Body of 22-year-old duck hunter recovered from Alabama lake
LAUDERDALE COUNTY, Ala. (WDEF) -- Alabama authorities found the body of a duck hunter who has been missing since Saturday. WHNT reported that the body of 22-year-old Brooks Hardie was…
Changes to Georgia school accountability could mean no more A-to-F grades for schools and districts
By JEFF AMY Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — It’s getting more complicated to tell how Georgia public schools are faring. The state Department of Education on Thursday released a full spectrum of school accountability numbers for the first time since…
A 4-month-old survived after a Tennessee tornado tossed him. His parents found him in a downed tree
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A 4-month-old boy has survived after a tornado in Tennessee sucked him up from his family's mobile home, which was demolished in the storm. Sydney Moore told WSMV-TV that when the tornado hit their home in…
McMinnville caregiver charged with stealing from vulnerable adult
MCMINNVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) -- A Tennessee caregiver has been charged with financially exploiting a vulnerable adult. A Rutherford County grand jury indicted 48-year-old Tashius Tarese Pleasant, of McMinnville, on November 9. The TBI and the Murfreesboro Police Department had been…
"After School Satan Club" coming to Tennessee elementary school
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Parents are taking to social media to express their displeasure with a new after-school club coming to an elementary school in Tennessee. A post to Facebook and Twitter reads, "After School Satan Club is coming to…
Rep. Fleischmann explains his vote to continue Biden impeachment inquiry
WASHINGTON (WDEF) -- Local Tennessee Rep. Chuck Fleischmann voted to formalize an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. The House of Representatives passed the resolution to continue the inquiry on Wednesday, December 13. Rep. Fleischmann provided a statement regarding his…
$2,500 reward offered for identifying bald eagle shooter
KINGSTON, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Someone shot a bald eagle near Watts Bar Lake, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is offering a reward for the suspect's arrest. The Tennessee Wildlife Resource Agency (TWRA) said it happened in the Blue…
TBI searching for missing Spencer teen
SPENCER, Tenn. (WDEF) -- The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and the Spencer Police Department are searching for a missing teenager. Lillian Rein, a 14-year-old girl, went missing on Saturday, December 9, the TBI said. Spencer Police said Rein was…
Former Fox host Tucker Carlson is launching his own streaming network with interviews and commentary
By DAVID BAUDER AP Media Writer NEW YORK (AP) — Ousted Fox News host Tucker Carlson is starting his own streaming service, promising to “tell the unadorned truth” to fans for $72 a year, he announced Monday. [caption id="attachment_1507894" align="alignleft"…
Two Nashville churches, wrecked by tornadoes years apart, lean on each other in storms' wake
By JONATHAN MATTISE, HOLLY MEYER and TRAVIS LOLLER Associated Press NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — After a March 2020 tornado destroyed the Rev. Jacques Boyd’s Nashville church, his friend, the Rev. Vincent Johnson, lent him space to worship in. Nearly four…
Crossville house fire investigated as arson, homicide, suicide
CUMBERLAND COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) -- A house fire in Crossville, Tennessee has been upgraded to an arson, homicide and suicide case. After responding to a house fire on December 3 around 3:15 a.m., Cumberland County firefighters found a woman had…
Young Thug trial delayed at least a day after co-defendant is stabbed in jail
ATLANTA (AP) — One of the five co-defendants on trial with rapper Young Thug has been stabbed at the Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, delaying the proceedings for at least a day, authorities said. Fulton County Sheriff's Office spokesperson Natalie…
Snowfall, rain, gusty winds hit Northeast as Tennessee recovers from deadly tornadoes
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) -- A combination of heavy rain, snow, and wind brought threats of flooding and power outages to the Northeast on Monday, part…
3 Alabama officers fired in connection to fatal shooting of Black man at his home
DECATUR, Ala. (AP) — An Alabama city has fired three police officers connected to the fatal shooting of a Black man in front of his own home during a dispute with a tow truck driver. Decatur Mayor Tab Bowling announced…
Woman charged with attempted arson of Martin Luther King Jr. birthplace in Atlanta
ATLANTA (AP) — Atlanta police have arrested a woman who's accused of trying to burn down the birthplace of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. in Atlanta. Officers arrested the 26-year-old woman around 5:45 p.m. Thursday after responding to a…
Cumberland County teacher arrested on drug charges
CROSSVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) -- A part-time teacher at an elementary school in Cumberland County has been arrested on drug charges. Deputies arrested 31-year-old Angela Elizabeth Anderson of Cookville, Tennessee.…
Tennessee lawmaker proposes bill requiring age verification for online porn
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) -- A lawmaker from Signal Mountain filed a bill requiring explicit websites to verify the age of users, in an effort to protect children from online pornography access. Patsy Hazlewood, the House Finance, Ways and Means Chair,…
Georgia lawmakers advance congressional map keeping 9-5 GOP edge; legislative maps get final passage
By JEFF AMY ATLANTA (AP) — Brushing aside concerns that they may be breaking law that protects coalitions of nonwhite voters, Georgia state senators on Tuesday passed a new congressional map that would maintain a likely 9-5 GOP edge in…
NCAA President Charlie Baker calls for new tier of Division I where schools can pay athletes
By RALPH D. RUSSO AP College Sports Writer LAS VEGAS (AP) — NCAA President Charlie Baker is asking members to make one of the most dramatic shifts in the history of college sports by allowing highly resourced schools to pay…
Tennessee's 2024 Super Tuesday presidential primary nominees announced
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Secretary of State Tre Hargett on Tuesday announced the names of the presidential nominees for 2024's Super Tuesday Presidential Primary election. There are nine republicans running for election to be listed on the ballot and just…
Coffee County Rescue Squad building, vehicles burn
COFFEE COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) -- On Monday night, a rescue building caught on fire in Coffee County. The Coffee County Rescue Squad's (CCRS) responded to a fire in their main building around…
Tuberville is ending blockade of most military nominees, clearing way for hundreds to be approved
By KEVIN FREKING WASHINGTON (AP) — Sen. Tommy Tuberville announced on Tuesday that he's ending his blockade of hundreds of military promotions, following heavy criticism from many of his colleagues in the Senate and clearing the way for hundreds to…
Georgia Gov. Kemp proposes accelerating largest income tax cut in state history
ATLANTA (WDEF) -- Citizens of Georgia could be seeing some huge savings in the next calendar year as Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp proposed…
Georgia's governor and top Republican lawmakers say they want to speed up state income tax cut
By JEFF AMY ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia's Republican governor and legislative leaders want to speed up an already-planned cut in the state income tax rate. Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones and House Speaker Jon Burns said Monday that…