WCBI News at Ten 12/19/2020

WCBI News at Ten 12/19/2020

Lawmakers will soon start the 2021 legislative session and teachers are putting in their requests early.

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Courtney ann jackson explains.??

A pay raise has been on mississippi teachers' wish list for the last several years.

"we cannot keep kicking this can down the road.

Our educators are depending on us to do the right thing."

Lower pay than other states has translated to a teacher shortage.

The mississippi association of educators is also giving some perspective on what that's ultimately costing schools.

"one thing that i've experienced as an elementary teacher is that class sizes would increase, especially when you don't have enough certified educators.

You may see a doubling of class size.

You may also start to lose some of your electives like art, music and band."

Mississippi first published this study this month that dives into the shortage.

It reveals pay is the main factor in fewer people going into the profession both from in and out of state programs. "the number of teacher preparation completers from out of state...it used to be hundreds and hundreds we could rely on.

But that number has actually gone down 96 percent in the last 10 years."

Keep in mind, all of these statistics are pre-covid.

And education policy groups agree---it will likely have an impact since many teachers had to weigh health risks and returning to the classroom.

"i think going forward, in a couple of years from now when we finally get the full picture of what's going on here, i think this is going to become an even more dire issue."

Senate education vice chair david blount says he's working with the lt.

Governor's office on a proposal that would not only boost teacher pay but also give incentives for new teachers.

"if you're a new teacher, probably have student loans, we're going to have a program in place over a period of years where we will pay down part of that loan for you if you enter the profession and stay in the profession which i think will make it more attractive."

Senator blount says part of making teacher pay raises and incentives work within the budget will be dependent on how much federal relief is sent to the state in the second round of stimulus.

A pay raise has been on mississippi former mississippi governor william winter has died .

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Winter died friday night at home in jackson surrounded by family.

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The grenada native served as mississippi's governor from 1980 to 1984.

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Winter pushed to strengthen the public education system in the state.

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He's known for enacting the education reform act of 1982.

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He served as co- chairman of a national commission created by president bill clinton and he's served as the state tax collector.

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Funeral arrangements have not been set.

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He was 97-years- old.

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While we aren't expecting a white christmas in our area, the temperatures will certainly feel like winter.

We'll start the week off with highs near 60 but colder air will move in by the end of the week.

Saturday night: rain showers will continue overnight but will slowly exit by sunrise.

Temperatures will fall to the mid 40s with a light southeasterly wind.

Sunday: clouds will linger through the day on sunday, but most if not all of the day will be dry.

Highs will be in the low 50s.

Monday-tuesday: aside from some morning fog monday, we'll see a mix of sun and clouds to start the week off with highs near 50 each day.

Temperatures will dip into the mid 30s each night.

Wednesday- thursday: clouds will build on wednesday ahead of our next chance for rain which will be wednesday evening and overnight.

We could have a bit of thunder, but no major weather is expected.

Much the state department of health is reporting 17- hundred new cases and 36 deaths.

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1,226 people are in hospitals across the state.

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308 patients are in i.c.u.

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In our area, lee county has the most new cases with 97.??

Lowndes has 36, union is reporting 32, chickasaw has 34, and itawamba has 24.

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A northeast mississippi newspaper writer says he is amazed at the outpouring of support from the community after he and his son lost everything in a house fire.??

A fire destroyed the home of dennis sid, a reporter for the northeast mississippi daily journal.

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He and his son austin were home when the fire broke out.

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They received first degree but were able to escape the home.

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Since then, a pay pal account has raised more than 13 thousand dollars and other fundraisers have taken place.??

This evening, another fundraiser, "cars for a cause" organized by the tupelo car club was held in saltillo.??

"they talk about the tupelo spirit, it's the northeast mississippi spirit, it's everybody giving, you and i , we' 're in the business, we cover these things and never think it's going to happen to you, and it happened, but we're truly blessed, we got out alive and we have so many people responding and helping us out.

Dennis and his son have found a rental home.

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Dennis will be back at work at the daily journal monday.

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Intro it could be the largest collection of its kind.

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And a fulton couple has opened it to the public this christmas season.

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Wcbi's chad groening has the story.

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Dick and carol jones have been married for about eighteen months.

And for the second year in a row they have set up a massive christmas village display in a cottage on their property.

It takes up several rooms, and only comprises one third of the 6000 pieces dick started collecting 35- years ago when he lived in indiana.

Cut "my late wife her mother had a ceramic shop and she making buildings and ceramics and it just kind of grew from there.

In about the 20-year time it had outgrown the home so we started putting it in the public to raise money for different charities.

And that's what we've been doing now for the last twenty years."

"i just think it's amazing and i keep wanting to get more as well as he does.

He's still buying more pieces.

