WCBI News at Six - 05/21/2020

WCBI News at Six - 05/21/2020

Thank you for joining us..

A columbus business is taking the city to court..

The owner of "golden glow tanning salon" claims the city of columbus caused harm to his business by adding tanning salons to a list of so called "non essential" businesses that had to close over covid 19 concerns.

Attorney jim waide says mississippi governor tate reeves never mentioned tanning salons in any of his executive orders, which closed businesses he believes the city over stepped its authority.

Waide says the city should be responsible for income lost by the business during the forced shutdown.

"the nature of this virus is it is potentially returning, you turn on cable news they going to tell you we likely to have to shut down a month from now, does that mean they can go in and close whatever business they want to close a month from now because they have had another scare and so it's a permanent taking of the property in that sense because a businessman now has to say, ' at anytime they may close my business down."

Earlier this month, waide filed a similar lawsuit against the city of starkville on behalf of a gym owner.

Wipe to vo on the coast, many casinos reopened this morning..

There was a line at the golden nugget when doors opened at 8 a-m.

But things look a little different inside..

Golden nugget employees are required to wear masks and machines have been spaced out.

There are also signs to remind guests to follow new guidelines.

Employees are excited to see customers again.

"well we are tired for one, because the order came down last friday, we kind of knew something was coming so we got started a little but we've been in high gear since last friday morning and we are tried but we are ready after two months.

" most casinos on the coast did reopen today.

One noticeable exception is the beau rivage.

Alabama governor kay ivey amends her safer-at-home order.

Entertainment venues, educational institutions, summer camps, child daycare facilities and athletic activities can all begin to reopen.

All must follow social distancing and sanitation guidelines and rules.

"we can not sustain a delayed way of life as we search for a vaccine.

There are many viruses we live with have worked necessary precautions into our daily lived.

Similarly, it is time that we move forward and farther open our state and live with the new normal of incorporating covid-19 precautions into our routine."

The changes begin tomorrow evening and continue until july third.

As businesses open after the extended shutdown to stop the coronavirus from spreading, furniture makers are reopening their production lines..

Allie martin checked in with a locally owned company to see how things are going as part of a new normal for the industry.

Trucks are waiting to move product out at behold washington furniture.

The pontotoc plant was shut down for more than a month because of concerns over covid 19, but now workers are back on the job, and demand is high.

From the front office nats to production lines nats face masks are now mandatory for employees at behold washington furniture.

Like other manufacturers, the furniture maker is following cdc guidelines as it resumes production.

"we're taking precautions needed to keep our workers safe."

John beard is vice president of sales for "behold washington."

The company operates two factories, one in pontotoc, and another in smithville.

When covid 19 related shutdowns began, the furniture industry was booming.

Many retailers closed during the shelter in place orders, and furniture was not coming off the line.

But beard says demand is high, as consumers are ready to shop with stimulus checks and tax refunds.

"we had a lot of momentum going into the pandemic, so naturally, our momentum going into the pandemic is what helped us coming out of the pandemic."

Employees at behold washington were furloughed during the shutdown, so they could collect unemployment benefits.

Beard says the team members are all being called back to meet big demand from retailers.

"our manufacturing area is air- conditioned, it's well lit, it's a very good work environment, we are one week away from being at full capacity."

Employees at behold washington furniture are no strangers to adversity.

The building behind me replaced an older structure destroyed by fire two years ago, workers say they're glad to be back on the job providing for their families and making furniture for customers nationwide.

In pontotoc allie martin wcbi news by next week, all 425 employees will be back on the job at behold washington furniture.

Take vo off top farmers and ranchers impacted by covid-19 can now apply for financial assistance.... the coronavirus food assistance program is providing 19 billion dollars in relief money to agricultural producers in the state... a commodity must have suffered at least a 5 percent price decline.... or faced losses due to market supply chain disruptions... eligible commodities include livestock... dairy... fruits..

And vegetables..

The u-s department of agriculture will begin accepting applications on may 26th at farm service agency offices..

For more information go to our website wcbi dot com..... vo wipe to vo the institutions of higher learning wants students back on campus at mississippi's eight public universities.

Today, trustees passed a resolution announcing its intention to have the schools resume traditional operations this fall.

Ihl leaders want universities to offer as many as in-person classes as possible, while adhering to recommendations from health experts.

The safe start task force created by the commissioner of higher education is developing a system-level plan for starting and completing the upcoming fall semester.

