300 Whitfield County residents receive free weather radios

WHITFIELD COUNTY, Ga. (WDEF) — Whitfield County Emergency Management gave away 300 weather radios Wednesday morning. Whitfield County received a grant to purchase these radios. Only Whitfield County residents were eligible to receive one. Weather radios can be life savers, especially during power and internet outages from storms. David Metcalf is the Director of the Whitfield County Emergency Management. “We just…

Judges Discuss State of the Courts

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Three Hamilton County judges spoke about the state of our court system Wednesday morning.  It was at the monthly Friends of Hixson meeting at the Valleybrook Golf Course Clubhouse. Judges Boyd Patterson, Mike Dumitru, and Amanda Dunn spoke and answered questions about our court system. The judges said that there is an increasing backlog of cases, as…

ShowerUp launches this weekend

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – A Nashville-based nonprofit organization is providing mobile showers and personal care this weekend to those in need.  ShowerUp is establishing a full-time permanent mobile shower outreach in Chattanooga.  The nonprofit will work with other nonprofits and churches to serve the unhoused community. Each person who would like a shower will be provided with clean toiletry items….

TBI identifies six dead in Marion County murder-suicide

MARION COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has identified the people involved in last week’s murder-suicide. Authorities gave the names and ages of the six people who died in the shooting. The TBI identified the suspected shooter, who also died, as 48-year-old Gary Don Barnett. They say he also shot two adults: 52-year-old Regina Ann Barnett…

Dalton Police search for stolen skid steer

Surveillance images (Dalton Police Dept.) DALTON, Ga. (WDEF) — The Dalton Police Department is asking for the public’s help in finding a skid steer stolen from a park. The police department said the heavy machinery was stolen on June 14 at around 1:30 a.m. They are searching for a yellow Caterpillar skid steer, 201 model 259D. It had an auger…

Chattanooga Red Wolves Part Ways With Head Coach Ziggy Korytoski

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) The Chattanooga Red Wolves fired head coach Ziggy Korytoski. Assistant Jimmy Weekley will take over on an interim basis. Chattanooga is next to last in the USL League One standings. They have just three wins against seven losses and two ties. Korytoski took over the team this season after the Red Wolves made the league championship game last year….

Bradley Central’s Boo Carter Commits to Vols After Whirlwind Recruiting Process

Cleveland, TN-(WDEF-TV) Bradley Central’s Boo Carter just wrapped up his recruitment over the weekend…annoucing he’s headed to play for the Vols. Carter was listed as one of the top recruits in the country. Many of the nation’s elite college teams wanted Carter’s talents, as well as one of the nation’s premiere entertainers. Boo Carter’s recruiting process kicked off before his…

Resources for domestic violence victims

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Last Thursday, six people died in a murder-suicide in Marion County. Marion County Sheriff Bo Burnett said Gary Barnett is suspected of killing his ex-wife and other members of her family. In an affidavit we obtained from Marion County, Regina Barnett, one of the victims, said, “I am afraid that my husband is going to get…

Tourism Company Warns about Budget Cuts

  CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – A new proposal in the Hamilton County budget has the Chattanooga Tourism Company alarmed. They say that in this year’s proposed Fiscal Budget, they are losing roughly two million dollars a year to fund their operation. This is roughly 18% of their funding. This funding comes from the county’s lodging tax. However, the county is…

EPB dedicates 10 new murals in downtown Chattanooga

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Early Tuesday, EPB dedicated 10 new murals on the 10th St. Substation. Artwork was made true by local artists. The mural project began back in 2021. This year’s murals illustrate the history, heritage, and significance of downtown Chattanooga’s Martin Luther King Boulevard neighborhood. “Today we’re here to celebrate the incredible talent of our local artists. And…

Beware of car theft trend in Chattanooga

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – It’s a story that Kia and Hyundai owners have heard for a while, now. Certain models don’t have immobilizers. That makes them a tempting target for thieves and joy riders. It’s a problem that’s not slowing down. Chattanooga has seen an increase in recent weeks. “Six or so more stolen this past week,” said Harry Sommers,…

PGA golfing tournament for Veterans

SOUTH PITTSBURG, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Tennessee PGA hosted PGA Hope in South Pittsburg. Local Organizers host the 24-hour event to give back to local Veterans across Tennessee. The event was to honor PGA HOPE graduates from this program. The mission of this event is to serve as a fundraising opportunity. “But our hope is to bring awareness to the program,…

Drugs to watch out for in 2023

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF) — The TBI recently addressed drug trends in the state. Along with a list of 10 well-known drugs, there are also new analogs on the horizon. Analogs are best explained as modified drugs that combine chemically similar substances. “Think about dogs for example. If fentanyl are Labrador retrievers, then fentanyl analogs are chihuahuas and golden retrievers and…

Peach season hit hard for local farmers

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Recent weather has impacted produce at the Chattanooga Market, specifically peaches. With the upcoming Peach Festival approaching, produce vendors are facing challenges. Peach farmers noticed a change in how many peaches are readily available this year. A late frost killed about 90% of peach crops in South Carolina and Alabama. Georgia has conflicting numbers, but has…

What’s Right With Our Schools: Prep Public Royal Readers

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – If a picture is worth a thousand words, then, a million words should get you a trip to Dave and Busters. The Royal Readers program at Prep Public is proving to be a real page turner. Juan Anaguinaga is the Chief Academic Officer at Prep Public Schools. He explains,” The name of the program is Royal…

Chattanoogans celebrate Juneteenth

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Chattanoogans came together to honor Juneteenth on Monday. The Unity Group held their Juneteenth Parade along Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. A group of parade participants marching down Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard during Monday’s Juneteenth Parade. The parade featured activist groups such as the NAACP, religious organizations like Unitarian Universalists, and dancers. Chattanooga Mayor Tim…

More to the Story with Staley: Chattanooga Zoo Ice Cream Safari

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Just about everybody loves ice cream, and just about everybody loves the zoo. Put the two together, and you’ll see people having a ton of fun! The Chattanooga Zoo is a place where one can experience an up-close-and-personal slice of time with wildlife. As for ice cream? You’ve heard it before. That popular song from the…