Updated: 8:12 PM Meridian is getting ready to celebrate Mardi Gras in a big way.

Posted: 6:46 PM The 186th Air National Guard unit paid a much-anticipated visit to Aldersgate Thursday afternoon.

Updated: 8:01 PM City-wide dog house drives are underway in Meridian and Jackson, to collect items to protect and care for outdoor dogs during the winter.

Posted: 12:38 PM The East Mississippi Business Development Corporation’s Education Committee awarded its Fall 2010 Head of the Class Awards this week.

Updated: 10:51 PM Meridian's LOVE's Kitchen, which helps feed the homeless and the hungry, will be serving two Christmas meals Saturday.

Updated: 8:43 PM WTOK threw its annual party for Wesley House Daycare children Wednesday at The Park.

Updated: 9:47 PM Anderson Regional Medical Center hosted its 7th Annual Christmas Tribute, in support of the Cancer Patient Benevolence Fund.

Posted: 7:26 PM Sumter County is making a plea for help to fulfill the needs of its Angel Tree kids this Christmas.

Updated: 5:19 PM A longstanding tradition of Christmas on the River is the presentation of a children's play.

Updated: 7:38 PM A highlight of Christmas on the River festivities is Christmas in the Canebrake, a tour of antebellum homes.

Updated: 10:14 AM Here's a list of events for Christmas on the River 2010.

Updated: 11:50 AM Christmas on the River starts Thursday. The most high-profile part is the Nautical Parade Saturday night, but there is more available than just that. A very special attraction arrived Wednesday.

Updated: 7:22 PM Downtown Meridian is officially ready for Christmas, as the large Christmas tree in Dumont Plaza has been lit.

Updated: 10:40 PM For the second year in a row, the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians gave the city of Meridian a gift in the way tourism dollars.

Updated: 11:13 PM Meridian's mayor has joined with local school superintendents to encourage parents and other community members to be involved in an upcoming Parent Leadership Institute.

Updated: 8:09 PM A local organization has made a generous donation to WTOK's Coats for Kids campaign.

Updated: 7:38 PM WTOK's Annual Toython is Dec. 3-4 at the Bonita Wal-Mart in Meridian.

Updated: 11:29 PM It's that time of year when people are cutting down the so-called perfect Christmas tree. They're trimming certain areas of the tree to get the size and shape just right. That's something Monte Knight is all too familiar with. He's with Knight's Family Christmas Trees in Meridian on South Frontage Road. He says other than trimming, there are certain steps you can take to get a great tree.

Posted: 4:23 PM As Christmas and the holidays draw even closer, shoppers were out in full force Friday trying to take advantage of Black Friday Sales.

Updated: 7:04 PM Thanksgiving is now behind us, and many families are planning for one of the next big holidays, Christmas. Part of this will likely include a Christmas Tree, but if you're not careful, they could present a safety hazard.

Updated: 7:00 PM Many community members helped us Friday by contributing to our food drive doing on right now.

Updated: 7:02 PM Other than Christmas trees, there may be another type of tree on people's minds at this time of year; the Salvation Army Angel Trees. Officials with the Salvation Army say while shoppers were out during Black Friday, a number of them did adopt a few angels from the tree. They say, there are still a number of children who need to be adopted.

Updated: 7:00 PM Meet Kayla and Jordan Gentry. Kayla is a fifth grader at Clarkdale Middle School and Jordan is a junior at Southeast High School. A neighbor gave Kayla and Jordan two giant garbage bags full of beanie babies. Rather than keep them, the girls gave the beanie babies to the Meridian Fire and Police Departments and Meridian's Wesley House.

Updated: 11:17 PM Triple A predicts the number of Americans traveling this week for Thanksgiving will rise 11.4% from last year. That means roughly 42.2 million travelers will be on the roads for trips of at least 50 miles from home. With all of these drivers out, Lauderdale County Sheriff Sollie says safety should always come first.

Posted: 6:19 PM Citizens National Bank is doing all it can to help support The Salvation Army's Angel Tree.