TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – It was a friendly competition among first responders to help recruit blood donors. Vitalant South hosted the “Battle of the Badges”. Tupelo Police, the Tupelo Fire Department, and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office took part in the competition. Blood donation centers were set up at the police department’s community room and the Vitalant Bus was at…
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Federal assistance is becoming more accessible to tornado victims in Mississippi. The Federal Emergency Management Agency Mobile Application Centers are now open in four counties including Monroe County. The mobile center in Monroe County can be found at the Old Armory National Guard building on 101 South 9th Street in Amory. FEMA Disaster Survivor Assistance teams are…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – You could be entered into a drawing to win some big bucks soon and all you have to do is donate blood. WCBI is partnering with Vitalant to host a blood drive Friday, March 31. The Vitalant truck will be parked outside the station from 12:30 in the afternoon until 4:30 p.m. Anyone who donates blood…
MACON, Miss. (WCBI) – A Macon man was indicted on child sex crimes. Jerry Hull was charged with sexual battery and two counts of fondling. He was arrested this past September by Macon police. Investigators said the alleged victim is related to Hull. No court date has been set. For 24/7 news and updates, follow us on Facebook and Twitter Categories: Crime,…
AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – While communities across the state are still reeling from Friday night’s tornadoes, homeowners are beginning the process of recovery and their next steps to rebuilding, But it can be tough to keep up with all the items on the to-do list. At the top should be to talk to your insurance agent. Homes, cars, businesses, boats,…
MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s the small things when disaster strikes. That’s how an Aberdeen organization hopes to help its neighbors in need. Whether it’s a meal or a way to clean up the mess, there were some helping hands in Monroe County. The Mission of this Aberdeen Based organization is to help by giving back to their neighbor,…
MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Law enforcement officers have been working around the clock in Monroe County since Friday night’s deadly tornado. And while local agencies have answered the call, others from outlying areas and even across state lines are also pitching in to make sure people and property are protected. Within moments of seeing the devastation caused by Friday…
AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Home Depot Foundation recently donated $200,000 to tornado recovery efforts for the ones that lost their homes and other properties Friday night. After the donation, Home Depot even had over 70 people volunteer their time to help the community clean up the city of Amory and they even set up a tent to feed people….
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – You may hear sirens and see first responder vehicles and crews at Starkville High School Thursday, but it won’t be an actual emergency. The school is hosting a pre-prom safety awareness event to help students understand the dangers of impaired and distracted driving. The event will include a mock traffic accident and a simulation with sirens,…
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – The Mississippi State Board of Education is back to the drawing board looking for another state superintendent of education. The state Senate declined to confirm Dr. Robert Taylor, which is required. Some senators questioned the selection process. The state board of education said it followed a competitive process to make the hire this past November. Taylor began…
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Last weekend’s tornadoes impacted not only neighborhoods but forestlands as well. The Mississippi Forestry Commission conducted flight surveys Monday. Over 8,700 acres were affected, equaling just over an $8 million economic impact. Out of around 5,200 acres affected were non-industrial private lands. The surveys did not include trees or forests in urban areas, non-forested areas, and state…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A recent rise in the number of teen suicides has a group of area agencies joining forces. The Community Action Coalition, a group of service providers, pastors, and community leaders committed to providing mental health resources and education in the community, hosted a lunch-and-learn symposium on Teen Self Harm Prevention in Columbus. Speakers addressed the impact…
AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – Amory is still in the recovery stage but the city is already making progress. The boil water notice in Amory has been lifted. You no longer have to boil your water within city limits before use. There are still about 11 customers under the Monroe County Electric Power Association still without power. For 24/7 news and…
MACON, Miss. (WCBI) – Two shootings in two days have left three people injured, and police searching for answers in Macon. The first shooting was Monday night at a car wash on the North end of town. Macon Police Chief Davine Beck described it as a drive-by shooting. Two people were shot. One was hit in the leg, the other…
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – New numbers today from the Mississippi Emergency Management Agency on the number of homes damaged in the area. Monroe County has the most in the entire state, with over 1,400. Montgomery County is holding steady at 49. Ten homes were damaged in Lee County. Less than three homes were reported damaged in each of Itawamba, Lafayette, Grenada,…
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – A Northern District Public Service Commissioner candidate is disqualified from running in the race. Amanda Gunasekara put her name on the ballot to run. However, Matthew Barton, a Desoto County attorney, asked the courts to remove her. At issue was how long the former Trump administration appointee had lived in Mississippi. You must have lived in the…
SHERMAN, Miss. (WCBI) – A person was injured after an officer-involved shooting Wednesday morning in Sherman. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation said the shooting happened at about 4:30 a.m. at Beasley Apartments. Officers were first called about a person shooting a gun at the complex. MBI said law enforcement engaged the unidentified person but did not say how. The agency…
LAFAYETTE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The man accused of killing an Ole Miss student was indicted for capital murder. 22-year-old Timothy Herrington Jr. is now facing a capital murder charge. The Oxford Police Department presented its case to the grand jury on Monday. After a day and a half of testimony, the jurors returned the indictment. He was served that…
AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – Troopers with the Mississippi Highway Patrol have been helping local law enforcement since the tornado hit Monroe County. Troopers from Troops F and G have been providing traffic control, extra patrols, and whatever else is needed throughout Monroe County since Friday night. Colonel Randy Ginn, director of the MHP, was in Amory at the command center…
AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – A North Mississippi-based ministry is helping tornado victims in Monroe County. Eight Days of Hope has deployed its “Rapid Response” Team to Amory. Volunteers will start clearing trees and debris off properties, removing mud and debris from homes, tarping roofs, and other tasks on Wednesday. The ministry is headquartered at Meadowood Baptist Church. Volunteers are asked…
AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Federal Emergency Management Agency reported that there are certain steps that need to be followed before financial assistance can be distributed to individual families. FEMA urged homeowners who have insurance to file their insurance claims and then apply to FEMA for assistance. Those applying need to have basic contact information, including their social security number…
MISSISSIPPI STATE, Miss. (WCBI) – Entrepreneur students at Mississippi State University are looking to pitch their way into thousands of dollars in cash prizes. The Start-Up Summit 2023 has kicked off this year in the College of Business on campus. Students are participating in a shark tank competition where they convince judges why their startup or business is worth the…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- A plant in Starkville has launched an effort to help tornado victims. Southwire’s Project Gift is collecting supplies. Southwire, a manufacturer in Starkville is accepting donations in the Walmart parking lot off Highway 12. The trailer will be open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. until Friday. Items will be sent to Amory, Winona, Silver City, and…
AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – A longtime Amory grocery store was one of the businesses destroyed by Friday night’s tornado. The Piggly Wiggly, or “The Pig” as locals call it, was a mainstay of the Amory community for decades. This is not the first time the store’s owners have had to face the aftermath of a deadly tornado. When Jared McGonagill…