Winston co. Juneteenth celebration highlights black-owned businesses

LOUISVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Juneteenth is being celebrated across the country today. Folks in Louisville hosted an event for black business owners to showcase their work in the community. Community members gathered in the Louisville Coliseum to acknowledge history and celebrate those making a difference. “It’s just like an overwhelming feeling,” Twyla Turner, owner of Twyla T. Presents and event…

Boys And Girls Club Members Get An Adventure In Reading

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – It has been an adventure in reading for a Boys and Girls Club. As kids were in-game time at the Haven Acres Boys and Girls Club Gym, ten and eleven-year-olds were in the computer room, learning about the plot and other details from this year’s novel for “Tupelo Reads.” “We have a great book this year…

Shannon Man Arrested On Multiple Felony Drug Charges

LEE COUNTY, MISS. (WCBI) – A lengthy investigation by the Lee County Sheriff’s Department and the North Mississippi Narcotics Unit lands a Shannon man in jail, charged with felony drug offenses and other crimes. Forty-two-year-old Demond Fleming was arrested at his Shannon home.  Fleming is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute,  possession of crack cocaine with intent…

MSU Idea Shop camp inspires young entrepreneurs

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – There’s a camp for almost every interest from sports to dance. In Starkville, camp at Mississippi State’s Idea Shop is encouraging young entrepreneurs. “They just jump in head-first.” Over the past week, nine high school students from three different states got a taste of what running a business is like. Brooke Lammert, the iCreate Camp Director…

Mayor transition and inauguration plans in Columbus are underway

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- The city of Columbus is one day closer to welcoming a new mayor for the first time in 15 years. Keith Gaskin’s campaign team says the transition process started just 2 hours after the election finished. Inauguration planning began Thursday. WCBI spoke with the city’s spokesperson and members of Gaskin’s team about how the process is going….

Noxubee Co. prosecutors will restart a murder trial on June 21st

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Prosecutors will try to restart a Noxubee County murder trial on Monday. Marcus Gardner is accused of killing his girlfriend, Chelsea Pace, at their Highway 388 home, back in August 2017. A mistrial was declared back in March because not enough jurors showed up to jury duty. Jurors are required to report or give the…

BRAC not a worry for Columbus Air Force Base

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus Air Force Base has been in the Lowndes County community since 1941 and it will remain open. Thousands of airmen have trained at the base for every military conflict since World War II. Base Realignment and Closure or BRAC has always been a concern since the late 1980s. That’s where government officials look to close…

U.S Army Corps of Engineers beginning to remove barge in Pickensville

PICKENSVILLE, Ala. (WCBI) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers begins removing a barge from the Bevill Lock and Dam. Crews started cutting the barge to start the salvage process. The partially sunken barge hit the lock and dam in Pickensville, Alabama last weekend. Heavy rains led to flooding waters before the incident. Several people even came out to watch…

Tropical rain Saturday, less active Sunday

SUMMARY:  The remnants of a tropical system will swirl through the area on Saturday.  We stand to get a broad range of very little (northwest) to perhaps a few inches (southeast).  No significant issues are anticipated locally and the severe weather threat will be along and southeast of I-20/59. FRIDAY NIGHT: Increasing clouds with some rain possible. Lows around 70….

GET FIT FRIDAY – Small Group Training

Beth Jeffers and Whitney Brown of the Fitness Factor in Columbus discuss the benefits of small group training with more focused attention from fitness instructors. Categories: Get Fit Friday, Local News Tags: FACTOR, FIT, FITNESS, friday, GET

Humid Friday, worst tropical impacts south and east

SUMMARY: A warm and humid day Friday, most of us should stay dry, although a few tropical showers are possible in the evening. The tropical system, currently ‘Potential Tropical Cyclone 3,’ will slide by the region on Saturday and could bring heavy rain to southern and Eastern areas. Models are now very consistent on the track being to our south,…

Nearly 200 Lowndes Co. students taking summer school classes to fill gaps in education after COVID-19 disrupted learning in 2020

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – In Lowndes County, school is not out for summer in 2021. But JoLynne Robertson’s first grade class doesn’t seem to mind. “For the most part, they’re all excited and happy to be here,” she says. “And they really do try.” Ms. Robertson’s 1st grade class is one of several going through summer school at New Hope…

Tupelo Salvation Army Officers Heading To New Assignment

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – The area’s only homeless shelter will soon have new leaders.  Majors Ray and Whitney Morton have received a new assignment and will be leaving their post at the Tupelo Salvation Army in a few days. When Majors Ray and Whitney Morton came to the Tupelo Salvation Army in 2019, the corps and community center was undergoing…

More financial opportunities are coming to Winona

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- More financial opportunities are coming to Winona. After losing two large companies in one year, Wal-Mart and Fred’s, city leaders are working to bring more businesses to the city. To stay alive, cities and small towns rely on sales tax. Roads, businesses, and restaurants are a few. Winona is now reporting higher numbers on its sales…

Columbus Air Force Colonel addresses pilot shortage

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Air Force Colonel Seth Graham paid a visit to the Columbus Exchange club Thursday. Colonel Graham is the Commander of the 14th Flying Training Wing for the Columbus Air Force Base. During his visit, the Colonel discussed a variety of topics including recruitment and training. Currently, the Air Force is facing a pilot shortage. “The Air Force…

All eyes on the Gulf of Mexico

SUMMARY: A tropical system is expected to affect the Twin States going into the weekend.  For us in the WCBI-TV coverage area, we envision some rain, some breezes, but not much other than that.  The heaviest rain and isolated tornado threat SHOULD remain to our southeast, assuming the center of circulation goes up along the I-20/59 corridor as currently anticipated….

ANIMAL HEALTH – Entropion Surgery

Dr. Karen Emerson of the Emerson Animal Hospital in West Point describes the symptoms and treatment for entropion, a painful condition in which your pet’s eyelid is turned inward. Categories: ANIMAL HEALTH, Local News Tags: ANIMAL, emerson, entropion, health

Dry Thursday and Friday, tropical threat for the weekend

SUMMARY: A dry Thursday and Friday in store, albeit with increasing humidity on Friday. Rain chances quickly return for Saturday as we watch the developing tropical system in the gulf. There is still a good amount of uncertainty in the track of the system, as it still hasn’t formed. Until it forms and has a well defined center of circulation,…

Mayor-elect Keith Gaskin says education, unity & a more transparent government can lead Columbus to ‘bright future’

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Wednesday marked the beginning of a new chapter for the city of Columbus as Keith Gaskin became the city’s mayor-elect. Gaskin defeated incumbent Mayor Robert Smith by a margin of just 24 votes, ushering in the first administration change the city has seen since 2006. “I don’t believe that our city is nearly as divided as…

Boys And Girls Club Members Make ‘Squash Books’ At Art Camp

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – It will be anything but a boring summer for students at one camp. Debbie Long is teaching youngsters at Tupelo’s Northside Boys and Girls Club, how to properly fold paper for something called a “squash book.” “It’s a fun little book that folds up really neat into a little square,” Long said. Students will then use…