WCBI News at Ten - March 19, 2020

WCBI News at Ten - March 19, 2020

2 you've seen school districts sanitizing the buildings, distributing food and lesson plans.

And this announcement extends that time they've have to try and bridge the gap with students.

"i'll be signing an executive order i'm just a few minutes which closes all public schools until april 17."

Governor reeves says it wasn't a decision he made lightly.

"in my nearly 17 years of serving the public, it is perhaps the hardest decision i've ever had to make."

Reeves notes the educational gains mississippi schools have shown in recent years- adding to his difficult decision.

"i am committed how's your governor to not allow anything, including covid-19 to slow that momentum."

But he leaves this warning to families..

"this is not a time to take a vacation...this is a time to continue learning."

The state board of education also needed to meet to address some of the next steps.

For example-will your child have to make up all these days they're missing?

With a vote to approve this item- "approval by the state board of education to allow school districts to operate for less than 180 days as required."

The answer is no- there won't be a need for make up days.

What about the usual end of year tests-those required by both the state and feds?

Again, this action voids that.

"suspension of all tests-state and federal."

There's also a requirement for the state to send a waiver to the us department of education to officially waive those federal requirements.

The board voted to approve the submission of that waiver.

The chairman of the state board of education made note that that they are particularly aware of the impact all these changes could have for seniors.

He says they're hopeful they will be able to get back after this four week period and finish out the school year with some normalcy.

Vo there's another positive case of the coronavirus in our viewing area.... this time it's in winston county.... emergency management leaders are tackling this issue head on and have come up with a plan to respond..

Quentin smith was in winston county and joins us live in the studio with more... scott... it didn't take long for word to spread in winston county that someone tested positive been for the coronavirus..

While we don't know the person's name, we do know that they're in non- critical condition and at home recovering.

In the wake of this positive case... city leaders.... county leaders... and the winston medical center have all come together to form a pandemic team.

They activated a plan where everyday.... leaders from each entity will have a teleconference call to help them track and stay up- dated on what's going on surrounding covid- 19.... as well as looking at what can be done to help prevent it from spreading.

Ema director buddy king says... a critical element in the plan includes residents isolating themselves and practicing social distancing if possible.

King says this is their way of staying proactive and trying to prevent the spread of this deadly virus.

"that's the thing we would like to relay right now, this is the very early going out this outbreak.

The thing that we can do is treat everyone as if they are a potential exposure, that is the whole point of the isolation is for us to treat everyone has potential exposure.

That's why we want people to stay at home and limit their outings, because at this point everyone you coming contact with is a potential exposure."

" the isolation that people need and quarantine people need is very important, that's one of the main things."

Also happening in winston county, the hospital is having a medical drive for patients registered at its four clinics in the area..

Wipe to vo tupelo's mayor jason shelton orders more changes impacting restaurants and other businesses to try to stem the spread of the coronavirus.

All restaurants in the city must limit in house dining to less than 50 percent of the businesses certificate of occupancy, or twenty people at a time.

Come monday, restaurants will be limited to curbside, carryout or to go services.

Restaurant employees will be required to wear latex gloves.

Gas stations, package stores and small retail stores will be allowed to have no more than ten customers inside at one time.

Shelton says the drastic measures must be taken for everyone's health.

"i know this is a huge impact on our local restaurants, what we're trying to do is be mindful of cdc recommendations, be mindful of public health concerns and be proactive, so what we'd really like is a uniform statewide announcement from the department of health giving guidelines for every restaurant in state, until that happens we just have to do the best we can locally and try and protect our community."

The executive order also states that all recreational entertainment facilities, such as skating rinks, bowling alleys and arcades, must be closed from 5 pm friday, until april first.

Wipe to vo coronavirus precautions are touching every facet of daily life, even cashing in on the state lottery.

Starting monday, the mississippi lottery commission is switching to mail- in claims only for certain prize levels.

For prizes under 100 thousand dollars players must now fill out a winner claim form and send it in with the proper identification.

Big winners - 100 thousand dollars and up will still claim their prizes at the lottery corporation offices, but have to make an appointment..

"we already have a policy in effect to claim by mail.

So, any prizes $600 to $99,000 can be claimed by mail.

Any prizes under $600 can be claimed at retail locations.

We currently are getting 30 -41 mail- in claims a week.

We would anticipate that this would probably double, at a minimum.

The information on how to claim prizes is on the back of tickets and at mississippi lottery home dot com..

First look stinger first look an approaching storm system will bring the chance for rain and some rumbles of thunder through the day on friday.

Aside from some morning showers on saturday, much of the day will be dry before more rain moves in for sunday.

Chances for off-and-on showers will continue into next week.

Thursday night: increasing clouds with rain moving in after midnight.

Lows in the mid and upper 60s with a gusty southerly wind.

Friday: rain is likely through the day with a couple of rumbles of thunder possible.

Fortunately, the threat for severe weather is low aside from some gusty winds, but 1- 3?

Of rain is possible.

Temperatures will start out in the mid 70s in the morning before falling into the 60s by the evening.

Winds will switch from the south to the northwest, gusting to 20 mph at times.

Saturday-sunday: morning showers on saturday will give way to a nice afternoon with some peeks of sunshine.

