Medical examiner details autopsy of Jasmine Pace in day four of Jason Chen murder trial

Note: Many of the details in this story may be disturbing to some readers. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Day four the Jason Chen murder trial is underway. Chen is charged with first degree murder in the November 2022 death of Jasmine Pace. The primary witness throughout the day on Thursday was Hamilton County Medical Examiner Dr. Stephen Cogswell. Dr. Stephen Cogswell…

Supporting Older Adults in Their Job Search

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – With the job market continuing to evolve in 2025, older workers are continuing to face different challenges when it comes to finding employment.  Companies like AARP are stepping in to offer valuable advice and resources to older adults navigating the hiring process in an increasingly competitive landscape. Experts at AARP say one of the biggest barriers…

Catrina Pace files lawsuit against the Chen family

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) —  A lawsuit has been filed by Catrina Pace against the family of Jason Chen. Catrina is the mother of Jasmine Pace, who was murdered by Jason Chen on November 22, 2022. According to the lawsuit, Catrina filed the lawsuit for: “…compensatory and punitive damages to address the wrongful death, battery, and intentional infliction of severe emotional…

Government announces choice for new Federal Courthouse, but UNUM says they won’t sell

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – The Federal Government today announced their preferred location for a new courthouse in Chattanooga. But there is a catch. The owners of the property say it isn’t for sale. The General Services Administration announced that a site on Vine Street was the winning location for the new federal courts building. They want to build on parking lots near…

Loftis Middle School cleared after gas leak investigation

  HIXSON, Tenn. (WDEF) —  Students and staff at Loftis Middle School had a delay Thursday morning due to a potential gas leak. When staff arrived on January 16, 2025, they noticed an abnormal smell. Out of an abundance of caution, school officials called the Dallas Bay Volunteer Fire Department to investigate. According to Hamilton County Schools, parents were quickly…

Guests can take off to the Tennessee Aquarium with reduced admission offer

Tennessee Aquarium’s  Alison Pryor joins News 12’s Amelia Greer to share how the aquarium just became more financially accessible and to preview their special “Blue Angels 3D” showing on IMAX. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Tennessee Aquarium joins a new program this year to remove financial barriers for anyone wanting to learn more about aquatic life and nature. The Tennessee…

Prepare to say “Namaste” at the Creative Discovery Museum

Creative Discovery Museum’s Mackenzie Steele and Swati Patel join News 12’s Amelia Greer in saying “Namaste” and previewing the newest traveling exhibit. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Creative Discovery Museum welcomes their latest traveling exhibit, “Namaste India,” which celebrates India’s beautiful culture and heritage. The 1800 foot “box” at the Creative Discovery Museum will be filled with items and interactive…

Mocs Rally From 20-Point Deficit to Beat Wofford 83-81 in Overtime

(gomocs.com) Down 20 points in the first nine minutes of the game, the Chattanooga Mocs men’s basketball team responded with a stingy defensive effort and saw clutch moments down the stretch to earn an 83-81 overtime victory over Wofford in thrilling Southern Conference action inside McKenzie Arena on Wednesday night. Chattanooga (11-7, 3-2 SoCon) fell behind 31-11 just 9:18 into…

Driving Our Economy Forward: Brothers Bagel

Brothers Bagel started serving up freshly baked New York style bagels back in October.  Since then, crowds of customers have been lining up to get a meal.  Tonight, we take a look bakeshop’s success and how they continue to Drive our Economy Forward. “Brothers Bagel is first and foremost it as a restaurant. For me personally, it’s a lot more…

Domestic violence case continues to raise awareness for survivors

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – As the ongoing legal battle surrounding Jason Chen continues into day 3 of deliberation, we are now focusing on supporting survivors of domestic violence.  What first began as a private matter has blossomed into discussions on domestic violence, accountability, and the role of public figures in society.  Despite the denials, Chen is charged with first-degree murder…

Crime scene detective describes the process of securing multiple scenes on day three of Chen trial

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Wednesday was day three of the Jason Chen murder trial. Chen is charged with the first degree murder of Jasmine Pace in November 2022. The lead crime scene investigator dominated day three of the Jason Chen murder trial. Bluestar agent inside of Jason Chen’s apartment illuminating the amount of potential blood spilled in his apartment following the…

AI and Healthcare: UTC Professor Gary Wilkerson Explores Revolutionary Changes in Virtual Panel

