MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – A bill that would allow volunteer firefighters to receive retirement funds is now signed into law. Governor Tate Reeves signed House Bill 521 which creates the Mississippi Length-of-Service Award Program. The initiative encourages recruitment and retention by investing up to $500 a year into an account that a volunteer firefighter can access when retired. For 24/7 news…
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – As you cruise down the highway and spot a flash of orange, you likely think of construction zones. Recognizing the signs of these work zones is crucial to avoiding accidents and potentially saving lives. Governor Tate Reeves and the Mississippi Department of Transportation declared Work Zone Awareness Week April 17-21. This campaign reminded people of the daily…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – An investigation is underway after a pursuit in Lamar County ends in gunfire. Multiple sources told WCBI the chase started in Lamar County and briefly crossed the state line into Lowndes County before it ended on County Road 9, back in Alabama. Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant said a man was brought to Baptist Golden…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant is one step closer to a new facility. The county closed on one of the buildings at the former Ecolab campus on Lehmberg Road on Monday. The building will house the County Morgue, an Emergency Management Agency alternate site, and possibly other county offices. There are still some renovations to…
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – FEMA and the Small Business Administration have approved over $12 million for homeowners and renters affected by last month’s devastating tornadoes. May 25 is the deadline to apply for FEMA assistance. Determination letters will be sent out, informing you of whether your application is approved or denied. Read this letter fully for more important information and instructions…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Sometimes the difference between getting by and getting ahead can be just one crucial decision. That’s the case for many people when it comes to finishing their education. EMCC’s Adult Education Program is there to help those who have taken that next step. After dropping out of high school, Shantoyia Tate didn’t know if she would…
MACON, Miss. (WCBI) – A Macon man is wanted after police allegedly found him in a stolen truck. 28-year-old Dairrion Bryant could face a felony receiving stolen property charge when he’s arrested. Macon police said officers spotted Bryant in the driver’s seat of the truck while it was parked on North Street. When they went to arrest him, Bryant ran…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s a return to a pre-pandemic policy that may be unwelcome for some county employees. At Monday’s meeting, Lowndes County Supervisors voted to do away with supplemental leave time for employees affected by COVID. President Joe Biden signed a Congressional resolution to end the COVID-19 national emergency about a month early. Supervisors voted to do…
Categories: On the Beat Tags: drainage, Isaac Williams, on the beat, plumber, plumbing, roto rooter
Ever wondered about how we track and identify threats in thunderstorms? Meteorologist Jackson Chastain breaks down all the components of a supercell radar signature in this week’s edition of Weather Whys! Categories: Featured, Featured Weather, Local News, Weather, Weather Whys
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI)- They were one of the most successful rock bands in the late 1970s and early 1980s, but they had never played a show in Northeast Mississippi, until Friday night. Friday night’s concert was the band’s first appearance in Tupelo. Lead Singer Kevin Cronin said it’s always special playing in a city for the first time, especially the…
SCOOBA, Miss. (WCBI)- Tuition costs at East Mississippi Community College are going down this summer. EMCC is waiving half the tuition costs to in-state students for face-to-face and online classes during the 2023 Maymester, Full Summer, Summer Intensive I, and Summer Intensive II terms. Reduced tuition costs will apply to for-credit academic classes. Students will be required to pay for…
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- Montgomery County sheriff’s office is investigating a fatal accident that happened Friday afternoon. Just before 1:00 Friday, April 14, 2023; Montogomery county 911 received a call about a vehicle that was turned over a median. When law enforcement arrived they saw the driver was still in the vehicle while the passenger had been ejected. 74-year-old Shirley…
ACKERMAN, Miss (WCBI) – Hundreds of families kicked off their weekend by pulling out their fishing poles and heading to Choctaw Lake. This was all in Part of the Kids Fishing Rodeo just outside of Ackerman. Young and old gathered along the banks of Choctaw Lake to cast a line in hopes of catching a big one. Both of the…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) -Temperatures are warming up, and spring events are starting to happen throughout the Golden Triangle. In Columbus, one business is taking everything to the porch. “When you walk in, it feels like you are in someone’s home, or it feels like you are in someone’s backyard,” Alan Aldridge said. Local business Munson and Brothers once started as…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Super Bulldog Weekend kicked off in Starkville. There will be sports, entertainment, and plenty of tourists coming to town. It’s like a homecoming in the spring for Mississippi State fans. Thousands will come home to Starkville to celebrate Super Bulldog Weekend. Paige Hunt is the Tourism director at the Greater Starkville development partnership. She expected the…
BROOKSVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Brooksville police are looking for the men in this video. Some are wearing masks and you can see them pointing a gun at their phone. Investigators believed the group was recently riding around town. This could involve a long-standing dispute between some people in Brooksville and the nearby town of Macon. There is a handicap placard…
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Pre-mature infants at North Mississippi Medical Center will have a warm reminder of just how special they are. The reigning Miss Mississippi State University Anna-Katherine Thompson recently donated a box of “Blanket Blessings” to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at NMMC. Thompson was inspired to make the donation through her work with the March of Dimes…
JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – The 2023 session of the Mississippi Legislature is in the books, and lawmakers have returned to their home districts. For an election year, there was a fair amount of controversy, with some lawmakers proposing a near-state takeover of public safety in the city of Jackson, and more restrictions on gender reassignment procedures. There were also run-of-the-mill…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – If you’re a homeowner, you probably realize that landscaping can be expensive, especially if you hire someone. The Columbus City Council is finding out just how expensive. At a work session today, city leaders studied bids for a couple of landscaping projects. One would involve planting grass, trees, and other plants in the medians on Highway…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Usually, cemeteries are thought of as quiet places, but Friendship Cemetery in Columbus has been seeing a lot of activity this week. Missississippi School of Math and Science students are turning their year-long research project into a historical reenactment. For 33 years, “Tales of the Crypt” has been sharing a glimpse of the lives of people…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi Supreme Court ruling will mean major changes in how criminal defendants are represented during the legal process. Currently, defendants, most of them poor, who have court-appointed defense attorneys lose them after their initial court appearance, when a judge decides if they will be released on bond before trial. In many parts of the state, they…
LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Louisville police made an arrest after a month-long manhunt. 38-year-old Don Rhynes was charged with statutory rape. Louisville police said Rhynes turned himself in to the Decatur police Friday. Earlier this month, we reported on the arrest of Latika Davis. She’s charged with sexual battery. Louisville police said it started in 2020 lasting through 2022 with…