WCBI News at Six - Wednesday, August 19th, 2020

WCBI News at Six - Wednesday, August 19th, 2020

Good evening everyone... mississippi university for women says four students in the nursing program test positive for coronavirus// the junior class is shifting to remote learning for the next two weeks// the university says the four students were asymptomatic// it's not believed there's internal spread happening on campus but the university isn't taking any chances// on top of the four positive cases, 71 other students are also under quarantine for 14 days// that quarantine started yesterday.

State health officer doctor thomas dobbs says the state health department is investigating the outbreak at the w.

"we are investigating two outbreaks.

One at ole miss and one at the mississippi university for women.

The one at the w has some trace back to the cotton district in starkville.

Not a big surprise right?

We know when people socialize and get in groups, concentrated, not wearing masks, they're absolutely going to spread coronavirus."

The w has a covid- 19 case tracker on it's website// doctor dobbs did praise the universities for taking an aggressive approach in an effort to get a handle on the crisis// the number of new covid-19 cases in mississippi skyrockets today.

State health officials report one thousand 348 new cases today, along with 36 deaths.

Nearly 11 hundred people are hospitalized with confirmed or suspected coronavirus symptoms. 284 patients remain in i.c.u.

And 163 of them are on a ventilator.

In our region, lee county continues to see the most new cases with 64 today.

Monroe has 25, lafayette 21, pontotoc has 18 and webster has 17.

Intro vo in monitor during a typical school year, teachers teach, coaches coach, and custodians... clean.

But when it comes to stopping the spread of covid-19, everyone is cleaning.

Our cash matlock talks with the starkville oktibbeha school district..

He joins us in the studio with more on how educators are preparing for the start of school.

Joey, classes start monday for starkville students and the staff at sudduth elementary has spent the last few days preparing for students to arrive.

They say they're eager to get the ball rolling, but they want to provide a safe environment for everyone.

For faculty and staff at sudduth elementary, work will begin more than an hour before students arrive.

Each employee is tasked with cleaning a certain area.

"everyone's responsibility this year is to keep the school clean."

"each day our custodians will go through and sanitize the common areas, and then before the students arrive into the classrooms, the teachers will sanitize the classrooms in the morning before the students arrive."

But the cleaning doesn't stop after the bell rings.

"this is going to be like all day, every day, three times a day."

Benjamin randle has been the head custodian at sudduth for 6 years.

He says the most challenging part will be cleaning behind people as they enter the building throughout the day.

"handbars, doorknobs, keeping the bathrooms sanitized four times a day."

Each grade is assigned a certain entrance.

And each entrance has a sanitization station.

------ "when students with the starkville oktibbeha school district get to class, they'll actually pass by this thermal face scanner, which can read their temperature and detect if they're wearing their mask correctly."

------ "these are touchless hand sanitizing stations... that can be used each time they enter the building and in the classrooms while they are sanitzing their hands."

----- sudduth has 6 custodians on staff, but the responsibility of disinfecting the campus doesn't rest on their shoulders alone.

"each classroom is getting, or has, a bucket of wipes that are much like clorox wipes or lysol wipes, but they are filled with a hospital grade sanitizer and disinfectant that they'll be using throughout the day."

"we will wipe down all the desks and any supplies like manipulatives that the kids would use and we do that throughout the day and then of course at the end of the day, a sweep of all the class rooms sanitizing and spray as well."

This school year may be different than before, but faculty and staff members are staying positive.

"sudduth elementary is a safe place to come, and we want our students and our families, and our community to know that."

Vo in monitor educators tell me the hand sanitizer they use is a special non- alcoholic formula that's safe for children who may frequently put their hands in their mouth.

They say they're also swapping out their water fountains with water bottle fillers.

First look stinger first look wednesday night: a few early evening showers are possible otherwise expect a pretty quiet evening and night with partly cloudy skies.

Lows should dip back into the mid to upper 60s.

Winds remain light from the north.

Thursday-friday: variably cloudy, warm, and humid.

Highs in the upper 80s to around 90.

Scattered showers and storms are possible each day with the chance of rain about 60%.

Activity that develops should gradually weaken during the evening hours.

Lows remain in the upper 60s.

Centered the race for tupelo mayor is starting to take shape, nearly a centered the race for tupelo mayor is starting to take shape, nearly a year before the election.

' tupelo chief operations officer don lewis says he plans to run for mayor of the all america city.

Lewis wanted to announce his intent, shortly after current mayor jason shelton said he would not seek a third term.

Lewis will run as a republican and believes some people will make an issue out of him working for an outspoken democrat mayor.

However, lewis says party politics doesn't play a role in the day to day business of the city.

