Columbus kicks off Fourth of July weekend with blues festival

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – The city of Columbus is kicking off the Fourth of July Weekend with the Southside Blues Festival. The event features games, food, and live music. Beginning Saturday you can catch local gospel acts such as Tim Bowen Annie, The Caldwell Singers, Big Tone. Blues artists like Wendell B. Lance, 601 Band, Keith and Margie, and Mark…

Travel out of the Golden Triangle is now more leisure than business

GOLDEN TRIANGLE, Miss. (WCBI) – It’s another sign of the comeback from COVID, people are flying the friendly skies again. Golden Triangle Regional Airport is seeing much improved numbers over this time last year. Flights from GTRA to Atlanta are fully booked again, and ticket sales are on par with pre-pandemic numbers. But the passengers are changing. In 2019, 80…

Starkville car dealership among the first to offer MSU student athletes endorsement deals once state NIL law is official

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Mississippi State fans were hoping for the Bulldogs to make history at the College World Series on Wednesday. But some members of the Diamond Dawgs also have the chance to be part of history on Thursday. “It’s always been the joke that the only job in the world that you can’t get paid for at 18…

Seven clay county inmates graduate from a construction skills program

WEST POINT, Miss. (WCBI)- Graduation congratulations are in order but these students didn’t cross the stage at a college or high school. These best wishes are for some local inmates. East Mississippi Community College (EMCC), the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC), and the Clay County Sheriff’s Department formed a partnership to teach inmates construction skills. Seven inmates at the Clay…

Washout Friday, great weather for the holiday weekend

SUMMARY: Scattered storms in the forecast again for Thursday, and with a cold front approaching the area Friday looks to be very wet and cloudy. The cold front clears the area by Saturday morning, with skies clearing through the day. July 4th looks great with low humidity and partly cloudy skies! Temps will be quite comfortable for July as well….

Showers & storm chances will continue to increase

SUMMARY: Scattered showers and storms will continue through Thursday. On Friday, a cold front will approach the area and it is looking like a washout, but much cooler temperatures. The cold front should be out of here by Saturday afternoon, so that means a pretty nice & dry holiday weekend. Shower and storm chances will return early next week. WEDNESDAY:…

Starkville bars & restaurants create ‘Omaha-South’ with College World Series watch parties that bring in fans and extra business

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Since not every Mississippi State fan could make it to the College World Series, Starkville’s bars and restaurants have done their best to bring the CWS to them. “They expect that atmosphere when they come in, they start to have a good time and we cheered like we were in Omaha, that’s for sure,” says Barton…

School district conservators are working to improve school ratings

NOXUBEE COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI)- School districts can be faced with many challenges from a lack of funding to slipping academics. If problems continue they can lead to a failing grade by the Mississippi Department of Education, and if a district fails more than once, the governor can declare a state of emergency. That’s when a conservator is appointed to bring…

New drones for the Clay County Sheriff’s Office

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- The Clay County sheriff’s office upgraded their eyes in the sky thanks to the 4 County Foundation. The sheriff’s office received a 10 thousand dollar grant in 2020 to purchase two drones for their agency, which came in almost a year after the grant was awarded because of COVID restrictions. Sheriff Eddie Scott says the equipment can…

Wet through Friday, looking much drier for the holiday weekend!

SUMMARY: Scattered showers and storms will continue through Thursday, coverage may be a bit less than we are seeing this afternoon in the absence of a tropical system. Friday, a cold front will approach the area, and it is looking like a washout for most of the day on Friday, keeping our temps much cooler. Models have finally come into…

MSU Summer Scholars Musical

Sally Stafford and William Norris from the MSU Summer Scholars production camp drop by to tell us about their upcoming musical that will take place at McComas Hall on MSU’s campus this Friday at 6 PM and Saturday at noon. Both performances are free to the public. Categories: Local News Tags: MSU, musical, scholars, summer

JTS Mortgage Minute – Mortgage Rates Beginning to Rise

Mortgage rates continue to rise due to low bond prices and inflation. As bond prices fall, and demand in the bond market drops, interest rates typically rise. Inflation is a general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money and it has a powerful influence on mortgage rates. However, although mortgage rates are trending upward, they still…

Typical summer weather sticking around through midweek

SUMMARY: It will stay hot and humid with temps in the upper 80s to lower 90s through midweek. Rain & storm chances will also continue to increase mid to late week as a cold front will push through the region. Temperatures will cool down a bit. We could see scattered chances of showers and storms for the 4th of July…

New Leadership For Saltillo Police Department

SALTILLO, MISS. (WCBI) – There is new leadership at the top two posts in the Saltillo police department. Within a few minutes, the new police chief,  and assistant chief for Saltillo, were sworn in. For Chief Daniel McKinney, leading the Saltillo Police Department is a big opportunity. “It’s been awesome, I’ve been doing this for twenty years, never thought this…

Manufacturing delays force law enforcement agencies across Golden Triangle to wait for new patrol vehicles

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – For the second year in a row, law enforcement agencies in the Golden Triangle and all over the country are having to wait on new squad cars and other patrol vehicles. “Last year, when we ordered vehicles, because of the COVID issues, and the labor issues, the vehicles couldn’t get manufactured quick enough to get here…

Renter’s insurance gives apartment fire victims peace of mind

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – An apartment fire Sunday morning has caused eight families to be relocated. “To me, it takes that worry away,” Glenda Richardson, Director of Community Outreach, said. This was how most of the people who lived in Colony Apartment building 15 woke up Sunday morning. The building was on fire and it spread quickly to all of…

Columbus man charged with murder after allegedly stabbing girlfriend

MACON, Miss. (WCBI) – A Columbus man is accused of stabbing and killing his girlfriend in Macon. 22-year-old Christopher Wicks is charged with murder. He was denied bond this morning and remains in the Noxubee County jail. Macon police were called to Cedar Creek Apartments on Sunday afternoon about a stabbing. Police Chief Davine Beck says 21-year-old Kaliyah Brooks was…