WCBI NEWS AT SIX - NOVEMBER 04, 2020

Last night, mississippians voted to pass initiative 65 which will allow doctors to prescribe medical marijuana to those with debilitating medical conditions.

The latest in a long line of states to make that move...wcbi reporter stephen pimpo joins us in studio with what medical marijuana could mean for mississippians and what comes next.

74 percent of voters chose to approve initiative 65 tuesday...as mississippi joins 35 other states in legalizing medical marijuana.

But it will at least take until 2021 before patients can access medical canabis.

"mississippians spoke and they spoke very loudly."

That was medical marijuana advocate ronnie pollard's reaction to mississippi approving initiative 65 which legalizes the use of medical marijuana.

For ronnie, who's daughter has used cbd oil in her battle with lukemia, it was an emotional day.

"we have loved ones that have been in pain, have been fighting cancer have been in seizures and multiple other illnesses that this can help."

Ronnie volunteers with mississippi for compassionate care, the group that sponsored the campaign for the citizen lead initiative.

Doctors will now be able to prescribe marijuana to patients suffering from a list of 22 debilitating conditions, including cancer, epilepsy and als.

Su: there are still several steps left before mississippians can find medical marijuana at their local pharmacy.

"the state will have to figure out how they're going to regulate it.

I'm sure the state pharmacy board wants to be involved and maintain control."

The mississippi department of health will be in charge of regulating the growing, processing and distributing marijuana.

They are currently scheduled to have all new rules and procedures in place by july 2021.

After that, local pharmacies like robert's appothocary in columbus will need to qualify to carry it.

"i'm sure each dispensary will have to be certified by one or more state regulatory agencies."

Identification cards and treatment center licenses are currently expected to be ready by august 2021.

But once it is available, pharmacist robert white says it can open whole new treatment options for mississippians.

"in addition to pain, it's good for seizures, inflamation, post- partum depression."

In louisiana, it took close to five years from the time medical marijuana was legalized to the time it was available in dispensaries.

Ronnie told me he is hopefull that mississippi won't have to wait that long.

Gfxsot montgomery county now has a new school board.

Voters selected a new board to represent the winona montgomery consolidated school district during the election.

Here are the winners from last night.

School district superintendent teresa jackson says she's ready for a new start with this new board.

"as that team of five or three, you know, majority, they have a lot of power.

And so, their role is to set policy and to ask really good questions and to have ideas about how to improve the district and so i do think that everybody running has their heart in the right place so i'm looking forward to working with the new board."

The montgomer county and winona school districts consolidated two years ago.

Top voters in noxubee county filled a supervisor seat during tuesday's election.

Unofficial returns show la-velle patterson-rice got the most votes for the district 3 position.

The post was held by sherman patterson who died in may after a battle with covid- 19.

The votes still have to be certified.

Yesterday, dozens of seniors at columbus high school voted for the first time.

And of those seniors were players from the falcons football team.

And to them, it's a moment they'll never forget.

Wcbi's bobby martinez has the story... having their voices heard..

Sot - ethan conner - senior - falcons football "it gave me motivation to help change the world."

Sot - karon hawk - senior - falcons football "a lot people died for us so we can vote."

But this time..

Off the football field..

Sot - christopher allen - senior - falcons football "this my first time voting so it felt good."

Was part of the falcons game plan this season..

Falcons head coach joshua pulphus says he is proud of his senior class for wanting to have their voices heard..

Sot - joshua pulphus - falcons head coach "proud and i'm honored for my seniors to take the initiative themselves.

They came to me this summer with the idea of trying to make a change wanting to become great citizens wanting to become great leaders in the community."

And from there..

Pulphus, along with fellow students like autumn lagrand and yolanda dawkins..

Created a campaign for students old enough to vote..

Sot - autumn lagrand - family consumer science teacher "the school had a big event where they set up tables like all week and they had student volunteers that were already involved in politics knowingly in the school helping everybody register to vote that was old enough."

Dawkins says social media played a major in helping them spread the message as well.

Yolanda dawkins - employment facilitator - chs "immediately when i posted.

