COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- BankFirst announced a definitive merger with Sycamore Bank of Senatobia. The deal was approved by the board of directors of each company and is expected to close before the end of 2022. BankFirst’s President Moak Griffin said this furthers the vision of partnering with other community banks and a tradition of relationship banking, customer service and community…
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Veterans and other supporters filled Barnes Crossing Mall today in Tupelo to support the 16th annual 7 days of Troops. This weekend in Tupelo, people in the area celebrated the 16th annual 7 Days of the Troops. Founder of the event and marine corp veteran Scott Burns spends 7 days camping in Barnes Crossing Mall Food…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- A Columbus family loses their home in a devastating fire. Columbus Fire and Rescue Chief Duane Hughes said the fire started around 2a.m. on June 25th at 317 23rd Street North. Firefighters were able to get control the blaze. One man is being treated for burns on his arms, no other injuries are reported at this time….
AMORY, Miss. (WCBI)-An Amory man dies from his injuries in a car crash. Monroe County Coroner Alan Gurley said 53-year-old Willam Elbert Tallent, Jr. of the Bigbee Community died Saturday morning. Gurley said the incident happened back on June 17th on Highway 25 North in Smithville. Tallent was traveling north when he collided head-on with an 06 Charger. He was…
TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – One of the most talked about movies of the summer is now in theaters nationwide. “Elvis” the movie chronicles the life of Tupelo’s native son, from his humble beginnings in East Tupelo, to worldwide fame. Only minutes into Baz Luhrmann’s “ELVIS” Tupelo, is front and center, as a young Elvis Presley makes his way into a…
WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – Keeping the environment clean…that’s the motto for one organization in West Point. Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi is closing out their “World Environmental Month” with a pick-up day in the city. Litter and trash will no longer cover Marshall Park in West Point. On Saturday, employees with Yokohoma Tire Manufacturing Mississippi hosted “World Environmental Month”. And…
NOXUBEE, Miss. (WCBI)- Reading comes easy for some, but not for everybody. Scores from the third grade reading assessment show that 74 % of the state’s 31,000 third graders have passed the test. Mississippi put the Literacy-Based Promotion Act (LBPA) in place in 2013 to help improve reading skills for kids kindergarten through third grade. The test requires students to…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Rising prices for everyday staples like food and gas have more people than usual turning to community organizations for help. But even with the increase in requests, most are still trying to fill the needs of those who come to them. At the gas station, the grocery store, and clothing stores, prices are rising everywhere you…
FULTON, Miss. (WCBI) – Fulton Police and Crime Stoppers of Northeast Mississippi are looking for a person suspected of larceny with lumber. On June 6th a phone order for over $8,000 worth of lumber was placed to Riley’s Building Supply in Fulton. The supplies were charged to a credit card. A person driving the truck and trailer seen in this…
NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- The Noxubee County Sheriff’s Department arrested a woman for alleged burglary and vandalizing church property. Investigators say Ashley McCoy of Brooksville vandalized a grave at Bigbee Valley Church among other crimes on Wednesday. McCoy is charged with Burglary of an Occupied Dwelling, Cyberstalking with an Electronic Device, And Vandalism. Her bond is set at $27 thousand….
MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office makes another arrest in an ongoing scam investigation involving identity theft and big ticket fraudulent purchases. 23-year-old Derrick Dewayne Davis, Junior of Prairie is charged with Possession of Stolen Property. Davis turned himself in. The charges are in connection with the purchase of a 2018 Harley Davidson motorcycle valued between…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A shooting occurred on Dauphine Drive, just off Highway 69, Thursday night. Hawkins says a mother and her two children were inside their home when they heard gunshots. They went outside to see a white four-door car turn onto Highway 69. Deputies found shell casings at the scene. A car and a home were struck by…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lowndes County deputies are investigating a shooting at the Greentree Apartment complex. Sheriff Eddie Hawkins says a security guard was walking around patrolling the complex when he found someone inside his vehicle. That complex is just off Lehmberg Road. The security guard told deputies that he confronted the person in his vehicle. A short time…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Dr. Ghanshyam Heda, a biology professor at the Mississippi University for Women, has spent 25 years researching treatment methods for cystic fibrosis. The disorder causes serious damage to a person’s lungs, digestive system, and other organs. According to the Mayo Clinic, the life expectancy for someone with CF is 30 to 40 (sometimes 50) years. “They…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Temperatures are blazing and that’s not good for folks who have to deal with the heat all day long. Community organizations are doing what they can to help people that are homeless try and stay cool by opening cooling shelters. Homelessness is a problem everywhere, even in the golden triangle area. The Golden Triangle Homeless Coalition saw…
WINONA, Miss. (WCBI)- Winona Police said they are “looking into” a viral video showing two of their officers arresting a man over the weekend. Witnesses believe excessive force was used, along with a taser while a person was being taken into custody. This video has been shared nearly 800 times on Facebook. Now, folks in the Montgomery County town are…
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WCBI) – The long-awaited movie about the life of Tupelo’s own Elvis Presley opens nationwide Friday. The movie, by director Baz Luhrmann, has received critical acclaim from reviewers, and those closest to Elvis. As much as he enjoyed playing Colonel Tom Parker in Baz Luhrmann’s “ELVIS’ Tom Hanks says he looked forward to seeing Austin Butler make a…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Columbus Police Department will be getting some new wheels, and the move could save money down the road. At this week’s meeting, the City Council voted to enter into a lease agreement with Enterprise to replace the Police Department’s aging cruisers. The city had figured the cost of buying some new vehicles into this year’s…
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – The Mississippi Veterans Affairs Board has a new director. Mark Smith was appointed to the post Thursday. Smith has been serving as the agency’s interim director since May when he replaced Stacey Pickering. Pickering served as director from 2018 until his sudden resignation in May. Smith has 40 years of combined Military experience serving in both the…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- In an economy struggling with unemployment and inflation amongst other things, it makes it difficult to raise money for the arts. Donations are key to keeping the Columbus Arts Council afloat, let alone thriving. COVID-19 was also a major wrench being thrown into the Art Council’s plans. The non-profit like many other facets of the arts was…
GRENADA, Miss. (WCBI) – The Greater Grenada Partnership announced June 14th that the county is getting a $5.3 million grant that will go towards creating a four-lane road into its industrial park. It’s the latest in a series of major investments into the county’s growing manufacturing sector. “This total access road that’s going to be built for the citizens in…
OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – Hotty Toddy here, Hotty Toddy there, Ole Miss fans all over the square. The Ole Miss baseball team has been red hot this postseason. They are 7-0 and that has fans in Oxford happy and eyeing the big prize, a National Championship. “Winning a national championship, especially in baseball would be huge for Ole Miss and…
ABERDEEN, MISS. (WCBI) – An Aberdeen native, known as the make-up to the stars, is downsizing, and now you could buy from his personal collection. John Beard has organized a lot of estate sales, but none quite like this one. “This is by far, the biggest estate sale we’ve ever done. There are thousands of items for sale,” Beard said….