CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The political season for next year officially begins today. Qualifying has opened for local elections that will take place next spring. Candidates now have a two-month window to file the required paperwork in order to officially enter a race. The primary election will be held in May. Voters in Hamilton County will see twelve races on…
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Salvation Army of Chattanooga opened its doors this morning to host a special brunch for members of the unhoused community. The event served up a warm plate of breakfast favorites while offering a welcoming space filled with care and connection. News 12 spoke with Major Douglas McClure and his team about what hosting events like…
WALKER COUNTY, GA. (WDEF) – Walker County Schools is considering a shift to a four-day school week, prompting discussion across the community. The district is collecting feedback through a survey as district leaders weigh the potential benefits and challenges of the proposal. Some parents say a shorter week could help improve student attendance and make scheduling doctor or dentist appointments…
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Winter break gives children extra free time, and many naturally turn to phones, tablets, and computers for entertainment while parents handle work and holiday responsibilities. Too much unsupervised screen time can lead to risky situations, from exposure to harmful content to increased stress or negative emotions. There have even been cases where online personalities influenced dangerous…
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) – It’s a time-honored holiday tradition in Hamilton County. Hixson Middle School’s 7th grade Band did a great job performing at Christmas at the Courthouse. Categories: Chattanooga, Education, Featured, Hamilton County, Local News, What’s Right With Our Schools Tags: Christmas, What’s Right With Our Schools
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Influencer Rachel Leonard Kennedy shows us how to stay unplugged and in the moment during the holidays, while also relieving the stress of wrapping a last second Christmas gift. Skip the mounts of tape, paper crinkles, and last ditch effort cheap gift bags by wowing your loved ones with a gift that’s eco-friendly and involves little…
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – With Christmas just a few days away, families gathered in downtown Chattanooga for a festive holiday celebration filled with cheer, characters, and seasonal fun. “I want to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,” Santa Claus said. “Ho-ho-ho. Merry Christmas.” The family Christmas event was hosted by Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors at Miller…
LAFAYETTE, GA. (WDEF) – Georgia is quickly becoming a go to destination for filmmakers, not only for large scale productions, but also for local storytellers bringing meaningful stories to the screen. Filmmakers across the state are finding inspiration in small towns and familiar places, including right here in Northwest Georgia. Actor David Joel Stevenson plays the lead role in the upcoming…
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…
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, 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,…
(gomocs.com) – The Mocs led for just 15 seconds the entire game, but behind a late rally, they came out on top 59-58 against Western Kentucky inside McKenzie Arena. In the final two minutes, Chattanooga (7-5) ended the game on a 9-2 run, capped off by an and-one layup by Caia Elisaldez with 0.1 seconds left to tie the game at 58….
Cleveland, TN-(WDEF-TV) When you watch the Cleveland girls basketball team, it’s hard to miss Ilianis Rodriguez. She’s wreaking havoc on defense, and driving the Blue Raiders offense from her point guard position. Brian Armstrong has the story. Categories: Sports – Local Sports News
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, 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…
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…
Chances are, you’ve already fallen for an AI video that someone tried to pass off as real. AI video technology has gotten so good that sometimes it’s impossible to distinguish reality from a computer’s hallucination. We’re going to give you a couple tips on how to do just that on this week’s Tech Byte. When AI video first launched, it…
CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF)- Red Bank basketball has been on a roll in recent years and Head Coach Nick Fike is hoping to enjoy the journey. Categories: Sports – Local Sports News
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, 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,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…
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…
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…
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…