Police identify victims killed in McCallie Ave. shooting

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – Chattanooga Police are identifying the three people who were killed in the McCallie Avenue shooting over the weekend. 24 year old Darian Hixson was an athlete at Central High and Cleveland State, where she played on the basketball team. Friends and family held a candlelight vigil for Darian at Central High on Thursday evening.     35…

Call to action event held for Chattanooga’s youth

Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod wants Chattanooga's children and teenagers to feel safe

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) — “Have you had enough yet?” This was one of several questions addressed at tonight’s “Our Youth Matters” discussion just off MLK Boulevard. Tonight, plenty of concerned Chattanoogans spoke on the matter. But it was the kids’ voices that had the most emphasis. District 9 Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod says it’s imperative that the city support the “ideals and…

Deeper dive into Garrian King shows several arrests

King is charged with possession of a firearm as a felon in connection with the deadly shooting along McCallie Avenue this past Saturday

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – With the arrest, it leads to more questions about who Garrian King is. King has had some run-ins with law enforcement in the past. The latest one puts him on the scene of the deadly shooting last Saturday. The 28-year-old King only has a federal charge in connection with the shooting outside Mary’s Bar last Saturday: possession…

Chattanooga hold first public workshop for POP Plan

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) — Outdoor enthusiasts flocked to the Bessie Smith Cultural Center to provide their input on the future of Chattanooga’s parks. Tonight was just the first public workshop that revolve around the city’s new Parks and Outdoors Plan. The goal in mind is to provide top-quality park access to all Chattanoogans, regardless of background and zip code. From industrial…

Volkswagen opens new EV battery lab in Chattanooga

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – Volkswagen opened a new EV battery engineering lab in Chattanooga on Wednesday. The 32,000 square foot lab will be used to test and develop parts for all electric vehicles the company will make for the U.S. market. It is right next to the VW assembly plant. Top Volkswagen Group of America officials joined state lawmakers and local…

Ham Co school superintendent, County Commissioner say SROs are not enough to keep kids safe in schools

Dr. Justin Robertson says SROs are only a part of what is needed for safety in schools

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – Safety in Hamilton County schools are continually being discussed by people in the community. This morning, it was the Hamilton County Commission’s turn to ask what is going to be enough. The mass shootings that happened in Chattanooga the last two weekends put all of the city and county’s leadership on high alert. Not just about what’s…

Juvenile Court Judges Weighs in on Youth Violence

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) — Last Friday, a 15 year old was arrested for the shooting that happened two weeks ago on Walnut Street. In the gang-related shooting that happened last weekend on McCallie Avenue, the youngest victim was 16. According to Juvenile Court Judge Robert Philyaw, offences involving juveniles have increased recently. “The real alarming thing, the thing that concerns us…

More To The Story: The Boulevard Project

Dave meets the people who have a plan to improve Rossville and Rossville Boulevard

ROSSVILLE, Georgia (WDEF) –  The Boulevard Project is a grassroots organization. It’s goal is to improve the Rossville Boulevard corridor. How to accomplish that? Improve food access, improve safety, increase transportation and add businesses to the area. This long street has been somewhat of a desert for quite some time. The Boulevard Project, along with the Rossville Downtown Development Authority,…

Chattanooga Police Chief addresses city council over latest shooting

Several residents additionally express gun violence concerns to council members

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) — Chattanooga Police Chief Celeste Murphy first expressed her condolences to the families of the incident tonight when addressing all in attendance at Tuesday night’s city council meeting. While she says there still isn’t enough evidence to prosecute anyone yet, she wanted to reassure that CPD is doing all it can to find who’s responsible. In response to…

Chattanooga Lookouts Byrd Tenerowicz Became a Fan Favorite

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) Chattanooga Lookouts fan favorite Byrd Tenerowicz has flown the coop. Byrd was called up to the Reds Triple-A team in Louisville Tuesday. His hot bat earned the promotion, and his style of play earned the adulation of Lookouts fans. So how did Robbie Tenerowicz become Byrd Tenerowicz. Well it involves and a buddy and beverages. Said Tenerowicz:”He started calling…

Chattanooga State breaks ground on Tennessee College of Applied Technology facility

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – Chattanooga State Community College broke ground today on a building that has been two years in the making. School officials thanked many of the politicians in attendance for helping make the new Tennessee College of Applied Technology facility become a reality. The building costs almost 22 million dollars, and will be the workforce training facility that helps…

Today’s developments in Chattanooga shootings

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – The city continues to get a grasp on the gun violence plaguing Chattanooga over the last few weekends. On Tuesday, officials confirm to us that Chattanooga Police now consider the McCallie Avenue shooting to be “gang-related.” But they do NOT think it was “gang-motivated.” What’s the difference? Gang members shooting other people for more personal reasons. Chief…

Accelerating Tennessee Bus Tour arrives in Ooltewah

Tour promotes recently passed TISA Act signed by Gov. Bill Lee

OOLTEWAH, Tenn. (WDEF) — TISA, or the Tennessee Investment in Student Achievement Act, was signed by Gov. Bill Lee just over a month ago. The Accelerating Tennessee Bus Tour made a pit stop in Ooltewah to discuss the new state legislation that will invest a recurring one billion dollars into K-12 public education. Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn believes TISA funds…

TECH BYTE: Use Tech to Keep Teen Drivers Safe

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Memorial Day recently kicked off the unofficial start of summer, and the “100 Deadliest Days” for teen drivers. Crash report data from AAA found that more than 30 percent of deaths involving teen drivers nationwide happened between Memorial Day and Labor Day. If that doesn’t get your attention, 16-to 17-year-olds are also three times more likely…