quickly or easily, American unprejudicedness will not be either. The last 150 years have shown us this change will take much longer.

As in Thomas Paine’s time, school graduate in 1967, as the winning takes the sacrifices first black justice on the Misand perseverance of many sissippi Supreme Court. patriots. We have seen that In the late 1990s more since Reconstruction in ohwhite leaders felt able to join so-reluctant-to-change MisWilliam Winter as champisissippi from black martyrs ons of “racial reconciliation,” of the civil rights movement e.g., former federal judge and like Medgar Evers, Rev. George BILL CRAWFORD conservative Republican leader Lee, Herbert Lee, Vernon Dahmer, Charles Pickering. Chancellor Robert and Wharlest Jackson; from thousands of Khayat could ban the rebel flag and Dixblack Americans shot and lynched, often ie at Ole Miss and establish the William for no more reason than the color of their Winter Institute for Racial Reconciliation. skin; from whites standing up to racism Still, racism in Mississippi persisted, being ostracized, run out of town, or their though more in hearts and minds than the businesses boycotted; and from white pol- public arena, e.g. in 2001 64 percent of iticians thrashed at the polls because they voters chose to retain the state flag bearing were perceived as soft on race. the divisive Confederate battle flag.

When House Speaker Philip Gunn, a conFederal actions in the 1960s could force change quickly on Mississippi, but not in servative Republican, courageously pushed prevailing white attitudes. But change they changing the flag to the forefront this year, have as leaders, black and white, perse- you could see the issue still trying the souls vered. By the late 1970s white politicians of many white legislators. But most did not with “moderate” views on race could get shrink and, so, struck a resounding blow elected, e.g., William Winter as governor against the tyranny of racism, a remarkable in 1979, and conservative House Speaker win for all those who sacrificed and perseBuddie Newman in 1977 could appoint vered in reluctant Mississippi.

“Let your light shine before others, that they Robert Clark, the House’s first African-American member elected in 1967, may see your good deeds and glorify your Father as the first black committee chairman. By in heaven” – Matthew 5:16.

1985, Gov. Bill Allain could appoint Reuben Anderson, the first black Ole Miss law » BILL CRAWFORD is a syndicated columnist from Jackson.

Useful bellwethers for Mississippi

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uring this pandemic, there are daily “bellewether” and refers to the practice of placing a bell statistics, trends, charts, and other data around the neck of a castrated ram (a wether) leading offered to the public. It’s difficult to the flock of sheep. A shepherd could then note the make sense of it all. movements of the flock by hearing the bell, even when What’s the real current status? What does the flock was not in sight. In other words, a bellweththe future hold? Which numbers should we pay er is something, that either leads or indicates trends or attention to? Number of cases, percent increase in forthcoming activity or outcomes. It can be an individual, a phil hardwick cases, deaths per capita, hospitalizations per capita, or company, an activity, a place, or data. something else? Are there data To determine a bellwether for coronavirus infections it is useful that can reliably predict the to understand which actions or activities have the highest risk? number of cases? And if so, can The Texas Medical Association recently released a chart listing it aid us in deciding which acbehaviors from low risk to high risk. Playing tennis and pumping tivities we should or should not gasoline (thank goodness) are at the low risk section of the chart. participate in? What we need is Going to a bar and eating at a buffet are in the high risk section. a reliable bellwether.

Eating inside at a restaurant is of moderate-high risk. Useful According to the Merriinformation, for sure. The Texas Medical Association chart can be am-Webster Dictionary, a bell- found online at –www.texmed.org/TexasMedicineDetail.aspxwether is a leader, pacemaker ?Pageid=46106&id=53977. or trendsetter. The term comes See BELLWETHERS, Page 21 from the Middle English

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PERSPECTIVE

July 24 - Aug. 6, 2020

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The U.S. Supreme Court and sexual orientation A discharge any individual, or otherwise to discrimt 9 a.m. CST, Monday, June 15, 2020, inate against any individual with respect to his 21 days into a reenergized civil compensation, terms, conditions, or privileges rights movement, the Supreme of employment, because of such individual’s Court of the United States released its race, color, religion, sex, or national origin.” opinion in Bostock v Clayton County, Georgia. Under neoteric COVID-19 For 56 years, Title VII was interpreted to procedures, disseminations of the ruling not provide sexual orientation protection. occurred online rather than being nobly While conceding that the word “sex” referred announced by the Justice-author from the “only to biological distinctions between male ben williams Court’s winged, mahogany bench. and female,” the Court seemingly hinged its new Bostock proclaimed a ginormous change in the expansive interpretation on the “because of” language. law – immediate protection under Title VII of the Civil This anodyne phrase, according to the Court, incorporated Rights Act of 1964 for homosexual and transgender per- a “’simple’ and ‘traditional’ standard of but-for causation.” sons from employment discrimination.

In Gorsuch’s words: “[I]t is impossible to discriminate against a person for being homosexual or transgender withThe Consolidated Cases & Certiorari out discriminating against that individual based on sex.”

Although styled as Bostock v Clayton County, Georgia, The Court determined the 1964 law all along protectthe ruling involved three separate employment termina- ed sexual origination and we (and they) just didn’t know tions: a gay employee in Georgia [11th Circuit], a gay em- it. Gorsuch schools us on the “canon of donut holes” and ployee in New York [2nd Circuit] and a transgender em- “no-elephants-in mouseholes canon.” As he sees it, “[t] ployee in Michigan [6th Circuit]. The 11th Circuit ruled his elephant has never hidden in a mousehole; it has been for the employer, and the 2nd and 6th Circuits ruled for standing before us all along.” One assumes the dissenters the employees. Exercising its discretion, the Court “grant- resemble three blind mice. ed certiorari … to resolve at last the disagreement among Chief Justice Roberts, a recurring conservative, along the courts of appeals.” with the four traditionally liberal members of the Court – Justices Breyer, Ginsburg, Kagan and Sotomayor – all The Question The question taken up by the Court was typically nar- signed onto Gorsuch’s fertile opinion. row and specific: “Whether discrimination against an em- The Dissent ployee because of sexual orientation constitutes prohibitIn his dissent, Alito leads with a full-frontal assault: ed employment discrimination ‘because of…sex’ within the “There is only one word for what the Court has done tomeaning of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.” day: legislation. The document that the Court releases is in the form of a judicial opinion interpreting a statute, but The Ruling In a watershed 6-3 ruling, the Court held that Title VII that is deceptive.”

The second-generation immigrant’s forceful dissent protected homosexuals and transgenders from discrimidoesn’t stop there. In describing the majority’s “blinkered nation in the workplace. Justice Gorsuch – a former U.S. approach,” he uses colorful language: “usurping,” “brazen circuit judge nominated by President Trump in Februabuse,” “preposterous,” “fooled,” “arrogance is breathtakary 2017 and confirmed by the Senate in April 2017 on ing,” “stubborn refusal,” “defies belief,” “considerable aua largely partisan 54-45 vote – penned the 32 pages of the dacity,” “wild understatement,” “totally disregard,” “jaw majority opinion.

The legislation at issue – promoted by President Ken- dropping statement,” “brusque refusal,” “irresponsible,” nedy before his assassination and signed by President and “severe impact.”

Kavanaugh, likely bruised from his televised 2018 conJohnson into law before Gorsuch was born – made it fi rmation, adopts a more moderate tone. His primary ob“unlawful … for an employer to fail or refuse to hire or to jection similarly relates to the separation of powers – that the “responsibility to amend » RICKy NOBLE Title VII belongs to Congress and the President in the legislative process.” He points to the first 10 courts of appeals and 30 federal judges to consider the issue, all of which and whom concluded Title VII offered no such protection. He observes it was only in the “last few years” that a few federal courts have embraced “a novel and creative argument.”

Kavanaugh benignantly suggests the majority has “succumbed to ‘the natural desire that beguiles judges along with other human beings into imposing their own views of goodness, truth, and justice upon others.’”

Notable Qualifications and Exceptions

Title VII governs employers with 15 or more employees, a statutory threshold designed to evoke the Commerce Clause power. Another limiting provision is an exemption for a ”religious corporation, association, educational institution, or society.” The majority hat tips this carveout and gives juridical shout-outs to the First Amendment and Religious Freedom Restoration Act (“a kind of super statute”).

This opinion does not involve constitutional rights. The protections in the Civil Rights Act are statutory – and what the Supreme Court judicially giveth, Congress can taketh away – or limit or expand. Don’t forget to vote.

My Take

Although I support a legislative expansion of Title VII to prohibit sexual orientation discrimination, I find the minority opinions persuasive. Under our Constitution, this decision belongs to Congress and not to the smallest, unelected branch of the federal government. Congress did not intend, in 1964, to provide such protection. Even Justice Ginsburg recognized during oral arguments that “back in 1964, … in many states male same-sex relations was a criminal offense; the American Psychiatric Association labeled homosexuality a … mental illness.”

To its discredit, Congress attempted but failed to amend the law. But its failure doesn’t trigger some recondite constitutional provision authorizing the Court to add a codicil. Instead, when Congress fails to carry out the will of the people, the concerned citizenry should assemble, speak freely, protest, petition, donate and vote.

The consequences of Gorsuch’s opinion will be understandably embraced by a majority of our electorate. But the opinion itself, and the means to get there – usurpation of another branch’s power – isn’t cause for celebration.

Anyway, more than five decades after passage, in another century, without any public debate as to amendment or official action by the House, Senate or President, and then without advance notice of effectiveness giving employers an opportunity to plan, we now have a significantly expanded federal law.

