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State auditor says Dept. of Ed mishandled bidding process using federal funds, something MDE disputes

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2 years ago

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State auditor says Dept. of Ed mishandled bidding process using federal funds, something MDE disputes

by Sara DiNatale and Julia James, Mississippi Today
December 6, 2022

Mississippi State Auditor Shad White announced his office’s annual report on the state’s federal spending Tuesday, with a special focus on the Mississippi Department of Education’s bidding process to secure computers for school children.

White said the department mishandled choosing a vendor, ultimately giving special treatment to the winning company. That critique, along with other missteps the report details, is something MDE has denied in a letter to the auditor’s office.

White called the 388-page report the most “important report in the state of Mississippi” on whether “federal money actually helped people.”

“From a small county to a big state agency, folks around the state need to know we’re watching these processes,” White said during a Tuesday phone call with reporters. 

The annual audit spanned the largest amount of federal funds the office has ever examined in a fiscal year since the 2008 financial crisis. It covers the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021, including the $1.25 billion of Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act money allocated by the Legislature.

In 2020, the Legislature allocated $150 million of COVID relief money to purchase computers for remote learning at the beginning of the pandemic. The Department of Education was responsible for managing this process; school districts were required to contribute 20% of their own federal money for their computers, and the remaining 80% would be covered by the federal funds disbursed by the Legislature. The law also gave MDE the ability to select a vendor and make a bulk purchase for participating districts across the state.

READ MORE: Is Mississippi up to the task of (properly) spending billions in federal pandemic dollars?

The report says the Department of Education let the winning vendor — an Illinois company called CDW — have influence over the criteria for proposals before they were released, and gave the company multiple weeks advance notice of what the criteria would be.

“All vendors selected by MDE were allowed to provide input on the specifications,” MDE wrote in its response letter to the auditor’s office. “The scheduling of these meeting dates … were not solely driven by MDE but were set based on vendor availability. All meetings were scheduled as quickly and as often as practicable under the circumstances.”

MDE dubbed the plan Mississippi Connects. White chastised the agency in 2020 because he said the department required schools to purchase computers from a preferred vendor list to receive the 80/20 match, something MDE also disputed.

READ MORE: Mississippi is getting devices to every child. That’s just the first step.

In his latest report, White also pointed out that CDW scored better on one section despite being more expensive than other bids. MDE said in its response letter, which was dated in October of this year, the company received more points because of CDW’s promise to deliver the computers by a Nov. 20, 2020 deadline.

White, however, says that all vendors had committed to delivering the devices by the deadline in their cost estimates.

The report also pointed out the Department of Education failed to properly monitor federal funds given to nonprofits that provides meals to hungry children and adults to ensure the money was, in fact, fulfilling that purpose. In their October letter, MDE also disputed this claim.

Separately, the report highlighted $453 million that was improperly administered through unemployment, and up to $69 million that may have gone to fraudulent Medicaid recipients.

The federal government will examine the state’s report — as it does every state’s annual audit report — to determine if any clawbacks for misspent funds are necessary.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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Mississippi Today

UMMC holds free cancer screenings

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19 hours ago

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April 30, 2025

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mississippitoday.org – @EricJShelton – 2025-04-30 12:00:00

by Eric J. Shelton, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

  • Resident physician Claire Babin, right, performs an oral cancer screening on Ella Holmes during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Physicians prepare for oral, head and neck cancer screenings during a free screening event at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, screens Diane Carter for oral cancer as medical students Mason Nodurft, left, and Eva Kiparizoska observe during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Educational giveaways advocating against smoking are available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Sharon Terry, senior tobacco treatment specialist, waits for patients during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Skylar Robinson, medical office assistant, left, and Kiandria Bruce, registered nurse, review materials at the patient sign-in table during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Head and neck cancer literature is available during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Dr. Alex Brooks and registered nurse Angela Noble talk during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Nina Brown, clinical manager, helps Ned Bostic with paperwork during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Resident physician Brooks Lampkin performs an oral cancer screening on Ned Bostic at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Ned Bostic receives a neck cancer screening during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.
  • Resident physician Brooks Lampkin, center, and medical student Hanna Watson examine Ned Bostic during a free oral, head and neck cancer screening at the Jackson Medical Mall on Wednesday, April 16, 2025.

