1) Vance Watson resigned as interim president of Mississippi State University after being forced to reimburse the university $12,333 for unauthorized landscaping work done at the home of IHL Commissioner Tom Meredith. 2) Roy Ruby, a 40-year veteran of MSU, was selected to serve as interim president until a new president is chosen. 3) The second annual Pardon Johnny Cash Flower Pickin' Festival was held in Starkville over the weekend to honor the late singer. The event attracted many out-of-town visitors and was hailed a success by organizers.

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LUKE BRYAN RIDES
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Reflector
The
TUESDAY REFLECTOR-ONLINE.COM
121ST YEAR | ISSUE 15
OCTOBER 21, 2008
T H E S T U D E N T N E W S P A P E R O F M I S S I S S I P P I S T A T E U N I V E R S I T Y S I N C E 1 884
Watson announces resignation, retirement press release Monday. returned phone calls.
Former vice president for student According to IHL The IHL promptly selected for-
Board of Trustees mer vice president for student affairs
Senate
affairs Roy Ruby named interim President Amy Roy Ruby to serve as interim presi-
Whitten, Watson’s res- dent until the conclusion of the MSU
ignation was voluntary presidential search, or when a new
hopefuls
and was not suggested president assumes command. The IHL
BY DAVID BRELAND or asked for by the Ruby is expected to announce a preferred
Monday. Watson decided that resign-
Managing Editor IHL. candidate by Nov. 1.
ing as interim president would be pru-
Watson’s resignation comes after he Ruby, a 40-year veteran of MSU, has
dent in the wake of the scandal.
discuss
was forced to reimburse the univer- been retired since 2004, but said he is
“In light of the recent landscaping
In the latest chapter of the landscap-
sity $12,333 for authorizing landscap- appreciative of the selection.
controversy that has arisen, I have
ing scandal involving Institutions of
ing work that was done at Meredith’s “I’m honored. I’ve worked for MSU
decided that it is in the best interest
Higher Learning Commissioner Tom
election
home. In his statement Watson was for 40 years. MSU’s been my life, I’m
of Mississippi State University and
Meredith and Interim Mississippi State
quick to point out that the matter was honored if I can help,” Ruby said.
myself if I resign from my position as
University President Vance Watson,
a civil claim and not a criminal one. Ruby was approached by IHL board
interim president of Mississippi State
the IHL accepted the resignation and
Watson neither answered nor RESIGNATION, 2
University and retire,” Watson said in a
subsequent retirement of Watson
BY COLIN CATCHINGS
Staff Writer
Mississippi voters will have the
opportunity to elect incumbent Sen.
PARDONING CASH
Thad Cochran or Erik Fleming for the
United States Senate Nov. 4.
Cochran, a Republican, said he
should be elected because he is quali-
fied to continue to serve based on his
performance in the Senate.
“I believe that my experience equips
me to do things that will benefit our
state economically including better
opportunities for the future,” he said.
Fleming, a Democrat, said he
should be elected because he is tired of
Mississippi being the last state in every-
thing that is supposed to be good and
the top state in everything bad.
“[Cochran] had a chance for 30
years, for three decades — since I was
13 years old — to move this state in
a direction where it will be better off
for its people,” he said. “Instead, the
people of Mississippi have done what
they’ve always had to do — they’ve had
to be resilient ... they’ve had to make a
SENATE, 3
SEE
University
breaks
ground for
new facility
Construction
set to begin in
spring 2009
BY ADAM KAZERY
Online Editor
Officials conducted the ground-
breaking ceremony for a new multi-
tenant building at the Thad Cochran
Research, Technology
and Economic
Development Park
ERIC EVANS | THE REFLECTOR
Rosanne Cash accepts her father’s symbolic pardon and gifts from Starkville representatives during the Flower Pickin’ Festival Saturday night. on Thursday. Sen.
Thad Cochran, along
with Mississippi
Cash fans from across the country arrive in Starkville for festival State University and
Oktibbeha County Schulz
officials, participated
in the ceremony for the new, unnamed
BY PATRICK YOUNG | Staff Writer facility.
Construction for the $8 million,
T
42,000-square-foot building will begin
he second annual Pardon Johnny Cash Flower Pickin’ Festival, honoring the late American outlaw icon, preoccupied in March and should be completed
within nine to 12 months. Schafer
the music scene in Starkville over the weekend. and Associates has been contracted as
The three-day musical event featured meet and greets with Cash’s family, a 5k run, lectures from close friends architect for the facility.
The research park is home to 1,500
of the Man in Black and a downtown concert with headliner Rosanne Cash. Plenty of sunshine and cool weather workers, many of whom are MSU
greeted many out-of-town visitors who converged with locals in Starkville to pay tribute to the iconic singer. employees, and the new multi-tenant
building will increase the capacity
Event organizers hailed it a success with this year’s attendance being higher than last year’s inaugural festival. Event volunteer by 100 to 150 more. The building is
Natalie Long said the small-town atmosphere of Starkville gave the event a unique feel. expected to be at full occupancy when
it opens.
“We’ve had a good turnout for all the events,” Long said. “It had been very family-friendly, family-oriented and pet-oriented; Vice president for research and
we’re happy with everything that has taken place.” CONSTRUCTION, 2
SEE CASH, 3 SEE
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