Law enforcement captures escaped Hinds County inmate

SPRING VALLEY, Texas (WCBI) – One of the inmates who escaped from the Raymond Detention Center in Hinds County over the weekend has been captured in Texas. The U.S. Marshals Service, Harris County, Texas Sheriff’s Office, and Spring Valley Police Department caught up with Jerry Raynes in Spring Valley, Texas. Raynes was accused of using a stolen public works truck…

Waiver allows select Mississippians to buy hot foods with SNAP

MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – The Food and Nutrition Service has approved a waiver allowing residents in select Mississippi counties to use Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or SNAP benefits to buy hot foods. The waiver came after extended power outages and property damage from the March Tornadoes. SNAP recipients in Carroll, Grenada, Holmes, Humphreys, Lee, Leflore, Lowndes, Monroe, Montgomery, Sharkey, Sunflower, Washington,…

Lowndes County deputies find 2 modified handguns during arrest

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Wednesday arrest in Lowndes County is shining a spotlight on a new challenge facing law enforcement officers: illegally modified handguns. DA’QUAVIOUS KEISHAWN ROBERTSON Wednesday afternoon deputies with the Lowndes County STING Unit spotted three men sitting in a car at the Airbase Texaco on Highway 45, just north of Columbus. When deputies approached, they…

Columbus-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce held annual education awards

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lowndes County students were honored for their achievements in the classroom. The Columbus-Lowndes Chamber of Commerce held its annual education awards program Thursday morning. Students from each school with the highest GPA in high school were recognized. Corporate scholarships were also given to students. One outstanding senior was also recognized by the schools. Lisa Veazey,…

THS a cappella choir holds benefit concert for Amory schools

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Area high schools are often known for their rivalries, but students at one school are doing what they can to help a district that was impacted by a recent tornado. Tupelo High School Director of Choirs Dr. Suzy Williams is making sure everything is pitch perfect as students in the a cappella group “High Tide” do…

Lamar County man dies after house fire Tuesday afternoon

LAMAR COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Lamar County man is dead after a house fire. The blaze happened about 2:30 Tuesday afternoon on Harper Circle in Vernon. 39-year-old Isaiah Smith was found inside the house. Jason Clifton with the Alabama State Fire Marshal’s office says the cause of the fire remains under investigation. No other injuries were reported. Smith was…

Columbus-Lowndes County Airport celebrates 70th anniversary

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Columbus Lowndes County Airport is celebrating a milestone: its 70th anniversary. The three-day celebration includes a traveling exhibit that is open to the public. The Columbus Lowndes County airport is kicking off its celebration with a travel back in time. The Rise Above Traveling Exhibit has landed at the Columbus-Lowndes County Airport. The exhibit showcases…

Columbus police investigate afternoon parking lot brawl

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus police are investigating an assault behind a restaurant and law office. Investigators said the brawl happened Monday afternoon at about 12:30. It happened in the parking lot behind Mitchell, McNutt, and Sams’s, and Zachary’s. We are told the victim worked at the restaurant. The victim told police he believed it was retaliation for a fight…

Oxford man faces aggravated assault charge after shooting

OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – A shots-fired call landed an Oxford man in jail facing serious charges. Saturday, Oxford Police responded to a report of gunshots in the area of Herman Drive in the city. As the investigation unfolded, officers arrested 53-year-old Vandy Leo Shaw of Oxford. Shaw was charged with Aggravated Assault. His bond has been set at $10,000. For…

Possible shoplifting report leads to drug charges for Saltillo man

SALTILLO, Miss. (WCBI) – What began as a report of possible shoplifting ends with a Saltillo man facing drug charges. On Sunday, employees at the Dollar General in Jumpertown called the Prentiss County Sheriff’s Office about suspicious activity and possible shoplifting. When a deputy got to the store, he found and questioned Devon Moore of Saltillo. Moore was arrested for…

Escaped Hinds County inmate believed to be dead

CARTHAGE, Miss. (WCBI) – The manhunt for one of the escaped Hinds County inmates came to a fiery end, near Carthage, after a deputy was shot. 22-year-old Dylan Arrington was believed to be inside a home that was on fire, just before, 10 a.m on Wednesday. Leake County Sheriff Randy Atkinson told CBS affiliate WJTV he believed Arrington was barricaded…

Federal government provides $17.5M in tornado relief aid

MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – The federal government has provided $17.5 million to tornado survivors in a month of recovery efforts. Numbers released by FEMA Wednesday morning also included help from the Small Business Administration. Tornadoes battered the state on March 24. FEMA has approved more than $4 million for temporary housing, including those impacted by the twisters in Monroe and Montgomery…

Landfill limits: What you should do with hazardous waste

GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss. (WCBI) – When an item no longer serves us we typically throw it in the trash, but it’s not considered environmentally responsible. The average person produces 4.5 pounds of trash daily. That garbage will usually end its journey in a landfill. And if your garbage contains hazardous materials, that can create serious environmental problems. The Golden Triangle…

Longest-serving volunteer fire chief in Mississippi retires

Chief Ron Witte encourages others to answer the call

LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The longest-serving volunteer fire chief in Mississippi is retiring, and he has a challenge for those who want to make their communities better. Chief Ron Witte may have retired in March, but most days he is still at the Mooreville-Eggville Volunteer  Fire Department, checking the equipment. And answering calls. “Right now I’m mostly making runs…