WCBI NEWS AT SIX - 06/18/2020

WCBI NEWS AT SIX - 06/18/2020

Fall out continues after the racial remarks made by the president of the lowndes county board of supervisors, harry sanders.

Thank you for joining us... district 2 supervisor trip hairston says sanders said he will ánotá resign// as for the board, hairston says their hands are tied.

Supervisors can vote to remove sanders as the president but cannot vote to remove him from the board.

Sanders would have to resign or be recalled by the people in his district.

Hairston today is calling for a special called meeting to vote to remove sanders as the board president and to move the statue...but not all board members are on board with a special called meeting// meeting// 2 there is no time frame for gathering information or making a decision on the school's name and mascot.

"the confederate imagery..

I want it gone."

Currently the caledonia confederates..

Is a mascot name that is offensive to some families who send their children to school in caledonia ... a facebook group called - everything caledonia... has been the home to a heated discussion.... sot - caledonia parent "we are getting some support from the people that are locals but we are getting a lot a lot of pushback.

A lot of people are trying to tell us that you know, we don't know what we're talking about, we're not from here, our opinions really shouldn't really matter the same way the rest everybody else's opinions matter."

And on the agenda at thursday's lowndes county school board meeting.

Board members reviewed concerns and opinions on the confederate mascot.

School board superintendent sam allison says it is important to gather as much information before making a final decision..

Sot - sam allison - lowndes county school district superintendent "i think as a district and talking with the board members from caledonia.

We felt that the best next steps will be to gather information.

And that's not to say that the people that have not spoken are right or wrong, is to say that we just want to have all the information before a decision is made."

While residents in caledonia wait for a final decision..

This parent wants to make one thing clear... "we are not trying to divide anybody.

Like that's what is kind of being pushed out.

People that's looking at our group from the outside looking in.

We want everything to be inclusive."

Cont vo..

Allison also says the school board will continue to hear from residents moving forward... state college leaders vote to approve the relocation of a confederate monument on the ole miss campus.

Trustees on the institutions of higher learning board made the move this morning.

The statue is currently at the front of the circle on university avenue and has been there since 1906.

It will be moved to the university cemetery.

Various campus groups voted to ask to have the monument moved and it was requested by the chancellor.

The measure was tabled in january and approved today.

It was not released when the statue will be moved.

Our stephanie poole will have reaction from campus on wcbi news at 9 on cw and wcbi news at 10... whether it's insensitive comments made by an elected official, or a debate on whether to remove confederate statues and the confederate emblem from the state flag, controversial topics are continuing to emerge in the magnolia state.

These hot topics can concern for business leaders looking to come into the state.

Our quentin smith joins us live in the studio with more on the impact these issues can have an economic development.

Yea joey... for some companies....the confederate emblem on the flag is a turn off..

And it played a factor in them not to bringing their business here to mississippi.

This is an issue the state has been dealing with for years... and many believe it will continue to be an issue until the state adopts a new flag..

Nat dirt moving...and construction crews hard at work..... these are sights and sounds cities love to see, and it usually means a new business is coming to town.

But there's one image that could potentially affect those businesses from moving in..... " if you care and say you are pro business in mississippi, i don't see how you can support the present flag."

Jeffrey rupp served as mayor of columbus in the early 2000s and says even then, the state flag was a concern for businesses looking to locate in the magnolia state.

" i know when i was mayor and we were competing with other states for industry, they were described to our newspapers, they would go online and see what the tv station was reporting.

This stuff have an impact."

Rupp believes the confederate emblem impacts the states ability to attract new businesses and help with economic growth..

" i don't think that the flag itself is enough of a reason to keep someone from coming here, but economic development is such a competitive landscape and mississippi has so many disadvantages as far as small population, rural, not a lot of resources, why we we'd want to give ourselves any additional disadvantage is beyond me."

Now, rupp works in the college of business at mississippi state.

