Elvis Presley Fan Club will host “Dancing with the King” this weekend

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – An event combining ballroom dancing with music from Elvis Presley takes place this weekend in Tupelo. “Dancing with the King” features local celebrities, learning a ballroom dance routine with a dance pro. WCBI’s Allie Martin is taking part in the event and has this rockin’ report. Since August, once or sometimes twice a week, Sara Wood,…

Tupelo Reads selects two books for community-wide reading program

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – An initiative that promotes literacy selected two books for its community-wide reading program. “Tupelo Reads” has selected two books by Jamie Ford. Those books are “Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet” and “The Many Daughters of Afong Moy”. Lisa Reed is chairman of Tupelo Reads and said both novels look at the Chinese American…

Convicted killer, Frederick Bell, denied parole, will remain at Parchman

GRENADA, Miss. (WCBI) – A Grenada man convicted of killing two people will remain in prison. This summer the Mississippi Parole Board voted to grant Frederick Bell parole. On Wednesday, they reversed that ruling. The family of one of the victims, Bert Bell, petitioned the board and thousands of Mississippians to help their fight in keeping Frederick Bell in Parchman….

Columbus Exchange Club honors local man with Firefighter of the Year

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A Columbus civic group stepped up to honor one of the people who helps keep the city safe. The Columbus Exchange Club recognized Joshua Connors as Columbus’s Firefighter of the Year at a ceremony during the club’s weekly meeting. Connors is a Columbus native and second-generation firefighter. He joined Columbus Fire and Rescue in 2019 and…

Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department announces drug take-back day

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department is hosting a drug take-back day this weekend. You can take your unused and unwanted medication to the sheriff’s department on Saturday. It will be open from noon until 4 p.m. The Drug Enforcement Administration sponsors the event with agencies across the country twice a year. Sheriff Eddie Hawkins said…

Hit-and-run collision sends car into ditch on Highway 45

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A hit-and-run crash ended with a car in a ditch. The accident happened on Highway 45 in front of Champions Towing at about 10:30 this morning. Police believe a vehicle hit the car before it crashed into the deep ditch and drove away. The driver did have an injury to his leg. No description of the…

Argument at Sim Scott Park sends girl to hospital

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A girl is hit with a baseball bat and then gunfire rings out. Now, Columbus police are trying to find the shooter. The girl was hit in the head during an argument at Sim Scott Park on Wednesday evening. She was taken to the hospital to be treated. Investigators say a short time later someone shot…

Deputies recount involvement with 2015 Ricky Keeton ‘no-knock’ raid

Monroe County deputies and the sheriff say they were ready to take the case to court

MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department has settled a lawsuit filed by the family of a man killed during a drug raid in 2015. The family of Ricky Keeton had sued the county, over the death of Keeton, who was shot after he pointed a gun at officers who were serving a no-knock warrant. “There’s been…

Local middle schoolers launch into their future through STEAM program

STEAM Aviation program at Columbus Middle School

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- Some local middle schoolers are launching into their future with the help of a new Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math program Columbus Middle School sixth graders are the first in Mississippi to pilot the STEAM course “We build it Better” aviation program. As technology in the classroom advances, school administrators are fighting to keep the…

Military mom returns home with the element of surprise

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- October 26 is recognized as the National Day of the Deployed. Victory Christian Academy is holding a ceremony for students who have family members who are current or former military. For two students, they’re going to get the surprise of a lifetime as their mother comes home after being deployed for six months. Quashayla Outlaw looked on…

Car pulled from Officers Lake identified as stolen in 2010

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A car was found submerged in a well-known Lowndes County lake while deputies were investigating another crime. The Dodge Intrepid was pulled from Officers Lake, next to Profitt’s Porch, just before noon today. Sheriff Eddie Hawkins said the license plate from the car tells investigators the vehicle was reported stolen in 2010 from a local…

Tupelo drug arrest leads to answers in separate investigation

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – What started as a drug arrest in Tupelo has led to a break in a burglary investigation. When TPD officers stopped a car this past Saturday, they arrested 22-year-old Christopher Stubbs for felony possession of narcotics. Evidence found during that investigation tied Stubbs to an October 18th car burglary. He was then charged with burglary of…

Lowndes County investigators pull car out of Officers Lake

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A tip to the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department lead them to a car submerged in a local lake. The car was pulled out of Officers Lake near Proffitt’s Porch. Lowndes County investigators said they were told about the car in the water and a dive team later found the car. Lowndes County Sheriff Eddie Hawkins…

Elderly woman dies after head-on collision in Monroe County

MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A head-on crash claims the life of an Aberdeen woman. Monroe County Coroner Alan Gurley says 71-year-old Dorothy Jones died after crashing into an oncoming car on Highway 25. The accident happened after 10:30 Tuesday night. She was taken to NMMC in Tupelo and died just before 2:30 this morning. MHP is investigating the crash…

Children five years and older can get COVID-19 booster shot

MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – Children five and older can now get the new bivalent COVID-19 booster shot. The Mississippi State Department of Health announced today that families can now make appointments for their kids to get the booster. The vaccines are available at all county health departments. The state’s epidemiologist, Doctor Paul Byers said as we get into the winter months,…

Calhoun County students participate in unique career fair

CALHOUN COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s never too early to start thinking about possible career choices. That’s the message for third and fourth graders in Calhoun County. WCBI participated in this unique career fair in Pittsboro. At this career fair, third and fourth-graders could dress up as a veterinarian, or a TV host. They also had a chance to save…

Sounding the alarm during fall severe weather season

How to stay informed

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- While most people associate severe weather with the Spring, here in North Mississippi we know any season can be severe weather season. One thing you should always keep in mind is how to stay informed when severe weather hits. And in this case, more is better. For many people, emergency sirens are the first alert that…

Columbus resident finds man that was reported missing

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A man reported missing in Columbus has been found and is safe. After seeing reports about Justin Brooks being reported missing, a Columbus resident recognized Brooks walking down the street. That person called the police. They have taken Brooks to the hospital to be checked out, but he appeared to be unharmed. The Columbus Police Department…

Vandal splashes paint on butterfly mural in Eupora

EUPORA, Miss. (WCBI) – A work of art has been made an eyesore after a vandalism incident in Eupora. Police got a report about paint being thrown on a mural in the Art Park next to Tower Loan on Main Street. Eupora Police believe the incident happened somewhere between Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon. If you have any information about…