I resort, once again, to a sagacious adage from Justice Scalia: “[A] system of government that makes the People subordinate to a committee of nine unelected lawyers does not deserve to be called a democracy.” » BEN WILLIAMS, the author, is a Mississippi attorney. Email Ben at Ben2020MS@gmail.com. FORD WILLIAMS, the artist, is a 2020 graduate of Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) in Georgia.

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July 24 - Aug. 6, 2020

PERSPECTIVE

» spin cycle

Americans feel misunderstood by the media T ensions inside American newsrooms understood, and again, no single reason domihave emerged amid the recent pronates. But on this question, the divides by race tests over the killing of George and ethnicity are often not nearly as large.

Floyd while in police custody, including Divides do emerge between political clashes between reporters and editors and parties and other demographic groups in concerns about newsroom diversity. whether they feel news organizations understand them. For instance, Republicans and While a recent study shows Blacks give Republican-leaning independents are far more high marks to the news media’s coverage of todd smith likely to feel the news media misunderstand them the protests, a national survey conducted bethan Democrats and Democratic leaners (73 percent fore the protests found deep divides between racial and ethnic groups in feelings of how the news media vs. 47 percent). Male adults are somewhat more likely than female adults to feel this, and those ages 18 to 29 are more represent them.

While most Americans say that the news media do not likely to say this than those older than them.

Divides between the parties and demographic groups understand them, Black, Hispanic and Whites often cite very different reasons for why they are misunderstood, ac- also emerge when it comes to why they feel misundercording to a Pew Research Center survey conducted Feb. stood, though these divides are often not as large as by race and ethnicity, particularly when it comes to the feeling that 18-March 2, 2020.

Overall, 59 percent of Americans think news organizations their personal characteristics are misunderstood. do not understand people like them, while a minority – 37 percent – say they do feel understood. This feeling is about Google Updates Newsroom Analytics on par with the last time the question was asked in 2018.

Tools While no one reason dominates when looking at all Google has launched new tools for newsrooms to better Americans, sizable gaps exist between racial and ethnic understand their online audiences and how those audiencgroups in why they feel misunderstood. Roughly similar es feed into their overall business. portions of Blacks (58 percent), Hispanics (55 percent) These efforts are part of the broader Google News Iniand Whites (61 percent) say the news media misunder- tiative, introduced in 2018 as a way for the search giant stand them, but they cite markedly different reasons for to back quality journalism and find other ways to support this misunderstanding. the industry. Since then, Google has introduced two jourBlacks are far more likely than the other two groups to nalism-focused products at the top of feel that the misunderstanding is based on their race or Google Analytics – News Consumer some other demographic trait. Among Black adults who Insights, which is designed to think the news media do not understand people like help publishers grow their audithem, about a third (34 percent) say the main way they ences and become more profitare misunderstood is their personal characteristics. This able, as well as Realtime Content is far higher than the 10 percent of White adults and 17 Insights, which is aimed at helping percent of Hispanic adults who say the same. newsrooms tap into what’s trending, Whites, on the other hand, are far more likely than the according to TechCrunch. other groups to say the problem stems from political misGoogle has introduced version 2.0 of both News Conunderstandings. Of White adults who say news organi- sumer Insights and Realtime Content Insights, while also zations misunderstand them, nearly four-in-ten (39 per- adding a new feature called the News Tagging Guide. cent) say it’s mostly based on their political views. About NTG should make it easier for publishers to collect the a quarter of Hispanic Americans say the same, and both data they need. That falls into three broad categories: vidgroups are higher than Black Americans (15 percent). eo analytics, user engagement and reader revenue. PubAll three racial or ethnic groups are about on par in lishers can select the category and the specific types of data thinking that the news media misunderstand their social they want to track, and Google will provide JavaScript for and economic class. copying/pasting onto their website to start feeding that A similar question was posed to those who feel the news data into Google Analytics. media do understand them, asking how they are most Meanwhile, the News Consumer Insights product now

includes personalized recommendations for the publisher.

And Realtime Content Insights have been expanded to include similar data about video content, as well as historic performance data, so publishers can see which stories performed best in a given period of time.

RCI also tracks social sharing and engagement, and identifies which stories are doing better with casual readers versus loyal readers (who visit more than once a month) versus brand loyalists (who visit at least 15 times a month).

Country Mic: Charlie Daniels Rosins His Bow for a Heavenly Audience

Charlie Daniels has taken his fiddle and sho’ nuff country swagger to a much higher audience.

The legendary Country Music Hall of Famer, most known for his classic ballad “The Devil Went Down to Georgia,” who crossed into pop, Southern rock, and rock ‘n’ roll, died on July 6 at age 83 after suffering a major stroke.

The icon recorded with the likes of Bob Dylan and was a major supporter of U.S. veterans, too.

By the time the Charlie Daniels Band topped the charts with “Devil” in 1979, the instrumentalist, singer and songwriter had long established a remarkable, multifaceted career in Nashville. As a session musician, he played on three of Bob Dylan’s albums – including the revolutionary “Nashville Skyline” – as well as recordings for Ringo Starr and Leonard Cohen.

He was a fixture of the touring circuit for more than four decades and entered into the digital age as one of country music’s most celebrated voices.

A native of Wilmington, N.C., Daniels grew up inspired by gospel and bluegrass music and learned his craft listening to Nashville’s radio stalwarts WSM and WLAC, See MISUNDERSTOOD, Page 9

July 24 - Aug. 6, 2020

MISUNDERSTOOD

Continued from Page 8

which pumped country and blues music to much of the nation on the most powerful radio waves of the era.

Daniels rolled into Music City in the late 1960s and set down roots that made him world famous. By chance, in 1969 Daniels subbed for an absent guitarist during a Dylan recording session – and the rock legend would have no other for his upcoming sessions. Daniels cut two more Dylan albums “Self Portrait” and “New Morning,” while skyrocketing in his country career.

“The Devil Went Down to Georgia” smashed the country charts in 1979 – and became an iconic crossover hit – climbing to No. 3 on Billboard’s Hot 100 behind The Knack’s “My Sharona” and Earth Wind and Fire’s “After the Love Has Gone.”

The song won Daniels a Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, and it was branded into the history books a year later when Daniels and his band performed it in the “Urban Cowboy” movie.

In 1994, Daniels returned to the gospel music that influenced him as a child, releasing his first Christian album, “The Door.” The record would yield Daniels his first of three Grammy Award nominations for Southern gospel recordings. He would earn his last Grammy Award nomination in 2005, for Country Instrumental Performance on “I’ll Fly Away.”

Daniels helped launch Blue Hat Records in 1997, a label home for late career releases the likes of “Road Dogs” and Dylan tribute collection, “Off The Grid.”

At age 70, he joined other country music legends enshrined as a Grand Ole Opry member, where he regularly performed until his death.

In 2016, Daniels earned a top honor for any Nashville musician: a place alongside the all-time greats in the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. Entering at nearly 80 years old, he joined Randy Travis and Fred Foster for that year’s Hall of Fame class.

Somewhere, beyond the Pearly Gates, one of the greatest fiddlers of all time has joined an angelic choir, rosined up his bow – and is once again chasing the devil out of town!

Each week, The Spin Cycle will bestow a Golden Mic Award to the person, group or company in the court of public opinion that best exemplifies the tenets of solid PR, marketing and advertising – and those who don’t. Stay tuned – and step-up to the mic!

And remember … Amplify Your Brand! » TODD SMITH is co-founder, president and chief executive officer of Deane | Smith, a full-service branding, PR, marketing and advertising firm with offices in Jackson. The firm – based in Nashville, Tenn.

– is also affiliated with Mad Genius. Contact him at todd@deanesmithpartners.com, follow him @spinsurgeon and like the ageny on Facebook at https:// www.facebook.com/deanesmithpartners, and join us on LinkedIn http://www.linkedin.com/company/ deane-smith-&-partners.

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Google selects Southaven site for Mississippi Operations Center

G

oogle has announced that it will be opening its first U.S. Google Operations Center in Southaven. The Operations Center will provide customer and operations support to Google’s customers and users around the world.

“This Google Operations Center represents a critical investment for the company and we look forward to being an active member of the local community for years to come,” said Troy Dickerson, VP Google Operations Center. “The new site will give us the opportunity to hire amazing local talent and we are confident that the Southaven community will be a great home for our Operations Center.”

The company will lease a new 60,000 square foot facility from Panattoni Development located at 5665 Airways Boulevard and anticipates the site will be operational in summer 2021. Google will establish a temporary office in nearby Memphis while the Southaven site is under construction.

Customer Support Associates working out of the Operations Center will provide customer service to Google users by assisting with tasks ranging from product troubleshooting, operational support, and more. The company has kicked off recruiting efforts and intends to hire from the great local talent in the region, with the goal of hiring 100 employees by the end of the year.

“Google is a titan in the global economy and we are honored to have their firstclass operation in our city,” said Southaven Mayor Darren Musselwhite. “It’s a great testament to our city and people that such a fine organization has chosen us as their newest home. I look forward to seeing the career opportunities this will provide for our people and the joint success that the City of Southaven, DeSoto County, State of Mississippi, and Google will enjoy together for many years in the future.”

“I am truly honored and excited that Google has chosen to open their new operations in Mississippi,” said Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves.

“This is a true testament to our skilled workforce and the increasing economic strength of our great state. Mississippi and the Southaven community welcome Google with open arms, and we look forward to growing this partnership and creating opportunities for success for years to come.”

“Google’s decision to locate more

than 100 jobs and their first U.S. Operations Center in Mississippi is a testament to our state’s great workers and pro-growth policies,” said Senator Roger Wicker. “I am glad to welcome one of the most innovative companies in the world to Southaven.”

