Calhoun County jury finds Ricco Simmons guilty of capital murder

CALHOUN COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Calhoun County man will spend the rest of his life in prison after being convicted of capital murder. A Calhoun County jury found Ricco Simmons guilty on Wednesday afternoon. He shot and robbed Deundray Garth on Underwood Drive in Derma in 2020. Sheriff Greg Pollan said Simmons fled to the Detroit, Michigan area and…

Local law enforcement sounds the alarm about fentanyl

Keeping the deadly opioid off the streets is top priority for local law enforcers

LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – It is called the deadliest drug threat in this country, and fentanyl is being illegally sold throughout Northeast Mississippi. “Last year we were very heavy on gun violence, this year our number one priority is to combat fentanyl, because statistics show we’re going to have more people die in Tupelo this year from fentanyl than…

Financial advisers offer money saving tips as inflation rises

Everywhere you look, prices are going up, making it hard to stay afloat, let alone save for a rainy day

GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss. (WCBI)- Everywhere you look, prices are going up, making it hard to stay afloat, let alone save for a rainy day. “Whether it’s eggs or a gallon of milk so you have to have a budget and know what your fixed expenses are, but you also need to have some wiggle room in there some excess that…

Historical marker unveiled at Parchman with help of Freedom Rider figure

JACKSON, Miss. (PRESS RELEASE) – A historical marker now sits across from the front entrance of the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman on the side of U.S. 49, memorializing the state’s recognition of the civil rights activists known as Freedom Riders jailed at its oldest prison in 1961. One of the persons held with the Freedom Riders attended the unveiling…

Poll shows majority of Mississippians favor Medicaid

MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Apparently, 80% of Mississippians are in favor of Medicaid. That is according to a recent poll released by Mississippi Today and Siena College. Lt. Governor Delbert Hosemann has gone on record saying he supports the expansion of Medicaid and that Mississippi has the funds to cover its end of the price tag. Currently, moms are only afforded…

MSE in Lowndes County teaches local high school seniors about budgeting

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Mississippi State Extension in Lowndes County worked hands-on with students at Columbus High School today. The extension wanted to help offer real-world problems to the students such as trying to budget money and pay bills. Nearly 200 Seniors at Columbus High are next to tackle the real world and members of the extension office felt…

Oktibbeha County aggravated assault trial ends in a mistrial

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – An Oktibbeha County assault trial ends with a hung jury resulting in a mistrial. Charron Calvert is accused of stabbing a co-worker in June 2021. The Columbus man was indicted for aggravated assault by an Oktibbeha County Grand Jury. Starkville police said the incident occurred at Weavexx on Highway 12. Investigators said the victim was…

Columbus leaders will discuss Waggoner contract plan at special meeting

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Waggoner Engineering’s fate with the city of Columbus will once again be back on the table. A special meeting has been called for the morning of January 31 at city hall to discuss the firm’s contract, once again. The council voted to cut ties with Waggoner and Mayor Keith Gaskin vetoed that action. Gaskin has defended…

Woman arrested in Clay County for hitting someone with baseball bat

CLAY COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – It started as an altercation. And ended with one person being hit by a baseball bat. 39-year-old Shamika Williams is charged with domestic violence aggravated assault. It happened in the White Station Community of Clay County. Clay County Sheriff Eddie Scott said the victim was treated and released at the North Mississippi Medical Center ER….

Small businesses come together to recruit workforce employees

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A few years ago a group of Golden Triangle-based businesses came together to tackle the challenge of finding skilled workers close to home. The result was the FORGE Foundation. FORGE members recently went to the World Concrete Expo in Las Vegas to share what they’ve learned about recruiting workers with others. While working in construction is…

Terberg Taylor Americas Group breaks ground in Lowndes County

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – More industry is rolling into the Golden Triangle so that means more jobs need to be filled in the near future. Terberg Taylor Americas will be the first of its kind here in the Golden Triangle and our Winston Reed was there as the automotive group broke ground today. The Automotive industry plants its flag…

New chief settles into position at Saltillo Police Department

Chief Rusty Haynes spent 30 years with Tupelo Police and worked closely with Saltillo's former chief of police

SALTILLO, Miss. (WCBI) – There is a new police chief in one of the fastest-growing cities in the region and he is no stranger to the area. It has been a smooth transition since Chief Rusty Haynes came on board several weeks ago. Haynes took over after former Chief Daniel McKinney retired. Both men worked together for years at the…

Major road in Macon will be closed for crosstie repairs

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – There’s a big road closing to tell you about in Noxubee County. Highway 14 West at Highway 145 in Macon will be closed tomorrow from 7 a.m. until 5 p.m. Noxubee County EMA Director Corey Brown said Kansas City Southern Railroad is replacing a crosstie, near the old brick plant, on Highway 14. This means…

One teen is found, another one is still missing in Winston County

WINSTON COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Silver Alert issued for Winston County resident William Harrell last night has been canceled. He was found safe Tuesday morning. The sheriff’s department along with several other agencies searched an area near his home. Harrell was found after he took shelter in a deer stand for the night. Another search for a missing person…

Oktibbeha County assault trial underway for June 2021 stabbing

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – An assault trial is underway in Oktibbeha County. Charron Calvert is accused of stabbing a co-worker in June 2021. The Columbus man was indicted for aggravated assault by an Oktibbeha County Grand Jury. Starkville police said the incident occurred at Weavexx on Highway 12. The incident occurred at the Highway 12 location after 10 p.m….

Teachers in Lee County learn how to incorporate arts into teaching tools

LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Teachers from across Tupelo and Lee County spent their day learning how to teach a variety of subjects using art. The Mississippi Arts Commission held a seminar called “Reboot” at the Link Centre. The goal is to show teachers how to integrate the arts as teaching tools. Teachers took part in workshops, which included hands-on…

City of Bruce announces Mayor Rudy Pope has died

BRUCE, Miss. (WCBI) – The mayor of Bruce has passed away. The city posted a message on its Facebook page today announcing Rudy Pope’s death. He passed away this morning. Pope had been mayor of the small Calhoun County town since 2013. Funeral services have not been announced. For 24/7 news and updates, follow us on Facebook and Twitter Categories: Local News

New Commander of CAFB visits Rotary Club in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The New Commander met with the Rotary Club today in Columbus. Colonel Justin Grieve started his assignment as Commander of the Columbus Air Force Base in July. Grieve was born in Texas and has been all over the U.S. through the United States Air Force. Grieve said while he is not from here, he and his…