Thursday, September 13, 2018   
 
MissiON Deployment: C Spire Selection Drives Upgrades in University, Research Programs
C Spire is turning up the enhanced connections for the research arms at Ole Miss, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Mississippi State, Jackson State, the University of Southern Mississippi, Stennis Space Center, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers' Engineering Research and Development Center and the national Internet 2 consortium. "We're pleased with C Spire's work and the continued commitment to such a vital infrastructure, which allows our research institutions and businesses to successfully compete on a global scale," said Dr. David Shaw, vice president of Research and Economic Development at Mississippi State University and chairman of the MissiON Network Advisory Council. C Spire has designed the network to support direct collaboration for the first time among the state's research universities and regional institutions as well as access to resources in the ITS State Data Center and C Spire data centers in Jackson and Starkville.
 
C Spire selection nets major upgrades in university and research programs
Fresh off its recent selection to overhaul the Mississippi Optical Network (MissiON), C Spire has completed a major technology upgrade of the state's science and technology research and development arm -- tripling capacity, cutting overall costs and expanding the size of the consortium. C Spire is turning up the enhanced connections for the research arms at Ole Miss, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Mississippi State, Jackson State, the University of Southern Mississippi, Stennis Space Center, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers' Engineering Research and Development Center and the national Internet 2 consortium. In another major change, C Spire moved commodity internet access for the 100,000 students, staff and faculty on the state's eight university campuses directly to the MissiON core and provisioned it through multiple Tier 1 upstream internet service providers. This gives consortium members low-cost access -- up to 80 percent lower than current rates.
 
Fiber optic tech helps triple capacity, reduce costs for new Mississippi Optical Network contract
C Spire is turning up the enhanced connections for the research arms at Ole Miss, the University of Mississippi Medical Center, Mississippi State, Jackson State, the University of Southern Mississippi, Stennis Space Center, the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers' Engineering Research and Development Center and the national Internet 2 consortium. Four regional universities -- Delta State, Alcorn State, Mississippi University for Women and Mississippi Valley State -- are being added to the MissiON network for the first time under a new state telecommunications contract awarded to C Spire earlier this year by the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services (ITS).
 
4 Mississippi universities added to fiber optic network
A Mississippi telecommunications company says four public universities are joining a state-owned fiber optic network. Ridgeland-based CSpire says it invested more than $5 million after the Mississippi Department of Information Technology Services awarded it a contract to run the Mississippi Optical Network. Alcorn State University, Delta State University, Mississippi University for Women and Mississippi Valley State University are being connected for the first time. They join Mississippi's other four public universities, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers research center in Vicksburg and Stennis Space Center near Bay St. Louis.
 
Young, white, affluent -- and learning about race
When we talk about race and racism in this economy, the experiences we most often hear about are the experiences of the people who've been marginalized. Less common is studying the people with the power, money and privilege. Margaret Hagerman teaches sociology at Mississippi State University and spent two years observing and hanging out with affluent white kids and their parents. Those parents all own homes, have advanced degrees and live in predominantly white neighborhoods in a Midwestern suburb. Hagerman wrote about it in her new book, "White Kids," which came out Sept. 4, and she discussed her findings with Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal.
 
State Fire Marshal brings technology to Mississippi State to teach fire safety
If a fire started in your kitchen, would you be prepared to properly handle the situation? For Campus Fire Safety Month, the Mississippi Fire Marshal's Office came to the Mississippi State University campus to teach students fire safety tips Tuesday afternoon. The event was sponsored by MSU's Division of Student Affairs. "We're just here teaching fire safety prevention," Mississippi Fire Marshall Fire Safety Educator Zach Purvis said. As opposed to a lecture, though, the Fire Marshal's Office offered an interactive learning experience. "We brought our Fire Safety Simulator House out," Purvis said. The simulator house has a kitchen set and a number of features to simulate the experience of a fire.
 
