WCBI New at Ten - 04/29/2020

WCBI New at Ten - 04/29/2020

We begin with we begin with breaking news out of oktibbeha county..

One person is killed late this afternoon in a car accident.

The crash happened on highway 25, north of craig springs road.

Coroner michael hunt says one person died, a child was airlifted to a jackson hospital, and one person is being treated at och regional medical center.

The person in the hospital is stable.

The child is in critical condition.

Sturgis volunteer firefighters, oktibbeha county deputies, och ems, and state troopers were on scene.

The accident involved a car and a truck.

No names are being released at this time.

The mississippi highway patrol has not released any information about the crash.

Pkg centred up vo wipe to pkg furniture maker flexsteel is closing for good in starkville.

Company executives announcing today they are shuttering the starkville plant, along with their newest facility in dubuque, iowa in september in a call to investors, the iowa-based flexsteel reports a financial loss of more than $5 million dollars since january.

That's partially due to a drop in demand.

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the industrial road plant employed around 170 people.

Right now 45 workers are handling the backlog of orders.

Those workers are going to be looking for new jobs soon, in a very uncertain market.

Our quentin smith catches up with some of them to get their reaction..

When workers at flexsteel in starkville received a phone call from the hr department, they thought it was a call telling them they could come back to work.

Instead, they were notified that the company is shutting down, leaving many of people without a job and not knowing what to do next..

Nat as tasha beckum reads a disheartening letter.

Nat she can't fathom being told she's losing her job.

" i hate to say i was depending on it, but that was my source of income.

I was waiting to go back to work.

I don't have a second job, that was my main job."

The company closed temporarily in late march, but beckom says never thought things would become permanent.

" this is something we've never experienced before, this is different, and to have family and friends that have actually died from the virus, and now not having a job, it's a lot all at one time."

" it hurt.

I don't know how i'm going to take care of my family after this unemployment stops.

It's hard, it's real hard."

For charlie douglas, he's yet to receive a phone call about the closing.... he heard of the news through a co- worker.

He's not only disappointed to lose his job, but also the way flexsteel is handling the entire situation... " i still have vacation hours i want to know what i need to do to get those, i've got a 401 , i need to know.

I need a call."

Douglas has worked at flexsteel for more than a decade, and says his worst fear is not being able to find another job due to the global pandemic.

"i made bills for myself because i thought we were going to be a company that was going to last.

I thought flexsteel, was going to be here when my son turned turn 44, but this was a surprise."

Both beckum and douglas say they don't know what's next.... but they are going to lean on their faith to get them through these uncertain times.

"i've got to travel now to make that kind of money, that's the hardest part of all of this, having to travel."

" i'm going to take this time to go back to school.

I know a lot of people are not hiring right now, so i'm not sure about work, and i don't qualify for regular unemployment so.

I'm just making do with what i have."

The company says it knows this is devastating news, that's why they're going to be in contact to help workers receive financial benefits through the cares act to help get them through this tough time.

Reporting in starkville, quentin smith.

Wcbi news.

Flexsteel has been a staple in the starkville community for nearly 50 years.

The company says its facilities in dubuque, iowa and starkville could close as early as june.

The coronavirus is changing the way the mississippi national guard recruits.

But it's not stopping them.

Scott martin joins us live in the studio.

Scott what does the national guard want people to know?

First and foremost joey, that they're still recruiting.

They're still looking for people who want to serve.

If you're in college or high school you're probably used to seeing someone from the national guard with a booth set up at a job fair or some other event.

But with schools closed, the mississippi national guard has had to adapt at how it recruits service men and women.

Sergeant first class william bells says social media has played a big role in recruitment since the coronavirus pandemic.

They're using facebook, instagram..any platform to get the word out that if you're interested...give them a call..

Bell says even with the covid-19 crisis he's been recruiting a number of people.

"i've had people contact me and be like, i see what the guard is doing.

Y'all are out there.

I want that sense of purpose.

I'm getting chill bumps now.

They want that sense of purpose.

They want to feel like they're doing something for the better.

I love that.

Of course i love everyone who wants to get in, but when someone comes to me and says i want to do something for my community, that's an amazing feeling that those people are still out there and those are the people we're searching for."

Another perk with the mississippi army national guard is some universities, like mississippi state have partnered up and if you're enlisted, your college is paid for.

For more information and to get in contact with sergeant first class william bell, visit our website wcbi dot com.

Coming up tonight at nine and ten we hear more from sgt.

Bell on the impact the coronavirus has had on recruiting.

Centred up there is a growing fear among workers about returning to their job during the covid-19 pandemic.

