The resignation of Ole Miss Chancellor Dr. Jeffrey S. Vitter was no surprise to insiders. A terrific academician with a stellar resume, Dr. Vitter simply was not the right fit for Ole Miss at this time. No doubt he will land another university presidency in the near future. So, what sort of leader would fit? While most Rebels simply want ...

Candidates in Mississippi’s U.S. Senate runoff are competing with college football, Thanksgiving turkey and the mad dash of Christmas bargain hunting as they try to hold voters’ attention. Republican Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith and Democratic challenger Mike Espy are on the ballot Nov. 27, and the winner will get the final two years of a six-year term started by longtime Republican ...

The hand has begun writing on the wall. The not-so-slim lady is tuning her pipes. The Nov. 27 run-off between Cindy Hyde-Smith and Mike Espy is all but a done deal, with Hyde-Smith the clear winner.   Barring a political miracle, that’s what the numbers and political realities say.   The numbers first.   Espy needed a strong, above average ...

I was recently listening to a craft brewing industry podcast, and it was about a brewery that had dealt with two significant issues early on in its existence. As I sympathetically listened, the founder of this brewery recanted two excruciating tales of “mistakes” that ended up costing his business and its investors nearly $155,000.  As I listened (and cringed), I could ...

It’s a late October evening. The Saints are playing the Vikings on television. On another channel, the Red Sox are playing the Dodgers in what will be the final game of the World Series. As the players are introduced, photos of their faces appear in little boxes in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. Looking at those faces, it was ...

At times, it seemed like the politicians addressing the Mississippi Economic Council last Thursday were mainly there to boost or oppose Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith’s bid to retain the U.S. Senate seat to which Gov. Phil Bryant appointed her. Lt. Gov Tate Reeves even made it explicit, saying he wasn’t going to talk about the 2019 state elections, which relieved him ...

Living in a very Christian state, most Mississippians should remember the biblical proscriptions on usury.   Here’s one: “Thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors by extortion, and has forgotten me, saith the Lord God.” (Ezekiel 22:12)   Many Mississippi leaders have forgotten.   Once Mississippi’s maximum annual finance charge was 8%. Anything ...

I have worked in the craft beer industry for more than 15 years, representing a deeply diverse range of clients throughout the Southeast.  From startup brewpubs in Louisiana to large regional breweries in Tennessee, from the state’s first production brewery in Mississippi to microbreweries and micro-distilleries in Alabama, I have counseled clients on myriad of issues including corporate structure, regulatory matters, ...

Interest groups are dropping hundreds of thousands of dollars into a special U.S. Senate election in Mississippi. It’s pocket change compared to millions being spent in Texas and Florida, but enough to buy advertising and pay for get-out-the-vote efforts in the mostly rural state. The winner gets the final two years of a six-year term. In reality, though, victory could ...

The PERS Board of Trustees seemed happy after hearing from their actuary. The funded ratio for PERS increased and investment returns were up.   So, are things turning up for PERS?   Only if you don’t mind your pocketbook getting raided.   Here’s the story. As the actuary report highlighted, PERS’ funded ratio moved from 61.1% to 61.8% (the minimum ...