ALABAMA (WCBI) – More people have joined Alabama’s workforce, keeping the state with the lowest unemployment rate in the southeast. Governor Kay Ivey announced today Alabama’s May unemployment rate is 2.7%. That’s down from April’s rate of 2.8%. Ivey says the state’s average weekly wages have risen by 20% since May 2019. In our area, Lamar County’s unemployment rate is…
CALEDONIA, Miss. (WCBI) – Thursday marked the start of the Mississippi Dizzy Dean state softball tournament in Caledonia. But for four members of the Caledonia 12 and under All-Stars, it marks the end of an era. Katelyn Hill, Kennedy Trotter, Rylee Clardy and Gaige Downs have come a long way since they first stepped onto the diamond together. “When we…
NEW HOPE, Miss. (WCBI) – The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department is investigating a domestic incident where a woman was shot and killed at her home in New Hope Thursday evening. Lowndes County Sheriff Eddie Hawkins says deputies responded to a report of gunfire in the 400 block of Ben Christopher Road sometime after 5 p.m. The sheriff says the victim…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- The sun is blazing and the temperature isn’t expected to cool off anytime soon. Summer camps are going on but camp leaders say they’re monitoring kids time outside to try and keep them cool. “Try to limit our outside activity. We were outside yesterday for a kickball game and we had fun with that, but before we…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Around 9 a.m. federal agencies made their way inside the J5 building in Columbus. State and local law enforcement agencies also assisted going through the building and collecting files. Here’s what we know at this moment. ” It’s bad for the city and it’s bad for J5,” said Gaven. That’s the statement former city council member Bill…
MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Former Aberdeen Mayor Maurice Howard finds himself facing another embezzlement charge, even with a reported name change. Richland Police tell WCBI Howard rented a vehicle from Enterprise and refused to return the vehicle. Now, he’s charged with embezzlement under contract. Investigators also say Howard used the name Maurice Jackson to rent the truck. Howard is…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Successful military bases depend on partnerships among a variety of groups. Thursday, in Columbus those groups came together for a Military Town Hall Meeting to discuss the successes at Columbus Air Force Base and learn more about what the State is doing to help military families. Governor Tate Reeves signed 2 executive orders, one establishing the…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Two business partners are facing up to 75 years in prison and more than $2 million in fines over PPP loans. The federal government is accusing the men of giving money to family, friends, Jackson State University and even buying Court Square Tower. The federal indictment against Jabari Edwards and Antwann Richardson accuses the men of…
GRENADA, Miss. (WCBI) – Grenada police make an arrest after an explosive device is found outside a home. Now, Nickolaus Cole is facing state and federal charges. Grenada police say Cole threatened to blow up a home on Gayosa Street on Wednesday evening. The homeowner called officers after the threat. Grenada police and fire departments all went to the scene….
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – WCBI has been told J5 Solutions in Downtown Columbus is currently being raided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. FBI agents are at the Courtsquare Towers on 2nd Avenue North where the company is housed. Dozens of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies are currently raiding the J5 Solutions building in downtown Columbus. PIO Katie…
AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department says that one of the most troubling elements of the area’s increased drug activity is the rising number of infants born with drugs in their system. Meth, cocaine, morphine and heroin are some of the drugs that Neonatal Intensive Care Unit director Dr. Zhear Al-Godi says he finds most often in…
LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- The kids are the future, and people in Louisville want to help pave their way to a bright one. During the whole month of June, some students have got one on one interactions with local police officers and firefighters. The HERO program will end on June 28th, but organizers feel that the kids will have a deeper…
TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – Middle school students from across Northeast Mississippi are getting an up close look at advanced manufacturing as part of the “Tek 2 Go” Camp. It is a hands-on lesson in welding for students at the Tek 2 Go camp. Jerry Pettigrew, an instructor at ICC, says students in this camp have a unique opportunity. “Tek 2…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – School may be out, but in Starkville, the cafeteria is still open…sort of. The Starkville Oktibbeha County School District’s summer meal program is going strong. Kids up to 18 years old can stop by Henderson Ward Stewart Elementary every weekday for free breakfast and lunch. The feeding program runs until June 30th but will take a…
HINDS COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Mississippi parents’ group is suing the State to stop public money from going to private schools. Parents for Public Schools Incorporated has filed a lawsuit in Hinds County Chancery Court to challenge Senate Bills 27-80 and 30-64, which were signed into law in April and go into effect July first. According to the suit,…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Students in the Starkville Oktibbeha School District no longer have to wear uniforms. At its June meeting, the Board of Trustees amended the dress code. The new policy removes uniform requirements for students in grades PreK-7. So beginning this school year, students in grades PreK-7 will not be required to wear school colors, t-shirts, shirt styles, and…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Monday, 4-County Electric Power Association shared tips and strategies to cut down on electricity use to help balance out the high demand for air conditioning. “When we get extreme temperatures like we’re seeing, you get record amounts of demand,” says Jon Turner, manager of public relations and marketing for 4-County. The Tennessee Valley Authority provides power…
OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – The Ole Miss Rebels punched their ticket to Omaha for the College World Series. They’re also thrilled for what it means to the town. Businesses and restaurants have already seen an uptick in sales even before the first pitch in Omaha. The Ole Miss baseball team fought its way through a roller coaster of a season….
TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – A Tupelo based nonprofit receives a boost to help it fulfill its mission. Project ELECT, which stands for Enthusiastic Leaders Engaging in Changing Times, has received a $5,000 grant from the MassMutual Foundation. The grant is part of the company’s Community Service Award program. The grant will help Project ELECT in its mission of acting as…
TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – Members of the Northside Boys and Girls Club of Tupelo had a unique opportunity to visit with police officers, as part of a summer program. It was a chance for members of the Northside Boys and Girls Club to ask Lieutenant Katarsha White about any police related topic. One youngster wanted to know about the use…
Categories: Aundrea’s Extras, FEATURES-APP, Local News, MidMorning
LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Human remains found in late May have been identified, and they add another piece to the puzzle of a missing person case in Tupelo. Lee County Coroner Carolyn Green tells WCBI that the State Medical Examiner’s Office has positively identified the remains as those of Lori Cockrell. The 58-year-old Tupelo woman had been missing since…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- Ahead of the Juneteenth Holiday this Sunday, the Black Empowerment organization is trying to gather the attention of African Americans in Columbus and all over the Magnolia State. The Lowndes County Courthouse is one of the three locations in the state where demonstrations took place today. Black Empowerment is gearing up for its “Gathering of the…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus Mayor Keith Gaskin gets in a tune-up before next month’s State of the City Address. Gaskin briefed Columbus and Lowndes County business and community leaders on the city’s progress over the past year. One of the key issues has been the city’s financial health. When Gaskin took office, Columbus was a couple of years behind…