WCBI News at Ten - 07/07/20

WCBI News at Ten - 07/07/20

The city of aberdeen begins a new term ow term of the mayor and board of aldermen.

Thanks for staying up with us tonight.

Voters went to the polls today to decide the mayor and ward 4 alderman races.

And mayor maurice howard wins a second term.

Howard faced a tough challenger from toni reece, but came out about 141 votes ahead according to unofficial numbers.

Carolyn odom wins her first áfullá term on the board of aldermen.

Odom first came to office in a special election to fill out the term of her late husband brunson odom.

"aberdeen, you guys did this.

This was all because of you.

You guys seen a need of the city and you stood, you came out, and you made your voice be heard.

I got a lot of emotions right now.

I got business to take care of tonight you know i've got a board meeting to do tonight.

So, i'm going to have to collect my thoughts and come back and talk to y'all tomorrow but for tonight i'm just happy."

The mayor and board were sworn in tonight after the election results came in.

The columbus city council votes unanimously to adopt a resolution requiring folks to wear a face covering in public// this can be a cloth mask or a plastic face shield// it's expected to take effect this upcoming thursday// council members expressed a lot of concern on the rising numbers of covid-19 saying it was a serious issue// health professionals encouraged the council to require face masks in public// this would require people who go into any restaurant, retail store, or city owned building to wear a masks.

Businesses will also be encouraged to post signs.

City leaders say police can and will issue citations if they have to.

Wipe to vo the city of starkville is also joining this trend..

On a 6 to 1 vote the starkville board of aldermen reinstated requirements that masks or face coverings be worn in all businesses open to the public and when social distancing isn't possible.

This comes just 1 day after oktibbeha supervisors passed a similar measure for businesses and buildings outside of the the city limits.

Ward 1 alderman ben carver was the lone ánoá vote..

We're learning more about a covid outbreak at the capitol ---lt.

Governor delbert hosemann tested positive today.

That means both of your top two legislative leaders have the virus.

And so far---we're told there are 8 confirmed cases and 11 suspected cases linked to the outbreak.

But as courtney ann jackson explains, lawmakers are looking back---saying more could've been done.

Talk of covid-19 was intermingled with discussions of the budget, state flag and other issues at the capitol in the final days of the session.

Rep.

Earle banks says he was on edge about it before the news broke of multiple cases.

"we had several discussions of the fact that there is coronavirus in this chamber.

It has not been exposed yet.

It's here.

But it's here.

It's going to come up and when it does.

It's going to strike with a vengeance.

It was really a free for all in the house as far as i'm concerned."

Sen.

Joey fillingane notes that strict guidelines were in place initially but it was difficult as it was time for floor debates especially.

"scanning everyone's foreheads to check for temperature changes but really beyong that, there were very little mandatory precautions.

We were encouraged to wear masks.

Some did, some didn't.

I did at times.

At other times i didn't."

"when you get that many people into a confined space, it becomes a real petri dish of germs and viruses that we're all sort of exposed to unfortunately."

Fillingane says they knew the risks but were trying to do the work they were elected to complete.

"even those who were wearing the mask pretty religiously, anytime you would go to speak at the microphone, if you didn't remove your masks, hearing was very difficult."

Members like rep.

Jeramey anderson say it's a risky lesson learned.

"my hope is that even outside of this situation we're in that the general public will see this as an opportunity to learn that this thing is real and what we're seeing in the capitol could happen within our communities very fast."

He's also hopeful it will spark a change with statewide guidelines.

"this is day 2.

I'm tracking the days.

This is day 2 of my ask for the governor.

My office will be sending him a letter, an official letter, asking him to consider a mask mandate."

Caj wcbi news 270 people were tested monday at the state capitol, including lawmakers and staff.

They are awaiting those results.

President trump said he wants schools open in the fall, and that local officials who keep them closed are only doing it for political reasons.

This as the nation's top infectious disease expert pushes back on the president's claim of progress in the fight against the pandemic.

Cbs's ben tracy has the latest president trump says when it comes to coronavirus...thin gs are actually getting better.

Deaths are way down from this horrible china virus he clams that despite the rising number of cases, "we have the lowest mortality rate in the world."

But we actually have the sixth highest death rate of the 20 most affected countries according to johns hopkins university.

Dr. anthony fauci says while the death rate has dropped...presiden t trump's argument, which he has made repeatedly in recent weeks, is not a good one.

It's a false narrative to take comfort in a lower rate of death.

There's so many other things that are very dangerous and bad about this virus.

