COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Tuesday night’s Columbus City Council meeting wrapped up with a presentation from Public Works Director Casey Bush about his department’s dire need for new equipment. “The fact that the public works department is underfunded, understaffed, and has equipment that is outdated and needs repairs is not a surprise,” says Mayor Keith Gaskin. Bush went before the…
TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – A popular fundraiser for the Tupelo Salvation Army is back in person and is more popular than ever. Donna Wise and a group of ladies from Okolona Baptist Church spent their lunch hour at the Empty Bowls Fundraiser. “I love the fellowship, coming to see what’s available, donating to a worthy cause, I’ve known several people…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus Light and Water put down the bills and picked up a book to read to the students over at Stokes Beard Elementary on Wednesday. A team member from the utility company dressed up one of Doctor Suess’ most iconic characters, Cat in the Hat during the reading. CLW says this was an opportunity to encourage…
OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – The University of Mississippi is the latest Mississippi school to drop its mask mandate. Face coverings are now optional in almost all indoor spaces, including classrooms, labs, libraries, residence halls, conference rooms, and dining facilities. Masks will only be required on University transportation and in health care settings. Administrators made the decision after reviewing falling numbers…
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Tupelo Mayor Todd Jordan knows who he wants to replace Chief Thomas Walker at the city’s fire department. Jordan will recommend that the City Council hire Kelly Elliott to be the next chief of the Tupelo Fire Department. Elliott is the Fire Chief for the 172nd Airlift Wing of the Mississippi National Guard. He has over…
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – The back and forth between Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley and the Tennessee Valley Authority continues. So, Presley took to social media to let the utility know his next step. The controversy surrounds whether TVA will allow cooperatives and local utilities to provide electricity to medical marijuana facilities. TVA has said there would be no interruption in…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Monday night, the Columbus Municipal School District launched its new Ward Tour, where education and city leaders will hold a series of community meetings throughout the month of March. “There weren’t any questions that I felt there were out of the box of things that we weren’t addressing,” says school district superintendent Dr. Cherie Labat. “It…
TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – Cadets in Class B-69 of the North Mississippi Law Enforcement Training Center spent their day in front of Judge Staci Bevill and got a rare look at youth court. Youth court proceedings are closed to the public, but each cadet signed a confidentiality agreement, which allowed them to observe cases on the docket. This is the…
LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- Drivers have probably seen it, and felt it. The price of gas is steadily going up. Gas is over three dollars a gallon in all of the surrounding cities and expected to go even higher. Rising gas prices are nothing new, but even the experts weren’t expecting to see them go up this quickly. “Two or three…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – More than 200 women in Starkville are putting their money where their mouth is. The group is called 100 Women Who Care – Starkville, but dozens more have joined the mission to help community organizations carry out their special projects. Tuesday morning the group awarded more than $21,000 dollars in grants to local organizations. The members…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- Mississippi State University announced Friday, February 25, 2022 that the university will now make masks optional for folks on campus. The announcement was based on the school’s COVID-19 task force recommendation. The Mississippi State campus was filled with students earlier, some were still erring on the side of the caution; while others were welcoming the opportunity to…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – For more than 20 years, a Columbus woman has run an organization that sends aid to those in need in Ukraine. Now she is working to send supplies to refugees fleeing the country in the midst of Russia’s attacks. “When the bombing started, people started evacuating,” says Kathy Cadden. “And people couldn’t get money out of the…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Rhonda Sanders has devoted almost three decades to law enforcement. Sanders says she did not know she was making history as the first Black female officer for the Columbus Police Department when she was hired 27 years ago. She says two city council members and the mayor at the time were the driving forces behind…
OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – An Oktibbeha County home goes up in flames Monday morning. The fire happened about 7 A.M. on Kincaid Road after neighbors saw smoke. East Oktibbeha Volunteer Firefighters found the house engulfed in flames when they arrived. Oktibbeha County Fire Coordinator Patrick Warren says no one was at home at the time of the blaze and…
JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves will be taking on a new role this year. The Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway Development Authority has elected Governor Reeves to serve as Chairman for 2022. The Development Authority promotes the development of the waterway and its economic and trade potential. It helps attract business development along the waterway. The Authority is made…
EUPORA, Miss. (WCBI)- Eupora Police Department’s donation campaign paid off in a big way that will help officers protect themselves and the people they serve. Police Chief Lawrence Caradine began the fundraising campaign to raise about $7,000 in order to purchase new bullet-proof vests for the department. Local businesses and individual citizens in Eupora made charitable donations, providing over $15,000…
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI)- Tupelo Police wants your help to look for potential Grand Larceny suspects who stole an off-road vehicle over the weekend. On Saturday, February 26th, law enforcement says one or more suspects entered private property in East Tupelo and went so far as to cut a barbed wire fence before stealing a 2011 maroon Polaris Ranger. If you…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – For years Mississippi leaders have been complaining about the state’s best and brightest moving away for better opportunities. State Auditor Shad White decided to do something about that “brain drain”. White’s office is establishing the “Stay in the ‘Sip Fellowship” to attract that talent to the Auditor’s office. The fellowship pays for tuition, books, and fees…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A new Lowndes County road manager announcement will wait. The board of supervisors tabled the decision until its next meeting. Three people who already work for the county did apply for the job. The position must also be advertised to the public. Ronnie Burns will retire in May. He has been with the road department…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – An Arkansas man will spend the rest of his life in prison for killing a Lowndes County man. Donta Kirby was sentenced to life in prison as a habitual offender. Judge Lee Howard also sentenced Kirby to 20 years in prison for possession of a weapon by a convicted felon charge. A Lowndes County jury…
As Spring approaches and dynamic weather becomes more common, meteorologist Jackson Chastain discusses some of the different types of fronts. Categories: Featured, Featured Weather, Local News, Weather
TUPELO,Miss. (WCBI)- A Tupelo family makes it out just in time after their home catches on fire early this morning. Tupelo firefighters were on scene for five hours before they were able to extinguish the blaze. No injuries are reported at this time. Firefighters are still investigating the cause of the blaze. Categories: Featured, Local News Tags: fire investigation, house…
TUPELO,Miss. (WCBI)- The Tupelo hotel and restaurant had a boost in revenue. The Bancorp South Arena is the sight of two competitions. Victory Athletics hosted a cheer leading competition featuring participants from all over Mississippi as well as Alabama, Tennessee and even Louisiana. Nearly 500 gymnasts are involved in a meet. The owner says with parents and other spectators there…
COLUMBUS,Miss. (WCBI) – Clean-up is underway at Jalisco Mexican Grill after a car crashes into the building. Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton says the driver allegedly lost control of their vehicle and drove into the restaurant just before 10 p.m. on Saturday night. “That’s just something we don’t think of really,” said Jennifer Morales. It’s like waking up from a…