Thrillville Fair returns to East Ridge

EAST RIDGE, Tenn. (WDEF) — The annual Thrillville Fair is back in Hamilton County with funnel cakes, fast rides and a good time for everybody. With more than 30 rides, a petting zoo and live entertainment from sea lions, there is something for everyone this fair season. Thrillville employees had plenty to say about all the fun animals that will…

Mocs Golfers Can Endure Marathon Rounds During College Tournaments

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) The Mocs golf team tees off in the NCAA Regionals next Monday. Hopefully Chattanooga won’t need too much patience on the course in the regionals. College golf rounds can be notoriously long. Guys walking and carrying their own bags and sometimes competing for 36 holes in one day. Talk about a mental grind. College golf is certainly fun, but…

Driving Our Economy Forward: Smart Factory Institute Cyber Security

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Strong cybersecurity is vital in today’s business climate.  In May, we paid a visit to the Smart Factory for a lesson in heading off hackers.  This conference helped numerous businesses protect their investment. It’s just a small example of how they continue to drive our economy forward. Denise Hall with Peak Performance Smart Factory said, “Today,…

No solution to vacation rental debate in Hamilton County

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The debate over vacation rentals in Hamilton County continued to intensify Wednesday.  The Hamilton County Commission held a committee session to debate the matter. The resolution at the heart of this debate was presented a few weeks ago by Commissioner Gene-O Shipley. His resolution would ban vacation rentals in unincorporated portions of Hamilton County. This has…

Brainerd High School students learn about battery chemistry

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – You might call this high school course shocking. Brainerd High School students learned the safety and potential risks behind battery chemistry.  “We partnered with UTC as well as Underwriters Laboratories to bring this experience to students and students got to design, build and test their own battery safety enclosure,” said Brainerd chemistry teacher Ethan Schubert.  As…

Beat the Heat campaign begins

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Summer is approaching quickly, and the Salvation Army is doing everything they can to help the community stay cool. The beat the heat campaign started this week and the salvation army is giving out fan boxes to those in need. Part of the Salvation Army’s mission is to give back and provide to low-income families with…

East Hamilton Defeats Bradley Central 11-2

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) The East Hamilton softball team found their groove in the championship round of their district tournament on Tuesday evening. They defeated Bradley Central 11-2 to force one more game for the district crown on Wednesday. Categories: Sports – Local Sports News Tags: Bradley Central High School, East Hamilton High School, High School Softball, Softball

Sweetens Cove Golf Course Closing This Summer For Repairs After Harsh Winter

Tough news for the popular Sweetens Cove golf course in Marion County. They’ll be closed all summer. They’re shutting down for three months starting on May 27th. They’re schedule to re-open on September 1st. A harsh winter wreaked havoc on the bermuda grass at the nine-hole venue. According to a tweet from Sweetens Cove: “This winter we experienced an unbelievably…

Tyner Academy hosts World Quantum Day

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) – Tyner students showcased their Friendship Detector projects as a part of World Quantum Day on Tuesday.  “Tyner Academy is one of the first schools to participate in world quantum day activity, which was established and set up by EPB as well as PEF,” said Dr. Tiffany Earvin, Principal at Tyner Academy.  “So, with more quantum,…

Chattanooga Library, CARTA team up for free summer bus passes

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Chattanooga Public Library made an announcement that it believes will benefit children across the city this summer. The Chattanooga Public Library and CARTA will be offering free bus passes this summer. The library says each K-12 student who signs up for its “Make Play Read Learn” summer reading program will receive a free CARTA bus…

Dalton GNTC receives CDL truck program investment

DALTON, Ga. (WDEF) – Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has announced an investment into the Georgia Northwest Technical College campus in Dalton. $5.5 million will be invested to build a new CDL training pad at the campus. Gov. Kemp said this investment will help maximize the growth of the logistics industry in Northwest Georgia, taking advantage of Dalton’s location on I-75….

Health department says 35% of Hamilton County residents are obese

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Health Department’s Picture of Our Health assessment shows a rise in obesity in Hamilton County.   “At the current time, 35% of all residents are classified as obese,” said Dr. Dawn Ford, Epidemiology Manager at Hamilton County Health Department.   Dr. Ford explains why it is important to raise awareness about obesity.   “Obesity is…

Mom to Mom – Makeup Bags

Today at Mom to Mom, we have a cute Mother’s Day Craft. With Mother’s Day right around the corner, it’s always fun to get those homemade gifts. So you can do this for mom, you can do this for grandmother or whoever. That special person in your life who has kids, do it for them. They’re going to love it….

Cleveland Beats McMinn Co For District Tournament Baseball Title

Cleveland, TN-(WDEF-TV) After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, Cleveland rallied for a 10-3 victory over McMinn Co on Monday to claim their district tournament title. The Blue Raiders iced the game with back-to-back four run innings in the 5th and 6th innings. Categories: Sports – Local Sports News Tags: Baseball, Cleveland High School, High School Baseball, McMinn County…

McCallie Features a Soccer Giant in 6’8 Kenneth Chime

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) McCallie has one of the top ranked soccer teams in the country this year, and they feature perhaps the tallest player in the country. 6-8 senior Kenneth Chime. Of course Chime played basketball for McCallie, but it’s rare to see someone of his stature on the soccer field. Said midfielder Brandon Mathurin:”Kenneth is just a freak of nature.” No…

What’s Right With Our Schools: Catoosa County Reality U

CATOOSA COUNTY, Ga. (WDEF) – Learning financial literacy at a young age can really pay off in the long run. Catoosa County students recently got a crash course in dollars and cents through a program called Reality U. That’s a bottom-line example of what’s right with our schools. Charles Nix is the Superintendent for Catoosa County Schools. He explained, “Reality…

Olympiad day at Chattanooga State

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Tennessee-American Water held their annual elementary school science Olympiad at Chattanooga State today. Nearly 300 students in third through fifth grades worked on various projects that involved math and science. Tennessee-American says they hold this event every year as a way to encourage these students about science, while also building their curiosity and interest about a…

Cicadas emerge in North Georgia after 13 years

CHICKAMAUGA, Ga. (WDEF) — Though we haven’t seen many in Chattanooga, cicadas’ season has begun in north Georgia. The little noisy creatures are out and about after their long 13-year hiatus. After a cicada emerges, males will start singing with their timbals to attract the females, they are harmless to humans and pets, but they can get loud. Experts also…

Signal Mountain retirement home fire likely caused by lightning

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — Hamilton County authorities said the fire at a Signal Mountain retirement home on Monday was likely caused by a lightning strike. Someone called 911 Monday morning after strong thunderstorms passed through to report a possible lightning strike. Alexian Village fire. HCOEM Signal Mountain firefighters then arrived at the Alexian Village just after 9 a.m. They…

Four companies receive apprenticeship grant

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Four local companies received a huge boost on Monday for their commitment to youth apprenticeships. $40,000 has been awarded to Allohire, AHS Consulting, Tiny Tigers Learning Center and EPB. A representative from EPB being presented with an award for a youth apprenticeship program. These awards were announced Monday morning at the Construction Career Center on Roanoke Avenue….