Tire company Bridgestone offers employees $100 to vaccinate
Bridgestone is joining a group of large companies offering to pay employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19.
Georgia expands vaccine qualifiers to 55 years and up
ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia will expand COVID-19 vaccine eligibility starting Monday to everyone 55 and older, plus younger adults who are overweight or have serious health conditions. Gov. Brian Kemp made the announcement Wednesday as Georgia continues to post vaccination…
2 students charged with stealing $114K from MTSU
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (AP) - Authorities say two students have been charged with stealing $114,000 from Middle Tennessee State University. The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said in a statement that the students were indicted Tuesday by a Rutherford County grand jury.…
Covid-19 Vaccinations could cause false mammogram results
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) - A side effect of the Covid-19 vaccine is the swelling of lymph nodes which can mirror the signs of breast cancer during a routine scan. Dr. Collier King , a radiologist at CHI Memorial Hospital, explains why…
Invasive Zebra Mussels Found in Certain Aquarium Products
Pet and aquarium store owners and customers are being alerted about invasive zebra mussels in products known as “moss balls.”
Special effects worker sentenced for illegal explosives on Travolta movie
SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) - A special effects worker has been sentenced to federal prison for illegally possessing explosives while working on a movie starring John Travolta and Morgan Freeman. A U.S. District Court judge in Savannah, Georgia, on Tuesday sentenced…
Alabama Senate narrowly rejects lottery, casino bill
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The Alabama Senate has rejected a proposal to start a lottery and allow multiple casinos. The proposal fell two votes short of what was needed Tuesday to clear the Alabama Senate. The proposal would have authorized…
Ex Oak Ridge Officer charged with beating suspect
OAK RIDGE, Tennessee (WDEF) - A former police officer in Oak Ridge has been charged with assaulting a suspect. The TBI was asked to look into the incident from December. They found that during an investigation, then-officer Andre James Thompson…
Tennessee panel votes to move Confederate bust from Capitol
By KIMBERLEE KRUESI and TRAVIS LOLLER Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - A Tennessee panel has voted to remove the state Capitol’s bust of a Confederate general and early Ku Klux Klan leader. The Tennessee Historical Commission voted 25-1 on…
Country Music Star Kane Brown teams up with Lowe's to give back to hometown
Country music star Kane Brown is teaming up with Lowe’s to help celebrate the company's 100th birthday.
Tennessee National Guard troops deploying for Middle East
Soldiers from the Tennessee National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 181st Field Artillery Regiment, are deploying for a 10-month tour of the Middle East.
Voting, citizens arrest & criminal adult age bills pass in Georgia
ATLANTA (WDEF) - Monday was crossover day at the Georgia legislature. That means that any new bill with hopes of becoming a law this year must be approved by either the House or Senate. If it passes one, then it…
Georgia Senate votes to end no excuse absentee voting
ATLANTA (WDEF) - The Georgia Senate on Monday afternoon voted to end no-excuse absentee voting in the state. The practice was first passed by a Republican legislature 16 years ago. Before, anyone who asked for an absentee ballot could get…
Walker County house fire kills 2 people
WALKER COUNTY, Ga (WDEF) - Walker County Fire and rescue responded to a report of a structure fire early Monday morning. The house located at 491 Bicentennial Trail was consumed in heavy smoke and flames when firefighters arrived. "The first arriving…
Resident complains about landfill smell
RHEA COUNTY, Tennessee- Donna Mcgainey said outside of the Rhea County Solid Waste Facility, there is usually an awful smell wafting through the neighborhood. "The debris on the road, the smell is horrendous," said Mcgainey. "Maybe we need to be…
Georgia Senate passes sports betting bill
"A no vote on this bill is to allow the bookies to continue control over sports betting."
Gov. Ivey keeps mask order despite others ending them
" Folks, we’re not there yet, but we're getting close. "
Humane Educational Society Pet Portrait Mural Auction
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) - The Humane Educational Society is finding creative ways of enhancing their brand new facility with murals of local pets. A total of five pet portraits are planned for the entrance to the new HES building. The murals…
Chattanooga widow starts Nonprofit , helps over 500 widows nationwide
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) - Navigating life after losing a spouse in no easy task, especially for those who are young. But with an ongoing pandemic putting extra strain on widows and widowers, a local Chattanooga widow started a new nonprofit group…
Alabama governor extends mask order
Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey is extending the state’s mandatory face mask order by a month.
Speaker proposes free Georgia ID cards for voters
ATLANTA, Georgia (WDEF) - As Georgia lawmakers consider several voting reform bills, House Speaker David Ralston is floating one idea. The Blue Ridge Republican is proposing that State ID cards should be free to all eligible Georgians. Right now, you…
TBI details missing children crackdown in East Tennessee
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WDEF) - The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation has been focusing on missing children in the state over the last couple of months. They say the effort has brought home 150 missing kids across Tennessee. They targeted 240 missing…
Some Catholic archdioceses urge followers to avoid J&J vaccine
(WDEF)- Roman Catholic archdioceses in St. Louis and New Orleans have requested Catholics to attempt to stay away from Johnson and Johnson COVID-19 vaccine. Taking the Johnson and Johnson covid vaccine could be viewed as “morally compromised" because it is…
Chattanooga teen missing, believed to be held captive by father
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) - Daphne Westbrook disappeared from Hamilton County in October of 2019 after she spent the weekend with her father. She has now been spotted in New Mexico and Colorado.” Authorities believe Daphne Westbrook’s father, John Oliver Westbrook, has…