Luminaria Festival Shines Bright

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Fifth Annual Luminaria Festival lit up the Virginia Avenue Greenway tonight, transforming the streets into a glowing corridor of art, music, and community spirit. Presented by the St. Elmo Stroll, the festival began in 2021 as a small neighborhood gathering and has grown into a beloved annual tradition.  Over the past five years, the event…

Growing Christmas Lights Display Draws Crowds

OOLTEWAH, Tenn. (WDEF) – What began as a small Christmas light display has grown into a must-see holiday attraction in Ooltewah. A family on Sarah Drive has been decorating their home for nearly a decade, but the display has expanded dramatically over the last four years.  With more time to dedicate to the project, the homeowner began adding more figures…

Ringgold Political event highlights Congressional and Lt. Governor Races

RINGGOLD, Ga. (WDEF) – A political event was held Saturday night in Ringgold, Georgia, where several Republican candidates hoping to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene addressed voters and shared their priorities for the future. Hosted by the Catoosa County Republican Party, the event gave residents the opportunity to hear directly from a few candidates seeking the open congressional seat. Colton Moore,…

Trends emerge from state school report card across Southeast Tennessee

The distribution of grades across our viewing area of 159 schools. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- The state of Tennessee has released their school letter grades for each public school across the state. Every single public school in Tennessee has been on an A to F scale based on test performance along with college and career readiness. Schools across our area varied…

Hamilton County school board adopts growth policy

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF)- The Hamilton County School Board has adopted a policy pertaining to how new development will affect school zones. Proposed by school board member Ben Daughtery, the policy would affect schools that are at or over 95 percent in capacity. Effectively, it sets a process that would allow the board to zone new neighborhoods to other schools…

Behind the Curtain – Dollywood Christmas Shows

PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WDEF) – News 12’s Amelia Greer took a trip to the great Smokey Mountains and got to look Behind the Curtain at Dollywood’s Christmas shows! Dollywood Stage Manager Farryn Creech explains how their cast is able to prepare for their many 45-minute shows that entertain Dollywood guests daily. “Twas the Night Before Christmas” is this season’s holiday…

Holiday Package Pirates Awareness

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Package thefts, commonly called porch piracy, are becoming increasingly common as holiday deliveries surge.  Thieves take advantage of unattended packages left on doorsteps, leaving residents frustrated and out-of-pocket. The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office says these thefts follow a predictable seasonal pattern, with spikes occurring during the holiday season. Austin Garrett, Hamilton County Sheriff, said: “We always…

Red Bank presents ‘belt tightening’ measures in wake of tax mishap

RED BANK, Tenn. (WDEF)-The city of Red Bank unveiled a plan to deal with a nearly million dollar budget shortfall. Red Bank financial officials say now is the time for  ‘Belt Tightening.” This is after the tax snafu following this year’s appraisals, which saw the average value of a Hamilton County home rise by 57 percent. However, certified tax rates…

Chattanooga Library Brings Books to the Neighborhood with Mobile Van

CHATTANOOGA,TN (WDEF)— The Chattanooga Public Library brought the joy of reading directly to the Westside neighborhood today with its mobile pop-up library, Poppy. The colorful outreach van was filled with children’s books, all available for checkout on the spot. Families could browse the shelves, sign up for library cards, and take books home—without needing to visit a library branch. “The…

Hamilton county superintendent gets mixed reviews from board members

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Reviews of the Hamilton County Schools superintendent were released Thursday. All board members have reviewed and rated Dr. Justin Robertson across multiple categories. The board graded the superintendent on the following categories: Strategic Planning, Student Achievement/Performance, School Leadership, Community Relationships, Business and Finance, Board Relationship, Staff and Personnel Relationships, Integrity, Fairness, and Ethics, Facilities/Safety, and District…

Silverdale Partners To Build Homes

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – For six years, Silverdale Baptist Church has partnered with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga to help local families achieve homeownership through the organization’s Faith Built Homes program. This week, volunteers from Silverdale were back on the build site, working alongside Habitat staff to help bring a new home to life for a local family.  The…

Roadway Safety Leaders Unite Locally

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Leaders from across Southeast Tennessee gathered in Chattanooga Wednesday for a roadway safety summit hosted by the Lutzie 43 Foundation, focused on preventing distracted and impaired driving, particularly among young drivers. The foundation was created after Mike Lutzenkirchen lost his son, Philip, an Auburn football player, who was killed in a crash caused by unsafe driving…

Orange Grove Center Faces Transition After Recycling Contract Ends

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — For decades, the Orange Grove Center has helped keep Chattanooga clean while creating meaningful jobs for adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Now, that long-standing recycling program is in transition following the end of its contract with the City of Chattanooga. The nonprofit has provided recycling services for the city since the late 1980s, offering steady…

State no longer pursuing Bradley County site for mental institution

BRADLEY COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF)- For months, the state of Tennessee has been searching for a replacement for the Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute. Their search has expanded outside of Hamilton County. However, this is not with much success. Both the Bradley County Mayor’s Office and State Senator Adam Lowe tell us that they were in conversations with a property owner…

Gas Prices Fall Across Southeast

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Drivers across the Southeast are seeing some relief at the pump as gas prices continue to trend downward nationwide. For the third straight week, the national average price of gasoline has fallen reaching its lowest point in several years.  Analysts say increased refinery output and growing fuel supplies along with lower crude oil prices are helping…

The Salvation Army distributes Angel Tree Gifts in Chattanooga

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — The Salvation Army of Chattanooga is working to make Christmas a little brighter for local families as it reaches the distribution phase of its Angel Tree Program. After months of preparation, families in need lined up in their cars as volunteers distributed gifts during a drive-through style event. Organizers say the program would not be possible…

Tennessee Bill Proposes accessible parking for pregnant women

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – State Representative Gino Bulso has filed House Bill 14-57, which would allow women in their second or third trimester, as well as those with high-risk pregnancies, to use accessible parking. If approved, the legislation would add pregnant women to the list of individuals eligible for temporary accessible parking placards in Tennessee. Under the proposal, qualifying pregnant…

Give the gift of discovery with a Creative Discovery Museum Membership

Mackenzie Steele joins News 12’s Amelia Greer as the Creative Discovery Museum hopes to bring the gift of discovery to families this year.  CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Give the gift of experience with a Creative Discovery Museum memberhsip! A membership comes with a full year of unlimited access and there’s different tiers for each family needs. The most a family…