A survivor's story that didn't end as another statistic with drinking and driving

All 50 states in the US now apply two statutory offenses to driving under the influence of alcohol.  The first offense is a DUI (driving under the influence).  The second offense is "illegal per se", or driving with a Blood Alcohol Concentration of 0.08 or higher.

Over 1.41 million drivers were arrested in 2010 for driving under the influence of alcohol.  If fatal car crashes last year, the highest percentage of drunk drivers was for drivers ages 21 to 24.  Almost every 90 seconds a person is injured in a drunk driving crash.

Brandon Blinson is a survivor from a head on collision involved in a drinking and driving accident.  He said "Believe it or not, the law at the time was that if a person hits you while under the influence of alcohol and doesn't de-limb or kill you, his maximum sentence was two days in prison, or jail.  After that it was just a matter of him paying a bunch of fines and getting out scotch free.  I know that a lot of people have moved to get that changed."

Here is more on that story.

http://youtu.be/ckCXCzYeySk

Behind The Scenes With Cadillac Funk @ The 3rd Annual Oxford Blues Festival

Every year Mississippians can two things when it comes to summer months the heat is going to be almost unbearable and the held in Oxford, Mississippi come July.  Local well known Oxford, MS band Cadillac Funk once again plays the annual Oxford, MS blues festival. This Oxford band has a soulful repertoire that can't be ignored. Ever wonder what goes into breaking into the music business? Well watch and see what goes into being a musician. Watch Cadillac Funk, play their hearts out and bust out some great southern blues. This past 3^rd Annual Oxford Blues Festival I was able    to go behind the scenes with well known Oxford band Cadillac Funk, I got to see first hand what goes into the process of performing the festival through out the course of the weekend. Songwriting duet Andrew Yurkow and Ciera Ouellette members of the band have recently recorded some music down in Memphis at Simply Grand Music these two have immense talent and I feel they will have a very successful future in the music business. 

Oxford High School Theatre Department in Oxford, Mississippi is selected to perform at the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland

This August, students from the Oxford High School theatre department will travel to Edinburgh, Scotland after being selected for the third time as one of 50 high schools in America to perform at the Fringe Festival.

The American High School Theatre Festival takes almost 2,000 high school nominations from outside theatre sources annually. Then the AHSTF narrows down the schools by looking at a compilation of the department’s work, students, and theatre involvement. Only 50 high schools in the country are invited to attend the festival each year.

Being the largest performing arts festival in the world, Fringe attracts thousands of actors, writers, producers, and theatre lovers each year. OHS has attended the festival twice before in 2007 and 2009.

In contrast to previous years, Oxford High School will be taking a darker piece, “The Talented Mr. Ripley,” by Phyllis Nagy. Based off of the popular book by Patricia Highsmith, the story is complex and twisted.

Cast members auditioned for the show last August and have been rehearsing since February. Rehearsals during the summer have been long, sometimes lasting up to eight hours. But the students are just as excited and eager, nonetheless.

OHS Theatre Director John Davenport is excited for the future since all but two students will be back for the fall theatre season. “This is an extremely talented group and they will only be better after experiencing Fringe. It’s unique and I see students grow tremendously when it’s all said and done.”

The department will perform “The Talented Mr. Ripley” at 7 p.m. this Friday and Saturday at the Kayla Sue Mize auditorium. 

For more information on this story, click here.

Ole Miss Gentle Giant

Terrell Brown 6'11 380 pounds, senior Offensive tackle at Ole Miss is one of the nicest guys you'll meet on the football team.

   The 6'11 380 pounder has aspirations and dreams of becoming a graphic designer and ultimately doing animation works such as Sherk, Toy Story, and Monsters Inc. The Gentle Giant is not only just a football player but a hard worker and student. Click here to see more on that story.

How Ole Miss Students Are Affected By Social Media

Looking around Ole Miss's campus, they are everywhere: students checking their phones for online messages - always wondering ”Did I get a new message?”

Social Media changes not only the future of traditional media institutions, but also our social behavior. Now we have the opportunity to be online every minute, to stay connected to others and to read the news whenever and wherever we are able - and we utilize this opportunity. What was started by people like Mark Zuckerberg is not only a blessing but also a curse.

The downside to all of this is that people are always under pressure to be up to date and to stay informed. What really matters, the interaction and the face-to-face communication becomes continuously less important because people attempt to stay in touch with the 500 random people they befriended on Facebook. We think social media is free but in reality it costs so much time. It affects friendships and even relationships. According to a study by a UK divorce website, Facebook is cited as a cause for a third of divorces in 2011. Yet, Facebook is still growing. Facebook's population alone is larger than the United States and the third largest in the world.

For more on social media effects on Ole Miss students, check out the story on YouTube. 

Safe at Home Away From Home

Some college students feel that their college campus is home away from home. Are you safe on your college campus? The FBI also works closely with the College and University Police Section of the International Assciation of Chiefs of Police  to improve on the preparedness of campus public safety. 

The University of Mississippi ranks number nine in the top 25 safest college campuses across the country. The five divisions patrol, crime prevention, investigation, support and security staff which compose the University works as a team to ensure high quality of studnt-faculty life by promoting a peacful and safe atmosphere. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8wRSCKAegE

College students should consider using safety and survival tips in case of a school shooting. You are responsible for your safety while away from home. On April 16, 2007 when gunman at Vigirnia Tech killed 30 students , the question "Do you feel safe on your college campus?" has been asked of many. When home away from home take responsibilty in your safety. 

