Columbus firefights put out small blaze in Dick’s sporting goods store

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Multiple fire trucks were on the scene of an electrical fire at the Dick’s Sporting Goods in Columbus. The Columbus Fire Department told WCBI the call in around 10 p.m. on Friday for an electrical fire caused by one of the store’s air conditioning units. Firefighters had the blaze knocked down in minutes but said it could’ve…

Gov. Reeves and AG Lynn Fitch going after the Biden administration with a new lawsuit

JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves and Attorney General Lynn Fitch are going after the Biden administration with a new lawsuit. Occupational Safety and Health Administration requirements released Thursday called for companies with 100 or more employees to be vaccinated by Jan. 4 or be tested weekly. The court filing seeks to declare the federal contractor vaccine mandate…

Hairstylist helps longtime co-worker and friend who faced unexpected illness

Melanie Payne Ware is making sure her co- worker has income coming in during illness

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – A Tupelo hairstylist is coming to the aid of a co-worker who was recently hospitalized after a sudden illness and has no medical insurance. Although Paula Morrow is a longtime client at Holly Hills Salon, this is the first time she has seen Melanie Payne Ware for hair coloring. Morrow is a regular client of Tina…

Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann says action needed to expedite autopsies at state crime lab

The lieutenant governor says he is working on a solution to the backlog at state crime lab

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann says action needs to be taken now to free up the backlog of autopsies at the state crime lab. The lieutenant governor said he talked this week with Commissioner of Public Safety Sean Tindell, offering to get more private practices to be able to do autopsies. Hosemann says the backlog means criminal…

Columbus city councilman turns himself in on a domestic violence charge

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A Columbus city councilman turns himself in on a domestic violence charge. Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton Ward 4 Councilman Pierre Beard was booked this afternoon. Beard is charged with a misdemeanor domestic violence charge. Officers were called to Beard’s Byrnes Circle home about 6 PM on Thursday night. Shelton tells WCBI that Beard and his…

Traffic caused a mid-afternoon crash in West Point

CLAY COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Rush hour traffic comes to a near standstill in Clay County this afternoon. Multiple vehicles were involved in a mid-afternoon crash in the southbound lane of Highway 45 Alternate south of West Point. There is no official word on how many cars were involved or any injuries, but at least 1 ambulance was seen leaving…

Man found guilty in Winston County murder trial

WINSTON COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A guilty verdict is handed down in a Winston County murder trial. Michael Jones was found guilty of second-degree murder and was sentenced to 30 years in prison. Jones shot and killed 23-year-old Malik Hudson in April 2020. Hudson was shot at Ivy Apartments and later died at a Jackson hospital. Jones, who is from…

Arnold to spend more than half a century in prison

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A man accused of trying to kidnap a child will spend more than half a century in prison. The jury found John Arnold Jr. guilty of two counts of attempted kidnapping, one count of simple assault on a law enforcement officer, and one count of attempted escape. In February 2018 Arnold went to two Starkville schools…

Pontotoc furniture company opens health clinic to provide employees and their families with affordable medical care

PONTOTOC, Miss. (WCBI) – Southern Furniture Industries has opened a new health and wellness clinic in Pontotoc to provide quality healthcare for employees and their families, without the high cost. “I get to practice medicine the way medicine needs to be practiced,” says Jessica Maffett, the nurse practitioner at the clinic. “Without having to worry about the money, the insurance.”…

Columbus police have released new information on recent homicide

  COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus police have released new information about a homicide from earlier this week. These are still images from a surveillance camera that police released today. Police Chief Fred Shelton says this is the person they want to talk to about the shooting death of 23-year-old Shad Reese. The shooting happened early Monday morning in the…

Dick Guyton to retire as executive director of Elvis Presley Memorial Foundation

Guyton says it's time to let someone else oversee the foundation, birthplace and museum

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – The longtime executive director of the Elvis Presley Memorial Foundation is retiring. Dick Guyton announced that he will retire on January 8th, which would have been Elvis’ 87th birthday. Guyton has served as executive director of the Memorial Foundation and the Elvis Presley Birthplace and Museum since 2002. Guyton is 82 and says it’s time to…

Lt. Gov. Hosemann says lawmakers will have a medical marijuana bill in regular session

The lieutenant governor said the bill is complete

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi Lieutenant Governor Delbert Hosemann says he believes lawmakers will deal with medical marijuana during the regular legislative session. Hosemann says lawmakers have completed most of the work on a medical marijuana bill. The lieutenant governor says the bill will allow medical marijuana and not the recreational use of the drug. “I think it’s one of…

Riverwalk Pedestrian Bridge will stay closed for foreseeable future

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A popular Columbus landmark will remain closed for the foreseeable future. Repairs to the Riverwalk Pedestrian Bridge aren’t likely to begin anytime soon, and when they do they’re going to be expensive. The “Old River Bridge” as it’s sometimes known was severely damaged in February 2020 when it was struck by a runaway barge filled with…

Tip leads to a pursuit that ended in a drug bust in Pickens County

PICKENS COUNTY, Ala. (WCBI) – A tip leads to a Pickens County pursuit that ends in a drug bust. Kenya Curry is facing several charges, including the attempt to elude, reckless endangerment, and possession of marijuana. Sheriff Todd Hall says the 24th Judicial Drug Task Force alerted law enforcement about drugs being brought into the county. An Aliceville officer and…

30 percent of workers in the manufacturing sector are women

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – According to the latest census, 30 percent of workers in the manufacturing sector are women. Some local workforce development leaders think that number should be higher. And they’re saying now is a good time for them to get a foot in the door. There’s a nationwide shortage of qualified workers – manufacturers are hiring –…

Oktibbeha County deputies are searching for two supects after alleged robbery

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Oktibbeha County deputies are searching for two men after an alleged robbery ends in a shooting. 18-year-old Ian Bradford and 21-year-old Marquez Williams are both wanted for aggravated assault and armed robbery. Investigators say the shooting happened on October 28th on County Lake Road. This information was released today. The victim had non-life-threatening injuries. Deputies…