Lee County deputies arrest man for vandalizing fiber optic cables

LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lee County deputies made an arrest in the fiber vandalism we first told you about earlier this week. Now, 53-year-old Jeffery Anderson is charged with two counts of felony malicious mischief. Sheriff Jim Johnson said the charges come after a search warrant was done on President Street in Tupelo. Anderson had been under investigation for…

Columbus police continue search for VFW armed robbers

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus police are still searching for the armed robbers that held up a VFW Post. The incident happened at the Columbus VFW in the 2800 block of 7th Avenue North, just before 7 Thursday night. Investigators said two armed people came inside the bar area demanding money from customers. One person was injured after being hit…

Noxubee County man airlifted to hospital after serious log truck accident

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Noxubee County man has been airlifted to a Jackson hospital following a serious truck accident earlier today. According to friends and family, and to social media posts. Noxubee County First Responders – Fire, Law Enforcement, Emergency Medical Responders, and LifeCare EMS responded to an 18-wheeler log truck one-vehicle accident this morning. The accident happened…

One person injured in Vernon shooting, sent to Columbus hospital

VERNON, Ala. (WCBI) – One person is injured after a shooting today in Vernon. The shooting happened off Tower Road. We are told one person is being detained in the investigation. The victim was taken to a Columbus hospital. No information has been released about the incident, which is unrelated to the officer-involved shooting earlier in the day. For 24/7…

Oktibbeha County deputies make arrest in December shooting case

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Oktibbeha County deputies made an arrest in a December shooting. Donovan Lindsey was charged with two counts of shooting into a dwelling. Investigators said the incidents happened on December 20 on Rock Hill Road. That’s where two homes were struck by bullets. The shooting is still under investigation. Bond for Lindsey was set at $100,000….

Deputies respond to bomb threat calls at 3 Lowndes County schools

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Bomb threats disrupted class time at several Lowndes County schools this morning. Sheriff Eddie Hawkins said the threats were called into New Hope Middle School, Columbus High School, and West Lowndes High School. Bomb-sniffing dogs from the sheriff’s department and Columbus Air Force Base cleared New Hope and West Lowndes. Columbus High was also determined…

MTA festival opens as participants remember legacy of Tom Booth

Tom Booth, longtime executive director of the Tupelo Community Theatre, died earlier in the week.

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Nearly a thousand people are in Tupelo for a festival celebrating theatre and the arts. At the same time, those at the event are mourning the loss of a force in the Mississippi Arts community. As you walk into the Lyric Theatre, the registration area for the Mississippi Theatre Association Festival is to your right, and…

Meteorologist Dylan Hudler reports tornado damage from Monroe County

MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Rain and wind may have awakened you this morning. For most people, thunderstorms rolled through communities across central and north Mississippi. And as WCBI Meteorologist Dylan Hudler reported from Monroe County, there was even tornado damage. Dylan Huddler: Dylan Huddler reporting in Southwestern Monroe County right now, right beside Highway 45 alternate and Highway 25…

Cultivated Wellness Dispensary held medical cannabis educational event

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – It was an opportunity for those interested in medical marijuana to see how they can qualify and get other questions answered. Cultivated Wellness Dispensary held a free educational event for those interested in qualifying for medical cannabis. The Tupelo business will sell medical marijuana and hold an open house to let people know how to apply…

Local United Way takes donations to provide supplies to area teachers

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Some teachers in our viewing area won’t be short on supplies when they return to class this semester. The United Way of Lowndes and Noxubee is taking donation supplies and boxing them up to give to over 350 teachers. The donations will be provided to schools in Lowndes, Noxubee, and Oktibbeha Counties. Organizers want educators to…

Mississippi Supreme Court denies rehearing request for Robert Devaull

ABERDEEN, Miss. (WCBI) – A Mississippi Supreme Court ruling in the Aberdeen Ward One election will stand. The state’s highest court denied Robert Devaull’s request for a rehearing. This past September the court ruled that a special election should not have been ordered by a special judge in the Ward One race. Devaull won that special election against Nicholas Holliday…

Monroe Regional Hospital suffers minor damage from storms

MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The storms that rolled through Monroe County this morning also had an impact on emergency services in the area. Monroe County Emergency Management Director reported that Monroe Regional Hospital in Aberdeen suffered roof damage. While the damage was reportedly minor, at least two patients had to be moved. For 24/7 news and updates, follow us…

Federal prosecutors seek to unfreeze Court Square Towers from J5 assets

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to remove Court Square Towers from a list of property and assets frozen after the indictment of Jabari Edwards and Antwann Richardson. The move comes as the building’s original owner seeks to foreclose on the property. According to court documents, J5 Towers LLC, a company formed by Edwards, agreed to…

Lightning strikes tree, damages home in Columbus

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The intense lightning put on quite the show even damaging a home in Columbus. Lowndes County EMA Director Cindy Lawrence shared these photos with us. She said lightning struck a tree and went through a home on Lehmberg Road. Thankfully, no one was hurt. For 24/7 news and updates, follow us on Facebook and Twitter Categories: Local…

Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley running for governor

JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – Longtime Northern District Public Service Commissioner, Brandon Presley, is running for governor. He was first elected to the commission in 2007. The Nettleton native also served as mayor of his hometown. Presley said he believes the state government and current Governor Tate Reeves are disconnected from the needs of working people. Gregory Wash will face Presley…

Vandalism blamed for outage with Tombigbee Fiber customers

Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley encourages anyone with information on the crime to come forward

LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Vandalism is being blamed for an outage affecting thousands of customers of Tombigbee Fiber. Although the issue was fixed the same day, the search is now on for those responsible. The outage was first reported Tuesday morning and was caused by vandalism. Tombigbee Fiber CEO Scott Hendrix said someone cut through these cables on County…

Fire station in Chickasaw County is thankful for its community

CHICKASAW COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Firefighters are used to responding to their communities in times of need. Now, in Chickasaw County, the community is returning the favor. Fighting fires and answering other emergency calls is hard enough, but it’s even more of a challenge when you don’t have all the equipment you need close by. That’s what the Thorne Volunteer…

Tupelo Community Theatre Executive Director Tom Booth dies at 68

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – A leader in the arts community in Northeast Mississippi has passed away. Tom Booth, executive director of the Tupelo Community Theatre, died from natural causes. Booth, who was 68, began his service as executive director of TCT in 1992. He was prominent in the local, regional and national community theatre family. He led TCT to many…

Governor Reeves issues directive to ban TikTok from all government devices

JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi joined a growing number of states where Tik Tok is banned on government-issued devices and the state’s network. Governor Tate Reeves announced the directive this afternoon. The letter was sent to state departments and agency heads. He said this is to safeguard sensitive information and protect critical infrastructure from the Chinese-based app. State employees must…

Pontotoc man in prison for illegally possessing unemployment benefit cards

PONTOTOC, Miss. (WCBI) – A man from Pontotoc will serve four years in prison for illegal possession of unemployment benefit cards. 28-year-old Deonte Dilworth was sentenced Wednesday in federal court after pleading guilty. In addition to the four-year sentence, Dilworth will be on probation for three years after his release. He was also ordered to pay more than 202,000 in…