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Chattanooga Chinese Association celebrates Chinese New Year

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- The Chattanooga Chinese Association celebrated the Chinese New year today with a spring potluck and festival. Traditional dances and songs were performed. This event was held at the North River Civic Center. Members of the organization…

Whitwell High Teacher Charged with Statutory Rape

WHITWELL, Tenn. (WDEF) - Marion County Superintendent confirms that Joseph Smith, a teacher at Whitwell High, has been terminated in connection with statutory rape charges. Superintendent Mark Griffith says that he terminated Smith when he received word that statutory rape…

Fire in Hixson

Hixson, TN (WDEF) - Early Saturday morning, the Dallas Bay Volunteer Fire Department responded to a house fire located at 904 Wesley Drive in Hixson. Upon arrival, fire crews reported the second floor of the home was completely engulfed and…

HCSO Strike Team Apprehends Fugitives

Hamilton County, TN (WDEF) - On Friday, February 17th, members of the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office Fugitive Apprehension Strike Team (FAST) located and apprehended two wanted fugitives in Hamilton County. In an attempt to locate them, several digital wanted posters…

Residents speak out at TVA board meeting about energy bills

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - With weather recently dropping into the teens and twenties, the Tennessee Valley Authority says conditions were harsh—for consumers and their power bills. TVA's proposed rate change system that they say will help reduce cost to consumers,…

US rep: Tennessee should use $29M on backup paper ballots

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Democratic U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper is urging Tennessee's Republican-led legislature to use $29 million-plus in federal money on backup paper ballots, citing concerns from national security experts over vulnerabilities of paperless systems to hacking from Russia…

Remembering Jay Branum from WDEF in the 1970s

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) - This week, we lost another veteran of WDEF TV from the 1970s. Earl Freudenberg posted about the passing of his friend Jay Branum. He was a photographer for the station, with Jimmy Sampley & Tommy Eason. front…

Senior Matters - Elder Abuse

The definition of elder abuse in Tennessee is broad...and it includes physical, emotional, psychological, sexual and financial crimes. We could also add--exploitation, neglect and abandonment. These days the focus seems to be shifting to taking away an elderly person's financial…

3 convictions out of 4 in Pilot Flying J verdict

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) - Three of four former employees of truck stop chain Pilot Flying J have been convicted in connection with a rebate scam. They have been on trial since November in Federal court in Chattanooga. Former company President Mark…

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