Desirae Duncan
News Anchor/Reporter
Biloxi, MS
:no_upscale()/s3.amazonaws.com/arc-authors/raycom/9f563c34-8735-4976-adef-976790edbdb1.png)
Desirae Duncan is a native of Kentucky and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Kentucky with a degree in journalism. Before coming to WLOX, she was a multimedia journalist at WALB in Albany, GA, and started at WAVE in Louisville, KY as a news content specialist and digital content producer.
Desirae’s start in news was in middle school, where she was known for waking up the school every morning with an enthusiastic "Good morning, Bluegrass! I'm Desirae Duncan - your weathergirl!" She hopes to bring that same enthusiasm to her reporting in South Mississippi.
When she’s not on air, she’s spending time with her rescue dog, Winn Dixie, traveling, shopping or cheering on her Kentucky Wildcats.
Updated: May. 26, 2021 at 6:13 PM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
COVID-19 has once again forced the Biloxi National Cemetery to make changes to a Memorial Day tradition.
Updated: May. 24, 2021 at 2:18 PM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
It’s exciting news for boaters and fishermen. The Lake Mars Pier in Jackson County has fully reopened just in time for Memorial Day.
Updated: May. 18, 2021 at 1:38 PM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
The Class of 2021 paraded down the hallways of Biloxi Upper Elementary on Tuesday, revisiting a school they were in just a few years ago.
Updated: May. 17, 2021 at 2:07 PM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
The Blood Center and the Singing River Health System hosted three emergency blood drives to fight a critical blood shortage in our area.
Updated: May. 14, 2021 at 3:57 PM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
It’s been 27 years since anyone last saw or heard from Kimberly Turner. But investigators believe her family still deserves answers.
Updated: May. 13, 2021 at 1:39 PM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
The program, previously known as drug court, helps parents with drug addictions who have lost custody of their children due to abuse or neglect, or CPS is somehow otherwise involved.
Updated: May. 12, 2021 at 1:56 PM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
Concerns over gasoline supply are growing following the cyber attack of the Colonial Pipeline. State officials are urging people not to worry or ‘panic buy.’
Updated: May. 11, 2021 at 5:26 PM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
Darian Atkinson walked into the courtroom with a slight smile on his face, making a few random noises and said what’s up to his defense team before sitting down before Judge Chris Schmidt.
Updated: May. 4, 2021 at 4:32 PM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
A woman who witnessed a shooting at a Biloxi apartment complex Tuesday morning said more needs to be done to get guns out of the hands of young people, before it’s too late.
Updated: Apr. 25, 2021 at 10:13 PM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
Mississippi’s oldest golf course could end up on the auction block. The Great Southern Golf Club is set to be sold to the highest bidder next month, unless its debt can be paid.
Updated: Apr. 25, 2021 at 4:24 PM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
Volunteers took advantage of the picture perfect weather on Sunday to make the beach a little cleaner.
Updated: Apr. 24, 2021 at 4:11 PM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
The event brought out hundreds of senior citizens, and cars began lining up as early as 6:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Updated: Apr. 21, 2021 at 1:52 PM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
Men and women in blue can stop by any one of four Gulf Coast McDonald’s restaurants and receive a free meal.
Updated: Apr. 8, 2021 at 4:44 PM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
It’s usually a simple equation, if you get sick, you go see a doctor. However, for people across the country and in many places in Mississippi, it isn’t that easy.
Updated: Apr. 5, 2021 at 2:48 PM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
Some businesses in Woolmarket are preparing for the closure of Shriners Boulevard.
Updated: Mar. 29, 2021 at 2:35 PM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
A new boutique hotel is preparing to open its doors this week in downtown Ocean Springs.
Updated: Mar. 25, 2021 at 1:39 PM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
Solomon Temple AME Zion Church partnered with Singing River Health System to host a vaccine clinic on Thursday.
Updated: Mar. 19, 2021 at 2:12 PM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
Some students in the Jackson County School District got a surprise visit from the 16th president of the United States on Friday.
Updated: Mar. 18, 2021 at 1:29 PM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
Keesler Air Force Base is working to get the coronavirus vaccine into the arms of more Mississippians.
Updated: Mar. 16, 2021 at 2:19 PM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
Vaccination efforts are ramping up across the state. Mississippi is now the second state in the nation to expand eligibility to all residents 16 and older.
Updated: Mar. 15, 2021 at 10:45 AM CDT
|By Desirae Duncan
Jeannie Cook says she trained for nine months, running seven days a week to prepare for this 100-miler.
Updated: Mar. 12, 2021 at 11:21 AM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
You may remember Jolene from stories WLOX did last year. She was the one of the first COVID patients in South Mississippi to successfully come off a ventilator.
Updated: Mar. 12, 2021 at 9:58 AM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
This weekend, the Ocean Springs School District will host its first ever virtual job fair.
Updated: Mar. 11, 2021 at 12:45 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
In Harrison County, nearly 8.2 out of every 1,000 babies born don’t make it to their first birthday. That’s compared to the national rate of 5.7.
Updated: Mar. 10, 2021 at 2:06 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
One Gulf Coast dentist thought the worse when he was diagnosed with COVID-19, but he survived and now he’s ready to tell his story.
Updated: Mar. 9, 2021 at 2:43 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
It’s National School Breakfast Week, a week dedicated to highlighting the importance of that first meal before classes start.
Updated: Mar. 8, 2021 at 5:06 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
A tug-of-war is developing over a clothing donation closet set up to help families in Harrison County. It’s the latest controversy connected to Harrison County Youth Court Judge Michael Dickinson.
