WCBI NEWS AT TEN - May 14\, 2019

The alabama senate passes a near-total ban on abortion.

Thanks for joining us tonight// the bill now heads to governor kay ivey's desk// if signed into law, this will be the most restrictive abortion law in the united states// earlier tonight alabama senators rejected an effort to exempt cases involving rape and incest from a proposed abortion ban in the state// senators on tuesday voted 21- 11 against adding the rape and incest exception to the proposal// some lawmakers expressed discomfort about the lack of an exemption for rape// after the amendment's defeat, democratic sen.

Bobby singleton called the bill a "shame" and a "disgrace// others say they opposed exceptions because their goal is to create a court case to challenge the 1973 u.s. supreme court decision that legalized abortion nationwide// tonights bill was passed with a 25 to six vote.

Take new at 10 stinger tragedy struck in a major way for the men and women in blue when a biloxi police was shot and killed just over a week ago// dealing with this type of tragic incident can be tough for any department// our quentin smith visited a police department that knows the pain all to well// so quentin...how did the officers come together?

Scott, it was a big blow for the eupora police department when corporal keith crenshaw was killed while serving and protecting his community nearly six years ago... law enforcement officers pride themselves on being a brotherhood...an d it was the strength of that brotherhood that helped them get them through those painful days..

" he had a big heart.

He would help anybody."

Before you walk into the eupora police department you'll be greeted with this memorial honoring the late corporal keith crenshaw.... " he was the community police officer.

He always made sure you checked on the older people for more than a decade crenshaw proudly gave his all to his community and department..... he resonated with so many people,that's why when he was killed while chasing suspects involved in an attempted armed robbery...it rocked his community like never before.

" that hurt, that hurt.

You'll never forget it, it'll stay with you.

The puzzle will never be put back together completely.

We will always have a lost piece there.

Sergeant.

Lawrence caradine was working at the deparment when everything and unfolded and says they had to lean on their family... community..

And one another to overcome this tragedy..

"can i ask you do you need to go to counseling and you have counseling people come down and talk to you and try to get you through it, give you their number in case you need to call them.

You're going to have your bad times when you go home and you are sitting there and you were thinking about it, you cry a little bit, then you have your family at home and you know you can call the other guys and they will come in come on come out, i'll come over your house and you always talk and grab something to eat, it helps a lot."

Caradine says they also received a lot of support from other agencies as well during the tough time.

"when we had to take off for it we had starkville officers coming in, we had webster county officers to come in and help us out so we can take off and get ourselves together."

When this type of devastation strikes that's when the band of blue shows its strength and unity.... the eupora police department has its thin blue line flag on display to show their support for the biloxi police department... using their experience to uplift another band of brothers in their time if need.

" i know we've been trained, we go through this, but we still have a heart and we still have a mind.

When you are going through something like this you're still human, you still need that support.

Somebody to come and tell you, hey it's going to be ok.

I got you, who do you need me to talk to, i got you.

We're still human."

So far this year..

19 officers have been killed in the line of duty ..

First look stinger first look tonight: look for temperatures to fall into the low to mid 50s with light winds turning out of the south by morning.

The sky will be mostly clear to partly cloudy.

Wednesday: most of the day looks dry, but we'll watch a batch of showers and storms to our north work our telemedicine is connecting doctors and patients from afar all over the state.

But regulations have been limiting the possibilities of using telemedicine in more ers.

Courtney ann jackson explains how that rule may soon change.

There's only one way you'll see telemedicine in a mississippi er--if ummc is the provider.

But that could soon change.

Mississippi-based t1 telehealth decided it wanted to offer its services.

"we wanted to do it in a way that we thought was a little bit less expensive, a little bit faster.

So, we put together technology to allow us to be able to do that.

We were blocked by this regulatory burden.

We had a difficult time navigating this labyrinth of regulations."

They brought on the mississippi justice institute to help navigate it.

It's a board f medical licensure regulation that has prevented an expansion in this area of telehealth.

"only allowed one provider in mississippi to provide emergency telemedicine services.

