CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – A day of deliberation regarding Governor Bill Lee’s controversial school voucher bill has continued to draw sharp criticism from education advocates. The voucher program, a key component of Governor Lee’s education agenda, allows public tax dollars to fund private school tuition for select families. Directly extracted from the School Voucher proposal, “For the 2025-2026 school year,…
CHATTANOONGA, TN (WDEF) – Most people never forget their first-grade teacher. Alexandra O’Reel pours her heart and soul into making sure her students have a solid foundation in learning and leadership. We pay a visit to Calvin Donaldson Elementary school in this week’s Golden Apple Award. Jennifer Brownlee is the Principal at Calvin Donaldson. She says, “Miss O’Reel is one of…
HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF)- Parkridge Medical Center aims to raise caution and lower the spread of Norovirus in Hamilton County. “We have been seeing an Influx. And, you know, influenza, we’ve actually seen some occurrences of COVID cases. And then, you know, is it influenza? Sometimes we have the actual intestinal challenges in our virus. In particular, it is a…
RINGGOLD, GA (WDEF) – When the Catoosa County College and Career Academy needed new computers for their 9-1-1 center, they knew right where to look. Students on that same campus immediately sprang into action. That’s a great example of what’s right with our schools. Scott Czerneski is the I-T Director for Catoosa County. He remembers, “The 911 Center here at the…
UPDATE (1/15/2025): The closure of 24 Shallowford will remain ongoing until tomorrow. This portion of Shallowford Road will remain closed until Thursday, January 15, at 5:00 p.m. According to CDOT, the road will reopen before rush hour if not sooner. CDOT will send additional announcements if a delay occurs or declaring the roads reopening. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — A water…
Meet News 12’s Pet of the Week, Eve! Eve / Humane Educational Society Eve is a dog ready to be adopted at the Humane Educational Society (HES). HES says Eve is nothing but pure love, which is why her nickname is Lovebug. Eve loves pets, toys, and especially cuddles. She lives in a foster home with a dog and a…
WHITFIELD COUNTY, Ga. — A homicide suspect was apprehended early Tuesday morning, hours after a fatal stabbing on Richardson Road claimed the life of a local woman. Deputies from the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) responded late Monday night, January 13, 2025 to reports of the stabbing. Upon arrival, they found the victim with a stab wound. According to WCSO,…
Chattanooga Zoo visits the studio to talk about the final nights of the Asian Lantern Festival with promises of some royal guests. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The seasonal favorite Asian Lantern Festival at the Chattanooga Zoo comes to a close with royal guests in its finals days. January 15-19 is the last chance for guests to stroll through the Chattanooga…
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – An abandoned house catches on fire in East Lake early Tuesday morning. At around 5:15 A.M., firefighters reported to the 2800 block of E 46th Street and discovered a house with heavy flames from the back of the house. It took 2.5 hours to ensure the fire was fully extinguished. Fortunately, no one was inside the…
LAFAYETTE, Ga. (WDEF) – The City of LaFayette, GA has issued a boil water advisory on January 13 due to high turbidity in the water supply. This has caused high turbidity that pauses water treatment. The problem first occurred on December 30th. The city is working to identify an advanced filtration solution that will address the issue. While plans…
Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) Calhoun jumped out to an 11-0 lead and went on to beat Notre Dame 63-55 on Monday evening. Gaas Herman had a huge game for the Irish scoring 33 points. Categories: Sports – Local Sports News Tags: Calhoun, high school sports, Notre Dame High School
Ooltewah has named McMinn Central’s Matt Moody as their new head football coach. Moody will look to work his rebuilding magic with the Owls like he did with the Chargers. Moody went 22-23 in four seasons with the Chargers. He got the Chargers rolling in his final three years making the playoffs every single season. Moody hopes to revive an…
HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF)-The Tennessee Department of Transportation is providing an update on road conditions after the snow. “The sun is out today. Temps have warmed up a little bit, so some of that residual snow left over on some of the shoulders of our interstates and state routes may have melted, and there is definitely a possibility for refreeze…
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – In a heartwarming tribute to a true Tennessee icon, Signal Centers is launching a special celebration for the one and only Dolly Parton’s birthday. Signal Centers, a local organization dedicated to empowering individuals through education, support, and inclusion, is pulling out all the stops to celebrate Dolly’s big day. The event will feature several Dolly-themed activities…
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — The Chattanooga Public Library is launching a new program that will get rid of fines for the youths overdue books. The Start Smart Initiative is a two-fold plan to help increase the library accessibility for students ages 17 and younger. Starting January 13, 2025, until the end of February, all materials will be fine-free. No matter…
Courtesy: Dalton Fire Department DALTON, Ga. (WDEF) – Dalton Fire Department responded to a house fire call that caused nearly $15,000 in damages and an attempt to resuscitate a dog. The house fire call came around 1 AM Monday morning on 204 N Bogel Street after the female occupant noticed a fire beside a space heater. After attempting to put…
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – This weekend, the Creative Discovery Museum hosted Dolly Days, where the Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library came together to encourage everyone to sign up and receive free books. This event highlights Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library and the importance of reading. As Dolly herself said, “The seeds of these dreams are often found in books, and the seeds…
FORT OGLETHORPE, Ga. (WDEF) – As we head into 2025, Catoosa County’s volunteer firefighters are taking their CPR recertification class. Lieutenant Brian Mangum explains that it is mandatory that their volunteers take a CPR recertification course to stay up to date on the latest CPR training techniques. He explains that the Catoosa County Fire Department offers a free course to…
Hamilton County, Tenn. (WDEF) — This morning, deputies were able to locate and arrest a wanted fugitive from Georgia for Aggravated Brandon Frady Assault, Simple Battery, Criminal Trespass, and two counts of Cruelty to Children. At around 8:00 a.m., deputies received an anonymous tip stating fugitive Brandon Frady could be found at a residence near the 2600 block of Banks…
UPDATE (1/13/2025): The man arrested for shooting at a family sledding in the snow has received additional charges. The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) released Monday morning that Benjamin Cook’s aggravated assault charges have now been upgraded to attempted First Degree Murder. Cook now faces the following charges: (2) Counts of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon (6) Counts of Attempted…
Red Bank, TN-(WDEF-TV) The Red bank basketball team lost seven players from last year’s state tournament team, but you would never know it. The Lions continue to roar this season. News 12’s Brian Armstrong fills us in. Categories: Sports – Local Sports News Tags: Highschool Basketball, Red Bank High School, Sports
It’s not every day that Chattanooga gets a good snowfall, so when the snow started to fall early this morning, people wasted no time in getting outside to enjoy it. Whether it was snowball fights, sledding, or just soaking in the beauty of it all, the community came together to make the most of the snow day. “It’s been lots…
TUNNEL HILL, Ga. (WDEF) – Residents on Pine Oaks Drive in Tunnel Hill are being evacuated as a safety precaution after a truck accident involving propane tanks caused leaks in the area. The Whitfield County Fire Department (WCFD), Sheriff’s Office (WCSO), and Georgia State Patrol (GPS) are working on scene to secure the area and assist with evacuations. WCFD…
CHATTANOOGA, TN – Every year millions of Americans resolve to change something in the new year. More than 52% of Americans have resolved to exercise of get healthy in 2025. Unfortunately, 93% of us never see them through and the second Friday in January is known as Quitters Friday where people even celebrate ending their resolutions early. Joining us today…
