Jason Chen entering into a hearing on May 4, 2026 attempting to get a new trial (left). Jasmine Pace, the victim of the murder in November 2022 that Chen was convicted of in January 2025 (right). CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- The man who was convicted last year in the murder of a Chattanooga woman in 2022 attempted to get a new…
The land that is being transferred on the Engel Stadium property from UTC to Hamilton County for a new Health Department building. (From: UT Board of Trustees) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- The University of Tennessee Board of Trustees has approved a land deal concerning Engel Stadium. UTC, who has owned the historic stadium since 2008, is transferring over an acre of…
Randy Vega in court on May 4, 2026, less the a month from his scheduled trial date. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- The suspect charged with vehicular homicide in the death of a mom and her baby on Thanksgiving weekend in 2023 was back in court Monday morning. Randy Vega is charged with two counts of vehicular homicide and driving under the…
CLEVELAND, TN (WDEF) – A new organization at Cleveland High School got off to a strong star this year. The Best Buddies Club is a student led group that creates a space where *every* child feels seen, valued and included. It’s a perfect example of “What’s Right With Our Schools.” “This program is called Best Buddies. It’s actually a nationwide…
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – As vaccine preventable diseases continue to spread in parts of the United States, pediatricians are encouraging families to review their children’s immunizations. The end of April marked National Infant Immunization Week, a time when doctors remind parents to schedule checkups and discuss vaccines before summer travel and the next school year. Children are exposed to thousands…
CHICKAMAUGA, GA. (WDEF) – Families spent part of their weekend celebrating moms a little early at the Petals and Pearls Mother’s Day Market, held at the Gordon Lee Mansion. The event brought together local vendors offering handmade goods, jewelry, home décor, and self-care items, creating a one-stop shop for Mother’s Day gifts. Food trucks were also on site, adding to…
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Tennessee Aquarium continues their special presentations with a special visit from BBC film director Matthew Wright for their Wild Asia: Life at Extremes 3D showing. Narrated by Colin Firth, Wild Asia: Life at Extremes 3D takes a look at the amazing creatures of the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau. From a little Mudskipper to Bengal Tigers,…
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Today, the Chattanooga Market was buzzing with excitement. Crowds were able to enjoy live music, a variety of food and local vendors, and of course, strawberries. What BERRY way to celebrate than with the Strawberry Festival? Every weekend, starting in late April, the Chattanooga Market offers the community a variety of shopping opportunities, from food to…
RED BANK, Tenn. (WDEF) – The city of Red Bank hosted its annual Jubilee celebration, bringing together families, local businesses, and community organizations for a day of springtime fun. The Red Bank community has celebrated this tradition for years, with each event offering something new while maintaining its small-town charm. This year’s Jubilee once again drew a crowd, as attendees…
CHATTANOOGA, Tn. (WDEF) Families spent the day learning important safety lessons while enjoying the animals at the Chattanooga Zoo Saturday during the annual Safe Kids at the Zoo event. Children’s Hospital at Erlanger partnered with the zoo and Safe Kids Southeast Tennessee to host the family-friendly event focused on keeping children safe at home, on the road, and at play….
RINGGOLD, Ga. (WDEF)Veterans from across Georgia, Tennessee, and Alabama were celebrated Saturday during the Home Front Heroes Festival in Ringgold. The event brought the community together for a day filled with veteran resources, live music, family activities, and a marketplace featuring 100-percent veteran-owned businesses. Organizers say the festival was created not only to honor those who served, but also to…
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The City of Chattanooga Stormwater Management Division hosted its annual Rain Barrel Distribution Day, giving residents an opportunity to invest in sustainable water practices at a reduced cost. Organizers said property owners could purchase a 50-gallon Ivy Rain Barrel for $76.50, nearly half off the retail price of $162.99. Residents were allowed to purchase up to…
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Friday ws May Day, otherwise known as International Workers’ Day. Several Chattanooga area unions and organizations gathered for a rally at the Hamilton County Courthouse is to discuss the current state in public education in Tennessee. In particular, they voiced their displeasure with a recent push to pass legislation that could allow schools to not enroll undocumented…
Dalton, GA-(WDEF-TV) Dalton put on a goal scoring clinic in the Sweet 16 round of the state playoffs on Friday. The Catamounts raced out to a 3-0 lead at halftime over Flowery Branch on their way to a 9-3 victory. Categories: Sports – Local Sports News
The Tennessee Titans held their first rookie minicamp on Friday, but the new draft picks didn’t really practice. Other than running and stretching, none of the drafted players did any football drills. That was under orders from new head coach Robert Saleh. Categories: Sports – Local Sports News, Sports – TN Titans
When you’re the athletic director at an SEC school like the Vols Danny White, there is no off-season. There’s always some sort of project going on, and NIL just added to the work-load. White detailed some of the athletic department plans during the Big Orange Caravan stop earlier this week in the Chattanooga area. Categories: Sports – Local Sports News,…
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF)- Tennessee Governor Bill Lee has announced a special session for the purpose of redrawing Congressional Districts. This is in the wake of the Supreme Court decision earlier this week that ruled various provisions of the Voting Rights Act unconstitutional. They ruled that there was no justification for a minority-majority district to be drawn in the case of…
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — The 77th Annual Armed Forces Parade returned to Chattanooga today. Another year means another Armed Forces day Parade. Mickey McCamish is a retired US Navy Captain. He has been apart of this parade for decades. He says, “This is the 77th year for the Armed Forces Parade in Chattanooga. The longest continuing running Armed Forces Parade…
This building at 3300 Broad Street has been the home of WDEF TV for almost 70 years, but this isn’t where we started our operations. We actually first launched our broadcast in 1954 from the Volunteer Life Building’s fourth floor. Its address is listed in historical documents as being at Georgia Avenue and 9th street. Before 3300 Broad Street was…
Today at a training ground on ChattState campus, a group of students learned lifesaving skills. Instructor Kent Cochran, Owner of Cochran Safety Associates tells us, “What we’re doing is confined space entry and basic rescue. It’s a class we’re doing through Chattanooga State. We’re putting together a lot of the information, air monitoring, different Hall systems, different retrieval systems, and…
If you’ve driven up Highway 27 in the last 50 years, you probably noticed that old eyesore that marks our skyline. As kids we called it the Junk building because of the prominent graffiti which was lovingly emblazoned on the top by some daring artist. There are dozens of urban legends we used to pass around about the old Junk…
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — One Jasper Middle School student is making some major moves. Andrew Dunn is currently in the quarterfinals of the nationwide America’s Favorite Student competition, and now the community is rallying behind him with daily votes and online support. If Andrew wins, he could receive 20-thousand dollars toward his education, appear in Reader’s Digest, and even meet Bill…
DALTON, GA. (WDEF) – Georgia’s race for governor is taking shape ahead of the primary election, with Republican candidates working to define themselves in a competitive statewide contest. Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones is making his case to voters by highlighting his experience in both business and state government. Jones has served as Georgia’s lieutenant governor since 2023 and presides over…
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Scenic City has turned into the Emerald City as the Memorial Auditorium is off to see The Wiz! The Wiz is celebrating their 50th anniversary with a tour around the country, stopping in Chattanooga for a total of 8 shows. There are only a few shows remaining this weekend, with matinee performances on Saturday and…