“Southaven is a great place to live, work, and play. Google will receive a warm welcome and find an excellent home here,” said Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith. “Mississippi continues to attract companies across a variety of business sectors, and it’s exciting to have Google contributing to the growing tech economy in our state.”

“Mississippi is known for its outstanding workforce and business friendly climate,” said Representative Trent Kelly.

“This winning combination makes for a

solid investment. We are thankful to have the first U.S. Google Operations Center in Southaven.”

A college degree is not required in order to meet the minimum qualifications for a Google Operations Center Customer Support Associate and Google will provide competitive wages and comprehensive health care. For more information on open positions, you can visit www. googleoperationscenter.com/jobs.

“Our team is very pleased to be able to develop and build this unique, 1st of its kind U.S. Operations Center for Google,” said Whitfield Hamilton, Partner for Panattoni Development. “We have been developing in Southaven and DeSoto County for over 20 years, and it is great to have a company of Google’s stature choose this quality community and workforce. We look forward to smoothly delivering their new home on schedule.”

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July 24 - Aug. 6, 2020

NASA Invests $51 Million in Innovative Ideas from U.S. Small Businesses

ASA has selected 409 technology proposals for the first phase of funding from the agency’s Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) program. The contracts will provide approximately $51 million to 312 small businesses in 44 states and Washington, D.C.

The selections include seven projects managed by Stennis Space Center.

“NASA depends on America’s small businesses for innovative technology development that helps us achieve our wide variety of missions,” said Jim Reuter, associate administrator for NASA’s Space Technology Mission Directorate in Washington.

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“Whether we’re landing Artemis astronauts on the Moon, sending rovers to Mars, or developing next-generation aircraft our small business partners play an important role.”

More than 100 of the selected companies will be first-time

recipients of a NASA SBIR or STTR contract. Additionally, 27 percent of the small businesses are from underrepresented groups, including minority and women-owned businesses.

Companies will receive up to $125,000 for each of the Phase I selections. SBIR awards are made to only a small business, while STTR awards are made to a small business in partnership with a non-profit research institution.

The selected proposals represent a range of technologies that aim to benefit human exploration, including NASA’s Artemis program, as well as science, technology, and aeronautics. Many of the innovations also have potential applications on Earth.

The following are among the selections.

• Opterus Research and Development in Fort Collins, Colorado, was selected for an SBIR award to develop high-power solar arrays to provide power on the Moon, Mars, and onboard spacecraft.

• Architecture Technology Corporation in Eden Prairie, Minnesota, was selected for an SBIR contract to advance a safe and efficient air traffic control system for urban transportation systems in the sky. The system could help cities plan for commercial air taxi services.

• CU Aerospace in Champaign, Illinois, was selected for an SBIR award to develop a compact sterilizer for use on spacecraft materials and throughout the medical industry, including personal protective equipment.

• Paragon Space Development Corporation in Tucson, Arizona, was selected for an SBIR award to mature a system to collect and purify water found on the Moon.

The research and development could inform how to generate products with local materials in space.

• Aegis Technology in Santa Ana, California, was selected for an STTR award in partnership with Cornell University to develop low cost lithium-ion batteries with more desirable performance, including longer lifespans. The batteries could benefit hybrid electric or all-electric power generation.

The seven selected projects to be managed by Stennis include five SBIR and two STTR selections. The SBIR projects are: • “Composite Facility Components,” Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories, LLC in Tullahoma, Tennessee. Gloyer-Taylor has developed a novel composite system for cryogen storage and transfer. This project seeks to demonstrate the use of a novel composite See NASA, Page 15

July 24 - Aug. 6, 2020

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» Call of water, road fueling sales of boats and RV's

By JACK WEATHERLY jack.weatherly@msbusiness.com

I

t's too much of a good thing in a bad situation.

Sales of recreational vehicles and boats have hit records across the nation and Mississippi.

That came after the first coronavirus lockdown and then the lifting of it.

People had been isolated in their homes and naturally wanted to get free.

Nothing like taking a camper or cruiser on the highway or launching a fast boat on a lake, river or the Gulf.

No masks – and the opportunity to take a deep breath of freedom.

“It's unbelievable,” said Jesse Holcomb, sales manager for Midway Marine in Fulton.

He, of course, was talking about boat sales, but he could've been speaking about RV sales or for buyers.

Midway took a gamble when the virus first made major inroads in the country. It bought more boats than usual.

“We bought when everybody was scared to,” Holcomb said.

“Sales were up 25 percent from this time last year,” he said.

Manufacturers are “slowly opening back up,” but, as with so many dealers, boats on the lot are way down, 25 percent of normal,

Holcomb said.

Phil Demarie, sales manager for Dad's Camper Outlet in Picayune, said that after a two-week, ordered lockdown in April, the months of May and June set records for the dealership.

The average sales price is about $25,000, Demarie said, adding that “a lot of people are paying cash.”

Demarie said he saw a similar trend after Hurricane Katrina wrecked New Orleans, along with the Mississippi Coast.

Thousands of autos were lost and there was a great need for replacements.

But in this case, there is a different need, even psychological, as many Americans have sought counseling to deal with depression brought on by isolation.

Many factors play into the buying spree.

Hotels are restrictive, many requiring the wearing of masks. Same for restaurants, which in Mississippi limit seating to 50 percent of capacity. Not to mention commercial air travel.

Also, fuel is cheap.

Eddie Smith, owner of Duncan Marine in Brandon, said manufacturing goes beyond the companies that make the boats.

Parts makers can be the problem, he said, citing a case where waiting for a $25 part is blocking the sale of a $50,000 boat.

“Sales have been great,” Smith said, but his

» Eddie Smith, owner of Duncan Marine, shows off a 20-foot Ranger bass boat.

inventory is suffering. Still, Duncan Marine has not had to lay off any of its 13 employees, Smith said.

Lisa Furlan, owner of Furlan's Marine in Gautier, said that sales “have been definitely above normal, to put it mildly.”

“It's been, I guess, just a blessing in the middle of a mess,” Furlan said.

Photo by Jack Weatherly

She guessed that sales have been made with money that had otherwise been put aside for vacations.

She said dealers all along the coast have had excellent sales.

“How long will it last?, I don't know. Does anybody know?”

small business July 24 - Aug. 6, 2020 • Mississippi Business Journal • www.msbusiness.com

Volunteers have made and donated 10,400 masks on the Mississippi Gulf Coast

By BECKY GILLETTE mbj@msbusiness.com

H

eather Miller’s day job is budget manager for the offices of the vice president and vice provost, The University of Southern Mississippi . When she began her coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) quarantine in March, she felt overwhelmingly helpless.

“I didn't know what to do, other than work,” Miller said.

“I'm not a medical professional, but I am a helper and definitely have a volunteer spirit. I firmly believe in supporting members in my community, and giving of myself whenever feasible. When I saw a need for fabric masks, I began looking for an avenue to make donations. I saw the WLOX news story featuring Barbara-Lynn Matula and the endeavors she and her small group of sewists had embarked upon, and I decided to reach out. I joined the group and jumped right in.”

The two women are part of the Mississippi Sewing

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fun print because it isn’t as scary," she said.

Matula was heartened by all the people who donated fabric and other supplies. When she first posted on Facebook in March, materials came in within hours.

With concerns about COVID-19 rates increasing, the demand for masks has not gone away.

“The need skyrocketed in the last four days and we are out of fabric or close to,” Matula said in mid-July. “So, I have been going to What’s Your Stitch in Long Beach and Joann Fabric Store online to get fabric and the vinyl for the open-faced masks.”

While she doesn’t claim to be a professional seamstress, Miller has done a lot of sewing focused on clothing and costumes for conventions. To figure out how to sew masks, she turned to YouTube. She watched several videos until she found a pattern and technique that she liked that she could sew both quickly and effectively. Some are simple and others, like her Eagle mask, are very artistic.

Some experts say that cloth masks aren't as effective as something like an N-95. But cloth masks have been recommended to help preserve personal protection equipment (PPE) for People Lease allows smaller businesses to offer healthcare workers as those supplies have the same benefits as much larger companies been in short supply, particularly at the which boosts employee engagement and retention. start of the pandemic.

While she isn’t a medical professional, Benefits for your business: and cannot comment specifically on the efPayroll Administration fectiveness of a fabric mask, Miller recomTax Administration Time & Attendance mends interested persons engage in their I-9 Management own reading and research through reputaCompliance ble sources.

Human Resources Pay-As-You-Go Workers Comp “My personal opinion is that fabric Benefit Management masks are a viable option for the person Garnishment Management inclined to wear a mask who does not wish to add to the current strain on the medical Small business owners spend over 25% of their time on PPE supply chain,” Miller said. “It is my HR tasks. Partnering with People Lease allows business understanding that the recommendation leaders to spend their time on high-value activities that has been to reserve medical PPE for medihelp them move towards their business goals. cal professionals.”

As to designs, Miller initially made the pleated mask, but found that it was time consuming and that the size options were limited without having to draft her own pattern. She found a contoured mask

group. Their goal is to provide handmade fabric masks and other requested items to members of the community to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

To date the group with 45 volunteers has donated over 10,400 fabric masks to the local community including to medical professionals, first responders, local businesses, and members of the public. Miller alone has sewn about 2,000 masks.

Matula, who has worked at the Island View Casino as a call center specialist for five years, said she wasn’t blessed with the talent to sew, but does other things to help the group. She runs the Facebook page, gathers donations and delivers masks. She initially had a lot of help from her friend, Rebecca Barbour. When Barbour had to step away, Miller came on board to help.

Matula said the designs of masks are personal choice.

As long as the mask is made correctly, she doesn’t believe there is a "better" one.