He works with entrepreneurs who want to start up new businesses.

One of msu's goals is to get business owners to stay in the state, but rupp understands how much of a challenge that's going to be moving forward.

" the flag doesn't make it any easier.

Two of our latest million dollar startups are minority owned companies.

How do you tell them oh, the flag is ok?

It matters."

That's why rupp believes adopting a new flag could help the state become more attractive economically, and would cast out what many are calling a negative shadow " the fact that we are talking about it today tells you that it's not going to go away.

It is not a matter of if two of the states top economic development agencies have recently called for new flag due to the impact it'll have on economic development... an organizer of a recent unity march says he is hopeful the event will lead to continued dialogue and a blueprint for constructive change.

Geoffrey dilworth helped organize the unity march last saturday in amory.

Hundreds of people showed up at frisco park, for a time of discussion, music and prayer.

Dilworth said it's good to hear from people with different views on race related issues, but he says further action is necessary in the long term.

"we will have to have difficult conversations, it's going to make some people uncomfortable, but it has to happen, have to address it, can't dance around it, have to address it head on , and i believe having events that bring us together will help us understand one another."

Dilworth says there will be future events to help foster meaningful dialogue and change.

First look stinger summary: summer officially begins saturday and the first weekend of the new season is sure going to look and feel like it.

Highs will zoom back into the low to mid 90s with rain chances remaining low.

Higher odds of scattered storms return to the region early next week.

Thursday night: becoming clear and quiet.

Lows in the mid 60s.

Calm wind.

Friday: bright sunshine to start with puffy cumulus clouds developing during the day.

A stray shower/sprinkle is possible but odds of rain are 10% or less.

Highs should be around 90 with variably winds 5-10 mph.

A portion of a busy east columbus road will close for a bridge repair.

Crews will begin repairing the bridge on lehmberg road, near the intersection of highway 50, on monday.

It will take approximately two weeks to complete the work.

Detour signs will be in place sending northbound drivers down west lehmberg road.

It's believed debris from flood waters caused most of the deterioration.

Engineers found the damage, which needs to be repaired immediately.

"a few weeks ago the city of columbus was made aware by the state aide engineer's office that the bridge on lehmberg had one piling that had some deterioration on it and the whole bent was really in decay, to some degree, to the point that it needs to be repaired.

So, the city went into action immediately and obtained two quotes to get that repaired.

It's the same type of repair we had to do on this bridge in 2016."

The work is expected to be complete on july 6th.

A monroe county city is seeing strong economic activity, in spite of covid 19 related shutdowns.

Work is underway on several new businesses in amory, and the most recent sales tax revenues are stronger than last year during the same time.

The director of amory main street says the city is thriving because "shop local" is more than just a catchy phrase.

"i have inquiries weekly about people interested in coming downtown, and coming to amory and we have a lot of good things going, a nice coffee shop, a couple of new restaurants and we have several really good boutiques and shopping places, amory is becoming a place where people want to eat, shop and play."

The amory railroad festival was cancelled over covid 19 concerns, but "crusin amory" is set for july 25th.

That event draws thousands of people to the city.

Stinger an area university announces plans for students to return to campus áandá they'll get to start christmas vacation early..

Details when we come state auditors claim the mississippi department of education did not maintain an office of dropout prevention.

In 2006, the state legislature voted to create the office.

State auditor shad white's office claims odp has not had a director, which is required by law, since 2009.

The agency created a statewide dropout prevention plan but auditors claim employees listed as being responsible for the prevention were not aware of the plan.

Mde also reportedly changed the way graduation rates are calculated by no longer counting "repeaters," or students who needed to repeat 12th grade.

Auditors claim this skewed the state's graduation rate.

Centred up mississippi university for women will bring students back to campus august 17.

The w announced its modified fall schedule today.

The semester will end november 24th, prior to the thanksgiving holiday.

Under the new guidelines, the traditional fall break for students will be eliminated.

