Education, Regional News

University of Tennessee Planning Full In-Person Campus Experience This Fall

WDEF News,

Knoxville, TN (Press Release) – The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has announced plans to return to a fully in-person campus experience this fall. Planning includes teaching in classrooms at capacity, returning to normal campus housing, reopening dining halls, fully staffing campus student services, offering a comprehensive slate of student events and programming, and allowing more fans at athletic events. “As case counts…
Entertainment, Regional News

Special effects worker sentenced for illegal explosives on Travolta movie

Collins Parker,

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) – A special effects worker has been sentenced to federal prison for illegally possessing explosives while working on a movie starring John Travolta and Morgan Freeman. A U.S. District Court judge in Savannah, Georgia, on Tuesday sentenced Robert Christopher Bailey to 30 months in prison. Bailey pleaded guilty in 2019 to providing pyrotechnic effects for the movie…

Golden Apple
Education, Featured, Golden Apple Award, Hamilton County, Local News

Golden Apple Award: Sarah Leeseberg, Soddy Elementary

Andrew Harrison,

SODDY-DAISY, TN (WDEF) – Keeping first graders on track is hard enough in ideal conditions. When you add a virtual element, the degree of difficulty can be staggering. Sarah Leeseberg met that challenge and more. Meaghan Moss is the Assistant Principal at Soddy Elementary School. She says, “Sarah Leeseberg she is one of our first grade teachers. She just pours…
Chattanooga, Education, Golden Apple Award, Hamilton County, Local News

Golden Apple Award: Hardy Elementary Sarah Tortora

Andrew Harrison,

CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) – Music has to power transform us. It’s a subject that Sarah Tortora is passionate about. She shares that passion with more than 400 students at Hardy Elementary. Robin Bambrey is the Principal at Hardy. She says, “Miss Tortora is our music teacher here at Hardy elementary school. She serves all of our students, pre-K through fifth…
Education, Golden Apple Award, Local News, Walker County

Golden Apple Award: Leslie Miller, Chattanooga Valley Elementary

Andrew Harrison,

FLINTSTONE, GA (WDEF) – Teaching first and second graders is a hard enough job in ideal conditions. Add a virtual element to the mix, and a tremendous amount of patience is required. Chattanooga Valley’s Leslie Miller met that challenge and so much more! Heather Culverson is the Principal at Chattanooga Valley. She says, “Ms. Miller is a wonderful teacher. She…

Coronavirus Coverage

Admin Staff - William Cline

DOWNLOAD INFORMATIONAL FLYERS FROM CDC: SYMPTOMS OF CORONAVIRUS COVID-19 : STOP THE SPREAD OF GERMS VIEW CORONAVIRUS INTERACTIVE DATA CHARTS FIND VACCINE: Vaccine.gov Hamilton Co. Health Dept. TN Dept of Health North Georgia Health District Northwest Georgia Public Health AL Public Health Important Links: Centers for Disease Control Hamilton Co. Health Dept. City of Chattanooga TN COVID-19 Dashboard TN Dept of Health…
Catoosa County, Education, Golden Apple Award, Local News, Ringgold

Golden Apple Award: Shana Raburn, Woodstation Elementary

Andrew Harrison,

RINGGOLD, GA (WDEF) – For the best educators, teaching isn’t just a profession, it’s a calling. That’s certainly the case for Shana Raburn. She’s quick to volunteer for any job that needs doing at Woodstation Elementary, and she does it with a smile. Principal Ernie Ellis says, “Mrs. Raburn is probably one of the truest educators that I’ve ever been…
Entertainment, Regional News

Singer, songwriter, actor Ed Bruce dies at 81

Collins Parker,

CLARKESVILLE, Tennessee (WDEF) – Country music has suffered another loss of the old guard. Singer, songwriter and actor Ed Bruce died on Friday from natural causes. He was 81. Bruce began recording and writing songs for Sam Phillips in the late 1950s. Over the next two decades, he wrote hits for Tommy Roe (Save Your Kisses), Charlie Louvin (See the…
Featured, Hamilton County, Local News, Regional News

Governor Bill Lee signs executive order & limits indoor gatherings

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF)- Governor Bill Lee addressed the state of Tennessee tonight. He also announced that he signed Executive order 70. In his prerecorded video, he talked about the recent surge of COVID-19 cases. An order that limits private indoor gatherings to 10 people. “Many think a statewide mandate would improve mask wearing, many think it would have the opposite…

School Superintendent
Education, Featured, Hamilton County, Local News

Dr. Bryan Johnson tests positive for Covid-19

Collins Parker,

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – The Hamilton County School system has announced that superintendent Dr. Bryan Johnson has tested positive for Covid-19. He tested positive on Thursday. Dr. Johnson is quarantining as a result. The school system statement says he has mild symptoms and is in good spirits. He will continue to lead the school district remotely. The school system goes on…
Regional News

New police video from Ahmaud Arbery fatal shooting

Collins Parker,

SAVANNAH, Ga. (AP) – Newly released police body camera footage shows that the man who killed Ahmaud Arbery appeared visibly upset as police arrived in the minutes after the shooting. Travis McMichael can be heard in the video telling an officer that if the 25-year-old Black man “had stopped, this wouldn’t have happened.” McMichael and his father, Gregory McMichael, are…
Bradley County, Chattanooga, Featured, Hamilton County, Health, Local News

COVID-19 Vaccine delivery in the Tennessee Valley

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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Nearly 3 million doses of Pfizer’s vaccine began shipping across the U.S. from the drug maker’s Michigan Plant yesterday. So, when can we expect the first doses to arrive in the Tennessee Valley? Well, more than 30 cities received boxes of the vaccine this morning. Coastal Georgia was one of the places that was first on the…
Sports, Sports - Local Sports News, Sports - Soccer

CFC Doing a Documentary on First Season as a Pro Franchise

Rick Nyman,

Since the CFC made the jump to professional soccer this season, the team’s marketing department wanted to do a documentary on its inaugural pro campaign. And who knew, it would also feature a global pandemic. The docu-series is called…”No Matter What..the Rise of Chattanooga FC.” It’s scheduled to air early next year. Said head coach Peter Fuller: “We’ve all watched…