The cdc has released reopening guidelines for schools// on school buses, only one child per seat is allowed and students should skip a row to promote social distancing.

In classrooms, desks must be six feet apart.

Children must stay with the same teacher or staff member for the duration of the day.

It's mandatory schools clean and disinfect all areas used by students and staff - every day.

The day.

The superintendent for the noxubee county school district says his district is working to make sure students stay protected when they return in the fall.

" a couple of things that were looking at our elementary and schools framework would be what is parent pickup going to look like?

What is lunch going to look like, the cafeteria going to look like?

How will we be able to tell if students have symptoms of covid- 19 or teachers.

Every day we are disinfecting every single office, classroom every single day teachers are here.

" the complete guidelines will be up on our website w-c-b-i dot com// first look stinger first look summary: humidity and heat are coming back with a vengeance starting friday.

Summer-like conditions will be with us all weekend long and next week.

The trade off will be daily chances of rain and storms. thursday night: variably cloudy with the chance of a shower or storm as a warm front moves from south to north across the area.

Much warmer lows in the mid 60s.

Winds sse 2-6 mph.

Friday: partly cloudy, warm, and noticeably more humid.

A 20-30% chance of showers or storms. highs in the mid to upper 80s.

Winds ssw 5-15 mph.

Memorial day weekend starts friday and with the state easing up on some covid-19 restrictions more people are ready to hit the roads..

Bobby martinez joins us live with more on what law enforcement is doing to keep the roads and travelers safe..

Memorial day weekend...... it's the unofficial start of summer and one of the busiest weekends of the year... for travelers áandá law enforcement..

Area departments have an extra challenge this memorial day - keeping drivers safe on the roads and their officers and the public safe from covid-19 "it is a challenge and it is the first time we've had any events where a lot of people want to get out."

Winston county sheriff jason pugh will have his hands full this memorial day.

The holiday weekend could be like no other... mainly because covid-19 has had many people staying close to home - now they're ready to venture out.

Sot - jason pugh - winston county sheriff "i asked our citizens to remember to do things that are safe.

You know these numbers are still not good in the state.

To try to social distance and do things that they need to do to say safe.

My guys will be out in force just like they are every memorial day weekend nothing changes there.

Deputies will be out friday night saturday night and sunday night."

With curfew in winston county from 9 p.m.

To pugh says he hopes that will help cut down on the amount of crime..

"that is for the protection of personal property.

You know we are not necessarily out trying to get a guy going to work or get the guy to have to do this or an emergency or something like that.

What we are more concerned about and have been since the beginning is people that are looking to break it to businesses that are closed."

But there's another concern - crowds..

"i feel like there will be a lot of families congregating.

A lot of barbecue.

A lot of that sort of thing.

A lot of people heading to the river and places like that.

Obviously you see some drinking and you know that's a common memorial day weekend problem that you see some people drinking."

So if you are planning to head out this memorial day weekend.

Make sure you are aware of the health guidelines at your destination before leaving home..

Reporting live - bobby martinez - wcbi news... stinger-sot take continuing coverage stinger lowndes county deputies are asking for your help finding a missing man.

45-year-old michael jones was last seen leaving the airport road and industrial park road area early wednesday morning.

Investigators say he was last known to be driving a gray 1993 ford ranger truck.

Jones is five foot - seven inches tall.

He weighs about 220 pounds, has a full beard and bald head.

Deputies believe jones would have been on the way to his home in the new hope road area.

If you know where jones is, call the sheriff's department of golden triangle crime stoppers.

To vo ,wipe to vo the girlfriend of a man killed in an oxford shootout is facing several federal charges.

The u.s. attorney's office says 23- year-old xaveriana cook is charged with transportation of stolen firearms, possession of stolen firearms, and aiding and abetting the attempt to kill an officer of the united states while acting in the line of duty.

Cook's boyfriend, hunter carlstrom, was killed in a shootout with law enforcement in oxford on may 15th after law enforcement tried to pull the couple over.

A u.s. marshal was shot in the gun battle.

Carlstorm was wanted for a homicide in arkansas that allegedly happened on may 5th.

The duo had been staying with acquaintances in mississippi.

Cook was denied bond and remains in jail.

Stinger an area educator is calling it a career..

We look at her special send-off when we come back..

The selection for a tupelo's annual reading program features a book written by a pow in the vietnam war.

"tap code" is the selection for this year's "tupelo reads" program.