“A lot of the responses I have gotten is they do enjoy the

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MAIN STREET SMALL BUSINESS COMMUNITIES

July 24 11 -- July Aug.24, 6, 2020

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For small town Mississippi, the pandemic could not have come at a worse time

By NASH NUNNERY mbj@msbusiness.com

S

ince the arrival of the virus in March and the subsequent shutdown of downtowns, COVID-19 has complicated the task of keeping many of those communities vibrant and reversing a downturn in population and economic stability. An April survey of 149 Mississippi small business owners by Main Street America indicated that 62 percent of those businesses were at risk of closing permanently by September 2020.

But the story doesn’t end there.

Just ask Thomas Gregory, state coordinator for the Mississippi Main Street Association, a non-profit organization boasting a membership of over 50 cities and towns.

“Typically, we operate on a four-point Main Street America approach – economic vitality, design, promotion and organization. COVID-19 has forced us to spend 85 percent of our focus on the economic vitality segment,” Gregory said. “However, we’ve quickly adapted with an ‘all hands on deck’ mentality and our staff has responded well.

“We’re fortunate in Mississippi that our economy is more rural and has been allowed to re-open so quickly.”

A follow-up MSA national survey released in late May indicated local Main Street programs played a critical role in supporting small businesses across America. Of the 728 small business owners that responded, 40 percent said that they’d received assistance from their local Main Street organization.

Gregory said tax revenues in small town Mississippi have remained steady despite the pandemic.

“What we saw was a shortterm decline but according to our directors around the state, tax revenues really haven’t decreased,” he said.

Rebecca Davis has served as Main Street Pascagoula director for the past 17 years.

The blue-collar coastal town has experienced Hurricane Katrina, the BP oil spill and countless tropical storms during her watch. However, the pandemic is

in a league all its own, according to Davis.

“At least with the other events, there was a beginning and an end,” she said. “There is so much unknown about COVID-19. All you can do is roll up your sleeves and deal with it.”

Davis did.

Following the “safe to reopen with restrictions” order, some Pascagoula restaurant Gregory owners came to her with a request for outdoor picnic tables and umbrellas to increase serving capacity. Main Street Pascagoula purchased 10 umbrellas with the organization’s logo, borrowed some picnic tables from the City of Pascagoula and loaned them to area restaurants.

“I want to solve everybody’s problem, and I told someone we’re going to just make this happen,” said Davis. “It’s an exciting time getting back to some type of normalcy. Our job is improving the quality of life for our citizens.”

Main Street Mississippi has partnered with pioneering e-commerce solution provider CommentSold to help small businesses increase sales through online “comment selling” via social media.

“What we found when the pandemic first hit and businesses were forced to close was the lack of business owners that didn’t have the infrastructure to sell online,” said Gregory. “CommentSold works with these businesses to help with their existing social media platforms.”

MSM’s director of communication and marketing Jeannie Zieren said the organization’s “Opening Doors” campaign also has been helpful in assisting Mississippi small business in safely reopening. The video library features timely tutorials specifically tailored to business recovery.

“Our local Main Street programs have been quite innovative with

ways to support their local businesses,” Zieren said. “For example, Louisville Main Street hosted Live Virtual Shopping before Mother’s Day. Baldwyn ordered shopping safely signage, such as 6-feet apart markers, for their businesses. Senatobia sold t-shirts to support their Main Street Relief Fund grant for small businesses.

And, many of our programs have run successful social media campaigns and resource pages on their website.”

In partnership with Mississippi State University’s Carl Small Town Center, Starkville Main Street approved a plan to utilize parking spaces for temporary outdoor seating at several downtown restaurants.

“The plan that Starkville is working on is a perfect example of a program and city working together to expand capacity for restaurants,” said Jennifer Prather, MSM’s director of community development. “This will not only serve as support for their bottom line during the pandemic, but it could also be a test run for a more permanent development of outdoor dining and streetscape plans.”

Gregory believes valuable lessons have been learned on the heels of the pandemic, including the value

of good communication with his member cities and towns, and the importance of small business owners to have an emergency fund.

“Always prepare for the unexpected and be proactive,” Gregory said. “We’ve also re-learned that in Mississippi, small businesses are the heart of the community, and downtowns are more important than ever.”

WHEN HE INTERVIEWED A REGIONS S B A S P E C I A L I ST, he pressed us for big ideas on small business lending.

You should too.

You won’t find us at a loss when it comes to suggesting ways to help your business grow. So ask us the tough questions.

1 I understand Small Business Administration (SBA) loans require as little as 10% down. Is that true?

2 What are the advantages of an SBA loan for a business like mine?

3 Can I get extended repayment terms with an SBA loan?

4 Is Regions a preferred SBA lender? What makes it one?

Your Regions SBA Specialist can help you determine the best loan for your situation.

So interview a Regions SBA Specialist today to learn how we can move your business forward.

Meade Tyler | SBA Specialist | 228.701.9056 | meade.tyler@regions.com

Š 2020 Regions Bank. All loans and lines subject to credit approval. | Regions and the Regions logo are registered trademarks of Regions Bank. The LifeGreen color is a trademark of Regions Bank.

SMALL BUSINESS

July 24 - Aug. 6, 2020

Main Street Communities

n

main street communities Main Street Communities

Mississippi Business Journal

Organizaton

Address

Phone

Website

Director/Manager

Aberdeen Main Street

319 E. Commerce St., Aberdeen, MS 39730

662-369-4864

aberdeenms.org

Ann Tackett

Amory Main Street

322 N. Main St., Amory, MS 38821

662-256-8700

amorymainstreet.com

Alyssa Benedict

Baldwyn Main Street Chamber

200 W. Main St., Baldwyn, MS 38824

662-365-1050

baldwynliving.com

Lori Tucker

Batesville Main Street Association

150 A Public Square, Batesville, MS 38606

662-563-3126

batesvillemainstreet.com

Mamie Avery

Biloxi Main Street

P.O. Box 253, Biloxi, MS 39533

228-435-6339

mainstreetbiloxi.com

Kay Miller

Booneville & Prentiss County Main Street Assoc.

100 W. Church St., Booneville, MS 38829

662-416-9278

visitbooneville.com

Lexie Gamble

Byhalia Area Chamber Main Street

2452 Church St., Byhalia, MS 38611

662-838-8127

byhalia-ms.com

Sarah Sawyer

Main Street Chamber of Leake County

PO Box 209, Carthage, MS 39051

601-267-9231

leakems.com

Russell Baty

Team Cleveland Main Street

101 S. Bayou Ave., Cleveland, MS 38732

662-843-2712

clevelandmainstreet.com

Aimee Taylor

Clinton Main Street

PO Box 156, Clinton, MS 39060

601-924-5472

mainstreetclintonms.com

Tara Lytal

Main Street Columbia

P.O. Box 1342, Columbia, MS 39429

601-736-0663

Facebook

Nik Ingram

Columbus Main Street

107 5th St. N., Columbus, MS 39701

662-328-6305

columbusmainstreet.com

Barbara Bigelow

Main Street Corinth

P.O. Box 393, Corinth, MS 38835

662-665-1600

mainstreetcorinth.com

Angela Avent

Main Street Crystal Springs

P. O. Box 473, Crystal Springs, MS 39059

601-892-0007

cityofcrystalsprings.com

Stacy Gilman

Main Street Greenville

504 Central St., Greenville, MS 38701

662-378-3121

mainstreetgreenville.com

Gretchen Giachelli

Main Street Greenwood, Inc.

P.O. Box 8236, Greenwood, MS 38935

662-453-7625

mainstreetgreenwood.com

Brantley Snipes

Gulfport Main Street

P.O. Box 1780, Gulfport, MS 39502

228-868-5700

downtowngulfport.com

Laurie Toups

Historic Hattiesburg Downtown Association

P.O. Box 150, Hattiesburg, MS 39403

601-583-4329

downtownhattiesburg.com

Andrea Saffle

Hernando Main Street Chamber

421 W. Commerce St., Hernando, MS 38632

662-429-9055

hernandoms.org

Sibonie Swatzyna

Holly Springs Main Street Chamber

148 E. College Ave., Holly Springs, MS 38635

662-252-2943

hollyspringsms.org

Christy Owens

Indianola Main Street, Inc.

