LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – An inmate at the Lowndes County jail has died. Sheriff Eddie Hawkins says the inmate was found unresponsive just after 7 AM Thursday inside their cell. Coroner Greg Merchant says an autopsy will be done on 39-year-old Brian Jeffery Davis of Vernon, Alabama. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation is handling the case. A cause of…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- The number of available ICU beds in Mississippi is at a critical level. And it’s the same or worse for other states in the region. Many of those will end up in the hospital, and of those, dozens will need intensive care. Hospitals across the South are dealing with a surge of the COVID-19 delta variant. “As…
SUMMARY: Warm and fairly quiet summer weather is in store for the weekend. While a stray shower or storm is possible, most spots will remain dry. More spotty storms and warmer temperatures are likely next week. FRIDAY NIGHT: Evening rain and storms fizzle. Some patchy fog. Lows in the upper 60s. SATURDAY & SUNDAY: Partly cloudy. A 10% chance of…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – From the neighborhoods to City Hall, people have had enough of the trash that is left on the sides of the road and private property. City leaders said they all have heard the same request: clean up the Friendly City. “It’s beginning to be overbearing that this illegal stuff is being thrown everywhere all over the…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Students in the Columbus Municipal School District headed back to campus today. But this isn’t just any First Day of School. For the first time since March 20-20, all students reported to class on the same day. Last school year, most schools in the district stayed with a hybrid model, splitting classes in half, and students…
SUMMARY: Spotty summertime shower & storm chances are set to return heading into the weekend as our typical summer weather pattern returns. Highs in the 80s are more likely Friday with the 90s set to take over heading into the weekend, along with the summer humidity. FRIDAY: A mix of sun and clouds with a stray shower or pop-up storm…
WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – Grief and confusion continue to grip the town of West Point after a plane crash claimed the life of 65-year-old Gary Dedeaux and his grandson Luke Reed. “He was as sharing and caring about his fellow man as anybody I’ve ever known,” says West Point Chief Operating Officer Randy Jones. Former West Point mayor Robbie…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Mississippi State Department of Health reported 3,164 new cases of COVID-19 in a single day. State health leaders discuss the spread of the delta variant with hopes to slow the rise in numbers. During the fourth wave of COVID-19, the Delta variant brings higher numbers of infections leaving intensive care units with limited rooms to take in…
BOONEVILLE, MISS. (WCBI) – A giant cross is raised in Northeast Mississippi. The cross-raising ceremony was a celebration. When fundraising began for the cross-project in Prentiss County last September, Deryl Saylors had no idea how long it would take to raise the money. “We didn’t have a clue, we thought it would take a year or more, people just came…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Two people are in the hospital after a shooting in Columbus. Just before 12:30 pm Columbus police and Lowndes County sheriff’s department went to the 1400 block of the fourth street south for reported gunshots. Chief Fred Shelton says it’s believed two people got into an argument in the Southside Market store. That’s when the suspect…
OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – The City of Oxford, Oxford Police Chief Jeff McCutchen, former Officer Matthew Kinne, and 10 unnamed police officers are facing a federal lawsuit. Attorneys for the family of Dominique Clayton announced the suit today. Last month former Oxford Police Officer Matthew Kinne pleaded guilty to killing Dominique Clayton. The suit alleges that Kinne was acting under…
SUMMARY: Spotty storm chances are set to return over the next week as a standard late summer weather pattern develops. Highs in the 80s are more likely Friday with 90s set to take over again after that. THURSDAY NIGHT: Increasing clouds. Lows in the upper 60s. Calm winds. FRIDAY: Partly to mostly cloudy. A 20-30% chance of pop-up showers and…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- A Columbus barbershop made sure students were razor-sharp before going back to school. The first 50 kids between the ages of 5 and 12 were given a free haircut at The Spotlight Barbershop. The Back to School Haircut event was sponsored by the Blu-Print Foundation. Columbus city schools will open on August 6th. Categories: Local News Tags:…
OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – After nearly 3 years of delay, an Arkansas woman charged in the hit and run death of D’Shante Nix of Starkville has her day in court. Haley Singleton pleaded guilty today to Leaving the Scene of an Accident with Death. The plea comes nearly 4 years after Nix’s death. On September 25th, 2017 D’shante Nix…
ACKERMAN, Miss. (WCBI) – Going to big kid school can be nerve-wracking for the whole family, especially for the little ones in class. The Ackerman 20th Century Club partnered with Ackerman Elementary to make sure each of the smallest students has a buddy. For the last several years the organization has donated stuffed animals to the Pre-K and Kindergarten classes…
OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – Ole Miss will now temporarily require masks for all students faculty and staff indoors on campus despite vaccination status. The recent surge in state and regional COVID cases is prompting the University to require masks for all indoor activities and all indoor locations This includes public office spaces, classrooms, conference rooms, and other academic spaces like…
SUMMARY: The summer heat and humidity will be making its return as we head into the weekend as temperatures are set to climb back up into the 90s. No major systems are going to affect the region anytime soon, but those chances for afternoon summertime showers & storms will return as well heading into next week. THURSDAY: We’re waking up…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – During a press conference Wednesday, mayor Keith Gaskin briefly discussed what safety policies the city council may consider as the Delta variant continues to spread. The mayor says he and the city council are open to all recommendations, though they will rely heavily on the recommendations of health officials. When it comes to decisions involving mask…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus Mayor Keith Gaskin held a press conference Wednesday featuring a panel of local doctors and medical experts to address concerns or misconceptions residents may have about COVID-19 and the vaccine. “We’re encouraging people to consider getting vaccinated,” the mayor says. “We know that there are a lot of legitimate concerns out there by many.” https://twitter.com/spimpojr/status/1422965620543528961?s=20…
WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI)- If you put the word free in front of anything it typically catches people’s attention; especially if it’s for something people need, like haircuts. All it takes is a clean-cut to get a lot of guys rolling, and Kustom Barber College in West Point wanted to get the kid’s school year started off right. Whether it’s…
TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – A coronavirus sick leave policy recently passed by Lee County leaders has some employees crying foul. Lee County Board of Supervisors President Billy Joe Holland says a recent sick leave policy change is an incentive for county employees to get the covid 19 vaccination. “It’s still their choice, but we encourage people, I think the positives…
OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The victims in a Wednesday afternoon plane crash have been identified. OKtibbeha County Coroner Michael Hunt confirms to WCBI that Gary Dedeaux and his grandson Luke Reed perished in the crash. Oktibbeha County EMA tells WCBI the plane went down near Camps Airport Road, just off Highway 45 Alternate. Dedeaux was the owner of Gary’s…
Standard late summer weather is here.
BLUE MOUNTAIN, MISS. (WCBI) – Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves vows there will be no more lockdowns across the Magnolia state. Governor Reeves was in Tippah County for a groundbreaking ceremony at a trucking company, when he was asked about potential lockdowns. Some news reports have said the Biden White House has not ruled out another widespread lockdown if COVID numbers…