What Local News and Community Information Does WTVA.com Cover?

Updated

WTVA.com is the homepage of a local TV station serving Mississippi and Alabama, and it bundles news, weather, sports, and community content into one site. You'll find it useful if you want a single place to follow local headlines, check forecasts and alerts, watch live streams, or keep up with area events and obituaries. The sections below describe what each part of the site covers, based on the site's own navigation and current headlines.

News: Local, Regional, and National

The news section is organized into Local, Mississippi, Alabama, and National categories, so you can narrow your reading to your area or widen it.

Current top headlines on the homepage show the mix of stories you can expect:

  • A local festival preview ("Celebration Village kicks off 24th year" at the Tupelo Furniture Market)
  • Public safety items, such as a search for a suspect in a county shed break-in and truck theft
  • School accountability coverage ("Recent accountability grades raise questions in Columbus")
  • Community campaigns, like a department store awarding a breast cancer survivor a $500 shopping spree
  • Political visits to the region

Stories carry an update time and a byline, so you can judge how fresh a report is and who wrote it.

Weather: Forecasts, Alerts, and Tools

Weather is a major part of the site. The navigation lists Weather Alerts, Radar, Forecast Maps, Storm Shelters, a form to Submit Weather Pictures/Videos, Closings, WeatherCall, and Cameras.

The "Latest Forecast" section currently leads with a story noting that many people like the temperatures but are unhappy about the lack of rainfall, with a dry stretch expected for roughly the next 9 to 10 days. That's the kind of plain-language local forecast summary the section carries.

Practical uses:

  • Check Closings for school or business schedule changes during severe weather.
  • Use Radar and Forecast Maps for a quick visual read before heading out.
  • Sign up for WeatherCall if you want alerts delivered rather than checking the site.

Sports: High School and College

The sports section covers High School (including Friday Night Fever and Friday Night Fever Scores), College, and National sports. It also lists Atlanta Braves games airing on WTVA. If you follow local high school football, Friday Night Fever is the page to watch for scores and coverage.

Community Features and Programming

Beyond news, the site carries a set of local programs and community resources:

Section What it offers
Mississippi Made: America's Music Features on Mississippi music and makers
Studio 9 with Tanya Carter Interview-style program content
Ask the Experts Local expert segments
Medical Minute Short health-related segments
Legally Speaking Legal-topic segments
Community Calendar Local event listings
Contests Station-run giveaways and competitions
Obituaries Local death notices
Celebration of Hope / St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway Community campaign coverage

There are also recurring segments like Johnny D. Talks to the Stars, Junior Weather Authority, and Elijah Experiments, which point to youth- and personality-driven content.

Watching Live and Staying Connected

The top navigation includes Watch Live, and the site offers Download WTVA Apps and Receive Email Alerts. If your goal is live viewing, start with the Watch Live link; if you'd rather get updates pushed to you, the app downloads and email alerts are the two listed options.

Station and Contact Information

For anything beyond content, the site lists Contact Us, Newsroom Bios, Advertise with WTVA, Job Openings, Station Tours, Internships, Station History, Programming Schedule, and NextGen TV. These are the pages to use if you want to reach the newsroom, plan a tour, or check when a program airs.

One note on scope: the site's own listings describe coverage centered on Mississippi and Alabama communities such as Tupelo and Columbus. If you're outside that area, expect the local reporting to focus there rather than on your region.