Some businesses that have laid off or furloughed workers are reopening.

Those workers have or are eligible for unemployment benefits.

Governor tate reeves explains what might happen if someone refuses to go back to work.

"the additional six hundred benefits in pandemic unemployment assistance runs out in july.

And so, those indviduals who have been laid off and get an opportunity to go back to work, i strongly encourage you, regardless of what the law may, or may not, say right now take that job back.

You don't want to look up a month or so right now be unemployed because of covid0- 19, but yet, turned down your job and now you don't have one.

" reeves did not address state benefits.

He also hopes businesses will work with employees that are high risk for covid-19.

First look stinger first look summary: a stretch of sunny and quiet weather is building in and it will be in place at least through sunday.

Temperatures will be more summer- like for the first weekend of may.

There won't be any weather issues until next week at the earliest.

Tonight: variably cloudy and quiet.

Lows in the upper 40s to lower 50s.

Winds nw 5-15 mph.

Thursday: mostly sunny.

Breezy nw winds 10-20 with higher gusts.

Highs in the upper 60s to lower 70s.

For the first time, the mississippi department of health is reporting the number of recovered covid-19 cases.

In a press conference today, state health officer dr. thomas dobbs says over 34-hundred people have recovered from the virus.

227 new covid-19 cases are being reported today.

Statewide there is now 250 total deaths.

Monroe county coroner alan gurley is now reporting 15 deaths of people diagnosed with covid-19.

In the wcbi viewing area, nine counties saw increases in cases...including clay, monroe, oktibbeha, noxubee and calhoun counties.

Having a loved one away in the military during the covid 19 pandemic can be challenging to their families bobby martinez spoke to two families about how they're handling that separation..

It is moments like these where being next to your loved ones can help you get through these tough times... but those who have loved ones in the military say... the transition has not been easy.

"it is hard because you can't get to them the way you are used to and protect them."

In january 19-year- old eli box began his military career.

After he was sworn into the mississippi army national guard..

He was shipped off to basic training... around the same time - the corona virus started to make an impact on america..

Sot - jenny box - mother 'when things first started getting really bad around our nation he was really nervous.

But we continue to tell him you know that we are ok and you know share information with him."

A few months in..

Eli's parents say he has adjusted.

And the military is doing a good job keeping their personnel safe..

Sot - mark box - father "they really done a lot to do the separation and the social distancing and the quarantining.

You know it is rough but we felt that he's been pretty safe so far."

As for anna mueller... her experience was challenging at first.

When her husband michael mueller deployed overseas in the fall, corona virus was un heard of... but by january.... the pandemic was taking the world by storm..

Leaving anna wondering when will be the next time she would hold her husband in her arms..

Sot "i didn't really expect to get that bad here.

So when it did i was like oh crap.

Yeah, you know, after that first presidential address and him being so close to being home i was like ok yeah this is going to affect it somehow."

Anna says michael came home in march.

Something she is very thankful for "luckily he was at a point where i mean didn't have anything for him to do over there, so getting a waiver was pretty easy for him.

There's other people that you know they were even on their way back and they're still you know having to stay overseas somewhere."

Reporting in columbus..

Bobby martinez wcbi news..

Stinger aberdeen main street leads an effort to purchase a historic downtown property.

We tell you about the plans for it.

That's coming up on wcbi news a monroe county city is looking to help encourage and attract more commercial and residential development to its downtown.

Allie martin has more on a fundraising project that involves current and former residents of the town.

When it was built in the 1920's, the parkway hotel was a symbol of elegance.

Now, with the public's help, aberdeen main street, wants to restore that glory.

"it will be a fabulous addition to downtown aberdeen."

As manager of aberdeen main street, ann tackett is leading an effort to buy the historic property.

Where some may see a building in decline, tackett envisions a showplace, with a restaurant and coffee shop on the first floor, and hotel rooms and apartments on the upper floors.

Purchase price is 150 thousand dollars, and tackett is reaching out to the public for tax deductible contributions.

"we did a 25 hundred dollar donation, looking for sixty people to donate 25 hundred , that would give us the 150 thousand , we're pushing on with that, have had some smaller donations, had a monthly donation, whatever works, we will have the property and we will see this through."

A one story addition, currently part of the tombigbee inn, will be torn down to make room for parking and landscaping.

Greg miller, a cpa and treasurer for aberdeen main street works next door to the historic building and he is excited about the potential for the project and what it will mean for the downtown area.

"it would greatly improve the downtown, our town has seen a lot of resurgence lately, had people come and invest and re do the buildings, a lot of our buildings downtown have apartments in them, and we are , hope this will be an asset to the main street community and make our town even more beautiful."

