Leaders in Amory cancel city-wide curfew restriction
AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – Nearly a month after imposing a curfew, the city of Amory has lifted the restriction. Town leaders put the curfew in place the day after that devastating EF3 tornado swept through, leaving piles of debris. The city and property owners have spent the last few weeks clearing debris from the roads. The police department lifted the…
MSU receives historical $100M donation to endowed scholarship fund
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Mississippi State students will have more opportunities for scholarships after a $100 million gift to the university. George and Kathy Bishop made the donation. This builds on the couple’s $10 million commitment back in 2018. This is the largest gift to a higher education university in the state’s history. The George Bishop Family Endowed Scholarship provides university-wide…
Prominent family honored for their work improving lives of Mississippians
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – A well-known family was honored for their work helping improve the quality of life for Northeast Mississippians. The Reed Family was the recipient of the 2023 “Red Rasberry Humanitarian Award.” That award is named in honor of Red Rasberry, one of the founders and first director of the Regional Rehab Center. The RRC provides a variety…
Young artists display hard work at district wide art show in Lee County
Lee County Schools Impressions Art Show opens Thursday
SALTILLO, Miss. (WCBI) – Young artists from across Lee County have a chance to make an impression with their artwork. Fifth grader LeEllen Vinson looks forward to every art class at Saltillo Elementary. “I really like art, you can do whatever you want to, there’s no limit,” Vinson said. Vinson, who has been drawing for as long as she can…
Tupelo police report previously missing woman was found safe
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – A Tupelo woman reported throughout the week is found safe. Christina Johnson was last seen Sunday seen walking away from her Eckford Street home in Tupelo. Investigators said she was possibly en route to a relative’s home in Stewart, Miss. Tupelo thanked everyone on Facebook who played a part in Johnson’s safe return. For 24/7 news…
Oxford police arrest 4 men accused of check cashing scam
OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – Four men from across the country are facing charges in an Oxford check cashing scam. Officers were called to a bank on April 13. A tip helped OPD make a traffic stop and the arrests. Oxford police said Darion Jordan of Brookhaven, Georgia, and Trevon Vanyo of Kennesaw Georgia were arrested. Both men are charged with…
Amory businesses look to reopen almost a month after storms
AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s been almost a month since a tornado ripped through Amory, hitting people where they live and where they work. Several businesses were damaged or destroyed, putting a dent in the city’s economy. But business owners, like homeowners, are determined to rebuild. Bill’s Hamburgers has been a mainstay on the Amory restaurant scene since the 1920s,…
Mississippi governor signs bill authorizing tighter review on elections
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Governor Tate Reeves has signed House Bill 1310 which means all election procedures around the state will be tightly reviewed. House Bill 1310 authorizes the Secretary of State to audit election procedures across all counties, improves citizenship checks, requires the Secretary of State to create a post-election audit manual, and lays out a system by which voting…
Columbus City Council votes to hire 2 part-time security guards at City Hall
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus residents doing business at City Hall will soon see a couple of new faces. At Tuesday night’s meeting, the City Council voted to hire two part-time security guards. Mayor Keith Gaskin cited a number of reasons that city leaders and employees felt the need for a new level of security. There have been incidents of…
Columbus mayor breaks tie in favor of tabling Propst Park improvements
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – After a heated debate, the fate of Propst Park will have to wait. The park remains a priority for Columbus Mayor Keith Gaskin and City Council. At last night’s Council meeting, Gaskin broke a 3-3 tie in favor of tabling improvements on the park until more information can be gathered. All of the council members seem…
Booneville man arrested, accused of child sex crimes
PRENTISS COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Booneville man was accused of child sex crimes. 29-year-old William Stacy was charged with sexual battery and molestation. The Prentiss County Sheriff’s Department said a person came to the office to report the alleged sexual abuse of a child. Affidavits were signed and Stacy was arrested. A hold was placed on Stacy by Drug…
Woman arrested for allegedly pulling knife on Verona Elementary teacher
LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Pontotoc County woman was accused of pulling a knife on a Verona teacher. 28-year-old Jasmine Gross was charged with simple assault on a school official. Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson said the incident was first reported to a school resource officer as an argument on Tuesday morning. The SRO went to the Head Start…