Box 151, Indianola, MS 38751

662-887-4454

indianolachambermainstreet.com

Cherrie Britt

Kosciusko Main Street

101 N. Natchez St., Kosciusko, MS 39090

662-289-2981

kapartnership.org

Darren Milner

Laurel Main Street

PO Box 1256, Laurel, MS 39441

601-433-3255

laurelmainstreet.com

Judi Holifield

Louisville/Noxapater Main Street

P.O. Box 551, Louisville, MS 39339

662-773-8719

winstoncountyms.com

Amy Hillyer

Meridian Main Street/EMBDC

1901 Front St., Suite A, Meridian, MS 39302

601-480-6100

embdc.org

Debbie Mathis

Moss Point Main Street

PO Box 8275, Moss Point, MS 39562

228-474-9933

cityofmosspoint.org

Sue Wright

Nettleton Main Street

124 Short Ave., Nettleton, MS 38858

nettletonms.us

Dana Burcham

New Albany Main Street Association

P.O. Box 125, New Albany, MS 38652

662-534-3438

newalbanymainstreet.com

Billye Jean Stroud

Ocean Springs Main Street

1000 Washington Ave., Ocean Springs, MS 39564

228-875-4424

oceanspringschamber.com

Cynthia Sutton

Okolona Main Street

P.O. Box 446, Okolona, MS 38860

662-447-5913

okolonams.org

Lasonja Ivy

Olive Branch Main Street

9200 Pigeon Roost Road, Olive Branch, MS 38654

662-892-9375

obms.us

Jay Nichols

Pascagoula Main Street

P.O. 1203, Pascagoula, MS 39568

228-219-1114

mainstreetpascagoula.com

Rebecca Davis

Philadelphia Main Street

256 W. Beacon St, Philadelphia, MS 39350

601-656-1000

neshoba.org

Tim Moore

Picayune Main Street

P.O. Box 1656, Picayune, MS 39466

601-799-3070

picayunemainstreet.com

Reba Beebe

Pontotoc County Main Street

109 N. Main St, Pontotoc, MS 38863

662-489-5042

pontotocchamber.com

Ellen Russell

Ripley Main Street Association

111 E. Spring St, Ripley, MS 38663

662-512-0226

ripleymsmainstreet.com

Elizabeth Reid Behm

Saltillo Main Street

395 Mobile St., Saltillo, MS 38866

662-871-9990

saltilloms.org

Ron Cottom

Senatobia Main Street

135 N. Front St, Senatobia, MS 38668

662-562-8715

tatecountyms.com

Jamie Sowell

Starkville Main Street/Greater Starkville Development Partnership

200 E. Main St., Starkville, MS 39759

662-323-3322

starkville.org

Paige Watson

Sumrall Main Street

4880 Hwy 589, Sumrall, MS 39482

601-758-3591

townofsumrall.ms.gov

Tony Plaum

Tunica Main Street

P.O. Box 1888, Tunica, MS 38676

662-357-8010

tunicamainstreet.com

Laura Withers

Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association

108 S. Broadway St., Tupelo, MS 38804

662-841-6598

tupelomainstreet.com

Debbie Brangenberg

Vicksburg Main Street

P.O. Box 150, Vicksburg, MS 39181

601-634-4527

downtownvicksburg.org

Kim Hopkins

Water Valley Main Street

207 N. Main St, Water Valley, MS 38965

662-473-6767

Facebook

Mickey Howley

West Point Main Street

746 E. Broad St., West Point, MS 39773

662-494-5121

westpointms.org

Lisa Klutts

Woodville Main Street

P.O. Box 1546, Woodville, MS 39669

601-888-3998

Facebook

Polly Rosenblatt

Information supplied by Mississippi Main Street Association. List is ranked alphabetically by city. For questions contact frank.brown@msbusiness.com.

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education & work-force training July 24 - Aug. 6, 2020 • Mississippi Business Journal • www.msbusiness.com

Coronavirus on Campus: The Financial Impact of COVID-19 in Higher Education

By WIL CRAWFORD

The Disruption

T

here is no doubt that COVID-19 has caused major disruptions in higher education. When the virus began to spread during spring break, colleges made the difficult decision to delay reopening and then shifted to an online-only finish to the spring 2020 semester. We closely followed as the NCAA slowly began canceling sporting events, then instruction delivery transitioned to online, and finally graduation ceremonies were canceled or rescheduled. These were not the only difficult decisions on campus.

Budgets were adjusted rapidly as Crawford revenues declined and expenses surged in an environment that changed almost daily.

Schools were forced to adapt to a new and ever-changing environment. Ancillary revenues from student housing, dining halls, and sporting events came to an abrupt halt.

Most employees shifted to work-from-home arrange-

ments. Campuses suspended the use of some facilities, as many employees were unable to perform their duties. This resulted in furloughs, reduced hours due to staff rotation for social distancing, and layoffs. Institutions experienced rising IT system costs in the transition to online delivery and staff and faculty working from home. Personal protective equipment was a new and necessary expense not foreseen during the operating budget process.

The student population has felt the financial effect.

From the loss of work-study positions and unused prepaid meal plans to the closure of residence halls, every student now carries new financial burdens. This led most institutions to provide refunds to students for the unused housing and dining plans—a sizable cash outflow for many schools.

The financial ripple effect of COVID-19 continues to impact colleges and universities. Programs and schools, which depend on donor support, are worried about those funding streams. Mississippi’s public institutions are worried about the short- and long-term sustainability of state appropriations. Institutions are concerned about fall enrollment because students and parents are worried about the cost of college in an uncertain economic environment.

Moody’s Investors Service and S&P Global Ratings recently downgraded higher education bonds to negative.

The Relief

The federal relief for colleges and universities filled a great need. A few Mississippi not-for-profit institutions qualified and received loans through the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The PPP loans were designed primarily to fund payroll in a specified time frame during the pandemic and are forgivable if certain criteria are met. However, only not-for-profit institutions with 500 or fewer employees qualified—public institutions such as Mississippi’s community colleges and public universities did not.

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) cast a wider net to our higher education institutions. Passed in March 2020, the CARES Act contained the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF).

Mississippi institutions, including public universities, community colleges, not-for-profit private colleges, and proprietary schools, received awards totaling approximately $149 million under the program. Funds are allocated to each institution for assistance to both students and the intuitions.

The CARES Act also included $1.25 billion in coronavirus relief funds that ultimately landed in the hands of the legislature to appropriate. As a result, Mississippi House See HIGHER EDUCATION, Page 17

EDUCATION & WORK-FORCE TRAINING HIGHER EDUCATION

Continued from Page 16

Bill No. 1793 created the Postsecondary Education COVID-19 Mitigation Relief Program Act, which provided COVID-19 expense reimbursement relief to Mississippi’s universities ($50 million) and community colleges ($50 million).

The Unknown

Now, colleges and universities are looking toward the fall with significant uncertainty. Enrollment is the biggest unknown.

Parents and students are delaying enrollment decisions until they understand how institutions will protect students and conduct instruction. Students are unwilling to pay full tuition price without the campus experience. Many students’ questions remain unanswered, e.g., Will I have to wear a mask? Will I have to take classes online?

Will I get to enjoy the college experience?

Will I be able to attend football games?

While most colleges in Mississippi have announced traditional on-campus instruction will take place, many colleges are delaying their final, formal announcements on reopening plans until more is known.

Some of the questions under consideration are: Where should we spend our funds?

How and when should COVID-19 tests be conducted? How do we create policies that continually change? Will there be another shutdown? How do we perform contact tracing? How do we encourage and enforce social distancing to a population that may not care about social distancing?

With recent stories across the nation reporting spikes in positive coronavirus cases in college towns—likely the result of parties and social gatherings—more questions may arise than answers.

The largest public university system in the U.S., California State University, already announced an online-only fall semester. Many colleges are altering schedules to end in-person instruction at Thanksgiving and provide online final exams, while others are changing the timing of classes to reduce the number of students in hallways at a given time.

The gap year, a yearlong hiatus from college, is gaining popularity. A quick online search of #GapYear reveals a plethora of options on how a student can spend a year away from college volunteering domestically or internationally, traveling, or learning skills such as cybersecurity directly from professionals in the workplace.

The 2020–2021 budget remains unknown. With many variables at play, intuitions have shifted from the traditional annual budget to either a semester or quarterly budget. This is a significant mentality change, but it may help protect certain departments or programs from overspending in the first semester. Every institution has

a list of financial drivers, e.g., enrollment trends, state appropriation levels, technology costs, personnel costs, etc., that can alter its trajectory. Creating a financial plan requires a deep understanding of the relationships and effects of those drivers. Scenario modeling can help institutions map out multiple views of the future over different periods with different assumptions.

Colleges are looking at dynamic forecasting and scenario modeling tools to determine how best to weather the storm while expending funds on new technology for hybrid instruction (a delivery method used to teach classes in the classroom and online simultaneously).

The Good News

Despite many obstacles, there is still good news for colleges and universities.

The return on investment (ROI) for a college education is still high. A 2019 study conducted by researchers at the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce quantified that ROI. The study stated that the average graduate from a four-year public or private not-for-profit institution has a net economic gain of be-

July 24 - Aug. 6, 2020

tween $838,000 and $765,000 over 40 years, after debt repayment. The study also quantified the lifetime earnings of a bachelor’s degree of $2,268,000 or an associate degree of $1,727,000 outweigh that of only a high school diploma of $1,304,000. In business terms, a college education must be viewed as an investment, not a single transaction. The study includes the ROI by institution, which enables colleges to directly show students the potential ROI of a degree from their intuition and allows students to research the ROI before making a final college decision.

Successful colleges will adapt to a new budgeting process to protect the institution from future uncertainties. Managing increasing technology costs and refining remote or hybrid instruction without sacrificing quality is a priority in the budgeting process. Dynamic scenario modeling can provide strategic guidance on the variables and assumptions that are unknown at this time to help successful institutions plan for multiple scenarios.

Successful schools are also studying the marketplace to assess whether their degree offerings align with the workplace needs of

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their graduates. New degree programs such as data analytics and cybersecurity are on the rise, and some institutions are investing more in their health care-related programs to meet market demand. This marketplace analysis helps attract new students and increase job placement ratings.

The path forward for colleges and universities looks different in the near term, and there is no doubt the college experience of the incoming 2020 freshman class will be vastly different from that of 2019.

But one thing the pandemic cannot take away is the value of college—both in the education and the experience. » WIL CRAWFORD, CPA, is a director for BKD CPAs & Advisors’ Jackson office. He serves as the office’s notfor-profit, government, and higher education industry leader. He can be reached at wcrawford@bkd.com.

This article is for general information purposes only and is not to be considered as legal advice. This information was written by qualified, experienced BKD professionals, but applying this information to your particular situation requires careful consideration of your specific facts and circumstances. Consult your BKD advisor or legal counsel before acting on any matter covered in this update.

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July 24 - Aug. 6, 2020

EDUCATION & WORK-FORCE TRAINING

Colleges work around pandemic restrictions for their training programs

By LISA MONTI mbj@msbusiness.com

A

s the spring semester began winding down in late April, educators and school administrators were making changes to safely educate and accommodate students and staff during an uncertain situation. Typically, classes moved online and graduation and other year-end ceremonies were postponed or delayed due to Covid-19 health-related concerns.