Mississippi State Safety Week
This week is safety week for Mississippi State and they are bringing in new measures. They want to make sure their students are kept safe and crime prevention coordinator and security assessment specialist, Emmitt Johnson Jr., is in the middle of it all. He says MSU has brought in programs such as "Adopt A Cop", "The Safe Walk Program" and "Mindful Mondays" to help students with safety needs. These programs give students access to all safety phone numbers and inform students to be mindful of their surroundings. "I teamed up with the counseling services to notify students to just be mindful their surroundings. If you're walking through a cross walk not to be on your phone, make sure you're looking out for other vehicles and different things because if you're not looking out for yourself, nobody will be looking out for you if you're not looking out for yourself," said Emergency Manager Brent Crocker.
 
Commission OKs rezoning for Starkville mixed-use project
The Starkville Planning and Zoning Commission has given preliminary approval to a zoning change for a new mixed residential/commercial development in east Starkville. The development, which Hattiesburg-based developer Bennett York seeks to build, is on about 22 acres of land off Highway 12 near the Walmart Neighborhood Market and the La Quinta hotel. Commissioners approved splitting the land's zoning. The land is presently zoned R-1 residential, and York requested to rezone the bulk of the property R-5 residential, to allow for higher-density housing, and a western portion of the property part of it C-2 (high density) commercial. The rezoning will now go before the board of aldermen for final approval. Commissioner Jeremiah Dumas, who moved for both the rezoning and the preliminary plat approval, said after the meeting that he thinks it's good to see continued growth in east Starkville. "It's exciting any time someone buys 26 acres of land and we can collectively plan that," Dumas said.
 
SOCSD receives $100,000 for students, parents at Emerson
Richard "Dickie" Scruggs found his love for education while helping inmates receive their General Equivalency Diplomas while he served six years in federal prison. Prior to his conviction, Scruggs rose to notoriety and became a millionaire for his prosecution of the tobacco and asbestos industries. His legal career was later derailed when Scruggs was sentenced to serve six years in federal prison for a judiciary bribe in 2009. Teaching inmates while in prison led him to create a nonprofit organization to increase adult education in Mississippi. "When I was in prison, teaching sort of gave me a new purpose in life," Scruggs said. "I realized that it was a rewarding feeling when you see a light bulb pop on in a student's head. So when I came home, I just kept doing it." Scruggs was released from prison in 2014 and founded 2nd Chance Mississippi to help adults who lack higher education, by providing services for GED completion or assistance in acquiring work skills with local community colleges.
 
Project to Improve Blackjack Road is Encountering Some Setbacks
A new project in Starkville is encountering some setbacks. The aim is to improve the highly traveled Blackjack Road. The plan is to widen the road, fix the ditches and overall make the road safer, but some residents that live on Blackjack have some reservations. For residents in Starkville and MSU students, change could soon be on the horizon for a heavily traveled and dangerous road. "This Blackjack project has been on the to-do list for years, and we finally got to a point where the state economic highway development fund, put $3 million up and the county has put $4 million up. That's a long process to actually get to this point," said Rob Roberson. But the plan is suffering a few setbacks. The goal is to widen Blackjack Road but to do that residents need to let the county use some of their property. New apartment development along Blackjack Road is causing an increase in traffic.
 
Mississippi soldiers and rescuers deployed for Florence
Mississippi is sending National Guard members and search-and-rescue workers to areas affected by Hurricane Florence. Two swift-water rescue teams including local firefighters from 22 communities have gone to Virginia to help with rescue operations in case of flooding. Mississippi Emergency Management Agency Executive Director Greg Michel says Virginia is paying for the deployments under an interstate emergency assistance compact. Soldiers based in Meridian, Mississippi, will provide airlift support for relief after the storm using two CH-47 Chinook helicopters.
 
