Plane crash kills dirt track legend Scott Bloomquist
MOORESBURG, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer, Scott Bloomquist, was killed in a plane crash on the morning of August 16, 2024. Reports state that the crash…
Jackson County man arrested and charged on sex abuse crimes
JACKSON COUNTY, Al. (WDEF) -- A man from Jackson County Alabama was arrested and charged with crimes related to sex abuse early Friday morning. David Neal was arrested in Gadsden on an outstanding grand jury indictment by the Jackson County…
Usher reschedules two more performances in Atlanta
UPDATE: Usher has announced he's rescheduling his August 16 & 17 shows for his "Past, Present, Future" tour. Usher announced the rescheduling on social media August 15, 2024. In a statement, he said: Earlier…
UT signs unique corporate deal for Neyland Stadium
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee (WDEF) - The University of Tennessee has signed a corporate partnership for Neyland Stadium that will NOT change the name. They're calling their deal with Pilot as the first of…
Knoxville's oldest bridge will remain closed for awhile
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee (WDEF) - The city of Knoxville has gotten some bad news about a major bridge downtown crossing the Tennessee River. The 126 year old Gay Street Bridge was shut down in June…
Smith County woman faces charges in relation to son's death
SMITH COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) -- A shooting investigation led by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigations (TBI) led to the arrest of a woman. The TBI was requested by the 15th Judicial District Attorney General Jason Lawson, to investigate a…
Tennessee set to host first Major Baseball game in 2025
BRISTOL, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced that a Major Baseball game will take place in Bristol Tennessee. The Atlanta Braves will face the Cincinnati Reds at Bristol Motor…
TDOT employees have two close calls in one week
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Two employees at the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) came very close to a bad ending in one week. Friday, August 2, 2024, a TDOT HELP truck stopped on Interstate 640 West in Knoxville to remove…
14 arrested in Knox County after TBI meth distribution investigations
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Fourteen have been arrested after investigations revealed a meth distribution operation in Knox County. The Tennessee Bureau of investigations (TBI) started investigations into large amounts of methamphetamine in December around Knox County. Throughout the course of…
One dead in Cumberland County shooting
CROSSVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Cumberland County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a shooting call on August 6, 2024. The call came in at approximately 7:06 p.m. at 507 Yellow Cliff Creek Road. When deputies…
COVID-19 unemployment insurance fraud scheme suspect sentenced
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- The suspect in a COVID-19 unemployment insurance fraud scheme was sentenced to 51 months in prison, August 7, 2024. Evelyn Blevins of Souths Pittsburg, Tennessee pled guilty to Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft for being…
Georgia postal employee arrested for stealing and dumping mail
GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. (WDEF) -- A United States Postal Service (USPS) employee was arrested in Gwinnett County for stealing and dumping mail, along with using drugs while delivering mail. The Gwinnett County Police Department was contacted on July 31, 2024…
Drug trafficking in North Carolina leads to multiple arrests
CHEROKEE COUNTY, NC. (WDEF) -- A sizeable amount of Methamphetamine was seized from drug traffickers in North Carolina. Cherokee County Narcotics Unit started an investigation involving Kenneth Charles Smith after receiving information that Smith was trafficking Methamphetamine. Smith and India…
GOP Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee says FBI took his cellphone in campaign finance probe
By JONATHAN MATTISE Associated Press Abstract: Republican U.S. Rep. Andy Ogles of Tennessee says the FBI took his cellphone in an investigation of issues in his campaign finance reporting. The first-term member of the conservative Freedom Caucus said Tuesday on…
Grand Jury indicts Crossville detective with assaulting suspect
CROSSVILLE, Tennessee (WDEF) - A grand jury has indicted a police detective from Crossville with assault. The TBI was asked to investigate the case against Crossville Detective Tyrel Lorenz in June. He was accused of assaulting a suspect after a…
Zimbabwe national convicted of running romance schemes through Georgia
ATLANTA, Georgia (WDEF) - A jury has convicted a woman of laundering money from a variety of scams, including romance fraud online. Sherlyn Sims, a/k/a “Sherlyn Dzinzi,” is from Zimbabwe, but she set up business in Georgia. Prosecutors accused her…
Georgia men sentenced for gun trafficking
ATLANTA, Georgia (WDEF) - Two Georgia men have been sentenced for trafficking firearms that ended up at crime scenes all across the country and Canada. Federal prosecutors say Alvin Demar paid Joshua Carter and others to buy handguns, at least…
GDOT begins preparation for tropical storm Debby
GEORGIA (WDEF) -- Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has issued a state of emergency for all 159 counties in the state ahead of tropical storm Debby. Debby is expected to strengthen to a Category 1 hurricane…
Georgia's 'Addy's Law' goes into place before the school year
DALTON, Ga. (WDEF) -- The Dalton Police Department posted on Facebook reminding everyone that Addy's Law is now in place in time for the new school year. Addy's Law took effect July 1, 2024 after…
Trump goes after both GA and TN governors on social media
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Former President Donald Trump has said some interesting things about Tennessee Governor Bill Lee and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on social media over the last few days. Trump first spoke about Lee by posting this statement…
Five former officers arrested in connection to assault on an inmate
ROME, Ga. (WDEF) -- The Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) has arrested five former officers for assault on…
Man faces additional charges in child exploitation case
CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) -- A man from McMinn County faces more charges for sexual exploitation of a minor. In April 2024, Cody Gunter was arrested for sexual exploitation and solicitation of a minor. The…
Officer involved shooting at Monroe County Justice Center
MONROE COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) -- The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) is investigating an officer involved shooting at the Monroe County Justice Center. At approximately 8:30 a.m. Friday, August 2, 2024, a man fired shots…
AI finds a challenge in understanding a Tennessee accent
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- AI is having a difficult time understanding the Tennessean accent. New AI voice technology has allowed many to ask a question without even touching their devices, but technology isn't always perfect,…