Next To Nature (Campfire) – 05/31/2023
Categories: Next to Nature
Sherman gets Splash Pad just in time for Summer fun
Town's growth, along with a grant help make Splash Pad project a reality
SHERMAN, Miss. (WCBI) – A new attraction is making a big splash in one northeast Mississippi town, just in time for summer. The official opening day for Sherman’s splash pad is June 1, but Mayor Mike Swords said the attraction has been open for a few days, as a sort of test run. Plans for the splash pad began in…
Mississippi Highway Patrol will receive much-needed personnel boost
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The Mississippi Highway Patrol is set to receive a much-needed boost in officers. 48 troopers make up the 67th cadet class and five of them will be joining Troop G of Starkville. Staff Sergeant Derrick Beckom said the new additions help combat the officer shortage in law enforcement. The Magnolia State’s highways have re-stocked 48 new…
Starkville police make 2 arrests in separate robbery cases
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Starkville police made two arrests in separate robbery investigations. Dontavious Lucious was charged with robbery. Meanwhile, Tyverius Nichols is facing an armed robbery charge. Investigators said both incidents happened on separate days. One happened at a home and the other happened at an apartment. However, those alleged hold-ups did happen on Garrard Road. No injuries were…
Local United Way group launches ’50K Your Way’ fundraiser
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – You can take a chance to win $10,000 and help a good cause. The United Way of Lowndes and Noxubee Counties is launching its “50K Your Way” fundraiser. Here’s how it works. You purchase a ticket for $100 to put your name into a drawing. United Way will draw five winners. And each will win $10,000….
West Lowndes High School rising senior honored for track championship
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors took a timeout from regular business to recognize a champion. Supervisors presented Kerrigan Clark with an official resolution honoring her feats on the track. Clark took top honors in the 100-meter dash in Division 1 A at the North State level and then repeated that performance by winning the…
Lowndes County leaders take action to curb illegal dumping
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lowndes County leaders are taking action to curb a tiring problem in areas of the county. Illegal dumping has been an issue in the county for years, but lately, crews are dealing with more trashed tires. Old car tires present an environmental hazard wherever they are disposed of, but recent dumps have been made worse…
Columbus police make 2 more arrests in Byrnes Circle shooting
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Two more people were charged in connection with a shooting that left two people injured. 42-year-old Chaundra Dismuke was charged with accessory after the fact and tampering with evidence. 24-year-old Alycia Hayden was charged with accessory after the fact. Hayden remained in jail, as of Wednesday afternoon. Meanwhile, 18-year-old Randy Pratt was charged with aggravated assault….
Steel Dynamics Aluminum Mill moves forward with project plans
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Construction is in full swing at the future site of the Steel Dynamics Aluminum Mill. Ground has broken on the site of the new aluminum mill. They are expected to ramp up construction once they get the proper permits, which are expected in the next 30-45 days. The new roads have been paved and improvements…
MHP releases Memorial Holiday travel period report
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – The Mississippi Highway Patrol has released its report for the Memorial Holiday travel period. During the enforcement period troopers investigated 156 crashes, three of them with fatalities. The fatal crashes occurred in Yazoo, Stone, and Holmes Counties. Troopers also issued more than 8,900 citations and made 170 arrests for impaired driving. They cited close to 1,000 drivers…
Bill’s Hamburgers in downtown Amory expects to reopen soon
AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – The tornado that touched down in Amory in late March damaged several businesses, including one of the city’s best-known restaurants. Bill’s Hamburgers has been around since the 1920s, but for the past two months the doors have been closed and the grill, cold. Things are expected to get fired back up this weekend. It may be…
Decade old feud ends in death at Columbus nightclub
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Investigators believe there’s more information out there on this past weekend’s deadly shooting at a Columbus nightclub. Columbus police and the district attorney’s office held a press conference Tuesday asking people to come forward. Although there’s been an arrest, detectives at the Columbus Police Department are still searching for details about the Inferno Sports Bar shooting….
