Telephone service at Jacksonville State University continues to be sporadic today due to damage caused during a weekend storm.
"Due to a series of lightning strikes on the JSU campus, the Telephone Center experienced extensive damage to the university telephone switch and also to the AT&T network," said Vinson Houston, JSU's acting vice president for information technology.
"JSU has been working with AT&T and its telephone vendor to resolve the issue and we are optimistic that service will be fully restored later today."
More than 30 circuit boards in the telephone system were replaced on Monday, Houston said. The University does have an extensive grounding system, but Bibb Graves Hall's location on a hill surrounded by large old trees makes it susceptible to strikes. The JSU Telephone Center is located in Bibb Graves Hall.
A few of the stately large trees in front of Bibb Graves and on the Quad have been lost in recent years due to lightning strikes and wind breakage. Another in front of the building was removed Monday after it was destroyed during the Sunday evening storm.
The campus radio station, WLJS/92-J, also experienced downtime on Sunday evening for about 45 minutes due to a power outage. When the station resumed broadcasting, noise and distortion were present, likely due to the nearby strike. By Monday, the signal was again clear and the station has not experienced further problems, according to 92-J Program Director Billy Ramsey.
According to Houston, the university's toll-free number is functioning. That number is 1-800-231-JAX1 (5291).
