Monroe County Sheriff Department makes four arrests in major multi-state scamming operation

ABERDEEN, Miss. (WCBI) – Friday, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Department announced four arrests resulting from a six-month investigation into a major scamming operation that spans multiple states. Christopher “Big Money Bunny” Bradley is charged with nine counts of felony false pretense, Janiqua Edmond and Shaquayne Ware are both charged with conspiracy to commit a crime, and Antoine Griffin Jr. is…

MUW invited area residents to help celebrate Juneteenth

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi University for Women invited area residents to help celebrate Juneteenth. The W hosted a program at Fant Memorial Library to observe the holiday. Library staff have set up an exhibit in the main lobby, and Dean of Library Services, Amanda Powers, is spearheading an effort to collect oral histories of people’s Juneteenth memories. Juneteenth was…

Funeral services begin Monday evening for State Rep. Lynn Wright

PICKENS COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Funeral services begin Monday evening for state Representative Lynn Wright. Visitation is from five until eight at Skelton Funeral Home in Reform. The funeral service will be Tuesday at 2 PM at Mount Zion Baptist Church in the New Hope community of Lowndes County. There will be visitation one hour before the service and immediately…

Columbus police investigating shooting Sunday night

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus police continue to investigate a Sunday night shooting where at least 70 shots were fired. The shooting happened about 10:30 Sunday night in a busy shopping center parking lot, just off Highway 45. Officers first learned of the shooting after someone showed up at Baptist Golden Triangle with a gunshot would to the leg. Police…

People in the Golden Triangle come together for the Juneteenth weekend

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Juneteenth celebrations took place all over the Golden Triangle this weekend. From the park to the parade routes, we were not short of festivities. People showed their Juneteenth spirit for the historical holiday in Columbus. It all started with a parade on Main Street in Columbus and continued at Sim Scott park with vendors and people…

Summer heat is pushing the fun indoors

The temperature is rising almost everyday it seems and folks are doing what they can to stay cool

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- The temperature is rising almost everyday it seems and folks are doing what they can to stay cool. School is out and kids still want to be active, but the summer heat is pushing them inside. Two places in Columbus are adjusting to the temperatures to try and have fun in the AC. “It gets really hot…

Tupelo is gearing up for its observance of the Juneteenth holiday

TUPELO, Miss (WCBI) – Tupelo is gearing up for its observance of the Juneteenth holiday. On Saturday, the city of Tupelo will mark the day with a parade, speakers, and music at Gumtree Park. Juneteenth honors the anniversary of June 19, 1865, when Union soldiers arrived in Texas with word that President Abraham Lincoln had issued the Emancipation Proclamation, ending…

Business partners accused of fraud and face up to 75 years in prison

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) -Two business partners in Columbus could face up to 75 years in prison and fines of more than 2 million dollars after being accused of sending in fraudulent documentation in PPP Loans. Jabari Edwards and Antwann Richardson are also accused of using the money to gift friends and family and even making donations to Jackson State…

First Lady Elee Reeves to host cleanup day initiative

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi’s First Lady is encouraging everyone to spend part of their weekend helping others. First Lady Elee Reeves is helping to host a day of service on Saturday. The First Lady will be helping to clean up trash in Vicksburg as part of ” Mississippi Serves, a day to volunteer.” The First Lady will be working…

State Farm celebrates 100th birthday with donation

State Farm donates $10,000 to Hunger Coalition of Northeast Mississippi

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – State Farm agents in the Tupelo area are making the 100th birthday of that company with a donation to help hungry people in the region. State Farm agents sponsored a party in Fairpark during the lunch hour, giving away free snow cones to guests. It was also an opportunity for the agents to donate 10 thousand…

State Auditor releases report on cybersecurity in public schools

Report shows mixed results when it comes to protecting students from harmful online content

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – A report on cybersecurity in public school districts across Mississippi shows mixed results, according to the State Auditor. State Auditor Shad White released the report “Cybersecurity in School Districts” on Thursday.   The state auditor was the guest speaker at the Tupelo Kiwanis Club and said the report shows that some school districts are taking appropriate…

COVID-19 cases are on the rise again in Columbus

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – COVID-19 cases are on the rise again. Members at Allegro plaza say they’ve seen more people coming in and testing positive for the virus. For about a month they had not seen many patients coming in with symptoms or testing positive but in the last couple of weeks, they’ve seen otherwise. “Most people are presenting…

Clay County deputies arrest a man accused of taking a van

CLAY COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Clay County deputies arrest a man accused of taking a van, with a plan. Albert Dale Chism of West Point is in the Clay County Jail charged with Grand Larceny. According to the Clay County Sheriff’s Department, Chism stole a van out of someone else’s yard, took it to a scrapyard, and sold it for…

Lowndes County investigators make an arrest in a deadly shooting

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lowndes County investigators make an arrest in a deadly shooting. 26-year-old Joshua Whitley is charged with second-degree murder. He remains in the Lowndes County jail waiting on his initial appearance. The shooting happened Thursday evening on Ben Christopher Road in the New Hope community. Sheriff Eddie Hawkins says Whitley and 25-year-old Monique McDonald got into…

Alabama’s unemployment rate lowest in the southeast

ALABAMA (WCBI) – More people have joined Alabama’s workforce, keeping the state with the lowest unemployment rate in the southeast. Governor Kay Ivey announced today Alabama’s May unemployment rate is 2.7%. That’s down from April’s rate of 2.8%. Ivey says the state’s average weekly wages have risen by 20% since May 2019. In our area, Lamar County’s unemployment rate is…

Medical members encourage folks to stay try staying cool this summer

The sun is blazing and the temperature isn't expected to cool off anytime soon

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- The sun is blazing and the temperature isn’t expected to cool off anytime soon. Summer camps are going on but camp leaders say they’re monitoring kids time outside to try and keep them cool. “Try to limit our outside activity. We were outside yesterday for a kickball game and we had fun with that, but before we…

FBI raids local Columbus business J5

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Around 9 a.m. federal agencies made their way inside the J5 building in Columbus. State and local law enforcement agencies also assisted going through the building and collecting files. Here’s what we know at this moment. ” It’s bad for the city and it’s bad for J5,” said Gaven. That’s the statement former city council member Bill…