The University of Mississippi Medical Center’s Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery hosted a free oral, head, and neck cancer screening Wednesday at the Jackson Medical Mall as part of Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Week.

The event featured quick, noninvasive screenings aimed at catching cancer early — when treatment is most effective. Onyx Care provided free HPV vaccinations, while the ACT Center for Tobacco Treatment, Education, and Research offered resources on smoking cessation and free services.

“These screenings take about 10 minutes and can save lives,” said Dr. Gina Jefferson, head and neck surgical oncologist at UMMC. “The earlier a cancer is diagnosed, the better chance we have of curing it.”

Tobacco and alcohol use remain major risk factors for these cancers. However, physicians say an increasing number of cases are linked to HPV, especially among younger adults with no history of smoking or drinking. Dentists are often the first to spot early signs, which can include persistent sores, lumps in the neck, or difficulty swallowing.

Oral, head and neck cancers are among the most common globally. When found early, survival rates can exceed 80 percent.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post UMMC holds free cancer screenings appeared first on mississippitoday.org


Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article presents factual information about a free cancer screening event without showing a clear ideological stance. It primarily focuses on the health benefits of early cancer detection and the availability of free resources, such as HPV vaccinations and smoking cessation support. The language used is neutral and the content is centered around public health education rather than promoting a political viewpoint. The inclusion of factual statistics, such as survival rates and risk factors, adds to its informative and objective tone. There are no signs of bias or advocacy for a particular political agenda, making this a centrist piece.

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Crooked Letter Sports Podcast

Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball?

Published

20 hours ago

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April 30, 2025

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mississippitoday.org – @rick_cleveland – 2025-04-30 10:46:00

by Rick Cleveland and Tyler Cleveland, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi State didn’t even wait until the end of the season to fire Chris Lemonis, who brought the national championship to Starkville not quite four years ago. Where do the Bulldogs go from here. Robbie Faulk who covers the Bulldogs more closely than anyone else joins the podcast to discuss the situation.

Stream all episodes here.

This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Podcast: What next for Mississippi State baseball? appeared first on mississippitoday.org

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Mississippi Today

Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you

Published

21 hours ago

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April 30, 2025

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mississippitoday.org – @MSTODAYnews – 2025-04-30 10:21:00

by Mississippi Today, Mississippi Today
April 30, 2025

Mississippi Today is looking to speak with current and former mobile sports betting users. We’d like to speak with people who spend considerable amounts of time and money betting on sports through online gambling sites.

We’re interested in hearing the experience of people who have suffered from gambling addiction or problems, or friends and family members of people who have. We also would like to talk with people who believe legalizing mobile sports betting would benefit Mississippi and its residents.

We want to hear from you. Please take the survey below or contact Political Reporter Michael Goldberg by email at mgoldberg@mississippitoday.org

TAKE THE SURVEY:

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This article first appeared on Mississippi Today and is republished here under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

The post Mobile sports betting users: We want to hear from you appeared first on mississippitoday.org


Note: The following A.I. based commentary is not part of the original article, reproduced above, but is offered in the hopes that it will promote greater media literacy and critical thinking, by making any potential bias more visible to the reader –Staff Editor.

Political Bias Rating: Centrist

This article from Mississippi Today appears to present a neutral stance, focusing on gathering input from various groups of mobile sports betting users, including those who may have experienced addiction issues. The content does not advocate for or against the legalization of mobile sports betting but instead seeks to gather diverse perspectives, including those of individuals who may support or oppose it. The language used is objective and does not suggest a particular ideological perspective, allowing for a balanced exploration of the issue at hand.

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