Former Starkville teacher faces child sex crime charge

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A former Starkville teacher is facing a child sex crime charge. Randy Carlisle was charged with touching a child for lustful purposes. An Oktibbeha County grand jury recently indicted him. Prosecutors alleged the incident happened on May 27, 2022. Carlisle was accused of rubbing a student’s buttocks. Court documents said the alleged victim was 17 at…

Garbage truck catches fire in Columbus Kroger parking lot

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – There were some scary moments for a garbage truck driver Monday morning in Columbus. Columbus Fire and Rescue put out the flames of the truck. The driver stopped the rig in the Kroger parking lot at about 8 a.m. Smoke and fire damage could be seen on the Waste Pro truck. Fire Chief Duane Hughes said…

Local performance shares historical significance of May 8th

Emancipation Celebration

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – For over a decade, students at the Mississippi School for Math and Science have turned their research project into a historical reenactment providing context surrounding The Eighth of May Emancipation Celebration. “Lowndes County was 70.8% enslaved when the civil war began. Mississippi was just over 55% enslaved when the civil war began,” Yarbrough said. The end…

Parents look for childcare options amid changing school calendar

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The new superintendent will be taking over the Columbus School District at the same time it switches over to a new academic calendar. The growing acceptance of the modified calendar around the state is going to have parents looking for childcare options during the new intersession periods. Now, that this school year is coming to an…

Columbus city schools have new superintendent for district

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – When the 2023-2024 school year begins in Columbus, there will be a new leader in the central office. At a special-called meeting Friday morning, the Columbus Municipal School District Board of Trustees selected Stanley K. Ellis to be the district’s new superintendent. The school board met Friday morning after a Thursday afternoon forum where the top…

Local realtors donate to help those who protect, serve

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Local realtors are helping those who protect and serve. Northeast Mississippi Board of Realtors donates $1,600 to Wives of Warriors to support police officers. The Northeast Mississippi Board of Realtors donated $1,600 to “Wives of Warriors”. That group was formed as a support group for wives of police officers. The money will be used to buy…

Alabama inmate who escaped with correctional officer takes plea deal

ALABAMA (WCBI) – The Alabama man that escaped from behind bars during a jailhouse love scandal pleaded guilty. In a plea deal, Casey Cole White pleaded guilty to escape to avoid another murder trial. He escaped from the Lauderdale County, Alabama jail in 2022 with the help of Assistant Director of Corrections Vicky White. Law enforcement caught up with the…

MUW class of 2023 enters graduation weekend with 133-year-old tradition

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A weekend of graduation activities at Mississippi University for Women kicked off Friday with a 133-year-old tradition. Members of the Class of 2023 at The W took part in the Magnolia Chain Ceremony. Graduates carry a chain made of Magnolia blooms across campus. The ceremony now also serves as a time to present awards and special…

Multi-county pursuit ends with arrest of Gulfport man in Carroll County

CARROLL COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A pursuit through six counties ends with the arrest of a Gulfport man in Carroll County. Sheriff Clint Walker said Jayshawn Stokes was wanted for numerous felony warrants in multiple counties. Carroll County deputies were asked to help with the chase that started in Lafayette County on Thursday afternoon. The pursuit continued through Panola, Yalobusha,…

Columbus police make arrest in assault on elderly woman at Trinity Place

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus police made an arrest in the assault of a 93-year-old woman. 35-year-old Lailaka Lyons was charged with obstructing access to emergency assistance, assault on a vulnerable adult, and petit larceny. Family members of the victim told WCBI the incident happened on April 20 at Trinity Place Retirement Community. The woman was outside her apartment when…

Social media threat ends with shooting, arrest at apartments in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – What started off as a social media threat led to a shooting and an arrest. 23-year-old Braylin Christopher Edinburgh was charged with intimidating a witness. Columbus police said the shooting happened at The Reserve apartments. Edinburgh allegedly threatened another person on social media. Investigators said that led to an in-person argument that ended in a shooting….

Starkville murder trial involving teenager ends in mistrial

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The trial of a Starkville teenager accused of murder ended in a mistrial. After seven hours of deliberation Thursday, jurors in the trial of Aviante Jordan were hopelessly deadlocked and could not reach a unanimous decision. The judge declared a mistrial early Thursday evening. Jordan was 16 when he was arrested and charged with murder in…

Developmental delays linked to overload of screen time

GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Technology is all around us. It’s our main source of entertainment, and it’s taking on a larger role in the world of education, especially since the COVID Pandemic increased the need to learn from home. But that same technology that is used to teach is also being linked to developmental delays, especially among pre-schoolers. According…

City of Columbus gears up for 27th annual Market Street Festival

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s one of the busiest festivals in our area, and we’re two days away from it. The 27th annual Market Street Festival kicks off Friday evening and runs through Saturday afternoon. However, preparation takes place year-round. It’s an event that’s 364 days in the making. “Preparations really go on throughout the year and this year we…

Christians join ‘National Day of Prayer’ rallies across the region

Pastors call for prayers for communities, first responders, military, families and government leaders

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Charlotte Trice Copeland had some business at the Lee County Justice Center when she found out from a friend about the “National Day of Prayer” ceremony. She said it was too important to miss. “If we don’t all fall on our knees and unite together in prayer, we are going to be lost. This world needs…