COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Two cousins are indicted after an investigation into a deadly Columbus accident. Joseph and Dustin Gwathney were both indicted by a Lowndes County grand jury. Joseph Gwathney is charged with culpable negligence manslaughter and his bond is $65,000.00. Dustin Gwathney is charged with manslaughter. His bond is $150,000.00. They are scheduled to go to trial in…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Monday night, the Columbus Police Department announced a second arrest in connection with a deadly shootout in Columbus’s Southside in December. “If we could’ve arrested a person that night for this murder, that would have been better,” says Police Chief Fred Shelton. But CPD says the ongoing investigation into the murder of 20-year-old Frank Edwards is…
ABERDEEN, MISS. (WCBI) – Aberdeen Main Street is trying to find the best path forward when it comes to renovating a historic hotel. Over the past twenty years or so, Chris Chain has helped develop more than two hundred apartments in downtown Columbus. That is one reason the developer was brought in as a consultant for the Parkway Hotel Project….
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- As COVID-19 case numbers continue to rise, health care officials are doing whatever it takes to keep workers and patients safe. The Baptist Memorial Group started a drive-through testing site for people who may feel they’re having symptoms. The surge in the Delta Variant of COVID-19 is causing a comeback of sorts. After months focused on vaccinations,…
SUMMARY: Wednesday looks like a wet day for many of us, with widespread afternoon showers and storms. Even wetter weather for Thursday and Friday, with cooler temps in the mid to upper 80s. Some low 80s or even upper 70s not out of the question for the wettest spots. Things rapidly dry out by the weekend, and temperatures begin to…
SUMMARY: We are starting off the new workweek on a rainy note with increased chances as we’re also watching Tropical Storm Fred as it’s hours away from landfall. We’ll be on the weaker side with minimal impacts. Rain & storm chances will stick around through the second half of the workweek into the weekend. TROPICS: All eyes are on the…
AMORY, Miss. (WCBI)- Friends, family, and community members came together for a vigil of Judy Baxter. Baxter is known for her productive role in the community and touched so many lives in the county. Monroe County Sheriff’s office has asked for prayer for the Baxter family. This comes after Amory Police Department release a statement saying a homicide occurred on…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Columbus Police are looking for a suspect in connection to an armed robbery at a residence August 15th. Chief Shelton said the victim was asleep in their home on 7th Street South when the suspect entered the house through an unlocked door. The suspect asked the victim to withdraw money from an ATM and to drop him…
PRENTISS COUNTY,Miss. (WCBI)- Two Prentiss County men are charged with theft of a catalytic converter stolen from a car at Zion Rest Church of Christ on Highway 371. Ronnie Lee Jones faces grand larceny of a church, failure to stop a motor vehicle when officer signals, and possession of burglary tools. Justice Court Judge Trent Moore set his bond at…
STARKVILLE,Miss. (WCBI)- Make-A-Wish Mississippi granted a special wish for an 8-year-old boy in Starkville. Mason Saxon was diagnosed with cancer in October of 2019. Friends, family, and Make-A-Wish surprised Mason with a golden retriever puppy and other gifts. Saxon’s family decided to name their furry friend Phobe. “Today, we’re celebrating Mason in remission from being diagnosed with leukemia. He had…
LOWNDES COUNTY,Miss. (WCBI)- It’s a night to get to know the men and women who protect and serve your community. Crowds gathered in Columbus to partake in national night out on crime hosted by the Columbus Police Department and Lowndes County EMA. Folks can met with officers, deputies, and other agencies. Police Chief Fred Shelton says some citizens also had…
MACON, Miss. (WCBI)- After two women were killed just weeks apart in what police say were domestic violence arguments; a group from Columbus made their way to Noxubee County to remember those lives and hope to prevent more tragedies from happening. “It’s been going on for generations and I know the spirit of God can break anything so we came…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Dozens of students gathered in Starkville to show off their karate skills with the help from surprise guests. “They can be a superhero in every day of their life,” Josh Buford said. Josh Buford is the owner of Fearless Karate in Starkville. He said the clinic is a great way to show a different style of…
SUMMARY: Showers and storms are likely for Saturday and Sunday. High temperatures will drop from the low 90s into the upper 80s by Sunday, and remain in the 80s through Wednesday. Tropical Storm Fred’s track has been shifting further west towards our viewing area, with impacts likely Monday into Tuesday in the form of widespread rain and cloud cover. Winds…
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- As the country faces the fourth wave of COVID-19, southern states are crippling by daily high case numbers. Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, and Texas are areas in dire need of more nurses and healthcare workers. Extending shifts, treating ill patients, and going to the next facility is the reality for most travel nurses. “People are exhausted, they’re…
JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI)- As Mississippi soars to new heights in new covid-19 cases Governor Tate Reeves doubles down on his stance to not issue a statewide mask mandate or lockdown. The state of Mississippi has requested and received federal assistance to combat the towering number of cases including 150 ventilators that are set to be here in the coming days….
LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Caledonia High School students will move to a virtual format for the next two weeks. Parents received this letter today, letting them know the school district’s decision to go virtual. District superintendent Sam Allison says the high school will be on the virtual platform from August 16th thru 27th. All extracurricular activities are canceled during…
NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The local chapter of a Greek organization is answering the call for help. When members of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity found out the Noxubee County School district was pleading for PPE and other supplies for their students, they got to work. With help from the community, the group purchased 24-thousand masks for the elementary and…
NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Two men are arrested in a drug sweep through Noxubee County. 27-year-old Maxie Chandler and 36-year-old DeKendrick Bland are both charged with trafficking a controlled substance. Noxubee County Sheriff Tommy Roby says his deputies teamed up with the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics to make the drug busts. He says more arrests are expected. Both men…
SUMMARY: Thanks to a front which will stall over the area, as well as tropical storm Fred, wet weather looks likely over the next few days and as we start next week. Rain and cloud cover will hold our highs down into the mid to upper 80s Sunday to Wednesday, a nice reprieve from the heat! Scattered shower and storm…
JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – For the second day in a row, Mississippi sets a single day record for new COVID-19 cases. The Mississippi State Department of Health is reporting 5,023 cases and 31 additional deaths. The state’s total number of cases is now more than 381,000, along with 7,700 deaths. 98 percent of the cases in Mississippi are in unvaccinated…
SUMMARY: After dealing with the brutal summer heat & humidity all week long, changes are moving in for the weekend. Cooler temperatures but higher rain chances are on the way. We’re continuing to watch the tropics. TROPICS: Tropical Depression Fred is just north of eastern Cuba this morning. Tropical Storm Watches & Warnings have been issued for SW Florida &…
STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – There has not been an open ICU bed at OCH Regional Medical Center during the month of August. “Just a lot of very sick people,” says OCH Emergency Room and ICU Director Jacob Leggett. “We’re seeing an increased number of patients presenting with COVID signs and symptoms. Some of them are really critically ill.” The majority…
NOXUBEE COUNTY,Miss. (WCBI) We’ve been here before. Rural hospitals are struggling to keep units staffed with nurses and to get more of the public vaccinated. Hospital numbers are steadily climbing. Even though we’ve been in the pandemic for a year now, there’s still the unknown of what the surge could mean for healthcare. In Noxubee County, 1,437 people have contracted…