$50 million Hump renovation project begins

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- Be on the lookout Bulldog fans, the Humphrey Coliseum will soon be getting a new look. The $50 million renovation project which started right after the 2021-22 season includes cosmetically improving the exterior, four new entrances, a walkway between the Hump and Dudy Noble Field, expansion of the indoor space, a 5,600-foot club area, and alterations…

700 people arrested in month long federal, state, and local crime crackdown

OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – 700 people are arrested in a month long federal, state, and local crime crackdown. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oxford released this video and the results of “Operation MPACT” Wednesday. Law enforcement from Lowndes, Lee, Grenada, and Panola Counties participated in the arrests. More than $134,000 worth of drugs and over $50,000 in cash were seized…

Troop G of Mississippi Highway Patrol receiving new headquarters

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Troop G of the Mississippi Highway Patrol is one step closer to having a new home. The State Legislature has appropriated another $4 million for a new substation in Starkville. The funding is the last roadblock to getting the headquarters built. Lawmakers had set aside $4.5 million in an earlier session. The total price tag is…

One person is dead after shooting in Pontotoc County

PONTOTOC COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – One person is dead after an early morning shooting in Pontotoc County. Sheriff Leo Mask says the shooting happened in the Algoma community but declined to give a specific address. Mask tells WCBI deputies are interviewing multiple people to try and figure out what sparked the shooting. The name of the victim has not been…

TVA’s robot dog gives Golden Triangle students a look at the future of robotics and engineering

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Tuesday morning, the Tennessee Valley Authority put on a demonstration featuring one of its new Boston Dynamics robot dogs for students at East Mississippi Community College. EMCC joined Heritage Academy and Caledonia as the latest school to get a visit from “Spot.” Spot is one of the six state-of-the-art robot dogs TVA bought in 2021. TVA…

Rising food and fuel prices impact a local ministry

Transformation Ranch looks at ways to cut costs as inflation climbs

LEE COUNTY, MISS. (WCBI) – Rising fuel and food prices are hitting everyone hard, and that includes nonprofits. Every day, 30 men who live at the Transformation Ranch are driven to their jobs and picked up in the afternoon. The sharp spike in fuel prices is making the daily commutes much more expensive. “There are six different locations our guys…

Man arrested in Columbus shooting charged with capital murder

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A man arrested in connection to a Columbus homicide has his charges upgraded to capital murder. We first told you 27-year-old Tommy Flowers was charged with possession of a stolen firearm. Now he’s also charged with second-degree murder or felony murder, shooting into an occupied dwelling, and directing a youth to commit a felony. Columbus Police…

Lowndes County deputies make two arrest in Dollar General robberies

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lowndes County deputies make two more arrests in the recent Dollar General armed robberies. 20-year-old Dorium Davis is charged with accessory to armed robbery. 18-year-old Brandon Baker is charged with one count of armed robbery and two counts of kidnapping. Sheriff Eddie Hawkins says bond has not been set for Davis. Baker’s bond is set…

Apex Ammunition co-founder spoke to Columbus Rotary

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Lowndes County ammunition maker talks about supply and demand. Apex Ammunition co-founder Jared Lewis spoke to the Columbus Rotary Club Tuesday. The company launched in 2017 after a hunting trip. As the world tried to figure out a new normal during the COVID-19 pandemic, Lewis believes many turned to the outdoors. That is one…

Sean Harrison named Heritage Academy Head of School

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Heritage Academy’s new Head of School is a familiar face. Sean Harrison has accepted the position.  Harrison has served at Heritage for six years as Principal, Head Football Coach, and Athletic Director.  He led the Patriots to two Football State Championships and won the AAA All Sports award for the first time in school history.  He…

West Point Growth Alliance organizing city wide clean up

WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s time for a little Spring cleaning in West Point. The West Point Growth Alliance is coordinating a city-wide clean-up this weekend. And they are recruiting volunteers. Teams will fan out across the city to pick up litter and beautify the town. And the Alliance is even providing a list of streets that may need…

