Missouri State University

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Randy Dunn, the president of Murrary State University, dropped out of the running to be the next president of Missouri State University.  Dunn issued a news release on Monday afternoon, just a couple of hours before the MSU Board of Governors met to discuss Dunn and Interim President Clif Smart, the two finalists for the presidency. Smart, 52, was the university's general counsel before the governors chose him to be interim president in June 2011 when James Cofer resigned after less than a year on the job. Even though the board now has only one candidate to consider, it likely won't announce its selection on Monday night after a closed meeting.  That's because it will have to negotiate with Smart on a contract.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Ozarks Public Television (OPT) will broadcast the 200th episode of the long-running local TV series “OzarksWatch Video Magazine.”   Free Flowing: The Buffalo, America's First National River will air on OPT at 1:30 p.m. Feb. 10 and will repeat at 9 p.m. Feb. 14. “OzarksWatch Video Magazine” is a locally-produced program of Missouri State University and OPT.  The series was created in 1999 as an effort to document, present...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Graduation Weekend at Missouri State University brings celebrations and the enevitable question - what's next? One newly graduated group we spoke with was still soaking up the moment of receiving their diplomas. But between celebrating, the question is what's next? And the outlook has its ups and downs. The National Association of Colleges and Employers says that companies will hire 19.3% more graduates this year than last, and that's good to hear for the unemployed grad.  As for the average starting salaries?

ST. LOUIS -- The Missouri Valley Conference named Missouri State University guard  Jaleshia Roberson as its women's basketball Player of the Week.  Roberson averaged 23.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in wins over Creighton and Drake.  She shot 70 percent overall (14-20), 62.5 percent from behind the three-point line (10-16) and 90 percent (9-10) from the foul line with a 3.5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. The senior's 47 points for the week came on just 20 field goal attempts, beginning with 25 on 7-of-9 shooting against Creighton.  She hit four treys and 7-of-8 free throws against the Bluejays with five rebounds in 39 minutes.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Missouri State University has made one more addition to its athletics staff with the hiring of Daniel Heflin as Director of Athletic Development, which was announced Tuesday by MSU Director of Athletics Kyle Moats. Along with Assistant Director of Athletics for External Affairs Padraic McMeel and Administrative Assistant Julie Wright, Heflin will oversee the day-to-day operations of The Bears Fund , the MSU athletic department's annual fundraising program.

Governor Jay Nixon has named James Huy the new Northern District Commissioner For Stone County.  He will fill the position held by Kenneth Booth, who died in December.  “I am pleased to appoint James Huy as the new Northern District Commissioner for Stone County, and I believe he will capably serve the citizens of this quickly growing county," Gov. Nixon said in a news release.  “I also appreciate the public service given to this county by Commissioner...

SPRINGFIELD -- You might have noticed streets, restaurants and hotels are quite busy this weekend in Springfield.  You can thank the Missouri Youth Soccer State Cup for all of that. The five-day tournament kicked off Saturday at the Lake Country Soccer Complex.  The event brought in 176-teams with boys and girls ages 13 to 19. That's roughly 10,000 visitors to the Ozarks including the soccer players and their families and the coaches.  Hotels around the Springfield area are booked thanks to the tournament.  Some teams are staying in Lebanon and Branson.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Missouri State University men's basketball coach Cuonzo Martin announced his resignation on Sunday.  This comes after three years at MSU.  He will be introduced as the next head coach at the University of Tennessee during a news conference in Knoxville on Monday. Martin's announcement came after he told KY3 News on Friday that he had not been contacted by the University of Missouri ; adding that Missouri State was where he wanted to be and that it was a disservice to the university and the community that his potential leaving was even being discussed According to MSU's Director of Athletics Kyle Moats, Martin visited Tennessee on Sunday morning and, by the end of the meeting, was offered the job. In three seasons, Martin led the Bears to a 61-41 record, including 50 wins over the past two seasons.  This season, Martin's Bears finished 26-9 (15-3)

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - The nationally-recognized Missouri State University cheer team is looking for team-oriented men and women to join the squad for the 2012-13 school year.    The annual tryout process begins with a pair of upcoming cheer clinics at Hammons Student Center, March 31 and April 14, followed by a mandatory tryout clinic for all tryout participants on Friday, April 20. The official tryout date is Saturday, April 20. ...

