Kiffin gives update on QB battle between Dart, Altmyer
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin gives update on QB battle between Jaxson Dart and Luke Altmyer. Categories: College Sports, Local Sports, Sports
Female owned business makes a big splash with custom products
Little Birdie Pillows providing opportunities for local women
CALHOUN CITY, Miss. (WCBI) – A female-owned business in Calhoun County is making its mark across the United States, one custom pillow at a time. Inside the building, right off of Highway 8 in Calhoun City, workers are making pillows that will find their way to stores across the country. “We are in all fifty states,” said Susan Hardin, who…
Labor shortages continue to impact many businesses
Restaurants and retail have been hit particularly hard with labor shortages
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Restaurants and retail have been hit particularly hard with labor shortages. At Sunflower, managers are having a tough time hiring people for a couple of reasons. “With it being tax season it seems like it kind of slows down the hiring process and because a lot of people are looking for a better paying job than the…
Former town clerk accused of swindling thousands of dollars
HICKORY FLAT, Miss. (WCBI) – A former north Mississippi town clerk is accused of swindling thousands of dollars. Stephanie Churchill is charged with embezzlement. State Auditor Shad White’s office also issued a demand letter for more than one hundred four thousand dollars. Churchill is accused of taking money meant for Hickory Flat’s Water and Sewage Department. Investigators believe the scheme…
Webster County based circuit court judge has passed away
WEBSTER COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Webster County based circuit court judge has passed away. 77-year-old George Mitchell died last night at a Northport, Alabama hospital, after surgery. He was a circuit court judge in the 5th Judicial District. Mitchell first came to the post after being appointed in 2016 by former Governor Phil Bryant. Mitchell was a Vietnam War…
EMCC nursing program receives donation from Baptist Memorial Hospital
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Baptist Memorial Hospital – Golden Triangle is giving East Mississippi Community College’s Nursing program a financial shot in the arm. Nationwide, hospitals are in the midst of a nursing shortage that has been made worse by professionals leaving the job during the pandemic. BMH is doing something at the local level to recruit new nurses…
Columbus Pilgrimage Jubilee of Homes declared a success
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The 2022 edition of the Columbus Pilgrimage Jubilee of Homes has wrapped up, and organizers are declaring it a success. This is the first year that the popular event has been run by the Columbus Preservation Society, an organization largely made up of tour homeowners. Early returns show that over 12 hundred tickets were sold, including…
GTRA offering TSA Pre-Check Program at the end of April
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – If you’re traveling through Golden Triangle Regional Airport and want to move through the line quicker, you’ll soon have your chance. Enrollment in the TSA’s Pre-Check program will run from April 25th through the 29th. Pre-Check allows fliers to board with fewer hassles. It allows them to go through the Pre-Check lanes at security checkpoints…
Louisiana woman accused of breaking into Noxubee Co. church
NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Louisiana woman is accused of breaking into a Noxubee County church. Brooke Bloxham is charged with two counts of burglary of a dwelling and one count of burglary of a church. A Noxubee County grand jury recently returned the indictment against Bloxham. She remains in the Noxubee County jail on a $15,000 bond. No…
Heavy rain caused more flooding issues in Columbus
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The heavy rain from this weekend caused more flooding issues for a Columbus neighborhood. These photos were taken by a resident in the area of Azalea and Gardenia Drive this morning. He says the area, which includes the North Havenwoods apartment complex, has suffered on-going flooding problems due to curbside drains getting blocked. The resident told…
A local woman shares her story about being sexually abused as a child
Amber Jones said she suffered in silence for years, living with the pain and shame of sexual abuse at the hands of a close family member
GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss. (WCBI)- The month of April is set aside each year by advocacy groups social service agencies as time to raise awareness about two very painful and traumatic experiences; child abuse and sexual assault. Amber Jones said she suffered in silence for years, living with the pain and shame of sexual abuse at the hands of a close…
Columbus Fire Chief Martin Andrews, first full-time African American chief, retires after years of service
