Oxford police officer responds to call about choking infant

OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – Oxford police released an incredible video of an officer saving an infant’s life. This is body camera footage from this past Thursday after 911 received a call about a baby not being able to breathe. Officer Ortiz, whose first name was not released, took the child and began lifesaving measures. The object stuck in the infant’s…

Law enforcement looking for woman using counterfeit money

WINSTON CO., Miss. (WCBI) – Area law enforcement is looking for a woman accused of passing bogus bucks. This is a picture from surveillance footage of the suspect. Louisville police say the woman is accused of using counterfeit $20 bills to pay for her items. Stores in Louisville, Noxapater, Ackerman and Kosciusko have fallen victim to the fake money. If…

Illegal marijuana operation leads to arrest in Saltillo

SALTILLO, Miss. (WCBI) – Saltillo police found an illegal marijuana-growing operation leading to the arrest of one person. Investigators are just now releasing details of this August 28th arrest. Police say they were called to a disturbance at a home, and that’s when they found several marijuana plants being grown at the home. Sean Hettinger is facing charges of felony…

Color run will honor memory of Pontotoc PD Sgt. Jeff Turner

Sgt. Turner's widow says she is grateful for the community support

PONTOTOC, MISS. (WCBI) – A memorial color run taking place this weekend honors the memory of a Pontotoc Police officer who died last year from Covid 19. Although Jeff Turner started his career in law enforcement later than most people do, the person who knew him best says it was definitely his dream career. “When I say he was built…

Columbus Interim Police Chief speaks on unaccounted for handguns

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A follow up to the story we brought to you yesterday. Columbus police department still has guns unaccounted for. Yesterday, sources told WCBI that there were 34 handguns unaccounted for within the department. Interim chief Dorian Johnson would say it was thirty something guns initially during the inventory check and that some guns unaccounted for goes…

Lowndes County deputies arrest drug dealer and solve burglary

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Lowndes County deputies arrested a suspected drug dealer and solved a recent burglary in one operation. Agents with the Sheriff’s STING Unit learned that large amounts of drugs were reportedly moving through a house on 27th Street North in Columbus and got a warrant to search it. During the search, they seized two pounds of marijuana,…

Columbus native inducted into Mississippi Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Five pioneers in broadcasting in Mississippi were inducted into the Mississippi Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame this week. Columbus native Birney Imes Jr. is part of the 2022 class. Imes began his career in broadcasting with WCBI radio in Columbus. He opened other radio stations in Tupelo, Clarksdale, Winona, and West Point from 1940 to…

Recent inventory check shows 34 handguns unaccounted for at CPD

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Nearly three dozen Columbus Police Department guns are unaccounted for and now there’s an investigation to figure out where they went. City leaders are trying to understand what happened to the handguns during a recent inventory check. The agency has seen guns taken in homes and car burglaries where officers were the victims. Although little information…

The Starkville Oktibbeha School District teaches about Vaping Dangers

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The Starkville Oktibbeha School District is making an effort to educate parents on the hazards of vaping. The meeting’s goal was to expand their knowledge of Nicotine and THC products. Every Wednesday and Thursday The Starkville Oktibbeha School District provides parents with information on ways to keep their kids safe. This week Parents learned about Vapes…

Columbus Firefighters to see pay increase with new budget

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus Fire Department will see pay increases throughout the entire department. In Thursday’s city council meeting, members discussed raising wages for captains in the fire department. The proposed wage was to raise to $15.50 but members voted to raise it a dollar more to $16.50. Roughly 20 firefighters and staff sat in the council meeting awaiting…

Lowndes Co. Board of Supervisors passes 2023 budget

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Cities and Counties across Mississippi are setting their budgets for the coming year today. In Lowndes County, Supervisors passed what Board President Trip Hairston described as a “barebones budget, not much fluff.” Most areas will remain flat, and many of the increases are due to increased costs. Hairston says Supervisors were focused on 3 main…

Settlement reached in Federal Age Discrimination suit in Lowndes County

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lawyers for Lowndes County and its former Administrator reach an agreement in a Federal Age Discrimination suit. According to court documents, the lawsuit filed by Ralph Billingsley against the county and Supervisors Harry Sanders and John Holliman has been dismissed due to a settlement. In April 2020, supervisors voted to hire a new County Administrator…

Starkville Fire Dept. held assessment for potential new employees

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The Starkville Fire Department held assessments at Fire Station two today for people who are interested in joining the team. The assessment consisted of strenuous workouts to see the potential in the men and women who applied. Starkville Fire Departments Tyler Davis says it’s more than suiting up and running into fires. “Typically when the public…

Raising awareness for human trafficking

Mississippi's 2021 human trafficking report

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- According to the Mississippi Bureau of Investigation, human trafficking is becoming more common in small towns rather than large cities. An agent from the human trafficking and special victims unit, Ashlee Lucas, spoke to the Columbus Exchange Club today. According to MBI’s website, there were 275 reports of human trafficking last year in Mississippi. 368 victims were…

Alcorn Co. man accused of stealing vehicle from volunteer fire department

ALCORN COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – An Alcorn County man has been accused of stealing a vehicle from a volunteer fire department. Cedric Wilbanks of Corinth has been charged with grand larceny. The sheriff’s department posted on Facebook that Wilbanks is also facing three counts of burglary from incidents that happened during the time frame of when the service vehicle was…

Can you identify this suspect’s vehicle? He or she destroyed a mailbox according to police

AMORY, Miss. (WCBI)- As if the shipping industry didn’t have enough issues. The Amory Police Department needs your help to find a suspect who destroyed someone’s mailbox. In this video, the suspect knocks over a mailbox. Amory Police wants to know if you can identify the person driving the vehicle. If you have any information contact Amory Police at 662-256-2676…

Man accused of stealing and flying plane in North Miss. appeared in federal court

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – The man accused of stealing a plane and flying around North Mississippi causing fear and panic has his first appearance in federal court on Wednesday. During the brief initial appearance in Federal Court, Patterson’s attorney Tony Farese requested a psychological evaluation for his client. Farese says Patterson has a history of emotional and mental issues. Patterson…

Drive by shooting in Pontotoc County leaves toddler injured

PONTOTOC COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Investigators in Pontotoc County are looking for suspects in two drive-by shootings. And one of them left a toddler injured. The most recent incident happened Tuesday on Wise Bend Road. Deputies got a report of the shooting between 6 and 6:30. A two-year-old was hit by the gunfire. There is no information on the child’s…

Noxubee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a weekend shooting

MACON, Miss. (WCBI) – The Noxubee County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a weekend shooting. Investigator Tina Williams tells WCBI the shooting happened on Robinson Road in the Cedar Creek community. Early Sunday morning, someone reportedly fired shots at an SUV traveling east on Robinson Road. There were four people in the S-U-V, but no one was hit by the gunfire….