Two local veterans honored for service with quilts

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – A pair of area veterans receive a colorful “thank you” for their service. William Buchanan and Melissa Saraiva were honored today at the Columbus Lowndes Public Library. The veterans were each given a quilt from the Quilts of Valor Foundation. Buchanan served in the Pacific in World War Two and in Korea. Saraiva served in the…

Clay County deputies investigate deadly weekend shooting

CLAY COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Clay County deputies continue to investigate a deadly shooting that happened over the weekend. The homicide investigation started on Blake Road, close to the Pine Grove Road intersection. Sheriff Eddie Scott says deputies were called after 41-year-old Mikel Craven was found lying in a ditch. The Cedar Bluff man was taken to the hospital and…

A Columbus resident had a bullet go through her patio window

Columbus investigators are still back and forth, working the scene of a weekend shooting

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- Columbus investigators are still back and forth, working the scene of a weekend shooting. The shooting happened Sunday afternoon at Cypress Park Apartments. Police Chief Fred Shelton said no witnesses came forward; however a resident who wasn’t there at the time came home to see that her patio door window had been shattered by a bullet. A…

Spring Break Expo introduces students to an inspiring man

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- A Columbus organization is using spring break as a chance to offer fun activities for students while introducing them to leaders in their community. ‘One Columbus Community Group’ is hosting the Spring Break Expo this week. Youth in the area are able to participate in workshops, dance classes, drama classes, kickball games, talent show, and more. Students…

Starkville residents last chance to comment on sign ordinance

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Starkville residents will have one more chance to comment on a sign ordinance that’s been 11 years in the making. The 3rd Public Hearing for the sign ordinance is on the agenda for Tuesday’s meeting of the Mayor and Board of Aldermen. The rule requiring all pole-mounted signs to be removed and replaced by monument-type signs…

Starkville leaders discussing extending city’s leisure and recreation district

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Starkville city leaders could be extending the city’s leisure and recreation district. The Board of Aldermen will consider calling for the first public hearing on moving the borders of the entertainment district from University Drive up to Collegeview Drive and Adkerson Place. In leisure and recreation districts patrons are allowed to have open containers of alcohol…

“Blue Flu” at Columbus PD has passed, officers back at work

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The “Blue Flu” at the Columbus Police Department appears to have passed, for now. Police Chief Fred Shelton says the five officers that called in “sick” this past Friday returned to work over the weekend. Mayor Keith Gaskin told WCBI the organized call out was in response to working conditions and promotion within the department. Some…

Zachary’s hosts 4th annual fundraiser to support the Humane Society

Folks in the Friendly City are supporting their furry friends.

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Zachary’s hosted their 4th annual St. Patrick’s Day Party. Zachary’s invited the community of Lowndes County to the restaurant to help support the Lowndes County Humane society. Folks in the Friendly City are supporting their furry friends. Zachary’s is kicking off the 4th annual St. Patrick’s Day Pawty to raise funds for the Lowndes County Humane…

Vernon man charged with elder abuse

LAMAR COUNTY,Ala. (WCBI)- A Lamar County jury returns a guilty verdict against a Vernon man charged with felony elder abuse. Vernon Police arrested 30-year-old Terrance Moore after a confrontation with a 70-year-old woman on July 11th back in 2020. Moore didn’t know the woman and he was parked in front of her house for half an hour that evening. The…

Adjusting to new normal: Business owners share pandemic concerns

Many if not all people felt the initial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI)- The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic was felt throughout the U.S.   On March 11, 2020; the World Health Organization declared COVID-19, the disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2, a pandemic. From safety restrictions and finding other methods of serving the community, dozens started the shift in adjusting to a new normal. The virus impacted schools, businesses,…

High School students see real life medical scenarios as part of “Code Blue and Red” drill

The exercise is meant to spark an interest in the medical field among students

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – Students from four area high schools got a chance to see real-life medical scenarios as part of a drill at the ICC Tupelo campus. The drill was called “Code Blue and Red” and it used ICC’s Health Science students to help simulate three scenarios,  a COVID patient, labor and delivery and a trauma accident. ICC’s President…

A fourth grade student writes book to stop bullying in schools

The fourth grader shows her class about the power in words. 

CLAY COUNTY,Miss. (WCBI)- It happens in classrooms, on the school bus, on the playground. Bullying. A student at West Clay Elementary is tacking the issue cover to cover. The fourth grader shows her class about the power in words. Classroom worksheets and recess, that’s the agenda for most students. But, there are some issues that go beyond the playground, like…

Students question their spring break plans as gas prices rise

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Spring Break is almost here and students are getting ready to crank their cars up and head down the road. But the spike in gas prices has some students checking their wallets to see if they can stretch their cash enough to get to their destination. It’s the week students have been looking forward to since…

MDE investing millions of dollars into online health and safety platform

JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – The Mississippi Department of Education is investing millions of dollars to provide a web-based health and safety platform for school districts around the state. The platform will provide several features including surveillance cameras with the ability to detect crowd congestion, virtual tours of schools for situational awareness in schools, a mobile app for emergency notifications and…

Lowndes County inmate facing another charge after escaping custody

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – A Lowndes County inmate is facing another charge after briefly escaping from custody. 42-year-old Bobby Joe Stafford Jr. was wanted for possession of stolen property. He’s now also charged with escape. Sheriff Eddie Hawkins says while Stafford being brought to Columbus from Monroe County he kicked out the window of a patrol vehicle. When the…

Oktibbeha county deputies make chase through Starkville

OKTIBBEHA COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Oktibbeha deputies go to make a traffic stop but it ends in a chase through Starkville. 40-year-old Odell Robinson the third is charged with felony fleeing, tampering with evidence, and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. Investigators tell WCBI that a K9 attempted to stop Robinson on Highway 12. The pursuit went out into…