As Hurricane Florence Looms, Drone Pilots Prepare for Recovery
More than a million people have been told to leave their homes, get away from the coast and low lying areas, and get to safety, as Hurricane Florence bears down on the Carolinas and Virginia. But a new group of temporary, risk-taking, residents is getting ready to ride out the storm. Drone pilots are watching forecasts, and staging in areas where they'll be safe, but useful, ready to rush into action as soon as possible, as a now vital part of the disaster response. "When we're pre-deployed, we have our rations -- it's an ongoing joke of beef jerky and pretzels," says Hadley Doyle-González, who runs SMG Drones, in Palm Beach, Florida. "We have a ridiculous amount of batteries," she says. Insurance companies are the biggest clients for these services, so they can figure out where to send resources, and in some cases, to settle claims within hours. Utility companies employ drone pilots to spot downed power lines. Infrastructure engineers can see flooded roads.
 
State revenue from sports betting $54,000 in first month
The Mississippi general fund garnered $54,000 in revenue from sports betting in August -- the first month that people were allowed to wager on sporting events at the state's casinos. The amount of revenue that will be generated by Mississippi legalizing sports betting has been a great unknown with politicians saying earlier this summer it could provide as much as $35 million annually for state coffers. More recently it has been estimated that betting on sporting events at Mississippi casinos would generate anywhere from $3 million to $15 million annually in tax revenue for the state. Based on August, it could be less than $3 million. August is not considered a true indicator of how much revenue will be generated because all of the 28 state-regulated casinos along the Mississippi River and Gulf Coast did not offer sports betting for the full month.
 
Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves speaks on education during Meridian stop
Education was one of the topics Lt. Gov. Tate Reeves focused on during a speech at the Rotary Club in Meridian on Wednesday. Reeves said that for Mississippi to have a quality education system, there needs to be more investment in the classroom, instead of in administration. One way to do that, he said, is raising teacher pay, which he plans to champion in the 2019 legislative session. He said teachers are doing good work, and need to be rewarded for their success. Reeves said that since he took office in 2011, the state has passed some controversial legislation, including the third grade reading gate, which prevents third graders from moving on to fourth grade unless they pass a test. He said the gate has been effective. "It has made a difference in the lives of many students, "said Reeves.
 
'3 strikes' and Mississippi taxpayers out $40 million a year
"Three strikes" promised to get violent criminals off the street. But the reform laws passed were far more sweeping. Only one of the three offenses had to be violent to send someone to prison for up to life. In Mississippi, the punishment was even harsher -- an automatic sentence of life without parole if two prior felonies included sentences of a year or more. And this drive for harsh punishment ended up including nonviolent offenses as well. Those who committed nonviolent felonies would automatically get maximum sentences on their third strike. Despite these automatic sentences, Matt Steffey, professor for Mississippi College School of Law, said prosecutors still have some discretion. Mississippi's prison population has grown nearly fivefold since 1980 and now incarcerates more people per capita than all but two other states -- Louisiana and Oklahoma.
 
Farm bill crunch time
House and Senate ag leaders huddled Wednesday night in what was by all accounts a crucial meeting if they hope to strike a farm bill deal and produce a conference report before the Sept. 30 deadline. How much ground the "Big Four" made during the late-night meeting could determine whether they'll finish in time or be forced to fall back on a temporary extension of current farm and food policies set in 2014. The objective, Senate Ag Chairman Pat Roberts said before the session began, was to settle budget numbers for each farm bill title. "That drives the discussion on what you can or cannot do," the Kansas Republican said. Without that budgetary agreement, the negotiators "just bounce from topic to topic and then you realize you're applying dollars that we don't have," he said. His House counterpart, Mike Conaway, seemed to prefer a different approach: Figure out the policy first, and the dollars later.
 
