Mackenzie Johnson

Reporter

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Mackenzie joined WDEF News 12 in May, 2026.

Articles

Twin Brothers Die; Neighbors Piece Together Unusual Death Investigation

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It's a death investigation unlike any other. Two elderly twin brothers were found dead inside their Chattanooga home. Evidence inside shows they had actually been dead for years. While we still do not know how the men died, we do know a lot more about how they lived their lives. WDEF News 12's Alisha Searl takes us through the new information in our top story.

Chattanooga Residents Express Frustration Over Unfinished Streets

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Chattanooga's transportation department has stepped in with a plan to fix problematic streets. It's called the complete streets ordinance. The council voted for it, so now it's time for the transportation department to draft a detailed plan of action. WDEF News 12's Alisha Searl explores how this ordinance could help everyone in the community.

CSLA Parents Protest

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Hamilton County parents are protesting night and day outside the courthouse. They want commissioners to fund a new building for Chattanooga School for the Liberal Arts. However, that project was recently left off the county's to-do list because it's too costly. WDEF New's 12's Alisha Searl tells us what parents hope to achieve then by camping out.

Residents at Jaycee Towers Get Extra Help After Electrical Fire

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Elderly Chattanooga residents displaced by a high rise fire, will have to wait a little bit longer before they can go back home. Monday, firefighters found flames in a utility type room on the 8th floor at Jaycee Towers. It knocked out power to the entire building and left more than 150 residents looking for a place to sleep. WDEF News 12's Alisha Searl caught up with a few residents to see how they're managing at a local makeshift shelter.

High Rise Fire Displaces Elderly Chattanooga Residents

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A high rise fire in downtown Chattanooga displaces about 150 residents. It happened around 11:30 Monday morning at Jaycees Towers. Since then, a temporary shelter has been set up on West 40th Street. WDEF News 12's Alisha Searl shows us how firefighters got all the elderly residents out safe, and what those residents are doing now.

Jobs Coming to Walker County

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About 20 new jobs are coming to Walker County. We first brought you the story Monday night. Euclid Chemical is moving to a new building that is five times larger than their current facility, but now we're learning more about who the company is looking to hire. WDEF News 12's Alisha Searl has the details.

Firefighters Battle Second Blaze at Chattanooga National Cemetery

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The Tennessee state bomb and arson office work to find out how another fire broke out at the Chattanooga National Cemetery. This weekend's blaze marks the second one in less than two months. This time around about 500 headstones were damaged. WDEF News 12's Alisha Searl takes a closer look into the investigation, and what's being done to prevent this from happening again.