Aberdeen main street hopes to close on the historic parkway hotel by june.

Then they will look for centred up columbus developer chris chain is working with aberdeen main street to develop a renovation plan for the project.

Stinger wx open summary: a stretch of sunny and quiet weather is building in and it will be in place at least through sunday.

Temperatures will be more summer- like for the first weekend of may.

There won't be any weather issues until next week at the earliest.

St.

Tonight: variably cloudy and quiet.

Lows in the upper 40s to lower 50s.

Winds nw 5-15 mph.

Thursday: mostly sunny.

Breezy nw winds 10-20 with higher gusts.

Highs in the upper 60s to lower 70s.

Thursday night: mainly clear, quiet, and cool.

Lows in the mid 40s to upper 40s.

Friday: sunny skies.

Highs in mid to upper 70s.

Lows in the 50s friday night.

Saturday: sunny and warm.

Highs in the lower 80s.

Upper 50s for lows saturday night.

Sunday: mostly sunny and warm.

Highs in the mid 80s.

Next week: temperatures stay in the 80s to start the week.

There will be a chance for a few showers and storms again by late tuesday into tuesday night.

Follow @wcbiweather on facebook, twitter, instagram, and the wcbi news app stinger summary: a stretch of sunny and quiet weather is building in and it will be in place at least through sunday.

Temperatures will be more summer- like for the first weekend of may.

There won't be any weather issues until next week at the earliest.

Tonight: variably cloudy and quiet.

Lows in the upper 40s to lower 50s.

Winds nw 5-15 mph.

Thursday: mostly sunny.

Breezy nw winds 10-20 with higher gusts.

Highs in the upper 60s to lower 70s.

Thursday night: mainly clear, quiet, and cool.

Lows in the mid 40s to upper 40s.

Friday: sunny skies.

Highs in mid to upper 70s.

Lows in the 50s friday night.

Saturday: sunny and warm.

Highs in the lower 80s.

Upper 50s for lows saturday night.

Sunday: mostly stinger could this year's s- e-c media days look differently?

More information on three weeks ago, ole miss announced that all in-person athletics have been suspended until august first however, there's still hope that student-athletes will be welcomed back to campus sooner according to ole miss athletic director keith carter, the goal is to start bringing back student- atheletes by july first right now, ole miss has no plans to move the season opener for football, which is scheduled to be played in houston against baylor on september fifth and carter says the best way to ensure that football season starts on time is aiming to get players back on campus in the summer we have got to get our students back and get them back in shape.

That july 1st date is kind of standing out if we get too far past that it's going to be hard maybe to start on time.

We're looking at some things there, but this thing is so everchanging and evolving, it changes every single day.

We're just trying to think about all scenarios and trying to get students back.

We're going to get them back eventually.

We just have to make sure we're doing it the right way.

I know our students are ready to get back and our coaches are ready to get their hands on them for sure."

The southeastern conference has not released any updated information on when schools can hope to begin practicing specifically on whether or not student-athletes will be allowed back in july or if there will be any changes to the format of s-e-c media days the mountain west conference announcing that its 2020 media days scheduled for july 16th and 17th would be held virtually however, again, nothing official has been announced by the conference on any format changes sec media days is set to take place in atlanta from july 13th through july 16th as people continue to practice social distancing amid the coronavirus outbreak, itawamba community college invented a new way to be active i-c-c created the "in this together virtual 5-k," listen to how simple this is // interested participants joined on social media with the hashtag "in this together 5k" or by joining the events facebook page participants completed a 5-k by either walking or running whether that was on a treadmill or outdoors and then sent in their results finishers were awarded a t-shirt and medal the event started on march 28th and ran through april 24th "it started with two instructors, jesse stevenson and edana nail..they reached out and brought an idea about doing a virtual 5k.

I had never heard of a virtual 5k.

It was an opportunity for our students, faculty and staff to participate in something virtually since we werent going to be on campus and be able to be together.

We just put it out there hoping we'd get fifty maybe seventy-five participants to participate in the 5k.

We had over 235 participants."

"i think we all expected about maybe 50 runners to come out and get involved.

I think it shows how excited our campus is when there is something offered to the students.

I think you could see instructors getting involved.

You could see faculty and staff really encouraging people to get off the couch and find a way to channel all the energy into something really positive.

Here's your good sports new of the day nascar driver ryan newman has been cleared to race again back in february, he was involved in a fiery crash in the final lap of the daytona five hundred.

He was hospitalized for two days with non- life threatening injuries.

Newman says he plans to return to racing once nascar once again resumes last look stinger last look last look last look