I had a huge response of people complimenting me, thanking me, we are going to try our best, this is going to be our first time actually voting."

And tuesday was the students big day..

Natvo of student walking to bus to head to polls..

"columbus high is making history everyone....these are our first look stinger first look summary: a few more clouds will be around over the coming days but dry weather is here to stay into early next week.

Look for seasonably mild air to continue at least through next tuesday.

Some rain is possible by wednesday.

Wednesday night: clear with some high clouds moving in.

Lows in the 40s.

A 5 vehicle pileup in oktibbeha county sends several people to the hospital.

Sources close to wcbi tell us the wreck happened around 4 o'clock on highway 12 near lisa lane.

The collision involved three passenger vehicles, a truck and trailer, and a landscaping truck.

Those on scene said multiple people were injured, but they said it was hard to tell if any of the injuries were serious.

Central oktibbeha fire and rescue, the okitibbeha county sheriff's department, mississippi highway patrol, and och regional medical center all responded to the scene.

Top a caledonia man is dead after a monday evening traffic accident in lowndes county.

Coroner greg merchant says 56- year-old franklin wayne honeycutt died when the 2015 honda he was riding in lost control, struck a ditch culvert, hit two trees, and overturned in the roadway.

The crash happened on nielson road near the intersection of highway 12.

Two other men in the car were air lifted to nearby hospitals with serious injuries.

The lowndes county sheriff's department and lowndes county fire and rescue responded to the scene.

Starkville police are investigating two shootings that are believed to be related to each other.

Investigators say the first shots fired call came in at 11 am today around the sand hill area.

Then suspects allegedly made their way to blake court townhouses along old highway 25 where a second shots fired call was received.

Once on scene at blake court, officers determined suspects from one vehicle shot into another vehicle.

No injuries have been reporter at this time.

The incident remains under investigation.

Stinger-stinger wcbi continuing coverage stinger top a local organization is wcbi continuing coverage stinger top a local organization is making sure seniors citizens stay warm this winter.

Contact helpline hosted a drive- thru giveaway at mossy oak outlet in west point today.

Seniors who came got "reassurance bags" filled with blankets, caps, gloves, socks, and scarves.

Contact usually delivers these cold weather kits at the beginning of the cold season, but did things a little different this year because of covid-19 restrictions.

These bags are just one way to support these seniors.

Contact volunteers also reach out to them by phone each day.

"if we did not call them, some of them would not get a call.

It's a daily wellness check as well as, we do daily medication reminders and just have a general conversation with them, but we also listen beyond the call.

If they have slurred speach, or if there are signs of depression or loneliness... we listen to our clients to make sure they're ok and they're safe in their own homes."

Contact helpline accepts monetary donations to help with its senior programs. stinger things will look different this year for two holiday outreaches by the salvation army.

Wcbi's allie martin tells us what people can expect for the annual thanksgiving feeding and the angel tree program.

For thanksgiving, tupelo's salvation army will still feed thousands of people, but all of the meals will be delivered to those in need.

"the need is definitely still there."

Major whitney morton expects 4 thousand people to receive thanksgiving meals from the tupelo salvation army.

This year, because of covid 19 precautions and guidelines, there will be a small number of volunteers inside, while other volunteers, or "runners" will take plates to waiting cars, for delivery across the area.

"last year we had over 300 people volunteer to do those deliveries, those folks can still do that as well, they will just come through the drive through line, pick up a route and meals will be placed in their vehicle" all food will be prepared in the newly renovated kitchen, where lunch and dinners are cooked, daily and distributed in to go plates, outside the community center.

For angel tree, some things remain the same, while technology will play a larger role.

.

Registration took place online, and those who want to"adopt" a child, also known as an "angel" can also do that online.

The angel tree will be on display at the mall at barnes crossing, after november 16th.

Major morton says the need for angel tree has grown in 2020.

"we've had 150 more families to apply this year for angel tree assistance, if we had left it open, we're confident we would have had more than that as well, in this community, trying to find somebody to meet each of those needs is not as hard as it could be."

