Mississippi

Mississippi Medicaid director resigns. Read why he’s leaving

Published

7 months ago

October 9, 2024

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Mississippi Medicaid director resigns. Read why he’s leaving

Mississippi Division of Medicaid Director Drew Snyder will leave his current role for a position in the private sector.

Republican Gov. Tate Reeves’ office announced Wednesday afternoon the news of Snyder’s departure, which will happen on Oct. 31. The office also said in a press release that Cindy Bradshaw will be taking over the Mississippi Division of Medicaid’s top spot.

“Drew Snyder is a talented and dedicated public servant who has driven positive, lasting change in our state’s Medicaid program,” Reeves of Snyder in the press release. “I appreciate his acumen and his exemplary leadership and wish him continued success in the next chapter of his career.”

Snyder became director of MDM in 2018 during Gov. Phil Bryant’s administration. In his time, he has worked to balance the agency’s budget and overseen the period of Medicaid patients’ enrollment rising after a moratorium was placed on removing Medicaid patients from the state plan during the Covid-19 Pandemic. Many of those patients have now been disenrolled after the moratorium ended last year.

He has also overseen the implementation of a program that expanded Medicaid eligibility for women who have just given birth and a new program that was passed by the Legislature this year to give pregnant women prenatal care access.

That new program is currently in limbo over the eligibility requirements set by the state.

Snyder recently during a Joint-Legislative Budget Committee hearing said the agency was in the best “fiscal shape”.

“Working with the Division of Medicaid team, health care professionals, state leaders, and other partners to enhance value and elevate quality in the Mississippi Medicaid program has been the most rewarding experience of my career,” Snyder said. “I’m pleased with the progress that has been made, and I’m optimistic about what can be accomplished in the years ahead for the betterment of Medicaid members and Mississippi’s economic health.”

Bradshaw has been serving as Medicaid’s Deputy Executive Director for Eligibility since April 2023, and she was previously a state insurance administrator. Bradshaw also has nearly two decades of experience in health plan operations for private insurers, the press release said.

“With deep experience in health plan operations in the public and private sectors, Cindy Bradshaw is well-prepared to lead Mississippi’s Medicaid program,” Reeves said of Bradshaw. “She has a proven record of elevating operational performance and advancing initiatives aimed at improving outcomes and protecting taxpayers. She is an excellent choice to ensure continuity and continued progress in the Medicaid program.”

Grant McLaughlin covers state government for the Clarion Ledger. He can be reached at gmclaughlin@gannett.com or 972-571-2335.

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Mississippi

Mississippi State Run-Rules Mizzou Baseball for Series Victory

Published

16 hours ago

May 17, 2025

Press Room

Mississippi State Run-Rules Mizzou Baseball for Series Victory

After allowing 25 runs in Game 1 of the series, the Missouri Tigers pitching followed suit from the day before.

The game was put out of reach quite early. The Tigers briefly fought back against the Mississippi State Bulldogs, but then ended the game quietly in a 13-3 run-rule for the series loss. f

By the end of the second inning, the Tigers were already down 8-0. Five runs crossed in the first inning from back-to-back doubles followed by two singles, a hit-by-pitch and a homer. Missouri starter Tony Neubeck then went back out for a second inning and allowed a two-run homer after an error plated the sixth run.

After the ball was turned over to reliever Brock Lucas, the Tigers has one clean inning before the scoring began again. The Bulldogs sent their 10th homer of the series out of the park in the fourth inning.

The 11th of the series made it 12-3 in the third inning and was the last batter that Lucas faced. The Tigers then went to reliever Ben Smith to close out the sixth before handing the ball to usual starter Wil Libbert. Libbert was not expected to pitch in the series, as he was being held for the upcoming SEC tournament.

Run-rule range was achieved in the seventh inning. Libbert allowed the run after back-to-back singles, a walk and then a sacrifice fly brought a Bulldog home.

The Tigers were able to bring home two runs on a pop-up from right fielder Cayden Nicoletto that was dropped by Mississippi State’s shortstop in the bottom of the third inning. This somewhat broke open the Mizzou offense. The Tigers tagged on another run in the fourth and stranded two after two singles and a hit-by-pitch.

The Tigers (16-37, 3-26) will look to avoid a series sweep against the Bulldogs (33-20, 14-15) in Game 3 at 2 p.m. on Friday.

