Starkville shows appreciation to teachers and staff

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- School districts across the country annually spend a week during the school year celebrating teachers and staff. The Starkville and Oktibbeha School District is providing special treats and activities for its staff this week to show appreciation. The process of teaching got a little harder due to the pandemic, but teachers have found a way to still…

Tupelo Based BancorpSouth Buys Cadence Bank In Stock Deal

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – A Tupelo-based bank has bought a Texas-based bank with a big presence in Northeast Mississippi. BancorpSouth CEO Dan Rollins has known Cadence Bank CEO Paul Murphy for more than twenty years. They both worked in the banking industry in Texas before moving to Mississippi. “If I had told folks that I wanted to find a merger…

Quiet Monday but some rain chances will return this week

SUMMARY: We’ll have a quiet & warm start to our new workweek on Monday. Another cold front late Tuesday into Wednesday will bring us the return of some showers to the area. The unsettled weather pattern of on & off again rain chances will continue through the weekend. The great news is that our severe weather threat will be low….

Pleasant Sunday and Monday, Unsettled Weather Pattern through Friday

SUMMARY: Sunshine returns for tomorrow and Monday with temperatures climbing in the lower 80s by Monday afternoon. Another cold front makes its entrance in our area Tuesday night bringing some spot showers to the area. We’ll see a mix of clouds, maybe some peaks of sunshine in the week, but mostly on-and-off showers as this unsettled weather pattern sets up Tuesday…

Stay weather aware late Friday into Saturday morning

SUMMARY: Another round of strong to severe storms and heavy rain is likely from Friday evening through early about sunrise Saturday. We are under a Level 3 Risk for severe weather while areas to our south and west are under a Level 4. All modes of severe weather are possible. Stay tuned to WCBI for the very latest! Conditions will…

Manufacturing company buys Aberdeen’s old Holley Performance building, offering the potential for hundreds of new jobs in the city

ABERDEEN, Miss. (WCBI) – The old Holley Performance building has stood abandoned since 2009 and has been a point of contention amongst the leadership for the city of Aberdeen and Monroe County.  But not anymore. On March 16th, city leaders sold the property to EnviroBuilders, an eco-friendly construction company that hopes to bring hundreds of new jobs to the area….

City leaders concerned about low voter turnout during municipal elections

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- Municipal elections introduce new candidates and often give incumbents a chance to continue to serve. However, getting voters to the polls on election day is a growing issue across North Mississippi. Only a fraction of voters is participating, leaving local races slim to none. In many towns, Tuesday’s primary election participation was abysmal. Road infrastructure, bridges, and…

A break for your Thursday before more storms return Friday

SUMMARY: After a stormy Wednesday night, we’ll dry out on Thursday. Additional rain and storms will return Friday into the start of the weekend. An additional 1-3 inches of rain is possible Friday through Saturday. We are under a Level 2-3 Risk for severe weather Friday night through early Saturday morning. Stay tuned to WCBI for the very latest! THURSDAY:…

911 dispatchers are being recognized for National Telecommunicators Week

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI)- The person on the other end of the line may just be the critical link in an emergency. Operators in local emergency centers are called telecommunicators. It’s their job to match a caller and their needs with the best and fastest responder; their duties seem simple, but they are essential. “The 911 dispatchers actually take calls coming…

Four County customers will benefit from upcoming broadband expansion

LOWNDES COUNTY, Miss. (WCBI) – Four County customers are set to benefit from broadband expansion in the area. The money to expand is coming, in large part, from 35.5 million dollars in federal funds. Brandon Presley, the Northern District Public Service Commissioner, and Four County leaders signed the documents that will move the funding toward helping more people in rural…

OCH Regional Medical Center launches service for homebound patients where paramedics can give COVID-19 vaccines at their homes

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI) – Starting Friday, certain people in Oktibbeha County will be able to get their COVID-19 shot right at home. OCH Regional Medical Center is launching a new service where homebound patients can schedule paramedics to come to their homes and administer the vaccine. “They have so many underlying conditions, they can’t do it on their own,” said…

Miss Mississippi Volunteer Pageant To Promote Volunteerism, Teen Driving Safety

TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – A new beauty pageant is coming to the All America City this summer. As executive director of the “Miss Mississippi Volunteer Pageant,” Steve Stockton wants to have a pageant with a purpose. That’s why the Amory resident recently visited the Mississippi Highway Patrol headquarters in Pearl, to partner with the agency. “The newly crowned Miss Mississippi…

Downtown Columbus filled with music as “Noon Tunes” kicks off

COLUMBUS, Miss. (WCBI) – Music fills the air in downtown Columbus once again today.   Dawn Barham performs for the kickoff of this year’s “Noon Tunes.” The live concert continued as folks dropped by the Trotter Convention Center-Courtyard to listen, dance, or grab lunch. Main Street Columbus is hosting “Noon Tunes” for the next three Wednesdays downtown. Categories: Local News

Active weather & severe storm chances make a return

SUMMARY: As of Midday Wednesday, we are under a Level 2-3 Risk for severe weather later on this evening after sunset into the early overnight hours. Damaging winds, heavy rain and some large hail are possible later on this evening including a brief spin-up tornado. Stay tuned to WCBI for the very latest! Additional rain and storms could linger through…

Students return to class less than a week after tornado caused historic damage to Vardaman Schools

VARDAMAN, Miss. (WBCI) – Six days ago, an EF-0 tornado hit Calhoun County in the middle of the night, causing significant damage to both Vardaman Elementary and High School. Tuesday, the elementary school students were there for class. “I just remember thinking, ‘We’ve got to get in here and get this cleaned up so we can have school,’” said Vardaman…

Ole Miss Women’s, Men’s hoops add transfers

Ole Miss Women’s and Men’s basketball added transfers Tuesday. Kermit Davis got a commitment from Miami’s Nysier Brooks. He averaged 7.4 points and 5.8 rebounds per game this season while shooting 51.7% from the field. Yolett McPhee McCuin added Eastern Carolina’s Lashonda Monk. She has four years of experience, put up 13.5 points per contest and won 2019-20 AAC Defensive…

Starkville fire department has openings on their team

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- First responders are essential to the community, but even sometimes they need help. The Starkville fire department is looking for 6 people to join their team to help provide for the community. People often associate firefighters with just putting out fires, but they do much more than that and the career has several benefits. The fire department…