WCBI NEWS at 10 - 09/09/2020

WCBI NEWS at 10 - 09/09/2020

Show open show open show open thanks for staying up with us tonight, i'm cash matlock.

Fewer mississippians are being admitted into the hospital with covid-19 than they were through much of the summer.

But are the hospital staffs able to feel any relief?

Statewide the number of confirmed covid-19 patients hospitalized has dropped by more than 300 in the last 3 weeks.

St.

Dominic's chief medical officer dr. eric mcvey says they went from about 75 covid patients at the height of the surge to less than half of that now.

"we have been able to close an icu pod as well as a medical unit to covid and release it for regular use."

There are fewer patients but also fewer nurses than they had in july.

Mcvey says as other southern states also saw a surge---they started looking for help.

"recruiting nurses at salaries well beyond what any nurses could get in this market.

We've lost 15-20 nurses to travel.

That's bad because that puts the stress back on those who stay home.

They're having to work extra shifts, a...one can only do that for so long."

The university of mississippi medical center is still at full capacity.

As they've seen fewer covid patients, their non-covid patients have increased.

"so today our number for today is 70.

At one point we were up as high as 110.

But that means that we're able to then take some beds that we had reserved and slotted for covid patients and to use those for patients that are not covid."

Dr. louann woodward says it's been an encouraging downward trend but she adds it's not time to declare victory---rather hang onto what we're doing."

"i do have concerns like many others that following the labor day holiday, following schools getting back into session and people trying to attend sporting events...that we may see an uptick.

But what we're seeing right now are numbers that look better than a month and six weeks ago."

We do want to share a milestone that most hospitals have not reached yet.

Although it was just for one day---och regional medical center in starkville shared friday that for the first time since april---they had zero covid-19 confirmed or suspected cases in the hospital.

First look stinger first look summary: quiet and summer-like weather continues for the end of the work week.

Some rain and storms are possible during the weekend and early next week as a front stalls in the region.

Wednesday night: mostly clear and quiet.

Lows in the upper 60s.

Light winds.

Thursday: mostly sunny to partly cloudy.

Still warm with highs in the lower 90s.

Winds ne 5-10 mph.

The coronavirus pandemic is shaking up the presidential election with the publishing of audio tapes where president trump admitted to journalist bob woodward the virus was more deadly than what he was saying in public.

Skyler henry has the coronavirus pandemic is shaking up the presidential election with the publishing of audio tapes where president trump admitted to journalist bob woodward the virus was more deadly than what he was saying in public.

Skyler henry has more details from the white house.

President trump is defending what he initially told the american public about the severity of the coronavirus.

"we don't want to instill panic, we don't want to jump up and down and start shouting that we have a problem that is a tremendous problem and scare everybody."

But what the president was saying publicly back in february seems at odds with what he told journalist bob woodward in an interview for his new book "rage" - which is published by simon and schuster - a division of viacom/cbs.

"you just breathe the air and that's how it's passed.

And so that's a very tricky one.

That's a very delicate one.

It's also more deadly than even your strenuous flu."

The president admitted to woodward he downplayed the severity of covid- 19.

"i wanted to always play it down, i still like playing it down because i don't want to create a panic."

In an interview to '60 minutes' airing sunday...woodward tells scott pelley about how he felt about the revelations.

In that february 7th interview, it's clear that the president knows what the stakes are.

But he's not sharing that with the public at that time.

Yes.

This is the tragedy.

// the president of the united states // has a duty to warn.

// the public will understand that // but // if they get the feeling that they're not getting the truth, then you're going down the path of deceit and cover up.

The president praised his administration's response to the pandemic saying he saved millions of lives by putting travel restrictions on china.

"china released something they should not have been allowed - they should not have released."?

Campaigning in michigan - democratic presidential nominee joe biden called it a "disgrace" and a "dereliction of duty."

Presidential nominee "he had the information, he knew how dangerous it was.

And while this deadly disease ripped through our nation, he failed to do his job on purpose.

It was a life and death betrayal of the american people."

Woodward writes that president trump never seemed willing to mobilize the federal government - preferring to let states handle the crisis.

Skyler henry, cbs news, the white house.

You can see more of scott pelley's interview with bob woodward, this sunday - on "60 minutes."

New at 10 stinger goes here two men try using a drone to deliver contraband to a prison inmate but end up landing themselves in jail.

Mississippi department of corrections says 33-year-old john travis ross of vicksburg and 18- year-old joshua ray corban of utica tried to drop marijuana and other contraband to their friends at central mississippi correctional facility in pearl, but their drone got tangled up in the security net above the facility's razor wire fence.

The drone was carrying two ounces of marijuana buds, a cellphone, phone chargers, headphones, and several cigarette lighters.

The rankin county sheriff's office used its own technology to trace the drone's flight path back to ross and corban.

Mdoc says the two men confessed and are now facing prison stints, if convicted.

In ross' case, he could be returning to prison.

He has been on parole since october 2018 for sale of a controlled substance in warren county.

He and corban made an initial appearance in rankin county court on tuesday.

Mdoc director of investigations john hunt says this is the third drone mdoc has intercepted at a mississippi prison in recent years.