Training programs that require handson learning and on-the-job internships presented some of the biggest challenges for educators and their students at colleges around the state, including Pearl River Community College and Hinds Community College.

In the spring, Hinds Community College administrators were making what they called “small, measured steps toward resuming regular business operations.” Most classes remained online for the summer semester as did student recruiting and other activities. The college also reported in its employee newsletter that students in the career and technical programs such as agriculture and aviation used virtual learning platforms for live and recorded lectures. Lee Douglas, agribusiness technology instructor, said the ultimate goal was to “maintain quality instruction.”

Federal law for licensing aircraft mechanics license was temporarily relaxed during the coronavirus situation, according to the college. W.P. Marsh, who teaches the Airframe & Powerplant

Photo courtesy of Pearl River Community College

course in the aviation nursing assistants, structural fitters, manmaintenance program, ufacturing operators, emergency medical said that before April technicians, welders and certified clini13, the Federal Avia- cal medical assistants. PRCC also serves tion Administration companies directly through customized required colleges of- training of employees with job-specific fering the program to competency development and technolouse face-to-face class- gy adaptation.

“Some of the classes that were in progroom instruction.

Marsh “However, the agen- ress already in March were temporarily cy has encouraged flight and aviation suspended, then returned with addischools like Hinds to authorize distance tional measures in place such as splitting learning as long as we show how we into multiple sections of smaller groups planned to make contact with students with additional social distancing meadaily, deliver the content and provide sures in place. Many were able to finish reasonably secure testing,” Marsh said. the training in progress by completing The college used Canvas and Zoom assignments at home through online to create study assignments and provide curriculum,” said Rebecca Brown, Cominstructional videos so instructors could munity and Economic Development evaluate course delivery, student Coordinator of PRCC’s Lowery attendance and interaction, A. Woodall Advanced Techofficials reported in its nology Center. newsletter. Two FAA Brown said people inspectors joined stustill want to train and the ultimate prepare for whatevdents and instructors goal was on a session held the er their next goal is, first day after restricbut they want to do to “maintain it safely. “That’s what tions were relaxed. quality we’re here to do—to Brad McCullouch, district director of instruction.” prepare students for whatever the world of Commercial Aviawork looks like, now and tion, said, “The federal in the next few years. If inspector who approved employment will be different us said we have set the stage because of COVID-19, so will our in the future to utilize Canvas in possibly a hybrid model of teaching. This training so that we never stop meeting could greatly expand the numbers we see the needs of jobseekers and local indusevery year in the A&P program.” try,” she said. “ For some individuals, as School officials report the college con- unfortunate as the current global situatinues to be focused on providing a safe tion is, it has actually given them a chance environment and top-notch instruction to take stock of where they want to be in for students returning to campus. the near future and what steps they will “Our administrators, faculty and staff need to take to achieve those goals.” worked tirelessly to formulate an effecBecause PRCC offers students traintive plan for our students to complete ing is a variety of workplaces, the college the hands-on learning objectives in their works closely with local companies to respective courses, while keeping their learn from and align their safety stratesafety our top priority,” said Dr. Chad gies "to make sure we are employing the Stocks, vice president for Workforce most effective processes to keep our staff Development and Career-Technical Ed- and students safe.”

Brown added that as the need for ucation. “I am confident that, despite the interruption COVID-19 brought to the healthcare workers increases, so does the spring semester, our students will pos- demand for related training. “Our medsess the skills necessary to be successful ical courses are filling quickly,” she said. in their future careers. I applaud our stu- “The next three rounds of the Certified dents for their determination to succeed Nursing Assistant (CNA) program are already filled.” amidst this global pandemic.”

Looking to the upcoming school year At Pearl River Community College, workforce classes range from single-day as the pandemic continues, Brown notcourses such as forklift operation or ed that PRCC’s instructors and staff first aid/CPR, to multi-week or semes- “have been flexible from day one—first ter-long programs that prepare certified about working from home, then about See TRAINING PROGRAMS, Page 19

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July 24 - Aug. 6, 2020

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Photo courtesy of Hinds Community College

» Training programs that require hands-on learning such as aviation maintenance, nursing, and electrical technology have presented some of the biggest challenges for educators and students around the state.

TRAINING PROGRAMS

Continued from Page 18

returning to work safely to collaborate on how to best serve our diverse student population.”

The upcoming program year, Brown said, “will certainly include a much higher percentage of online training than we have seen in the past. However, we are also learning that the constraints of planning in these conditions are also fostering unmatched levels Brown of creativity and innovative thinking. The lessons we take from this time about how to understand every aspect of the student experience will drive us for years to come.”

Photo courtesy of Pearl River Community College

Photo courtesy of Hinds Community College

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EDUCATION & WORK-FORCE TRAINING

Colleges and Universities n

colleges and universities Colleges and Universities Rank

Institution

Address

Phone

Website

President

Mississippi State University 1 P.O. Box 6334, Mississippi State, MS 39762 662-325-2224 msstate.edu Mark E. Keenum University of Mississippi 2 P.O. Box 1848, University, MS 38677 662-915-7211 olemiss.edu Glenn Boyce Hinds Community College 3 608 Hinds Blvd., Raymond, MS 39154 601-857-3536 hindscc.edu Stephen Vacik The University of Southern Mississippi 4 118 College Dr., Hattiesburg, MS 39406 601-266-5000 usm.edu Rodney D. Bennett Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College 5 51 Main St., Perkinston, MS 39573 228-896-2536 mgccc.edu Mary S. Graham Holmes Community College 6 1 Hill St., Goodman, MS 39079 800-465-6374 holmescc.edu Jim Haffey Northwest Mississippi Community College 7 4975 Hwy. 51 N., Senatobia, MS 38668 662-562-3200 northwestms.edu Dr. Michael J. Heindl Jackson State University 8 1400 John R. Lynch St., Jackson, MS 39217 601-979-2121 jsums.edu Thomas K Hudson William Carey University 9 710 William Carey Pkwy, Hattiesburg, MS 39401 601-318-6051 wmcarey.edu Tommy King Pearl River Community College 10 101 Hwy. 11 N., Poplarville, MS 39470 601-403-1000 prcc.edu Adam Breerwood Jones County Junior College (Jones College) 11 900 S. Court St., Ellisville, MS 39437 601-477-4000 jcjc.edu Jesse R, Smith Itawamba Community College 12 602 W. Hill St., Fulton, MS 38843 662-862-8000 iccms.edu Jay Allen East Mississippi Community College 13 1512 Kemper St., Scooba, MS 39358 662-476-5000 eastms.edu Dr. Scott Alsobrooks Delta State University 14 1003 W. Sunflower Rd., Cleveland, MS 38733 662-846-3000 deltastate.edu William LaForge Northeast Mississippi Community College 15 101 Cunningham Blvd., Booneville, MS 38829 800-555-2154 nemcc.edu Ricky G. Ford Meridian Community College 16 910 Hwy. 19 N., Meridian, MS 39307 601-483-8241 meridiancc.edu Thomas M. Huebner Mississippi College 17 200 S. Capitol St., Clinton, MS 39056 601-925-3000 mc.edu Blake Thompson Alcorn State University 18 1000 ASU Drive, Lorman, MS 39096 601-877-6100 alcorn.edu Felicia M. Nave Copiah-Lincoln Community College 19 1028 J.C. Redd Drive, Wesson, MS 39191 601-643-8306 colin.edu Jane G. Hulon Mississippi University for Women 20 1100 College St., Columbus, MS 39701-5800 877-462-8439 muw.edu Nora Miller East Central Community College 21 275 W. Broad St., Decatur, MS 39327 601-635-2111 eccc.edu Brent Gregory Mississippi Delta Community College 22 Hwy. 3 & Cherry St., Moorhead, MS 38761 662-246-6322 msdelta.edu Tyrone Jackson Mississippi Valley State University 23 14000 Hwy. 82 West, Itta Bena, MS 38941 662-254-9041 mvsu.edu Jerryl Briggs Southwest Miss. Community College 24 1156 College Dr., Summit, MS 39666 601-276-2000 smcc.edu Steve Bishop Coahoma Community College 25 3240 Friars Point Road, Clarksdale, MS 38614 662-627-2571 coahomacc.edu Valmadge T. Towner Belhaven University 26 1500 Peachtree St., Jackson, MS 39202 601-968-5940 belhaven.edu Roger Parrott Millsaps College 27 1701 N. State St., Jackson, MS 39210 601-974-1000 millsaps.edu Robert Pearigen Blue Mountain College 28 210 W. Main St., Blue Mountain, MS 38610 662-685-4771 bmc.edu Barbara C. McMillin Tougaloo College 29 500 W. County Line Road, Tougaloo, MS 39174 601-977-7768 tougaloo.edu Carmen J. Walters Rust College 30 150 Rust Ave., Holly Springs, MS 38635 662-252-8000 rustcollege.edu Ivy R. Taylor Information provided by school representatives and MBJ research. Schools ranked by enrollment. Direct questions to frank.brown@msbusiness.com.

