COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) -Younger defendants accused of more violent crimes. That’s one of the biggest changes Judge Jim Kitchens has seen in the last 2 and half decades in the 16th Circuit Court District. Kitchens has been working in the 16th since the late 90’s. First as an Assistant District Attorney and for the past 20 years as a Circuit…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The housing market is tight these days. Shrinking inventory is driving home prices higher. Factor in interest rates at their highest point in more than a decade, and the idea of home ownership, especially for younger adults, is looking like a distant dream. Changes in the economy have completely changed the housing market. With an increase…
PICKENS COUNTY, Ala. (WCBI ) – Pickens County Medical Center has been closed for three years, leaving residents without immediate medical support. The community has been fighting to get the hospital back open, but like most places, there needs to be more funding. “Volunteer fire departments are in real need of help.” Keith Cox, President of the Pickens County Fire…
Clive DavisSource: Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A Starkville man is facing a child sex crime charge. Clive Davis is charged with enticement of a child. Oktibbeha County investigators say Davis is accused of sending text messages to a child under the age of 15. The alleged incident was reported to deputies on July 31st. Davis was…
MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The tornado that swept through Amory and other parts of Monroe County displaced many residents. While most found temporary shelter, there has been a need for a long-term solution. That solution is now moving from planning to building. Monroe County is taking another step toward recovery. After five months, temporary housing is going up for…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – With their Red Kettles and Angel Trees, many people associate the Salvation Army with the Christmas season. The group is in the business of helping people year-round, and that means that they have a year-round need for funding. Unfortunately, the Summer months often mean a slowdown in donations and an increase in requests for help, especially…
Traylen ColvinSource: Columbus police COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A person of interest in a Wednesday morning homicide turns himself in. Traylen Colvin, 19, of Columbus is a suspect in connection to a homicide incident in the 200 block of 11th Avenue South at about 12:20 AM for a disturbance. 911 operators heard gunshots during the phone call. Officers arrived to find…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – East Mississippi Community College’s Golden Triangle Campus is powering up a new program. Thanks in part to a grant from AccelerateMS, the campus has started the Utility Lineworker Program. The goal is to provide local training for jobs with local openings. Noah Hatcher has seen up close what it’s like to be a lineman. He’s…
OKOLONA, Miss. (WCBI) – “School safety is a priority here,” said Dr. Marcus Gladney, Okolona Middle School Principal. Principals and athletic directors are experts in knowing how to manage both a school and sporting activities during extreme heat. Gladney serves both roles for the Okolona Municipal Separate School District. Gladney said his middle school is taking the necessary precautions to…
MILLPORT, Ala. (WCBI) – A West Alabama town is looking to unclog a creek that has already caused some significant damage. Where it flows through Lamar County, Luxapallila Creek is filled with years of debris. City leaders in Millport said the rising water stretches nearly 10 miles to the Mississippi state Line. Further upstream in Lamar County, town and county…
OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) — Oxford high school has cemented itself as a team to be reckoned with year in and year out, but 2022 was uncharacteristic, missing out on the playoffs entirely. Now, the challenge is putting last year behind them and moving forward. “I think anybody would tell you that’s not up to our standard,” head coach Chris Cutcliffe…
West Point at Louisville is the EndZone Game of the Week. The Wildcats won the matchup in week one last year 24-14. Kickoff is Friday set for 7:30 in Louisville. Categories: High School Sports, Local Sports, Sports
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A Columbus man facing several charges will now spend more than two decades in prison. Joseph Fenton pleaded guilty to possession of contraband in a correctional facility and trafficking meth. Both charges were as a habitual offender. He was ordered to serve 25 years for the charges. Fenton was arrested in Starkville in February 2022. He…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – With students back on campus, Mississippi State University police are driving home a message about safety. The MSU department teamed up with the Mississippi Highway Patrol, Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Office, and Starkville Police to educate students on the dangers of drinking and driving. Using special goggles to simulate the effects of being drunk, students tried to…
MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office office made an arrest in a motor vehicle investigation that includes Facebook Marketplace scams. Theodis Reese Junior allegedly was involved in a scam where he used a fake profile for Facebook Marketplace to set up transactions to purchase dirtbikes. The transaction would essentially reveal itself to be bogus when Reese…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus police made a quick arrest in an overnight shooting. Officers were called to 709 17th Street North on Monday night for the gunfire. A spokesman said there was a gathering of people when an argument broke out, which led to the shooting. The victim was shot one time and later flown out of the area…
OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – Oxford police made a child sex crime arrest. 21-year-old Antavious Dukes was charged with molesting-touching a child for lustful purposes. In a press release, OPD said officers were called about an alleged incident on August 17. After the investigation, Dukes was arrested. No other details were released. Bond for Dukes was set at $35,000. For 24/7…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The extreme heat and absence of rain in the immediate forecast have prompted Starkville Fire Officials to take action. Until further notice, the City of Starkville is under a burn ban. That means no outside burning within the city limits. The Starkville Fire Department also advises extra caution when disposing of cigarettes and charcoal. For 24/7…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Weekends are usually seen as a relaxing and peaceful time to unwind; however, that wasn’t the case for some Starkville residents and law enforcement. Almost 30 cars were burglarized over the weekend mostly at one apartment complex. “Starkville has experienced 27 auto burglaries four stolen weapons on the street and as a result, we’ve made nine…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Temperatures are climbing and many people will be running the AC full blast, but staying cool may come at a higher price. 4-County Electric Power Association is looking to be proactive with its members by piloting a new program to help explain differences in their bills. Summer temperatures are on the rise and for many…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The old saying goes: “Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.” And there’s been a lot of both around the Friendly City in the past few days. The fires are still under investigation, and it’s believed that at least some of them may have been intentionally set. Three fires in three days, two of those fires ignited in…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Golden Triangle man was indicted on child sex crimes. Ceforrest Hendrix was charged with child exploitation and human trafficking. He was arrested in March 2023 as part of a sting operation by the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department. Prosecutors said he believed he was on his way to meet a child for sex. Nine others…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Lowndes County grand jury returned an indictment in a deadly shooting. Jonathan Slaughter is facing a manslaughter charge. No trial date has been set for the case. Amarcus McMillian was shot in May 2022 at a Waterworks Road apartment. Slaughter turned himself in to the police after the shooting. A woman was also injured…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A Columbus man is facing a slew of charges, including murder, related to two shootings. Tommy Lee Flowers Jr. was indicted by a Lowndes County grand jury for felony murder, directing a youth to commit a felony, shooting into a dwelling, possession of a stolen firearm, and three counts of aggravated assault. Prosecutors alleged the incidents…