WCBI News at Ten - Saturday\, May 11th\, 2019

Good evening and thank you for joining us.

A person is dead after a car crash this earlier this evening.

Mhp troop g public affairs division sgt.

Derrick beckom says the crash happened around 6 o'clock on hwy 12 near lone oak rd.

In lowndes county.

At this time the cause of the wreck has not been released.

Mississippi highway patrol is investigating.

Coroner greg merchant confirms one person died in the crash.

We will have more on the this story as it develops.

It's been almost a month since a devastating tornado ripped through the community of hamilton.

Now the community is coming together as they transition from victims to survivors.

Our cash matlock has the story, "can you imagine losing everything?

Can you imagine a little boy saying he seen the roof come off, you know, with his mother holding him."

On april 14th the community of hamilton was devastated by an ef 2 tornado that left one dead, several injured, and many without a home or place to stay.

Today, community members are moving past the tragedy and looking forward to the future with hamilton strong celebration day.

"today is that day that we're just going to relax.

We're going to sit back.

We're going to enjoy some free food, some music, some entertainment."

"you can't just keep working without some rest, so we felt like putting this together and giving them a chance to come out and just relax, get their strength back, and go back at it."

Event organizers say their main focus is to help the children affected by the storm.

"we as adults, we are able to channel that and let go of that stress in different areas.

Maybe even going back to work can kind of help us, but these kids... they're still dealing with it."

"this provides them a way to forget about everything.

Forget about it all.

Maybe they're staying with a relative, or they're having to rent a very small place, or they may have boxes and have no idea where their favorite toy is in that box, or they may not even have a favorite toy anymore."

Jessica gray is a monroe county 911 dispatcher who was on duty the night of the tornado.

She says it's a night she'll never forget.

"i'm used to taking a lot of difficult phone calls.

What i do get overwhelmed by is the amount of support and the amount of volunteers that step up immediately.

It was less than ten minutes after the storm lifted off the ground that we had hundreds of volunteers filing into monroe county from all over the state."

The celebration is just one example of how residents of hamilton are slowing rebuilding and recuperating.

"we are still here.

We are still fighting.

We love you.

We are members of abundant life upc say they are still taking donations and there are still many families in the hamilton area that are in need.

Floodwaters in pearl river county are causing multiple issues for residents and first responders.

On saturday morning, multiple roads were underwater, causing traffic delays throughout the poplarville area.

The flooding has been most severe in the white sands and hillsdale communities.

Officials said the flooding has caused a train to derail just north of hillsdale road.

According to chief deputy shane tucker with the sheriff's department, 14 cars derailed on the norfolk southern train.

Eoc director danny manley said no injuries have been reported.

Heavy rains appear to be to blame in a fatal crash on 1-59.

Sgt.

Chase elkins said it appeared a freightliner was stopped in the northbound lane due to standing water on the interstate.

A poplarville man driving a toyota corolla was traveling north and ran into the back of the freightliner.

The poplarville man was pronounced dead on the scene.

The driver of the freightliner was not injured.

Two barges and another boat collided in the houston ship channel friday afternoon.

No one was hurt -- but the accident is causing back ups in the area.

One barge capsized and one is significantly damaged.

Authorities closed the channel so the scene could be cleared.

The barges were carrying 25 thousand barrels of a gas product -- which leaked into the water.

The houston ship channel was closed for several days in late march and early april due to contamination after a fire at a local chemical plant first look a retired police officer in tennessee stands accused of murdering a furniture store manager.

The victim's mother is speaking out, saying her son had been concerned about a particular truck driver.

Chris luther has the story.

Joann macklin/ victim's mother: "thomas was a great man."

Joann macklin says her son thomas hartman cherished his children more than anything.

41-year-old hartman had 3 children, 1 adult and two under the age of 10.

Joann macklin/ victim's mother: "his world revolved around them."

Those three children have lost their father.

Police say timothy saunders, a truck driver, got into an argument with hartman, an assistant manager at american freight furniture, in the back loading dock.

According to court documents, saunders retrieved a gun, came back and shot hartman once in the head.

Macklin is a truck driver herself and was on the road when her oldest grandson called to tell her the news.

Joann macklin/ victim's mother: "he said 'somebody killed my daddy today.'" macklin says her son was not one to fight.

Joann macklin/ victim's mother: "he would turn and walk away.

And i can almost guarantee you that's what happened yesterday because i know my son."

Wmc action news 5 has learned that saunders was a former police officer in clarksville, tennessee.

According to state records, saunders seen here on the clarksville police department facebook page, was a police officer for 28 years and retired as a sergeant in 2017.