Standup close you can also call the tupelo salvation army for information on the thanksgiving feeding or angel tree.

That number is 662 842 9222 stinger weather open summary: a few more clouds will be around over the coming days but dry weather is here to stay into early next week.

Look for seasonably mild air to continue at least through next tuesday.

Some rain is possible by wednesday.

Tropics: the remnants of hurricane eta could still sneak up into florida or the eastern gulf of mexico by late in the weekend and early next week.

The latest data suggest it will not be a factor in our region but we'll keep watching.

Wednesday night: clear with some high clouds moving in.

Lows in the 40s.

Light wind.

Thursday: a mix of sun and high clouds.

Highs around 70.

Winds se 2-6 mph.

Thursday night: partly cloudy.

Lows in the 40s.

Friday: mostly sunny.

Highs in 70s.

Saturday - tuesday: a mix of sun and clouds.

Highs in the mid to upper 70s with lows in the 50s and low 60s.

Follow @wcbiweather on facebook, twitter, instagram, and the wcbi news app summary: a few more clouds will be around over the coming days but dry weather is here to stay into early next week.

Look for seasonably mild air to continue at least through next tuesday.

Some rain is possible by wednesday.

Tropics: the remnants of hurricane eta stinger mississippi state football in need of a momentum swing heading into week seven of the season...more on the bulldogs weekend match-up, next in sports spx right now, mississippi state football is preparing to play the only team in the southeastern conference that is performing worse than the bulldogs are m-s-u and vanderbilt set to square off in starkville on saturday state in need of some resurgance following the team's 41-nothing shutout against 2nd ranked alabama last weekend as the offensive woes continue for head coach mike leach's squad...staring q-b k.j.

Costello still uncertain to start this weekend following a recent injury leach saying earlier this week there's a chance we'll see will rogers get the start against the dores leach: "i'd say it's 50-50.

That's what they were last weekend too."

"i think he does a good job.

I mean you've got a guy that if covid hadn't hit, he'd have been at the prom three months ago.

I think that a guy that comes in and has the limited experience he does and does some quality things, i think it's been impressive.

And he's got a good presence and demeanor with the huddle."

Over halfway through this unprecendted season in the southeastern conference...week seven right on the horizon here let's take a look at the current standings in the s- e-c west right now -- alabama...the crimson tide have held the 2nd ranking in the nation for six week's now...currently holding the best record in the s-e-c overall...6-0 and undefeated obviously, with an s-e-c exclusive schedule conference and overall records will be identical other teams sitting in the top half of the s-e-c west...7th ranked texas a&m followed by 24th ranked auburn both the aggies and tigers with relatively similar records 4-1 for a&m and 4-2 for auburn... now looking at the bottom half of the west... ole miss sitting as the second worst team in the west...out of 7 teams the rebels sit at number 6... rebels with only two wins on the year...ole miss serves it's bye this week before south carolina in week eight meanwhile, mississippi state falls in last place in the west....bulldogs with only one win on the year..however, a win against vanderbilt this week would tie msu and ole miss up in the last spot in the west over in juco football, following a recent postponement of a match-up between i-c-c and n-e-mcc that game has officially been rescheduled the game originally scheduled for thursday will now be played on november 12th at 6:30 pm the schedule change comes after some of the indians football team was quarantined following contact tracing for covid- 19 protocol in response to a positive case of coronavirus they say big time players make big time plays that's exactly the case for our wcbi player of the week!

North pontotoc's kaden wilson stepped up big time for the vikings as the team knocked off the defending 4a state champions corinth in a 49-46 track meet!

Wilson had 3 receptions for 140 yards and 2 touchdowns including this wrap around behind the back grab that wilson took 70 yards to the house!

The senior viking also had a 50 yard kickoff return that set up his game winning td reception with 10 seconds remaining to wrap up a night that he says he'll never forget!

"i think the behind the back is the best one for me.

I will remember that for awhile.

It was difficult.

I had it.

It fell so i put it on my hip and then pushing it all the way around i had to get control of it.

When i finally got control, i just ran