Mississippi Blood Services and Oxford, MS Residents Look to Save the Children

Every two seconds, someone in the United States needs blood. That means, a minimum of 30 million blood components are needed each year. Each year over 1 million children in the Southeast area are stuck with a blood-related disease, and are in need of a blood donation. But where does this blood come from?

Sick children, like the one shown above, are in
 need of blood donations all over Mississippi.
Will you save a life, or 3?

Founded in 1979, Mississippi Blood Services is one of the only Mississippi based non-profit blood center; and they supply blood to all Mississippians. They supply a safe and adequate supply of blood to all of the hospital in Mississippi, including Blair E. Batson Hospital for Children, the only children's hospital in the state where Madeline is located.

Madeline is a 7 year old girl, whose in a battle with cancer, and help survival depends on blood donations.

According to Lolita Gregory, Operations Director in Oxford, "Anyone who is sixteen and older, at least 110 lbs., and currently not under a doctor's care for a medical condition is able to donate blood. There's always a need for blood, and we can never get enough."

The Oxford location for MS Blood Services is located at 2627 W Oxford Loop, where donations are taken and donated to over 49 Mississippi hospitals. Check out the video below to see how your donation could save lives. 

The Ole Miss Museum opens the Estelle Faulkner painting exhibit

Estelle Faulkner’s paintings are on display in the University of Mississippi’s museum. This isn't a normal exhibit. The paintings on display at Ole miss have never been shown to the public before. The Oxford natives are ecstatic to be the first to see the exclusive portraits.

   The exhibit was made possible by Lee Caplin and the Summers family. This event was apart of the Oxford Art crawl which is held every third Tuesday of each month. The Curator of Rowan Oaks was also apart of putting the event together as well. For more on this story see the video below. 

Pinkberry Frozen Yogurt To Open In Fall 2012 at the University of Mississippi

Courtesy of www.pinkberry.com

This upcoming fall semester, students at the University of Mississippi will have new eating options in the food court in the student union. With the opening of a Pinkberry, POD, and POD Express, students will have healthier options to chose from.

Courtney Baxter, a sophomore at Ole Miss, is thrilled for the opening of Pinkberry on campus. "I know a lot of my friends have already started talking about how we're excited to be able to come on campus to get our favorite frozen yogurt," said Baxter.

For more information about the opening of Pinkberry at the University of Mississippi, click here.

Oxford, MS Chef John Currence Shares Food For Thought

www.robbiecaponetto.com

Twenty years ago, John Currence opened his  first restaurant in Oxford, MS: City Grocery.  Since then, he's established even more Oxford favorites-- Boure, Big Bad Breakfast, and Snackbar. These restaurants have given him more than just local success, however; they have exposed Chef Currence's recipes and attitude to the masses.


Chef Currence has written for Garden and Gun magazine, and been featured in countless others, including Esquire and Southern Living. He also starred on Bravo's Top Chef Masters. All of this exposure has given Chef Currence a way to expand his unique style of cooking to a broad audience. It's also earned him a James Beard Award for Best Southern Chef. 


Chef Currence walks the thin line between serious chef and guy who likes real, good food. To hear about John Currence's experiences in his own words, click the link below for a feature profile video.


Chef Currence on his first magazine assignment, being Best Chef of the South, and bashing Paula Deen. 

New Restaurants Enter The Student Union

This upcoming fall the University of Mississippi has decided to add a few new restaurants to the Student Union. Pinkberry, Papa Johns, POD, and POD express will all be available starting August to Ole Miss's campus. 

Jeffrey Owens, the interim marketing coordinator for Aramark at Ole Miss, said these new venues were chosen through a process involving surveys, focus groups and market research  to “help determine underserved areas of campus and brand preferences.”

Health and nutrition have always been a big concern for students. Owens said the new restaurant options give students the opportunity to enjoy a healthy meal.

"I am so happy Pinkberry came to Ole Miss," said Ole Miss senior Molly Griffin, "I have been on this campus for five years now and I've been waiting for something healthy to finally be available." 

As well as a new menu, Ole Miss has added a new meal plan, the Plus 1 plan. The plan allows students who are constantly on campus to eat anywhere, anytime. You can find more information on the Plus 1 meal plan here.

For more information on the new restaurants and meal plans in the Student Union, click here.

Ole Miss Students Struggle to find Healthy Meals in the Student Union this Summer

With Burger Studio, Subway, and Magnolia Kitchen being the only restaurants open at the Student Union this summer, students at the University of Mississippi are finding it difficult to eat a balanced and nutritious diet. 

This past year the Center of Mississippi Health Policy published a report that affirms the state has the highest rate of adult obesity in the nation.  2012 marks the 5^th year in a row that Mississippi has topped the list. 

However, Ole Miss is doing what it can to bring healthier food options to students and faculty this Fall.  The University has started construction on various projects, one of which is Pinkberry; a Los Angeles based frozen yogurt shop.

All the same, those on campus this summer are still struggling to find something nourishing to eat. Sterling Swanson has more on the story.  

How WFAA-TV News in Dallas, TX Uses Social Media in Reporting

Social media use has exploded across the world and especially in the U.S. Facebook, Twitter and other sites have become a new way of communicating in the 21st century.

Television stations across the country are trying to figure out how to incorporate these new tools into the news reporting. WFAA-TV in Dallas, Texas is one of the top local news operations in the country and is currently trying to figure out how to use social media.

Brad Schultz has more on the story below: