TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – The first day of school is a time of joy and anticipation, and it can also be stressful. That’s why Tupelo’s school superintendent hopped on a bus with a musical instrument to help get the school year started off on a positive note. As they boarded Bus 52 on the first day of school, students had…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – City leaders in Starkville are looking to pay their workers but it will cost home and property owners a little more. The city’s Ad-valorem tax is currently set at 30.3% and at the meeting city leaders decided to increase it by 1.87% which would increase the tax to 33%, even. No decision has been made yet…
ARTESIA, Miss. (WCBI) – Now celebrating its 25th anniversary, Artesia Days is one of the largest small-town celebrations in the region. It is known as the small town that does big things. On a typical day, Artesia, Mississippi is a quiet town, but this week, organizers of Artesia Days are rolling out the red carpet to welcome visitors from near…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The discussions about a possible Red Cup District in the City of Columbus already include the idea of expansion. At a meeting of the committee that is working on guidelines for the proposed entertainment district, State Representative and former Columbus City Councilman Kabir Karriem broached the idea of creating a second Red Cup District in the…
ABERDEEN, Miss. (WCBI) – He may be the youngest candidate for statewide office, but Terry Rogers II could be the most well-traveled by Primary Day. The 19-year-old Democratic candidate for Commissioner of Agriculture is crisscrossing the state getting his name and message in front of voters. Thursday, he was in Aberdeen. One area Rogers would like to address is the…
LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The owner of a Lee County medical marijuana dispensary is being accused of running afoul of the law. Mark Anthony Cash, the owner of the Green Guys Medical Cannabis Dispensary, was charged with three counts of sale of a controlled substance and possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. Lee County Sheriff Jim…
NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A former Noxubee County sheriff’s deputy reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors. Vance Phillips has agreed to plead guilty to a bribery charge. He was indicted in November of last year. Phillips was one of the deputies sued in federal court over a Noxubee County jailhouse sex scandal involving a former inmate. A date…
PRENTISS COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Bond was set at $20,000 for a Booneville woman accused of drug possession. Early Wednesday morning, a Prentiss County Deputy made a traffic stop at Highway 30 East and County Road 2118 in the Bunkom Hill community. That traffic stop resulted in the arrest of Crystal Dawn Evans of Booneville. Evans was charged with possession…
SALTILLO, Miss. (WCBI) – For Chris Jenkins, there was no learning curve on his first day on the job as Saltillo Fire Chief. In July, Jenkins was named chief of the Saltillo Fire Department after serving for a brief time as interim chief. Jenkins has been with the department for 14 years. Before that, he served with the Tupelo Fire…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Across Lowndes County, many roads need extra attention, and with the new full-depth restoration machine, it will be a quicker process as it does more than just scratch the surface. Road Manager for Lowndes County Mike Aldridge said many of the roads on the west side of the Tombigbee have a problem with the base,…
GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A shooting near Baptist Memorial Hospital on Monday left four injured, and sources said they’re not cooperating with the police. In this case, and so many others, it’s up to the community to fill in the gaps of what really happened. Columbus Police Chief Joseph Daughtry said the community is stepping up to take down…
NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – One Noxubee County teen is gaining some horsepower in the racing world. 17-year-old Zyler Maxwell found a niche for harness racing and this past weekend, he won 11 out of 21 races at the Neshoba County Fair. Typically called buggy racing, the sport involves a horse pulling a two-wheeled cart with a rider. If you’re…
LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Three men in Shannon were arrested for allegedly robbing an undercover informant. The Lee County Sheriff’s Office said during an undercover operation by the North Mississippi Narcotics Unit, the informant was robbed at gunpoint by Shon Grant, Dewitt Shelby, and Lemuel Scruggs. An agent quickly arrived on the scene shortly after the incident and arrested…
LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Tupelo man was found guilty of child sex crimes. A Lee County jury found 41-year-old Charles Gandy guilty of two counts of Sexual Battery and two counts of Fondling, involving a child. Gandy will serve 30 years in the Mississippi State Penitentiary and he is not eligible for parol or early release. The sentence…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Starkville police made an arrest in connection with a deadly June car crash. 68-year-old Michael Mobley was charged with aggravated DUI and DUI 4th. The one-vehicle accident happened on June 30 at the intersection of Highway 12 and Bluefield Road. 71-year-old Ollice James Nichols of Starkville died at the scene. Mobley was flown to Tupelo for…
PRENTISS COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Thrasher man is in jail accused of shooting his own son. On Monday, Prentiss County 911 took a report of a gunshot victim on County Road 1040 in the Thrasher community. When Prentiss County Deputies and the Highway Patrol got there, they found a man who had been assaulted and shot. The man’s father,…
OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Oktibbeha County deputies made a sexual battery arrest. Bond for 34-year-old Bryant Dotson was set at $50,000. Investigators told WCBI a report was taken at OCH Regional Medical Center on July 29. The alleged incident happened in the Sunset Subdivision. The French Camp man was arrested Tuesday. The reported victim was under the age of…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A west Alabama woman died in an early morning crash in Lowndes County. The crash happened on Highway 12, near Jack Wiggins Road, just before 8 a.m. The Mississippi Highway Patrol said a Dodge Durango left the road, hit a tree, and overturned. Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant said 54-year-old Marty Dollar of Vernon, Alabama…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Healthcare workers had to spring into action after multiple gunshots were heard near Baptist Memorial Hospital in Columbus on July 31. The exchange of gunfire happened near the back of the hospital. The staff went into their lockdown Code Freeze for about an hour until law enforcement cleared the area. Hospital CEO Rob Coleman said even…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s almost time for college students to return to town, and local cleaning companies are working overtime to prepare houses and apartments for new residents. Worker Bees is a Starkville-based cleaning company that has lived up to its name this year, and since management had so much on their plate they stuck to only cleaning vacant…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – WCBI News spoke with Columbus Police Chief Daughtry about where his department is on the investigation. No arrests have been made but we do know the ages of the victims. According to the chief, these were just kids, ages 16, 18, 18, and 23. Daughtry said he’s calling on leaders in the community to band together…
ABERDEEN, Miss. (WCBI) – School has already started back in some districts. Others will begin in the coming weeks. Area colleges and universities will also be welcoming students back to campus. Just last week, a local incoming college freshman got $1,000 worth of help to jumpstart her college career. Erica McCoy has been awarded the 2023 Walter S. Bounds Scholarship…
OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The East Oktibbeha Volunteer Fire Department is retiring its 19-year-old fire truck for a new one. The new fire truck was paid for by county funds to upgrade Oktibbeha’s fire services. Patrick Warren is the Fire Coordinator of Oktibbeha County, and he said the custom firefighting cab will be greatly appreciated. “For this truck is…