WCBI New at Six - 05/20/2020
WCBI New at Six - 05/20/2020
Joining us.
A noxubee county supervisor has passed away after being diagnosed with covid-19.
Sherman patterson died this morning at north mississippi medical center in tupelo.
The supervisor was in his third term and was vice president of the board.
Patterson was known for his steady leadership and willingness to help.
Funeral arrangements are incomplete.
The mississippi state department of health is reporting at least 145 confirmed cases of covid-19 in noxubee county.
Wipe to vo covid-19 testing continues today in our area.
The university of mississippi medical center and state health department set up a testing site at columbus high.
One-day, drive- through collection sites have been set up across the state.
Only those with an appointment would be tested.
The mississippi national guard assisted in collecting the samples.
"the safety of the community being run through the mississippi department of health and we are trying to play our part in partnership of the state and service to our mission."
More than seven thousand people have been tested at similar sites throughout the state and at the mississippi state fairgrounds.
Wipe to vo the mississippi department of health is reporting 263 new cases of covid-19 today.
The new cases bring the state's total to almost 12- thousand// 16 new deaths are also being reported.
One of those deaths is in yalobusha county.
Statewide, there are now 570 coronavirus deaths// the health department estimates about 78- hundred mississippians have recovered from the virus.
As businesses, restaurants and even gyms have reopened here in mississippi churches are now working on their plans two pastors in lowndes county say they already have plans in place for welcoming their congregations back..
And safety is ther number one priority..
"make sure that the church is sanitized before service and after service.
We ordered a temperature checker that is no contact so that we can check peoples temps before they come in the church.
"what i'm looking at possibly is maybe having two services and also you know, the sanitizing all the door knobs and things of that nature."
If you would like to know of your church's plan for reopening it is best you contact them by phone or through social media... wipe to vo governor tate reeves says he will sign a 300 million dollar piece of legislation to help mississippi small business owners.
Lawmakers passed the bill last week.
Qualifying small businesses that were forced to close by order are eligible for a two thousand dollar direct payment.
240 million of the plan will be used to create the back to business mississippi grant fund.
Each business could qualify for up to $25,000 in grant money.
The money is only about 25 percent of the state's about 25 percent of the state's allocated one point 25 billon dollars in cares act money.
The legislature and governor had a dispute over who would distribute the funds but seemed to have come to an agreement.
Centred up reeves also announces his picks to lead two state agencies.
He is nominating burl cain to become the department of correction's next commissioner.
Cain is the former warden of louisana's angola prison.
Mississippi state court of appeals judge sean tindall is reeve's nominee for public safety commissioner.
Tindall has been on the court of appeals since 20-17.
The state senate must confirm cain and tindall's appointments.
First look stinger first look summary: heat and humidity will return as we head into the long memorial day weekend.
Rain & storm chances will be with us just about every day going forward.
No big weather maker is expected in our area any time soon.
Wednesday night: partly cloudy and still quite comfortable.
Lows in the mid to upper 50s with light wind.
Thursday: partly cloudy.
Warmer highs in the low 80s.
Southerly winds 3-7 mph.
There is a slight chance of a shower but odds are 10% or less.
Take vo in monitor a construction accident yesterday in starkville started as a rescue.
But after 10 hours, firefighters had to accept - it was a recovery mission.
It took a toll on everyone.
Scott martin talks with starkville fire chief charles yarbrough to see how the department is holding up.
Scott...joins us live to tell us what he learned... they're human and feel what we feel..heartbroken by the outcome of the accident.
Some of the firefighters on scene yesterday have only been with the department a year or less..and chief yarbrough says accidents like yesterday aren't something they see everyday// "i've been here 25 years and in my 25 years this is my second trench rescue."
Starkville firefighters and other emergency responders worked quickly..using every resource available to try and rescue two men trapped after a trench collapse.
36-year- old zachary wayne osbourne died on scene..19 year-old- william kizzire died on the way to the hospital.
It's not the outcome that anyone hoped.
"we were pretty excited cause we got one out, rescued him.he was talking.
Then on the way to the hospital he expired so i think that kind of deflated our balloons to be honest with you."
Running on fumes..chief yarbrough says the entire operation from start to finish lasted up until around 8-30 tuesday night...and it's a day that will leave lasting images.