Fulton voters to decide fate of tourism tax in upcoming special election
Mayor says 'Pennies for Parks' initiative would help city's future development and growth
FULTON, Miss. (WCBI) – Fulton voters head to the polls one week from Tuesday to decide the fate of a tourism tax. Fulton Mayor Emily Quinn is halfway through her first term and believes the upcoming tourism tax vote is key to the city’s future growth and development. “I know the potential Fulton has and this is what keeps me…
Family sues after 11-year-old boy was shot by Indianola police
INDIANOLA, Miss. (WCBI) – The family of an 11-year-old Indianola boy who was shot during a domestic disturbance call is suing the city and members of the police department. Nakala Murry said her son, Aderrien Murry, called 911 after an “irate” ex-boyfriend showed up at the home. Family attorney Carlos Moore said Indianola police banged on the door and ordered…
Amory continues rebuilding process after devastating tornado
AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s been two months since a devastating tornado damaged much of Amory. Many people in the community are looking to find a new normal, but some are still working to rebuild what’s left from the storms. The storm damaged about two-thirds of the city. Mayor Corey Glenn said that right now they are in the rebuild…
Paving contractor begins work on pothole path by Chick-fil-A
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Your next chicken sandwich run in Columbus could be a lot smoother. A paving contractor began remilling and repaving the street that runs alongside Chick-fil-A. The pothole-pocked privately owned portion of the street has been an obstacle course for drivers for years. The owners of Magnolia Place Shopping Center, who also own that part of the…
Deputies investigate homicide after finding man dead at Lee County home
LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lee County deputies continue to investigate a homicide. 70-year-old Randy Price was found dead at his County Road 1303 home on Sunday. Sheriff Jim Johnson said the case is being worked as a homicide but did not reveal why that’s the case. An autopsy is being done at the state medical examiner’s office to determine…
Columbus police make arrest in Monday night shooting
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus police made an arrest after at least 20 shots were fired and two people were injured. 18-year-old Randy Pratt was charged with aggravated assault. He remains in the Lowndes County jail and is awaiting a court appearance. The shooting happened on Byrnes Circle at about 8 p.m. Monday night. A Columbus police spokesperson said officers…
Lowndes County deputies investigate shooting that damaged home
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lowndes County deputies are investigating a shooting that damaged a home. A Providence Place homeowner returned from a trip to find two bullet holes in a window. At least one bullet went through a wall and busted a pipe, causing water damage. Deputies did find glass from a vehicle and shell casings in the street….
Memorial Day ceremony at the Oktibbeha County Courthouse
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- People gathered on Memorial Day in Starkville to honor those who have sacrificed it all. The Greater Starkville Development Partnership Military Affairs Committee held a ceremony to commemorate Memorial Day at the Oktibbeha County Courthouse Monday. The local Boy Scouts and the Starkville High School Singers both participated in the ceremony. Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill and others…
Cornerstone Sports Complex expected to be a game changer
STARKVILLE (WCBI) – Starkville hosted a soft opening of its brand-new Cornerstone Sports Complex over the weekend. Not only will this be a game changer for sports enthusiasts, but other recreational facilities in Starkville are also hitting it out of the park. Starkville Mayor Lynn Spruill says she plans to make Starkville the center of physical activity for the Golden…
North Mississippi Veterans Memorial Cemetery honors the fallen
KILMICHAEL, Miss (WCBI) – Memorial Day originally honored soldiers who battled in the Civil War. Over the years, this day evolved to commemorate all American Military personnel who died throughout American history. A ceremony was held in Kilmichael, which is home to one of only two veteran cemeteries in Mississippi. More than 200 men and women rest at the North…
Columbus native and veteran shares the significance of Memorial Day
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Memorial Day travel and festivities have begun. WCBI caught up with some people who share the holiday’s significance. During the Civil War, communities became hospitals for wounded soldiers and the final resting place for some. According to the CEO of Visit Columbus, Nancy Carpenter, in 1866, a group of women in the town decided not to…
The son of a firearms trainer is following in his father’s footsteps
The future officer is learning the basics at the North Mississippi Law Enforcement Training Center
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – It is week six for Class B 73, and Firearms Instructor Dan McKinney is helping teach the course on low-light shooting. McKinney recently retired as Saltillo Police Chief, but he has been a firearms instructor at the academy since his days with the Tupelo Police. He enjoys sharing his 20-plus years of expertise and experience in law…