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- High school students and their parents don't have to be surprised about the cost of college anymore.  As of Oct. 29, every university and college in the nation will have to have an online calculator where prospective students can type in some of their financial and academic history and see exactly how much tuition is going to cost them. It's called the net price calculator, and the federal Department of Education is requiring every college to offer the service.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- The Missouri State University Board of Governors approved an agreement on Friday that puts its athletics teams' clothing under the umbrella of one major brand.  The MSU Bears will soon be a part of the adidas team.  From football to swimming, the move could save the athletic department tens of thousands of dollars every year. "I think when you get that type of sponsorship and that type of advertising that's good and people want to be associated with that brand," said MSU Athletic Director Kyle Moats.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - Missouri State University head football coach Terry Allen will be hosting a signing day announcement party next Wednesday (Feb. 1) at Hammons Student Center to preview the Bears' 2012 signing class. Feb. 1 is the first day of the National Letter of Intent signing period for the spring. The party will feature complementary food and soft drinks from 5:30-6:30 p.m. in the Alumni Lounge at HSC. The event will feature Coach Allen's assessment of the 2012 class as well as video of the high school and transfer standouts who will join the Bears this fall.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo.-- Following the State of the State Address delivered by Governor Nixon last week, we're learning how it's impacting Missouri State University.   The proposed 12.5% cut in state money will likely mean increased tuition costs for students.  It will also likely mean no raises for employees. "I think everyone wishes they could get raises, but the reality of the economy is what it is," says MSU Staff Senate Chair Michael Frizell. Employees did get a 2% salary increase January 1st, but Interim President Clif Smart told KY3 Tuesday it was his goal to give another 2% in July.  "We will have lost 25% of our state appropriations in the last three years," Smart says.

ST. LOUIS -- The Missouri Valley Conference named Missouri State University guard  Jaleshia Roberson as its women's basketball Player of the Week.  Roberson averaged 23.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in wins over Creighton and Drake.  She shot 70 percent overall (14-20), 62.5 percent from behind the three-point line (10-16) and 90 percent (9-10) from the foul line with a 3.5:1 assist-to-turnover ratio. The senior's 47 points for the week came on just 20 field goal attempts, beginning with 25 on 7-of-9 shooting against Creighton.  She hit four treys and 7-of-8 free throws against the Bluejays with five rebounds in 39 minutes.

SPRINGFIELD --  Missouri State University will roll out a new security measure this week. Campus officials will replace the Zip Card system with the Bear Pass.  The new system will work as a meal ticket, debit card, and door key.       The Bear Pass uses a computer chip instead of a magnetic strip, which can do a better job protecting students' personal information.       Some 30,000 new cards will be handed out this week.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo --  Since its inception in early September of 2011, .XXX domains have caused quite a bit of buzz. There have already been more than 160,000 adult website registrations since. Many of those purchases aren't coming from the adult industry as intended.  The .XXX registry's commercial success, which is now in the millions, is being funded in part by the non-adult entertainment world. That's happening because the .XXX domain could be extremely dangerous for a company or organization trying to preserve their brand.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- Show-Me State leaders are looking for ways to close a looming budget gap in the 2012-13 fiscal year.  Gov. Jay Nixon wants the state's five largest public universities to tap into their reserves to provide the state with loans totaling more than $100 million.  That total would include more than $13 million from Missouri State University. Linda Luebbering, the governor's budget director, says revenue growth will not make up for the loss of $750 million of one-time funding sources in the current budget, including federal stimulus money.  "Frankly, we're open to any ideas that would help us get over the hump in dealing with the cut," said MSU Interim President Clif Smart.

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A pair of billboards on the outskirts of Springfield are drawing some attention. They read "Don't believe in god? You're not alone. " They were placed by the new Ozarks Coalition of Reason with $5,000 in funding from the United Coalition of Reason.  The local alliance is made up of four non-theistic groups in Springfield, Joplin, Branson, and at Missouri State University. The billboards greet traffic coming into Springfield.  Both are along Interstate 44: one of them three miles west of Strafford on the north side of the road, the other a mile west of Missouri 13 on the south side, near U.S. 160. The Springfield campaign is the latest in a nationwide effort.  Since March 2009, there have been similar billboards, as well as bus ad campaigns, in 26 states and the District of Columbia.

JOPLIN, Mo. - It was a somber scene at the campus of Missouri Southern State University in Joplin, tonight. Over a hundred students, faculty and staff lit candles and stood in silence to remember Diondre and Michael. Thoughts and prayers also went out to Jeremy Johnson of Harrison, Arkansas and Patrick Holt of Rogers, Arkansas who are being treated in area hospitals, tonight. Many on campus feel that it was not only a loss of fellow students, but members of their own family.

COLUMBIA, Mo. - Frank Haith begins his reign at Mizzou the way he wanted, with a victory. Senior Ricardo Ratliffe scored 20 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lead the No. 25 Missouri Tigers to a 83-68 victory over the Southeast Missouri State at the Mizzou Arena Friday night.  The Tigers had to earn the win early.  Mizzou jumped out to a 24-17 lead midway through the first-half.  The Red Hawks responded over the next five minutes, using...