WCBI NEWS AT TEN - DECEMBER 09, 2020

The governor announced a new executive order that will take effect friday.

Part of that will apply statewide to social gatherings.

Courtney ann jackson has the governor's responses to how that allows for the christmas parties he's planning.

Starting friday---all 82 counties will have limits on social gatherings.

No more than 10 people indoors and no more than 50 outdoors.

"this is a very dangerous time."

Meanwhile, the governor is planning christmas parties that he will host at the governor's mansion.

"it allows us to really send a message to the people of mississippi that you can return to a life that is somewhat normal but you've got to do it in a way that minimizes risks.

We've obtained a copy of this invitation sent to the members of the mississippi house of representatives.

There are 122 of that body.

I asked how that's not in direct conflict with the order.

"that particular event, i would anticipate that a large number of them will not come.

What we'll do is if we get to the point where there are more than 50 that have rsvp'd, we will space them out and say your time slot would be from 5:30 to 6 or from 6:00 to 6:30 or 6:30 to 7, so as to continue to ensure that we continue to adhere to the guidelines that we've put in place."

Dr. dobbs making this note when asked about those parties.

"a lot of the stuff that the governor's talking about sound like work to me."

But later in the briefing, dobbs dobbs made this note about social gatherings.

"it's a risky time to get together.

If we look at that number of people who are going to be actively shedding virus on average right now...if you go to a party of 10 people, just on average, there is a 19 percent chance that somebody there is going to be shedding virus.

If it's 20 people, it's about 34 percent.

Not that you're going to have contagious every time.

But this is a dicey time."

Courtney ann be shedding virus.

If it's 20 people, it's about 34 percent.

Not that you're going to have contagious every time.

But this is a dicey time."

Courtney ann jackson, wcbi news.

First look stinger temperatures will continue to warm up over the next several days with highs near 70 on thursday and friday.

Rain will move in friday night and saturday, but it appears that we will be drier and cooler by early next week.

Wednesday night: another cold night tonight with temperatures falling to the low and mid 30s under a mostly clear sky.

Winds will be generally calm.

Thursday: thursday will be the best day of the next several with plenty of sunshine and highs near 70.

Winds will be light new at 10 stinger goes here tupelo police need your help finding a missing man.

Both tupelo police and crime stopper of northeast mississippi are looking for 29- year-old richard stephens.

Stephens was last seen near the salvation army in tupelo on october 28th.

He's 5'10 and about 168 pounds.

Anyone with any information on where stephen might be is asked to call the tupelo police department or crimestoppers.

A developing story in vardaman tonight where police say a child has been killed after being hit by an 18-wheeler and the driver has been arrested.

Vardaman police chief kenneth scott says two children were hit as they were getting off the school bus on highway 8.

The children were hit when a truck tried to avoid hitting another truck that was already stopped for bus.

When the driver swerved around, the the truck hit the two children.

One child was pronounced dead at the scene.

The other has been airlifted to le bonheur children's hospital.

The calhoun county sheriff's deputies have arrested the driver, james thomas murphy.

Murphy is charged with manslaughter and aggravated assault.

His bond has not been set.

In a press release, calhoun county school superintendent lisa langford says the two children involved in the accident were students at vardaman elementary school.

She says counselors will be available at the school tomorrow for students and staff.

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The noxubee county's sheriffs department is asking for help finding two men wanted in several shooting incidents investigators say christopher glenn and davonta farmer should be considered armed and dangerous.

The two are wanted in connection to shooting in noxubee county and the city of macon.

If you know where they are or having information, contact the noxubee county sheriff department or call 911.

120920-gfx off top one of the suspects wanted in robbery at a hotel in macon this past weekend has turned herself in to police.

Darriona webb turned herself in today.

She's charged with armed robbery, breaking and entering, and aggravated assault.

Investigators say the robbery happened around 4:45 sunday morning at the oak tree inn on highway 45.

The victim says the suspects kicked in the door to the room.

Police are looking for still looking for lacedric jackson junior and other suspect who has not been identified.

If you have any information or know where the suspects are, call macon police.

Aberdeen mayor maurice howard will go to trial next year.

A continuance was granted to push howard's embezzlement trial to february first.

The recently re- elected mayor was indicted in october 2019 on five counts of embezzlement.

He's accused of receiving about 35 hundred dollars in taxpayer-funded reimbursements for city related trips.

The state auditor's office accuses howard of not going on those trips.

Howard's original trial was set to begin december 14th but his attorney was disbarred.

Intro on tuesday, mississippi state senator chad mcmahan told reporters that the senate health committee has held hearings discussing the possibility of relaxing some regulations to allow qualified nursing students to begin working in clinical situations with proper supervision.

As the nation-wide healthcare shortage continues...wcbi news reporter stephen pimpo sat down with a local nursing student today about her experience preparing to join the fight against covid-19.

"he'll come home from work and he'll say, 'man, we needed you today.'

And i'll say, 'put me in coach, i'm ready."

That's what mississippi university for women senior taylor dodson says her father jokingly tells her coming home from his job as an icu nurse...but the fact is...he's right.

As hospitals across the country search for solutions to the healthcare worker shortage during the covid-19 pandemic...one option being discussed in mississippi is increasing the role of qualified medical students.

"we've been working on some innovative solutions of how we can allow that skilled individual to work up to their capabilities although they might not be licensed but appropriately supervised."

Su: the nursing program at the mississippi university for women was recently ranked #1 in the state and top 10 in the country.

Dodson is one of the muw students in that program who will become a registered nurse after graduating next semester.

"i'm not exactly sure where i'm going to be working but i am just so ready to have the opportunity to serve my community since there is such a shortage right now."

