BY CARL SMITHNews Editor

Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Commissioner Tom Meredith announced his resignation Wednesday, becoming effective Nov. 15. Meredith will continue to serve on an as-needed basis.

Meredith’s resignation comes only two days after the resignation of

Mississippi State University Interim President Vance Watson. Both Meredith and Watson were identified in State Auditor Stacey Pickering’s investigation into allegations involving the improper use of taxpayer money through landscaping service.

In a statement issued Wednesday, Meredith said he has worked through his career to build a reputation of honesty and integrity. He claims the

landscaping work his property received was accepted on the condi-tion that the work be paid for.

“There is no way I would have taken a chance at this stage of my life to damage that reputation over anything,” he said. “Those who know me know this is true.”

Meredith said he paid $6,347.53 the day the state auditor’s report was released. He released a statement that day claiming he was exonerated from any wrongdoing.

“We were pleased, but not surprised,

when the state auditor’s report revealed that we were not at fault regarding the landscaping controversy at our home,” Meredith said. “With the auditor’s report, we discovered for the first time the cost of the trees and how they were provided.”

The IHL Board of Trustees is expect-ed to accept Meredith’s resignation today during a 2 p.m. meeting called to discuss the MSU presidential search.

Since Meredith’s voluntary resigna-tion on Sept. 26, his duties as commis-sioner have been subsumed into the Board of Trustees.

Board of Trustees President Amy Whitten said Meredith’s tenure as IHL

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Familiaropponents fight for District 1

BY LAWRENCE SIMMONS

Staff Writer

First Congressional District nomi-nees for the U.S. House of Represen-tatives seat Republican Greg Davis and incumbent Dem-ocrat Travis Childers recently exchanged political viewpoints in two debates.

Childers defeated Southaven Mayor Davis in a special election earlier this year after Sen. Roger Wicker left the 1st District position upon accepting Gov. Haley Barbour’s nomination for the Senate seat which was left open after former Sen. Trent Lott’s res-ignation in 2007.

Communication director for Childers Dana Edelstein said the con-gressman was a clear winner in each of the recent congressional debates.

“He proved that he would be will-ing to work with all 434 members of Congress, whereas his opponent wants

BY CARL SMITH

News Editor

The Robert Holland Faculty Senate passed a resolution Thursday urg-ing the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning Board Search Committee to dissolve the cur-rent Mississippi State University presiden-tial search.

The resolution passed 32-4 after a two-day elec-tronic vote. Faculty Senate President David Nagel said the declaration will be faxed to the IHL.

In a Wednesday e-mail to MSU faculty, Nagel said the electronic vote allowed faculty members to deter-mine whether the Faculty Senate should urge the IHL to restart the presidential search.

Meredith will be available on an as-needed basis until Nov. 15

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Students gather in Fowlkes Auditorium in the Colvard Student Union Tuesday to voice concerns and ideas to the MSU Student Association.

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The Mississippi State University Student Association held Speak Up MSU this week, an event in which the SA Cabinet and Senate reached out to students on the Drill Field Monday and Tuesday followed by a forum at noon Tuesday in Fowlkes Auditorium.

Though it gave the SA an opportunity to brief students on its recent plans, the majority of the Speak Up event consisted of SA members setting up booths across campus, where students were asked questions and given surveys

and the chance to voice their concerns and ideas to the SA.SA President Braxton Coombs said campus outreach was the main focus of the event and was an effective way to reach students

and their opinions.

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