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…
Prentiss County, Miss. (WCBI)- Multiple counties have made a series of arrests of catalytic converter thefts. The Tishomingo County Sheriff’s Department and the Prentiss County Sheriff’s Department received information that led to the arrests of three suspects in their areas. Chase Teeter, Scott Behrens, and Devin McGuire are accused of cutting the converters off the mufflers of several vehicles including…
CHOCTAW COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Folks in Choctaw County have an easier opportunity to get vaccinated. The Mississippi State Department of Health is hosting a Pop-Up Vaccination Clinic at the Choctaw County Community Center. It opened yesterday in Ackerman. We are told that’s when a number of people showed up to get a shot. The clinic will be open again…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Investigators are trying to determine how a fire started at a Lowndes County home. The blaze was spotted by someone passing by the Highway 45 Alternate home, near Artesia. Fire Coordinator Neil Austin says there was moderate damage to the house. The owner happened to not be at home at the time of the fire. No…
PICKENSVILLE, Ala. (WCBI) – A former Pickensville, Alabama clerk will spend the next year in jail. 46-year-old Sidra Simpson pleaded guilty to the use of an official position for personal gain. As part of her plea deal, she will go to prison and be on probation for five years. District Attorney Andy Hamlin says Simpson must repay the Town of…
SUMMARY: Remaining at heat advisory levels for one more day. The weekend looks cooler with higher chances of afternoon showers and storms, as highs drop to right around the 90 degree mark. Rain chances stay elevated as we start next week, with highs in the mid to upper 80s. Rainfall could be enhanced on Monday and Tuesday by moisture from…