Updated: Mar. 5, 2021 at 2:51 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
Memorial Hospital vaccinated around 1,200 Coast residents Friday in East Biloxi at the Dr. Frank Gruich Sr. Community Center. It was Memorial’s largest vaccine distribution to date.
Updated: Mar. 4, 2021 at 2:38 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
More teachers are getting the COVID-19 vaccine. The Singing River Health System set up a site on Thursday at the Greyhound Stadium for employees in the Ocean Springs School District.
Updated: Feb. 26, 2021 at 2:07 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
Students at Pass Christian Elementary School celebrated Black History Month on Friday with a special performance that paid tribute to the unsung heroes of the African American community.
Updated: Feb. 25, 2021 at 12:39 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
While COVID-19 hit our tourism industry hard, the downturn has not been as severe as expected. A new study shows coast tourism is performing among the best in the nation.
Updated: Feb. 25, 2021 at 11:46 AM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
The Gulfport NAACP presented Memorial Hospital CEO Kent Nicaud the Dr. Felix Dunn Community Leader Award for his commitment to a diverse employee population.
Updated: Feb. 24, 2021 at 1:55 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
Volunteers with Extend a Hand Help a Friend left early Wednesday morning to deliver water to Jackson to help thousands of people who still don’t have a steady supply of drinking water.
Updated: Feb. 20, 2021 at 5:33 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
Biloxi’s next boardwalk project could provide a solution to an ongoing problem. The city is working to build a 1-mile, 10-foot wide boardwalk that will stretch from the Small Craft Harbor to Oak Street.
Updated: Feb. 18, 2021 at 2:15 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
Cold weather shelters are preparing to open this week ahead of more frigid temperatures, but one shelter is in need of more volunteers.
Updated: Feb. 16, 2021 at 9:49 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
Only a handful of hospitals across the country, including Memorial Hospital in Gulfport, specialize in awake brain surgery.
Updated: Feb. 12, 2021 at 3:11 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
The organization’s Provisional Class of new members hosted a Random Acts of Kindness Week in over 20 classrooms across the county.
Updated: Jan. 27, 2021 at 9:59 AM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
The “Breaking Barriers on Ice” experience is happening at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 27.
Updated: Jan. 19, 2021 at 7:24 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
Around 940 people had appointments to be vaccinated Tuesday at Singing River’s drive-through vaccination site at the Jackson County fairgrounds.
Updated: Jan. 18, 2021 at 3:40 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
In Gulfport, volunteers spent this Martin Luther King Jr. Day beautifying the city. Extend a Hand Help a Friend organized a community clean-up.
Updated: Jan. 17, 2021 at 4:41 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
A South Mississippi church is celebrating the launch of a new campus. Northwood Church hosted its first service at the Ocean Springs Civic Center on Sunday.
Updated: Jan. 16, 2021 at 4:32 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
Superheroes made a visit to the Coast on Saturday for a good cause. The nonprofit Mississippi Heroes held its first ever Superheroes 5K Run for Caregivers.
Updated: Jan. 15, 2021 at 4:52 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
Students at Pass Christian Elementary Schools are getting a lesson in being kind. Pass Christian Elementary School and DeLisle Elementary School are kicking off the new year with a new initiative, the kindness challenge.
Updated: Jan. 14, 2021 at 4:24 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
On Thursday, residents and staff at the Sunplex Subacute Center in Jackson County began receiving the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine. It’s a day they have looked forward to for months.
Updated: Jan. 10, 2021 at 2:50 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
The annual six-week horse show brings in people from across the country, but this year, COVID 19 is forcing some changes. The biggest change - spectators won’t be allowed.
Updated: Jan. 9, 2021 at 6:52 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
Young athletes from all over the southeast made their way to the Gulf Coast today for a chance to compete in the Biloxi Bijou gymnastics competition.
Updated: Jan. 8, 2021 at 3:28 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
After months of being closed due to Hurricane Zeta, a well-known hotel resort in Biloxi is looking forward to welcoming guests again.
Updated: Jan. 7, 2021 at 4:05 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
In Jackson County, the Singing River Health System vaccinated hundreds of seniors 75 and older on Thursday.
Updated: Jan. 6, 2021 at 2:16 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
Students in Harrison County are kicking off the spring semester with some new technology. The school district is handing out Dell laptops to thousands of students.
Updated: Dec. 23, 2020 at 3:38 PM CST
|By Desirae Duncan
The COVID-19 vaccine is sparking hope in many that this may be the long-awaited light at the end of the tunnel of the pandemic. However, some are still hesitant about taking the vaccine once it becomes available to the general public.
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/JAHXMFVYCJDPPIKVFOI4BOCSTA.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/NVF7EP5S4RAO7LML3LHUHND5SA.png)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/V7SA2YA57BCKFCDCFE6DRDWPEQ.jpg)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/FOTYGQSITZFJZGJ5IXLGZHZDSA.png)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/HFCAEP2VSFG77HJOT7LSHMHNBY.png)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/5DIG3EGLRJEQNPUQNTYCRQFLCQ.PNG)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/FFXFQIB5GNFQZDOOWBAE5PISKM.bmp)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/QJLXXS2RTJAMLO2FEAJAH5ZPSE.png)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/36DTPTJS6FGXDLSKXIX7HNSRGA.png)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/SLWZZP2VWZGAFC4O3WJKT5KZKA.png)
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/gray/HUQZNSJPCNCSNPF3DQM6FD3WXQ.jpg)