I get such a thrill out of setting this up and laying it out in certain ways."

And this collection is quite intricate with working carnival rides.....and even elvis....... nats.... carol, who grew up in washington state remembers the kind of winter christmas scenes portrayed in these displays.

"yeah i did experience snow and ice and it's just like looking at the kids up there playing and stuff reminds me of when i was young and playing out in the snow."

This collection is so extensive dick thinks it might be the largest on record.

"as far as a i know no-there is nobody that i know of that has a much as i do.

I've looked into registering with the guiness book of world records but all the paperwork and all of the things that they wanted and the documentation it was too much we decided not to do it.

That was my late wife and i.

But carol says their christmas village collection wouldn't be complete without the true meaning of christmas.

"we have bethlehem.

That is the city of bethlehem where jesus was born."

Someday the jones's would like to find a large enough place where they can put the entire collection on permanent display.

Chad groening, wcbi news, fulton.

Permanent display.

Chad groening, wcbi news, fulton.

A restaurant in tupelo is providing donations for a child that's fighting bone cancer.

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Charlie watts is a 5th grader attending tupelo christian preparatory school.

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Watts has been battling bone cancer for some time now and his family needed some assistance paying his medical bills.

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Neon pig store owner, trish mccluney, wasted no time to try and help .??

Mccluney decided to donate all proceeds today to charlie and his family.

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" so anybody that comes in today orders food, buys anything from the market, comes in buys a coke anything... all proceeds if they mention his name, charlie watts, 100% will go towards him.

One of our owners trish mccluney her son is in the same grade as him at tcps and we just wanted to do what we can to help out."

The family will host a christmas parade for charlie tomorrow starting at 2:30 and hope for people to drive by and put a smile on charlie's face.

More than 50 million people in this country have experienced hunger this year - up from 35 million last year.??

After the break, stay with us.

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More than 50 million people in this country have experienced hunger this year - up from 35 million last year.??

Federal aid programs are running low on funding, and food pantries are running low on supplies.??

Here's cbs's mark strassman.??

Pkg: this morning yolanda myers made her monthly run for groceries.

If it wasn't for the food bank, i don't think how we gonna make it some time.

Four-hundred pounds of donations.

A lottafood, for a a family.

In this thousand- square foot shoebox& &myers cares full-time for ten grandchildren, ages one to twelve.

They call her "g-mama."

We love her.

We take care of her.

We make sure she okay.

But there's g- mama drama.

She's disabled.

Her husband lost his chef's job in march.

Some time i have to go buy the kids somethin' that they need.

And he be like, "well, we don't have the money to do this or to do that."

Food banks, a sometimes-option, became a lifeline.

They're also three- thousand dollars behind on rent.

Here in fulton county, with more than one million residents, one in six families now faces food insecurity.

G-mama gotta keep 'em fed.

G-mamma gotta keep 'em fed.// have there been missed mals?

Not for the kids.

For you?

Yep.// has that happened a lot?

Yeah.

It happens a lot.// it's not time for sitting ar0und trying to cry and be bitter.

Be upset.

Every month, the african american association of georgia services 16-hundred families&but few like the myers.

This is a family that needs above and beyond the support that we normally give.

"above and beyond" today meant a christmas surprise& food bank giving gifts &gifts for the grandkids& and i got a deep fryer for you!

You did??

Screams thank you than you thank you!!

It's really a blessing.

Just knowing you got people that really care and think about you.

But no single food bank can keep them fed.

Their school system today also dropped off meal packs, breakfast and lunch for five days.

But today they feasted on something different: hope.

Mark strassmann cbs news, atlanta.

While we aren't expecting a white christmas in our area, the temperatures will certainly feel like winter.

We'll start the week off with highs near 60 but colder air will move in by the end of the week.

Saturday night: rain showers will continue overnight but will slowly exit by sunrise.

Temperatures will fall to the mid 40s with a light southeasterly wind.

Sunday: clouds will linger through the day on sunday, but most if not all of the day will be dry.

Highs will be in the low 50s.

Monday-tuesday: aside from some morning fog monday, we'll see a mix of sun and clouds to start the week off with highs near 50 each day.

Temperatures will dip into the mid 30s each night.

Wednesday- thursday: clouds will build on wednesday ahead of our next chance for rain which will be wednesday evening and overnight.

We could have a bit of thunder, but no major weather is expected.

Much colder air will begin to filter in by christmas eve morning as the rain exits.

Depending on how fast the cold air moves in, we could see a snowflake or two early thursday morning.

This remains a slim possibility and even if it does happen, we aren't expecting enough to stick.

Highs will be near 60 on wednesday, but will only be in the 30s on thursday.

Winds will be breezy at times.

Friday-saturday: it looks like any precipitation will exit by friday morning, leaving us dry and partly cloudy for christmas day.