Dodson has done clinical rotations at baptist memorial hospital - golden triangle and north mississippi medical center, where she has been responsible for total care for a non-covid patient, from turning their beds to administering medication...all under propper supervision.

"our goal as students was to go in and really care for those patients and do as much as we could to really relieve some of the workload from the nurses on the floor."

Just months away from entering the nursing field...dodson says the coronavirus has not dampened her resolve.

"the pandemic has really only highlighted that calling more for me, so i'm really excited."

In columbus...stephen pimpo...wcbi news.

Senator mcmahan says the policies on nursing students would be on a case by case basis and that there are ongoing discussions between various hospitals and nursing schools as to what they would be comfortable with.

Off top nineteen counties in north mississippi are now under a mask mandate, signed by governor tate reeves in an executive order today.

The governor says this is a very dangerous time referencing the spread of covid19 in mississippi.

The mask mandate now includes the following counties in our area: calhoun, chickasaw, choctaw, clay, itawamba, lafayette, lee, lowndes,, monroe, montgomery, noxubee, oktibbeha, pontotoc, prentiss, tishomingo, union, webster, winston, and yalobusha.

Sixty six counties are now under a state mask mandate.

The executive order also limits social gatherings indoorroups of 10..

For outdoor social gatherings, no more than 50 people should be in close proximity.

Face coverings in schools are also required statewide whenever social distancing is not possible.

The governor called on mississippi to follow the order and health guidelines.

The governor also addressed limiting the number of people at indoor sports events for elementary through high school and indoor arena capacity.

Thousands of residents in long- term care facilities can now stay connected to family and loved ones through technology.

A partnership between the mississippi department of human services and planning and development districts is providing chromebooks to nursing homes and assisted living facilities in 41 counties.

The two groups presented 400 computers during a special event this morning in pontotoc.

Long-term care facilities have not allowed visitors since the beginning of the pandemic.

The computers will allow them to have virtual visits with loved ones.

Residents can be in 167 nursing homes and assisted living facilities will get the chromebooks.

100-thousand dollar grant through the "cares act" paid for the computers.

Stinger wx open temperatures will continue to warm up over the next several days with highs near 70 on thursday and friday.

Rain will move in friday night and saturday, but it appears that we temperatures will continue to warm up over the next several days with highs near 70 on thursday and friday.

Rain will move in friday night and saturday, but it appears that we will be drier and cooler by early next week.

Wednesday night: another cold night tonight with temperatures falling to the low and mid 30s under a mostly clear sky.

Winds will be generally calm.

Thursday: thursday will be the best day of the next several with plenty of sunshine and highs near 70.

Winds will be light out of the southeast.

Friday-saturday: fortunately, it appears that much of the day friday will be dry, but clouds will increase by the evening.

Rain will move in after sunset and continue through the early morning hours of saturday.

Showers will be possible throughout the day on saturday, but it appears the bulk of the rain will be gone by lunchtime.

We aren't expecting any severe weather with this system, but rainfall amounts could approach a half an inch in some locations.

Highs will be in the mid to upper 60s with morning lows in the 40s and 50s.

Sunday-wednesday: forecast models have come into a bit better agreement, and it appears sunday and the first part of next week will be mostly dry.

However, temperatures will be cooler with highs in the low 50s and lows in the 20s and 30s.

A shower or two is possible on sunday, but most of the rain will be gone by then.

To get the latest forecast anytime, download the wcbi news app or visit our website at wcbi.com/weather.

You can also get the latest weather updates on facebook, twitter, and instagram.

Temperatures will continue to warm up over the next several days with highs near 70 on thursday and friday.

Rain will move in friday night and saturday, but it appears that we will be drier and cooler by early next week.

Wednesday night: another cold night tonight with temperatures stinger after the break, we discuss food safety for the holiday season.

Health talk with baptist is next, don't go anywhere!

Cash 3 lottery gfx goes here tonight on health talk with baptist, part two of our food safety conversation.

Take a look.

No script billboard attached stinger onight i want to talk to you about how to safely handle food on the road these simple food safelty rules can keep you safe while traveling bring a seperate cooler for drinks meat and poultry could be packed in a cooler while still frozen keep cooler in a shady spot eat hot take out food within two hours of purchasing open both ole miss and mississippi state receiving an impromptu bye week due to an increase in positive covid-19 cases throughout the southeastern conference with the egg bowl officially in the past, only a couple of games left for the bulldogs and the rebels in the near future the season is set to officially now end on december spx open both ole miss and mississippi state receiving an impromptu bye week due to an increase in positive covid-19 cases throughout the southeastern conference with the egg bowl officially in the past, only a couple of games left for the bulldogs and the rebels in the near future the season is set to officially now end on december 19th with the sec championship at 8 pm, neither ole miss nor m-s-u set to play in the title game instead here is the updated schedule for the remaining two weeks of s-e-c football for both teams on december 12th, ole miss will head to 5th ranked texas a&m to take on the aggies a couple weeks ago, ole miss head coach lane kiffin saying he wasn't confident the game would be made up...however, now it's official the rebels have taken time off from practice until wednesday dec.

9th this week due to an increase in coronavirus cases mississippi state will host the auburn tigers on the 12th on december 19th, ole miss heads to lsu and mississippi state will host missouri the sec title game will be in mercedez benz stadium in atlanta on the 19th and is set to kick- off at 7 pm central as college football begins to wind down college basketball is just beginning to heat up here's your schedule for college hoops for the upcoming week right now, the most notable is the season opener for ole miss men's basketball on december 10th against jackson state the rebels were