LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- What started out as a candidate forum in New Hope, ended up being two candidate forums in New Hope. Candidates for Lowndes County offices were scheduled to meet this evening at the New Hope Community Center to speak to the public. That meeting was planned to be indoors, however, organizers of the event asked on-duty Lowndes…
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – It has been a week of art, good food, new friends, and wisdom from area leaders like Juanita Floyd, who told her story of growing up during desegregation. 48 rising seventh-grade girls took part in this year’s SHINE Camp, a project of the Junior Auxiliary of Tupelo. SHINE stands for Strong, Healthy, Independent, Non-Judgmental, and Empowered….
WEBSTER COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The 14th Chancery Court District hosted a free family law clinic at the Webster County courthouse. The clinic’s purpose is to assist low-income families with legal matters. Residents from Chickasaw, Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, and Webster Counties were all able to attend. Judge Paula Drungole-Ellis said several attorneys throughout the district showed up to volunteer…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – During the summer, some drivers may get a little lax when it comes to traffic rules around schools, and they can get unaccustomed to seeing buses on the road. But Starkville police want to remind people that school will be back in session, and they will be watching. Corporal Robert Eguires said passing buses or speeding…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Several schools in our area are less than a week away from classes starting back. This means it’s time to get supplies to start off the school year. Most schools have a list of what students will need, but how much will that cost this year? According to the National Retail Federation, back-to-school spending is expected…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Now that the countdown has begun for students to return to class, medical professionals are offering a few tips to keep your child in the classroom, and out of the clinic. In a week, students are gearing up to return to school; experts said that preparing for school starts at home and at night. Family Nurse…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The City of Columbus was awarded a $600,000 grant for a project aimed at constructing a new hangar at the Columbus-Lowndes County Airport. Dan Duston, the fixed base operator of the county airport, said the money was long overdue for updates. “The recently awarded multimodal grant can be used in collaboration with federal BIO funds that…
WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – Too many animals and not enough money or supplies. It’s a common problem at animal shelters across the country, especially in the Spring and Summer months. That means some shelter staff has to get creative about how they go about raising money. The sounds of dozens of dogs greet you as you approach West Point…
WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – As the new school year gets underway in the West Point Consolidated School District, the high school will be under new leadership with someone who walked those same halls as a student. Tameka Shannon is a West Point High School Alum. She’s entering her 23rd year in education and feels this new journey will be…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Columbus Fire and Rescue celebrated a new addition to its fire truck collection: Engine 25. The estimated life span of a fire truck is 25 years. And, During the last five years, it is time to look for a replacement. Columbus Fire Chief Duane Hughes said it was long overdue as one of their fire…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The countdown is on for the beginning of the new school year. Parents are getting their children ready, stocking up on school supplies, and trying to readjust schedules. It is not just parents and students gearing up for the new year, teachers are getting ready too. The Lowndes County School District held its new teacher…
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – It is estimated that one in five children suffers from dyslexia, a learning disorder that affects reading, writing, and spelling. Finding ways to help those children was the topic of a summit in Tupelo. For Dr. Melissa Thomas, finding ways to help kids with dyslexia succeed is crucial. As principal of Tupelo High School, she wants…
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – The area’s largest blood donation center is making an emergency appeal for donors. Vitalant South has issued an emergency appeal for all O blood types and platelets. There is also a critical need for all other blood types. During summer months, many regular donors are out of town, and the number of blood drives declines as…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – More and more people are looking for somewhere to turn in crisis and a local nonprofit is filling the need. The contact helpline is a suicide prevention and mental health resource. The organization is training more volunteers to answer calls to the crisis hotline. The line is available 24/7 and volunteers answer the phone, where you…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Mother Goose brought in a little help to wrap up the final week of the Columbus Lowndes County Public Library’s Summer Reading Program. Our own Kealy Shields read to the children, and she even joined them and Mother Goose in singing a few songs and dancing the Hokey Pokey. The Summer Reading Program is designed to…
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – While most people associate FEMA with disaster assistance, the Small Business Administration, or SBA, is also very active in recovery efforts. Since the March 24 and 25 tornado outbreaks, the SBA has approved over $19.2 million to assist in recovery efforts in the areas affected, including Monroe, Montgomery, and Carroll Counties. The agency is now expanding efforts…
ITAWAMBA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – An Itawamba County supervisor was indicted on a child sex crime charge. Terry Moore was charged with touching a child for lustful purposes. Prosecutors alleged the crime happened in October 2022. The reported victim was under the age of 16 at the time. Moore is the supervisor for District 3. No trial date has been…
ALABAMA (WCBI) – National Rural Road Safety Awareness Week. It’s a campaign with a mission: Slow down and save lives. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency is partnering with the Alabama Transportation Institute to drive home the importance of speed management. According to Corporal Reginal King of the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, speeding is still a top cause of rural crashes….
WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s a portrait of more than 50 years in the making. In 1969, the last senior class graduated from 5th Street School in West Point before it turned into a junior high. It was after a class reunion that the alumni realized their senior portrait was missing from the wall. Some of those former students…
CALHOUN CITY, Miss. (WCBI) – As a new school year is set to begin, a local sheriff wanted to make sure law officers are ready to respond in case the unthinkable happens. Although the 911 radio dispatch said the shots fired call was an exercise, the scene at Calhoun City High School was very realistic. Calhoun County Sheriff Greg Pollan…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Becoming an Eagle Scout is not easy. It takes a lot of time, work, and dedication. A local teenager is one step away from earning his Eagle Rank and hopes to be an Eagle Scout in a month. Davis Banzhaf was looking for the perfect project to complete his eagle rank. “Originally, I had been working…
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – An update tonight on the system-wide layoffs and reassignments within the North Mississippi Health Services. In a letter this morning from NMHS President and CEO Shane Spees, he wrote that all employees have been notified of their employment status. He called the changes necessary, as part of what is being branded the NMHS Redesign. The healthcare group…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Park improvements were back on the agenda for the Columbus City Council. Last month, the council passed a resolution to borrow $3 million through a bond issuance to pay for improvements and renovations at the city’s parks, with most of the work focused on Propst Park. Some in the city have been critical of the emphasis…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s a long-term problem that’s going to require a long-term solution, but some people think it’s taking too long to get started. The City of Columbus has around $3.5 million in federal funds to clean up blighted properties, but before the work can start, there are steps that have to be taken. At Tuesday night’s meeting,…