The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are planning to relocate to the New Orleans area to prepare for Sunday’s game against the Saints with Hurricane Milton expected to make landfall along Florida’s west coast.
The Bucs intend to travel Tuesday and spend the rest of the week out of state instead of practicing as usual at the team’s training facility in Tampa.
Milton strengthened into a Category 5 hurricane over the Gulf of Mexico on Monday and could make landfall in the Tampa Bay area Wednesday.
The NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning canceled Monday night’s scheduled preseason finale against the Nashville Predators. The game initially was rescheduled from Sept. 27 due to Hurricane Helene, which caused extensive damage in the region two weeks ago.
The Lightning open the regular season at Carolina on Friday. There was no immediate word on whether the team would evacuate to Raleigh, North Carolina, ahead of the storm.
The NBA’s Orlando Magic are on the road this week, playing at New Orleans on Monday night and at San Antonio on Wednesday.
College sports are being impacted, too, with UCF in Orlando announcing all home athletics events on Wednesday and Thursday have been canceled. That includes Wednesday’s volleyball match against Colorado, Thursday’s women’s soccer match against Arizona and the first day of the men’s tennis ITA Southeast Regionals on Thursday.
The school said Saturday's Big 12 home football game vs. Cincinnati is still scheduled for a 3:30 p.m. ET kickoff.
Coach Gus Malzahn said the Knights plan to practice Wednesday morning before the storm’s effects are expected to arrive in the Orlando area.
“We’re trying to stay in our routine as best we can,” Malzahn said. “We’ll adjust with it. We’ll have a plan no matter what happens. We’ve been talking through that. I think the main thing planning-wise is making sure our players are taken care of and all the people in our program.”
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Workers outside Toucans Bar and Grill board up the restaurant Monday, Oct. 7, 2024, in Clearwater Beach, Fla., ahead of the possible arrival of Hurricane Milton. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) runs way from Atlanta Falcons cornerback Antonio Hamilton Sr. (33) during the second half of an NFL football game Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Butch Dill)
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The mayor of a state capital in southern Mexico has been killed just one week after he took office, officials said Sunday.
Alejandro Arcos was sworn in last Monday as mayor of Chilpancingo, a city so violent that a drug gang openly staged a demonstration, hijacked a government armored car and took police hostage in 2023 to win the release of arrested suspects.
Chilpancingo is the capital of Guerrero state, where Acapulco is located.
The state prosecutors’ office issued a statement Sunday confirming Arcos had been killed, but provided no details.
Alejandro Moreno, the national leader of the Institutional Revolutionary Party, or PRI, lamented Arcos' killing and said the newly installed secretary of the city council had also been murdered three days earlier.
“They had been in office less than a week,” Moreno wrote on his social media accounts. “They were young and honest public servants who were seeking progress for their community.”
Chilpancingo has long been the scene of bloody turf battles between two drug gangs, the Ardillos and the Tlacos. The battle has resulted in dozens of gruesome killings and some high-profile scandals.
A previous mayor was caught on video apparently holding a meeting with leaders of one of the gangs at a restaurant. She was subsequently expelled from her party.
In July 2023, federal officials said a demonstration held by hundreds of people in Chilpancingo that month had been organized by the Ardillos gang to win the release of two gang leaders arrested for drugs and weapons possession.
The demonstrators largely blocked all traffic on the highway between Mexico City and Acapulco for two days, battled security forces and commandeered a police armored truck and used it to ram down the gates of the state legislature building.
The demonstrators abducted 10 members of the state police and National Guard, as well as three state and federal officials, and held them hostage to enforce their demands before releasing them.
Follow AP’s coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america
Supporters of slain Mayor Alejandro Arcos throw flowers during his funeral service, one week after he took office, in Chilpancingo, Guerrero state, Mexico, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alejandrino Gonzalez)
Relatives of slain Mayor Alejandro Arcos cry during his funeral service, one week after he took office, in Chilpancingo, Guerrero state, Mexico, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alejandrino Gonzalez)
Relatives of slain Mayor Alejandro Arcos carry his coffin during his funeral service, one week after he took office, in Chilpancingo, Guerrero state, Mexico, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alejandrino Gonzalez)
Supporters of slain Mayor Alejandro Arcos attend his funeral Mass one week after he took office, in Chilpancingo, Mexico, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alejandrino Gonzalez)
A supporter of slain Mayor Alejandro Arcos prays at the entrance of the municipal building one week after he took office in Chilpancingo, Mexico, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alejandrino Gonzalez)
Supporters of slain Mayor Alejandro Arcos attend his funeral Mass one week after he took office, in Chilpancingo, Mexico, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alejandrino Gonzalez)
Supporters of slain Mayor Alejandro Arcos place candles and flowers at the entrance of the municipal building one week after he took office in Chilpancingo, Mexico, Monday, Oct. 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Alejandrino Gonzalez)
