Local store owner plans to open medical marijuana dispensary

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- It’s been five months since Governor Tate Reeves signed the Mississippi Medical Cannabis Act into law. Hundreds of business owners and growers across the state now search for locations to start their operations. But before any sale can be made, distributors must complete a request form. The Mississippi Department of Revenue is accepting applications for Medical Cannabis…

More people are going in convenience stores buying lottery tickets

The Mississippi Mega Millions lottery is set at the second highest amount ever

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- It’s not too late to go out and get yourself some lottery tickets. The Mississippi Mega Millions lottery is set at the second highest amount ever. $1.1 billion according to the website. Convenience store managers and cashiers at places like Sprint Mart are seeing an uptick in lottery ticket sales; for the people that are coming in…

Female auto mechanics student is breaking barriers

BOONEVILLE, MISS. (WCBI) – A female student at Northeast Mississippi Community College is proof that neither gender nor a physical handicap can stand in the way of a dream. Lillie Austin has always had an interest in anything mechanical, especially when it came to automobiles. “I love old cars, so I wanted to learn about it,” Austin said. And that’s…

Mississippi Tax Free Weekend will include school supplies

MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – You can do your back-to-school shopping this weekend – and save some money. Mississippi’s sales tax holiday begins Friday. Items that will be exempt from the 7% sales tax include clothing, shoes, and school supplies under $100 per item. Items like jewelry, handbags, and electronics are not a part of the tax-free deal. The state’s sales tax…

Multiple bomb threats made at colleges and universities in Mississippi

MSU/ICC (WCBI) – A number of bomb threats are made at colleges and universities in Mississippi Thursday. This is the scene near Barnes & Noble Bookstore and Bost Extension Center on the Mississippi State campus Thursday. A Maroon Alert was sent out at about 12:30 this afternoon. Buildings were evacuated while university K9s searched the area. A bomb threat was…

Columbus police are investigating an overnight shooting

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus police are investigating an overnight shooting, where over a dozen shots were fired into a home. The shooting happened in the 1800 block of 3rd Avenue North, at about 3 AM this morning. Investigators say 15 casings were recovered and five bullets hit a home. No one was injured inside the house, which is only…

Columbus police cameras capture shooting at Sim Scott Park

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus police cameras capture another shooting near a busy park. Officers were called to Sim Scott Park about 1:30 Wednesday afternoon. No one was injured in the gunfire. Investigators believe the unidentified gunman shot at someone inside of a vehicle. No arrest has been made. If you have any information call Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers or…

$36,000 worth of lawn mowers taken from Columbus business

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – $36,000 worth of lawn mowers were taken from a Columbus business. The theft happened at Four Seasons Farm and Garden on Alabama Street. Investigators believe the unidentified suspect may have taken the mowers to an out-of-town location after taking them last week. If you have any information about this theft call Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers or…

Kerr McGee Town Hall meeting to be held Thursday evening

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – If you have questions about the clean-up for the old Kerr McGee site in Columbus, there is a Town Hall meeting scheduled for Thursday evening. It’s from 6 to 7:30 pm at the Dream Center on North 23rd Street in Columbus. Multistate Trust representatives, along with federal and state officials, will update the community about cleanup…

Lafayette County deputies make an arrest in a drive-by shooting

LAFAYETTE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lafayette County deputies make an arrest in a drive-by shooting. Now, Ralph Carr is facing that same charge. Deputies were called about the gunfire on Wednesday. It happened in the area of County Road 373. Investigators did not say what linked the Wesson, Mississippi man to the drive-by. Carr’s bond has been set at $75,000….

‘Justice for Jay Lee’ rally held outside as man charged with Ole Miss student’s murder appears in court

OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – Tim Herrington Jr., the man charged with killing Ole Miss student Jay Lee, made his first appearance in court on Wednesday. Herrington appeared before Judge Gray Tollison at around 1:30 p.m. in Lafayette County Circuit Court after Oxford Police arrested him on Friday. His attorney Kevin Horan requested a continuance for Herrington’s bond hearing, which the…

Tupelo teenager learns value of hard work with lawn service

Travis Moore startes his lawn service as a way to make money and now is building his business

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – A Tupelo teenager is learning about the value of hard work, through a business he started. It may be his summer vacation, but Travis Moore has work to do. The 14-year-old Tupelo teenager started cutting yards a few years ago after his parents bought a lawnmower and other equipment. Travis gets his customers by going door…

“Rodeo” Showcase at East Mississippi Community College

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Heavy Civil Construction class completes their final test by competing in the “Rodeo” showcase. The showcase isn’t just for bragging rights on their new skills. It can also put them in the driver’s seat for future job opportunities. Students in East Mississippi Community College’s Heavy Civil Construction program learned  a lot in eight weeks,…

West Point Consolidated School District is under new leadership

Several area school districts are seeing changes in the central office this school year

WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – Several area school districts are seeing changes in the central office this school year. West Point Consolidated School District is one of those welcoming a new superintendent. Jermaine Taylor took over as superintendent on July 1, 2022, but he has worked his way through the ranks over the years. Taylor made his way to the…

Columbus Municipal School District not changing its policy on guns for school staff

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The current policy of the Columbus Municipal School District does not allow guns on school property and the superintendent said Tuesday that is not about to change. “One thing we’ve learned from the shooting in Texas is that more people having guns and (more) trained people with guns didn’t save those kids’ lives,” says Dr. Cherie…

A fallen sheriffs deputy is remembered in the town he was killed in

Dylan Pickle has been remembered each year but his former colleagues put up a permanent memorial

HAMILTON, Miss. (WCBI)- Dylan Pickle has been remembered each year, but on Tuesday July 26, 2022; his former colleagues put up a permanent memorial. The sheriffs department got a sign to mark the site where Pickle was killed to show that he’s still with them. “I promised Dylan the day that I lost him that I would make sure he was…

Noxubee County Sheriff’s Office hosted school supply and backpack drive

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Noxubee County Sheriff’s Office is making sure kids have what they need to go back to school prepared. The department with a lot of help from other community and law enforcement agencies and private donors organized a school supply and backpack drive for students in the Noxubee County School District. This afternoon they handed…

Mega Millions Lottery jackpot up to $830 million

JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – The Mega Millions Lottery is living up to its name. The jackpot for the multi-state lottery is up to $830 million. It’s the third largest jackpot in Mega Millions’ 20-year history. There hasn’t been a Mega Millions winner since April 15th causing the total to continue growing. For your financial planning purposes, if you choose the…

Tupelo man pleads guilty to robbing a bank in his hometown

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – A Tupelo man pleads guilty to robbing a bank in his hometown. 56-year-old Jasper Wagner entered the plea in Northern District Federal Court Tuesday. Wagner robbed the West Main Branch of Community Bank in Tupelo on April 6th this year. He was arrested a few hours later in the Birmingham suburb of Leeds, Alabama. Wagner has…

Starkville schools set to begin new academic calendar with more breaks for students and teachers

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Tuesday, students in the Starkville Oktibbeha Consolidated School District will be among the first in Mississippi to begin the new school year. “I think we’re all excited just to see the buses come, watch the kids get off,” says new school district superintendent Dr. Tony McGee. It will be the first day of the school district’s…