PONTOTOC, MISS. (WCBI) – After five years of planning , Pontotoc’s new , state of the art fire station is unveiled to the public. “Very big day, we are proud of this,” said Pontotoc Fire Chief Brad White. The 2.9-million-dollar fire station is right at 8,500 square feet, with state of the art features, such as wide, bay doors,  secure...

By  MARIA SHERMAN NEW YORK (AP) — Dolly Parton ‘s not done yet. The estate behind the icon, who died of cancer last week at age 80, has announced Dollyfest, a two-day festival to be held in Nashville and London in 2027. According to a press release, the festival was originally scheduled to take place in January 2026 — around her 80th birthday — and...

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson says foreign bettors are helping push prediction markets into giving Democrats better odds of taking over the House. Johnson made the claim while campaigning for Republican House candidates in Pennsylvania last week. Punchbowl News reporter Jake Sherman reported⁠ that Johnson [...]

By  MARIA SHERMAN NEW YORK (AP) — Dolly Parton was more than a musician, actor, author, philanthropist, or theme-park entrepreneur. Parton, who died Tuesday at age 80, occupied a space in our global cultural imagination — a figure of American mythology, someone best described as larger-than-life and then a little bit more. But from the very beginning, at the heart of everything she accomplished, she was...

https://cdn.field59.com/WCBI/1787353683-99ec0d445a31d2c06c7144c8ad678c903b42590e_fl9-720p.mp4 Year two of the Baylor Dampeer era is underway at Pontotoc, and after a seven-win season that ended in the second round of the playoffs, the Warriors aren’t satisfied with simply building momentum. They’re looking to take the next step. “Year one, you know, we were able to build a little momentum. But, you know, we obviously didn’t get...

A program within the Mississippi Department of Rehabilitation Services will soon celebrate 90 years of providing jobs to more than 1,700 visually impaired Mississippians annually. The Randolph-Sheppard Program was created following the signing of the Randolph-Sheppard Act in 1936. The program gives blind individuals and those with severe visual impairments across the country priority for […]

By  MARIA SHERMAN Global superstar Taylor Swift and country legend Lyle Lovett will be inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, the organization announced Tuesday. The new class also includes Shawn Camp and Lee Thomas Miller, both elected in the contemporary songwriter category, and Bruce Channel as the veteran songwriter. They will be formally inducted during the 56th Anniversary Nashville Songwriters Hall...

By  MARIA SHERMAN NEW YORK (AP) — It happened out of necessity. Academy Award-winner Morgan Freeman was in Clarksdale, Mississippi, 25 years ago when some out-of-towners asked where they could hear blues music. Musicians were abundant; venues were not. “There was no place where we could guarantee that you could go in and hear it,” he told The Associated Press. “So, we had...

By  MARIA SHERMAN NEW YORK (AP) — Parents of toddlers everywhere, prepare yourselves. YouTube sensation and music teacher Ms. Rachel and her husband, Aron Accurso, will release their debut album, the 23-track “I’m So Happy,” on Sept. 25. “Music is such a wonderful way for people to bond, for parents to bond. I know from the minute my kids were born, we’re singing...