Stennis Lock and Dam will undergo repairs tomorrow

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Officials advise you to avoid the Stennis Lock and Dam tomorrow if you’re in Columbus. Construction is taking place throughout the day related to last year’s flooding. Construction equipment will be flowing in and out of the area. The Columbus East Bank Day Use area will be closed from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. For 24/7…

Eight Days of Hope continues helping victims of Hurricane Ian

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Tupelo-based Eight Days of Hope are still in Florida helping with recovery efforts. The group announced they have 100 volunteers and enough people and equipment to be at two different sites in Florida. Volunteers from Eight Days of Hope will be in Florida through the 29th of this month. For 24/7 news and updates, follow us…

One person dies after early morning crash in Lowndes County

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The investigation into a fatal Lowndes County accident continues. Deputies were called to the 2600 block of Steens Vernon Road early Sunday morning for the crash. Sheriff Eddie Hawkins says it appears the driver left the road, struck a mailbox, and crashed into multiple trees before the vehicle flipped and caught on fire. Coroner Greg…

Shuqualak man indicted for armed robbery, possession of stolen firearm

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The armed robbery case against a Shuqualak man moves forward after an indictment is handed down. Demetrias Prince is also facing possession of a stolen firearm. A Noxubee County grand jury recently returned the indictments. Noxubee County deputies were called to the Dollar General, in Shuqualak, this past June. Investigators say the clerk was held…

Firefighters investigate overnight mobile home fire in Starkville

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Starkville firefighters are investigating an overnight fire. These are pictures the department posted on Facebook. You can see the mobile home is a total loss after a fire. The fire department says they were called out to the home on Henderson Road around 9:30 Sunday night. They say no one was home and no one was…

Disabled veteran tells his story with music

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – 27-year-old Troy Seale is a disabled US Army veteran who is telling his story, through music and with the help of his Dad tonight in Tupelo. Seale was deployed several years ago in Afghanistan when he witnessed an IED explosion. Not long after that, Seale began to withdraw and eventually struggled with verbal interaction. He was…

Oktibbeha County cemetery vandalized, police search for suspects

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – On October 1st, sheriff deputies responded to a call from The Memorial Garden Cemetery on Oktoc Road in Starkville after it was vandalized. Investigators from the Oktibbeha Sheriff’s Department said someone stole an urn from a columbarium and scattered the ashes on the property. Oktibbeha County Sheriff’s Investigation Luitenant, Jon Davis, says they are still…

Starkville Tailgates the town during homecoming weekend

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Paige Watson is glad to see downtown filled with maroon and white. It’s a homecoming. And the Starkville Main Street Director says it’s time to show some love to the community. “Tailgate the town is about community spirit and engagement and it really boosts the morale of the town and it gets all of our visitors…

A newborn baby was abandoned in Macon by his mother

MACON, Miss. (WCBI)- A newborn baby has survived after being abandoned in the Macon woods. Family members told police they had no clue the young mother was even expecting. It is an ending that the Macon Police Chief said could have gone terribly wrong. The call came in Thursday morning to Macon police chief Davine Beck. A newborn baby was…

Boys and Girls Club hosts golf tournament fundraiser

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s a perfect day to tee off and dozens of golfers in the Golden Triangle did just that for a good cause. The Boys and Girls Clubs of the Golden Triangle hosted its annual golf tournament today at Lion Hills Center and Golf Club. More than 20 teams of golfers participated. In addition to playing a…

Lowndes County flags half-staff in honor of Roger Short

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lowndes County honors former Recreation Director Roger Short by lowering flags to half-staff. The Board of Supervisors ordered all flags be lowered at county-owned facilities through Monday morning. Short died early Thursday morning of natural causes. He was active in the community as a sporting official for high school sports, USA Softball, and city and…

Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau Board fills position

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – There will be a new face on the Columbus-Lowndes Convention and Visitors Bureau Board of Directors. Matt Bogue has been selected to fill a spot on the board. Columbus Mayor Keith Gaskin and Lowndes County Board of Supervisors President Trip Hairston made the joint appointment. Bogue is the Vice President of Dutch Oil Company in…

Columbus PD respond to fake active shooter call at Columbus High School

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Columbus Police are investigating after an active shooter call came in at Columbus High School. The department says it is a hoax. Columbus police and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s department responded within moments to the threat of an active shooter at Columbus High School around 11 a.m. on Friday. Deputies quickly swept the school and determined…

Blood bank urges community to donate blood

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – The area’s largest blood bank is looking for donors to boost its reserves. Vitalant put out the call last month for donors, as the blood supply was at emergency status. That meant there was not enough blood on the shelves to handle any unexpected emergencies, such as the incident last month when a man stole a…

Columbus Municipal School District sees improvement in school rating

School Districts around the area recently received their district ratings, and many of them are thrilled at the improvement

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- School Districts around the area recently received their district ratings, and many of them are thrilled at the improvement in local schools. Columbus Municipal School district had been at a D rating since 2016 but this year they went up to C. Since 2016 C.M.S.D has held a consistent D average, but this year that grade climbed…

Elementary student co-authors book with her father

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Most five-year-olds are just learning to read. A little girl in Starkville took on a big task: writing her own book. Duchess Yeates who’s now six and in the first grade co-authored the book with her dad. Yeates says he has been reading to  Duchess since she was a baby. When she was around three years…

Hamilton daycare under investigation after video goes viral

HAMILTON, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s all anyone is talking about today. A viral video from a Hamilton daycare has devastated parents and horrified the community. A cell phone video posted on multiple social media accounts shows adult daycare workers scaring toddlers. The adult is wearing a mask from the movie Scream. You can hear and see the children screaming and…

Archivists present research on database identifying victims of slavery

MISSISSIPPI (WCBI) – A digital database is being developed to include victims of slavery across the South. Today, archivists gave a presentation on “The Lantern Project: Uncovering Local African-American History” at the Columbus-Lowndes Public Library. The project is headed by Mississippi State. It will include digitized and searchable legal records of slavery in Mississippi and Lowndes County. You will be…

Noxubee County jury indicts Columbus man for murder

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Columbus man is indicted for murder in Noxubee County. Christopher Wicks was recently indicted by a Noxubee County grand jury. He’s accused of killing 21-year-old Kaliyah Brooks. Brooks was stabbed at Cedar Creek Apartments in June 2021. At the time, Macon Police Chief Davine Beck told WCBI that Brooks was stabbed multiple times. She…