Heat, humidity, pop-up storms

SUMMARY:  Our summery weather pattern will continue.  Look for highs in the 90s, heat indices in the 100s, and pop-up storms just about every day over the next week. THURSDAY NIGHT:  Evening rain fades away. Turning mostly clear with a bright nearly full moon shining overhead. Some patchy fog is possible, especially in areas that had rain. Lows in the…

Columbus elected officials encourage citizens to get vaccinated

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s your “best shot” at staying healthy. That’s the message county and city leaders are sending to the African-American community. Lowndes County Supervisor Leroy Brooks and other local elected officials held a press conference today to focus attention on the seriousness of the Delta Variant of COVID-19. Brooks is urging everyone to get vaccinated but says…

Webster Co. burglary suspect arrested in Texas after six-month search, charged with felonies in seven different Mississippi counties

EUPORA, Miss. (WCBI) – An alleged crime spree across seven Mississippi counties, involving hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of stolen goods, came to an end in Sulphur Springs, Texas. That’s where Hopkins County Sheriff’s deputies and Sulphur Springs Police caught 39-year-old Moses McLaurin. “They caught him in the act of committing a burglary,” says Webster County Sheriff David Gore….

Typical summer weather returns to end the workweek

SUMMARY: We’re returning to a typical summertime weather pattern with a mix of sun & clouds and some afternoon pop-up storms. The summer heat & humidity is making a big comeback as we head into next week.Temperatures should gradually warm back into the low to mid 90s by the weekend and next week. Heat indices in the 100-105°+ appear likely…

Oren Dunn Museum And TPSD Join Forces For Backpack Drive

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – Tupelo’s Oren Dunn Museum is partnering with the school district to collect backpacks for students. New backpacks are being collected at the Oren Dunn Museum at Ballard Park.  The Tupelo Public School District announced recently that it would provide school supplies to all students, and the museum’s curator wanted to do something to help students. The…

Mayor Keith Gaskin addresses the public after City Council meeting

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Transparency and a safer Columbus, those were 2 planks in Mayor Keith Gaskin’s platform. Today, he addressed both of those with his first press conference. Crime was a hot-button issue during the election, and since coming to office Gaskin has met with Columbus Police officers to find out what they need to do their jobs, and…

Storm chances continue, heat indices to rise

SUMMARY:  A fairly typical summer weather pattern has established itself and we’re not expecting any major changes for a while.  Temperatures should gradually warm back into the low to mid 90s by the weekend and next week.  Heat indices in the 100-105°+ appear likely once again. WEDNESDAY NIGHT: Evening showers fade. Partly cloudy and quiet with lows in the low…

Macon police have released the identity of wanted man in weekend homicide

MACON, Miss. (WCBI) – Macon police have released the identity of the man wanted in connection with a weekend homicide. Investigators say 33-year-old Henry Benamon is wanted for murder in the death of 43-year-old Lisa Brooks. The two were reportedly in a romantic relationship. Benamon is 5’7″ and weighs 150 pounds. He was released from prison last October after serving…

HogEye Trap Cameras help Mississippians catch hundreds of pigs as part of the state’s Wild Hog Control Program

AMORY, Miss. (WCBI) – For years, hundreds of thousands of wild hogs have been tearing up farmland and displacing native wildlife all across Mississippi as well as the entire South. For the past eight years, Steven Gruchy has been trying to eradicate the wild hogs from the 1,200-acre farm he helps manage in Amory. “They’re a curse on the landscape,”…

4 County is offering and installing internet service for rural areas

GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss. (WCBI)- You can’t live without it. It’s not food, water, or a home; it’s internet service. 4-County Electric Power Association started offering internet service to members in rural areas. Some people like Merrie Felder find there is a downside to living outside the city limits, finding affordable, and reliable internet service can be difficult.  Felder tried another…

WCBI hosted a job fair to connect businesses and local employees

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Making connections – that was the goal today at Leigh Mall in Columbus. The WCBI July Job Fair was working to connect businesses that need workers to the right people for their positions. Nearly 30 employers, ranging from manufacturers to foodservice, were on hand to take applications, interview, and even hire new employees. “We want you…