You had to be a level one hospital trauma center and have an existing air ambulance system in place and so that limited it to just one provider in the state, the state's academic institution."

Last week---the board agreed to change the regulation- loosening the previous restrictions and opening it up to other doctors and hospitals.

"bring access to people that otherwise don't get it or there's a delay if they do get it.

The health system is overburdened.

And even in our state you have all these rural communtieis and they're distant from maybe the access of care that they need."

The state telehealth association is pleased with the recent board action---saying they anticipate this to be a huge opportunity for rural facilities to provide better care for their patients and save lives.

It will still have a public comment period and review by the occupational licensing review commission before it can be finalized.

Courtney ann jackson, wcbi news living life with a physical disability can be challenging and navigating the available resources is often a daunting task.

That's what prompted two non-profits to host a resource fair to show those with disabilities that independent living is possible with the right services.

Allie martin has more..

As matthew ring and his family were enjoying a beautiful day at fairpark.

Nats he was also getting information for services available for his son.

Asher is autistic, but his family and friends treat him like any other five year old.

"being able to come to one area, especially with an autistic child, they are very schedule oriented and as long as he is in the schedule and knows what his schedule he is pretty content and helps us to be able to find out what's available in tupelo and surrounding areas."

Asher is a student at ecec and a regular visitor to our artworks, where people with a variety of disabilities can take hands on art lessons from bradley gillespie, who also motivates and inspires his students.

"i lead a productive life, i mae benches, build swings, i use all kind of woodworking tools, i also paint."

No matter a person's disability, organizers of the resource fair want them to know they can have a normal life, without limitations.

"they can get out in the community and do everything you and i do, we provide services for fishing, sporting events just about anything that an able bodied person can do is provided for a person who is disabled."

For vendors, the resource fair was an opportunity to let people who can benefit most, know about their services.

"we provide skilled nursing, physical and occupational therapy , speech therapy, in homes."

"we loan out wheelchairs, walkers, hospital beds, i pads, magnifying devices."

This was the fifth year for the resource fair.

At fairpark, allie martin, wcbi news the fair was organized by life of mississippi and our art works.

Seniors in louisville celebrate the next step in their college career.

The louisville career and technology center hosted a recognition day for seniors who are moving on into the technical field or even on to college.

It was at the vo- tech center this morning.

The vo-tech offers a variety of course in technical training including health sciences, culinary arts, and welding.

Career tech counselor chris davis says today was about celebrating the hard work these students have done this year.

"i hope that students come from this feeling proud of what they've accomplished here.

Many have come away with full scholarships to college."

Students who were recognized today say the career center is a perfect way to get a jump start on a future career.

Stinger tonight: look for temperatures to fall into the low to mid 50s with light winds turning out of the south by morning.

The sky will be mostly clear to partly cloudy.

Wednesday: most of the day looks dry, but we'll watch a batch of showers and storms to our north work our way during the day.

Questions remain how far south it will make it, but we do think it will bring at least some scattered showers and storms by wednesday evening into the overnight hours, especially along and north of us 278 and along i-22.

Overall rain amounts will be low and many will remain dry, especially during the day.

Look for a partly cloudy sky with highs wednesday climbing into the low 80s and lows wednesday night falling into the low 60s.

Look for south winds between 5-10 mph.

Thursday: a few more isolated another legend passes away.

He was the stellar second banana to carol burnett.

We look back on the life of tim conway, when we come back.

Welcome back... for years he kept tv audiences and his co-stars in stitches on the carol burnett show..

Tim conway was known for his straight ahead delivery of often ad-libbed lines.

The six time emmy- winner has died at the age of 85 after a long illness.

Lee cowan looks back at his career.

Why did you paint my hand yellow?

Because that's the color you bought.

For 11 seasons, tim conway's off beat comedy -- " i guess i could paint the word stop and be a crossing guard -- cracked up audiences on "the carol burnett show."

Many of his biggest laughs came when teamed with straight man harvey korman in skits that showed off his improvisational and physical comedy skills.

