Dayton celebrates 79th Annual Tennessee Strawberry Festival

DAYTON, Tenn. (WDEF) – Downtown Dayton celebrated its 79th annual Strawberry Festival with an entire week of events for the community. The president of the Chamber of Commerce, Molli Tallent, said this year’s festival brought one of the biggest crowds yet. “Perfect turnout. Bigger than it’s ever been for the 79th Tennessee Strawberry Festival. Woo!” Talent exclaimed. One attendee, Annette…

Mocs Rally to Beat Western Carolina and Stay Alive in SoCon Tournament

(gomocs.com) — Baileigh Pitts delivered a career night at the plate and Chattanooga rallied late with a four-run seventh inning to defeat Western Carolina 7-6 on Friday in the Southern Conference Softball Tournament at Jim Frost Stadium. The fifth-seeded Mocs erased a late deficit behind timely and aggressive hitting and strong pitching from senior Taylor Long, who struck out 11…

Cohutta Town Council reinstates police department, tables decision on mayor’s future

The Cohutta Town Council dealing with a power outage in the middle of a special meeting discussing the ongoing controversy over Cohutta mayor Ron Shinnick and his disbandment of the town’s police department. COHUTTA, Ga. (WDEF)- “So that’s it? We don’t get any answers or anything?” The controversy in a small Whitfield County town took another turn Friday evening, as…

Trion High School Senior in ICE Custody

TRION, GA (WDEF) — A High School Student from Trion, Georgia was arrested after a traffic stop, and reports say he’s now in ICE custody. An arrest report from Walker County says Elder Yuvini Aguilar-Macario was charged by the Georgia State Patrol with failure to maintain lane and driving without a license, which is a misdemeanor. A gofundme established by…

McCallie Baseball Coach Tim Costo Stepping Down

(press release) McCallie Head Baseball Coach Tim Costo announced Thursday that he will be stepping down from his role at the end of the current season but will remain on staff as an assistant coach. In a joint announcement, McCallie School has elevated assistant coach Matt Allen to the head coaching position. Costo’s career as an assistant coach at McCallie…

Hamilton County purchases land adjacent to Enterprise South Nature Park

The property across from Enterprise South Nature Park now jointly owned by the city of Chattanooga and Hamilton County. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- “I don’t know if you can tell in my demeanor, but it is such a relief.” Will Enterprise South Nature Park be expanding soon? A purchase by the Hamilton County Government could make that a possibility. In the…

New TN Congressional Map Becomes Law

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) – Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a new U.S. House redistricting map into law Thursday, finalizing a plan approved by the Republican-controlled legislature during a special session. The new map significantly alters representation in Memphis by reshaping a congressional district that includes much of the city. Supporters say the changes reflect updated population data and legal guidance,…

Carter campaigns for US Senate in Ellijay

Rep. Buddy Carter shaking hands with a voter at Poole’s B-B-Q in Ellijay. ELLIJAY, Ga. (WDEF)- Another candidate in the Republican Primary for the U.S. Senate in Georgia made a stop in our area Thursday. Representative Buddy Carter of Savannah made a stop in Ellijay at Poole’s Bar-B-Que to speak with voters. Representative Carter is running against fellow Congressman Mike…

Mothers Honored Through Community Giving

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Families staying at Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Chattanooga received a special surprise ahead of Mother’s Day. On Thursday, local McDonald’s Owner/Operators visited the house to deliver flowers and cookie totes to mothers staying there while their children received nearby medical care. The visit also included a check presentation totaling $5,492, raised through this year’s…

National Day of Prayer held at The Bethlehem Center in Chattanooga

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)-The Bethlehem Center welcomed community members this morning as it hosted a National Day of Prayer gathering in Chattanooga. The Bethlehem Center opened its doors for the annual observance, which brings people of all faiths together to pray for the nation, local communities, and leaders. Organizers say the event is meant to foster unity and hope while creating…

SkyBoss HQ officially opens at Collegedale Municipal Airport

COLLEGEDALE, Tenn. (WDEF)- A new chapter in aviation is taking off in Collegedale following the grand opening of SkyBoss HQ at the Collegedale Municipal Airport. City leaders, aviation officials, and community members gathered Wednesday to celebrate the airport’s first major expansion in more than two decades. The project includes two newly constructed hangars totaling 20,000 square feet and is expected…

Choices launches baby shower drive to support families in need

Chattanooga TN (WDEF) A Chattanooga nonprofit is calling on the community to help support local families by donating baby essentials to those in need. Choices is hosting a Community Baby Shower to restock its Baby Boutique, which provides free diapers, clothing, car seats, and other necessities to families enrolled in its parenting programs. Organizers say the drive is focused on…

Redistricting Debate Sparks State Concern

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Concerns over a statewide redistricting proposal are growing as Tennessee lawmakers continue a special session focused on congressional map changes. In Nashville, lawmakers are considering legislation that would allow the state to redraw congressional district lines outside the traditional 10-year census cycle. During a House congressional redistricting committee meeting, lawmakers questioned the need to redraw districts…

Gordon Lee Baseball Team Racking Up Another Impressive Victory Total

Chickamauga, GA-(WDEF-TV) The Gordon Lee baseball team has already racked up a 32-2 record this season. About the only thing rishing faster than their victory total were the flood waters in their parking lot Wednesday. Hopefully the waters will recede in time for their playoff game Thursday, as the Trojans continue their quest for back-to-back state titles. Brian Armstrong waded…

Entire Cohutta Police Department Fired in developing town dispute

COHUTTA, Ga. (WDEF) – We have an update regarding the developing story in the Cohutta. As of Wednesday morning, the city’s entire police department has been fired. A couple of weeks ago, officers with the Cohutta Police Department made accusations involving the mayor’s wife, Pam Shinnick, continuing to work for the city after council meeting minutes showed she had been…

Commission to begin seeking bids on northshore Business Development Center amid opposition from incubator businesses

A group of business owners at the Hamilton County Small Business Incubator standing in opposition to a resolution that would begin the process of seeking bids for the Hamilton County Business Development Center. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- The saga of Hamilton County’s small business incubator continued Wednesday evening at the Hamilton County Commission. The question for the Hamilton County commissioners was…