U.S. Has Highest Share of Foreign-Born Since 1910, With More Coming From Asia
The foreign-born population in the United States has reached its highest share since 1910, according to government data released Thursday, and the new arrivals are more likely to come from Asia and to have college degrees than those who arrived in past decades. The Census Bureau's figures for 2017 confirm a major shift in who is coming to the United States. For years newcomers tended to be from Latin America, but a Brookings Institution analysis of that data shows that 41 percent of the people who said they arrived since 2010 came from Asia. Just 39 percent were from Latin America. About 45 percent were college educated, the analysis found, compared with about 30 percent of those who came between 2000 and 2009. "This is quite different from what we had thought," said William H. Frey, the senior demographer at the Brookings Institution who conducted the analysis.
 
Acting President Nora Miller: New athletic teams helped MUW avoid cutting budget
Mississippi University for Women has faced numerous state budget cuts in recent years, causing student tuition to fund more than 50 percent of its expenditures. Acting President Nora Miller said tuition funding the majority of university operations was not always the case. "We used to be 60-percent dependent on the state and 35- to 40-percent on our tuition, but that has flipped," Miller told Columbus Rotary Club members Tuesday afternoon at Lion Hills Center. "That is also a national trend." In an effort to combat the state financial cutbacks, Miller said, MUW has added seven new sports teams to its campus this year, including women's soccer, men's and women's basketball and men's and women's tennis. The additional sports teams added 80 new students to MUW, which totaled an additional $600,000 in tuition, thus avoiding university budget cuts, Miller said.
 
Ole Miss banning PTSD service dog from classroom prompts outcry
The key forces behind a law that allows PTSD service dogs in public spaces say they're going to fight for a University of Mississippi student whose dog was recently banned from the classroom. The University of Mississippi last week banned a service dog from classrooms for allegedly disruptive behavior but the dog's handler, the trainer and the director of the Mississippi chapter of the Wounded Warriors are vowing to fight back. The student handler, an Ole Miss freshman who asked not to be identified because of her condition, said she relies on her brown Labrador, Violet, for comfort. She said university personnel told her Violet was no longer welcome in the classroom because she was "whining excessively" and wandering around the classroom, both claims she disputes. Stacey Reycraft, the university's director of Student Disability Services, said she couldn't comment on the case because of student confidentiality.
 
Ole Miss' new Greek fee creates funding for increased staffing
Greek-affiliated Ole Miss students are being charged a new semesterly $50 "Greek Fee" to provide funding for the Office of Fraternal Leadership and Learning. "The Greek Fee will primarily provide a long-term funding model for the Office of Fraternal Leadership and Learning to support additional staff and to provide new programming to the entire Greek community," Arthur E. Doctor Jr., director of Fraternal Leadership and Learning, said. Doctor said his office has already fielded a number of calls this year regarding the use of the Greek Fee. The University of Mississippi has one of the largest Greek communities in the nation, with more than 40 percent of undergraduate students participating in Greek life. With a current staff of four employees, the Office of Fraternal Leadership and Learning serves over 7,000 students, including those in the College Panhellenic Association as well as the Interfraternity and National Pan-Hellenic Councils.
 
East Mississippi Community College funeral service students buck odds for perfect pass rates
For the second year in a row, 100 percent of the graduates from East Mississippi Community College's Funeral Service Technology program passed the National Board Exam (NBE) on their first try. While the nine EMCC students who graduated from the program over the past two years do not represent a large number, the fact that all successfully earned passing grades on their first attempt at taking the NBE is significant given the difficulty of the test, EMCC Funeral Services Technology Director Octavia Dickerson said. The combined national pass rate in 2017 for both first-time test takers and those who failed and had to repeat the test was 69 percent, according to statistics compiled by The International Conference of Funeral Service Examining Boards. "It is a very difficult test," said Brittany Eakes of Amory, who was among the EMCC Funeral Service Technology program graduates who passed the NBE.
 
