WCBI New at Six - 04/30/2020

WCBI New at Six - 04/30/2020

2 good evening everyone..

There is controversy brewing at the state capitol after some state leaders disagree that governor reeves is in charge of distributing the 1-point-25 billion dollars from the cares act.

The mississippi legislature will reconvene tomorrow at one.

Representative kabir kareem says the speaker of the house called expressing urgency for members to return to jackson.

Karieem says there's confusion regarding the cares act and state leaders are at odds over who is in charge of the funds.

He says it's a battle between a piece of legislation that came out while the house wasn't in session.

"the legislature has a constitutional responsibility to allocate the funds.

So again, there's going to some wrangling and it's going to be interesting to see how this all unfolds."

Karriem says until he's seen a piece of karriem says until he's seen a piece of legislation he can't comment which side he's on.

Wipe to vo 246 new cases of covid-19 are being reported today.

This brings the total confirmed cases to just over 68-hundred.

Most of those are in the 40-49 age range.

There are also 11 new deaths, bringing the total up to 261.

Health department data shows most deaths are in the 80-89 age range.

The state health department estimates about 34- hundred mississippians have recovered from the virus.

And 66- thousand have been tested..

Some north mississippians are finding they cannot afford health insurance purchased through the affordable care act.

A local insurance agent says her clients have lost tax credits to cover the premiums and getting help and answers has been a struggle.

"it's time to stop penalizing people who are working for their health insurance premium."

As owner of "g force insurance team" jimmie mckee helps people get health insurance.

Many of her clients get their health insurance through the affordable care act, also known as the marketplace.

Tax credits are available based on a person's income and household size, to help pay the premiums. but mckee says many of her clients have recently lost their tax credits, and cannot afford the insurance premiums. "i have three people that need health insurance, one is diabetic, another is taking chemo, a cancer patient."

Mckee says the clients have submitted required paperwork to "health sherpa" a company that connects people to health coverage through the aca.

But many times, the paperwork never makes it through.

Toni johnson, the office manager at g force insurance team, knows firsthand the frustration of trying to submit documents to enroll in aca.

"they wanted me to upload my daughter's birth certificate to i could prove she was a natural citizen, i ended up having to upload her birth certificate five times, don't know why, but the paperwork was not getting to where it needed to be."

And johnson and mckee say getting answers from health sherpa, or the aca's website, healthcare dot gov, has been increasingly frustrating during the coronavirus pandemic.

"i can't believe the the government has thought about everything else, they didn't think to stop cutting off people's subsidies to pay for their premium" standup close we reached out to the mississippi insurance department to see if they could offer any guidance, or help for those who have lost their ability to pay their premiums. a spokesperson is reviewing our questions and promises to get back with us.

In tupelo, allie martin, wcbi news g force insurance team will soon start regular facebook live chats to talk with those who have lost their tax credits for health insurance.

Alabama's unemployment numbers continue to climb and covid- 19 is to blame for most of the claims. from april 19th through april 25th more than 74 thousand claims were filed.

More than 62 thousand of those claims were related to covid- 19.

Alabama reached a peak of claims back on april 4th, which totaled more than 106 thousand people filing for help.

Lamar county saw 108 claims and pickens county had 192.

Take vo off top a tupelo marketing firm is showing its appreciation for money received under the paycheck protection program by helping other small businesses..

Robinson marketing is offering free consulting for businesses preparing to reopen after the coronavirus lockdown.

The company was able to keep paying employees because of the paycheck protection program.

"one of the real challenges is to let people know you're back opened for business, the other is what are your customers going to ask for when you are open for business, we have been doing things differently for about six weeks now and certain things people have gotten used to, the other thing to is do product lines you have now match what customers needs are and this is a very key portion to that."

The free business consulting services are available during the month of may.

First look stinger first look summary: may is set to start off on a sunny and warm note.

Temperatures will be warming well into the 80s this weekend and early next week.

The next chance of showers and storms is possible tuesday but rain chances look slim over the next week.

Tonight: clear, calm, and cool.

Lows in the mid to upper 40s.

Light wind.

A starkville native who now lives in texas is recovering from covid-19.

Ashley brown and her family traveled to europe in march.

