Next To Nature (Poison Ivy) – 06/07/2023
Categories: Next to Nature
New exhibit looks at early merchandising of Elvis Presley
The exhibit from the EP Blvd Pawn Shop also features Tupelo related Elvis items
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – A new exhibit at the Tupelo Elvis Presley Birthplace and Museum chronicles the early merchandising of the King of Rock n’ Roll. The exhibit is called “Mr. Presley, are you ready to fly?” based on the line in the Elvis movie from Colonel Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks. Items in the exhibit are original from…
City council continues to finalize funding decisions for Propst Park
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Propst Park has been the topic of discussion among city council work sessions for months. The council continued to finalize decisions for funding renovations for the 70-year-old park. An intent resolution to issue the loan has yet to be adopted. The city will then have to advertise the intention to issue the loans proposed. A public…
Several counties starting, finishing roadwork projects worth millions
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Several counties in Mississippi are starting or finishing up roadwork projects that are each worth millions. The Mississippi Lottery is funding an $8.7 million mill project that stretches seven miles of US 82 in Webster County. It’s expected to be completed this summer. Work will soon begin on a $4 million lottery-funded project in Union County to…
CMSD takes care of meal planning with annual Summer Feeding Program
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Columbus Municipal School District is helping out students and their families this Summer. The district is taking care of weekday meal planning with its annual Summer Feeding Program. Children 18 and under can grab a free breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday. And most won’t have to go too far to take advantage of the…
Multi-million dollar investment looks to bring over 150 jobs to Noxubee Co.
NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A $418 million investment will bring more than 150 jobs to Noxubee County. Huber Engineered Woods will locate a state-of-the-art oriented strand board plant in Shuqualak. The company will build on a 551-acre site and make specialty engineered wood panels. Noxubee County and the Tennessee Valley Authority are providing assistance. The Mississippi Development Authority will…
Park in Starkville set to receive major improvements
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A Starkville park is set to receive updates to attract more families. Over the next year, J.L. King Park is set to see many major improvements. The splash pad is due to see an expansion, to help beat that summer heat. Along with the splash pad, the tennis and basketball courts are also set to receive…
Starkville receives millions of dollars for improvements downtown
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Downtown Starkville will be seeing a lot of development in the coming years. The City of Starkville has received a total of $6 million to put towards improvements on Main Street and Highway 182. $1.2 million is already being used to update the water, sewer, and stormwater lines on Main Street. The other $5 million will…
Local soup kitchen makes sure people stay fed, hydrated
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A local soup kitchen is making sure people stay fed and hydrated. Loaves and Fishes in Columbus provides meals to more than 300 people every day. During the summer months, volunteers want to make sure people who use their services also have enough water. Recently Baptist Golden Triangle donated dozens of cases of water to help…
Lowndes County deputies arrest 8 people in meth trafficking investigation
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lowndes County narcotics deputies arrested eight people in a months-long meth trafficking investigation. The narcotics STING unit seized more than $15,000 in cash, over eight pounds of methamphetamine, and five vehicles. Sheriff Eddie Hawkins said the case started after neighbors called deputies about a large amount of traffic coming to and from a house. Agents…
Federal grand jury in Oxford indicts man on child pornography possession
MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Monroe County investigators provided an update on a child pornography case. Joseph Waible was charged with possession of child pornography earlier this year. He has now been indicted by a federal grand jury in Oxford for accessing and transporting child pornography. Waible was not eligible for bond. A court date has not been set. For…
Fulton voters ready to invest tourism tax into town projects
FULTON, Miss. (WCBI) – Fulton voters are ready to invest in tourism and recreation. A 3% tourism tax passed in a special election Tuesday. Mayor Emily Quinn said they still have nine affidavit ballots and one absentee ballot to count, but that won’t change the outcome. The 3% tax will be added to food and beverage purchases inside city limits….