U. of Tennessee suspends search for VP of human resources
The University of Tennessee has suspended the search for its next vice president for human resources following a five-month national search. UT previously announced two finalists for the position and brought them to campus for interviews and open forums this summer. Following their visits to campus, UT Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer Tonjanita Johnson announced that the search had been suspended on Aug. 24. Johnson said after interviewing both finalists, "while we had a couple of very accomplished finalists, at the end there seemed to be agreement that they did not quite fit." "There was not a solid fit, I would say, in terms of all of the outlined skills and experiences that we were looking for in this role," Johnson said. Johnson said the position will still be filled, but there is not currently a timeline for when the search process will restart. Things will likely move forward again after the fall Board of Trustees meeting on Nov. 2, Johnson said.
 
President Fuchs to meet with U. of Florida students regarding commencement changes
University of Florida president Kent Fuchs has agreed to meet with students upset about changes made to winter and spring commencement ceremonies. Under the changes, reported earlier this week, students will be no longer recognized individually during the university-wide commencement, but will be recognized in separate college ceremonies throughout campus. In addition, the university-wide commencement has been moved from the Stephen C. O'Connell Center to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Fuchs was not available for comment on Wednesday. An online petition on change.org, which has reached more than 9,000 signatures as of Wednesday afternoon, is calling for UF to restore the format of recognizing everyone individually. Despite the outcry from the petition, UF plans to go ahead with the commencement changes for the fall semester 2018 ceremony and spring semester 2019 ceremony.
 
U. of Missouri adopts some Greek life recommendations, but not all stakeholders agree
The University of Missouri is taking steps to improve Greek life following the implementation of some recommendations made by the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life Advisory Board in late July. The OFSL has hired two more full-time staff, created a safer bid day for sororities, has started fraternity and sorority "scorecards" and is reviewing the audit process, MU spokeswoman Liz McCune said in an email Wednesday. The university is still seeking input on the board's recommendations, which followed an outside consulting report released last fall. The report, published by Dyad Strategies, concluded that Greek life at MU faces a lack of purpose and direction, and it offered a list of suggestions on how to make fraternity and sorority life safer. The board's recommendations encouraged fraternities to self-report hazing incidents and it gave guidelines for living in fraternity houses.
 
Trump administration will use more expansive definition of anti-Semitism in ways critics say limit free speech
The Trump administration has made free speech on college campuses a signature issue. Attorney General Jeff Sessions warned last year that college campuses were becoming echo chambers "of political correctness and homogenous thought." But civil liberties groups have long warned that a new definition of anti-Semitism quietly adopted by the Education Department would stifle speech on campuses. Kenneth Marcus, the department's assistant secretary for civil rights, wrote in a letter last month reopening a previously dismissed complaint of anti-Jewish discrimination that the Office for Civil Rights would begin using a more expansive definition of anti-Semitism supported by many pro-Israel groups. The New York Times first reported the letter Tuesday.
 
For Coastal Colleges, Evacuation Means Far More Than Just Moving People
Flight instructors at Elizabeth City State University hopped into the aviation-science program's six airplanes late Tuesday morning and flew about 35 miles south to a nearby airport to be stored in a bigger, more flood-proof hangar. The airplanes weren't the only precious cargo the program evacuated. The university also moved a 40-foot mobile lab to higher ground to protect the equipment stored inside, which includes 3-D printers, mobile robots, wind-turbine models, and flight simulators. As Hurricane Florence, now a Category 3 storm, approaches the Carolinas with forecasted disastrous winds and rainfall, campuses are scrambling to safeguard not only their students and staff, but also expensive research equipment and sophisticated technology. And they're taking unprecedented steps to do so. This is the first time Elizabeth City State has evacuated its fleet of airplanes, according to Kuldeep Rawat, the aviation-science director.


SPORTS
 
SEC trying to get crowds back to stadiums
The Southeastern Conference has all the built-in advantages when it comes to selling college football: Incredibly passionate fan bases, relatively little competition from professional sports franchises and a long history of competitive teams. Even so, the league isn't immune to a national trend of falling attendance. Like other schools around the country, SEC programs are trying to do something about it. There's no one-size-fits-all approach, so schools are using tactics they feel appeal to their respective fan bases. Some examples include: Mississippi State recently slashed concession prices. The school's athletics director John Cohen said it's a move school leaders had considered for years. "We're also fans and when you see people paying $5 or $6 dollars for a hot dog, there's just something that doesn't sit right with us," Cohen said. "That's not our identity at Mississippi State. We want to meet fans halfway."
 