Macklin says her son told her he had a problem with one particular truck driver.

Joann macklin/ victim's mother: "if i'm not mistaken i know exactly which truck driver he's talking about."

She says hartman told her about an argument he would have with a driver that would arrive around noon.

Joann macklin/ victim's mother: "'well i'm here you need to get me unloaded.'

Tommy would explain to him, 'people are at lunch.

I can't leave the front."

Now she's wondering what went through the head of a former officer that led him to allegedly shoot her son in the head.

Joann macklin/ victim's mother: "i guess we'll never know."

Macklin says she wants the harshest penalty possible for saunders and she plans to be at every court hearing.

According to starkville police the canine distemper virus has re-surfaced in the area.

On friday the department posted to their facebook page informing the pubic that three raccoons within city limits tested positive for the virus over the last month and a half.

Starkville pd says at this time there are no reports of area dogs with the virus.

The virus is highly contagious and is commonly found in such wild animals as skunks, foxes, dogs, raccoons, ferrets, and wolves.

"this is something that we see periodically.

This isn't the first time we've put things out about it over the years.

It's a highly contagious virus.

We just want to bring awareness to it that we are seeing cases again.

These are in wild raccoons that we've seen at this point, but it can be seen n other canine species.

We just recommend that you stay up to date on your shots with your pets."

Distemper is spread by direct contact, sneezing or coughing, or indirect contact, sharing bedding and water bowls, with an infected animal wcbi stinger it was a day for celebration in columbus.

Muw seniors gathered today to get their degree.

Rent auditorium in whitfield hall was filled with hundreds of the class of 2019's friends and family members.

This year's guest speaker was col.

Samantha weeks, commander of the 14th training wing at columbus air force base.

Around 430 students applied for the spring graduation.

2 ceremonies were held.

East mississippi community college's golden triangle campus held it's gtech commencement ceremony earlier today.

This is the first group of seniors enrolled at the golden triangle early college high school which is the first early college high school in mississippi.

54 graduates marched across lyceum auditorium to receive their diplomas.

41 of 41 of those graduates will earn an associates degree or a technical certificate.

Emcc says the pilot program is backed by the mississippi department of education and has been a major success.

Coming up the threat of rain couldn't keep these festival goers away we'll have for nearly a half a century the gum tree festival in downtown tupelo has been a major event in the community.

And for the first time in its 48 year history the gum tree festival was moved indoors to the bancorp south arena.

Organizers decided that with all the rain we've had in recent days it would have been tough on both the artists and those in attendance to hold it outdoors.

The crowds really responded as attendance may have been even higher than normal in the morning.

And festival director kit stafford says there is one advantage for art shoppers having things inside, they can see what their prospect piece of art will look like at home a sounding alarm saves lives.

And that is why the american red cross was out in tupelo neighborhoods today to make sure residents had working smoke alarms. wcbi's chad groening has more.

Red cross volunteers gathered at the lee acres storm shelter on filmore street to receive their marching orders.

They were part of the nationwide red cross initiative called sound the alarm.

"tupelo is a signature city in our national event that's been going on the last three weeks.

And it's to install over 100- thousand smoke alarms at homes to save lives and reduce injury through home fires.

And today tupelo our goal is 420 smoke alarms."

Before setting out, they received instructions from their team leaders.

"tell your documentor how many were there.

How many you tested and were working and how many you installed."

And brown says having working smoke alarms gives residents an early enough warning to mean the difference between life and death.

"fires happen at odd times, it's not just when you're sitting up and fire just happens.

But in the middle of the night if a fie happens and that's our number one response at red cross is fires.

I know you see us at tornadoes but our number one response is home fires.

And at night in the middle of the night if you have a fire you have two minutes to get out of that home.

Well it's important to have working smoking alarms in your home to give you all that two minutes you need to get out."

And the teams then fanned out and went to homes where during earlier canvassing of neighborhoods agreed have smoke alarms installed.

And the teams made sure residents knew how to test their alarms. "you got two buttons, the top one top is test, tnt, so push that button hold it and it's going to beep.

If you need to quiet it say i put one in your kitchen for.

Not right on your stove but near it, because most fires start in the kitchen.

So lets say you get a little smoke from the stove and you need to quiet it and the red cross reminds you that you can get a smoke alarm installed in your home anytime, just by giving their office a call.

Maddie tosses to break saturday night: mostly cloudy skies hang on with more rain and storms on the board.

Lows stay in the 60s.

Look for south winds 3-7 mph.

No severe weather is expected this evening.

Mother's day: more showers and storms are likely especially during the first half of the day.

