Starkville paid parking on pause due to ordinance

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The brakes have been put on paid parking in Starkville after an ordinance has been found. Mayor Lynn Spruill says the city is suspending the enforcement of paid parking for a couple of weeks. This gives city leaders time to host public meetings and then amend and clarify the overlooked ordinance. That city rule states on…

Mississippi’s State Superintendent of Education is retiring

  MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Mississippi’s State Superintendent of Education is retiring. Dr. Carey Wright will end her 50-year career in public education on June 30th. She was appointed to her role by the Mississippi State Board of Education in 2013. Under Wright’s leadership, Mississippi’s Quality Counts grade went from 50th in the nation to 35th with a C minus. Graduation…

Ole Miss band receiving a new practice facility

OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – The tune is changing to get the Ole Miss band a new practice field. Thursday the IHL considered a $3.5 million request from the school. Plans were started in November 2017 to get the Pride of the South marching band a new place to practice. However, that was put on hold. There have been complaints for…

New path connecting MSU and Starkville has increased in price

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A multi-use path connecting Mississippi State and Starkville is rolling along, with a price tag increase. The university requested from the Institutions of Higher Learning to use $250,000 of its funds to cover increased costs. While the project is listed as in the design phase, the budget increases are mainly due to construction costs and architectural…

West Point police need help finding man accused of stealing

WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – West Point police need help finding a man accused of stealing more than five thousand dollars worth of items at Love’s Truck Stop. These are images captured from surveillance videos of the man. Investigators believe he hit the store two different times, once on April second and the other on April 12th. He was seen…

Civic group presents First Responder awards

Top officers named for police, fire and sheriff's department

AMORY, MISS. (WCBI) – First responders put their lives on the line every day and a civic group in one city is recognizing top cops, deputies, and firefighters. Smokin Bros was probably the safest place in Monroe County as police, sheriff’s deputies, and firefighters packed into the restaurant, for a special meeting of the Rotary Club of Amory. “We’re so…

Mississippi Highway Patrol announced its trooper of the year

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Mississippi Highway Patrol announced its trooper of the year. Greenwood Springs native Trooper Matt Minga received this year’s honors. Minga was born in Zamora but grew up in Greenwood Springs. He attended the Smithville school district from 1st grade all the way to his high school graduation. Minga joined the Splunge fire Department in 2004…

Mid-Morning with Aundrea: MUW Filet Recipe

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Zyanne Turner is a culinary student at MUW. Ingredients: 1 tbsp kosher salt 1 tbsp fresh cracked black pepper 2 tbsp oil 1 tbsp of butter (optional) 1 filet Make sure your steak is room temperature which will allow for even cooking throughout. Get a pan and warm it up on the stove on medium to…

How Mississippi insurance companies can adapt to the rise in severe weather

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The National Weather Service has confirmed that 15 tornadoes touched down in Mississippi on April 13, leaving plenty of damage in their wake. As the state continues to weather through a stormy spring, Mississippi Insurance Commissioner Mike Chaney says to expect insurance rates to go up to about six percent. “We understand the pressure with rates,”…

First recipient of Dylan Pickle Memorial Scholarship graduates police academy

Funds are provided through Miss M 17 Pageant

MONROE COUNTY, MISS. (WCBI) – The memory and the legacy of a Monroe County Sheriff’s deputy killed in the line of duty while manning a safety checkpoint lives on through a scholarship program that sends cadets through the police academy. Every time Deputy Kasi Gwin gets into her patrol unit she is filling a lifelong dream. Deputy Gwin is with…

CMSD Superintendent voices concerns on medical marijuana

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The deadline for cities or counties to opt out of the Medical marijuana law is less than two weeks away. In order to opt-out, community leaders must actually vote no. A “no” vote would keep medical marijuana out of the town or the county. This week Columbus Mayor Keith Gaskin asked the city’s top educator for…

Man is dead after accident in southern Lowndes County

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A man is dead after an accident Wednesday morning in southern Lowndes County. The crash happened on Tarlton Road at about 5 AM. Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant says 25-year-old Frederick Carter of Columbus was flown to a Tupelo hospital. He died shortly after arriving. Merchant tells WCBI this was a one car crash. The…

Columbus police searching for gunman after drive-by shooting

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)  – Columbus police are searching for a gunman after a drive-by shooting. The gunfire happened just before one Wednesday afternoon in the area of Ash and Railroad Streets. Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton says someone in a maroon car fired several shots at a group of people. No one was injured in the shooting but a house…

North Mississippi man charged with rape and sexual battery

LAFAYETTE, Miss. (WCBI) – A north Mississippi man is accused of taking two victims and then raping them. 42-year-old Anthony Sisk of Como is charged with rape and sexual battery. Investigators believe the two victims were kidnapped in another county and brought to Lafayette County. More charges are possible in the ongoing investigation. Bond has not been set for Sisk….

Two teens killed in Lowndes County accident identified

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The two teenagers killed in a Lowndes County accident are identified. 19-year-old Donavan Normandin of Columbus was driving the Ford Mustang when it crashed. His passenger was 17-year-old Samantha Ward of Millport, Alabama. They both died at the scene of the Highway 45 collision on Tuesday night. Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant says the car…

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…