Definite plans have not been announced for future large gatherings, which includes fall graduation.

Wx open summary: summer officially begins saturday and the first weekend of the new season is sure going to look and feel like it.

Highs will zoom back into the low to mid 90s with rain chances remaining low.

Higher odds of scattered storms return to the region early next week.

Thursday night: becoming clear and quiet.

Lows in the mid 60s.

Calm wind.

Friday: bright sunshine to start with puffy cumulus clouds developing during the day.

A stray shower/sprinkle is possible but odds of rain are 10% or less.

Highs should be around 90 with variably winds 5-10 mph.

Friday night: clear and calm.

Lows in the upper 60s.

Saturday: mostly sunny to partly cloudy and warm.

Highs in the low to mid 90s.

Saturday night: partly cloudy.

Lows around 70.

Sunday: sun & clouds.

A 20% chance of pop-up showers and storms during the heating of the day.

Highs in the low to mid 90s.

Next week: scattered storms will return monday with the chance continuing at least through thursday.

The most coverage could occur tuesday but we'll just have to wait and see.

Highs will be in the low 90s to start off the week with cooler 80s returning by wednesday.

Summary: summer officially begins saturday and the first weekend of the new season is sure going to look and feel like it.

Highs will zoom back into the low to mid 90s with rain chances remaining low.

Higher odds of scattered storms return to the region early next week.

Thursday night: becoming clear and quiet.

Lows in the mid 60s.

Calm wind.

Friday: bright sunshine to start with puffy cumulus clouds developing during the day.

A stray shower/sprinkle is possible but odds of rain are 10% or less.

Highs should be around 90 with variably winds 5-10 mph.

Friday night: clear and calm.

Lows in the upper 60s.

Saturday: mostly sunny to partly cloudy and warm.

Highs in the low to mid 90s.

Saturday night: partly cloudy.

Lows around 70.

Sunday: sun & clouds.

A 20% chance of pop-up showers and storms during the heating of the day.

Stinger a historic football game is coming for the state of mississippi... the details on the s-e-c vs swac matchup, next in sports... spx open for the first time in the history of ole miss football....a hbcu football program will take on the rebels inside vaught hemingway stadium ole miss and alcorn state scheduling a meeting in oxford for september 9th, 2028 alcorn state will also be the first swac opponent rebels football will have faced both athletic directors are excited to be a part of history "for us and our state, we want to make sure we're going to have those matchups.

I think the hbcu matchup is something that's long overdue.

That's something derek and i have talked about.

Obviously derek has ties to ole miss.

Great rebel, played basl here, and a dear friend.

Just something that we thought made a lot of sense, and just thankful we were able to find that date in 2028 to make it happen."

"it's so important for institutions in the state to compete against each other, and i'm so happy to be able to develop this relationship and opportunity with my dear friend keith carter.

Keith carter is a long time member of the ole miss family, being an athlete when i worked there.

Being an administrator, having the opportunity to work with him to put this together was so important.

In the past years, i've had conversations with different adminstrators, but keith was the cog and the key for this important game."

In more college football scheudling news, the alabama crimson tide and ohio state buckeyes have agreed to a home and home series for 2027 and 2028 2027 will be in columbus ohio, 2028 in tuscaloosa the two have met four previous times, with the last being ohio state's 42-35 win in the 2015 sugar bowl current tennessee titan, and former mississippi state bulldog and noxubee county tiger jeffery simmons is giving back to his hometown the nfl first round pick is hosting a football camp at noxubee county high school on friday july 10th, and saturday july 11th those interested can register at jefferysimmons.co m area hirings around north mississippi in the sports world... caledonia hiring tony seals as its newest boys head basketball coach....seal spending time at new hope and south lamar west lowndes hires michael huffman to lead its boys basketball team...huffman was the mcadams girls head coach and tupelo hires hayley parker as its newest softball coach...parker an assistant for two years, and also played at nettleton