First recipient of Dylan Pickle Memorial Scholarship graduates police academy

Funds are provided through Miss M 17 Pageant

MONROE COUNTY, MISS. (WCBI) – The memory and the legacy of a Monroe County Sheriff’s deputy killed in the line of duty while manning a safety checkpoint lives on through a scholarship program that sends cadets through the police academy. Every time Deputy Kasi Gwin gets into her patrol unit she is filling a lifelong dream. Deputy Gwin is with…

CMSD Superintendent voices concerns on medical marijuana

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The deadline for cities or counties to opt out of the Medical marijuana law is less than two weeks away. In order to opt-out, community leaders must actually vote no. A “no” vote would keep medical marijuana out of the town or the county. This week Columbus Mayor Keith Gaskin asked the city’s top educator for…

Man is dead after accident in southern Lowndes County

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A man is dead after an accident Wednesday morning in southern Lowndes County. The crash happened on Tarlton Road at about 5 AM. Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant says 25-year-old Frederick Carter of Columbus was flown to a Tupelo hospital. He died shortly after arriving. Merchant tells WCBI this was a one car crash. The…

Columbus police searching for gunman after drive-by shooting

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)  – Columbus police are searching for a gunman after a drive-by shooting. The gunfire happened just before one Wednesday afternoon in the area of Ash and Railroad Streets. Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton says someone in a maroon car fired several shots at a group of people. No one was injured in the shooting but a house…

North Mississippi man charged with rape and sexual battery

LAFAYETTE, Miss. (WCBI) – A north Mississippi man is accused of taking two victims and then raping them. 42-year-old Anthony Sisk of Como is charged with rape and sexual battery. Investigators believe the two victims were kidnapped in another county and brought to Lafayette County. More charges are possible in the ongoing investigation. Bond has not been set for Sisk….

Two teens killed in Lowndes County accident identified

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – The two teenagers killed in a Lowndes County accident are identified. 19-year-old Donavan Normandin of Columbus was driving the Ford Mustang when it crashed. His passenger was 17-year-old Samantha Ward of Millport, Alabama. They both died at the scene of the Highway 45 collision on Tuesday night. Lowndes County Coroner Greg Merchant says the car…

Female owned business makes a big splash with custom products

Little Birdie Pillows providing opportunities for local women

CALHOUN CITY, Miss. (WCBI) – A female-owned business in Calhoun County is making its mark across the United States, one custom pillow at a time. Inside the building, right off of Highway 8 in Calhoun City, workers are making pillows that will find their way to stores across the country. “We are in all fifty states,” said Susan Hardin, who…

Labor shortages continue to impact many businesses

Restaurants and retail have been hit particularly hard with labor shortages

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)-  Restaurants and retail have been hit particularly hard with labor shortages. At Sunflower, managers are having a tough time hiring people for a couple of reasons. “With it being tax season it seems like it kind of slows down the hiring process and because a lot of people are looking for a better paying job than the…

Former town clerk accused of swindling thousands of dollars

HICKORY FLAT, Miss. (WCBI) – A former north Mississippi town clerk is accused of swindling thousands of dollars. Stephanie Churchill is charged with embezzlement. State Auditor Shad White’s office also issued a demand letter for more than one hundred four thousand dollars. Churchill is accused of taking money meant for Hickory Flat’s Water and Sewage Department. Investigators believe the scheme…

Webster County based circuit court judge has passed away

WEBSTER COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Webster County based circuit court judge has passed away. 77-year-old George Mitchell died last night at a Northport, Alabama hospital, after surgery. He was a circuit court judge in the 5th Judicial District. Mitchell first came to the post after being appointed in 2016 by former Governor Phil Bryant. Mitchell was a Vietnam War…

EMCC nursing program receives donation from Baptist Memorial Hospital

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Baptist Memorial Hospital – Golden Triangle is giving East Mississippi Community College’s Nursing program a financial shot in the arm. Nationwide, hospitals are in the midst of a nursing shortage that has been made worse by professionals leaving the job during the pandemic. BMH is doing something at the local level to recruit new nurses…

Columbus Pilgrimage Jubilee of Homes declared a success

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The 2022 edition of the Columbus Pilgrimage Jubilee of Homes has wrapped up, and organizers are declaring it a success. This is the first year that the popular event has been run by the Columbus Preservation Society, an organization largely made up of tour homeowners. Early returns show that over 12 hundred tickets were sold, including…

GTRA offering TSA Pre-Check Program at the end of April

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – If you’re traveling through Golden Triangle Regional Airport and want to move through the line quicker, you’ll soon have your chance. Enrollment in the TSA’s Pre-Check program will run from April 25th through the 29th. Pre-Check allows fliers to board with fewer hassles. It allows them to go through the Pre-Check lanes at security checkpoints…

Louisiana woman accused of breaking into Noxubee Co. church

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Louisiana woman is accused of breaking into a Noxubee County church. Brooke Bloxham is charged with two counts of burglary of a dwelling and one count of burglary of a church. A Noxubee County grand jury recently returned the indictment against Bloxham. She remains in the Noxubee County jail on a $15,000 bond. No…

Heavy rain caused more flooding issues in Columbus

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The heavy rain from this weekend caused more flooding issues for a Columbus neighborhood. These photos were taken by a resident in the area of Azalea and Gardenia Drive this morning. He says the area, which includes the North Havenwoods apartment complex, has suffered on-going flooding problems due to curbside drains getting blocked. The resident told…

A local woman shares her story about being sexually abused as a child

Amber Jones said she suffered in silence for years,  living with the pain and shame of sexual abuse at the hands of a close family member

GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss. (WCBI)- The month of April is set aside each year by advocacy groups social service agencies as time to raise awareness about two very painful and traumatic experiences; child abuse and sexual assault. Amber Jones said she suffered in silence for years,  living with the pain and shame of sexual abuse at the hands of a close…

Work release program in limbo in Lee County

LEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- The expansion of a work-release program allows up to 25 Lee County Jail inmates to work and make money under certain conditions but hurdles standing in the way are preventing those inmates from taking advantage of the program. Governor Reeves’ Signature to House Bill 586 gives Lee County, Harrison County, and Rankin County inmates who are…

Saltillo man has been denied bond on first degree murder charges

SALTILLO, Miss. (WCBI) – A Saltillo man has been denied bond on first-degree murder charges. 37-year-old Timothy Albert Turner was taken into custody by Tupelo Police for aggravated assault. The victim, Leonard “KC” Cooper passed away on Sunday and, Charges were upgraded. The assault happened at Steele’s Dive on West Main in Tupelo around 1:30 a.m. When police arrived, the…

Tupelo police are looking for a man wanted for murder

TUPELO, Miss. (WCBI) – Tupelo police are looking for a man wanted for murder. There is an arrest warrant for capital murder for Nijel Valdez Hall. The United States Marshals Fugitive Task Force is assisting investigators in the search. Hall is the suspect in a shooting on April 9th at Hodges Drive in Tupelo. Police found 21-year-old Raybric Mims of…

Starkville woman charged with accessory after the fact in a 2021 murder

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Starkville woman has been charged with accessory after the fact in a 2021 murder. Rymesha Coggins was arraigned in Oktibbeha County Monday afternoon. The murder happened more than a year ago. Investigators have been working on the case since then. Oktibbeha County deputies were called to the 22 hundred block of Hickory Grove Road….