An aberdeen man who's wanted by several mississippi law enforcement agencies is found in tupelo.

The lee county sheriff's department says it located 22-year- old bruce dilliner earlier today on west garrison street.

Dilliner is wanted for felony offences in pearl.

After the arrest, officers foundstolen 2019 kawasaki dirt bike from tuscaloosa, alabama.

A new 5 by 10 utility trailer and a new hammerhead side by side atv were also seized for evidence and investigative purposes.

Dilliner has a history of felonies including grand larceny, false pretenses, felony taking of a motor vehicle, and identity theft.

Some monroe county students escape injury after their bus goes up in flames.

The incident happened about 12:30 this afternoon on cotton gin port road, near amory.

Here's a picture from a wcbi viewer.

The bus was carrying students from smithville school and was returning from the monroe county career and technical education center.

The monroe county sheriff's department and the monroe county school district were unavailable to provide any information about the incident.

Oktibbeha county deputies have been spending a lot of their time over the past several weekends breaking up parities.

Sheriff steve gladney says more than a hundred people at these bashes.

Wcbi's bobby martinez tells us about the latest move to keep more people at home.

It's been an ongoing issue as of late.

Large parties taking place here in oktibbeha county.

And on tuesday, the board of supervisors implemented a strict curfew for the county.

Where citations will be issued for those who disobey.

"the people that live in these communities, they don't want to hear loud music and all that to one or two or 3 o'clock in the morning."

Oktibbeha county sheriff gladney says large parties are also making it difficult for deputies and first responders... if an ambulance, fire truck, or patrol car can't get down the road, they won't be able to help in an emergency.

"we get there and the roads are blocked.

So the deputies have to park and then they have to walk, we can't even go in our vehicles and that becomes an officer safety issue then."

Back in april, oktibbeha county supervisors enforced a month long curfew from 10 p.m.

To 5 a.m.

And gladney is hoping the county will have the same success this time around... and fewer celebrations.

"the people respected the curfew.

We didn't really have a problem then.

You know people understood it was a curfew and most of them abided by it so now i'm hoping the same thing will happen this time."

Currently, the restricted travel hours are from midnight until 4 am.

And for those who disobey this curfew?

"we can issue them a citation for court and the fine i think they said yesterday was up to $200.

And that will depend on what the judge you know fines them with that."

On cam tag gladney says supervisors will meet next monday to see if they will extend this curfew.

Reporting in oktibeeha county..

Bobby martinez wcbi news..

We'd like to remind everyone that the curfew is for the on cam tag gladney says off top lowndes county is no stranger to severe weather, and that's why county leaders are trying to be proactive instead of reactive when it comes to tornados.

The county is installing three storm shelters for county employees incase severe weather strikes while they're on the job.

The new shelters are primarily for workers who work outside.

Ema director cindy lawrence says the county wants to provide a safe working experience for its employees.

"lowndes county is not immune to disaster, you know, several tornadoes... we did have a tornado come through here last year and we just want to be prepared and have our employees a safe place to go in the event we have severe weather."

The three new shelters will be in caledonia, jess lyons road, and crawford.

Stinger wx open summary: quiet and summer-like weather continues for the end of the work week.

Some rain and storms are possible during the weekend and early next week as a front stalls in the region.

Wednesday night: mostly clear and quiet.

Lows in the upper 60s.

Light winds.

Thursday: mostly sunny to partly cloudy.

Still warm with highs in the lower 90s.

Winds ne 5-10 mph.

Thursday night: staying quiet.

Lows around 70.

Friday: sun & clouds with just a 10% chance of a shower or storm, especially across our southeastern counties.

Highs in the lower 90s.

The weather still looks to be pretty good overall for high school football activities.

Weekend: warm, humid, and summer- like with a 40% chance of showers and storms. highs ranging from the summary: quiet and summer-like weather continues for the end of the work week.

Some rain and storms are possible during the weekend and early next week as a front stalls in the region.

Wednesday night: mostly clear and quiet.

Lows in the upper 60s.

Light winds.

Thursday: mostly sunny to partly cloudy.

Still warm with highs in the lower 90s.

Winds ne 5-10 mph.

Thursday night: staying quiet.

Lows around 70.

Friday: sun & clouds with just a 10% chance of a shower or storm, especially across our southeastern counties.

Highs in the lower 90s.

The weather still looks to be pretty good overall for high school football activities.

Weekend: warm, humid, and summer- like with a 40% chance of showers and storms. highs ranging from the upper 80s to around 90.

Lows in the lower 70s.

Monday & tuesday: a continuing chance of a few showers and storms. highs in the upper 80s to around 90 with lows near 70.

Follow @wcbiweather on facebook, twitter, instagram, and the wcbi news app stinger after the break we continue our conversation on fall allergies... health talk with baptist is next.

Stay with us.

Cash 3 lottery gfx goes here intro summary: quiet and summer-like after the break we continue our conversation on fall allergies... health talk with baptist is next.

Stay with us.

Cash 3 lottery gfx goes here the first day of fall isn't until september 22nd, but you may already be experiencing fall allergies.

Tonight, we continue our conversation on health talk with baptist.

Take a look.

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