MSU, Toyota Mississippi, Liquid Wire Inc. announce collaboration project

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi State University, Toyota Mississippi, and Liquid Wire Inc. are teaming up to improve the workplace. The collaboration was announced Thursday at the MSU Athlete Engineering Summit as part of the project MSU’s interdisciplinary Athlete Engineering research group will work directly with the Northeast Mississippi auto-manufacturers to implement and assess Liquid Wire wearable technologies inside…

LCBS President speaks to community about county’s progress

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Overall, things are looking up in Lowndes County. That was the word from the president of the Board of Supervisors. Trip Hairston spoke to business and community leaders at Lion Hills Thursday afternoon about the county’s progress. The county has landed what is being touted as the state’s largest economic development deal with the agreement…

Lowndes Co. grand jury indicts Caledonia teen for killing mother’s fiancé

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Caledonia teen was indicted after being accused of killing his mother’s fiancé, just hours after graduating high school. Justin Robert Coggins was indicted for manslaughter by a Lowndes County grand jury. The shooting happened on Richards Lane in May 2022. 33-year-old Dustin Hoffpauir died at the scene of the shooting. No court date has…

Man arrested in Pickens County for child sex crime charges

PICKENS COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – An Alabama Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigation landed a Pickens County man in jail. 59-year-old Roy Acker was charged with two counts of Facilitating Solicitation of Unlawful Sexual Conduct with a Child. The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency State Bureau of Investigation said this is an ongoing investigation. No details about the case were…

Former Gov. Phil Bryant wants to sue news group over ‘false’ statement

MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Former Governor Phil Bryant gave notice he could sue a news organization. The former two-term Republican wanted an apology from Mississippi Today and some of its employees. Bryant claimed CEO Mary Margaret White made a “false” statement about him at a media conference back in February. The notice of intent letter also states an executive editor and…

Starkville woman arrested on animal cruelty charge

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A Starkville woman was accused of drowning her cat. Inecia Looby was charged with one count of aggravated animal cruelty. Oktibbeha County deputies were called to an apartment complex on Dawg Drive back on May 4. People that lived there found a cat wrapped in plastic in the breezeway of the complex. An autopsy was done…

Financial planner helps students go the distance with cross country clinics

Elite distance runner Jim Brown is hoping to pass his knowledge and joy of running to students

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Cross-country running is growing in popularity with all age groups, especially in middle and high school. That’s why a Tupelo businessman is taking time out from his day job to offer free workshops to help young runners get the edge. It’s late Monday afternoon and Jim Brown is leading young runners through a cross-country running clinic…

Two New Hope cheerleaders look to compete at the next level

NEW HOPE, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s college signing season for many athletes across the viewing area. Some of those students will be continuing their athletic careers on the sidelines. Brileigh Glidewelll has been cheering since she was a little girl. She started in competitive cheer and then made her school’s squad. She said she knew once her high school career…

West Point police search for suspect involved in drive-by shooting

WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – West Point police are looking for a suspect involved in a drive-by shooting that injured a teenager. Surveillance video captured what is believed to be the suspect’s vehicle over the weekend. Police said the suspect pulled up next to the victim’s car at the intersection of Airport Road and U.S. Highway 45 Alternate and opened…

UPDATE: TPD reports Kathryn Kennedy has been located safe

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – UPDATE: Tupelo Police Department reports Kathryn Kennedy has been located safe. (05/15/2023) Tupelo police are asking for your help to find a missing woman. 34-year-old Kathryn Nicole Kennedy was last seen a week ago, Friday, May 5 at 3400 McCullough Boulevard in Tupelo. She is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs around 155 pounds. She…

MSU hosts 2nd Athlete Engineering Summit at EMCC Communiversity

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi State hosted its second Athlete Engineering Summit at the Communiversity on Wednesday. Experts addressed human performance issues across different areas such as sports, military, industries, and medical applications. The panel kicked off its first discussion on ways different industries can learn from each other to become more efficient. “Most industries have already solved these…

Oktibbeha County deputies investigate apartment shooting

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Oktibbeha County deputies are investigating an early morning shooting. The gunfire happened at The Hangout apartments on Mary Lee Lane at about 1:50 a.m. Investigators told WCBI one person was injured. They have non-life-threatening wounds. Deputies believed there was a party at the complex and then an argument before the gunfire started. No arrest has…

Former Doc’s Toyota employee accused of embezzlement

LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Investigators released new information in the theft investigation from a car dealership. Latisha Smith is a former employee at Doc’s Toyota. Louisville police believed she took $250,000 from the business when it was located in Louisville. The investigation goes back to at least 2020 and there could be more money involved. Smith was also arrested in…

Tupelo High School DECA students win big at international conference

Junior Connor O'Daniel gets in the Top 10, while Senior Simar Gill places in the Top 20

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Tupelo High School made a big splash at the recent international conference for a well-known career and technical student organization. It is Connor O’Daniel’s second year in DECA, and the Tupelo High School junior worked hard all year preparing for the organization’s international conference. “I had to basically make a system that would hold virtual employees…

Fire destroys Volunteer Fire Department in Pickens County

PICKENS COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A community in Pickens County lost a fire station over the weekend. The Dancy Cochran Volunteer Fire Department was engulfed in flames Sunday. Only one truck was salvaged from the blaze. The Dancy community will still have fire protection as members of the department were able to receive a loaner truck and other equipment. There…

Choctaw County seniors get creative with how they make it to class

CHOCTAW COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s “senior season” and high schools are letting their students have a little fun. The senior class at Choctaw County High School had a senior parade Tuesday morning. But there was a twist. Come to school in any mode of transportation, except a car. So there were side-by-sides, 4-wheelers, riding lawnmowers, and even a horse…

Experts say being outside is great way to improve your mental health

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – With the ever-increasing pressures of modern life, some mental health professionals are recommending that you turn to the great outdoors for a natural remedy. As mental health issues continue to rise, an expert in the Golden Triangle is highlighting the importance of incorporating nature into our daily lives. Veronica Harrison, an administrator for Community Counseling in…