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – After 35 years with Columbus Fire and Rescue, the last eight of those as Chief, Monday was the final day on the job for Columbus Fire Chief Martin Andrews. “35 years, I always wanted to be a firefighter,” he says. “One of my main goals was to be the chief. I only wanted to be the…
Work release program in limbo in Lee County
LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- The expansion of a work-release program allows up to 25 Lee County Jail inmates to work and make money under certain conditions but hurdles standing in the way are preventing those inmates from taking advantage of the program. Governor Reeves’ Signature to House Bill 586 gives Lee County, Harrison County, and Rankin County inmates who are…
Saltillo man has been denied bond on first degree murder charges
SALTILLO, Miss. (WCBI) – A Saltillo man has been denied bond on first-degree murder charges. 37-year-old Timothy Albert Turner was taken into custody by Tupelo Police for aggravated assault. The victim, Leonard “KC” Cooper passed away on Sunday and, Charges were upgraded. The assault happened at Steele’s Dive on West Main in Tupelo around 1:30 a.m. When police arrived, the…
Tupelo police are looking for a man wanted for murder
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Tupelo police are looking for a man wanted for murder. There is an arrest warrant for capital murder for Nijel Valdez Hall. The United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force is assisting investigators in the search. Hall is the suspect in a shooting on April 9th at Hodges Drive in Tupelo. Police found 21-year-old Raybric Mims of…
Starkville woman charged with accessory after the fact in a 2021 murder
OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Starkville woman has been charged with accessory after the fact in a 2021 murder. Rymesha Coggins was arraigned in Oktibbeha County Monday afternoon. The murder happened more than a year ago. Investigators have been working on the case since then. Oktibbeha County deputies were called to the 22 hundred block of Hickory Grove Road….
Ex-Dollar General employee arrested for Dollar General robberies
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – An investigation into a home invasion gets Lowndes County deputies more than they bargained for. Now an ex- Dollar General employee is in jail charged with stealing from his former bosses. Tyre Andre Ranch is in jail on a 1.5 million dollar bond. Ranch is charged with 4 counts of armed robbery. 3 of those…
A Columbus native tells story of getting her degree during the pandemic
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s all about following your dreams. “If we face tomorrow we can do anything that we set our minds to and I’m so grateful for that,” said Alexander. That’s Bridgett C. Alexander’s motto….chasing your dreams. Teachers, firefighters, or a lawyer…that’s usually the answer for most kids when you ask them what they want to be when…
An investigation is underway in Tupelo, 31-year-old dead
TUPELO,Miss. (WCBI)- The Lee County Coroner’s office is investigating the death of 31-year-old Leonard (KC) Cooper of Fulton. Around 1:30 a.m. on Saturday, officers were called to 4187 West Main Street for reports of an assault. Cooper was taken to Regional Medical Center in Memphis, where he later died from his injuries. A suspect had been taken into custody for…
Super bulldog weekend is back in Starkville
A nearly empty cotton district during super bulldog weekend in Starkville isn't the scene that most folks are used to
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- A nearly empty cotton district during Super Bulldog Weekend in Starkville isn’t the scene that most folks are used to. Tyler Klaas, owner of Boardtown Pizza and Pints, said crowds are usually shoulder to shoulder. “Got the cotton district arts festival kind of plays into it, great weather and it’s just more people in town than you…
Retired banker is proof that honesty is the best policy
One decision as a teenager changed the trajectory of a man's life and his family's future
FULTON , MISS. (WCBI) – We have all heard the saying, ‘Honesty is the best policy.” For one retired banker, that saying proved to be pivotal when he did the right thing as a teenager. As Billy Bolton was at the ribbon cutting for Community Spirit Bank of Fulton, he couldn’t help but think back to a time, when as…
Former WNBA Player helps kids follow their dreams in the community
ABERDEEN, Miss. (WCBI) – Former WNBA player and Starkville Native April Sykes is bringing it back home. Sykes is in Aberdeen offering basketball lessons to kids today and tomorrow. April Sykes has been to the top of her sport, but she started out in a small town that gave her a lot of support. Now, she wants to show young…
Oktibbeha coounty 911 telecommunicators awarded at banquet
OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- It’s the first voice you hear during an emergency call: the 911 operator. National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week highlights the critical work of dispatchers and operators. And their efforts don’t go unnoticed. When you dial 911, you’re connected to an emergency dispatcher within seconds. From start to finish,they’re the ones to assist in a time of…