What's Right With Our Schools: Catoosa Career Academy Graduation
CATOOSA COUNTY, Ga. (WDEF) - Graduation days are always a time for celebration. Catoosa Career Academy recently graduated its first class. Many of them are ready to…
Tennessee releases TCAP progress scores from student tests
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) - Tennessee education leaders said students continued to make progress in their mandatory TCAP testing this spring. They reported the numbers on Monday. 2023-24 Spring TCAP State-Level Overview: English Language Arts (ELA): Overall, 39% of all students…
Police say shooting suspect near Hamilton Place Mall is dead
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Chattanooga Police received calls of an active shooter in an office building on Hamilton Place Boulevard on Monday. They said the threat is now…
FBI looking for teen missing out of Chattanooga
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- The FBI in Knoxville is searching for a teenager who is missing out of Chattanooga. According to authorities, 17-year-old Taxarien Anthony Harris was last seen in Chattanooga on June 17, 2024. They said he was wearing…
Two residents rescued from burning home in Alton Park
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- A man and a woman were rescued from a burning house Monday morning in Alton Park. Chattanooga firefighters responded to the scene just after 7:00 a.m. Firefighters respond to burning home in…
Police respond to threat at Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist
COLLEGEDALE, Tenn. (WDEF) -- A local church was startled over the weekend from a threat during their morning service. The Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church on the campus of Southern Adventist University got an alarming call from a suspect Saturday. Police…
Father saves two-year-old from drowning in pool
HIXSON, Tenn. (WDEF) -- A fun, family event turned into a state of panic when a two-year-old nearly drowned in a pool on Sunday. During a party at 8516 Bay Run Drive, another child saw the toddler at the bottom…
CADAS celebrates 60th anniversary and over $5 million in grants
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Council for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services Celebrates 60th Anniversary with $4.4 million grant from the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services and a $600,000 grant from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency. This…
Four dogs trapped in a car for a week are now found safe
WALKER COUNTY, GA. (WDEF) An animal control officer recently made a distressing discovery. Four dogs were trapped inside a sweltering car. Temperatures outside the car neared 90 degrees. Inside, it was much hotter. The dogs were in awful conditions. "The heat…
Summer meal giveaway targets food insecurity in Bledsoe County
PIKEVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) - One in six children in Tennessee are facing food insecurity according to the non-profit No Kids Hungry. A lot…
Outdoor safety tips for sustained summer heat
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Summer is here, and the temperature is rising quickly in Hamilton County. Hamilton County EMS is urging the community to practice heat safety this summer. "The…
New ESPN radio station launches in Cleveland
CLEVELAND, Tenn. (WDEF)- ESPN Radio has a new home in our area. (more…)
Bradley County family needs donations after tragic go kart accident
BRADLEY COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Bradley County EMS is organizing a fundraiser for a family who recently faced a tragic loss. The GoFundMe page requests financial assistance for the Miller family. It…
Rhea County detectives arrest 2 for meth, fentanyl possession
RHEA COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Rhea County detectives arrested two people after finding drugs in their vehicle during a traffic stop, according to the sheriff's department.…
Police chase in Collegedale results in arrest of car theft suspect
COLLEGEDALE, Tenn. (WDEF) -- A lengthy pursuit resulted in the arrest of a man for stealing a car out of Chattanooga, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office. Authorities arrested 22-year-old…
Local volunteer fire departments receive state grants
HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Six volunteer fire departments in Hamilton County received grants on Friday. The grants come from the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, and the Tennessee State Fire Marshal's Office. The fire departments received these…
The Supreme Court upholds a gun control law intended to protect domestic violence victims
By MARK SHERMAN/Associated Press WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a federal gun control law that is intended to protect victims of domestic violence. In their first Second Amendment case since they expanded gun rights in 2022,…
Dunlap Fire Department raises funds with fireworks stand
DUNLAP, Tenn. (WDEF) -- The Dunlap Volunteer Fire Department Auxiliary has opened its fireworks trailer for the 2024 Fourth of July season. All purchases are part of a fundraiser…
Rhea County authorities arrest 6 people in drug busts
RHEA COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Rhea County narcotics deputies arrested six people on Wednesday, June 12 in a drug investigation. Authorities executed ten active warrants between six suspects in various…
Thursday Throwback: 1984 Break Dancing
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- We’re looking back at a dance craze in tonight’s Thursday Throwback. “Footloose” wasn’t the only dance-themed movie in 1984, but it was the biggest. There was also a flood of break-dancing movies in that time. We saw…
Nokian Tyres completes new warehouse in Dayton
RHEA COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) - Nokian Tyres celebrated the completion of a new finished goods warehouse in Dayton, Tennessee on Thursday. "It is really exciting that this is kind…
Montague Park project enters new phase
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Chattanooga officials provided an update on the future renovation of Montague Park this week. "This is the largest piece of public park land in our urban…
Democratic Black Caucus honors Joanne Favors, discusses issues
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Democratic lawmakers from across the state came to pay tribute to a former Chattanooga legislator on Thursday. Former Representative Joanne Favors was honored with…
Atlanta man wanted for Dalton mail thefts, police say
DALTON, Ga. (WDEF) -- Authorities are looking for an Atlanta man who they suspect is responsible for theft of mail in Dalton, Georgia. 27-year-old Keyon Shakur Ponder is wanted on warrants for the theft of mail…