Don't get yourself into false complacency.

At the white house today president trump left no doubt he wiil demand schools reopen nationwide this fall.

We are very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open the schools that's causing concern among some national education leaders.

I dare him to sit in the back of that classroom and breathe the air of those little kids and sit there for seven hours a day, five days a week, and then take whatever they sneezed all over him, back home.

We have to do this right, or people are going to die.

President trump is also under fire from his estranged niece...mary trump.

In her scathing new book...published by simon and schuster a division of viacomcbs...she describes a man with sociopathic tendencies and claims he cheated on his college entrance exam.

Tag: the president's sister...maryanne trump is also quoted as saying the president only goes to church when the cameras are around and that he has no first look stinger first look all over the country, people are participating in blackout tuesday.

Today, black people and allies are encouraged to spend their money at black-owned businesses.éé this movement is to force politicians to end institutional policies and practices leading the deaths and marginalization of black americans.

éé our stephanie poole spoke with two local business owners about the impact.éé every year, african-americans spend nearly 1 trillion dollars at major retailers the blackout tuesday movement was created to give their 'own' businesses a chance for growth in revenue.

" i've always wanted to be an entrepreneur, i've always wanted to own my own business.

" deloris doss owns 3 daughters on main in west point.

She says the journey to opening her doors wasn't easy, but it's the adventure that made it all worth it.

" i came from a family of 14, 7 girls 7 boys and seeing my mom and my dad work and struggle to have things i just motivated me even more to that when i grow up i want to have something on my own.

You know we can go into a restaurant, a black restaurant and eat we can go to a black boutique or a black store, we can do that now so i'm very proud of where we come from."

Doss, along with her 3 daughters, say it's a way to leave their mark in the community.

" it's kind of like a legacy that i wanted to leave with them to show them that you know you don't have to work for anyone you can have your own business,you can own your own business, and you can work it the way you want to work it by putting god first."

Butt sots " i think it's a great opportunity for black owners because it gives everyone a chance to make money and prosper in their business and things.

It encourages other people to start something that they're wanting to do and help the community more."

And that independent spirit is spreading.

" it's just something that god put in my spirit to do this business.

I didn't know a whole lot about it but it learned it, i studied it a lot over a couple of years about it and he just made it happen for me."

Hair 4 u owner steven james says he's had to re- stock his shelves just 3 days after opening.

" we've had a lot of support from a lot of people we've had our city leaders here our mayor and a lot of people came and they supported i think they were waiting on something like that in the black community."

Reporting in the golden triangle,stephanie poole,wcbi news.

This movement has been anticipated on social media for a few months now.

éé celebrities have encouraged people to still support black business even after blackout tuesday.

éé the city may be named after him, but a statue of andrew jackson will no longer stand in front of jackson city hall.

The jackson city council voted 5 to 1 to approve a measure to relocate a statue of the former president..

Leaders said they want to move the statue to another place that is more appropriate.

That location has not been announced.

Jackson was the 7th president of the united states.

But his status as a slaveholder and his treatment of native americans has made some of his statues targets of demonstrators protesting racial injustice in the united states.

Stinger wx open summary: unsettled weather will remain in place through tuesday night with scattered rain and storm chances.

A cold front will sweep out the rain and humidity by mid morning wednesday leaving us with sunny and warm weather for the rest of the week and upcoming weekend.

Monday night: areas of showers will continue but gradually diminish in size and scope.

The threat of an isolated tornado should gradually end during the evening hours but we'll just have to monitor radar trends.

Look for a mild night with lows in the mid 70s.

Breezy se winds between 10 and 25 mph.

Tuesday: mostly cloudy with showers lingering first thing in the day.

A mix of sun and clouds is expected to develop as time goes on but that could lead to a few more showers or storms. highs are going to push 90?

With higher heat indices at times.

Winds ssw 10-20 mph.

Tuesday night: a cold front may spark a line of showers and storms after midnight.

While we can't rule out a few isolated strong storms most spots will not experience anything too rough.

Lows will be in the low to mid 70s.

Wednesday: any rain chance should move east by mid morning allowing sunnier and less humid conditions to build in on the heels of westerly winds.

Highs top out in the mid 80s.

Wednesday night: clear and refreshing.

Lows in the low 60s.

Thursday-monday: mostly sunny to partly cloudy, warm, and dry.

Highs in the upper 80s to around 90 with overnight lows mainly in the low to mid 60s.

