Canadian wildfire smoke causes haze over Tennessee Valley
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Wildfire smoke from Canada and surrounding areas has caused a haze to linger over the Tennessee Valley. The Tennessee Department of Transportation posted air…
Forest service closes campground because of bear activity
GREENVILLE, Tennessee (WDEF) - Forestry officials have closed an upper East Tennessee campground because of bear activity. Officials in the Cherokee National Forest say campers are reporting dangerous bear encounters at Horse Creek Campground near Greenville. So they are closing…
Tennessee Republicans book Gov. Ron Desantis for annual Stateman's Dinner
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WDEF) - As the Republican Presidential field gets a lot bigger this week, Tennessee party members have landed one of the big names to speak to them this summer. The Tennessee Republican Party has booked Florida Governor Ron…
Atlanta project decried as 'Cop City’ gets funding approval from City Council
By R.J. RICO Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta City Council early Tuesday approved funding for the construction of a proposed police and firefighter training center, rejecting the pleas of hundreds of activists who packed City Hall and spoke…
'Stop Cop City' activists pack Atlanta City Hall ahead of crucial vote
By R.J. RICO Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Hundreds of activists gathered to speak Monday at Atlanta’s City Hall ahead of a council vote over whether to approve tens of millions in public funding for the construction of a proposed…
Supreme Court rejects case of woman on Alabama death row
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court is leaving in place the sentence of a woman on death row in Alabama who helped her boyfriend kill his two young children. The high court on Monday rejected an appeal from lawyers for…
TN representative Bill Beck passes away
CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee. (WDEF) - Tennessee's State Representative Bill Beck passed away from a heart attack on Sunday at age 61. The Democratic representative was elected into the House back in 2014 and had served his district in Nashville for nearly…
Tennessee's annual pay wages raise by 6.4%
Tennessee's year-over-year change in annual pay was 6.4% higher in May.
Tennessee's drag law rejected by a judge who says it is too broad and unconstitutional
Following the recent drag ban in Tennessee, a federal judge, who was appointed by former President Trump, rejected the law for being "too broad and unconstitutional."
In gun law push, Tennessee governor's office memo says NRA prefers to 'round up mentally ill people'
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee's administration accused the National Rifle Association of wanting to use involuntary commitment laws “to round up mentally ill people and deprive them of other liberties,” according to documents drafted by the Republican's…
3 activists arrested after their fund bailed out protestors of Atlanta's 'Cop City'
ATLANTA (AP) — Police on Wednesday arrested three Atlanta organizers who have been aiding protesters against the city's proposed police and fire training center, striking at the structure that supports the fight against what opponents derisively call “Cop City.” The…
4 children die in Memphis apartment fire; father detained
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A fire in a South Memphis neighborhood killed four children Wednesday afternoon, and police detained their father, authorities said. The blaze erupted shortly before 3 p.m. at a two-story apartment building in the Washington Heights area.…
Buc-ee's will open Sevierville locations on June 26th
SEVIERVILLE, Tennessee (WDEF) - The Bucc-ee's company has set a date for the debut of their newest location in east Tennessee. The Sevierville location will open to the public on Monday, June 26th. When it opens, it will be the…
Driver goes airborne before crashing on Georgia highway
VALDOSTA, Ga. (WDEF) -- A driver went airborne during a crash in Valdosta last week. On Wednesday, the Georgia State Patrol confirmed that driver is from Tallahassee, Florida.…
Appeals window is now open to challenge 3rd grade TCAP results in Tennessee
NASHVILLE (WDEF) - Parents now have a month to appeal if their Tennessee student is in danger of being held back in the third grade. The window opens today for the appeals process following the TCAP test results on the…
'He's home': Missing 73 years, Medal of Honor recipient's remains return to Georgia
By RUSS BYNUM Associated Press SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — Soldiers of the 9th Infantry Regiment made a desperate retreat as North Korean troops closed in around them. A wounded, 18-year-old Army Pfc. Luther Herschel Story feared his injuries would slow…
Hyundai and LG announce $4.3 billion plant in Georgia to build batteries for electric vehicles
By JEFF AMY Associated Press Abstract: Hyundai and LG Energy Solution say they will build a $4.3 billion electric battery plant in Georgia. The factory would be on the site of the new electric vehicle assembly plant that Hyundai Motor…
Hyundai and LG announce $4.3 billion plant in Georgia to build batteries for electric vehicles
ATLANTA (AP) — Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution announced Thursday they will build a $4.3 billion electric battery plant as part of Hyundai's new electric vehicle assembly plant in southeast Georgia. The companies will split the investment, starting…
Alabama lawmakers approve budget after disagreements on local projects
MONRTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama lawmakers on Friday gave final approval to general fund spending bills after sometimes tense disagreements over local projects and budget projections. Lawmakers worked through the night before giving final passage to the spending bills shortly…
Alabama once again denies parole to Judith Ann Neelley
MONTGOMERY, Alabama (WDEF) - Alabama officials have once again denied parole to Judith Ann Neelley for a murder that happened more than 40 years ago in our area. Neelley and her husband were convicted of the kidnapping, torture and murder…
Gov. Lee sends TN National Guard troops to southern border
TENNESSEE (WDEF) -- Governor Bill Lee authorized the deployment of 100 Tennessee National Guard troops to the U.S. Southern border on Thursday. This is while a national security crisis and surging drug crisis is happening due to the open border,…
Republican lawmaker calls for Governor Lee to cancel his special session on public safety
BLOUNT COUNTY, Tennessee (WDEF) - The Governor's Special Session on mass shooting safety got some opposition today. State Representative Bryan Richey has sent a letter to Governor Bill Lee asking him to call it off. Fellow Republicans Todd Warner and…
State releases TCAP scores for each school system
NASHVILLE (WDEF) - The Tennessee Department of Education has now released TCAP test scores for third grade ELA for each school system. Lawmakers set up this test to judge whether students are ready to move up to the fourth grade.…
Volkswagen increasing research partnerships with UT system
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee (WDEF) - Volkswagen Group of America is ramping up their research collaboration with the University of Tennessee. They have already partnered on 25 joint research projects over the last years. Now they are planning ten more partnerships through…