Contact Helpline finishes training, prepares volunteers to answer calls

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…

Kealy Shields joins Mother Goose to help wrap up summer reading

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…

Small Business Administration remains active in disaster recovery efforts

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 supervisor indicted on child sex crime charge

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…

National Rural Road Safety Awareness Week: Slow down, save lives

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….

Calhoun County holds active shooter drill ahead of new school year

Multiple agencies take part in real world exercise

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 Boy Scout makes difference through community service project

A local teenager is one step away from earning his Eagle Rank and hopes to be an eagle scout in a month.

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…

Update on system-wide layoffs, reassignments at NMHS

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…

Park improvements back on agenda for Columbus City Council

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 City Council discusses clean up plan for blighted properties

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,…

Lee County soon to turn trash pickup over to Waste Management

LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lee County will soon turn trash pickup over to Waste Management. The 3-1 vote was made after the Board of Supervisors President Mike Smith refused to sign the contract and recused himself from the final vote. Board Vice President Wesley Webb was authorized to sign the contract, which allows Waste Management to take over the…

Clay County Sheriff center of sexual harassment allegations, NYT writes

CLAY COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott was the subject of a New York Times article released on July 19. The investigative piece looks at accusations against the sheriff, including alleged sexual harassment, alleged sex with inmates, and alleged retaliation. The story goes as far back as Scott’s days as Chief Deputy and investigates what alleged victims…

Deadline to self-report flood damage is Wednesday, July 19

NORTH MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – New numbers are coming in from the recent flooding in Winston and Choctaw counties. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said preliminary reports show 108 homes had some type of damage in Winston County, along with 18 businesses and a combined 66 roads and bridges. Three public buildings also reported damages. The July 13 floods also impacted…

Business catches fire in Tupelo near South Gloster

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – On Tuesday night, fire and smoke erupted at a mobile home lot in Tupelo. A structure at a mobile home lot was engulfed in flames near South Gloster. Reports said the building was a business. No injuries have been reported at this time. The Tupelo Fire Department is investigating the incident. For 24/7 news and updates,…

Clean up efforts are in full swing in Winston County

WINSTON COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The flood waters have receded in Winston County, but the damage they left behind will take a while to clean up. Several roads were washed away during the flood and some of the equipment to get them back up and running got stuck. Over three dozen culverts were stuck under a bridge but a Louisville…

Amory Main Street to receive funding from USDA Rural Partners Project

The Mississippi Main Street Association received funding from the USDA Rural Partners Network Project to assist 11 Main Street communities in the State.

AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – Amory Main Street may soon be getting some unique updates and renovations. The Mississippi Main Street Association received funding from the USDA Rural Partners Network Project to assist 11 Main Street communities in the state. Its purpose is to provide support and technical assistance to Main Street programs and foster activities in rural communities. With a…

Lowndes County deputies get some help ‘keeping an eye on things’

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office is getting some help to “keep an eye on things”. The sheriff’s office has taken delivery of 20 new cameras and has been installing them in problem areas throughout the county. The crime-watching cameras provide extra sets of eyes for deputies. They can be monitored in real time, and the…

Lowndes County leaders step up to shut down illegal dumping

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lowndes County leaders are stepping up efforts to clean things up. Supervisors, the Sheriff’s Office, and the Justice Court have been working together to cut down on illegal dumping in the county and punish the people doing that dumping. The county has an investigator dedicated to dealing with dumping. Now, supervisors are also calling for…

Man arrested in Itawamba County charged with killing his mother

ITAWAMBA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A man in Itawamba County is in jail, charged with killing his mother. The investigation began Friday when deputies responded to a mobile home on Brown Road that had burned along with two cars. They found a badly burned body inside the home. The victim was identified as Flora Mae Walden. Itawamba County Sheriff Chris…

Man charged with aggravated assault in stabbing incident in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The man wanted in a stabbing incident in Columbus is in jail. 58-year-old Isiam Perkins was charged with aggravated assault. He had been on the run since Saturday morning. The incident happened around 9:30 on 23rd Avenue North. Investigators said Perkins and the victim were in an argument about yard work when the altercation turned physical….

College students nationwide support a mission to preserve the historic Brush Arbor Cemetery in Starkville

Nestled between Commodore Bob's and Scooters Records on University Drive in Starkville is an often overlooked nationally registered historic site.

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – College students from around the country are supporting a mission to preserve the historic Brush Arbor Cemetery in Starkville. Nestled between Commodore Bob’s and Scooters Records on University Drive in Starkville is an often overlooked nationally registered historic site. Brush Arbor is an African American cemetery with tombstones that range from 1882 to 1920. Over the…