"this kind of stuff you don't see that often.
We have a lot of young guys who've never been a part of this who have to live with that now.
Some stuff that you see you can't ever unsee."
After watching his crew work diligently to rescue and then recover victims in the trench, he knows the day took an emotional toll.
"a lot of people think we don't have emotions i think because we don't cry in public , we never do certain things.
I think people think we're really tough but in actuality yesterday, i can tell they were really hurt."
As firefighters, the chief says, they rescue people...not the other way around.
It will take time to heal.
" the ones that was out there yesterday.
It's a lot for them to deal with and to take on and then had to come back to work today.
We had some that was off yesterday that came in to help and work today.
They have to put that behind them because they still got a job to do today."
Take vo in monitor chief yarbrough says there will be mandatory grief counseling for the firefighters.
He's asking the community to keep the firefighters and the victim's family's in your thoughts and prayers.
Take vo off top columbus fire and rescue is one of the outside agencies that went to assist in yesterdays accident.
Trench rescue training is very meticulous according to captain marco rodriguez// it's a week long training course of 40 hours of on hands intense training// rodriguez says it's mostly all hands on.
Part of it includes on learning how to stabilizing a trench to prevent it from collapsing.
Steps are also taken to determine what type of equipment to use to get potential victims out// "trench rescue is extremely advanced, disciplined.
It's something we have to do.
We to have someone trained in that.
Why is it important?
Everyday in your city you see guys in trenches.
Whether it's contractors working on highways or developing a new area or new subdivision."
Columbus fire and rescue has trench training once a year.
A trench for first responders is considered a pace that's four feet or greater.
Take developing story stinger 052020-gfx wipe to gfx a starkville man is accused of shooting a home and car in clay county.
Franklin young is charged with wipe to gfx a starkville man is accused of shooting a home and car in clay county.
Franklin young is charged with shooting into a dwelling and aggravated assault.
Deputies were called to a home on walker gin road back on may 14th about gunshots being fired.
Sheriff eddie scott says two bullets were fired into a home and one bullet in a vehicle.
Five people were inside the home at the time of the shooting but no one was injured.
Young was arrested in oktibbeha county by the mississippi department of corrections.
His bond is set at 50 thousand dollars.
He also has a hold placed on him.
Scott believes the shooting is domestic in nature.
Stinger prices are increasing but a local group is trying to help.
We tell you their story and what you can expect at the grocery store this holiday weekend.
Stay a partnership between the family resource center and molina healthcare is getting free meat to hundreds of people impacted by the covid 19 pandemoic.
Allie martin has more from tupelo.
Response to the free meat giveaway was so great, the family resource center had to set up two locations.
Vehicles lined up to fill out paperwork at frc's offices on church street.
Nats the drive through giveaway was a couple of blocks away at the organization's offices on magazine street.
"they're getting ten pounds of chicken, bologna, hot dogs, hand sanitizer, the first 200 got a mask donated to us, by blythe cox drugstore in booneville" the meat giveaway was made possible through a partnership between the frc and molina healthcare.
The company paid for the meat and helped with the distribution.
"there's increase need across the board, whether it's household supplies, food, people are hoarding things in the stores, so when you have a chance to give back, and we get our hands on some of the commodities and give back, it's very helpful."
Gregory payne senior was one of hundreds who came through the line for free meat.
He was laid off because of the covid 19 related shutdowns and is grateful for help he's received from many sources.
"president trump and tate reeves have done everything they can, i'm appreciative, and god bless all mississippians, if you need food, please come down and get it, do not let your pride get in the way."
Standup close molina healthcare is planning more partnerships like this throughout the state, the family resource center says they look forward to partnering with molina and others who want to lend a helping hand.
In tupelo, allie martin, wcbi news.
Last year the family research center served 72 thousand people in 42 counties across mississippi.
Take vo off top a shortage in workers and shuttered meat processing plants are contributing to higher prices for beef going into memorial day weekend.
The shutdown of several plants after covid-19 outbreaks and new restrictions on workers are slowing down shipments to stores.
Those factors combined with panic buying in the early weeks of the pandemic have driven up prices on remaining supplies.
Sam farris - owner of "sam's town market" - says his store is trying to keep customers informed and reduce prices where when possible.