Founded

Enrollment

1878 1848 1917 1910 1912 1925 1927 1877 1892 1908 1911 1948 1927 1924 1948 1937 1826 1871 1928 1884 1928 1926 1950 1929 1949 1883 1890 1873 1869 1866

18,792 17,150 12,000 11,594 8,954 8,462 7,527 7,020 5,088 5,000 4,900 4,768 3,800 3,700 3,600 3,314 3,242 3,200 3,000 2,813 2,419 2,300 2,147 2,000 1,750 1,000 910 818 800 775

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July 24 - Aug. 6, 2020

BELLWETHERS

Continued from Page 6

I came across an interesting article in the June 26, 2020 edition of USA Today that made a lot of sense regarding an activity that could be a bellwether. The activity? Eating in a restaurant. Jesse Edgerton, an economist with JPMorgan Chase, noted the level of spending in restaurants three weeks ago – most notably in-person versus online – was the strongest predictor of a surge in coronavirus cases during that time period. That makes sense given the risks mentioned above. His analysis was based on spending by 30 million Chase credit and debit cardholders. Also, Edgerton found that higher spending in supermarkets predicted a slower spread of the virus, suggesting consumers are practicing “more careful social distancing” in that environment.

Bellwethers are often found in the business world. Find a company that indicates a forthcoming economic activity and a company can gear up or down for what’s ahead.

Alcoa Aluminum, for example, is considered a bellwether for the overall economy because it operates in a cyclical industry, i.e. one that has cycles of expansion, peak, contraction, and trough. Also, it is the first major company to report quarterly earnings, and its report is considered a bellwether for the corporate earnings season. FedEx is also considered a bellwether for the economy. Strong revenues and earnings for FedEx suggest strong consumer and business shipping activity, which ebbs and flows with the strength of the economy. Caterpillar, which sells construction equipment is a bellwether

NASA

Continued from Page 11

system for cryogen storage and transfer, with the potential of use in various NASA test and space-related systems.

• “Advanced Propulsion Systems Ground Test Technology,” M4 Engineering Inc. in Long Beach, California. The project seeks to develop a thermal conditioning retrofit “kit” for cryogenic shaker systems. The kit is designed to prevent freeze-up of system accelerometers during cryogenic testing at Stennis and other NASA facilities.

• “Adaptive Venturi for Surge Pressure Mitigation,” Physical Services Inc. in Andover, Maryland. The project seeks to develop a venturi for propellant feed systems that uses a passively controlled throat area to adjust flow rate. The adaptive venturi would be useful in a variety of oxygen systems at NASA facilities.

• “A Fact and Robust PIMPLE-Based Algebraic VOF (Volume of Fluid) Method for Two-Phase Compressible Flows,”

not only for the domestic economy but also the global economy. JPMorgan Chase is an example of a bellwether stock. As one of the major banks in the United States, it sets the tone for the rest of the industry.

I asked State Economist Darrin Webb if there were any bellwethers his office tracks to make predictions and forecasts about the Mississippi economy. His response: “We have a number of indicators that we track. Because every data series has some problems, we have found that looking at multiple series helps us understand what is really happening. Our monthly publication, Mississippi’s Business, contains many indicators that we have found helpful. Some of the most important ones in my opinion include Income tax withholdings, U.S. retail sales, manufacturing workweek length, initial and continued unemployment claims, the manufacturing and non manufacturing ISM index, NFIB optimism index, consumer sentiment index. These are all included in our monthly publication. Additionally I look at foreclosure and delinquency rates. I think MS retail sales tax transfers are a good indicator but the reported data lags retail sales (June transfers reflect May sales).”

There are also political/election bellwethers, one of the most common being counties. Nationally, presidential candidates play close attention to the following bellwether counties that have successfully picked winners over the years: Valencia County, New Mexico – perfect since 1952 (longest current perfect streak); Vigo County, Indiana – 2 misses (1908, 1952) from 1888 on, perfect since 1956; Westmoreland County, Virginia – two

Streamline Numerics Inc. in Gainesville, Florida. The project seeks to develop an efficient, robust computational fluid dynamics tool that could be used in various NASA ground and launch systems.

• “Advanced Computational Tools for thermal and Acoustic Analysis of Rocket Ground Test Facilities,” Tetra Research Corp. in Cornwall, Vermont. The project seeks to develop a liquid injection analysis tool that could be employed on NASA test facilities, which use water suppression systems to protect test articles and structures during testing.

The two STTR projects to be managed

by Stennis are: • “Intelligent Sensor Systems – 2020,” Geocent, LLC in Metairie, Louisiana, and the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. The project seeks to develop a comprehensive end-to-end architecture, using wireless technology, to help collect instrumentation data during

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misses since 1928 (in 1948 and 1960), perfect since 1964; Ottawa County, Ohio – one miss since 1948 (in 1960), perfect since 1964; and Wood County, Ohio – one miss since 1964 (in 1976), perfect since 1980.

Mississippi’s election bellwether counties include: Chickasaw County, Mississippi – one miss since 1972 (in 1980); Pike County, Mississippi – two misses since 1972 (in 1980 and 2016); and Panola County, Mississippi – two misses since 1972 (in 1980 and 2000).

These are just a few examples of bellwethers. Whether it’s business, political, fashion, retail or personal services, bellwethers play an important role in planning for the future. » PHIL HARDWICK is a regular Mississippi Business Journal columnist.

His email is phil@philhardwick.com.

propulsion testing.

• “Intelligent Sensor Systems for Rocket Propulsion Testing” by Physical Sciences Inc. in Andover, Maryland, and Auburn University in Auburn, Alabama. The project seeks to develop a smart sensor module to enable wireless sensing capabilities in liquid propulsion systems. The development could be used by NASA in both ground test and flight activities.

Phase I awards are made to small businesses to establish the merit and feasibility of their innovations. Phase I SBIR contracts last for six months and Phase I STTR contracts last for 13 months. Based on their progress during Phase I, companies may submit proposals to subsequent SBIR/ STTR opportunities and receive additional funding.

“A Phase I award is just the first step in helping these small businesses bring their technologies and ideas to market,” said NASA SBIR/STTR Program Executive

Jenn Gustetic. “We know these companies not only need funding, but business guidance and industry expertise to help them develop better products and grow. Our program aims to help each of them in their journeys to commercialization.”

The structure of NASA’s SBIR/STTR program allows the agency to continuously invest in small businesses as their technologies reach different maturity stages. Phase II contracts support prototyping. The program also fosters rapid development and integration into the commercial marketplace and NASA missions through post-Phase II opportunities.

NASA plans to select and award multimillion-dollar sequential Phase II contracts to some companies with previous Phase II contracts. These upcoming awards will further mature a range of technologies related to the sustainable exploration of the Moon, the Artemis program, and America’s broader Moon to Mars objectives.

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Continued from Page 12

pattern that she liked and was able to sew quickly. She has used that pattern moving forward. Having different sizes to choose from made it easier to fit a wider range of people depending on the size and shape of their face.

“Additionally, the majority of masks that I make are triple-layered to include a pocket to insert a filter, or filter material, depending on what the wearer would like,” she said.

Feedback from people using the masks is that they appreciate fun patterns, especially if they are working with children.

They explained that a mask can be scary for some children (or any person) and having a fun print can help calm them.

“I prefer to use prints,” Miller said.

“They are more fun for me to sew! I have had only positive feedback on the masks I have donated. People are thankful that our group is taking the time to make masks to help our community.”

Initially, Miller was sewing with fabric from her "hoard" of fabric and any supplies on hand. Each mask came from

her "hoard" that was part of a project she planned to make for herself, but chose to use to mask making.

“What a wonderful gift, both to the wearer, and to myself,” she said. “When the recommendation for the general public to also wear masks came through, my friends and family started asking me to make them masks. In lieu of placing a price tag on the masks, I accepted, but did not require, donations.

My friends and family came through. They opened their own fabric hoards, and their wallets. In just under three days, I had over $1,000 which I used to purchase additional mask making supplies (fabric, thread, elastic, zipper bags, laundry detergent, etc.).”

Miller graduated from D'Iberville High School and has a bachelor's degree in English literature from USM. She is in the home stretch to complete her master's in English literature, also from Southern.“Always prepare for the unexpected and be proactive,” Gregory said. “We’ve also re-learned that in Mississippi, small businesses are the heart of the community, and downtowns are more important than ever.”

Lottery transfers more than $10 million to State of Mississippi

T

he Mississippi Lottery Corporation has completed its June transfer of $10,723,795.84 in net proceeds to the Lottery Proceeds Fund in the Mississippi State Treasury. This brings the total amount deposited to the State for Fiscal Year ending June 30, 2020, to $70,730,502.31.

“We have actively sold lottery tickets slightly more than seven months during FY2020,” said MLC President Tom Shaheen. “We are very pleased we have been able to return as much as we have to

the state. This would not have been possible without the support of our players, retailers and MLC staff. The Mississippi Department of Transportation is already putting several lottery-funded projects in motion. We look forward to continuing our work to raise money for roads, bridges and education.”

In accordance with the Alyce G. Clarke Lottery Law, the MLC is required to transfer net proceeds within 20 days following the close of each calendar month.

ississippi’s top public health official has ordered a temporary halt to all elective surgeries to try to save hospital bed space as the state sees a rapid expansion in cases of the new coronavirus.

The order by the state health officer, Dr. Thomas Dobbs, covers all medical facilities in the state. It takes effect Sunday and lasts until at least July 20.

His order, issued Friday, says elective procedures can be done only under “extraordinary circumstance” and “must be accompanied by an extensive and compelling justification.”

Gov. Tate Reeves announced Thursday that he would set restrictions that take effect Monday in 13 counties with high levels of virus transmission. They are Claiborne, DeSoto, Grenada, Harrison, Hinds, Jackson, Jefferson, Madison, Quitman, Rankin, Sunflower, Washington and Wayne.

People in those counties must wear masks in public, including in outdoor settings where it’s not possible for people to

remain at least 6 feet (1.8 meters) apart.

Gatherings indoors are limited to 10 people and those outdoors are limited to 20.

Mississippi has a population of about 3 million. The Health Department said Saturday that the state has had nearly 35,420 confirmed cases and at least 1,230 deaths from the coronavirus as of Friday evening. That was an increase of 797 cases and 15 deaths from numbers reported the day before.

