Carver Park cleanup to take place Saturday
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Park stewards and volunteers will be cleaning up Citico Creek Saturday in honor of World Wetlands Day. Dozens of people are gathering at Carver Park from 9…
Allie Schrenker
Articles
Hamilton County sees rise in drug overdoses
HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) -- The Hamilton County Health Department says there's been a 33 percent increase in non-fatal overdoses just in the last few weeks. They say that each overdose…
Back-to-back teen carjackings get community’s attention
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Separate groups of teens committed unrelated carjackings this weekend almost back-to-back. But organizations like the Bethlehem Center are fighting back - or rather, fighting for. The…
East Lake Community Center Reopens After Renovations
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - East Lake Community Center celebrated it's grand re-opening after it had been closed for over three years. Mayor Tim Kelly and City Councilwoman Roquetta Dotley…
Brickuniverse Comes to Chattanooga
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Thousands of LEGO lovers gather at the Chattanooga Convention Center to see awe-inspiring creations. Brickuniverse USA is putting on the two-day event, displaying professional and amateur builds. On…
Local Students Compete in Robotics Competition
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Students from all over Hamilton County and North Georgia have teamed up to compete in the LEGO League Challenge. "All you gotta do is look at…
Mayor Wamp Hosts Annual Legislative Breakfast
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Mayor Wamp hosted his annual Legislative Delegation Breakfast this morning. At the breakfast, county leaders shared their priorities with state legislators ahead of the legislative session. A few of the key speakers were from the Hamilton…
Gov. Kemp Announces Plan to Fully Fund HOPE Scholarship
GEORGIA (WDEF) - $61.5 million dollars of Governor Kemp's budget proposal will be dedicated to revamping the Georgia HOPE Scholarship. For the past decade, the HOPE scholarship…
School Choice Applications Closing Soon
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - This Hamilton County program offers more options for students to attend schools that better fit their interests and skill sets. Every student is guaranteed a spot at…
Less Money Back with This Year’s Tax Refund?
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Today is the official start of the 2023 tax filing season, which means tax returns are just on the horizon. The IRS says most…
Collegedale Celebrates Chinese New Year
HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) - Hundreds of people celebrated the Chinese New Year today in Collegedale. High Point Chinese SDA Church hosted the celebration in hopes of spreading love, culture, and curiosity. This is the second year Collegedale has celebrated…
Valentine’s for Veterans: Operation Love – A 34 Year Long Tradition
RED BANK, Tenn. (WDEF) - Hundreds of people showed up today to make Valentines for Veterans at Red Bank's Community Center. Link Sparks, the woman…
UTC Police Department Hosts Cell Phone Charity Drive
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - UTC's Police Department is holding a cell phone drive next week for survivors of relationship abuse. The school's police department is partnering with the…
Syphilis Cases Rise in Hamilton County
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Chattanooga, as well as the rest of the country, is seeing a significant increase in Syphilis. Over the last year Hamilton County has seen a 65%…
Hamilton County Organizations Fight Foster Care Instability
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - The Department of Children's Services is systemically underfunded and is seeing skyrocketing caseloads according to a new report. "Once you know about how many children…
Mueller Strike
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) -- Some Mueller Company workers have gone on strike over contract renewals. The company proposed alternative shifts, changing workers' schedules from eight-hour shifts Monday through Friday to four 10-hour shifts per…
Budgetel Fallout Continues, Woman Faces Homelessness
UPDATE: The Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition has responded, saying they have extended the stay for the remaining Budgetel renters. Mackenzie Kelly works at the Homeless Coalition and says they have extended for an additional week and are "prioritizing the medically…
Grant Applications Opening Soon for United Way of Greater Chattanooga
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - United Way of Greater Chattanooga's grant application process is opening soon. You can start applying January 23rd. Any 501(c)3 across the 6-county…
Qcells Expands in Northwest Georgia
DALTON, Ga. (WDEF) - Qcells, one of the largest and most recognized renewable energy solution providers, is expanding its operations in Georgia once again. Cartersville will get its first facility, while…
Bradley County Affordable Housing 10 Month Waiting List
BRADLEY COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) - Cynthia Derryberry says she's been on the waitlist for an affordable housing complex for almost 11 months. She is currently living in her car and is 6th…
Childhood Obesity Guidelines Updated for First Time in 15 Years
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - The American Academy of Pediatrics released recommendations for anti-obesity medications and surgery for the first time ever. Dr. Joani Jack, Medical Director of the Healthy Eating and Active Living…
Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office Suicide Policy
UPDATE: Attempted suicide calls are handled on a case-by-case basis according to a statement from the Whitfield County Sheriff's Office and should be handled by medical personnel. Rodney East plans to attend the Commissioners Meeting to voice his concerns about the…
Chattanooga Crime Rates Steadily Decrease
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Lowering crime rates has been CPD's priority over the past year, and it looks like they've succeeded. Working together across departments has been an instrumental change in the drop of reported crime. Using crime analysis and…
Fitness Goal Setting and New Years Resolutions
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Many people set their New Years resolutions around improving their health. Whether it be through weight loss, healthier eating, or just exercising more, the new year is a popular time to start. But keeping a resolution…
20 Apartments Damaged in Fire off Mountain Creek Road
UPDATE: The cause of the fire is believed to be an electrical problem, possibly related to a heating unit in a top floor apartment, according to fire investigators. This is the…
Koko the Christmas Miracle
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - The Montlake Community came together this past weekend to create a Christmas miracle. Neighbors and strangers alike banded together through sharing Facebook posts, phone calls, and constant emailing…
USPS Truck Crashed in Lookout Valley
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - A US Postal Service truck lost control earlier today and crashed on Browns Ferry Road and Highwater Trail. The vehicle ran off the road and landed…
Salvation Army Hosts Community Brunch
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - More than 300 people experiencing homelessness or financial hardships were served brunch this morning at the Salvation Army. Local volunteers helped spread the joy of Christmas by…
Homeless Man Prepares for Cold Weather
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Extremely cold temperatures are headed our way this weekend, getting as low as 10 degrees. For those without a home this holiday season, keeping warm is their utmost priority.…
University High will direct high school students to college
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - UTC and Hamilton County Schools are teaming up to bring local high school students an even bigger opportunity. UTC and Hamilton County Schools signed an agreement today that will put…
Chattanooga Police Will No Longer Respond to Minor Traffic Crashes
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Minor fender benders may not be as time consuming as they once were, thanks to a new protocol implemented by Chattanooga Police. There are eight qualifications that determine whether…
Family Justice Center Launches Needs Assessment
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - Chattanooga Hamilton County Family Justice Center (FJC) has sent surveys out to the community asking for input on how they can better serve victims of domestic violence. Over the last year, there has been a 25%…
Chattanooga Named Top Winter Destination for Domestic Travel
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - TripAdvisor has named the Scenic City as the top trending winter destination this season, beating out seasonal travel hot-spots Orlando and Miami. The Chattanooga Tourism Co. continuously promotes the city…
Salvation Army Gifts Christmas to Local Kids
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) - For the last four weeks, volunteers at the Salvation Army have been dedicated to bringing Christmas to our local children. More than 3,000 children and 1,400 families will have gifts to unwrap Christmas morning thanks to the…