News 12 reporter gets first hand experience at Soaky Mountain new water coaster
SEVIERVILLE, Tennessee (WDEF)- Soaky Mountain water park opened during the pandemic in 2020. We started to build and then the pandemic hit. We…
Protests tonight over Supreme Court ruling on abortion
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) - Protesters hit the streets, parks and even the Supreme Court on Friday to show their displeasure with the ruling overturning Roe V. Wade on abortions. Here in Chattanooga, a few…
No tuition hike for UT university system
KNOXVILLE, Tennessee (WDEF) - The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees approved a budget on Friday that holds the line on tuition for the second time in the last 3 years. “Rising inflation is hitting our students and families particularly…
Action and Reaction to Supreme Court abortion ruling
WASHINGTON D.C. (WDEF) - The Supreme Court ruling today striking down Roe V. Wade has spawned immediate action and protest here at home. The ruling sends the abortion issue back to the states. In a nutshell, Tennessee has a triggering…
Supreme Court rules against New York gun carry restrictions
NEW YORK (WDEF) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday struck down a New York state law that restricted who could get a gun carry permit. The law had been in place since 1913. It said residents must show proper…
Motocross instructor indicted on federal child porn charges
(video story is from the December arrest) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) - Federal officials say a motocross instructor who visited states from New York to Georgia has been charged…
Speedway Motorsports founder Bruton Smith dies at 95
By JENNA FRYER AP Auto Racing Writer CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - NASCAR Hall of Fame promoter and track Bruton Smith has died at the age of 95. His company, Speedway Motorsports, said he died of natural causes. The company currently…
Election 2022: Britt beats Brooks in Alabama Senate runoff
By JILL COLVIN and KIM CHANDLER Associated Press MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Katie Britt has won the Republican nomination for Senate in Alabama, defeating six-term Congressman Mo Brooks in a primary runoff after former President Donald Trump endorsed and then…
Testimony on Georgia election at today's Jan. 6th hearing
WASHINGTON D.C. (WDEF) - Today's testimony at the January 6th hearing involved the Georgia election of 2020. Democrats called two election officials in Georgia and a poll worker who says her life was…
Nguyen is Democratic nominee for Georgia secretary of state
By JEFF AMY and KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) - State Rep. Bee Nguyen will be the Democratic candidate for Georgia secretary of state in November. Nguyen beat former state Rep. Dee Dawkins-Haigler in a primary runoff election. Nguyen…
Collins beats Trump pick Jones in Georgia GOP House runoff
By JEFF AMY and KATE BRUMBACK Associated Press ATLANTA (AP) - Trucking company owner Mike Collins has beaten former Democrat Vernon Jones in a runoff to become the Republican nominee for a Georgia congressional district east of Atlanta. Collins was…
Here are the races in today's runoffs in Georgia and Alabama
ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia Democrats were choosing their nominee for secretary of state in primary runoff elections. They're voting on a position that assumed new importance after former President Donald Trump cast doubt on Georgia’s 2020 election results, making false…
Alabama church shooter was once convicted of DUI in Chattanooga
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) - As media try to find out more about the man charged with shooting three older members of an Alabama church, they've found a Chattanooga connection. 70 year old Robert Findlay Smith is charged with shooting and killing…
What to watch in Alabama Senate runoff, DC mayor's race
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The two Republican candidates in Alabama’s U.S. Senate primary runoff on Tuesday can each boast that at one point they had Donald Trump’s endorsement in the race. Trump first backed congressman Mo Brooks before rescinding that…
Truth in sentencing: TN now only state making violent criminals serve 100% of their sentence
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) - Friday afternoon, state and local leader ceremonially signed a bill that now makes Tennessee the state with the toughest penalties in the entire nation for violent criminals. (more…)
Herschel Walker reveals 2nd son he never mentioned publicly
ATLANTA (AP) - Republican Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker is acknowledging that he has a second son whom he has not previously mentioned publicly. The disclosure on Wednesday draws renewed attention to his previous outspoken calls for Black men to…
Chattanooga Native Conner Smith to Release New Song Friday
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Chattanooga native and country music artist Conner Smith has been keeping quite busy. Conner is about to tour with Thomas Rhett, and recently performed at both the Honey Bee Festival…
Atlanta, Miami, Philadelphia, Seattle among World Cup sites
By RONALD BLUM AP Sports Writer NEW YORK (AP) - Atlanta, Houston, Miami, Philadelphia and Seattle and Kansas City, Missouri, were the newcomers among the 11 U.S. sites picked to host games at the 2026 World Cup, while Baltimore, Cincinnati,…
Heat Wave food tips for your family
ATLANTA, Georgia (WDEF) - "We have a salad plate and some popcorn chicken." "Four cases of Gatorade." "Salad items, fruits. A lot of veggies..." "Unknowingly walk out with what their body needs most this…
TBI Update on Summer Wells Amber Alert one year later
BEECH CREEK, Tennessee (WDEF) - It has now been one year since Summer Wells disappeared in upper East Tennessee, and investigators still have no idea what happened to her. "At that time, no one imagined we would still be…
Dolly Parton gives $1M to infectious disease research, again
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Dolly Parton is donating $1 million to pediatric infectious disease research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. The new gift is one of several Parton has made to the center over the years, including a…
New SBC President commits to move sex abuse reforms forward
By DEEPA BHARATH and PETER SMITH Associated Press ANAHEIM, California (AP) - Bart Barber, the newly elected president of the Southern Baptist Convention, is vowing to expedite sex abuse reforms in the nation’s largest Protestant denomination. He spoke a day…
CMA Fest Spotlight: Sophia Scott
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Like most performers, country music artist Sophia Scott is pumped to be back on stage again. Her new EP "One of These Days" just came out June 2. She spent…
Runaway dump truck kills two workers near Rome, GA
ROME, Ga. (AP) - A runaway dump truck struck and killed two men in northwest Georgia on Tuesday, leaving two others with serious injuries. Local news outlets report the brakes failed on a dump truck that was carrying asphalt for…