Hk: "and that's the way it was 200 years ago.

Tc: no, that's the way it was 200 years ago.

He won four of his six emmys for his performances on the variety show.

In a statement, carol burnett said she was heartbroken.

He was one in a million, not only as a brilliant comedian but as a loving human being.

Mchale's navy "i like the cut of your jib.

Oh thanks my tailor& conway first gained fame on the t.v.

Series mchale's navy, north mississippi is home to softball state champions... highlights from the final day of the 2019 season....next in sports... spx open the bulldogs fresh off a sweep of ole miss....hoping to stay towards to top to earn a national seed one way to do that.....be perfect in the midweek bulldogs with a chance to do just that...taking on louisiana tech marshall gilbert gets the dawgs on the board with a bang.....2- run home run to right field....2-0 msu more dawg damage in the third...rowdey jordan with two men on, ropes one down the left field line.......tanner allen and justin foscue score.... still in the inning, dustin skelton gets in on the fun, base hit for skelly, mississippi state leading 5-0 after three dawgs go a perfect 15-0 in the midweek....downin g louisiana tech 7-3 the weekend sweep goes from bad to worse for ole miss....arkansas state walking off the rebels thanks to a 4-run bottom of the ninth, 6-5 rebels lead 5-0 with six outs remaining ole miss wraps up the sec regular season at tennessee this weekend south pontotoc looking to close out choctaw central and get their hands on the 3a state championship.

Secora weeks hits one in the infield that gets overthrown past second scoring a lady cougar as they take a 1-0 lead.

Choctaw central not going down easy melanian jimmie hits one to shallow center field scoring saunders and tying the game up at 1 a piece, another extra inning battle top of the 9th, runner at 3rd.

Secora weeks lays down the bunt bringing home the run for the lady cougars but gets called out trying to get to 2nd.

Bottom of the 9th, runners at 2nd and 3rd for ahnaya williams who hits this one down the left field line scoring both runners.

And choctaw central stays alive defeating south pontotoc 3-2.

Winner takes all game 3 for the 3a softball championship!

South pontotoc- choctaw central top of the 2nd.

Sydney brazil at bat hits a tapper in the infield.

Bell overthrows 1st.

Brazil would go to second.

Same inning, bases loaded.

Cougars looking for ball 4 and they get it as they take a 1-0 lead.

Top 4th south pontotoc sara beth brown lays down the bunt that's going to square a cougar.

It gets by the catcher and she'll go to 3rd.

South pontotoc up 2-0.

Now top of the 6th.

Score 2-1.

1 out.

Bases loaded.

Allyson harrison hits a pop fly to the outfield.

That'll score another run as the cougars go up 3- 1.

Then bottom 7th 2 outs.

Leia phillips pops up to left field and that's the ball game!!

South pontotoc wins the 3a fast pitch softball championship!!!

Lady cougars senior group sweeps softball titles...taking home the slow pitch and fast pitch titles "to get to go out with a slow pitch and a fast pitch state championship probably the best senior group we've had to come through there at least in my 13 years coaching there.

So outstanding job on their part and i definitely want to tip my hat to them.

They gave maximum effort every game we played so outstanding job on the seniors part.

"it feels amazing.

We worked hard all year.

We are really deserving of this and i'm just glad we got the win."

"unbelievable....i know we worked our butts off the entire year and we deserved it.

I love my team and i'm so glad we won."

With one more win, vardaman takes home its first 1a softball championship taking on perennial power smithville.

Rams pick up where they left off monday....mary grace davis hits one to 2nd.

Noles throw home but the runner is safe.

Vardaman extends the lead to 4-0.

Now to the bottom of the 3rd, 2 outs, runners at 1st decisive game three for the 5a north half finals lafayette county hosting satillo bottom 1st...the commodores ben harper hits one into the right field corner and winds with a triple... then tyrus williams with the rbi single to drive in harper 1- 0 lafayette..

Top 2nd...the tigers ryan melton slashes a single to center...he gets to third but they can't get him home...still 1-