Robert Kennedy Jr. now running for president as independent
PHILADELPHIA, Pa. (CBS) — Environmental attorney and presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced on Monday that he is dropping his Democratic primary bid. He will now…
Chattanooga, Tennessee gas prices fall
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Tennessee gas prices have fallen this past week, as have gas prices around the city of Chattanooga. Average gasoline prices in the state of Tennessee fell six cents, according to AAA. Those prices have also steadily…
Georgia Gov. Kemp extends state of emergency to suspend gas tax
ATLANTA, Ga. (WDEF) -- On Friday, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced that he extended the gas tax suspension. Kemp signed an executive order to extend the state of emergency. He did this because of high…
Rome woman charged with insurance fraud of $1.5 million
ROME, Ga. (WDEF) -- A Rome, Georgia woman has been charged with insurance fraud and forgery, according to the Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner. Commissioner John F. King said authorities charged 54-year-old Denna Rochelle Conaway with three separate incidents. [caption…
Alabama man sentenced to life in prison for soliciting child
CENTRE, Ala. (WDEF) -- A judge sentenced an Alabama man to life in prison for electronically soliciting sex from a 13-year-old, according to District Attorney Summer Summerford. Circuit Judge Shaunathan Bell sentenced Jeremiah Lamar Southerland on Monday, October 2. Southerland…
Governor Kemp's 'Georgia Match' to help students will college admissions
DALTON, Ga. (WDEF) -- Georgia's Governor Brian Kemp unveiled a new college plan this morning. One that he calls one of the largest direct admissions programs in the country. The Georgia Match program gives high schoolers a quick pass to schools…
Fatal shooting by police draws protests and raises questions in north Alabama
DECATUR, Ala. (AP) — Family members of a Black man fatally shot outside his home by Alabama police are seeking more information about what happened and to see body camera footage of the shooting. Police shot and killed Stephen Perkins,…
Highway 411 Yard Sale taking place October 5-7
MURRAY COUNTY, Ga. (WDEF) -- The 411 Yard Sale is taking place this weekend. It's happening October 5-7, 2023. Vendors will be setting up yard sale spots along U.S. Highway 411. The yard sale spans from Leeds, Alabama to Newport,…
Man convicted of stealing $1.9 million in COVID-19 relief money gets more than 5 years in prison
BRUNSWICK, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia man was sentenced Monday to more than five years in federal prison for organizing a scheme that stole nearly $2 million in government aid intended to help businesses endure the coronavirus pandemic. A U.S.…
Deputy wounded, man killed in gunfire exchange during Knoxville domestic disturbance call
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A deputy was seriously wounded, and a man was killed after exchanging gunfire while authorities were responding to a domestic disturbance at a home in Tennessee. Deputies with the Knox County Sheriff's Office encountered an armed…
Malibu Boats expanding operations to East Tennessee, creating 770 jobs
ROANE COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced on Monday that Malibu Boats will be expanding operations to East Tennessee. Malibu Boats is investing $75 million to expand manufacturing into this region. State officials said this expansion will…
Few Americans say conservatives can speak freely on college campuses, an AP-NORC/UChicago poll shows
WASHINGTON (AP) — Americans view college campuses as far friendlier to liberals than to conservatives when it comes to free speech, with adults across the political spectrum seeing less tolerance for those on the right, according to a new poll.…
Dollywood Express derails on Sunday night
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WDEF) -- In Pigeon Forge, the Dollywood Express train derailed Sunday night around 8:30 p.m. The 110-ton coal-fired steam engine takes guests on a five-mile trip around Dollywood. According to WVLT, all passengers were evacuated and there…
Bail bondsman charged alongside Trump in Georgia becomes the first defendant to take a plea deal
ATLANTA (AP) — A bail bondsman charged alongside former President Donald Trump and 17 others in the Georgia election interference case pleaded guilty to misdemeanor charges on Friday, becoming the first defendant to accept a plea deal with prosecutors. As…
Suspect indicted for using a pipe bomb on an ATM
DECATUR, Ga. (WDEF) - A grand jury in Georgia has indicted a Decatur man with blowing up an ATM last March. Prosecutors say Abdurrahim Jalal set off a pipe bomb around 3 a.m. at the Bank of America ATM. They…
Tennessee woman accused in shooting tells deputies that she thought salesman was a hit man
CORDOVA, Tenn. (AP) — A Tennessee woman accused of shooting a salesman at her front door told deputies that she mistook him for a hit man, authorities said. Monica Johnson-Markwork, 51, of Cordova, a Memphis suburb, was charged with felony…
Thousands flock to Knoxville Oliver Anthony show
(see more on the event at Chad and Natasha's YouTube channel) KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) - If you thought the Oliver Anthony viral moment would end quickly, think again. The singer became an…
Judges maintain bans on gender-affirming care for youth in Tennessee and Kentucky
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee and Kentucky can continue to ban gender-affirming care for young transgender people while legal challenges against those state laws proceed, federal appeals judges ruled. In a 2-1 decision by a 6th U.S. Circuit Court of…
More to the Story with Staley: Alpaca Farm Days
TRION, Ga. (WDEF) -- For animal lovers willing to take a short ride to Trion, Georgia this weekend, "Alpaca Farm Days" is waiting for you. "Wonkey The…
Invasive spotted lanternfly found in Tennessee
DAVIDSON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) -- The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) found a spotted lanternfly in Davidson County recently. This insect is not native to this area,…
Cost of building a super-size Alabama prison rises to more than $1 billion
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — The cost of a new Alabama super-size prison now under construction rose to more than $1 billion, complicating the state's plans to build two of the behemoth facilities. The Alabama Corrections Institution Finance Authority approved a…
Former Tennessee lawmaker Brian Kelsey can stay out of prison while challenging sentencing
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A former Tennessee state senator can stay out of prison as he challenges his 21-month sentence for violating federal campaign finance laws, a federal judge ruled. Brian Kelsey, a Republican, was supposed to report to federal…
Police charge man in deadly Georgia wreck, saying drivers were racing at more than 100 mph
DULUTH, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia man has been charged with vehicular homicide after police say he was one of two drivers racing at speeds above 100 mph (160 kph) in a Sept. 4 crash that killed five teens on…
Authorities make arrests in the case of Kentucky woman reported missing 8 years ago
LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — The former boyfriend of a central Kentucky woman who disappeared more than eight years ago has been arrested on charges stemming from the investigation, the FBI and Kentucky State Police said Wednesday in a statement. Brooks…