COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi is ranked 43 in the nation in education, but there is some good news. The state recorded its highest graduation rate last year, and many schools are making changes to help their students succeed. But one school has seemingly hit upon the formula for success, and it is looking to add more students to its…
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Members of the Junior Auxiliary of Tupelo are preparing for the group’s only fundraiser, which helps hundreds of children throughout the year. The Junior Auxiliary held its annual “associates lunch” at Park Heights Restaurant. The lunch gave associates an opportunity to make final plans for decorations, food, entertainment, and other activities for the evening. The charity…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Staying relevant in a world of changing technology. That’s the challenge of libraries today. Erin Busbea shared with Lowndes County business and community leaders how the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library System is tackling that challenge. Busbea, the Director of the Library System, said today’s library is embracing changes in technology. It can connect you to things like…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – OCH Regional Medical Center celebrated 50 years of servicing the area. On January 15, 1973, the hospital first opened its doors and at the time only had 60 beds available. And over the years the hospital has expanded tremendously. Today city leaders, hospital staff, and personnel got the chance to eat cake and listen to hospital…
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – There is a big gap between the health of black mothers and that of white mothers in Mississippi in the months after a baby is born. The latest Mississippi Maternal Mortality Report, released today, outlines the problems and offers some solutions. Medical experts on the committee looked at maternal deaths from 2017 to 2019. They determined that…
LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lee County Sheriff Jim Johnson said the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is looking into the death of an inmate who died while in custody this weekend. 43-year-old Shawn Perrigin was arrested Saturday for making abusive 911 calls and disorderly conduct. After several hours in custody, Johnson said Perrigin was being taken to the shower area…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Columbus Municipal School District will once again consider a modified calendar. School leaders will discuss the proposal at a community meeting on February 2. Meetings have been held about the modified calendar. Now, other community stakeholders, including parents, can participate in the discussion. Former Superintendent Dr. Cherie Labat pitched the idea as early as 2021,…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A second Columbus public works employee is arrested in a gas theft investigation. 43-year-old Kendrick Walker was charged with embezzlement. His arrest comes after Deountray Roby was also arrested and charged with the same crime. Columbus police officers made the arrest after seeing Roby allegedly filling up at a city-owned gas pump on Monday night. The…
BRUCE, Miss. (WCBI) – The City of Bruce has announced the funeral arrangements for Mayor Rudy Pope. A visitation will be held on Friday evening from 5 to 8 p.m. The service will be on Saturday morning at 10 a.m. Both the visitation and service will be at Parker Memorial Funeral Home in Bruce. For 24/7 news and updates, follow…
CALHOUN COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Calhoun County man will spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted of capital murder. A Calhoun County jury found Ricco Simmons guilty on Wednesday afternoon. He shot and robbed Deundray Garth on Underwood Drive in Derma in 2020. Sheriff Greg Pollan said Simmons fled to the Detroit, Michigan area and…
Categories: ANIMAL HEALTH
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Lowndes County Sheriff’s office is always looking for ways to give back to the community. And in this new year, they have a new project: helping stock up local food pantries. There are 18 small food pantries scattered around Lowndes County and while having food pantries in the area is a good idea, they don’t…
LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – It is called the deadliest drug threat in this country, and fentanyl is being illegally sold throughout Northeast Mississippi. “Last year we were very heavy on gun violence, this year our number one priority is to combat fentanyl, because statistics show we’re going to have more people die in Tupelo this year from fentanyl than…
GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss. (WCBI)- Everywhere you look, prices are going up, making it hard to stay afloat, let alone save for a rainy day. “Whether it’s eggs or a gallon of milk so you have to have a budget and know what your fixed expenses are, but you also need to have some wiggle room in there some excess that…
JACKSON, Miss. (PRESS RELEASE) – A historical marker now sits across from the front entrance of the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman on the side of U.S. 49, memorializing the state’s recognition of the civil rights activists known as Freedom Riders jailed at its oldest prison in 1961. One of the persons held with the Freedom Riders attended the unveiling…
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Apparently, 80% of Mississippians are in favor of Medicaid. That is according to a recent poll released by Mississippi Today and Siena College. Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann has gone on record saying he supports the expansion of Medicaid and that Mississippi has the funds to cover its end of the price tag. Currently, moms are only afforded…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Mississippi State Extension in Lowndes County worked hands-on with students at Columbus High School today. The extension wanted to help offer real-world problems to the students such as trying to budget money and pay bills. Nearly 200 Seniors at Columbus High are next to tackle the real world and members of the extension office felt…
OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – An Oktibbeha County assault trial ends with a hung jury resulting in a mistrial. Charron Calvert is accused of stabbing a co-worker in June 2021. The Columbus man was indicted for aggravated assault by an Oktibbeha County Grand Jury. Starkville police said the incident occurred at Weavexx on Highway 12. Investigators said the victim was…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Waggoner Engineering’s fate with the city of Columbus will once again be back on the table. A special meeting has been called for the morning of January 31 at city hall to discuss the firm’s contract, once again. The council voted to cut ties with Waggoner and Mayor Keith Gaskin vetoed that action. Gaskin has defended…
CLAY COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – It started as an altercation. And ended with one person being hit by a baseball bat. 39-year-old Shamika Williams is charged with domestic violence aggravated assault. It happened in the White Station Community of Clay County. Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said the victim was treated and released at the North Mississippi Medical Center ER….
LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Lee County Sheriff’s Office is looking for someone who broke into a vehicle, and if you can help them, it might be worth cash. Last Friday night around 11, someone broke into a vehicle that was left overnight at the Dollar General on Palmetto Road near Verona. The suspect took personal property from that…
Categories: Featured, On the Beat
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A few years ago a group of Golden Triangle-based businesses came together to tackle the challenge of finding skilled workers close to home. The result was the FORGE Foundation. FORGE members recently went to the World Concrete Expo in Las Vegas to share what they’ve learned about recruiting workers with others. While working in construction is…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – More industry is rolling into the Golden Triangle so that means more jobs need to be filled in the near future. Terberg Taylor Americas will be the first of its kind here in the Golden Triangle and our Winston Reed was there as the automotive group broke ground today. The Automotive industry plants its flag…