Pettyjohn cold case solved with ties to politics and organized crime
Prosecutors say William Alley was paid to execute Pettyjohn in 1979 because he knew too much about a couple of federal investigations locally.
$7.5 Million Loan Fund aims to help local minority-led businesses and small businesses grow
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) - In an effort to grow and strengthen Chattanooga’s small and minority-led businesses and those that have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, Pathway Lending is launching a new $7.5 million loan fund that…
Mayor Kelly's plans for the city
CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF) - Chattanooga City Mayor Tim Kelly and the city’s chief of staff had a discussion about the plans for Chattanooga’s future including an early look at who could be the new Chattanooga police chief. It was a…
Burnside neighborhood open in Chattanooga's Southside
Chattanooga’s Southside experienced a large housing and commercial revitalization with the opening of a new building.
Katie Boyd Britt officially announces run for Senate in Alabama
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Republican Katie Boyd Britt has entered the race for Alabama’s open U.S. Senate seat. In a Tuesday announcement video, Britt stressed her work for U.S. Sen. Richard Shelby and her leadership of a state business group,…
What happened to the cicada eruption?
KNOXVILLE (WDEF) - After over a decade, Cicadas have finally started to emerge again throughout Tennessee. This brood of Cicades, known as Brood X, last emerged in May 2004. But a horticultural specialist at the University of…
New law aimed at deterring catalytic converter thefts
The rise of catalytic converter thefts has alarmed both consumers and law enforcement alike. In 2020 alone, the National Insurance Crime Bureau reported over 1200 converter thefts a month. But a new Tennessee consumer law hopes to…
Police charge teens with Highway 58 gas station murder
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) - Chattanooga Police have charged two teenagers with the murder last month at a gas station on Highway 58. 47 year old Ralph Smith was shot around 4:30 in the afternoon. Investigators have arrested two 16 year old males…
Rhea County Hosts Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour
Dayton Boat Dock is hosting the Major League Fishing Bass Pro Tour this week with the top anglers across the country competing for the grand prize of one hundred thousand dollars. "This is the highest professional level…
Riverbend Festival Delayed Again
Chattanooga's Riverbend Festival has been delayed again because of the coronavirus pandemic.
FDA approves new drug for Alzheimer's Disease
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) - Alzheimer's disease affects over 5 million people nationwide. On Monday the Food and Drug Administration approved a first of its kind treatment for Alzheimer’s Disease. It's the first drug to be approved to help…
Marion County Extension worker indicted for theft
JASPER, Tennessee (WDEF) - A former assistant with the Marion County Extension Office has been indicted for theft. Courtney Conley was an administrative support assistant for the UT Extension Office. They provided Agricultural and Family educational programs for citizens. Conley's…
Tennessee anglers can fish without paid license on Saturday
Tennessee’s annual free fishing day is Saturday.
Police arrest suspect in Etowah shooting this morning
ETOWAH, Tennessee (WDEF) - Shooting victim in stable condition after a standoff in McMinn County on Monday morning. It happened around 10:30 AM in Etowah. Police were called to an alley at 10th Street and Washington Avenue. A witness said…
Broadway at the Memorial Auditorium returning this fall
New home, new shows for new season
What's Right With Our Schools: Chattanooga Prep Juneteenth Observance
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - Ricardo Morris is the CEO of the Chattanooga Festival of Black Arts and Ideas. He explains, "We are celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Wall Street, black Wall Street massacre in Tulsa Oklahoma,…
Tivoli Foundation presents: Broadway at the Memorial Auditorium
CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF)- Broadway will be back in Chattanooga for the 2021-22 season after being unable to complete last year's show schedule. The arts have been some of those hardest hit financially by the pandemic. Fiddler on…
Local impact of $53 million in state mental health funding
BRADLEY COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) "It's gonna be great for this funding here for this community but then as those funding opportunities become available all over the state there will be funding opportunities." Tennessee will receive more than…
Katie Boyd Britt make third candidate to replace Sen. Richard Shelby
MONTGOMERY, Alabama (WDEF) - She hasn't gone public yet, but Katie Boyd Britt has filed the paperwork to run for the U.S. Senate seat open in Alabama next year. She filed with the Federal Election Commission on Friday. That was…
Bradley County Car-Chase Suspect Identified
Bradley County Deputies are on the trail of Derrick Leon Middlebrooks Jr. Middlebrooks led law enforcement on a car chase that started in Bradley County and ended in Hamilton County Friday afternoon. He crashed on I-75 near Exit 4. That's…
Local Man Creates Swimming Pool Out of a Trash Compactor
"I betcha that thing could hold water, and I betcha I could make a pool out of it," says Ryan DeLoach about his Swimpactor. This Athens couple is turning trash into treasure, literally. The couple is transforming…
Andy Berke announces new jobs as consultant and professor
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) - Former Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke announces his next plans. He will work as a government consultant and a professor. "I will be assisting companies and governments through Cityfi, a consulting company with a reputation for innovation and…
Teenager driving safety changes in Georgia
(WDEF) - Car crashes are the number one cause of death of teenagers between 16 and 19 according to drive SmartGeorgia.com. "A young man and his name was Joshua was killed in a car wreck and his…
Chattanooga Police Chief Roddy to Retire
Chattanooga Police Chief David Roddy has announced that he will retire on July 30, 2021.