Thursday Throwback: 1982 June Jam

FORT PAYNE, Ala. (WDEF) — Fort Payne is counting the proceeds from another June Jam after last weekend’s show. The country music festival saw its second comeback event since taking a 26-year break. So, for our Thursday Throwback, let’s take you back to the heyday of the Jams in the 1980s. Categories: From The Archives, Local News Tags: Alabama, From…

Councilwoman in court over residency, says she was threatened

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – A Chattanooga City Councilwoman testified inside of a Hamilton County courtroom Thursday as she tries to maintain her seat. The issue at hand inside the Hamilton County Circuit Court was whether or not Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod has lived in District 8 in the past couple of years. An anonymous tipster sent an email to several city…

Home Depot grants SPCA of Bradley County $15,000 for improvements

CLEVELAND, Tenn. (WDEF) — The SPCA animal shelter of Bradley County is closed for the next two days, but for a good reason. They are getting a generous $15,000 grant from the Cleveland Home Depot to make improvements. “Home Depot has granted us $15,000 to make significant improvements to our facility. The main thing being securing a perimeter fence, an…

Pet lovers invited to Paw Palooza on June 8

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — McKamey Animal Center (MAC) is celebrating their third annual ‘Paw Palooza’ on Saturday, June 8th. Pet parents along with those looking to adopt are invited. The event is open to all ages… and all species. Savannah Shoemaker with MAC is currently fostering two adorable kittens– “Bongo” and “Violin.” This brother and sister duo will be available…

Driving Our Economy Forward: Special Touch Landscape

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — It’s a company whose owner believes in second chances. Learn how this business has been putting the “Special Touch” on cooperate and residential lawns since 2004.  They are driving our economy forward in a meaningful way. Mike Jones is the owner of Special Touch Landscape. The business started in 2004. “We started doing residentials first….

Commission votes against Hamilton County vacation rental ban

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Hamilton County Commission finally voted on a topic of much controversy Wednesday morning: vacation rentals.  The debate over vacation rentals has been contentious for months. However, by a six to five margin, the commission voted not to change the current ordinances that would ban vacation rentals in unincorporated Hamilton County. Those against vacation rentals…

New Lookouts Stadium could break ground soon, if approved

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The final piece of the South Broad Stadium puzzle appears to be heading for a vote. If all goes as planned, Chattanooga could soon see a groundbreaking for the project.  The new financial agreement of the South Broad Stadium, or new future Lookouts stadium, has been in development for months. Commissioners, however, voiced one key concern…

Was county commission oversight committee formed too quickly?

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — Was the newly proposed audit committee formed too quickly? That’s one question the Hamilton County Commission is now asking. This new committee would be in charge of overseeing spending and other actions of the commission. It would exist independently of existing auditors inside county government. The committee will be comprised of five members, including sitting…

Visit Tivoli Theatre Foundation during upcoming Broadway season

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — The Tivoli Theatre Foundation is proud to present a list of shows that will make a Broadway lovers’ day. The Tivoli will host six iconic shows starting this fall. Les Misérables and Hamilton are just two fan favorites headed to Chattanooga. Along with the classics, Broadway aficionados can look forward to seeing up-and-coming acts like Hadestown and…

Weightlifter Olivia Reeves Finally Glad She Can Officially Celebrate Spot on U.S. Olympic Team

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) Chattanooga weightlifter Olivia Reeves learned last month that she’s headed to the Olympics this summer in Paris. While Reeves kind of knew she had qualified for the U-S Olympic team, she explains to News 12’s Brian Armstrong how it all became official. Said Reeves:”Still does not feel real until I think I’ll actually be there and it’ll be over….

Poplar Springs Road reopens 2 months ahead of schedule

Poplar Springs Road reopens after stormwater improvements. CATOOSA COUNTY GOVERNMENT RINGGOLD, Ga. (WDEF) — Poplar Springs Road in Ringgold has reopened two months ahead of schedule, according to Catoosa County Public Information Officer John Pless. Crews began stormwater improvements to the area in mid-March. Pless said the work was completed ahead of schedule. They originally expected to complete the job…

Giant venomous flying spiders with 4-inch legs heading to New York area as they spread across East Coast

First came the spotted lanternflies, then the cicadas — and now, the spiders? The Northeast U.S. is bracing for an invasion of giant venomous spiders with 4-inch-long legs that can parachute through the air. Earlier this year, New Jersey Pest Control warned of the incoming spiders, saying Joro spiders will be “hard to miss” as females have a leg span of up to 4 inches and are…

Lawmaker’s son makes silly faces as dad speaks on House floor

The son of US Representative John Rose was spotted smiling and making funny faces at cameras in the House of Representatives in Washington on June 3, as his father, a Republican from Tennessee, gave remarks. Video captured by CSPAN shows Rose’s eldest son, Guy, smiling impishly and sticking his tongue out toward the camera as he sat behind his father…

Mom to Mom – Mason Jar Fish Tank

Today on Mom to Mom we are making a mason jar fish tank. This is such a fun activity for all ages of kids and it’s very low maintenance, plus we don’t have fish to worry about. It’s a super cute idea. We’re going to need mason jars; some rocks that you can get at any pet store, Amazon, or…

Health Department says bird flu found in dairy cows

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Hamilton County Health department is raising awareness about the bird flu.  “Bird flu is a type of influenza-A that is typically found in animals. It has been around since the late 90s, and it is mostly in domestic birds and wild birds. However, this year it was found for the first time in dairy…

Good Times (And a Few Bad Throws) Highlight Ceremonial First Pitches For Chattanooga Lookouts

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) You never know who you might see throw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Chattanooga Lookouts game. We’ve had a former U-S president handle the honor, as well as a few American Idol stars. It seems everyone wants to be apart of this baseball tradition, even though they’re not exactly a pitcher For one brief moment, the average…

Baylor’s Tomas Valincius Named Gatorade Tennessee Baseball Player of the Year

(gatorade.com) CHICAGO (June 3, 2024) — In its 39th year of honoring the nation’s most elite high school athletes, Gatorade today announced Tomas Valincius of Baylor School is the 2023-24 Gatorade Tennessee Baseball Player of the Year. Valincius is the third Gatorade Tennessee Baseball Player of the Year to be chosen from Baylor School. The award, which celebrates the nation’s…

What’s Right with Our Schools: Aerial Drone Championships at UTC

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Middle schoolers from 22 states recently touched down at UTC to for the Aerial Drone Championships. They learned lessons in programming, teamwork and technology. That’s a timely example of what’s right with our schools. Annemarie Lampright is an event partner for the 2024 National Middle School Drone Championship. She explained, “Today we’re celebrating kids from all…

Survey: gas prices down 20 cents in past week in Chattanooga

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Have you noticed a decrease in gas prices in our area? According to GasBuddy’s most recent survey, the average price of gas in Chattanooga is $2.82. It has gone down 20 cents in the past week. This is roughly 50 cents lower than a month ago, and well below the national average $3.50. There could be…