Local restaurant hosts annual Porchfest to promote starving artists

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…

Super Bulldog Weekend kicks off festivities for Mississippi State fans

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…

Reigning Miss Mississippi State donates blankets to NMMC NICU

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…

Miss. lawmakers return to home districts after 2023 legislative session

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 City Leaders study bids for landscaping projects

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…

MSMS students bring history to life in annual ‘Tales from the Crypt’

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…

State Supreme Court rules to close gap in legal representation

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 police make statutory rape arrest after month-long search

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…

Woman arrested for crash resulting in death last year in Tupelo

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – A woman was arrested for a vehicle crash that resulted in the death of a man in Tupelo almost one year ago. Tupelo police issued a warrant for Patsy Anderson’s arrest for Aggravated DUI Resulting in Death. The single-vehicle crash happened in August of 2022 in the area of North Gloster and McCullough Boulevard. A 58-year-old…

Nettleton High School seniors have roadmap for life after graduation

The school is recognized for its college application rate for seniors

NETTLETON, Miss. (WCBI) – Having a plan for life beyond high school is a key to success for all students. And one northeast Mississippi high school is recognized for its efforts to make sure that graduating seniors are looking to their future. For Nettleton High School Senior Sharman Mosely, having a roadmap for life after graduation is a top priority….

SNAP benefits replacement application deadline is April 24

MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Tornado survivors in Monroe County that receive SNAP benefits have an approaching deadline. Folks in those two counties must submit a SNAP replacement application. The deadline to complete the application is April 24. You can do this online or by going to the county department of human services office. This is to replace food that…

Knowing how to use fire extinguisher can save your life

GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Having a smoke detector in the home is a top priority when it comes to fire safety but it’s not the only priority. There are several different fire extinguisher classes for different types of fires. Fire officials recommend buying the ABC class of extinguishers for the home. This is the most common type and most…

Lee County Schools will begin offering pre-K classes

LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Students in Lee County Schools will be able to start one year earlier, as the district will offer pre-K classes in August. Whitney Thomas has taught kindergarten at Verona Elementary for six years. She said it’s evident on the first day of class when students have had some sort of instruction, whether from daycare or…

Clean up efforts continue in Monroe County weeks after tornado

Residents, volunteers, and crews from across Mississippi and Alabama are doing what they can to clear debris

AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – The clean-up process is in full swing in Monroe County. Residents, volunteers, and crews from across Mississippi and Alabama are doing what they can to clear debris from the EF-3 tornado that hit Amory and Wren. Debris is lined up nearly all over town in Amory; crews are piling up as much as they can and…

Former Doc’s Toyota employee charged with embezzlement

LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – An Ackerman woman could soon be facing charges in two counties for an embezzlement scheme. 50-year-old Latisha Smith was charged with embezzlement. Our state-wide news partner WTOK reports Smith is a former employee at Doc’s Toyota in Philadelphia. Police there are accusing her of swindling $71,000. Before moving to Neshoba County, Doc’s was formerly located in…

Mississippi Power employees send supplies to Rolling Fork

ROLLING FORK, Miss. (WCBI) – Employees of a power company are sending help to tornado victims in Rolling Fork. Many of the employees at Mississippi Power have family in the town and wanted to send supplies to help as communities work to recover. In a 48-hour period, they collected enough supplies to fill an 18-wheeler. The truck made the trip…