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Featured, Local News

TVA will not prohibit local utilities from providing service to medical marijuana dispensaries

Public Service Commissioner Brandon Presley says TVA must provide service to legal businesses
Allie Martin,

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – The Tennessee Valley Authority says local utilities who purchase electricity from TVA can serve medical marijuana businesses. Last week, TVA sent out a statement saying local utilities would be forbidden from providing electricity to businesses that will provide medical marijuana. In the statement, TVA said there were conflicts with the recently passed Mississippi law and federal laws….

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Local Sports

Restaurants prepare for a busy weekend

Ansley Perkins,

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Restaurants are anticipating a busy weekend. Superbowl Sunday and Valentine’s day are ahead of us. “I think it’s going to start today and have a constant building up to Monday and we will just be busy all the way through,” said Price. A business blitz, that’s what restaurant owners are predicting this weekend. Harvey’s General manager…

Rhonda
Local News

Health clinic in Lowndes Co. honoring community helper and local hero

Aundrea Self,

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A health clinic in Lowndes County is celebrating Black History Month by honoring a local hero and community helper. The Allegro Clinic in New Hope unveiled a bench dedicated to Lt. Rhonda Sanders with the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department. Sanders has been in law enforcement for 27 years. She was the first Black female officer…

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Coronavirus Information, Featured, Local News

MSDH encourages everyone to consider oral antiviral medications to battle COVID-19

Joey Barnes,

JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi is seeing a decline in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations but thousands of cases are still being reported weekly. Now, the Mississippi State Department of Health encourages everyone to take advantage of oral antiviral medications. The treatment is not prohibited from anybody but health experts say to be aware of how it interacts with any medications…

Arbor Day
Local News

Partnership Middle School planted 45 new trees for Arbor Day

Eric Lampkin,

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – There is an old saying: The Best time to plant a tree is twenty years ago. The Second Best time to plant a tree is now. Some Oktibbeha County students take that proverb to heart today. In honor of Arbor Day, students from the Partnership Middle School planted 45 Loblolly Pines on the school’s campus….

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Featured, Local News, Top Story

NMHS Connected Care Carts help COVID patients video chat with loved ones while isolated in the hospital

Joey Barnes,

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Tuesday, North Mississippi Health Services unveiled 10 Connected Care carts designed to allow COVID-19 patients the opportunity to video chat with loved ones while undergoing treatment. They deployed five more of the video carts Thursday at North Mississippi Medical Center Tupelo. “As a physician, I have just felt this deep hurt over patients who have died…

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Featured, Local News

Columbus soccer tournament brings big crowd

Ansley Perkins,

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Businesses in Columbus could see a big kick in sales this weekend. The Bank first: Friendly City Shoot-Out soccer tournament takes the field at the Soccer Complex and Hotels and Restaurants are getting their teams ready to handle the crowds. This may be an empty soccer field right now but just in a few days, there…
Featured, Local News

A Columbus man nearly loses identity from scam phone call

Joey Barnes,

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- You’ve probably gotten a phishing call from a scammer at some point this week. Scammers will try their best to get your personal information and possibly steal your identity. It almost happened to a Columbus businessman. Oftentimes, folks are tricked into revealing sensitive information, giving scammers a way in. Columbus PD is working to trace more of…

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Featured, Local News

Amory Railroad Festival is back on track for 2022

Merchants ready for RR Fest crowds
Allie Martin,

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – One of the longest-running and most popular festivals in North Mississippi is back on track this Spring. Like many Main Street merchants, Lydia Pearson is looking forward to the return of Amory’s Railroad Festival. “I’m excited to have a booth out in front of my store so I can have all those local and out of…

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Featured, Local News

Super Bowl gives retired Columbus soldier national platform to raise awareness for veterans’ mental health

Joey Barnes,

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Retired U.S. Army Sgt. and Columbus native Melvin Gatewood is headed to the Super Bowl. It’s a gift from All-Pro wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins and part of the NFL’s Salute to Service initiative. Sgt. Gatewood runs the nonprofit, Operation Continue Service, an organization that seeks to connect with veterans who may be experiencing mental health issues…

Blm
Local News

Teacher with Polio gets recognized in hometown library

Ansley Perkins,

LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A longtime teacher in Louisville is being honored this month as an inspiration to the community. “Just like this COVID is raging now that’s the way that polio is raging. Every day you turn the radio on they were saying so many people in this county and so many people in this town had polio,” said Edwards….

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Featured, Local News

‘Empty Bowls’ fundraiser helps Tupelo Salvation Army feed people throughout the year

Feeding program is more than just serving meals
Allie Martin,

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – It’s one of the biggest fundraisers for Tupelo’s Salvation Army and it helps feed needy people throughout the year. The ‘Empty Bowls” fundraiser is set for next month, and it helps fund the ministry’s feeding program, which has seen some big changes. ‘We’re on track to serve over forty thousand meals this year, which is a huge…

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Featured, Local News

Remembering Lowndes County District 3 Fire Chief Wayne Doyle

Joey Barnes,

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Colleagues of Wayne Doyle are sharing their thoughts of the longtime Lowndes County volunteer firefighter. Lowndes County Fire Coordinator Neal Austin describes Doyle as a progressive leader with a great vision for the department. Austin says it’s going to be hard to replace Doyle who had 40 years of experience and was a respected leader as District…

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Local News

Volunteers and Non-Profits team up to train for natural disasters

Eric Lampkin,

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – If you’ve lived in Mississippi very long, you know that natural disasters can strike in any season. And when they do, volunteers are essential to everything from clean-up to registering people for emergency aid to rebuilding. Today, the United Way of Lowndes and Noxubee Counties and the Golden Triangle Regional Hub for Volunteers and Non-Profits teamed…

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Featured, Local News

Longtime volunteer Lowndes County Fire Chief passes away

Joey Barnes,

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Area first responders gathered Tuesday night to give a proper send-off to one of their own. A procession of Lowndes County Fire trucks escorted the body of Lowndes County District 3 Fire Chief Wayne Doyle back home this evening after he passed away at a Tupelo hospital at the age of 62 earlier in the day….

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Local News

Two area Boy Scout Councils plan to merge into one

Since the 1920's, two area councils have been guiding the activities of most of the troops in Northeast Mississippi
Joey Barnes,

COLUMBUS, Miss (WCBI)- There have been Boy Scout troops in North Mississippi since the beginning of the scouting program in America. George Maynard organized the first troop in Tupelo in 1911. Since the 1920’s, two area councils have been guiding the activities of most of the troops in Northeast Mississippi. Spring 2022; that all could change. Officials are in the…

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Featured, Local News

Dylan Pickle’s Mother helps promote fundraiser for ‘Running 4 Heroes’

The fundraiser will raise money to buy flags for families of fallen first responders
Allie Martin,

MONROE COUNTY, MISS. (WCBI) – The mother of a Monroe County Sheriff’s Deputy, killed in the line of duty is doing her own part to remember officers across the country. Debi Pearson first met Running 4 Heroes founder Zechariah Cartledge last fall, when Zechariah came to Mississippi, to do a memorial run for all of the fallen police and firefighters from…

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Local News

Mississippi court officials are looking to help first time drug offenders

The COVID-19 Pandemic continues to bring challenges and changes to society, but in the case of Mississippi's courts
Joey Barnes,

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- The COVID-19 Pandemic continues to bring challenges and changes to society, but in the case of Mississippi’s courts; it’s also producing a few opportunities as well. “Anytime we send jury notices out we send a covid notice out. That’s information that we gather to help us decide whether or not individuals are allowed to enter the building,”…