We'll remain cold with highs in the 40s and morning lows near 20 in many locations.

A few more clouds will move in by saturday with highs back to near 50.

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.

While we aren't mississippi state playing the team's final game in davis wade stadium...highlight s from the afternoon next in sports the final weekend of the s-e-c regular season has finally arrived to close out s-e-c play, ole miss taking the road to match-up against l- s-u although the rebels were forced to play the tigers without wide receiver elijah moore and tight end kenny yeboah, head coach lane kiffin and company with an opportunity to finish the regular season with a winning record... the rebels and qb matt corral's first time back on the gridiron since the egg bowl... 1st quarter 11:18 to go -- corral connects with wr braylon sanders for the 20 yard touchdown...ole miss on the board first 7-nothing tiger would tack on a field goal 1st quarter, 5:26 to go -- corral throws and is intercepted by cornerback jay ward...returns it 31 yards for the pick six...lsu takes the lead 10-7 2nd quarter, 12:17 following an lsu touchdown -- rb jerrion ealy takes it...goes endzone to endzone...a 100 yard touchdown puts ole miss right back in it, lsu leads 17-14 early in the 4th -- corral throws...sanders there with the 25 yard touchdown snag....injured on the play and has to be carried off the field...ole miss takes the 41-40 lead 8:43 to go in the fourth -- corral fakes the handoff and keeps it...runs it into the endzone...takes out a ref but gets the score...ole miss up 48-40 lsu would tack on a touchdown..... one last chance for ole miss to take back the lead...corral keeps it....fumbles the football... the rebels drop their final game of the regular season 53-48 against the tigers first year head coach lane kiffin finishes his first sec regular season 4-5... kiffin: "it's been a crazy year like not playing in three weeks and all of a sudden playing down here.

Just wish we could've finsihed on a better note for the players, especially the older guys.

It was there.

Had all the chances to do it and not going to get many chances like that."

Mississippi state hosting missouri in the bulldogs final sec showdown of the year... tigers with the ball first and driving... larry rountree the third takes it in from 18 yards out... mizzou up 7-0... little later bulldogs punting..cade musser on the return and he fumbles it... it's recovered by paul blackwell and the bulldogs tie things up... next drive... will rogers marches his team down the field and finds jaden walley for a seven yard touchdown... state goes up 14-7... second quarter... state up 17-10 and threatening... will rogers hits osirus mitchell on the fade route... bulldogs up 24-10... they scored 27 in the first half... the most they've scored in a half since week 1 against lsu the bulldogs win their finale against the tigers, 51-32 and improve to 3-7 on the year... leach: "for about 5 weeks we were under the 53-man threshold.

That's impressive.

If we keep getting better some of these guys will become dangerous to know" over in atlanta, a new sec champion has just been crowned...alabama is your 2020 sec champion after holding off florida, 52-46 two heisman contending quarterbacks on the field in mac jones and kyle trask...both throwing for over 400 yards alabama finishes the season 11-0 perfect on the year the ole miss women simply cannot be stopped...highlight s from the rebels sixth win of the season next in sports to the hardwood...ole miss on the road taking on the dayton flyers.... first half winding down...ole miss guard devontae shuler heats up ....drills back to back threes&extending the lead to 7.

Shuler with 12 points in the game.

Kermit's crew would lead 31-24 at the break.

Just like last week against msu&the flyers would go on a big run in the 2nd half&guard rodney chatman with the steal&the layup&and one!

41- 40 ole miss comes down to the 40 ole miss comes down to the wire&rebels down 3 with 30 seconds left&forward romello white keeps them alive&back to a one point game.

After a couple dayton free throws&one more chance for ole miss&they need three&shuler gets a good look&but it's no good.

Dayton 2-0 against the magnolia state&both wins by 3 points&.

65-62 the final.

Ole miss womens basketball on the road for the first time this season taking on george mason 1st quarter..5:40 to go -- forward snudda collins out on the wing...for three...bottoms.ma kes it 7-0 ole miss..rebels would start out on a 9- nothing run jump to the third quarter...5:40 to go -- forward shakira austin with the ball driving to the basket...off the glass..ole miss with a 33-12 lead :35 seconds to go in the 3rd -- guard jaccoriah bracey finds her way inside for the 2-ball...the rebels rolling 47-14 against the patriots 4th quarter, 8:47 to go -- guard donnetta johnson tries to get her shot to go...austin there to clean it up...makes it 51-16 for ole miss ole miss picks up the 64-34 road win...austin leading the way with 24 points and 7 rebounds the rebels remain undefeated with a 6-0 start on the year ole miss returns home to play jacksonville state on monday we're going to take a quick break but when we come back maddie will have a final look at weather.