If mother nature is being a nice mother, she will allow things to settle down for the afternoon and evening.

Another day with highs in the 70s is likely.

Next week: high pressure builds back in and that means more sunshine and drier conditions.

Temperatures will gradually be building from the 70s into the 80s by the end of the week.

There is just a small chance for some isolated showers on wednesday and thursday.

Follow @wcbiweather on facebook, twitter, and instagram.

Saturday night: mostly hollywood is taking a stand against a controversial abortion ban passed in georgia.

As alabama moves to pass an even more restrictive ban, chaos in the capitol forced lawmakers to delay the vote.

C-n-n's natasha chen has details.

Natsot "all those in favor, say aye."

Oh, no hold hold hold hold!"

"any opposed?

Motion passes."

Mr. chairman, mr. chairman, there was no motion."

This shouting match happened thursday as alabama senators considered a bill that would ban abortions at every stage of pregnancy from conception on.

And criminalize the procedure for doctors.

The battle over abortion rights has been raging since the landmark case of roe v wade in 1973, which legalized the procedure nationwide.

But now certain states are drafting restrictive bills in preparation for a lawsuit in the nation's highest court.

Eric johnston/pro-life coalition president "this is the first time in 46 years that the make-up on the supreme court has changed where there's possibly enough conservatives on there who would decide roe v.

Wade was incorrectly decided."

Outside of alabama, a so- called 'heartbeat bill' has been passed in several states.

Some already blocked in courts.

Those laws prohibit abortions after a feartbeat can be detected.

About six weeks into a pregnancy, before many women know they're pregnant.

And that's causing a problem for georgia's nearly 10 billion- dollar film and t-v industry.

Alyssa milano/actress "our industry is taking a stand.

Women are taking a stand.

And we're saying 'no more.'" david simon - who created "the wire" - said his production company won't film in georgia anymore.

He's joined by mark duplass, counter narrative films and killer films. cnn reached out to marvel - which films avengers movies in georgia - and amc studios, which films the walking dead in the peach state.

Neither have responded yet.

Natasha chen, cnn, atlanta --tag-- the a-c-l-u is suing to block the abortion laws.

The motion picture association of america -- which represents major studios like marvel parent company disney -- is waiting to see if the laws are reversed before taking a stance.

A wild rivalry a wild rivalry game two for ole miss and m-s- u...courtney has those highlights coming up next in sports mississippi state kicked off the series with a shut out over in- state rival ole miss... and the bulldogs have ethan small to thank for throwing this for 10 strikeouts in his five innings pitching..

For game two...small would not be on the mound and this time it wasn't the weather keeping fans on the edge of their seats let's get to swayze field for game two between ole miss and m-s-u bottom 1st...cole zabowski at the plate...hits a single out to right center field...that brings tyler keenan home for the first run of the evening next batter, cooper johnson with an r-b-i single...mangum confused in the outfield...and thomas dillard tacks on the second ole miss run top 3rd inning...bases loaded, jordan westburg walked by doug nikhazy, dustin skelton comes home, and it's a one run game 4th inning...rowdey jordan hits the grounder...rebel s get the double play but macnamee comes home for the tying run...it's 2 all heading to the 5th... but after four strikeouts, jt ginn with a wild pitch that allows keenan to come home...and ole miss retakes the lead and mississippi state gets the series win with a double play to end the game...the final in oxford 8-4...it was a six run frame that did it for the diamond dawgs..

Ole miss will try and hold off the sweep on sunday at noon 7 seed national seed msu taken on 10th seed tcu in the men's tennis super regionals.

Doubles match, niclaus braun and giovanni oradini score game point to win the set and go up 4-2 but tcu would win the doubles games to go up 1-0.

In the singles, nuno borges returns the serve n scores a point with a forehand finish.

In another singles match, oradini with the serve.

Forces tcu to go long with the shot as he scores a point and on the court next to him, borges again in a long back and forth rally forces tcu into an error and gets the point to take a 3 sets to 1 lead in his matchup.

But the road to a national championship ends in starkville.

Tcu gets the dub over msu 4- 2...next up, four bulldogs compete in the singles and doubles championship later this may north half finals for high school baseball continues to be delayed lafayette at saltillo...postpo ned to monday new hope at pontotoc...postp oned to monday stringer at hamilton....postp oned to monday north pontotoc at booneville also being postponed until monday smithville at west union...the two teams played a north half final earlier this afternoon...game one of the check in on some saturday scores we're saturday night: mostly cloudy skies hang on with more rain and storms on the board.

Lows stay in the 60s.

Look for south winds 3-7 mph.

No severe weather is expected this evening.

Mother's day: more showers