LEFLORE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – – For more than 70 years, there has been controversy surrounding the woman at the center of the Emmett Till lynching. Tuesday a grand jury in Greenville declined to indict Carolyn Bryant on kidnapping charges and on manslaughter charges. Dewayne Richardson, Leflore County District attorney says the grand jury cited insufficient evidence. Emmett Till was…
ALCORN COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Three people are accused of helping several inmates escape from the Alcorn County jail. Ana Ruiz, Yira Sauceda, and Elias Jimenez are all charged with felony aiding of jail escape. Ruiz and Sauceda were arrested this past Friday, which was the day of the escape, in Alcorn County. Escapees Antonio Reyes, Samuel Sims and Hunter…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The new Executive Director of the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science brings a unique perspective to the job. Donnie Cook introduced himself to business and community leaders in Columbus, briefed them on the mission of MSMS, and shared his plans for the school’s future. Cook was among the first graduates of MSMS. Now he’s back…
STARKVILLE, Miss (WCBI) – Kids spend a lot of their time in schools. Now, some schools are stepping in to help those young people better manage their mental health. At the beginning of the school year, administration and students may not know each other; But, the Starkville Oktibbeha School district is using technology to open up lines of communication. The…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The City of Columbus is speeding up the installation of speed bumps. Over the past few years, the traffic control features have been put in around town to slow speeders in residential areas. A new design and new materials are allowing public works crews to cut installation times in half. The older, one-piece concrete speed bumps…
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – An argument leads to gunfire outside of a Tupelo hangout. Ferris Price is charged with shooting into a motor vehicle and Thomas Spann is charged with drive-by shooting. Tupelo police say officers were called to Mike’s Bar and Grill this past Sunday. Witnesses told TPD two men got into an argument in the parking lot and…
ITWAMABA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A man has been arrested after allegedly stealing a Mantachie police car and leading law enforcement on a two county chase. 31-year-old Robert Earl Spradling was taken into custody after spike strips were used to stop him. Itawamba County investigators say the incident happened Saturday night on Hodges Drive in Mantachie. Spradling is accused of…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – As the new academic year starts, schools are largely putting the virtual world of the last few years behind them. One area campus is adding an extra feature to make its physical presence more welcoming to students. The Partnership Middle School in Starkville is adding a furry faculty member to help ease kids into school. After…
MACON, Miss. (WCBI) – A little girl is killed after an accidental shooting over the weekend in Macon. Police Chief Davine Beck says the shooting happened Saturday evening on East Street. Officers arrived at the home to find the four-year-old had been shot. She was taken to Noxubee General Hospital where she died. The shooting remains under investigation and no…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus police continue to investigate four separate shootings over the weekend that sent two people to the hospital. A man was shot in the arm in the 1900 block of 2nd Avenue North about midnight Saturday. The victim told police he heard gunfire as he was walking home and realized he had been hit. Later that…
JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – New data shows that Mississippi ranks 48th overall when it comes to child well-being. The Annie E. Casey Foundation looked at key areas in child well-being, from education and economic status. The organization ranked the state 39th in education and 49th in economic well-being. Mississippi is ranked 50th in health and family and community. We checked…
OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – Oxford Police arrest one man and are searching for another in connection to an investigation involving a moving company. Investigators with the Oxford Police Department have been looking into the operations of Spyder Moving Services. On Friday, they arrested Charles Joiner at the Spyder’s West Oxford Loop location. Joiner is charged with Accessory to Embezzlement Under…
JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – Two area clinics will share in over a million dollars of federal money coming to Mississippi. The US Department of Health and Human Services through the Health Resources and Services Administration is sending over $1 million in American Rescue Plan money to Mississippi. The extra funds are to help ensure better pandemic response and recovery in…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Staffing shortages in the city of Starkville are putting a damper on some of the summer fun. A shortage of lifeguards forced the public pool at Moncrief Park to be closed over the weekend. Mayor Lynn Spruill says the shortages can be blamed on a number of reasons. She says some city employees decided not to…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Traffic changes on Mississippi State’s campus will impact where vehicles can drive through. You’ll notice these new gates at Hardy Road and President’s circle. Starting Monday, traffic is limited in that area. Only faculty and staff with gated parking permits, SMART transit busses, and vendors with parking permits can access the roads and parking lots in…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The state’s brightest juniors and seniors are starting off the new year. Mississippi’s School for Mathematics and Sciences opened its convocation this morning at the Nissan Auditorium on the W campus. There are 233 students enrolled at MSMS this year. The school offers millions of dollars in scholarships each year to MSMS graduates. 121 graduates from…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- 4 County Electric Power Association is recognized for making energy costs more affordable. Tennessee Valley Authority honored the Columbus-based company with the North Star Award. This award is for organizations that help lower energy cost for underserved communities in their service area. 4 County also received accolades for tech initiatives and sales. The electric power cooperative serves…
OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – An Oxford woman has been accused of fraud. 27-year-old Hannah Russell is charged with felon in possession of a weapon and credit card fraud. Oxford police say someone came to the police station to report financial fraud last week. No other details about the investigation were released. Russell was given a 25 thousand dollar bond. However,…
Storm surge is a huge factor when it comes to tropical cyclones but what is it? Meteorologist Jackson Chastain dives deeper in the latest edition of Weather Whys. Categories: Featured, Featured Weather, Local News, Weather
ABERDEEN, MISS. (WCBI) – It was an afternoon of singing and celebrating a local gospel music family in Aberdeen. The Clark Family’s 55th Anniversary Celebration filled up the Aberdeen Community Center on High Street. Gospel groups from the region and even as far away as Memphis turned out for the event. There was also food available, and of course performances…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Columbus Police are investigating a Saturday shooting that left one man hurt. Police Chief Fred Shelton tells WCBI gunfire rang out at 1900 block 2nd Avenue North. When officers got there, one man had a gunshot wound in his arm. He was taken to Baptist Memorial Hospital and later released. A suspect is not in custody at…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- Food insecurity continues to be a growing concern for several families here in Mississippi. In Starkville, you may have noticed pantries filled with canned goods and nonperishable foods. One local group, Starkville Strong has connected community members who are donating items to food banks. The shelves are filled to the brim. In the Golden Triangle, you may…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss (WCBI) – After more than half a century of singing as a group, the Golden Gates Quartet of Starkville is still blowing out the tunes of gospel. Members of the community and family surprised The Golden Gates Quartet of Starkville, a gospel group that started 53 years ago. The late former manager and founding member Eddie…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- Hundreds of people across North Mississippi are heading to Artesia to celebrate the 24th annual Artesia Day. The traditional festival features a wide-variety of activities for families and community members. BBQ is on the grill and music fills the air at the 24th annual Artesia Day. The 3-day long festival is lined up with performers, vendors,…