Cooling shelter in Columbus this week

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Folks in need of shelter from the heat have a cool place to cool off for the week. The Golden Triangle Homeless Coalition is hosting a cooling shelter at St. Stephen United Methodist in Columbus located at 800 Tuscaloosa road. Drinks and snacks will be provided. The shelter will be open from 9 AM to 5 PM…

Two federal inmates to spend more time in prison after multiple incidents

MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Two Federal inmates in the Monroe County Jail have probably earned themselves a few more years behind bars. According to the Sheriff’s Office, Joshua Miller, who is serving a life sentence for murdering his girlfriend and other gang-related charges, and Dillon Heffker, who is there on gang-related drugs and weapons charges, had threatened to assault…

Chickasaw Co. officials do a drill in the event of active shooter at a school

CHICKASAW COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Chickasaw County emergency responders, law enforcement, and hospital staff are working to make sure they’re on the same page if the worst should happen. Over 50 people, including school officials, law enforcement, and medical professionals came together to discuss what to do in the event of an active shooter at a school. During the tabletop…

Ole Miss fans flood The Grove to welcome CWS champion Rebels

OXFORD, Miss. (WCBI) – The celebration has not stopped since Brandon Johnson got that final out Sunday to bring home Ole Miss Baseball’s first national championship. Hundreds of Rebels fans packed the Grove Monday to welcome home the 2022 College World Series Champions. Mike Bianco and his national championship team stepped off the bus Monday afternoon and right onto the…

Mississippi will ban abortion beginning in July

JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – Abortion will soon be illegal in Mississippi, with only two exceptions. The Mississippi Legislature passed what is known as a “Trigger Law” in 2007. This law will take effect ten days following the state Attorney General’s posting in the Mississippi Administrative Bulletin. That was filed Monday morning. Now, abortion will be banned in the state of…

BankFirst completes merger with Sycamore bank of Senatobia

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- BankFirst announced a definitive merger with Sycamore Bank of Senatobia. The deal was approved by the board of directors of each company and is expected to close before the end of 2022. BankFirst’s President Moak Griffin said this furthers the vision of partnering with other community banks and a tradition of relationship banking, customer service and community…

People in the community come together for 16th annual celebration

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Veterans and other supporters filled Barnes Crossing Mall today in Tupelo to support the 16th annual 7 days of Troops. This weekend in Tupelo, people in the area celebrated the 16th annual 7 Days of the Troops. Founder of the event and marine corp veteran Scott Burns spends 7 days camping in Barnes Crossing Mall Food…

A Columbus family loses their home in a devastating fire

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- A Columbus family loses their home in a devastating fire. Columbus Fire and Rescue Chief Duane Hughes said the fire started around 2a.m. on June 25th at 317 23rd Street North. Firefighters were able to get control the blaze. One man is being treated for burns on his arms, no other injuries are reported at this time….

An Amory man dies following car crash

AMORY, Miss. (WCBI)-An Amory man dies from his injuries in a car crash. Monroe County Coroner Alan Gurley said 53-year-old Willam Elbert Tallent, Jr. of the Bigbee Community died Saturday morning. Gurley said the incident happened back on June 17th on Highway 25 North in Smithville. Tallent was traveling north when he collided head-on with an 06 Charger. He was…

“Elvis” movie expected to have big impact on Tupelo

The movie by Baz Luhrmann looks at the influence Tupelo had on Elvis the boy and the entertainer

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – One of the most talked about movies of the summer is now in theaters nationwide.  “Elvis” the movie chronicles the life of Tupelo’s native son, from his humble beginnings in East Tupelo, to worldwide fame. Only minutes into Baz Luhrmann’s “ELVIS” Tupelo, is front and center, as a young Elvis Presley makes his way into a…

A West Point company cleans up around the city

WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI) –  Keeping the environment clean…that’s the motto for one organization in West Point. Yokohama Tire Manufacturing Mississippi is closing out their “World Environmental Month” with a pick-up day in the city. Litter and trash will no longer cover Marshall Park in West Point. On Saturday, employees with Yokohoma Tire Manufacturing Mississippi hosted “World Environmental Month”. And…