Report of stolen truck leads to 3 arrest in Oktibbeha County

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A report of a stolen truck in Webster County leads to 3 arrests in Oktibbeha County. On April 19th, a resident in the Cadaretta community reported that a truck had been stolen from their property. The truck wasn’t missing for long. On the 21st, deputies spotted it at a home in Oktibbeha County. 3 suspects…

CMSD offering counseling for sudden loss of their peers

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Harvey Johnson Junior was a student at Columbus High School. Now the school district is providing counseling for students and faculty coping with the sudden loss of their peers. School faculty encourages students to be more willing to reach out to mentors and adults going forward. “It’s difficult for students and young people but sometimes the…

The best ways to fight fire ants in Mississippi

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – As the temperature goes up, so does fire ant activity. Richard Linley, owner of Northeast Exterminating in Starkville, says the insects build up their population during the spring. “Very painful and dangerous for children and small animals getting in a fire ant nest,” he says. “They just cover you and you know that they bite over…

A golf tournament helps raise money for recovering addicts

A second chance is what many people need in life

WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI)- A second chance is what many people need in life. The Dream Center Golden Triangle does it best to offer that to folks throughout the area. On Monday, April 25, 2022, the organization hosted a golf tournament that would help benefit men in recovery. Mossy Oak Golf Club was filled with people taking their best shots…

A Noxubee County native is now a Truman Scholar

OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI)- Each year roughly 60 college juniors across the country are awarded the Harry S. Truman Scholarship for pursuing a career in public service. Most Truman Scholars you meet have a remarkable story… One of those people is Jilkiah Bryant. Bryant’s journey to pursue a career in public service started when she was just a little girl. She…

Rowdy Foundation golf tournament raising money for Autism resources

WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) –  The Rowdy Foundation teed off Monday morning for their second annual event to raise awareness for Autism resources in North Mississippi. The scramble was held at Old Waverly and raised over $38,000. All proceeds from the tournament will go toward autism education in north Mississippi. “We wanted to give back to the folks who gave so…

An inmate has escaped from the Tishomingo County Jail

TISHOMINGO COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Tishomingo County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help to find an escaped inmate from the Tishomingo County Jail. Kevin James Parr was being held in Tishomingo County on felony charges out of Prentiss County. Investigators believe Parr got through a hole in the shower area, crawled through an air duct, and went…

Columbus Police are investigating early morning shooting that left one person dead

A suspect is not in custody at this time, but Columbus Police have identified a person of interest.

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – An early morning shooting has left one person dead in Columbus. Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant identified the person as 16-year-old Harvey Montreal Johnson Jr. A suspect is not in custody at this time, but Columbus Police have identified a person of interest. Shell casings and a wrecked vehicle–that’s the scene officers saw after shots were…

Miss M 17 Pageant raises money for future police officers

AMORY, MISS. (WCBI) – A beauty pageant that raises money to send a future law enforcement officer to the police academy has wrapped up. All of the money raised will send someone to police academy through the Deputy Dylan Pickle Memorial Scholarship.  Deputy Pickle was killed when he was struck by a car while manning a safety checkpoint in Monroe…

Bedz 4 Kidz builds 20 beds for families in the golden triangle

The idea to create the non profit organization started just two years ago

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)-  Dream Center Golden Triangle started Beds 4 Kids to help families with unmet needs. The idea to create the non profit organization started just two years ago. Members with “Adopt A Block.” saw several children without a place to lay their heads a night. Shortly after seeing the need grow throughout the GTR, the entities partnered to…

Hundreds march in Starkville’s third annual pride parade

The celebration started at Fire Station park; hundreds marched through downtown Starkville

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- Starkville held it’s third pride parade Saturday afternoon. The celebration started at Fire Station park; hundreds marched through downtown Starkville. The first pride parade in Starkville kicked off in 2018. Festivities were cancelled for two years due to the pandemic. Folks across the Magnolia state made their way to support members of the LGBTQ-IA community. ” It…