Rock city fest fundraiser held for KISS superfan

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) —  Level Up hosted a Rock City Fest Fundraiser to raise funds for autism awareness and fellow musician, Daniel Sneed. Daniel is a KISS tribute performer. “I’m dressed up like the Space Man and the lead guitarist Ace Frehley. Ace Frehley is definitely my influence. I’ve been into music ever since I was a little kid,” Daniel…

Chattanooga Jamboree Night two

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF)- Night two of the Chattanooga Jamboree at Finley stadium. CCS looks impressive against Hixson and Boyd puts up 14 against Ooltewah. Categories: Sports – Local Sports News Tags: Boyd, CCS, Chattanooga Jamboree, High School Football, Hixson, Ooltewah

Church under arson investigation in Whitfield County

WHITFIELD COUNTY, Ga. (WDEF) – An arson investigation is underway after a someone started a fire at Cove Baptist Fellowship Church on Wednesday night. Investigators found what appears to be a Molotov cocktail at the church on Carbondale Road. “I got a phone call from a friend that talked to someone that knew what was going on and said, ‘hey,…

Hamilton County to Guarantee Officers in Every School

A group of officials and education representatives meeting to announce that every Hamilton County school will have an officer. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- After the Covenant School Shooting in Nashville that left six people dead including three children, the state legislature passed funding for a school resource officer in every public school. In the Spring, $140 million was made available to…

Hoax bomb threat called in at Dalton Walmart

DALTON, Ga. (WDEF) — Dalton police are investigating a fake bomb threat called in to a Walmart Friday afternoon. Someone called in the threat around 2 p.m., which caused authorities to evacuate the store and close it for hours. Now, Dalton police say there is no real threat. Walmart, located on Shugart Road, reopened around 6 p.m. The caller said…

Man convicted of killing Officer Julie Jacks released

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — A man convicted of killing a Chattanooga police officer is no longer in prison. Isaac Jones III. Courtesy of TDOC. Isaac Jones III was convicted in 2005 for murdering Officer Julie Jacks in 2002. Officer Jacks was helping locate Jones, who had fled from a nearby mental facility. She confronted Jones near the Parkridge Hospital. That’s…

Future of freight discussed in Collegedale

COLLEGEDALE, Tenn. (WDEF) – Logistics industry leaders discussed the future of freight in our area today. These discussions were held at the Thrive Regional Partnership’s State of Freight forum at McKee Foods in Collegedale. The forum discussed research into the high volume of trucks moving through our interstates, and how infrastructure needs to be built to accommodate that growing traffic….

Volunteers needed in Chattanooga partnership with Ukrainian city

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Mayor Tim Kelly took part in an online ceremony this week formalizing a partnership between Chattanooga and the Ukrainian city of Trostayanets. Chattanooga volunteers will help rebuild the city after the Russian invasion. The small city of 20,000 is near the Russian border and was occupied by the Russian army for a month. Their infrastructure and…

Jasper police viral video causes concern in Marion County

JASPER, Tenn. (WDEF) — In a viral video posted on social media, patrolmen were depicted dragging a passenger out of his vehicle with brute force. Jasper authorities provided context as to what they say happened during the traffic stop. The traffic stop occurred on Highway 28 by exit 155 around 12:30 a.m. The driver had run through a stop sign…

Drug suspect still on the run in East Ridge

David Waters, Courtesy of East Ridge Police EAST RIDGE, Tenn. (WDEF) – Police are looking for a suspect who has eluded officers twice in the last year. The latest incident happened 11 days ago. Officers found David Waters passed out in a truck. They roused him and suspected he was under the influence of narcotics. Despite producing another I.D., officers…

TECH BYTE: Keep Your Devices From Overheating This Summer

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — This summer has been especially hot all across the country. People and pets aren’t the only ones who get hot. Your tech does too. “The heat with this summer is so important,” said Laurie Starcher, AT&T. “We want to keep our devices at a temperature between 32 and 95 degrees.” This includes smartphones, tablets, and most…

Night one of Jamboree at Finley

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF)- High school football season is just a week away and as tradition the jamboree is taking place at Finley. Singal Mountain, Tyner, Sale Creek all contributed in the first night of three. Categories: Sports – Local Sports News Tags: Finley Stadium, High School Football, Jamboree

Mayor Kelly addresses WalletHub survey ranking Chattanooga poorly

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly recently responded to the viral WalletHub survey that ranked Chattanooga as the second-worst run city in the United States. Mayor Kelly addressed this topic during his State of the City address. He also recently posted a clip of this specific topic to his Twitter (X) account. He says WalletHub pegged Chattanooga as…

CPD concludes first internship in Chattanooga

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Chattanooga Police Department. has wrapped up its first internship partnership with the Police Executive Research forum and HBCUs (Historical Black Colleges and Universities). Under this internship, college students learn what it is like to work for the police department.  “We are open to hearing perspectives from our community. So, this is just a different perspective,” Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste…

Logistic companies partner with UTC to develop workforce

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – A new program at the University of Tennessee of Chattanooga aims to connect students with that fast-growing industry in the Chattanooga area. UTC held an open house for their Freight Broker Professional Program Thursday evening. Local logistics companies, such as BlueGrace Logistics, believe this program will create a pipeline for our local economy. Michael Beckwith, the…

Georgia officials investigating Dalton church arson

DALTON, Ga. (WDEF) — Georgia officials are investigating an arson that happened at a church in Dalton on Wednesday. Whitfield County Fire requested assistance from the State Fire Marshal’s Office around 11:30 p.m. State responders said they then found what appeared to be a Molotov cocktail at the church on Carbondale Road. It is currently unclear to what extent the…

Officials investigating traffic stop incident in Jasper

UPDATE: The press conference is now live and can be streamed here: ORIGINAL POST: MARION COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — A video has been circulating on social media regarding a traffic stop in Jasper, Tennessee. The district attorney confirmed that officials are investigating this incident. The traffic stop happened in the City of Jasper. On Thursday, officials will be holding a…

Red Bank apartment shooting overnight

RED BANK, Tenn. (WDEF) – Red Bank police are investigating a shooting overnight at an apartment complex. It happened at 107 Goodson Avenue around 1 a.m. Thursday. Investigators believe a suspect forced entry into the home and shots were exchanged. The person who was shot was taken to the hospital in a private vehicle. Police do not have a medical…

Hamilton Co. returns back to school

HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF)- Wednesday was the first day of school for students across Hamilton County. Children, teachers and staff say they are ready to make this year the best one yet!  “We are so excited to have everyone back, but what we believe is going to be our best year yet,” Hamilton County Schools Superintendent, Sonia Stewart, said. “We…