"a lot of the things we're working on with the city now, with the administration, city council are things that are bi partisan, they are things that we want to push forward for the city, but there are those who may question the fact , you work with a democrat, but again, we don't ask whether you are republican or democrat when you are working for the city."

Lewis will officially announce his candidacy in lewis will officially announce his candidacy in january.

The race for tupelo mayor could get crowded without an incumbent.

A lifelong resident of the all america city knows first hand about the demands and challenges the office brings.

Wcbi's allie martin has that story.

When jack reed junior ran for mayor in 2009 he won with 70 percent of the vote.

Although he served only one term before devoting his full attention to the family business, reed says the next mayor of tupelo will face many challenges and opportunities.

"it's a hard job, if you want to accomplish some things, you have got to really work at it."

Reed says hard work is vital, whether you are running a business or running a city government.

Reed's administration helped start initiatives that are still in place today, such as neighborhood revitalization, racial harmony, strong relations with public schools and more physical fitness opportunities.

Reed says it's important for candidates to have a clear vision for tupelo's future.

"i'm not really interested in somebody making a lot of promises, more interested in what is their vision for tupelo, and i'm looking for people who are for things, not against things, people who run because they are mad about something, that's fine for the coffee club but that's not going to move a city, or state or country ahead."

The former mayor also knows that criticism is part of the job and no elected official will ever have a one hundred percent approval rating.

However, he says it is encouraging to hear from those who support a decision or a policy.

"you might get a little pat on the back at church, saying, good job on that aquatic center, 12 million dollar aquatic center, that's a big deal but social media may have three or four people rip you, saying what a waste of money they thing is."

Reed also says it's important for the mayor to promote unity by listening to everyone, from city council members, business owners and residents.

"before the council and i got together i had them at my house for supper, said, what would make you a hero in your ward four years from now, in other words, what do you hope to accomplish in your vision that i can help you do, and then i told them, here are the things i'm looking for in the city."

When reed ran for mayor, he compared it to applying for a job.

The former mayor says candidates will have a chance to convince voters their qualifications and skills make them the right person for the job.

In tupelo, allie martin, wcbi news candidates can start qualifying for the mayor's race in january.

The election takes place in june.

Stinger one county says it's short over stinger one county says one county says it's short over two dozen one county says it's short over two dozen volunteer fire fighters.

Coming up next, why they're looking for more people.

A north mississippi volunteer fire department says it's in need of volunteer fire fighters// the department is looking for people who want to be part of something bigger and be a service to the community they serve.

Wcbi's savannah gaido travels to webster county and shares why the county says they're a little short handed// the county has nine volunteer fire departments and only 150 volunteer fire fighters.

In the event of an emergency, a certain number of volunteers are needed to respond.

For that reason, they'd like to find 50 more volunteer fire fighters// ánat popá that is the sound of an emergency dispatch from a volunteer fire department in webster county.

Webster county ema director barry rushing says right now, the need for more volunteers is crucial.

"we are in terribly need of firefighters."

When responding to a scene, rushing says they need six to eight volunteers to get the job done.

Most volunteer fire fighters have other jobs.

Top that with not enough volunteers, only half of the number of people needed at an emergency situation show up.

"everyone has jobs and when people are on their job and they get a call, most employers will not let that person leave their job to respond to a fire."

When there isn't enough people to assist, rushing says they start calling in neighboring fire departments.

"there has been a time where i have called to different fire departments, and you dispatch to all the ones you have access to, then you go to counties."

Deputy fire coordinator tom booth says there's nott always a lot of interest from people wanting to join.

Something than can hinder the time it takes to get you the help you need.

"you've got someone that is in need and you're having to make the call and a lot of times you will have to rely on other neighboring fire departments to come out and assist with personnel."

Though it's a tough job, booth says it's also one that's rewarding.

"a wonderful experience.

If you have never been apart of anything like this, it is something like you could never imagine.

It is a family, it is a comrodery, something like you could never imagine until you become a part of it."

If you are interested in volunteering, we will have more information on our website at wcbi.com off top before there was a main street columbus, there was george irby.

Irby won the trailblazer award today from the mississippi main street association.

Irby, a long-time board member, has been active in planning and marketing downtown...includi ng the columbus riverwalk.

He also worked as the administrator for the federal grant program for columbus.

Stinger 2-shot weather open summary: scattered showers and storms are likely thursday, friday, and perhaps into saturday as an upper level disturbance drifts through the region.

Rain chances will lower a bit by sunday but return early next week.

We're still monitoring 2 tropical disturbances in the atlantic basin that could impact parts of the southeast sometime next week.