Insurance losses from March tornadoes approach $100M
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Insurance losses from the late March tornado outbreak in Mississippi are approaching $100 million. State Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney expects uninsured losses to exceed that number. The Mississippi Emergency Management Agency said more than 380,000 cubic yards of debris have been cleared. Chaney said the insured and uninsured losses are expected to increase, only underscoring the daunting…
Some correctional facilities find mental health resources, availability limited
LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s a startling statistic. Prisons and jails are the largest providers of mental health services in the United States. One area sheriff said with the condition of his jail, providing basic services is tough, and providing treatment for inmates with mental health issues is nearly impossible. From day one, the Lee County Jail has been…
MDOT holds ceremony honoring fallen roadside workers
JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – The Mississippi Department of Transportation paid respect to the men and women who risk and even sacrifice their safety in work zones. MDOT held a ceremony at its headquarters in Jackson on Tuesday to recognize work zone employees who lost their lives trying to improve roads in the state. Families of fallen roadside members joined in…
MSU, EnChroma partnership launches initiative to help color blind students
MISSISSIPPI STATE, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi State is partnering with a company to make the world a little brighter for some students. MSU has partnered with EnChroma to launch a new initiative to support their color-blind students through the EnChroma Color Accessibility Program. The company provides glasses that are engineered with special optical filters that help the color blind see…
Governor Reeves passes bill to give volunteer firefighters retirement pay
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Volunteer firefighters in Mississippi may have something to look forward to. Governor Tate Reeves has signed a Bill that will reward volunteer firefighters for their hard work. The word volunteer usually means you aren’t getting paid for your work, but volunteer firefighters in Mississippi may soon be putting away a few dollars for their service. And volunteer…
Keeping the Lights On: Linemen work to restore power under any condition
NORTH MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – There’s a special group of people who we can thank every time we flip a switch to turn the lights on. Those brave men and women are linemen and they put their life on the line to make sure every home and business is connected to power. They are on call 24 hours a day and…
UPDATE: TPD reports Christine Johnson has been found safe
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – UPDATE: According to the Tupelo Police Department, Christine Johnson has been located and is safe. (04/19/2023 – 2:26 p.m.) A Tupelo woman hasn’t been seen since April 16. Now, her family and Tupelo Police are asking for your help to find her. Christina Johnson was last seen around 9:30 Sunday night, walking away from her home…
One person hospitalized after SUV, motorcycle collide in Columbus
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A mid-afternoon crash sent one person to the hospital in Columbus. Police and emergency crews were called to Main Street near the entrance of the Palmer Home Thrift Store across from Propst Park around 3 p.m. Tuesday afternoon. A motorcycle and an SUV collided. Both vehicles suffered major damage. The motorcyclist was taken to Baptist Golden…
Moving violation leads to drug trafficking arrest of Booneville man
PRENTISS COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A moving violation landed a Booneville man in jail accused of moving drugs. On Sunday, a Prentiss County Deputy pulled Jason Lee Hargett of Booneville over for a traffic stop on County Road 7301 near Jumpertown. Upon further investigation, the deputy arrested Hargett on a charge of Trafficking a Controlled Substance. Hargett was taken to…
Mississippi Governor signs bills aiming to retain medical professionals
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves signed three bills he said will help strengthen hospitals and increase the pipeline for much-needed medical professionals in the state. Reeves signed House Bill 271 and Senate Bill 2372. These bills both deal with the Mississippi Hospital Sustainability Grant Program. The $103 million fund will be handled by the Mississippi Department of Health….
Oxford police arrest man for aggravated stalking after complaint was filed
OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – An Oxford man faces a serious charge after being accused of harassing someone. Late last week, someone went to the Oxford Police Department to file a complaint about being harassed. During the investigation, police identified 29-year-old Kevin Kassell as the suspect. Kassell was arrested. He is charged with Aggravated Stalking. A judge set Kassell’s bond at…