Columbus Police arrest three women for VFW armed robbery

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus Police arrested three women for last week’s armed robbery at the Veterans of Foreign War post. Police Chief Joseph Daughtry announced the arrests of Shanta Henley, and mother-daughter duo, Andrea Shinn, and Alexis Harris at a press conference this afternoon. Henley and Harris are both charged with Armed Robbery and Conspiracy. Shinn is charged with…

MDE release graduation, dropout rates for 2021-2022 school year

MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – The state of Mississippi scores a high “B” when it comes to graduating high school students. The Mississippi Department of Education released its graduation and dropout rates for the 2021-2022 school year. 88.9% of eligible students got their diplomas. That represents a record-high graduation rate and is higher than the national average of 86.5%. The numbers represent…

Vitalant Community Leadership Council search for blood donors

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s estimated that every two seconds, someone in the U.S. needs blood. But a major supplier to hospitals and clinics in the area is facing a drastic shortage. Vitalant is tackling that with its Community Leadership Council, a team of influencers who are trying to get the word out about the need for more blood donors….

City of Louisville learned a few things after losing water

LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – In an update to a story we’ve been following since December, people who live in Louisville are back under full pressure. The temperature dropped. Pipes froze. And the city of Louisville went without water. It didn’t happen all at once. So, it wasn’t repaired all at once. When we went to Louisville just before New Year’s,…

Lowndes County School District adopts modified school calender

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – For some students, it always feels like Summer vacation gets shorter every year. This year that will be a reality for children in one district. In Lowndes County, the 2023-2024 school year will get off to an early start. The Lowndes County School district has voted to implement a nine-to-two school calendar which is nine…

Starkville Board of Aldermen cans home pick-up recycling plan

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A proposal for home pick-up of recycling in Starkville gets kicked to the curbside for now. Ward 5 Alderman Hamp Beatty brought a curbside recycling proposal before the full Board Tuesday night. Beatty’s plan called for a twice monthly home pickup of recyclable materials that would add an extra $6 to participants’ sanitation bill. Starkville currently…

Woman faces domestic violence charges in Macon

MACON, Miss. (WCBI) – A weekend shooting in Macon landed a woman in jail facing Domestic Violence charges. Macon Police Chief Davine Beck told WCBI that officers responded to reports of a shooting at an apartment complex on Saturday. When they got there, they found a man with a gunshot wound to the foot. Police arrested Kinda Wilborn at the…

Columbus Police search for suspect in Monday’s burglary case

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus Police continue the search for a burglary suspect. On Monday, officers interrupted a burglary in progress on Alabama Street in East Columbus after a call from an alert neighbor. They detained one person at the scene, but one suspect got away. Investigators have not released a name, but they have described the suspect as a…

Booneville man arrested on drug charges after car crash

BOONEVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A Booneville man is busted on drug charges after a crash. Prentiss County deputies said 28-year-old Jonathan Warnicke was arrested for possession of a controlled substance on top of other charges. Back on December 12, deputies responded to a call of a vehicle in a ditch in the Gaston community. That’s when investigators discovered the controlled…

Lee County Sheriff’s Office searches for suspect, stolen UTV

LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help in tracking down a stolen four-wheeler, and the folks who stole it. A red Honda Side-by-side was taken in the Endville/King Road area of Belden Thursday night January 12. If you have any information on this crime or where the missing four-wheeler may be,…

Shuqualak-Butler Water Association issues boil water notice

SHUQUALAK, Miss. (WCBI) – Water customers in Shuqualak take note. Low water pressure in the lines has prompted a boil water notice for all customers of the Shuqualak-Butler Water Association. Residents should boil all water at least one minute before use, until further notice. For 24/7 news and updates, follow us on Facebook and Twitter Categories: Local News

City exploring options for garbage pickup

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The City of Columbus is exploring its options for garbage service. At its Tuesday night meeting, the City Council voted to put out a Request for Proposals (RFP) for trash pickup. The city is advertising for companies that have enough equipment and staff to continue the twice a week pickup schedule, and that will provide garbage…

Winston County Sheriff’s Office invests into new drone

WINSTON COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Two of the latest additions to the Winston County Sheriff’s Office will allow law enforcement to have a bird’s eye view of investigations. The sheriff’s office already owns a drone but it decided to invest in an upgrade and add to its collection. It seems like technology is quickly changing day by day. Today’s equipment…

Home Depot, volunteers, students spruce up the town park in Plantersville

The project is part of a week of service to honor MLK

PLANTERSVILLE, MISS. (WCBI) – A national home improvement store is using MLK’s birthday week to make a difference in communities nationwide, and close to home. As one group painted playground equipment, park benches, and raked leaves, another worked on a deck and ramp for the pavilion. Associates with Home Depot are volunteering their time as part of the Home Depot…

Starkville bakery saved by the power of social media

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A bakery in Starkville has been struggling to find the right recipe for success. The bakers have been feeding a need in the community, but they were having difficulty getting people in the door or even to the door. They consider themselves a hidden gem of Starkville. Power of the Almond is a homegrown bakery that…

LCBS continues ironing out details of economic development project

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors continues to iron out details for what could be the area’s largest economic development project. The planned Aluminum Dynamics and SDI Biocarbon plants, along with an, as yet unnamed, third project are going to require access to the Lowndes County Port, but the original Memorandum of Understanding between the…

Man arrested in Webster County faces rape charge

WEBSTER COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A man is facing a rape charge in Webster County. Donald Jones was arrested around 4 p.m. on Sunday. Jones is in the Webster County Jail awaiting a bond hearing. Law enforcement said the incident occurred on Saturday. The Webster County Sheriff’s Office did not release any further information on this case. For 24/7 news…

Lee County Library debuts new bookmobile for Lee, Itawamba Counties

LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A new “library on wheels” made its debut. The new Lee County Library Bookmobile is now ready to take the adventure of reading to schools and other places in Lee and Itawamba Counties. The Mercedes Sprint vehicle can hold more than 1,500 books. It replaced the old bookmobile, which served the library system for nearly…

LCBS proposes incentive pay plan to retain long-term employees

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Economic Development can be a double-edged sword for a county. On the one side, it’s always good to have new high-paying jobs come in. But, on the other, sometimes experienced county employees are the ones leaving for those greener pastures. That reality has Lowndes County Supervisors looking into ways to retain long-term employees. At today’s…

Local students compete for VFW Youth Scholarship award

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – What does your country mean to you? Local students answered that question and more as they competed at the middle and high school levels for the VFW Youth Scholarship awards. High school students wrote and read individual essays in the Voice of Democracy competition. Middle school students competed in Patriot’s Pen, also writing essays. Retired Air…