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Thursday, March 28, 2024

WCBI NEWS AT SIX - 07/01/2020

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WCBI NEWS AT SIX - 07/01/2020
WCBI NEWS AT SIX - 07/01/2020
WCBI NEWS AT SIX - 07/01/2020

For the first time in nearly 130 years there is no state flag flying over the mississippi capitol.

Thank you for joining us// the three flags that flew over the building were lowered for the last time this afternoon.

The banners were folded and taken to the museum of mississippi history and the mississippi civil rights museum where lieutenant governor delbert hosemann and house speaker phillip gunn presented them to judge reuben anderson, president of the mississippi department of archives and history board of trustees.

Yesterday, governor tate reeves signed a bill passed by the legislature over the weekend retiring the flag and calling for the design and a creation of a new one.

The mississippi department of health is reporting 653 new cases of coronavirus in the state.

The largest increase in our area is in pontotoc with 44 new cases.

Lafayette county has 13 new cases.

Monroe has 12.

There are nine new coronavirus deaths in the state.

There are almost 28-thousand confirmed cases of the virus in mississippi.

1,082 people have died.

At today's briefing, the governor looked straight into the camera and said - quote - i am begging you.

I am begging all every one of my fellow mississippians to please play your part.

Governor tate reeves says it will take all of us to make a difference.

It's not that our rules are too loose.

It's that our people are not following the simplest of rules.

Additional orders are useless if people do not follow what we have in place now."

Reeves is urging mississippians to follow current guidelines by staying home as much as possible, wearing face coverings in public, and stay away from large gatherings like parties or reunions.

The governor says re-opening the state is paused as he and his advisors are evaluating the next steps.

Agencies in west point team up to give away four thousand masks today.

The giveaway was at the west point police department.

Clay county emergency management and the growth alliance teamed up with officers for the event.

Masks were handed out most of the day.

The mississippi emergency management agency has given thousands of face coverings to counties across the state.

Wipe to vo tuscaloosa will soon join other alabama cities requiring residents to wear masks in public.

The city council approved the ordinance this week.

Face coverings must go over the person's nose and mouth.

As in many other areas of the country,the mask must be worn in all indoor public spaces...this includes stores, bars, and restaurants, and public meeting spaces.

There is a 25 dollar fine for violating the ordinance.

More information will be released tomorrow on when the new law will begin and end.

Wipe to vo the mississippi state university alumni association says it will not host football tailgates this football season.

This only applies to events at the hunter henry center, on campus.

The university has not made any announcement about tailgating that happens in the junction and across campus.

The alumni association says its primary concern is the health and safety of the bulldog family.

It almost seems like zachary's restaurant can't catch a break.... a fire last year and then this year another obstacle... covid- 19.

And with many businesses, each struggle comes with some lessons learned.

Wcbi's bobby martinez joins us live to explain... the saying goes... in life difficult situations can either make or break you..

And covid-19 has been that difficult situation for restaurants across the country..

And here at zachary's... this pandemic has brought the restaurant and the community even closer.... "an early morning fire breaks out at zachary's here in columbus."

They say tough times don't last... but tough people do..

And it would appear zachary's owner doug pellum is as tough as they come.... for the second time in a year... his busines plans were tabled... 'the hardest thing was having to work harder and make less."

Pellum..

Used the quarantine time to get back to the drawing board... and reimagine how he could serve his loyal customers.

"we've had to go out and find other ways to get people in.

Things we've done is add ice cream for kids we've added cotton candy, snowcones.

We got daiquiris to go now.

Quarantine with this whole deal that we had to do, comes added cost.

The gloves that you see all of our employees wear the mask that you see are employees wear.

I spent $2600 the other day for gloves."

Pellum says this time around... all options to gain extra revenue are on the table... "every single day we are thinking what can we do to get that competitive edge.

What can we do that other people aren't doing.

We got to come up with new ideas we got to be open- minded and think outside the box."

Employee heather ford... says covid- 19 has opened her eyes up to a lot things... "patience a lot of patience.

And that sometimes you think is this overkill are we doing this for no reason.

But then you have to realize that there are vulnerable people out there and that if you could protect one person from getting sick by something that you do that it's worth it."

Pellum says the restaurant will continue to have covid-19 precautions in place for the foreseeable future.

Reporting live in columbus bobby martinez wcbi news// take vo off top in monroe county... folks find a special way to remember their family, friends, and neighbors lost in the covid-19 pandemic..

According to the state department of health... there have been 29 deaths in the county..

At today's ceremony... u.s. representative trent kelly's office presented a flag that once flew over the u.s. capitol and a certificate of memoriam honoring those who have passed away..

County leaders say even though they've passed, their lives will never be forgotten.

"it's vitally important most of those people are elderly, and there's so much wisdom that comes from those people.

That's where we gain our wisdom and our knowledge is from these older generations they know so much.

World war ii era folks were our greatest generation."

