WDAM 7's Rex Thompson offers up his weekend forecast for the Pine Belt

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - Students at the Forrest County campus of Pearl River Community College are enjoying a new option when it comes to catching a quick bite between classes. A new food truck operated by PRCC and Aladdin Campus Dining has begun serving hamburgers, tacos, chicken tenders and Philly...

PETAL, Miss. (WDAM) -Only three weeks into 2023.. and already, The Pine Belt already has seen two, First Alert Weather days. Minimal damage was reported across the Pine Belt, but one lighting strike reportedly touched the ground. Over the past few weeks, we have seen hundreds of lightning strikes across...

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - The Hattiesburg Police Department needs your help identifying two people wanted for vandalizing property. According to a video uploaded to HPD’s Facebook page, two people are seen who are believed to have spray-painted multiple sections of walls in the 200 block of Forrest Street on Monday, Jan. 23.

PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) - The way was officially cleared Tuesday night to allow beer and light wine sales in the City of Purvis. The Board of Aldermen voted unanimously to pass the city’s ordinance regarding alcohol sales in the city’s limits. The city’s businesses now can apply...

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - A Hattiesburg man wanted in connection to an overnight home invasion has turned himself in to authorities. According to the Hattiesburg Police Department, James Powe, 47, turned himself in to the police on Wednesday. Powe was formally charged with one count of home invasion, and he...

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - A 37-year-old Hattiesburg man was arrested Wednesday in connection with a break-in at Hattiesburg High School. Hattiesburg police arrested Justin Vanzant and charged him with one count of commercial burglary in connection with a Jan. 21 break-in at HHS in the 300 block of North Hutchinson Avenue.

FORREST COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - A Florida man arrested in Forrest County after a brief manhunt through the woods Tuesday had his bond set at his initial appearance Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. According to the Forrest County Sheriff’s Office, Amos Gaston, 37, of St. Petersburg, Fla., was given a $200,000...

JONES COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - Jones County citizens helped the sheriff’s department locate and identify a woman involved in a larceny investigation. According to the Jones County Sheriff’s Department, Trinity McCraw was arrested on Tuesday afternoon after public tips led law enforcement to her location. She is charged with commercial burglary of a vehicle.

PINE BELT, Miss. (WDAM) - Local, state and federal law enforcement executed three search warrants on Thursday, Jan. 26, at Candy Shop & Kratom locations around Hattiesburg. According to the Hattiesburg Police Department (HPD), agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), HPD, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Forrest and Lamar county sheriff’s departments, FBI and Mississippi Attorney General’s Office are involved in the investigation.

FORREST COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - A Florida man was arrested in Forrest County after a brief manhunt through the woods Tuesday afternoon. According to Maj. Jamie Humphrey with the Forrest County Sheriff’s Office, FCSO initiated a traffic stop on Amos Gaston, 37, of St. Petersburg, Fla., around 1 p.m. on Highway 98. Gaston, who was driving a Dodge Charger, reportedly fled the traffic stop and was pursued.

LAUREL, Miss. (WDAM) - Families in Jones County are being fed spiritually and physically, thanks to a local church. Bethlehem Community Church in Laurel is wrapping up the final day of its two-night ‘Convoy of Hope’ event. During the Convoy of Hope, any family who attends service either...

COVINGTON COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - Four men have been arrested for allegedly selling controlled substances in Covington County. According to a post on the Covington County Sheriff’s Office’s Facebook page, the men were arrested for sale of controlled substances and booked into the Covington County Jail. Those arrested are as follows:

Southern Miss happy to have Neftali Alvarez back in the fold. Southern Miss happy to have Neftali Alvarez back in the fold. The sheriff's department said it's making sure the community is safe but also keeping its fellow deputies safe as well. Human Trafficking Summit at USM. Updated: 7 hours...

Southern Miss happy to have Neftali Alvarez back in the fold. Southern Miss happy to have Neftali Alvarez back in the fold. The sheriff's department said it's making sure the community is safe but also keeping its fellow deputies safe as well. Perry County sheriff race. Updated: 7 hours ago.

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WDAM) - The 1920s are frequently referred to as the “Roaring 20s” due to the economic boom that took place following World War I. That was certainly the case in Hattiesburg. With $100,000 in bond money and new infrastructure plans, city officials awarded the construction of...

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - The Simpson County School District has agreed to change a policy that prohibited a 3rd-grade student from wearing a face mask with the phrase “Jesus Loves Me” on it. According to a press release, the student, Lydia Booth wanted to peacefully share her views...

PERRY COUNTY, Miss. (WDAM) - A warrant has been issued by the Perry County Sheriff’s Office for a man involved in a domestic violence investigation. According to the sheriff’s office, deputies and members of the New Augusta Police Department responded to the Rainer Villa Apartments in New Augusta on Jan. 10, in reference to a domestic incident.

The Petal School District is getting ready to host its annual teacher job fair on Thursday, Jan. 26. A native of Perry County, Nobles said he spent the first decade of his career with the Perry County Sheriff’s Office.

Southern Miss happy to have Neftali Alvarez back in the fold. Southern Miss happy to have Neftali Alvarez back in the fold. Mississippi Secretary of State Michael Watson stopped by The University of Southern Mississippi’s Hattiesburg campus Tuesday afternoon for a conference on human trafficking. Perry County sheriff race.