TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – The dream of cashing a $500,000 lottery ticket turns into a nightmare for a Tupelo convenience store worker. 40-year-old Jessica Parker is charged with felony embezzlement. Tupelo police said she used her position at Barnes Crossing Road Texaco to take the money and use her position to identify winning lottery tickets. Parker would then get them…
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WCBI) – U.S. Senator Roger Wicker’s father has passed away. Judge Thomas Frederick Wicker died this morning at a Memphis hospital at the age of 98. Wicker was born in 1924 and grew up in Benton County. He served in Europe for the Army Air Force during World War two and earned four battle stars. Later, Wicker would…
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – A Tupelo woman is accused of taking about $14,000 from a business. Now, 48-year-old Lori Palmer is charged with embezzlement. Tupelo police say they were called about missing money at Oak Creek Apartments back on September 26th. Management at the complex suspected Palmer had taken the money. Several days later a warrant was issued for her…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Elementary schools and a Head Start Center in Lowndes are getting a financial boost to fund additional pre-K classes. The Mississippi State Board of Education added Lowndes County to the Early Learning Collaborative Program. The allocation will give Lowndes County School District and Coleman Head Start $550,000 a year to serve 11 pre-k classes. This…
GREENWOOD, Miss. (WCBI) – A statue of Emmett Till is being displayed in Greenwood not far from where a confederate monument is located. Till was killed after white men kidnapped and killed him for allegedly whistling at a white woman in a country store. The monument will stand 9 feet tall with the depiction of Till in slacks, a dress…
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Family and friends are remembering Sam Westmoreland today on what would have been his 19th birthday. Plans are being finalized for a public memorial service. The ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, October 26th at 5:00 p.m. at The Orchard in Tupelo. That’s on Coley Road. Holland Funeral Directors said the family will receive friends after the…
TISHOMINGO COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A north Mississippi company will continue to dress America’s Army and Navy. Golden Manufacturing Company was awarded a $10.8 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense. The Tishomingo County company will make trousers for service members. Golden has won DOD contracts for uniform items since 2019. U.S. Senators Roger Wicker and Cindy Hyde-Smith made…
CHICKASAW COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s a day of fun for everyone in Chickasaw County. The extension service hosted its annual field day this morning. There were games, pony rides, and cart rides at the Chickasaw County Agri-Center. The event allows people of all ages with special needs to come out and have a “Fun Day.” People around the county…
PLANTERSVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Plantersville residents had a chance to get needed shots for their dogs and also get their pets microchipped. It was all part of the “Field Day” held at the town hall. Plantersville Animal Control teamed up with the Tupelo Lee Humane Society for the event. Free shots were given to dogs, and for $25, pets could…
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WCBI) – Alabama’s unemployment rate continues to hover at record lows. The state’s seasonally adjusted rate for September held at 2.6%. That record low is the same as last month. It’s also down significantly from last year’s 3.2%. Governor Kay Ivey says there have been 50,000 new jobs added since last September. The Alabama Department of Labor also…
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – The Mississippi Republican party launches a women’s initiative to recruit and train more women to run for office or become more active in the party. The announcement was recently made outside the GOP headquarters in Jackson. This plan is one way that leaders believe they can grow the party. Mississippi Attorney General Lynn Fitch says despite women…
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – As those who knew Sam Westmoreland cope with the sudden death of the MSU offensive lineman, the man who coached him at Tupelo High School is speaking out. We talked to Coach Ty Hardin who shared his memories of coaching number 76. Tupelo head football coach Ty Hardin last saw Sam Westmoreland on the sidelines of…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Trash continues to pile up in Columbus and Lowndes County. In September, we reported about the shortages of staff and trucks at Golden Triangle Waste Services. Today the waste service released a statement on Facebook. The statement describes how waste service employees have been working seven days a week to try to get to people’s…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Keeping students to stick around the magnolia state is what a few local entities pushed for today. East Mississippi Community College Communiversity, the Forge Foundation, and Mississippi Construction Foundation teamed up for the third year to host the Forge Your Path Career Expo. Roughly 2,000 eighth graders throughout the area got the chance to walk…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Sweet Peppers Deli is getting a little bit sweeter. The restaurant business is notoriously fickle. Tastes and trends change, but in Columbus, a deli has become an institution. For a quarter of a century, Sweet Pepper’s Deli has been a go-to for many in Columbus and the surrounding area. Whether it’s Friday night with your friends…
MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – After the arrests in Monroe County of four daycare workers, many people are wondering what is next for the accused. Three sets of parents have filed abuse charges in Monroe County Justice Court. This follows a viral video taken at the Lil’ Blessings Childcare and Learning Center in Hamilton in early October. In the video,…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Scary moments this afternoon for two Lowndes County drivers. The two-car crash happened on Highway 82, eastbound, near where you can see the Communiversity from the highway. Both vehicles were heavily damaged. Traffic was backed up for at least a mile while crews worked to clear the scene. The Mississippi Highway Patrol is investigating the…
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Tupelo Police, the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, and Lee County Youth Court need your help to find a teenager who may have run away. 17-year-old Zariah Williams was reported missing on October second. She was last seen by her guardian on September 30th. Zariah is 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs about 125 pounds. She…
OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Oktibbeha County deputies arrest the man accused of shooting a woman in the head. 23-year-old Jonathan Williams is charged with two counts of aggravated assault. The shooting happened Tuesday evening in the Sunset Subdivision. Investigators say the bullet damaged the victim’s scalp. She was treated and released from the hospital. Deputies tell WCBI there were…
CHICKASAW COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Chickasaw County deputies are asking for help to find a missing man. 21-year-old Carter Bliven was last seen this past Tuesday on County Road 416 in Woodland. He is 6-foot-1 and weighs about 250 pounds. Bliven was last seen driving a blue Chevy Equinox with the tag number on your screen. If you know where…
OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – One of the men involved in a deadly hit-and-run in Oxford is formally charged. Tristan Holland had been held in the Shelby County, Tennessee jail. He was extradited to Oxford and charged with accessory after the fact. Holland’s bond was set at $25,000. Seth Rokitka is charged with one count of Manslaughter, one count of Aggravated…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The International Paper Foundation gave $63,000 to various Golden Triangle organizations. In all, 15 non-profits received various grants from the foundation. Today, the check was delivered. This is the IP Foundation’s annual allocation to causes in the community that promote education and literacy, health and wellness, disaster relief, and community needs. The local mill will also…
BROOKSVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The town of Brooksville finds itself looking for a police chief, once again. Virginia Rich tells WCBI she has resigned, effective immediately. She took over the Brooksville police department back in April. The Noxubee County town had not had a police chief for eight years when Rich got the job. Rich has worked as an officer…
LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A Louisville ministry known for bringing hope to the community is now hoping to regroup after a fire damages its building. Angela Nance has been arrested in the case and is being charged with arson of a religious building. Usually, when families are displaced by a fire or find themselves in a crisis in Winston County,…