At least 25 of the 29 people that have died in the county lived in nursing homes.

First look stinger first look heavy rainfall brought flooding to several parts of our viewing area this morning.

Our cash matlock joins us in the studio with more on how emergency responders prepare for the worst.

Cash?

Joey, more than 10 people had to be rescued from their homes this morning in okolona because of rising flood waters.

Emergency management officials say when it comes to flash flooding, it doesn't take long for a situation to become dangerous.

Terry tucker is the okolona fire chief.

He's says over the past 13 years on the job, he's seen his fair share of flooding.

"i've seen streets flood today that i haven't seen flood in 14 years."

But sometimes the flooding doesn't stem from natural causes.

A lot of it has to do with clogged drain pipes.

"people litter.

Throw bags of trash in there, throw tires.

Throw trees that they don't have anything else to do with in there, and it just clogs up."

Meteorologists always tell us turn around don't drown when driving.

Linda griffin with chickasaw county ema says... when walking - that's not always the case.

"we encourage people, if they have to walk through racing water, to not pick their feet up.

Shuffle your feet because that racing water will knock you off your feet."

Griffin says sometimes departments seek help from swift water rescue teams. "we've had a few occassions where we did need a boat.

Not very often in chickasaw county, but we do have some roads that can get dangerous real fast."

"if we need help, then we call monroe county and some of these teams. they've got swift water teams. west point, monroe county, pontotoc, they can come assist if we get into a situation."

And if you find yourself in over your head... tucker say it's best to call for help immediatly.

"just call 911 and get somebody to come help get you out of one or whatever."

For more information on swift water rescue in monroe or clay county, you can visit our website at wcbi dot com.

Take developing story stinger an update to a story we first brought you at midday... two people are killed in monroe county after the vehicle they were in hit an18-wheeler.

The accident happened on highway 45 alternate, just south of egypt road, about 8:45 am.

An 18-wheeler that was hauling a mobile home broke down and it's load was partially in the highway.

State troopers say safety measures were in place, but a truck collided with the big-rig.

Two people were injured.

Monroe county coroner alan gurley says 20 year-old marvin and 23-year-old carlos mendez died at the scene.

The memphis men were not wearing seatbelts.

The driver of the 18-wheeler was not injured.

Mhp continues to investigate the crash.

Stinger some area jails may be getting a little more operating capital from the stae capitol..

We take a look at how could affect the bottom line when regional jails across mississippi house inmates that are in the state prison system.

Several years ago the money they got from the state was cut but that could soon change... if governor tate reeves signs a new piece of legislation.

Wcbi's savannah gaido joins us live in the studio with how one facility is waiting on the state to help its bottom line.

Savannah... joey... winston county sheriff jason pugh has been checking his email most of the day...hoping the bill signed down in jackson.

What happens there could have a big impact up highway 25 and allow taxpayers to keep more of their money.

Many people don't think about the cost associated with operating a jail...food, medical needs, maintenance, and salaries just to name a few.

To help boost its bottom line, the winston-choctaw regional correctional facility contracts with area law enforcement agencies to house their inmates.

"for instance, our regional jail has the capacity to hold more inmates than we usually owe within the county so we have been able to house city prisoners for the city of louisville and recently house for the city of philadelphia and that has helped us keep our bottom line higher than it would have been normally with the state cuts."

The state is currently giving $23 per inmate -- but philadelphia gives $25 for winston to house inmates.

Pugh says that the increase in price will provide the community with lots of benefits.

"the potential for more jobs and use of medical facilities and use of post office facilities, for use of legal facilities.

Theres a lot that has been put into the community provided by a correctional facility."

Senate bill 2936 would boost the state's cost to regional jails up to $29.74.

Without the increase, that means more out of people's pocket "right now, the thing for winston county is that the average tax payer, the person that pays state taxes and pays county taxes, is paying state taxes and is also their county taxes are having to go to their state taxes should be paying for.

So hopefully with the foresight of the senate and the house of representatives, all of those wrongs will be right and i think our friends we will keep you updated on when when govenor tate reeves signs the bill.

Stinger wx open stinger wx open stinger the high school football tour hits double- digits...stop number ten checks in with myrtle...catch the preview next in open the high school football kicks off july with the myrtle hawks the hawks finally have an entire season of division ball out of the way and now look to find more success this season...and finally have a field of their own might help myrtle is stop number ten on the high school football tour áááintro bbááá myrtle football finally has a full season of division play under the hawks belt, and a good one at that.

The hawks finished the 2019 season with a 6-6 overall record.

"the first year in division was big for them," head coach jeremy smithey said.

"they gained a lot of experience out of it, and we're hoping upcoming stops... baldwyn bear cats on thursday... friday...first schedule change..originally east union...now friday we'll preview the amory panthers..

Saturday...mantach ie mustangs sunday the bruce trojans then week three of the tour kicks off with calhoun city...a new era

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