Mark Hudspeth ties No. 16 Mississippi State, Louisiana together
When the Mississippi State and Louisiana-Lafayette football teams scheduled a two-game series, Dan Mullen and Mark Hudspeth were leading the programs. Hudspeth worked for Mullen for two years at MSU before becoming the Ragin' Cajuns' coach. Two years later, No. 16 MSU (2-0) will play host to Louisiana-Lafayette (1-0) at 6:30 p.m. Saturday (SEC Network Alternate) at Davis Wade Stadium in the first installment. Even though Mullen left MSU to become coach at Florida, the ties between the MSU and Louisiana-Lafayette are only stronger. The teams will play the second game in the series in 2019 in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome when MSU travels to New Orleans. This year's chapter is guaranteed to have multiple familiar faces on the sidelines. Hudspeth will be the most prominent. The Louisville native, who is MSU's tight ends coach, spent seven seasons as Louisiana-Lafayette's head coach.
 
Mississippi State TEs coach Mark Hudspeth faces his former team
Dan Mullen isn't the only coach who's forced to go up against a team that he mentored for years and years this season. One of Mississippi State's own is set to do that this week against the University of Louisiana. Tight ends coach Mark Hudspeth coached the Ragin' Cajuns from 2011-17. He led the team to five New Orleans Bowl appearances, of which he won four. Two of those victories, though, were vacated due to NCAA violations involving a former assistant. Hudspeth's tenure at Louisiana went downhill from there. He accumulated a 15-22 record in his final three seasons before departing. Hudspeth, though, said he has no ill-will toward the program. And he couldn't have landed at a better spot than Mississippi State.
 
Johnson brings Cutcliffe's ways to Mississippi State's 'O' line
Most of Marcus Johnson's football existence involves David Cutcliffe. Johnson watched his older brother, Belton, play for Cutcliffe for two years before playing for him for five at Ole Miss. Cutcliffe then gave Johnson his start in coaching at Duke. The former standout offensive lineman worked two years (2011-12) as an assistant with the Blue Devils' strength and conditioning program. He then served in the capacity of offensive quality control for three seasons (2013-15) before spending his last two seasons as offensive line coach. In that time, Johnson helped lead Duke to five bowl appearances from 2012-17. Duke hadn't appeared in a bowl game since 1995. But Johnson wanted more in his portfolio. He wanted to take in a new approach and to see how his style adapted. He's having positive results as Mississippi State's offensive line coach.
 
Bulldogs' Kylin Hill had something to prove
Kylin Hill entered fall camp with one goal in mind -- to simply to impress his new coaching staff. The Mississippi State sophomore not only did that but ultimately landed the starting job, unseating multi-year starter Aeris Williams, are turning 1,100-yard back, in the process. "We had a new coaching staff so I had to prove myself," Hill said. "I needed to prove to them that I can touch the field. I wasn't worried about whose going to get in, I just wanted to do my job. Every day I was feeling more confident." Hill has made the most of his opportunity over the first two weeks of the season. He has 26 carries for 261 yards and three touchdowns while also adding a pair of receiving scores totaling 69 yards.
 
Sophomore tight end Dontea Jones breaks out for Mississippi State
It's been a long time coming for tight end Dontea Jones, but the wait is over. The sophomore arrived on Mississippi State's campus in 2016 as a wide receiver. He redshirted that year. Last season, Jones played in four games but didn't register any statistics. This year, Jones is breaking out. He only has two catches, but the leaders on the team are tied with three. This offense is predicated on spreading the ball around, and Jones is fortunate to be garnering some of that wealth. "It's a blessing to have a coaching staff come in and make sure all the guys get their opportunities and chances to show what they got," Jones said.
 