"any information we get we pass that along to our customers , to make sure they understand and in turn we also try and accommodate them, we reduced the sizes of some packs so total price is not as high, we can take other preventative measures, on the shelves, we can cut our margins a little bit, we've done that in the last couple of weeks, we make enough to keep the doors opened right now, because we want to make sure our customers are taken care of and they can get the food they need to take care of themselves and their families."
Farris believes meat prices will level off in the next few weeks, as plants get more workers back on the job.
To vo wipe to vo as for vegetables, the pickin's are pretty good locally.
The tupelo farmers depot opens saturday..
Downtown tupelo main street association says there will be some changes to the layout of the market, to encourage social distancing.
Only cash transactions will be accepted.
And, the use of masks and gloves will be enforced for staff, volunteers, vendors and customers.
Vendors are encouraged to bag produce before arriving at the market.
Samples will not be available.
The market will open saturday from 6 until noon.
Stinger wx open summary: heat and humidity will return as we head into the long memorial day weekend.
Rain & storm chances will be with us just about every day going forward.
No big weather maker is expected in our area any time soon.
Wednesday night: partly cloudy and still quite comfortable.
Lows in the mid to upper 50s with light wind.
Thursday: partly cloudy.
Warmer highs in the low 80s.
Southerly winds 3-7 mph.
There is a slight chance of a shower but odds are 10% or less.
Thursday night: variably cloudy with a chance of a shower or storm.
Milder lows in the mid 60s.
Friday: variably cloudy, warm, and humid.
Highs in the mid to upper 80s.
A 30% chance of pop- up showers and storms saturday-monday: our memorial day weekend is going to feature plenty of heat and humidity.
Daytime highs will be in the upper 80s to around 90 with overnight lows in the mid to upper 60s.
Expect a 30- 40% chance of pop- up showers and storms each and every day.
Some of you may get a good soaking at times while other spots remain dry.
No widespread severe weather is expected but any storm this time of year may produce gusty breezes, frequent lightning, small hail, and heavy downpours.
Follow @wcbiweather on facebook, twitter, summary: heat and humidity will return as we head into the long memorial day weekend.
Rain & storm chances will be with us just about every day going forward.
No big weather maker is expected in our area any time soon.
Wednesday night: partly cloudy and still quite comfortable.
Lows in the mid to upper 50s with light wind.
Thursday: partly cloudy.
Warmer highs in the low 80s.
Southerly winds 3-7 mph.
There is a slight chance of a shower but odds are 10% or less.
Thursday night: variably cloudy with a chance of a shower or storm.
Milder lows in the stinger college athletes could be returning to a practice field in as soon as two weeks... more on which sports got the go ahead...next in sports... good news.....news good news.....news that gives some hope of sports returning this summer the ncaa divison one council votes to approve voluntary athletic activites for football, and men's and women's basketball, to start june first through the 30th... yahoo sports' pete thamel first reported while the decision to return to campus are to be made along with state, local, and unversity rules....voluntary work has been approved a ncaa decision on other sports within the next week a fifth mississippi state bulldog likely won't be returning to campus when things open up... rising sophomore defensive back jarrian jones has entered the transfer portal jones saw playing time as a true freshman in 2019, recording 12 tackles and a fumble recovery...and was expected to see significant time this year jones was a 4-star prospect and under armour all american coming out of northwest rankin high school... houston high school has hired itawamba ahs offensive coordinator baylor dampeer as it's next head football coach dampeer led the indians offense for three seasons, averaging more than 30 points per game each year dampeer replaces ty hardin, who was hired on may fifth to be the head coach of tupelo football the daily journal's brad locke was the first to report one year ago today....mississippi state and lsu battled in the longest sec baseball tournament game in history 17 innings, 6 hours and 43 minutes, ending around 3 am....lsu tying it up in the 8th.....gunner halter winning it in the 17th with an rbi base hit... bulldogs would lose to lsu in the quarterfinals two days later on the same day...the 2nd seeded arkansas razorbacks took down ole miss 5- 3..... the two would meet again 48 hours later.....ole miss winning the one that counts, 3- 2 in the quarterfinals...bef ore falling to vanderbilt in the sec tournament championship last look stinger last look last look last look last look last look last look last look last look