ELVIS Act to protect musicians from AI if passed
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) - The connection between artificial intelligence and music may soon be regulated in Tennessee. The Ensuring Likeness Voice and Image Security, or ELVIS ACT,…
Police investigating homicide of Chattanooga rapper
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- A Chattanooga man died after being shot on North Bishop Drive on Tuesday. The Chattanooga Police Department is investigating it as a homicide. At around 6:40…
Engine maker Cummins to repair, replace 600,000 Ram trucks in $2 billion emissions cheating scandal
BY ALEXA ST. JOHN The Department of Justice has ordered a recall of 600,000 Ram trucks as part of a settlement that directs engine maker Cummins Inc. to remedy environmental damage it caused when it illegally installed emissions control software…
Avalanche at Palisades Tahoe leads to search effort at the resort
OLYMPIC VALLEY – Palisades Tahoe patrol and mountain operations teams are performing a search after an avalanche today. In a statement from the resort, officials confirmed that the avalanche happened around 9:30 a.m. on the Palisades side above the GS gully area of KT-22.…
Chattanooga church builds housing for homeless veterans
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- A local church recently built a new housing complex for homeless veterans in Chattanooga. The project was a two-unit duplex in the Alton Park community. The units have two bedrooms and one bathroom. [caption id="attachment_1547964" align="alignleft"…
Signal Mountain Council dealing with $800,000 deficit
SIGNAL MOUNTAIN, Tenn. (WDEF) - The Signal Mountain Town Council wrestled with how to tackle a larger than $800,000 deficit. An auditor told the council that the town of Signal Mountain owed over $400,000 to a state fund for road…
Federal judge says Alabama can carry out nation’s 1st execution using nitrogen gas; appeal likely
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama will be allowed to put an inmate to death with nitrogen gas later this month, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, clearing the way for what would be the nation’s first execution under a new method…
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp tells business group he wants to spend $1.8 billion more on infrastructure
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp told a business group on Wednesday that he'll propose $1.8 billion in additional spending on infrastructure, as well as expand health care training for dentists and physicians, showing how the state's $11 billion…
Pat Summitt Foundation opens applications for treatment grants
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) - The Pat Summitt Foundation is looking to assist non-profits who help patients dealing with Alzheimer’s Disease and dementia. They are currently accepting applications through the end…
Road rage suspect Harvey pleads guilty in court
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- A suspect in a viral road rage incident from 2022 pled guilty in court on Wednesday. More than a year ago, Michael Wayne Harvey turned himself in after a video circulated the web. [caption id="attachment_935886" align="alignnone"…
Large tree falls on Hixson home overnight
HIXSON, Tenn. (WDEF) -- A large tree fell onto a home in Hixson Tuesday night. It crashed into the bedroom of the house just before…
Hunter Biden makes surprise appearance on Capitol Hill as Republicans weigh contempt of Congress
Washington — Hunter Biden, President Biden's son, made an unexpected appearance at a contentious meeting of the House Oversight Committee on Wednesday, where Republicans are moving forward with an effort to punish him for refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena. The…
Blood Assurance in need of donors due to low supply
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Blood Assurance is in a critical need for blood donations. Late Tuesday evening, a Chattanooga medical facility needed additional units of blood…
Bradley County mayor suggests school merger
CLEVELAND, Tenn. (WDEF) - For over a century, the Bradley County School District and Cleveland City Schools have operated as two separate entities. However, the idea of school consolidation is…
Golden Apple Award: Jasmine Johnson, Tyner Academy
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Children learn in different ways. The best teachers figure out to reach each one of them. Tyner Academy's Jasmine Johnson has a knack for helping…
School delays and closings for January 10
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Some school systems throughout the News 12 viewing area will be delayed again on Wednesday. This is due to weather conditions such as flooding. These closures take place in Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina. List of…
Dalton to clean up West Hill Cemetery, remove prohibited items
DALTON, Ga. (WDEF) -- The City of Dalton will be inspecting and cleaning up West Hill Cemetery next week to ensure it is in compliance with local guidelines. The cleanup will take place from January 16 to January 19. [caption…
Tennessee bill would make child rape eligible for death penalty
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) -- A Tennessee legislator introduced a bill on Tuesday that would make rape of a child eligible for the death penalty. House Bill 1663 authorizes using the death penalty as punishment for crimes including rape of a…
Some roads closed in Chattanooga from storm damage, flooding
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- There are several roads around Chattanooga that have closed or had limited access due to storm damage. The Chattanooga Department of Transportation gave an update of closures as of 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday. 1900 Dodson Avenue…
Bottled water contains up to 100 times more plastic than previously estimated, new study says
Bottled water contains up to 100 times more pieces of plastic than was previously estimated, scientists said. The average liter of bottled water contains around 240,000 detectable plastic fragments, researchers wrote in a study published Monday in the journal Proceedings of…
Tennessee Titans fire Head Coach Mike Vrabel
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) -- The Titans have fired Head Coach Mike Vrabel, they announced on Tuesday. They plan to have a press conference…
Alabama residents can get free radon testing kit
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (WDEF) -- Alabama residents can receive a free radon test kit for their home from the department of public health (ADPH). The ADPH noted that radon is the leading cause of lung cancer among non-smokers. It is a…
Sprawling storm wallops US with tornado reports, damage and heavy snow, closing roads and schools
A sprawling winter storm hit the South with strong thunderstorms and tornado warnings that blew roofs off homes and tossed about furniture Tuesday and brought cities across the Midwest to a standstill with more than half a foot of snow,…
Hamilton County man arrested on child rape charges
HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) -- A Hamilton County man has been arrested for child rape, according to the sheriff's office. HCSO deputies arrested Matthew Jeremiah Conners, 36, on Monday, January 8. Matthew Conners / Hamilton County…