Another candidate interviews for Columbus Police Chief position

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Another candidate for the Columbus Police Chief position interviews with the city council. Russell Irvin met with officers at City Hall this morning, along with residents. Irvin is an assistant police chief in Chattanooga, Tennessee who has moved his way up the ranks. The Columbus position came open after former Chief Fred Shelton retired. City leaders…

MSU student, Reese Dunne, chosen as finalist for Rhodes Scholarship

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – A Mississippi State student and Starkville High Alumnus is in the running for a prestigious international scholarship. Reese Dunne is MSU’s latest Rhodes Scholarship finalist. Dunne is a Starkville native and Senior Mechanical Engineering Major. He is also a Presidential, Astronaut, and Goldwater Scholar. Dunne is a former Mister MSU, and he competes in Track and…

Noxubee County man arrested, accused of child sex crime

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Noxubee County man is accused of a child sex crime involving a teenager. Jataquist Morris 28-year-old Jataquist Morris is charged with statutory rape. 30-year-old Lashandra King is charged with false reporting of a crime and accessory after the fact. Investigators have accused her of knowing about the sexual act but not reporting it. Sheriff…

Okolona man involved in tractor wreck dies

OKOLONA, Miss. (WCBI) – An Okolona man is dead after a crash involving a tractor. Mississippi Highway Patrol troopers said 46-year-old Torrance Stewart was driving south on Highway 45-A. A small car crashed into the tractor throwing Stewart off of it. He was pronounced dead on the scene. Troopers said a West Point woman was in the car that hit…

Meeting the candidates for the Columbus Chief of Police

The Final Three

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – There is a new candidate in town. Mayor Keith Gaskin and council members gathered at city hall to meet with one of the three candidates for the Columbus Chief of Police position. Over the last 25 years, the Columbus Chief Police position has seen several turnovers, and community leaders are hoping one of the last remaining…

Chickasaw County voters to use paper ballots in upcoming election

Poll workers trained on new scanning and counting machines

HOUSTON, Miss. (WCBI) – Voters in Chickasaw County will notice a big change when they head to the polls next week. For the first time in years, votes will be marked on paper ballots. For two weeks, poll workers in Chickasaw County have been trained on the new machines, which will electronically scan and count each paper ballot.  The election…

HCA sponsors Christmas ornament contest for tree at Governor’s mansion

CHICKASAW COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – In Houston, judges are deciding which Christmas ornament will represent the town on the Christmas tree at the Governor’s mansion. The Houston Council of the Arts is looking over more than 200 ornaments submitted by people in the community, including art students at the high school. It is part of a statewide effort spearheaded by…

Triangle Crossing shopping center expected to generate millions annually

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Shopping in Starkville just got bigger and at the perfect time for the holiday season. People in the community gathered for the official grand opening and ribbon cutting of the Triangle Crossing Center. The shopping center is now home to national stores like Ulta, Marshalls, and more. The center is expected to generate approximately $35 million…

Fifth arrest made in West Point murder investigation

Fifth arrest made in West Point murder investigation

WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI)- West Point police make the fifth arrest in an ongoing homicide investigation. 22-year-old Terrance Rowe is charged with murder in connection with September’s deadly shooting of 22-year-old Jerni White. The shooting happened at the Timberlane Apartments. Terrance Rowe Lamarquez Evans, Renaldo Carrothers, and Jaylon Heard all face murder charges. Jaquerius Crawford is charged with aggravated assault…

Local and state Leaders held forum to discuss available resources

The Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus Regional Forum

WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi leaders held a community outreach event in West point to discuss available resources and current issues in the area. The Mississippi Legislative Black Caucus Regional Forum met at the West Point Civic Center along with local agencies to help find solutions in their communities. The Black Caucus’ open forum allows community members to express…

It’s a triple build in Tupelo for Northeast Mississippi Habitat for Humanity

The city of Tupelo donated three adjoining lots for the latest Habitat builds

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Three families in the Tupelo area will soon realize the dream of home ownership. The families are getting homes built by volunteers with Habitat for Humanity in a unique triple build. Before this morning, Genie Alice Bruce had never used a nail gun. But an hour or two into her shift, she was going strong. “Had…