The department said at least 2,959 cases of the virus have been confirmed in long-term care facilities such as nursing homes, with at least 5,953 virus-related deaths in those facilities.

The number of virus infections is thought to be far higher because many people have not been tested, and studies suggest people can be infected without feeling sick. While most people who contract the coronavirus recover after suffering only mild to moderate symptoms, it can be deadly for older patients and those with other health problems.

Cal-Maine: Fiscal 4Q Mississippi limits elective Earnings Snapshot surgeries amid COVID-19 surge C M al-Maine Foods Inc. on Monday reported fiscal fourth-quarter net income of $60.5 million, after reporting a loss in the same period a year earlier.

The Jackson, Mississippi-based company said it had net income of $1.24 per share.

The egg producer posted revenue of

$453.3 million in the period.

For the year, the company reported profit of $18.4 million, or 38 cents per share. Revenue was reported as $1.35 billion.

Cal-Maine shares have risen slightly more than 3% since the beginning of the year. The stock has risen 13% in the last 12 months.

NEWSMAKERS DSU’s Bennett-Fairs named to 2020 Millennium Leadership Initiative

Dr. Vernell Bennett-Fairs, vice president for student affairs at Delta State University, is one of 31 senior-level higher education professionals who will participate in the 2020 Millennium Leadership Initiative (MLI), a premier leadership development program of the American Association of State Colleges and Universi- Bennett-Fairs ties (AASCU). MLI provides individuals traditionally underrepresented in the highest ranks of postsecondary education with the opportunity to develop skills, gain a philosophical overview, and build the network and knowledge needed to advance to the presidency.

“I’m honored to have been chosen as a member of the 2020 MLI cohort,” said Bennett-Fairs. “It will be a privilege to represent Delta State University at this prestigious executive training institute.

I’m grateful for Delta State President William N. LaForge’s support as I seek this level of professional development.”

“I am so pleased that Dr. Bennett-Fairs has been chosen for this prestigious program,” said Delta State President LaForge. “At Delta State, she is responsible for a very important portfolio of responsibilities, and she will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to a program that is well-known for sharpening the leadership skills of its participants. She is the ideal participant for one of AASCU’s premier programs, and I salute AASCU for selecting her.”

She joined Delta State as vice president for student affairs in 2016 after holding a similar position at Kentucky State University. Bennett-Fairs earned a doctorate in instruction and administration from the University of Kentucky, a master’s degree in vocal performance from Eastern Michigan University, and a bachelor’s degree in vocal performance from Fisk University. She is a graduate of Leadership Kentucky and the Mississippi Economic Council’s Leadership Mississippi and was named a top minority business leader in Mississippi in 2019 by the Delta Business Journal. Bennett-Fairs also completed executive leadership training at the Scott Hawkins Leadership Institute (part of The Links, Incorporated) and the Executive Leadership Summit.

MSU places first in nationwide banking case study competition

Mississippi State University recently placed first in the Conference of State Bank Supervisors 2020 Community Bank Case Study Competition.

Mississippi State University, along with 37 teams from 33 colleges and universities in 18 states studied the impact of the Bank Secrecy Act and Anti-Money Laundering (BSA-AML) requirements of community banks. Student teams partnered with a local community bank to examine challenges, associated time and costs and identify potential regulatory reforms.

MSU team members included spring finance graduates Juan Benavides of Greenville; Liam

July 24 - Aug. 6, 2020

Benson of Auburn, Maine; Byron McClendon of Brandon; Jake Mlsna of Starkville; and senior finance major Kirk Wright of Crystal Springs. Their faculty advisor was MSU Assistant Clinical Professor of Finance Matthew Whitledge. Citizens National Bank, based in Meridian, Miss., was the team’s community bank partner. Other university finalists included Concordia College, James Madison University, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania, and Purdue University.

Each student member and faculty advisor of the MSU Team will receive a $1,000 scholarship and be invited to present at the CSBS-Federal Reserve-FDIC Community Banking in the 21st Century Research and Policy Conference.

Coleman named director of communications for Veterans Affairs

Ray Coleman recently joined Mississippi Veterans Affairs (MSVA) as Director of Communications.

A graduate of the University of Southern Miss, Coleman has brings fourteen years of public affairs experience, including director of communications for the Mississippi Attorney General’s Office, director of external affairs for the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency (MEMA), and television anchor and reporter for 16-WAPT News in Jackson.

Coleman resides in Brandon with his wife, Brandi, and Coleman their son.

Butler Snow ranked by The Legal 500 U.S. for pharmaceutical, medical device and health care work

The Legal 500 U.S. has ranked Butler Snow nationally for its pharmaceutical, medical device and health care work. The firm was one of only 30 firms ranked in the top tiers nationwide for Dispute Resolution: Product Liability, Mass Tort and Class Action: Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices – Defense.

For the third consecutive year, Alyson Bustamante Jones was one of only five attorneys nationwide named as a Next Generation Partner.

In addition, Christy D. Jones was one of only 18 attorneys nationwide named to the Hall of Fame. Attorney William M. Gage was also recognized in the editorial for his pharmaceutical, medical device and Alyson Jones health care work.

The Legal 500 assesses the strengths of law firms in more than 100 jurisdictions. The rankings are based on a series of criteria and highlight the practice area teams that provide the most cutting edge and innovative advice to corporate counsel.

Research is based on feedback from 300,000 clients worldwide, submissions from law firms, interviews with leading private practice lawyers and a team of researchers who have vast experience in

the legal market.

“We are honored that these attorneys have received this well-deserved recognition. They, along with our entire pharmaceutical and medical device team, demonstrate our firm’s commitment to the highest levels of client service and we’re very proud of their significant contributions,” said Christopher R. Maddux, chair of Butler Snow.

Gage Butler Snow’s pharmaceutical, medical device and healthcare team provides clients with a comprehensive, multidisciplinary approach to minimize legal exposure, litigate through resolution and handle crisis management. The firm has significant experience with complex cases involving a broad array of products and medical devices and is regularly called upon to serve as national, regional and local counsel in significant product liability litigations. The team plays leading roles in federal multi-district proceedings and tries a broad range of cases, including bellwether cases in some of the most challenging jurisdictions in the country.

The Legal 500 U.S. recognition is one of many Butler Snow’s pharmaceutical, medical device and health care litigation group has Christy Jones received recently. The team was selected as LMG Life Sciences 2019 “Product Liability Firm of the Year and Benchmark Litigation’s 2018 “Product Liability Law Firm of the Year.”

The firm is ranked nationally by Chambers USA 2020 for product liability litigation and is “highly recommended” by LMG Life Sciences 2019 for product liability litigation. The firm is also ranked as a leading core firm for the pharmaceutical industry in the BTI Power Rankings 2017: The Law Firms with the Best Client Relationships in 18 Industries list. The BTI ranking places the firm in the top 5% of all law firms with regard to client relations within the pharmaceutical and medical device industry.

Many of the firm’s product liability attorneys are ranked individually by Chambers USA, Benchmark Litigation, The Best Lawyers in America, LMG Life Sciences and Super Lawyers, among others.

For 29 years, The Legal 500 has analyzed the capabilities of law firms across the world with comprehensive research that is revised and updated each year to bring the most up-to-date vision to the global legal market. The U.S. edition is now in its 12th year and is relied upon by millions of buyers of legal services worldwide to instruct outside counsel.

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Memorial Hospital Foundation receives grant from Rotary International Rotary International District 6840 Governor Bob Haeuser, Assistant Governor Tami Munsch, and Rotary Club members within District 6840 presented Memorial Hospital Foundation with a $2,500 check on June 12. The grant will be used to purchase personal protective equipment for Memorial Hospital healthcare workers. Rotary District 6840 chose Memorial Hospital to be one of 11 institutions within the district to receive the grant from Rotary Foundation.

» (L-R): Jonathan Allen, Regina Lawrence, Tami Munsch, Aimee Robertson, Bob Haeuser, Samantha Walley, Kathryn Moran and Keith Clayton.

“We are so grateful to Rotary for choosing Memorial Hospital as a recipient of this grant,” said Aimee Robertson, Memorial Hospital Foundation President.

“Rotarians continually play a huge role in the betterment of our communities, and we are thankful they are joining us in the fight to protect our healthcare heroes serving on the frontline of this pandemic.”

Rotary District 6840 unites the diverse cultures of Southeast Louisiana and South Mississippi. The mission of District 6840 is to provide leadership and inspiration in support of the efforts of its Rotary clubs, to carry out the goals of Rotary International, and to further the missions of Rotary International.

Memorial Hospital at Gulfport Foundation is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization with the mission to assist Memorial Hospital in “Building a Healthier Community.” To achieve this mission, the Foundation provides financial support to Memorial Hospital, its patients, and employees.

WBA Architecture welcomes Nico Forlenza

The partners of WBA Architecture recently announced the addition of Nico Forlenza as Project Coordinator. Forlenza joins the firm with over five years of experience at firms in Alabama, Tennessee, and Texas, including Stacy Norman, Gresham Smith, and SHM Architects. He is a graduate of Auburn University’s School of Architecture.

“We are excited to welcome Forlenza Nico to our growing team,” says Michael Boerner, Principal Architect. “Along with his experience in architecture and interiors in both the commercial and residential realms, he brings a fresh, unique perspective. Most importantly, his values such as a passion for innovative design and an appreciation of team collaboration align with those of WBA.” “I am thrilled to join WBA not only because of their incredible portfolio of architecture and interior design projects,” says Forlenza. “But also because of the team of talented individuals I’ll be working alongside.”

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