Silverdale jail inmates knew they were in danger according to inmates families

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF)- Several family members of the five Silverdale inmates who were stabbed said they knew they were in danger according to their family members. “My son has 17 stab wounds. He has stitches in 10 different places,” said one of the inmate’s mothers. Family members of some of the Silverdale Jail inmates who were stabbed spoke to the…

TDOT will close I 24 at Germantown again this weekend for bridge replacement

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – The second bridge replacement closure on I 24 is on for this weekend. Bad weather has delayed the project of replacing the interstate bridge at Germantown Road for the last few weekends. They are putting up new bridges over the interstate using the Accelerated Bridge Construction (ABC) method. It is faster, but still requires them taking traffic…

Jim Oliver’s Smokehouse destroyed by a fire

MONTEAGLE, Tenn (WDEF) – Jim Oliver’s smokehouse restaurant was a well known  roadside attraction that put Monteagle, Tennessee on the map. Now, there’s nothing left but rubble.  Around 4pm Tuesday evening, more than 2 dozen fire departments responded to the scene of a large fire involving the famous Jim Oliver’s Smokehouse.  “The restaurant is gone. The gift shop is gone. The…

Mom To Mom – Are Those Apps Safe for Your Kids

Are those apps your children are using safe? J.R. Telemendez, a police officer who specializes in internet crimes against children has these these tips on what to looking out for. “The number one thing you as a parent can do to set your child up for failure, when it comes to internet or social media is do not set parental…

10th Anniversary Tornado Memorial Event Held in Ringgold

Ringgold, GA (WDEF) – Ten years ago Tuesday, an EF-4 tornado plowed through the city of Ringgold killing numerous people and injuring at least 30. Local officials hosted their tenth anniversary tornado memorial Tuesday evening. It was a record breaking tornado outbreak on the week of April 27th , 2011 with over 360 tornadoes touched down in in the southeast…

Emergency officials reflect on 2011 Tornado outbreak

CATOOSA COUNTY, Ga. (WDEF) – Ten years after the Chattanooga and North Georgia region were devastated by one of the deadliest tornado outbreaks in modern history, officials are reflecting on what’s changed since the tragedy. Catoosa County PIO John Pless says that the devastation caused by the EF4 tornado resulted in damage to over 150 homes, causing permanent physical changes….

The Biden Administration expands Summer food Program

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn (WDEF) – The Biden Administration is planning to launch the biggest summer food program in U.S history. It’s the latest push by the White House to address food insecurity. The USDA announced that they will be expanding the free school lunch program for all K-12 students. The plan will help provide 34 million children approximately $375 each to…

Tips to reduce COVID-19 vaccine side effects

(WDEF)- As with any type of medicine, there are potential side effects from receiving the covid-19 vaccine. “Plan for the worst and hope for the best. I really can’t predict who’s going to have the symptoms or not,” said endocrinologist/co-founder of Vous Vitamin Dr. Romy Block M.D. There are several common side effects people might experience after receiving the covid-19…

Tenth Anniversary of the 2011 tornado outbreak

It was 10 years ago on this day when a deadly tornado outbreak rocked the Chattanooga region to its core, in what was among the deadliest outbreaks in modern history. We endured dozens of confirmed tornadoes that went through the Tennessee Valley throughout the day. It was part of 362 confirmed tornadoes striking the U.S. over a three day period,…

McDonald’s, Pilot Company hiring in Chattanooga

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – With vaccinations rolling out and businesses continuing to reopen, many major companies are looking to fill up job positions in the Chattanooga area. Local McDonald’s restaurants are hoping to hire approximately 1,200 employees across Chattanooga to staff up for the busy summer season, while the Knoxville-based Pilot Company is looking to fill more than 5,000 positions…

What’s Right With Our Schools: Cleveland’s BLADE Project

CLEVELAND, TN (WDEF) – Cleveland City Schools complete a momentous, multi-year project. Every student in the Cleveland City School system now has a laptop. BLADE is an acronym for Blended Learning and Digital Enhancement, and it’s a cutting edge example of what’s right with our schools. Dr. Cody Raper is the Director of Innovation for Cleveland City Schools. He explains,…

Tennessee PTA memberships drop drastically as a result of the Pandemic

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn (WDEF) – The Parent Teacher Association has seen a dramatic decline in memberships throughout the state of Tennessee as a result to the pandemic. With most schools staying virtual throughout the year, PTA  memberships have declined by nearly 50%. “We are an association made up of members and if we don’t have members we don’t have the ability…

Grayson’s Ladder Hosts ‘Golf Fore Grayson’ Event at The Ooltewah Club

Many gathered in Ooltewah this morning to help raise funds in the fight against Alexander’s disease. The first annual ‘Golf Fore Grayson’ event took place at The Ooltewah Club today. The money raised will go to help Grayson Ledbetter and other patients and families who are fighting this form of leukodystrophy. Alexander’s disease is a rare regressive brain disease….Grayson is…