COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Fire inspections are right around the corner for businesses operating in Columbus. The Columbus Fire and Rescue Department goes door to door for all 1,800 businesses to inspect safety procedures and check for code violations. Columbus Fire Chief Duane Hughes said fire codes were written to save lives. “The fire codes that we enforce were written…
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – A group aligned with the Democrat Party of Mississippi is calling for an expansion of Medicaid in the state. The organization known as “Save Our Hospitals” made a stop in Tupelo for a news conference. Members of the group are calling on the governor and Republican leaders to expand Medicaid. They claim that would free up…
WINSTON COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – An argument between a couple ended in gunfire, but no charges have been filed. Winston County Sheriff Jason Pugh said the incident happened on Sims Road this past Sunday. Deputies were first called to the home earlier in the day and the soon-to-be victim was arrested. Pugh told WCBI the man was later bailed out…
WEBSTER COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Webster County Sheriff’s Office arrested two people in a burglary investigation. The break-ins happened in Eupora, north of Highway 9. Courtney Harrison and Waylon Palmer were both charged with one count of commercial burglary, one count of trespassing, and two counts of burglary. Bond was set for Harrison and Palmer at $25,000. For 24/7 …
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The man accused in a weekend Lowndes County robbery is in custody. 42-year-old Little John Shelby was charged with armed robbery. Sheriff Eddie Hawkins said Shelby forced his way into a Porter Lane home this past Saturday. The people inside were forced to hand over cash while being held at knifepoint. “A lot of times…
ITAWAMBA COUNTY, MISS. (WCBI) – School resource officers work to ensure safety on any school campus. But often, the SROs have to split their time between answering calls in the community and campus patrols. As a solution, the Itawamba County school district has taken over policing duties. While patrolling the Itawamba Attendance Center campus, Officer Will Nabors gets strong high fives…
CLAY COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – That hostage situation at a Walgreens store in Grenada ended with the suspect being shot and killed by law enforcement. Family members told local police they believe 39-year-old Bradley Hatcher suffered a mental breakdown. It’s a scenario law enforcement officers face often – one they are trained to handle. Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott and…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – September is recognized as National Preparedness Month, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency says it’s a good time for people to look at their personal and family plans for responding to a natural disaster. No one knows when disaster may strike but being prepared is the key to protecting ourselves. The first step you can take…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors is working to clear up confusion over who needs to clear out debris. At Tuesday’s meeting Supervisors adopted a policy that makes official what has been standard practice for quite some time. County road crews will not be picking up large tree debris, things like stumps, sections of tree…
COLUMBUS, Miss (WCBI) – The Green Cup Ordinance will take effect on September 15. The new policy will allow restaurants and bars to allow a patron to leave their establishment with an alcoholic beverage. The alcohol must be in a green cup, specially marked. Barbara Bigelow is the executive director of Columbus Main Street. She lists key points for patrons…
PANOLA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A retired state trooper was killed this morning after assisting in an accident on Highway 6. Michael Griffin of Ripley came upon a two-vehicle crash around 11 a.m. According to Mississippi Highway Patrol, the wreck involved a pickup truck and a car. Griffin pulled over to check on one of the drivers as a car…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Many people in Columbus chose to spend their day off working outdoors. At Columbus Lake, friends and family gathered to spend the holiday together. Many could be found enjoying food and fellowship around the area and lots of people brought out their boats. Luke Walker and Luke Walker Jr. are visiting family in the area and…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Golden Triangle is seeing more cases of the latest strand of COVID-19 called “Kraken.” According to the CDC, Lowndes, Clay, Oktibbeha, and Noxubee counties have some of the highest cases in the country. Judy Trenary is a Nurse Practitioner at Weekends Plus Urgent Care. She sees a link between the rise and students returning to…
GRENADA, Miss. (WCBI) The suspect is dead after a hostage situation in a Walgreens store in Grenada Sunday. Now the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is handling the case. The suspect, 39-year-old Bradley Hatcher was shot by members of the Mississippi Highway Patrol SWAT Team. Sunday afternoon Grenada police along with other local and state law enforcement responded to Walgreens in…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus’s new Go Cup Ordinance goes into effect September 15th, and the city and Main Street Columbus want to make sure residents understand it. The two groups are holding a meeting to discuss the new law Tuesday morning (Sept. 5th). The Go Cup Ordinance, sometimes called the “Green Cup” Ordinance, will allow restaurant and bar patrons…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – When and how you put garbage out is changing in Columbus. As of Monday, September 4th, Columbus residents will be switching over to once-a-week garbage pickup. Those whose garbage was being picked up on Mondays and Thursdays will now only be getting picked up on Mondays. For residents who had Tuesday and Friday pickup, Tuesday will…
WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – The city of West Point welcomed thousands of visitors today for an annual Labor Day Weekend event. The Prairie Arts Festival has everything from bar-b-que and home décor to cake tastings and clothing. This rainy weather didn’t dampen business at the 45th Annual Prairie Arts Festival. Troy Gandy owns Johnnie Mae’s. He says the event…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s officially tailgating season, and Mississippi State’s first game against Southeastern Louisiana had thousands of fans pitching their tents on campus. Generations of families popped tents in the Junction to gather for food and fellowship. Many families even enjoyed the game from their tailgate. Esther Herring and her husband have been coming to the Junction for…
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s a celebration of music, art, and skateboarding. Hundreds came to Tupelo for the second annual Change Fest. Participants came from places like Austin Texas, New Orleans, and various Alabama, Florida, and Mississippi communities. Ben Policicchio is with Change Skate Shop in Tupelo. He says this sport attracts a certain kind of individual. “You can learn…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The governor’s race is heating up in Mississippi. The latest poll conducted by Mississippi Today shows current Governor Tate Reeves has an eleven-point lead. Brandon Presley was in Columbus to talk with citizens. Not only does he challenge the latest data, but he hopes to challenge more in an upcoming debate. “We have a poll that…
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – The North Mississippi Health Services issued a notice on its website of a data security incident. On July 3, NMHS became aware of unauthorized access through an employee’s email account after a phishing email was opened. Their Security Operation Committee was immediately notified and shut down the system, and they ended the unauthorized access within 17 minutes….
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Some proposed changes could make for a safer downtown Columbus. City Engineer Kevin Stafford talked with the city council Thursday morning about a plan to expand walkways and slow down traffic in the downtown area. Turning the friendly city into a safer city is the goal of city leaders in Columbus. Stafford said the downtown area…