Enjoy it while you can, because more rain is on the way for sunday.

Highs will be in the low to mid 60s with overnight lows near 50.

As the coronavirus spreads more people are trying to work from home, reducing their time in the public// but for first responders, that's not always an option.

Police still have jobs to do, along with correction officers// wcbi's allie martin has more from chickasaw county, where the sheriff oversees two jails.

At the chickasaw county jail and regional correctional facility, the only people coming and going, are staffers.

Nats both jails were closed to the public earlier this week, as the coronavirus spreads .

"it's a heightened sense of alertness right now."

That heightened sense of alertness means all employees are wearing gloves nats and staff and inmates have their temperatures taken on a regular basis.

The sheriff says keeping staff and inmates safe and healthy is the top priority.

"we have a limited staff and we're trying our best to adhere to guidelines of cdc, because if three or four of my deputies get sick we will be real short manpower.

When you are running a jail, the less people you have coming in and out it helps a lot."

Standup bridge "there's not a lot the sheriff can do to reduce the inmate population at the regional jail, those inmates are serving state sentences, but at the county jail, the sheriff has more leeway.

"people that are brought in on misdemeanors, we try and get them out of jail as soon as possible, on a bond and like anything else in our business, we still have to answer calls, arrests are made, but we go through process with judges as far as getting bond set real quick."

Sheriff meyers believes some policies will change after the coronavirus crisis has passed.

For example, the sheriff says he will make sure there is more than enough cleaning supplies, and hand sanitizer, on site.

"we see how fast that can be turned upside down."

In chickasaw county, allie martin, wcbi news the regional jail the regional jail has more than 300 inmates while the county jail typically has anywhere from 40 to 70 inmates.

Vo sot "we will respond like we always do, if you can call it in "we will respond like we always do, if you can call it in and say hey, get a deputy to call us because we need to talk to a deputy, do that, if not we will still respond to your house and we will treat you with all respect and keep doing what we always do.

We're here for the public and we're going to keep you are safe and we want you to keep us safe."

Alexander stresses the importance of residents following guidelines from the cdc to keep everyone safe and healthy..

Stinger wx open an approaching storm system will bring the chance for rain and some rumbles of thunder through the day on friday.

Aside from some morning showers on saturday, much of the day will be dry before more rain moves in for sunday.

Chances for off-and-on showers will continue into next week.

Thursday night: increasing clouds with rain moving in after midnight.

Lows in the mid and upper 60s with a gusty southerly wind.

Friday: rain is likely through the day with a couple of rumbles of thunder possible.

Fortunately, the threat for severe weather is low aside from some gusty winds, but 1- 3?

Of rain is possible.

Temperatures will start out in the mid 70s in the morning before falling into the 60s by the evening.

Winds will switch from the south to the northwest, gusting to 20 mph at times.

Saturday-sunday: morning showers on saturday will give way to a nice afternoon with some peeks of sunshine.

Enjoy it while you can, because more rain is on the way for sunday.

Highs will be in the low to mid 60s with overnight lows near 50.

Monday-thursday: chances for rain will continue into next week.

This doesn't look to be a steady rain, but more off-and-on in nature like we've been used to seeing.

Highs will remain above average with temperatures in the low to mid 80s on thursday.

If you're looking to get outdoors and get some fresh air next week, the best chances of dodging any showers will be on wednesday and thursday.

An approaching storm system will bring the chance for rain and some rumbles of thunder through the day on friday.

Aside from some morning showers on saturday, much of the day will be dry before more rain moves in for sunday.

Chances for off-and-on showers will continue into next week.

Thursday night: increasing clouds stinger the college basketball season came to an abrupt end... we catch up with a standout senior for a look back and a glimpse at his future a little later in sports..

Take scott's so far mississippi has 50 reported cases of covid-19 and one death related to the virus// baptist memorial hospital shares how it's prepared to take care of you in the midst of the outbreak in tonights health talk// no script available stinger tyson carter may have taken his last jumpshot in starkville, but the carter name will be forever a part of bulldogs basketball we sit down with the carter family next in sports... spx the ncaa tournament was supposed to start today... with the abrupt end to college basketball in 2020.....we'll never know if mississippi state would've made a run, and get into the big dance starkville-native tyson carter has taken his final shot inside humphrey coliseum, but it won't be his last wcbi sports' chris bolton sat down with tyson and and his father greg and has more... "...this time its pretty rough because all i've ever known is basketball.

Just kinda got to sit and wait and see what happens, because i don't have basketball right so, just..."

Tyson says he hopes to go into coaching one day when his playing career is over we'll have part two of our series with the carter the ncaa tournament was supposed to start today... with the abrupt end to college basketball in 2020.....we'll never know if mississippi state would've made a run, and get into the big dance starkville-native tyson carter has taken his final shot inside humphrey coliseum, but it won't be his last wcbi sports' chris bolton sat down with tyson and and his father greg and has more... "...this time its pretty rough because all i've ever known is basketball.

Just kinda got to sit and wait and see what happens, because i don't have basketball right so, just..."

Tyson says he hopes to go into coaching one day when his playing career is over we'll have part two of our series with the carter family coming up tomorrow on wcbi sports...