MGN
Chattanooga, COVID-19, Featured, Hamilton County, Health, Local News

Flu Season and Covid-19 Boosters – trying to avoid a “Twin-Demic”

Experts says Flu Season could be devastating for our local healthcare systems
WDEF News,

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) – With flu season right around the corner and the delta surge in full swing, many people are wondering about the possibility of a “twin-demic’ and if a Covid booster shot will be necessary? Experts with the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Health explain.  Within an average year, the flu causes 30-60 thousand deaths, 300 to 600 thousand…

Break In Video
Crime, Local News, Walker County

Can you identify Walker car burglars from surveillance video?

Collins Parker,

ROSSVILLE, Georgia (WDEF) – Walker county Sheriff Steve Wilson is warning residents about car thefts and burglaries after a recent incident on Saturday.   Surveillence video shows two, possibly three suspects entering several vehicles and stealing two vehicles in the Mission Glen Subdivision of Rossville, Georgia.   Sheriff Wilson says these types of crimes typically happen when people forget to…

Leo The Lion
Featured, Regional News, Sports

There is a real lion roaming the University of North Alabama campus

Rick Nyman visits the real life mascot
Collins Parker,

FLORENCE, Alabama (WDEF) –  The Chattanooga Mocs football team traveled to Florence last Saturday to face the North Alabama Lions. U-T-C had to tread lightly on enemy turf because U-N-A features a live lion mascot. He actually lives on campus. Talk about your Animal House. For more on the U-N-A Big Cat, we sent News 12 scaredy cat, Rick Nyman….
COVID-19, Featured, Health, Local News, Regional News

Tennessee leading the nation in new COVID cases

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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Volunteer State is breaking national records, and not in a good way. “Hospitalizations and ICU admits currently are at their highest level ever,” says Dr. Jay Sizemore, the Medical Director of Infection Prevention at Erlanger. A recent White House report says that Tennessee is the worst state in the country for coronavirus spread. And on…

Screen Shot 2021 09 14 At 41835 Pm
Chattanooga, COVID-19, Featured, Hamilton County, Health, Local News

Tennessee Nurses face staffing shortages and burn out during Covid-19 pandemic

WDEF News,

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) – The Tennessee Nurses Association says that before the pandemic hospitals were already facing a staffing shortage, but covid-19 has made the problem much worse. With hospitalizations rapidly increasing- nurses are overworked, overwhelmed, and burnt out.   “I have never seen anything as devastating as Covid-19 has been,” says Nancy Stevens, Chattanooga Nurse The COVID-19 pandemic has had a…

School 1
Chattanooga, Education, Hamilton County, Local News

School board selects superintendent search firm

Brian Armstrong,

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF)- Hamilton County School Board selected Buffkin/Baker to search for the next superintendent for Hamilton county schools. Buffkin/Baker was one of the three firms who previously presented why they should be the ones to find superintendent candidates. Joe Smith says he felt the three firms were all providing very similar services but with very different price options. Smith…

Homeless Covid
Chattanooga, Featured, Hamilton County, Local News

Young Adult Advocacy Board aids Homeless Coalition with underserved population

Brian Armstrong,

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF)- Brittany Stowers grew up experiencing homelessness and while attending school she lived out of her car and couch surfed. “I was a full-time student and I was also a full-time employee. I was really trying to juggle my personal life as well and it was just very hard because I didn’t know where I was going to…
Chattanooga, Featured, Local News

Rossville Boulevard facing “food desert”

Local agencies hosting virtual workshops to address it
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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – “I’m exactly two miles from three different food cities. So I’m equal distance to all of them but that’s my closest food source.” Jazmine LeBlac lives along Rossville Boulevard – which has now come to be known as a food desert. But through her work with Crabtree Farms, she’s hoping to come up with solutions. “The…
Catoosa County, COVID-19, Dade County, Featured, Local News, Walker County, Whitfield County

Vaccination Rates in North Georgia slowly increasing

WDEF News,

WHITFIELD COUNTY, Ga (WDEF) – The delta variant surge has continued to push through our country, wreaking havoc on our local hospitals and taking the lives of many. But has this surge caused more people to get vaccinated? The numbers say yes, but officials warn that they still aren’t where they need to be. Despite improvement, North Georgia Counties such as…

Gem Award
Chattanooga, Education, Hamilton County, Local News, What's Right With Our Schools

What’s Right With Our Schools: East Ridge Middle’s Herbert Elder

Andrew Harrison,

CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) – It’s been said that the custodian is the eyes and ears of an institution. At East Ridge Middle School, their custodian is so much more than that!   Shimson Racine is the Regional Director for SSC. He recently awarded Herbert Elder with the GEM Award. Racine explains, “The GEM award is for our associates that go…

Long St Shooting
Chattanooga, Crime, Featured, Hamilton County, Local News

Woman has life-threatening injuries after being shot on Long St.

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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Chattanooga police are investigating a shooting that happened earlier tonight on Long Street. Chattanooga police say that one woman has life threatening injuries after being shot tonight on Long St. pic.twitter.com/Pd5A17EEiw — Danielle Moss (@SunnyD_wx) September 13, 2021 The call came in just after 8:30 pm. Police say that a woman was shot and has life threatening…

Simu Liu in the 2021 Walt Disney Studios movie "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings"
Entertainment

‘Shang-Chi’ tops box office again with $35.8 million

Associated Press,

NEW YORK (AP) — “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” stayed on top at the box office, collecting $35.8 million in ticket sales in its second weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. That total was good enough for the best second-weekend gross of any film during the pandemic, edging out the previous Marvel movie, “Black Widow.” This year, relatively few…

Cub Scouts
Featured, Local News

Local Boy Scouts sell MoonPies

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RINGGOLD, Ga. (WDEF)- The Cherokee Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America launched their Shoot for the Moon MoonPie Fundraiser. Boy Scouts all over the region kicked off their sales today. Scouts from pack 3177 set up their first shop at Ringgold United Methodist Church. Kyle Croft, Pack 3177 CubMaster, says, “I really hope that our scouts take away…
Business, Jobs & Economy, Local News

Pros and Cons of hybrid work schedule

Brian Armstrong,

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF)- John Vandergriff from Blue Ridge Wealth Planners said there are secret costs of working from home. They include spending more on utilities and paying for a workstation. “There’s an additional cost because some people look at it and see if I can work from home I can work anywhere. If you have that flexibility and you go…

Regen Cov
COVID-19, Dalton, Featured, Local News, Whitfield County

Dalton now offering monoclonal antibody treatment to inmates

REGEN-COV is for the early stages of Covid to keep you from getting sicker
Collins Parker,

DALTON, Georgia (WDEF) – The City of Dalton is now offering free monoclonal antibody therapy to inmates at the Whitfield County Correctional Center who are COVID positive. The therapy drug is called REGEN-COV. It has received emergency FDA approval for COVID positive, symptomatic individuals. The inmates are alotted an hour for the treatment. Officials hope by offering the therapy, COVID…