More to the Story with Staley: Cocaine Bear Bobblehead
FANNIN COUNTY, Ga. (WDEF) -- Bobbleheads have really grown in popularity over the past 25 years or so. Seems like everybody has one or two. Now, there's a new…
Alzheimer's Foundation of America warns of upcoming heat wave
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- High heat indexes create dangerous conditions for all of us. This is why The Alzheimer's Foundation of America gives safe practices to help caregivers…
Dolly gifts bookmarks, themepark tickets to celebrate Imagination Library
SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Dolly Parton is celebrating gifting her 200 millionth book as part of the Imagination Library program. To celebrate, she is sending special bookmarks in September to seven lucky people. The organization will randomly hide seven bookmarks…
Smoke and haze from Canadian wildfires leave Detroit with some of the worst US air quality
By COREY WILLIAMS Associated Press DETROIT (AP) — The Detroit area woke up Wednesday to some of the worst air quality in the United States as smoke from Canada's wildfires settled over most of the Great Lakes region and unhealthy…
Prosecutors want to dismiss some charges for former Atlanta official in corruption case
By KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Federal prosecutors plan to ask a judge to dismiss convictions for wire fraud and to resentence a former high-ranking Atlanta city official who is currently serving a 14-year prison sentence stemming from…
Supreme Court rejects GOP argument in North Carolina case that could have transformed US elections
By MARK SHERMAN Associated Press Abstract: The Supreme Court has ruled that state courts can act as a check on their legislatures in redistricting and other issues affecting federal elections. The court rejected arguments by North Carolina Republicans that could…
5 teens were killed in a car that swerved off a road and sank in a Florida pond
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP) — Five teenagers were killed when their car ran off a curving street and landed in a southwest Florida retention pond where it went underwater, authorities said. It happened either late Sunday or early Monday, killing…
Bishop Stika retiring for health reasons from Diocese of Knoxville
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee (WDEF) - The Bishop who oversees Catholics in our area is retiring. The Vatican announces that Bishop Richard Stika of the Diocese of Knoxville is retiring after leading East Tennessee Catholics since…
$1.3 billion in funding to improve Georgia broadband availability
WASHINGTON, D.C. (WDEF) -- The Biden Administration announced on Monday how much each state will get for expanding broadband internet as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. They dedicated $1.3 billion for Georgia internet expansion and $813 million for Tennessee.…
Georgia congressman wants to block US agency from slowing boats to protect endangered whales
By RUSS BYNUM Associated Press SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) — A Georgia congressman moved Friday to stop a federal agency from imposing new speed restrictions on boats and ships in order to protect critically endangered whales. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric…
Starbucks union calls strike over Pride displays, but the company calls it a misinformation campaign
By MICHELLE CHAPMAN AP Business Writer Workers at 150 Starbucks locations will strike in the coming week over what their union says is a clash over decor supporting LBGTQ+ causes, but the company denies it's…
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation director is stepping down for a county job
The Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — The director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation is stepping down after less than a year on the job. GBI Director Mike Register said he's accepted an offer to serve as public safety director…
83 years later: 'Philadelphia 15' sailors receive national recognition
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- It has been more than 80 years since Larry Ponder's Father and Uncle were wrongfully dishonorably discharged from the U.S. Navy. John and…
Tennessee Republican lawmakers receive mail with 'white powder substance,' lockdown in effect
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Tennessee's legislative office building in Nashville was placed on lockdown after multiple Republican leaders received what House Speaker Cameron Sexton called “a white powder substance” in the mail. “The sixth floor has been placed on lockdown…
Group promoting plant-based eating wants a new name for Macon Bacon baseball team
MACON, Ga. (AP) — A doctors' group that promotes plant-based eating and animal rights is makin' a fuss over the Macon Bacon baseball team. The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine has sent a letter urging the Georgia summer collegiate team…
Correctional officer indicted, arraigned for excessive force on inmate
ATLANTA, Ga. (WDEF) -- A federal correctional officer in Atlanta was indicted and arraigned for using excessive force on an inmate and writing a false report to justify it, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Justin Newkirk recently appeared…
Alabama lawmakers to begin work on new congressional map
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama legislators will hold their first meeting next week to determine what the state's new congressional map should look like after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled the state's existing plan unlawfully diluted the power of Black…
More to the Story with Staley: Summer Heat
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- It's the first day of summer, and that means a lot of things. One of those things is heat, especially here in our area.…
Georgia officials lay out obstacles to updating election system before 2024
By JEFF AMY Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia election officials said Wednesday that they would need six to nine months to install new software and hardware to update the state’s voting system to protect against security flaws, pushing…
Gov. Lee says now is the time to apply for SRO and school safety funds
NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WDEF) - Governor Bill Lee says now is the time for local school districts and law enforcement to apply for new state funds to improve school security. The legislature this year…
Campus assault suspect eludes arrest for 2 years, after 'So I raped you' Facebook message
By MARYCLAIRE DALE Associated Press PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Two years after a former Gettysburg College student finally saw charges filed over her 2013 campus sexual assault, the man suspected of sending her a Facebook messages that said, “So I raped…
Ex-Augusta city commissioner sentenced to prison for destroying records in investigation
AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) — A former Augusta city commissioner was sentenced Tuesday to three years in federal prison after he was convicted of destroying records and lying about it to investigators. Sammie Lee Sias, 68, had his punishment handed down…
Georgia Election Board dismisses investigation in Trump election results fraud
ATLANTA, Georgia (WDEF) - The Secretary of State says that Georgia's Election Board today dismissed the controversial investigation into the 2020 election results in Fulton County. The investigation found that the numerous allegations against the county election department and two…
Auto shop owner who paid worker in 91,500 oily pennies ordered to pay nearly $40,000 more
ATLANTA (AP) — The owner of an auto repair shop who paid a former employee with 91,500 oily pennies has been ordered by a judge to pay nearly 4 million more cents. A federal judge ruled that Miles Walker, who…