Third grade reading scores are improving for students in Noxubee County

Scores from the third grade reading assessment show that 74 % of the state's 31,000 third graders have passed the test

NOXUBEE, Miss. (WCBI)- Reading comes easy for some, but not for everybody. Scores from the third grade reading assessment show that 74 % of the state’s 31,000 third graders have passed the test. Mississippi put the Literacy-Based Promotion Act (LBPA)  in place in 2013 to help improve reading skills for kids kindergarten through third grade. The test requires students to…

Community Organizations are helping more people after rise in prices

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Rising prices for everyday staples like food and gas have more people than usual turning to community organizations for help. But even with the increase in requests, most are still trying to fill the needs of those who come to them. At the gas station, the grocery store, and clothing stores, prices are rising everywhere you…

Woman arrested on vandalism and cyberstalking charges in Noxubee

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- The Noxubee County Sheriff’s Department arrested a woman for alleged burglary and vandalizing church property. Investigators say Ashley McCoy of Brooksville vandalized a grave at Bigbee Valley Church among other crimes on Wednesday. McCoy is charged with Burglary of an Occupied Dwelling, Cyberstalking with an Electronic Device, And Vandalism. Her bond is set at $27 thousand….

Monroe Co. Sheriff’s office makes arrest in ongoing scam investigation

MONROE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office makes another arrest in an ongoing scam investigation involving identity theft and big ticket fraudulent purchases. 23-year-old Derrick Dewayne Davis, Junior of Prairie is charged with Possession of Stolen Property. Davis turned himself in. The charges are in connection with the purchase of a 2018 Harley Davidson motorcycle valued between…

Lowndes Co. deputies are investigating shooting at Greentree Apartments

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Lowndes County deputies are investigating a shooting at the Greentree Apartment complex. Sheriff Eddie Hawkins says a security guard was walking around patrolling the complex when he found someone inside his vehicle. That complex is just off Lehmberg Road. The security guard told deputies that he confronted the person in his vehicle. A short time…

Mississippi University for Women professor researching new treatment methods for cystic fibrosis

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Dr. Ghanshyam Heda, a biology professor at the Mississippi University for Women, has spent 25 years researching treatment methods for cystic fibrosis. The disorder causes serious damage to a person’s lungs, digestive system, and other organs. According to the Mayo Clinic, the life expectancy for someone with CF is 30 to 40 (sometimes 50) years. “They…

Golden Triangle Homeless Coalition urges volunteers to help at cooling shelters

Temperatures are blazing and that's not good for folks who have to deal with the heat all day long

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Temperatures are blazing and that’s not good for folks who have to deal with the heat all day long. Community organizations are doing what they can to help people that are homeless try and stay cool by opening cooling shelters. Homelessness is a problem everywhere, even in the golden triangle area. The Golden Triangle Homeless Coalition saw…

Winona pd look into viral video of an officer tasing a man while handcuffed

This video has been shared nearly 800 times on Facebook. 

WINONA, Miss. (WCBI)- Winona Police said they are “looking into” a viral video showing two of their officers arresting a man over the weekend. Witnesses believe excessive force was used, along with a taser while a person was being taken into custody. This video has been shared nearly 800 times on Facebook. Now, folks in the Montgomery County town are…

Tupelo is well represented in Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis”

Stars and those who knew Elvis talk about the movie, and the entertainer's influence during Graceland screening

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WCBI) – The long-awaited movie about the life of Tupelo’s own Elvis Presley opens nationwide Friday.  The movie, by director Baz Luhrmann, has received critical acclaim from reviewers, and those closest to Elvis. As much as he enjoyed playing Colonel Tom Parker in Baz Luhrmann’s “ELVIS’ Tom Hanks says he looked forward to seeing Austin Butler make a…