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…
SUMMARY: We still have another hot & humid couple of days for us before temperatures start cooling back down into the 80s. The trade off will be rain chances increasing this weekend into early next week thanks to a cold front and moisture from Tropical Storm Fred. TROPICS: A disorganized Tropical Depression Fred is moving back over the Caribbean after…
KILMICHAEL, Miss. (WCBI) – Eric Crisp was born into a life of addiction and drug abuse. “The earliest memory I have was, my parents were crackheads and they sold the front door off of our house for crack,” Crisp says. Growing up in Amory, Crisp says he sold his first bag of marijuana when he was 8 years old. He…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Younger people in Mississippi with COVID-19 are starting to fill hospitals. The Mississippi State Department of Health reported 3,163 cases and 25 deaths Wednesday. The death toll is 61 people Tuesday and Wednesday combined. 26 percent of the deaths are people under 50 and the majority of people being admitted to the hospital are under 50. Health…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Doctors and administrators at local hospitals need people’s help to continue to provide the best care for the community. Health care officials say it starts with carefully considering when to go to the emergency room. Chest pains and shortness of breath are a couple of cases where you need emergency room care. If your condition isn’t as…
MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – The nation’s active-duty military men and women could soon be required to get the COVID vaccine. Secretary of Defense, Lloyd Austin this week announced he plans to request a waiver from President Biden to make the vaccine mandatory for active duty service members. Right now, the vaccine is still offered on a voluntary basis. Mississippi Congressman Trent…
GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss. (WCBI) You may be able to get free legal help if you live in Chickasaw, Clay, Lowndes, Noxubee, Oktibbeha, or Webster County. The 14th Chancery Court District is hosting a free family law legal clinic Friday at the Clay County Chancery Courthouse. During the in-person event, attorneys will give advice on a variety of family law matters…
JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – A temporary medical facility to treat COVID-19 patients is being set up in a parking garage at the state’s only Level-One trauma center in Jackson. The University of Mississippi Medical Center is at capacity with COVID and non-COVID patients. 101 adults and 26 pediatric patients at the hospital have the virus. The U.S. Department of Health…
SUMMARY: The oppressive summer heat will stick around through Friday, with highs in the mid 90s and feels like temps well over 100. Rain chances will stay isolated. By the weekend, highs drop into the low 90s with scattered to numerous afternoon storms, a nice break from the heat! By next week, rain chances will stay elevated, potentially boosted by…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus police continue to search for a shooting suspect. Detectives want to talk with 21-year-old Caleb Gardner of Columbus. A car he was believed to be driving at the time has been recovered after last week’s shooting. Call Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers if you know where Gardner is today. The gunfire happened last Thursday at Southside…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus police are looking for the people that shot up four cars at an apartment complex. Investigators were back at Country Air Apartments, just off of Lehmberg Road, this morning. The shooting happened about 9:45 Tuesday night. Police Chief Fred Shelton says four vehicles were damaged. The suspects ran from the complex but officers did recover…
SUMMARY: Another hot & humid day is ahead for us. A Heat Advisory will once again take effect so make sure you take the proper precautions. We’re also watching rain chances increasing for the weekend & the tropics as we now have Tropical Storm Fred in the Caribbean. TROPICS: We are continuing to watch now Tropical Storm Fred as it’s…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The COVID-19 Delta variant is once again causing ICU beds not only in Mississippi but all across the south to fill up fast, impacting all facets of critical care. “The beds are the beds,” says flight nurse Eddie Coats. “If they don’t have them for COVID, they don’t have them for your heart attack (patients) or…
GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss. (WCBI)- It’s not a surprise at this point that some restaurants don’t have enough workers. Some places have closed to hire and train people while others have limited their hours. The Eat With Us group oversees 5 restaurant chains and has seen that issue at several of their locations statewide. The restaurant group said working with them…
COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Throughout the south, the Salvation Army celebrates its “Ambassadors for Good Day” showcasing their work in the community. The Salvation Army in Columbus welcomed local ambassadors Dr. Nora Miller, President of the Mississippi University for women, and Police Chief Fred Shelton to serve community gift boxes and food to the community. The multi-location event highlights work being…
COLUMBUS, miss. (WCBI)- Two schools in the Golden Triangle are being recognized by the Mississippi Department of Education for their dedication to reading literacy. Henderson Ward Steward Elementary and Franklin Academy are two of seven programs in the state to be designated as Mississippi’s first Science of Reading Schools. The award highlights each school’s effort to train teachers in “the…
JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi saw the most new COVID-19 cases since the pandemic started, and the most people in I.C.U beds on Tuesday, August 10th. The state health department is reporting 3,488 new COVID-19 cases and 36 deaths. This is the highest single day total yet. Right now, MSDH is showing 371 people are in I.C.U. with the virus…
SUMMARY: Very hot weather sticks around through Friday, with only stray to isolated afternoon and evening showers and storms. Highs will be in the mid 90s, lows in the mid 70s. By the weekend, rain chances increase and highs drop to around 90 degrees. Upper 80s are possible to begin next week as rain chances remain elevated, and could be…