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) —  In a world where technology has rapidly reshaped every industry, artificial intelligence has made major waves in healthcare. U-T-C Professor Gary Wilkerson recently joined a virtual panel discussion titled “AI and Health Care: What Works & What’s Ahead.” “What’s happening here right now with artificial intelligence and machine learning is revolutionary. I think the technological advances…

County Commission wants student success in Hamilton County

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF)- Hamilton County Commission looks to provide additional maintenance aid to Hamilton County Schools.  The Commission will award Hamilton County Schools more than 31 million dollars in bond funds.  Though the resolution has been approved, Hamilton County Commissioners would love to see better grades.  They say it is vital that the education system succeeds. “They are not…

Hamilton County approves new County Attorney

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF)- Hamilton County Commission officially approved Janie Parks Varnell as the next County Attorney.  Varnell will succeed current County Attorney Rheubin Taylor.  Mayor Weston Wamp chose Varnell to work alongside Taylor until his contract expires.  Varnell says she will use her role as County Attorney to build relationships with County Government.  .  “I wil be going to…

Chattanooga Police investigating fatal crash on Apison Pike

  APISON, Tenn. (WDEF) —  Chattanooga Police (CPD) are investigating a fatal crash that occurred on Apison Pike early Wednesday morning. Officers responded to the 8000 block of Apison Pike for a traffic crash with injuries at 1:00 a.m., January 15, 2025. Upon arrival, officers located two individuals inside a GMC Envoy with non-life-threatening injuries, and one with life-threatening injuries….

Firefighters battle apartment fire in Harrison

HARRISON, Tenn. (WDEF) —  Firefighters in Harrison battled an apartment fire this afternoon. Crews with the Highway 58 Volunteer Fire Department (H58VFD) responded to 7560 Short Trail Springs Road at 12:35 p.m. Upon arrival, crews found a single story structure fire with flames showing through the roof. According to the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management, no injuries were reported…

TN Gov. Bill Lee announces Special Session on Jan. 27

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) —  Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced Wednesday that he will call for a special session with the Tennessee General Assembly on Monday, January 27. This special session will be held to address three bills The following are the three bills, and what all they intel via the Governor’s Office: Education Freedom Act Gov. Lee and legislative leadership introduced the…

Celebrate National Bagel Day with Brothers Bagels

The newest rising star in baking, Brothers Bagels, is celebrating National Bagel Day with a special promotion. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Two parents’ idea to create a family business for their boys to grow into becomes a beloved local bagel spot in a short time frame. Joshua and Sara Pratt wanted their three little boys to grow into a business…

Officer Involved Shooting in DeKalb County

UPDATE (1/15/2025):  We’ve learned more information about the officer involved shooting that occurred in DeKalb County, Alabama. Both the male and female victims involved in this incident both sustained non-life-threatening injuries. No officers were injured during the incident as well. It is suspected that the suspect and the female victim were in a dating relationship, but this has yet to…

Chattanooga’s Blood Assurance is critically low on donations

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Chattanooga’s Local Blood Assurance is asking for the community’s help, as they are critically low on blood donations. Due to the wintry weather this past weekend, many blood banks were forced to close their doors. By having to shut down, the organization was not able to replenish its stocks of donations. Caitlin Stanley, Senior Director of…

Walker Valley Downs Rival Bradley Central 66-58

Cleveland, TN-(WDEF-TV) Walker Valley used a strong second quarter to help knock off Bradley Central 66-58 on Tuesday evening at The Corral. The Mustangs outscored the Bears 26-7 in the second period to build a 14 point cushion at halftime. Walker Valley is ranked 7th in the initial high school state rankings for Class 4A. Categories: Sports – Local Sports…

Chattanooga Public Library reminds the community about free parking

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Chattanooga Public Library has recently announced new initiatives to make accessing literature easier by removing several financial barriers, including parking fees. With their new Start Smart Initiative, which provides free library cards to children aged five and under and a free parking option, they hope the community will take advantage of these opportunities. Will O’Hearn,…

Notre Dame’s Gaas Herman Continues to Prove He’s One of the Best Players in Chattanooga

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) Notre Dame senior guard Gaas Herman is turning into one of the top players in the Chattanooga area this season. He scored over 30 points Monday night against Calhoun, and he’s averaging a slick 25 points, and ten rebounds a game. When Matt Matoh took the Notre Dame job last May, he couldn’t believe he was gifted a talent…