Camp Rising Sun shines light on special group of kids
MILLPORT, Ala. (WCBI) – Camp Rising Sun has been shining a light on a special group of kids in the region for decades. The camp was started to give kids with cancer or who have had cancer, a chance to do something they sometimes miss out on: just be kids. When you think of summer camp, you don’t typically think…
Itawamba County Jail garden provides life skills for trustees
The garden at the new jail is also a saving for taxpayers
ITAWAMBA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Inmates in Itawamba County are learning valuable life skills while growing their own produce. Since April, trustees at the Itawamba County Jail have worked the garden, Monday through Friday. “They come out every morning and work, four or five hours, gives them something to do and it shows them progress,” said Maj. Malcomb Driskill, jail…
Mississippi Governor’s School is in session on MUW campus
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – School may be out for the summer, but dozens of students are in class this week at the Mississippi Governor’s School. The annual educational retreat brings high-potential learners from across the state to Mississippi University for Women’s campus. Some classes at the Mississippi Governor’s School have remotes for video games and others have old-fashioned pen and…
Mississippi State University unveils new WWII memorial exhibit
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – June 6 marks the 79th anniversary of D-Day, a major turning point in World War II. And two brothers are looking to honor their father’s legacy and military career with a memorial at Mississippi State University’s Mitchell Memorial Library. Its purpose is to remember how three Mississippi natives and former bulldogs cleared the way to victory….
Man arrested, accused of threatening Lowndes Co. sheriff on social media
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Lowndes County man was accused of threatening to kill Sheriff Eddie Hawkins in a Facebook post. Phillip Parker was arrested on Main Street Tuesday afternoon by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office. In the social media post, it is written in quotation marks and all caps: “I AM GOING TO KILL SHERIFF EDDIE HAWKINS!” Parker…
Area mental health service reminds people help is only phone call away
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Help is only a phone call away. That was one of the messages from Contact Helpline. Executive Director Katrina Sunivelle spoke to business and community leaders in Columbus. Contact Helpline has been providing mental health services in the Golden Triangle since 1975. Sunivelle and the specialists there have noticed an alarming trend in recent years: a…
Brooksville receives grant money to improve water, wastewater system
BROOKSVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The town of Brooksville received money to move forward with water and wastewater improvements. State lawmakers approved $500,000 to be used for costs associated with the EPA Stag grant match. This frees up state and federal dollars. The money can be used for pipes, water meters, and facility upgrades. No word on when the town will…
Woman, her dog wanted after man was attacked in Winston County
WINSTON COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Winston County deputies are looking for a woman and her dog after a man was attacked. COURTESY: WINSTON COUNTY SHERIFF’S DEPARTMENT FACEBOOK PAGE Stormy Arnold and her pet have been on the run since Friday. Sheriff Jason Pugh said the victim was taken to the hospital and later flown to Jackson for treatment. The attack…
Recent plane crashes put spotlight on airplane safety
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Crashes like the one in Tupelo Saturday morning and another near Washington D.C. Sunday are putting a spotlight on aircraft safety. Statistically speaking, Air travel remains one of the safest modes of transportation, but there are risks. According to one news outlet, the odds of a plane going down are 1 in 5.4 million. Statistics show…
OCH Regional Medical Center to partner with new medical service provider
OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Tensions ran high at today’s Oktibbeha County Board of Supervisors meeting. This comes after OCH Regional Medical Center announced on social media it would be partnering with a new emergency medical service provider, Global Medical Response. The new contract would turn OCH’s ambulance services over to GMR or Medstat. The new contract is set…
Columbus city, Lowndes County leaders meet to discuss landscaping deal
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus may get some help improving the entrances to the city. Mayor Keith Gaskin went before the Lowndes County Board of Supervisors to ask if the county would consider sharing the cost of landscaping the exits along Highway 82 and the straightaway behind Leigh Mall. The city put the mowing duties out for bid earlier this…
Columbus officers make burglary arrest at convenience store
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A quick response led to a quick arrest in a Columbus convenience store burglary. CPD officers were alerted to an alarm at Union Stop in the 1200 block of Main Street shortly before 5 Sunday morning. When they arrived, they quickly located where the burglar entered the building. Officers found that a suspect was still inside…