Wednesday night: a few early evening showers are possible otherwise expect a pretty quiet evening and night with partly cloudy skies.

Lows should dip back into the mid to upper 60s.

Winds remain light from the north.

Thursday-friday: variably cloudy, warm, and humid.

Highs in the upper 80s to around 90.

Scattered showers and storms are possible each day with the chance of rain about 60%.

Activity that develops should gradually weaken during the evening hours.

Lows remain in the upper 60s.

Saturday: partly cloudy with a 40% chance of showers and storms. highs in the upper 80s to around 90.

Sunday: sun & clouds.

An isolated shower or storm can't be totally ruled out but rain chances are 20% or less.

Highs climb back into the low 90s.

Early next week: seasonably warm and humid conditions with highs in the low 90s and a daily 30% chance of passing showers and storms. lows in the lower 70s.

Tropics: there are two items of interest that are being watched.

One stinger only two stops to go on the high school football tour...see the preview with starkville, next in sports spx open sad news out of tupelo this morning t-c-p-s head football coach shaune holiday announcing on twitter that assitant football and track coach rob barnes has died due to covid- 19 barnes was well known in the tupelo area for training young athletes for over 20 years, specifically working on speed barnes had been battling covid-19 for two weeks before succumbing to the virus...he was 65 years old tcps head football coach shaune holiday talked about coach barnes' legacy..

"rob was a father figure.

He was a motivator.

He was a mentor.

Coach rob was so much more than a coach for me and for these young men out here.

A lot of these kids haven't really dealt with loss before.

Then to lose someone who meant so much to you like coach rob, who you saw everyday at practice and you did different things with on the weekend during football season, it's been a really tough day.

But the guys knew that coach rob would want them to keep going so that's been the mentality for the day."

A candlelight vigil will be held in barnes honor friday at 8 pm at robins field in tupelo we're nearing the end of the high school football tour with stop number 59....the starkville yellow jackets.

After falling one win short of a state title game appearnace, head coach chris jones and the swarm enter 2020 ready to sting all opponents in sight.

The starkville yellow jackets enter the 2020 campaign looking to play hard and sting harder!

Last season, starkville fell one game short of the 6a state championship game after losing to rival oxford in the north half final.

Now the team has one word in mind!

"finishing.

Everyday we're trying to preach and make sure that we finish.

Finishing our drills.

Finishing team stuff.

Just on a day-to-day grind making sure we understand the importance of finishing."

"you got to finish strong.

We always get to the playoffs and fall short.

You got to play all 4 quarters.

You can't just play the first and second quarters.

You got to play all four."

The yellow jackets lose key playmakers from both sides of the ball including the team's interception leader khiry gee and endzone offensive player of the year and mississippi state bulldog rufus harvey!

But this is starkville.

Head coach chris jones is excited for the guys he has now to step up and showcase what they can do.

"a lot of the kids got lost i want to say cause we didn't have a spring so we have some kids that are under the radar that can really play.

They just need the opportunity right now."

"a lot of the young guys from last year are really stepping up.

We've worked really hard this summer.

Even before school got out, we were making sure to always work hard.

These guys have been around this system for awhile and i think we're going to shock a lot of people with the weapons we have."

But starkville does return some known faces who will have a strong say in how far this team goes.

Returning tackles and sacks leader keyshawn lawerence leads a stingy defense and florida state commit, quarterback luke altmeyer calls the shots on o.

However, jones says it's going to take more than one player to reach their ultimate goal.

"he should do a good job.

He got a great supporting cast.

He got kids around him that can play.

I think he understands more so now than ever that it takes all eleven.

I can play, but i need all eleven guys on board.

I think he understands as a quarterback i need everybody on board i have to use all my pieces.

At the end of the day, i can't do it by myself."

"you learn a lot as you play and get more reps.

I've had a lot of reps through my career.

I've been here for four years now.

I've learned a lot and i'm ready to be the best i can be."

The jackets have embraced the tradition of a program that's won six state titles and hope this season is the one where they create their own legacy.

"we have to do what we need to do so that we can be a part of that elite tradition.

So we can have that conversation with your uncles, and cousins, and all the people who won before."

"this year we lost a lot of our seniors, but i expect with most our people we have coming back, we know the scheme of football."

"with our senior leaders and the talent we have, coaching staff we have, we'll be fine.

We've been doing this for a long time.

We're ready."

Starkville kicks off the season september 4th hosting rival west point.

With the yellow jackets on the high school football tour, chris bolton wcbi sports.

When we return...chief meteorologist keith gibson will have morsels of forecast for you thursday friday.

Also early next week.

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