Due to positive COVID-19 cases Bruce City Hall is closed

BRUCE, Miss. (WCBI) – Until further notice, Bruce City Hall is closed to all guests. The decision was made after Mayor Rudy Pope and the City Clerk tested positive for COVID. The record-breaking positive cases also played a role in the decision. However, payments can still be made through dropbox. Categories: Local News

COVID-19 may cause delayed trash pickup in the Golden Triangle

GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss. (WCBI) – The recent COVID surge is causing problems in one of the most unlikely of places – your garbage pick-up. Almost one-third of the employees of Golden Triangle Waste Services are out either with positive tests or waiting on test results. Golden Triangle handles trash pick-up in Lowndes, Webster, and Oktibbeha Counties. The absences are causing…

Starkville Police arrest three suspects in drive-by shooting that killed 9-year-old boy

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Starkville Police have arrested three suspects allegedly involved in the shooting that killed a 9-year-old boy Wednesday night. Investigators say suspects Barron “B-Man” Hubbard, Tabyron “Tayy Tayy” Fisher and Dellveon “Dez” Lindsey were arrested Thursday night for one count of murder and six counts of aggravated assault for each of them. Starkville Police Chief Mark Ballard…

Covid-19 testing at local hospitals may take longer than a clinic

COLUMBUS,Miss. (WCBI)- We’ve been here before… Rising case numbers, crowded hospitals, and people in critical need. Medical professionals here in Columbus are asking folks to stay clear of the emergency room if their cases aren’t severe. Hundreds are visiting local healthcare facilities to get tested for Coronavirus. But, if you’re going to the hospital, that testing may take longer. Up…

Six families escape apartment fire with only the clothes on their back

Columbus, Miss. (WCBI) – Black walls, shattered windows and caved-in ceilings. That’s all that’s left for six families at a Columbus apartment complex. The Columbus Fire Department got the call around 4 o’clock this morning at the Chanticleer Apartments. Assistant Fire Chief Duane Hughes says everyone got out safely but the fire gutted their homes. “Our attention is immediately drawn to…

Columbus Police Chief discusses prime prevention tactics

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The Columbus Police Department continues to urge the community to come forward with information to help solve the recent shooting incidents in the city. Chief Shelton says witnesses who report any information to the police department can rest assured that their identities will be protected. That includes protection from personnel not involved in each case. Within…

United Way Director gives update on annual giving campaign

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Thanks to you it works for all of us. It’s one of the former mottos of the United Way, but it still holds true. Today, the executive director of the United Way of Lowndes and Noxubee Counties gave community and business leaders an update on the organization’s annual campaign. One of the areas of emphasis has…

Mississippi Highway Patrol seeking certified law officers for upcoming class

For the first time, MHP will hold a cadet class for law officers

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – The Mississippi Highway Patrol is looking for cadets for its next class, but this class will only be for those who are certified police officers. Orientation meetings will be held at local MHP Troop substations for anyone interested in applying for Cadet Class 66. Unlike other classes, this upcoming class is only for current or former law…

MSDH reporting new daily record of 7,079 COVID-19 cases

JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – For the second day in a row, Mississippi sets a new daily COVID-19 record. The state department of health is reporting  7,079 new cases today, along with eight deaths. That’s 487 more cases than yesterday’s record-breaking numbers. 785 people are hospitalized with the virus. 170 patients are in I.C.U.’s across the state. Health leaders report there…

Winston County has a new EMA Director, Jimbo Lovorn

WINSTON COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Winston County has a new EMA Director. The board of supervisors voted to appoint Jimbo Lovorn to the post. Lovorn has been a deputy with the Winston County Sheriff’s Department for at least a decade. There he worked his way up through the ranks as a patrolman and left as an investigator. Lovorn replaces Buddy…

Starkville’s Fire Chief named State Director of Fire Chiefs

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Starkville’s Fire Chief is getting region-wide recognition. Chief Charles Yarbrough has been named the State Director of Fire Chiefs for the state of Mississippi by the Southeastern Association of Fire Chiefs. As state director, Yarbrough will oversee over 900 departments across the state. He will serve as a go-between for local departments and the Fire Chief’s…

Warming shelter, clothing donations among Golden Triangle’s efforts to help those in need before freezing weather

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Tuesday night, the Golden Triangle Regional Homeless Coalition opened its temporary warming shelter in anticipation of the freezing temperatures expected to hit the area. “There’s children, there’s elderly, there are people with disabilities that just cannot make it on the streets,” says Susan Garton, the coalition’s vice president. The shelter inside the Propst Park Recreational Building…

Lowndes County Sheriff fears meth lab discovery will be first of many with key ingredients available over the counter

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – For the first time in nearly 10 years, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department says it found the remnants of a meth lab. Sheriff Eddie Hawkins says deputies found the various jars, bottles and chemicals near Robinson Road at around 8:30 a.m. For the first time in nearly 10 years, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department found the…

Chickasaw County community raising funds for new fire station

The Thorn VFD is entering the final phase of its building project for its new station

THORN, MISS. (WCBI) – It’s been twenty years in the making, but a Chickasaw County community is closer to getting a much-needed new headquarters for its Volunteer Fire Department. The theme for the Thorn Volunteer Fire Department is “Serving God and Mankind.”  Chief Andy Harmon says a new, larger fire station will help the department fulfill its mission. “We are…

Local pharmacist suggest various vitamins to boost immune system

Columbus, Miss. (WCBI) – The U.S. has now reached 1 million COVID cases daily. With the most recent omicron variant, people are wanting to know what are symptoms they should watch for and what makes this variant different from the rest. Robert White, a pharmacist at Robert’s Apothecary, says that over-the-counter medicines such as zinc, elderberry, and vitamin C, can…

Webster County EMA retiring after 4 decades of service

WEBSTER COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Webster County’s Emergency 911 Center Director is hanging up his headset after 4 decades as a first responder. Jimmy McLemore took over Webster County 9-1-1 in 2008, after spending 27 years as a police officer. McLemore has seen the agency through several changes in the last 14 years, including improved digital equipment and a mapping…

Mississippi sets new daily record with COVID-19 cases

JACKSON, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi sets a new daily COVID-19 case record with more than 6,500 people testing positive. The state department of health is reporting 6,592 new cases. That is the new positive test since the old record was set last year on August 20th with 5,048 cases. 742 people are hospitalized with the virus. That is the most…

Police are investigating an afternoon shooting in Columbus’ southside

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – An afternoon shootout shakes up a Columbus neighborhood. According to Columbus Police Chief Fred Shelton, police were called to the 600 block of Sixth Street South around 3:30 this afternoon. Witnesses told police that two people were shooting at each other at opposite ends of the street. One person later arrived at Baptist Memorial Hospital Golden…