On the return trip, she says they stood in line for more than five hours to get screened by the cdc.

Days later, she developed what she thought were spring allergy symptoms. i started getting extremely tired, shortness of breath; chest being very tight.

I also started getting dizzy.

And eventually i ended up losing my sense of smell and taste.

That third week i felt like i was never gonna get better.

I'll just be honest with you.

I remember turning to my husband and saying i don't feel i'll ever feel better because i couldn't get out bed.

I was sleeping 14 hour days.

You can hear aundrea self's full conversation with ashley brown tomorrow at 9am on midmorning.

Mississippi university for women is working on a way to reopen in the fall.

Members of the campus renewal taskforce are developing a plan to bring students back on campus after the covid-19 pandemic.

They will look at issues such as - the health and well being of staff and students, academics and student activities as they create guidelines.

The first tele- conference meeting is tomorrow.

The muw campus renewal taskforce will implement a few changes for students returning this fall.

Classroom rosters will shrink and student activities may have to wait.

Our stephanie poole joins us live from muw and has more on what students can expect.

Empty sidewalks and bare parking lots.

Muw's campus has been this way since the covid-19 pandemic first began.

Now they're ready to invite students back.

President nora miller says the board is developing the best way students can be on campus and stay protected.

" this taskforce will be meeting over the next few weeks to determine what measures would move us into a certain phase.

When is it going to be safe for people to come back to campus to work?

How can we accommodate people who may be in higher risk and are concerned about being exposed to anything."

University president nora miller says her board will analyze scenarios to help fit student needs and safety during the semester.

The first step is reducing classroom capacity to practice social distancing.

" we have a small 13:1 student faculty ratio.

Having small classes will make things a-lot easier for us than some larger institutions will have to deal with.

" " if someone is running a fever or showing symptoms they can still participate in the class remotely while the rest of the class ta place physically."

Lydia holland is muw's student body president.

She hopes all the changes will be an easy transition.

" the w is like one big family.

When students begin to make their transition to come back to the w, i'm sure we will be afforded all the opportunities and the information necessary for us to make an accommodation.

" butt sots " we're looking at how we can accommodate students in the residents hall so that if there is another spike or return that we don't have to send people home and can just manage it with social isolation, and quarantine without total disruption."

Miller tells me there will be a two phases regarding faculty, staff and student return.

Faculty and staff members will return during the summer months.

Students will be allowed on campus at a later date.

And the safe start task force, made up of university representatives from all of mississippi's colleges and universities will meet tonight to discuss ways to open safely in the fall.

For now, reporting live at muw, stephanie poole, wcbi news.

Stinger your next netflix binge watching session may feature some familiar faces and places..

We have a preview when we come back... centred up it's been more than a decade since levon brooks and kennendy brewer were cleared of capital murder and sexual battery charges..

Their wrongful convictions are the focus of a new netflix documentary - the innocence files.

Brooks was accused of breaking into a noxubee county home in september of 1990... and killing a three year old girl.

In may of 1992, brewer was accused of murdering his girlfriend's three year old daughter.

Brooks served 16 years in prison... brewer spent 13 years on death row... in 2008 both men were exonerated after another man... justin johnson.... confessed to both crimes..

Brooks passed away in 2018.

Brewer still lives in noxubee county... centred up the netflix documentary was released earlier this month... wcbi spoke exclusively with brewer about the new series... he says he's happy the innocence project approached him about telling his story.

Brewer says he wants everyone to know his truth... with people around the world able to watch the show... the noxubee county man hopes the series will shine a light on the flaws in the justice system.... and prevent other innocent people from being wrongfully convicted.

" i'm glad everybody knows the truth.

People have been calling me talking about, i seen the documentary, i was crying.

I said ok, well that's what we made it for, the truth, so everybody can know that about not only mean, but they are others who are locked up for something they haven't done either."

Despite everything that's happened, brewer says he has no ill will towards anyone... but he says he does believe mississippi owes him and the late levon brooks an apology.

Hear more from our exclusive with brewer tonight on wcbi news at 9 and 10 an inmate serving time for a conviction out of pontotoc county dies in a jackson hospital this morning.

51-year-old darrell king had been hospitalized at merit central health for the past several days.