Follow @wcbiweather on facebook, twitter, instagram, and the wcbi news app take gfx off top take gfx off top there's a road closing to warn lowndes county drivers about.... wolfe road will be closed from cherokee road to just south of wright road, beginning tomorrow.

The lowndes county road department says a box culvert will be replaced there.

It will take about three months to complete the work.

Drivers should find an alternate route.

Stinger chickasaw county officials urge residents to fill out the census forms. millions of dollars of federal grants are at stake.

We'll have that story coming up on wcbi news.

Take scott's reentry in spite of a slowdown due to the covid-19 outbreak, the 20-20 census is still underway..

T in one north mississippi county, officials are reminding everyone about the importance of being counted and how it can impact the entire area.

The theme for this year's census is "we're counting on you" chickasaw county officials are encouraging all residents to take a few minutes, and fill out the census form.

Millions of dollars in federal grants are at stake and those grants are distributed based on population counts.

Nats census psa early in the year the 2020 census was being promoted heavily at the federal , state and local levels.

Then came covid 19.

"there's so much going on, right now to distract people from that census, we want everybody counted and this emergency management director has big ideas for a small county."

And those big ideas cost money.

That's why chickasaw county ema director linda griffin wants to make sure people know the importance of completing the census.

"our citizens, we want them to have the best emergency response equipment, best trained personnel they can, our county is just as important than those counties that have hundreds of thousands of people."

Millions of dollars in federal funds are at stake, and it all comes down to an accurate population count every 10 years.

And that money has paid for storm shelters, vehicles, infrastructure improvements and even school lunches.

The grants can also attract industrial development.

Houston mayor stacey parker says the census is a unique opportunity every ten years for people to help their community, with very little effort.

"how many people get on facebook, we take time to get on facebook, whether we read, respond or put things on it ourselves, it doesn't take five, ten minutes to fill out a census form, then all you got to do is turn around and mail it in."

So far, the self response rate in chickasaw county for the 2020 census is fifty eight percent.

You can also fill out the census online.

The deadline is extended through october.

In houston, allie martin, wcbi news people can also call in their census information.

Those households that haven't responded will be visited by a census employee .

For more information go to census dot gov.

Stinger the high school football tour heads back into 3a ball...we check-in with the winona tigers when we come back spx open take the man responsible for overseeing alabama football's offense is currently in recovery, according to alabama athletics in a statement from the crimson tide athletic department, offensive coordinator steve sarkisian received heart surgery just last week on july 2nd the procedure was to correct a congenital cardiovasular anomaly that was found in an annual physical required for the coaching staff alabama athletics say, sarkisian is home in tuscaloosa and expected to make a full recovery the high school football tour continues as we go back into 3a to preview the winona tigers.

Coming off an 8-4 record, the tigers look to reload after experiencing key departures.

The tigers are stop number sixteen on the tour.

"practice harder and do what we're supposed to do."

That's the mentality the winona tigers carry into the 2020 campaign.

The tigers are putting in the work now in the weight room to be ready for football on fridays.

"our kids do a good job of working during the off season so we know come season time so we know what we're going to get out of our kids."

One known fact is that the tigers have to move forward without all endzone athlete and now memphis tiger an'darius coffey who accounted for nearly 90% of the team's offense last season.

"we're not trying to replace an'darius.

I'm not trying to ask ja'kevion, our quarterback this year, to be an'darius.

I'm asking him to be ja'kevion.

The team is confident that junior quarterback jayykevion bradley can step in and play his game.

"he's very accurate.

He makes the right reads.

He may not be a good runner like an'darius but i feel he can fill the quarterback spot well."

With the infusion of young talent on this team, both coaches and players are excited about the heights this team can reach!

"most of our skill guys are back.

We're excited.

I tell you.

Our kids have been working hard.

We're ready to see what's going to take place."

"it's fun!

There are so many weapons everywhere!"

Even though winona has new weapons and lost key players, the same standards hold true.

"expectations are always going to be the same at winona.

I promise you."

"they work in and out everyday.

They work hard for us and we'll work hard for them."

The tigers start the season on the road against eupora august 21st.

Reporting in winona on the high school football tour, chris bolton, wcbi sports.

Here's a look at the upcoming stops for any stops that you may have missed along the way you can always check out our website, wcbi.com take gfx off top we had a techncal glitch before the show, so you may have missed tonight's mega millions numbers... so here they are 16 - 20 - 25 - 30 - and 43 mega ball is 18 and the megaplier is 3 times.

Good luck y'all last look stinger last look