Mississippi State women's basketball team will be on TV 13 times this season
National audiences will get to see the reigning Southeastern Conference regular-season champion and back-to-back national finalist Mississippi State women's basketball on television 13 times this season. Vic Schaefer's squad will have 12 of its 16 SEC games televised, including seven of eight home conference tilts. The Dec. 18 game at Oregon will air at 9 p.m. on ESPN2. "It's a tremendous honor to be playing on ESPN and the SEC Network 13 times this season," Schaefer said. "The exposure they give our great game is second to none, and we appreciate the opportunity to be part of the continued growth of women's basketball across the country." In league play, MSU will appear on the SEC Network nine times, beginning with the Jan. 3 opener at Arkansas.
 
Kristen Malebranche anchors stingy defense for Mississippi State women's soccer
Stress is part of Kristen Malebranche's job. As center back on the Mississippi State women's soccer team, Malebranche often is the last line of defense in front of goalkeeper Rhylee DeCrane. One mistake can lead to a goal. Despite acknowledging she feels that pressure, Malebranche has remained poised throughout the first part of the season, as evidenced by the fact MSU (7-0) has allowed only two goals this season. Malebranche has led the charge with a calm demeanor and a confident voice that has carried over to her teammates. "I just think it is important to keep calm at all costs because that is when you can think through situations better," Malebranche said. "Poise means composure and calm and analyzing the situation quickly." Malebranche laughs when she is told it doesn't look like she is experiencing stress when opponents are attacking the Bulldogs. That might be part of her success because Malebranche said she prefers to keep a calm voice -- "We're good. We're cool. You got this." -- during a match even when she might be a little nervous.
 
Southern Miss' game vs. Appalachian State canceled due to Hurricane Florence
Southern Miss won't be playing a football game this Saturday. The Golden Eagles' scheduled game against Appalachian State has been canceled because of the threat of Hurricane Florence, according to a university release Wednesday afternoon. Southern Miss and Appalachian State are working together to reschedule the game at a date and time convenient for both schools, the release said. Hurricane Florence is a Category 4 hurricane expected to make landfall along the Carolina coast this Thursday or Friday. Games at UNC, NC State and Coastal Carolina have already been canceled or rescheduled as well. Neither Southern Miss nor Appalachian State play a game on Saturday, Oct. 6, making that an option for rescheduling. That said, Appalachian State does have a game scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 9, meaning that game would likely have to be moved to accommodate a Saturday game.
 
Hurricane Florence Continues to Shuffle Football Schedule
The looming arrival of Hurricane Florence led to more shuffling off the college football schedule on Wednesday. With the Category 4 storm approaching Virginia and the Carolinas, more than 1 million people have been ordered to evacuate, and a number of games in the area have been postponed. Southern Mississippi at Appalachian State was postponed with the schools looking at dates to reschedule. That game had been scheduled for Saturday afternoon in Boone, N.C., which is about 400 miles away from the state's Atlantic Coast. On Tuesday, it was announced that the following games had either been postponed or moved: West Virginia at North Carolina State; Central Florida at North Carolina; Virginia Tech-Eastern Carolina; Boston College at Wake Forest; and Ohio at Virginia.
 
Hurricane Florence: Tennessee offers evacuees free tickets to game vs. UTEP
Tennessee is offering free tickets to Saturday's football game against UTEP (noon ET, SEC Network) to people displaced by Hurricane Florence, which is heading toward the Carolinas. Residents of North Carolina and South Carolina counties under evacuation orders may claim tickets for themselves and their immediate families beginning at 8:30 a.m. ET Saturday at the marked tent centrally located inside of Toyota Volunteer Village near the DJ. Tickets are available on a first-come, first-served basis while supplies last. A valid, state-issued ID for North Carolina or South Carolina is required to receive a complimentary ticket. Ticket distribution will close at noon.



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