King was serving time at the central mississippi correctional facility for a 2019 methamphetamine possession conviction out of pontotoc county.

An autopsy is being conducted.

Wipe to vo a former corrections officer at the women's prison in aliceville pleads guilty to sexual assault charges.

Adrian stargell pled guilty to two counts of violating the rights of women and one count of making false statements to federal agents.

Prosecutors say stargell assaulted inmates on several different occasions.

Stargell was an educational specialist at the federal correctional facility.

He will be sentenced in august.

Wipe to gfx a columbus man is accused of shooting a house.

Davonta wells is charged with shooting into an occupied dwelling.

Officers were called to the 200 block of byrnes circle about shots fired.

Columbus police chief fred shelton says the shooting happened about 4 am on wednesday.

Shelton says a domestic situation led to the gunfire.

Wells turned himself in yesterday.

As of this afternoon, he remained in wx open summary: may is set to start off on a sunny and warm note.

Temperatures will be warming well into the 80s this weekend and early next week.

The next chance of showers and storms is possible tuesday but rain chances look slim over the next week.

Tonight: clear, calm, and cool.

Lows in the mid to upper 40s.

Light wind.

Friday: bright sunshine.

Highs in the upper 70s.

Variable winds 5-10 mph.

Friday night: clear and quiet.

Lows in the low to mid 50s.

Saturday: sunny and warm.

Highs in the lower 80s.

Saturday night: mainly clear.

Lows in the upper 50s.

Sunday: mostly sunny and warm.

Highs in the mid 80s.

Next week: temperatures stay in the 80s through tuesday before falling back into the 70s for the 2nd half of the week.

Some rain or storms are possible tuesday and tuesday night with a cold front but moisture appears limited at this time.

Follow @wcbiweather on facebook, twitter, instagram, and the wcbi news app stinger summary: may is set to start off on a sunny and warm note.

Temperatures will be warming well into the 80s this weekend and early next week.

The next chance of showers and storms is possible tuesday but rain chances look slim over the next week.

Tonight: clear, calm, and cool.

Lows in the mid to upper 40s.

Light wind.

Friday: bright sunshine.

Highs in the upper 70s.

Variable winds 5-10 mph.

Friday night: clear and quiet.

Lows in the low to mid 50s.

Saturday: sunny and warm.

Highs in the lower 80s.

Saturday night: mainly clear.

Lows in the upper 50s.

Sunday: mostly sunny and warm.

Highs in the mid 80s.

Next week: temperatures stay in the 80s through tuesday before falling back into the 70s for the 2nd half of the week.

Some rain or storms are possible tuesday and tuesday night with a cold front but moisture appears limited at this time.

Follow @wcbiweather on facebook, twitter, instagram, and the wcbi news app stinger mississippi state basketball adding much needed depth to the roster the latest from the transfer portal next in sports... spx open mississippi state men's basketball has faced a mass exodus this offseason... reggie perry, robert woodard, and nick weatherspoon have left early for the nba draft senior tyson carter won't be back for the bulldogs next year 4 reserves from a year ago have transfered.....but the bulldogs picking up some reinforcement in transfer portal louisiana grad transfer jalen johnson has committed to play for ben howland the bulldogs... jeff goodman first reported the news the 6'7 forward averaged almost 16 points per game, and 7 rebounds....being named the sun belt newcomer of the year this past season johnson will be joined by western kentucky transfer tolu smith as players eligible for 2020...along with signees cameron matthews and anderson garcia.... woodard has maintained eligibility and it's possible for a return...the deadline to withdraw from the draft is june 6th for the first time in nearly 75 years...the little league world series has canceled all regional and world series play for the rest of 2020 due to the covid-19 pandemic the 2021 little league world series was planned to be the 75h year celebration...that has now been pushed to 2022 some good news...nascar is officially coming back!

Actual cup series racing is set to return may 17th.......darlington raceway will host the return of nascar for the race at darlington, there will not be qualifying or practice sessions.....and reports say the starting lineup will be based set on points qualifying will return for the coke 600 at charlotte motor speedway no fans will be in attendance....nasc ar has been entertaining the world with enascar in the absence of racing last look stinger last look last look last look last look last look last look