COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The City of Columbus is beginning its search for a new Police Chief. At Tuesday night’s meeting, the City Council approved a job description, salary range, and a 10-person search committee to help select the best candidate. But another committee was also a topic of the Citizen Input portion of the meeting. Lavonne Harris asked the…
OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – After a two-year hiatus, the rumble of motorcycle engines is returning to the streets of Sturgis. The Sturgis South Rally is back! And the bikers start rolling back into Oktibbeha County Thursday. A long weekend of music, food, vendors, and games for the kids – and the bikers starts Thursday and runs through Saturday. A…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- Some city employees in Starkville will receive a more competitive salary compared to certain surrounding cities in Northeast Mississippi and Alabama. At Tuesday night’s Alderman meeting, the board voted unanimously to bump the pay of city workers based on a survey conducted by the Stennis institute from Mississippi State University. The survey compared the current salaries in…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The search for a new police chief in the City of Columbus can officially begin. At Tuesday night’s meeting, the Columbus City Council approved a job description and a 10 person search committee to inform the process. Mayor Keith Gaskin, along with Councilmen Joseph Mickens, Stephen Jones, and Rusty Green are on the list, along with…
LAFAYETTE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Investigators are still trying to determine what started the massive fire that heavily damaged a historic church just outside Oxford. College Hill Presbyterian Church was built in the 1840s and was the oldest church in the Oxford area. The church’s history includes being a campsite for Ulysses S. Grant and Union troops during the Civil…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Labor shortages are still an issue around the country, and around the block. Some businesses are looking to replace summer workers who have headed back to school; while others still haven’t been able to get back up to pre-pandemic staffing. Zachary’s is just one of several restaurants trying to bring more people on board. Owner Doug Pellum…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The structure of the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau could soon look different. Through published reports and sources, WCBI has learned Nancy Carpenter’s contract to lead the Columbus Cultural Heritage Foundation was not renewed. The CVB board recently made that vote. Sources tell WCBI there was a contract extension offered to Carpenter to remain the executive…
BOONEVILLE, MISS. (WCBI) – Making the transition from high school to college can be tough. And experts say it’s even worse for many students, in the wake of the Covid 19 related lockdowns and isolation. One local community college is partnering with a mental health agency to help students who need long-term counseling, and it’s at no cost to the…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- If you’re in the market to buy a house, you may be hesitant to pull the trigger due to a hike in interest rates. Realtors say it’s still a buyer’s market and you’re better off owning than renting. Interest rates are up, and that can cool home buying but with industry growth and an abundance of buyers…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A teenager faces serious charges after a weekend shooting in Starkville. 17-year-old Charcell Gray was arrested Tuesday morning and charged with Aggravated Assault and Shooting into an Occupied Dwelling in connection with a Saturday morning shooting at the Pines Manufactured Home Community. Police were called to The Pines around 1:30 Saturday morning for a reported gunshot…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A man already indicted on manslaughter now faces more charges in a separate shooting. Demarcqueis Clark was indicted by a Lowndes County grand jury on three counts of aggravated assault, three counts of malicious mischief, and one count of shooting into a dwelling. He’s accused of shooting at three people. During that gunfire, a business was…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Another man is indicted after several armed robberies in Lowndes County this past spring. 20-year-old Dorium Davis was indicted for armed robbery. Investigators say Davis was a clerk at the first Dollar General hold-up that happened this past March on Highway 182. Davis was hit in the head with a gun during the incident. Sheriff…
OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Oktibbeha County Supervisors are exploring new options for an old county building. The old Felix Long Hospital sits near the heart of downtown Starkville, and Supervisors are considering potential uses for the property. One possibility on the table is demolition, but before they can do that they need to know what’s inside the building, including…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – There’s a new man in the Chief’s office at Columbus Police Department. Monday was Assistant Chief Doran Johnson’s day on the job as Interim Chief. Johnson will be running the department while the City Council and Mayor search for a permanent replacement for Chief Fred Shelton, whose last day on the job was Monday. Johnson’s long…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Columbus city council is expected to appoint a search committee to find the next police chief. Ten people are being proposed for the group. Mayor Keith Gaskin, along with Councilmen Joseph Mickens, Stephen Jones, and Rusty Green are on the list. From the city, COO Jammie Garrett and Human Resources Director Pat Mitchell are also…
TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Two teenagers are injured in a shooting at a Tupelo park. Police were called to a report of a shooting at Theron Nichols Park on Mitchell Road around 6:30 Monday evening. Officers found one juvenile with gunshot wounds and another juvenile with a graze wound. The more seriously injured teen was taken to North Mississippi Medical…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A former West Lowndes bus driver is indicted on a child abuse charge. A Lowndes County grand jury recently indicted William McBride. This past April deputies were called to the chaotic scene at the high school and reviewed security video on the school bus. At the time, Sheriff Eddie Hawkins told WCBI there was a fight…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Lowndes County man is facing charges in two Dollar General robberies and home burglary. Ty Ranch was indicted on three counts of armed robbery, three counts of kidnapping, and one count of burglary. The charges stem from three incidents this past March and April. Ranch is accused of robbing a Dollar General in March….
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Two of North Mississippi’s largest community colleges will not be raising tuition for the upcoming academic school year. Both Itawamba Community College and East Mississippi Community College will not be increasing tuition for students for the 2022-2023 academic year. “Our board and of course, the college as a whole, is always excited when we can keep…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A former Columbus Waffle House employee is indicted on a murder charge. Hezekiah Manigo was indicted for second degree murder by a Lowndes County grand jury. Investigators believe Manigo and 28-year-old Davartex Fisher got into an argument about an order. Fisher was a customer there at the restaurant. Manigo is accused of coming out from behind…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Students have begun their return to University campuses, and as they are checking off the last few items on their supply lists, many may be overlooking one back-to-school necessity – Safety. School is almost in session and students are picking up those last-minute items. Whether it’s your books, computer, or even a pencil. But don’t forget…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s been almost 10 months since an argument turned deadly on 22nd Street North in Columbus. Now, a Columbus man has been indicted for first degree murder. Investigators say a shouting match between a man and the father of his stepdaughter’s unborn child escalated. That’s when they say 47-year-old Terry Macon shot and killed 28-year-old Deadrian…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Lowndes County Board of Supervisors is hoping a bump in pay will raise the bar for the County’s public defenders. Circuit Judge Jim Kitchens presented his case for improving pay for the attorneys assigned to handle cases for those defendants who may not be able to afford representation. Kitchens cited the necessity of the…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A Columbus businessman is sentenced to more than six years in prision for fraudulently claiming more than $6 million in COVID relief money. Christopher Lick was sentenced Friday to 78 months in prison. Court documents say Lick devised a scheme to get PPP funds for personal use. Lick admitted to buying a home valued at more…