Sports Big Part of Life at Baylor

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) With more than 270 state titles to its name, Baylor has shown how important success in sports is. News 12’s Brian Armstrong finds out how they are able to be successful both in the classroom and on the field. Said Baylor school president Chris Angel: “And we just earned our 274th state championship with girls soccer .” At Baylor….

Strep throat cases draw concerns in Hamilton County

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – With it being the season for sickness, doctors are seeing an increase in strep throat cases in Hamilton County.  “If we are talking about regular strep throat, then we are seeing a rise in that. Unfortunately, it is not reportable,” said Dr. Stephen Miller, Health Officer for Hamilton County Health Department. “So, we do not have…

CHATT Foundation reopens newly remodeled Community Kitchen

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — The CHATT Foundation re-opened its Community Kitchen and Dining Room on November 14. These areas recently underwent renovation and upgrades. The CHATT Foundation revealed those changes at their ribbon cutting on Tuesday. Following the ceremony, guests flocked to the dining room for lunch. “During this renovation, we did not miss serving a meal or have the…

Mom to Mom – Turkey Candy Glove

Today on Mom to Mom, we are making Thanksgiving party favors for kids. It’s almost turkey time and we’ve got a fun way to keep your kids occupied on Thanksgiving. And it can also be used as a cute little party favor for those kids. So, we are making a turkey snack type thing for your kids. So, all you’re…

EPB receives $32 million power grid grant

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – EPB received some extra help from the U.S. Department of Energy. “The grant that we received from the Department of Energy is designed to increase our resilience, our power resilience. Which basically means keeping the power on for people,” said Sophie Moore, PR specialist for EPB. This new grant totaled $32.3 million. But what are they…

Chattanooga Police discuss recent teen carjackings

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Chattanooga Police say three teenagers carjacked a woman at a gas station on Dallas Road late Saturday night. “The victim was sitting in her vehicle at the gas pumps and was approached by the suspect who got in her vehicle who was armed with a gun,” said Sergeant Kendon Massengale. “Some exchanges of words happen. She…

What’s Right With Our Schools: Catoosa County College and Career Academy

CATOOSA COUNTY, Ga. (WDEF) – Even the most qualified candidate won’t land the job if they bomb the interview. Students at the Catoosa County College and Career Academy are learning the soft skills they need to make a great first impression. It’s a courteous example of what’s right with our schools. Keith Jones is the Talent Development Specialist for Catoosa…

Wildfires continue to burn across Tennessee Valley

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Wildfires continue to smoke the Tennessee Valley as an extreme drought continues. Firefighters in Rhea County say they had some scary moments Monday morning when a wildfire jumped a fire line. The Grandview Fire Department says that the Three Mile Fire on Walden’s Ridge, which was 100% contained, jumped a line causing an immediate response by…

Fort Oglethorpe holds Veterans Day parade

FORT OGLETHORPE, Ga. (WDEF) — Fort Oglethorpe had their annual Veterans Day Parade along Lafayette road to honor those who served our country. The parade stretched down Lafayette road and ended at the Fort Oglethorpe market for Veterans. It finished with the popular farmers market at Stable 41. Tourism Coordinator for the city of Fort Oglethorpe, Bobby Daniels, said, “Our…

Touch A Truck festival held at Warner Park

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Saturday at Warner Park, the Junior League of Chattanooga held their annual Touch A Truck festival. The event featured all types of different trucks for kids to explore emergency response vehicles and heavy equipment. President of the Junior League, Mikaya Knight, said, “This is our fifth year doing Touch A Truck and one of our favorite…

Active shooter drill hosted at Volkswagen of Chattanooga

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Volkswagen of Chattanooga made history as they hosted the biggest active shooter exercise in Tennessee on Sunday. Twenty-seven local, state, and federal agencies were involved in an active shooter drill. Spokesperson for Volkswagen, Chris Guin said, “Volkswagen safety is our top priority. Whether it’s the safety of our employees or of the community at large. This…

Lauren Alaina and Brandon Davis perform at Hamilton County Fair

SALE CREEK, Tenn. (WDEF) — Two country music artists returned to their hometown Saturday evening for a concert at the Hamilton County Fair. Brandon Davis from Hamilton County and Lauren Alaina from Rossville, Ga., took on the Dr. Pepper stage at the McDonald Farm on November 11. Davis dedicated his song, “21 Guns” in honor of veterans on the national…

Veterans Day ceremony held at Chattanooga National Guard Armory

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Veterans across the country are honored on November 11 for their service and sacrifice. Local Chattanooga veterans were commemorated on Saturday at the Chattanooga National Guard Armory. State and city officials attended the event in observance of the holiday. Chattanooga historian Linda Moss Mines received the rank of Colonel from Governor Bill Lee for her work…

Collegedale honors veterans with annual ceremony and new tank

COLLEGEDALE, Tenn. (WDEF) — Collegedale veterans were honored Friday afternoon at the Veterans Memorial Park in observance of Veterans Day on Saturday. This celebration has been going on for over 20 years. The park has added different military structures throughout the years, with the newest addition being unveiled on Friday– a military grade tank. A local military sergeant explained the significance…

The Salvation Army Christmas kickoff

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Salvation Army Kicked off their Christmas season on Thursday night. Major Douglas McClure the Area Commander for The Salvation Army said, “Today is the kickoff for all of our Salvation Army programs here for Christmas time. A chance for us to tell us about our Angel tree program, about the lives of all the children…

Approximately 175 Employees Laid Off Without Notice in LaFayette

The front of the former Unique Fabricating plant in LaFayette, which shut down on Wednesday. LAFAYETTE, Ga. (WDEF)- Former employees and labor officials say they were blindsided by a Walker County plant’s decision to suddenly close on Wednesday. Unique Fabricating employees like Terry Heard were hard at work on Wednesday in LaFayette when they received a stunning order. Heard said,…

Hamilton County plans to add new license plate reader cameras

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office is working to implement new license plate reader cameras around the county. Sheriff Austin Garrett says these cameras will help identify vehicles that have been involved in a crime. Garrett says they plan to add 121 new cameras. Sheriff Garrett also says the cameras will be running 24/7. But they haven’t…

Collegedale police get new K-9 named Maxim

COLLEGEDALE, Tenn. (WDEF) — There is a new furry addition to the Collegedale Police Department, an 81-pound Belgian Malinois from Hungary. His name is Maxim, and he turns two years old in January. The police K-9’s partner is Officer Shawn Lewis. Maxim, badge number 335, is certified in narcotics detection and tracking. The Malinois is historically a herding dog and protector…

TDEC provides nearly $2 million grant to repair Mountain Creek

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Nearly $2 million will be put into repairing Mountain Creek in Hamilton County. Erosion is causing pollution there. Pipes and wires are becoming visible along the bank. They’re not supposed to be visible, and this causes a risk to property owners. The soil runoff is causing the creek to become polluted. This cloudy creek is one of…

Catoosa Chamber hosts Business Expo in Ringgold

CATOOSA COUNTY, Ga. (WDEF) – The Catoosa County Chamber of Commerce hosted their annual Catoosa Business Expo on Thursday morning.  For several decades, the business expo has taken place every fall.  More than 80 businesses were represented this year.  The Catoosa Chamber believes events like this are great for networking.  “It is so important to our businesses and nonprofits to…

City pauses CARTA building plans after neighbor input

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Earlier on Thursday, the Mayor’s Office announced a change in application for the 12th Street CARTA building, which the city is examining as a potential site for an emergency shelter. The city met with neighbors of the 12th street CARTA building recently to get their input on what should be the future of the building. They…