US life expectancy in 2020 saw biggest drop since WWII
U.S. life expectancy fell by a year and a half in 2020, the largest one-year decline since World War II.
Mysterious Ailment Killing Thousands of Songbirds in Mid-Atlantic States
Scientists are racing to confirm the cause of a mysterious ailment that has sickened and killed thousands of songbirds in several mid-Atlantic states.
Couple charged in California fire sparked by gender reveal
A couple whose gender reveal ceremony sparked a Southern California wildfire that killed a firefighter last year have been charged with involuntary manslaughter.
Volkswagen ending Chattanooga-built Passats
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) - The car that built Chattanooga's Volkswagen plant is driving off into the sunset. Volkswagen of America has confirmed that the company is offering one last Limited Edition of the Passat before discontinuing it in 2022. The 1,973…
Marion County virtual school
MARION COUNTY, Tennessee (WDEF)- "There are some parents that are nervous, I'll be honest with you. I’ve heard from some of those parents especially regarding the way the numbers are," said Marion County Superintendent Mark Griffith. Marion…
"Airbnb of Boats" coming to Chattanooga
Using GetMyBoat, you can rent anything from luxury yachts, pontoons, sailboats or kayaks. You even have the option of linking up with your own boat captain if you don't feel like navigating the water yourself. I talked…
Erlanger fire kept to a closet
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) - A fire on the third floor at Erlanger Hospital was quickly contained this evening. It broke out in a closet around 5 PM. Staff got the fire out with extinguishers before the fire department arrived. The firefighters…
Chattanooga Mayor and Local Body Shop Mechanic Discuss City Roads and Taxes
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) - The condition of Chattanooga roadways has been a topic of conversation for years. "It's a wide spread problem but if we can take care of our city and make our roads better, it's a…
Firefighter overcome, car lost in garage fire
HARRISON, Tennessee (WDEF) - Firefighters had to deal with several explosions in a garage fire this afternoon in Harrison. It happened on Banther Road off Highway 58 around 3 PM. Highway 58 Volunteer firefighters found a two car garage and…
Hamilton County Health Department hosts Back to School Vaccine events
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) - The Hamilton County Health Department is hosting a back to school vaccinate and birth certificate event. The events are located at the health department and open on weekdays from 8am to 4pm. Parents or…
Kane Brown and Lowe's start renovating the East Lake Boys and Girls Club
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) - After months of waiting, Lowe's has announced the locations that were chosen for their 100 Hometowns project. News 12 caught up with former Lowe’s associate and country music star, Kane Brown, who helped to…
Performance review clashes with firing recommendation for Dr. Michelle Fiscus
The firing of Tennessee Department of Health's top vaccine specialist has become a political football.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene comments on her Twitter suspension
ATLANTA (AP) - Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene says her 12-hour suspension from Twitter is "a Communist-style attack on free speech.” Twitter says it imposed the timeout because some of her tweets violated its policy against spreading misinformation about the coronavirus…
Chattanooga Airport Opening New 25 Million Parking Garage Very Soon
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) - Chattanooga airport is finishing final touches on the newly constructed, four - story parking garage. The twenty five million project took a little over a year to complete. President/CEO of the Chattanooga airport, Terry…
Nakia Towns elected interim Superintendent for Hamilton County Schools
CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF)- Hamilton County deputy superintendent Nakia Towns was elected interim superintendent Monday. It was a 5-3 decision in favor of Towns over Zac Brown in the final vote. board member Jenny Hill voted for Towns.…
Tennessee postpones Immunization Summit
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WDEF) - Tennessee's Department of Health has postponed their annual Immunization Summit as controversy over Covid vaccines continues to swirl around it. The Department's website announced the virtual summit was postponed until further notice. But officials are saying…
Chattanooga ranks #18 for burglaries in the nation
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) - While burglaries have been dropping in general over the last few years, that's not true for a lot of southern cities. The website Porch.com has been crunching FBI stats to find out the burglary clusters in the…
What's Right With Our Schools: Silverdale Baptist Academy Outdoor Classroom
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) - Whether you're growing a garden or a expanding a young mind, sunlight is an essential ingredient. Silverdale Baptist Academy tries to get students outside as much as possible and not just for recess.…
Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition Seeking Solutions to Affordable Housing
Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition is speaking out about the ongoing affordable housing crisis.
Smith-Perry Berries's Sunflower Season Underway
OOLTEWAH, TN (WDEF): Since 2008, Smith-Perry Berries has been boasting fields of sunflowers every summer. Even in the rain, you can see why. Aubie Smith with Smith-Perry Berries says, "The weather's been really wet the past month,…
Can you protect yourself from Pegasus spyware on your phone?
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - If you own a smartphone, chances are you’re being spied on. “I just think it’s the norm,” argues Chattanooga attorney, Terry Olsen. But Pegasus is taking these spying capabilities to a whole new…
Hamilton County Hopes That Block Parties Will Lead To More "Shots In The Arm"
New numbers from this past week show that almost 60 percent of Hamilton County residents have only partial, or no vaccination protection from the coronavirus. So with that, the local "medical community" is trying everything it…
American Rescue Plan Distributes $830 million for educational funding in Tennessee
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) - The U.S. Department of Education announced the approval of Tennessee’s American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief plan. 830 million dollars from the American Rescue Plan will go toward education. It will…
School Board picks an interim superintendent tonight
5:45 UPDATE: Hamilton County School Board chooses Dr. Nakia Town over Dr. Zac Brown for interim superintendent by a 5-3 vote. ___________ 5:30 UPDATE: Hamilton County school board members were allowed to pick their top 2 of…