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Mississippi

Mississippi State scores 25 runs in big win against Missouri

Published

1 day ago

May 16, 2025

Press Room

Mississippi State scores 25 runs in big win against Missouri

For a brief moment it looked like the ghosts of Mississippi State’s past had come back to haunt the Bulldogs.

Missouri, who hadn’t won an SEC game until last weekend, trailed Mississippi State 12-0 headed into the bottom of the sixth inning. Then, like several other Mississippi State opponents have done this season, the Tigers started a comeback.

The Tigers scored seven unanswered runs, avoiding a run-rule defeat and putting them within striking distance (12-7) of a win. That must’ve woken the Bulldogs back up because what happened next wasn’t pretty.

Mississippi State scored three runs in the eighth inning to rebuild its lead and then went on to score 10 more runs in the ninth inning (in such a fashion to make one wonder, can we just offer mercy and be done?) and finish with a season-high 25 runs scored.

The Bulldogs set the single-game school record by slugging eight home runs in a 25-7 nine-inning victory over the Tigers at Taylor Stadium.

Reed Stallman, Ace Reese and Hunter Hines all hit two home runs with Hines’ second blast tying him with Rafael Palmeiro (1982-85) for the most career homers in MSU history at 67. Noah Sullivan and Joe Powell also went deep for the Bulldogs in their season-high 23-hit attack.

Sullivan finished the night 3-for-5 with homer and two RBIs while Reese, Hines and Bryce Chance were 3-for-6. Reese and Hines both added doubles to their two-homer games with Reese driving in four and Hines three. Chance provided three singles and had two RBIs. Stallman went 2-for-3 with two homers and three RBIs, Gatlin Sanders went 2-for-4 wtih two singles and an RBI while Sawyer Reeves was 2-for-5 with two singles and drove in one.

Steven Spalitta added a pinch hit two-run triple and Gehrig Frei doubled as State improved to 32-20 overall and 13-15 in conference play.

Stone Simmons picked up the win in 1 1/3 innings of relief to up his record to 4-2 on the year. Nate Williams earned his first save as a Bulldog after working the final three frames.

State continues the series with Missouri on Friday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 2 p.m. with both games streamed on SEC Network+.

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Mississippi

Record number of Mississippi third-graders pass reading assessment; see how local districts performed – Mississippi's Best Community Newspaper

Published

2 days ago

May 15, 2025

Press Room

Record number of Mississippi third-graders pass reading assessment; see how local districts performed

Published 12:48 pm Thursday, May 15, 2025

NATCHEZ – A record high number of Mississippi third-graders passed the state reading assessment on the first attempt this spring, prompting praise from statewide education leaders.

“These results are outstanding. The MDE applauds all educators and families across the state that make literacy a priority,” said Dr. Lance Evans, state superintendent of education. “With a continued emphasis on the science of reading as well as implementation of high-quality instructional materials, we believe Mississippi students will continue to make progress.”

A total of 32,839 third graders took the assessment. In 2023-24, 75.7% of third graders passed the initial administration of the reading assessment. After the final retests in 2023-24, 84% of third graders passed the test.

In accordance with the Literacy-Based Promotion Act (LBPA), third graders who do not pass the initial administration of the reading test are given up to two attempts to retest. Students who did not pass the initial reading assessment retested in early May. The second retest window is June 16 – 27.

Area district performance included:

Natchez-Adams County School District

McLaurin Elementary School, 74.2% pass rate

Amite County School District

Amite County Elementary, 61.5% pass rate

Claiborne County School District

A.W. Watson Elementary, 64.4% pass rate

Franklin County School District

Franklin County Lower Elementary, 82.2% pass rate

Jefferson County School District

Jefferson County Elementary, 84%

Wilkinson County School District

Wilkinson County Elementary, 45% pass rate

The LBPA became law in 2013 to improve reading skills of kindergarten through third-grade students in public schools so every student completing the third grade is able to read at or above grade level. The LBPA requires Mississippi third graders to pass a reading assessment to qualify for promotion to fourth grade. Some students may qualify for good cause exemptions to be promoted to fourth grade.

An amendment to the law in 2016 raised reading-level expectations starting in the 2018-19 school year, requiring third graders to score at level three or higher on the reading portion of the Mississippi Academic Assessment Program (MAAP) English Language Arts (ELA) assessment.

Click here to see the district- and school-level initial pass rate report for 2024-25.

Final district-level pass rates will be published this fall in the Literacy-Based Promotion Act Annual Report of Performance and Student Retention for the 2024-25 school year.

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