It was written by sara berry, along with colonel smitty harris and his wife louise.

The book chronicles colonel harris' eight years as a prisoner of war in vietnam.

His wife also tells about raising their children at their tupelo home, unsure of her husband's fate.

In the 10 years of "tupelo reads' this is the first time a tupelo author has been featured.

"initially we were interested in getting it out for our kids and grandkids, so on, but lots of people got interested in it, by word of mouth and every other way, had pretty wide circulation, in first several months it surpassed initial printing."

"the story is so inspiring, and when we hit the global pandemic, we thought, what great characteristics the book embodies, for all times, but especially for a time like now when we are going through hard circumstances "natural sound colonel harris and his wife, along with co author sara berry, will visit students at tupelo high school .

There will also be a lunchtime event september 30th at the lee county library.

The book is available at the library, or reed's gumtree bookstore.

,wipe to vo an aberdeen teacher is retiring after more than three decades in the classroom.

Fellow teachers and staff at aberdeen elementary honored katrina walker with a drive-through retirement celebration.

Family, colleagues, and friends drove by with gifts and well wishes for walker.

The kindergarten teacher has been at aberdeen elementary for 33 years.

She's been teaching for a total of 35 years.

She says a lot has changed.

We have more technology and more involvement with technical things.

But when i started we had no technology.

I think we worked like ten years before we had our first computers.

So you really have to pretty much keep technology in front of them in order for them to be engaged as well as entertained.

Walker says she hopes to take advantage of all her new free time once the threat of the coronavirus passes.

Wx open summary: humidity and heat are coming back with a vengeance starting friday.

Summer-like conditions will be with us all weekend long and next week.

The trade off will be daily chances of rain and storms. thursday night: variably cloudy with the chance of a shower or storm as a warm front moves from south to north across the area.

Much warmer lows in the mid 60s.

Winds sse 2-6 mph.

Friday: partly cloudy, warm, and noticeably more humid.

A 20-30% chance of showers or storms. highs in the mid to upper 80s.

Winds ssw 5-15 mph.

Saturday-monday: partly cloudy, warm, and humid.

A daily 30-40% chance of scattered rain and storms. any storm could produce lightning, gusty breezes, and torrential downpours this time of year so have a backup plan in case one finds your location.

Highs stay in the upper 80s to around 90 with lows in the mid to upper 60s.

Follow @wcbiweather on facebook, twitter, instagram, and the wcbi news app stinger racing fans get the chance to see it live this weekend...more summary: humidity and heat are coming back with a vengeance starting friday.

Summer-like conditions will be with us all weekend long and next week.

The trade off will be daily chances of rain and storms. thursday night: variably cloudy with the chance of a shower or storm as a warm front moves from south to north across the area.

Much warmer lows in the mid 60s.

Winds sse 2-6 mph.

Friday: partly cloudy, warm, and noticeably more humid.

A 20-30% chance of stinger racing fans get the chance to see it live this weekend...more information on that when we come back spx open high school sports can officially return to the twin states both the alabama and missisisppi high school athletic associations announcing that teams can resume athletic activites starting june 1st however, this decision comes with restrictions the m-h-s-aa won't allow inter-squad summer competition such as summer league basketball or 7-on- 7 football teams will also be required to follow orders handed down by the state and local government for more information on restrictions, visit our website at wcbi.com after taking time to explore options in the n-b-a, mississippi state forward abdul ado reportedly will return to play his senior season for the bulldogs ado threw his name into the 2020 draft back in april without hiring an agent, allowing him to receive feeback from scouts and keep his final year of eligibility ado averaged 6 points, 7 rebounds and 2 blocks for m- s-u this past season after spending the last 2 months closed, the magnolia motor speedway is ready to open back up the speedway hosted it's first race since the late march shutdown last weekend and now are opening it back up to fans spectators will be allowed to come out fo rthe 602 sportsman world championship during memorial day weekend the race includes 60 entries and the fatest 26 make it to sunday speedway owner johnny stokes says people are ready to attend "i haven't heard anybody that was nervous.

We're going to do our social distancing.

We've got big ol' stands.

We asks folks if they're with their families or group they're around to sit with that group.

If you're not, sit six feet apart.

We park all around the speedway.

Cars can park all around there, and people can sit in their car and watch.

So i think it's going to be okay.

We've had a lot of fans ready to come to the races."

Last look stinger last look last look last look last look