School is back in session this week, but how prepared is Hamilton County despite a nationwide teacher shortage? Well, Penny Murray the Hamilton County Department of Education’s Chief Talent Officer, said Hamilton County is doing better than most of the state. In Tennessee we currently have around 1,000 teacher openings to fill before classes resume, according to the Professional Educators…
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) – The written word takes on a whole new meaning when you can actually reach out and touch your subject matter. Students in Catoosa County earned new respect their local library thanks to a hands-on program with the Tennessee Aquarium. Shannon Neal is the Youth and Outreach Coordinator for the Catoosa County Library. She explains, “We have…
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – 7AM on a Saturday morning at the McCallie boathouse. Right next to the Tennessee River. Richmond Coney is home for a few days. But hard at work. Getting ready for his senior year at Drexel University. A private school in Philadelphia. Coney, a former McCallie rower, is a scholarship rower with the Drexel Dragons. But hard work is…
ORLANDO, Fla. (WDEF) — If you’re planning a trip to Disney soon, the company has added some more tech to make your experience even more magical. It’s part of Walt Disney World Resort’s 50th Anniversary celebration. The My Disney Experience smartphone app isn’t the only tech you can take advantage of at the theme parks. MagicBand+ actually pairs with the…
CLEVELAND, Tennessee (WDEF)- Football season is just around the corner, which for the Cleveland blue raiders is too close but also too far away. It’s real Easy for a lot of folks to get really excited and want to hurry up and get to the game. Coaches and players we have to stay focused on each and every day leading…
SEVIERVILLE. Tennessee (WDEF)- A new family coaster is coming to Dollywood. Big Bear Mountain will be a $25 million expansion. It’s nearly 4,000 ft long and is the longest roller coaster at the park. It will have a Top speed of 48 MPH and 3 launches. Everything we do a Dollywood is about families as Dolly said it today its…
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – Expect a major change at elementary, middle and high schools in the cafeteria. Every family qualified for the free meal program at schools the last two years because of the pandemic. Not so any more. The Department of Agriculture’s food waivers at schools ended July 1st. Several schools in Hamilton County will still offer free meals to…
CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF)- When you have to wait over 90 minutes for a goal, odds are that means its in stoppage time or you team didn’t score at all. That was not the chase Saturday night in Chattanooga as both CFC and Red Wolves had over 90 minutes rain delays but came out firing. Chattanooga FC scored in the 7th…
OOLTEWAH, Tennessee (WDEF)-East Hamilton football season came to an end in the first round of the playoffs last year. This year head coach Grant Reynolds is stressing the importance of taking that next big step in the postseason. “Which means we need to win the big games. We want to play for regional championships and state championships. We’ve gotta get…
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – This is the final weekend before school starts in Tennessee. Several groups, including the Hamilton County School District, wanted to get students and parents ready for what’s to come next Wednesday. The district held its Back To School Bash at the First Horizon Pavilion this morning. Thousands of families showed up to get free backpacks and supplies…
It’s almost time head back to class and Chatt State kicked off the semester with a registration resort day. The event had food vendors, access to help with registration, and information on clubs and extracurriculars. Dr. Kisha Thomas is the Director of recruiting at Chatt State, she said she wanted to provide an atmosphere for students to get ready. “So,…
The 21st Annual Hamilton County Minority Health Fair was held Saturday at the UTC University Center. This event addresses a major need in the community by providing free health services to underserved communities in Chattanooga. Tony Sammons is the Co-Chair, he said this all started from a desire to educate. “The Minority Health Fair started 21 years ago as…
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – A member of the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame died this week in Chattanooga. Sam Gooden was 87. Gooden formed the group The Impressions with brothers Richard and Arthur Brooks along with songwriter Curtis Mayfield and lead singer Jerry Butler. The group had hits in the 1950’s like “For Your Precious Love.” After Butler left for…
Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) Silverdale posted a solid 9-3 record last year, which was their first winning season since 20-16. The Seahawks want to keep that winning vibe going this fall, despite losing a key player. Seahawks coach Mike Connor must plug a big hole in his offense with the graduation of running back Conner Delashmitt, who set all sorts of school records….
Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) Chattanooga hit the practice field on Friday for their first workout of fall camp. Mocs will try to get dialed in ahead of their season opener on September 3rd against SoCon rival Wofford. UTC returns several key players from last year. It’s one of the reasons why they’ve been picked to win the SoCon title this season. Chattanooga Mocs…
SEVIERVILLE, Tennessee (WDEF) – The folks at Dollywood announces their biggest ride yet. Dolly Parton made the announcement herself from the theme park today. ‘Big Bear Mountain’ will be the largest and longest coaster in the park. The project is part of the 500-million-dollar expansion first announced last year. “They’re saying we’re one of the biggest parks in the whole…
EAST RIDGE, Tenn. (WDEF) — There were plenty of residents looking to catch a ride in a hot air balloon Friday night or just to watch those that were airborne with the sunset fading, but Mother Nature had other plans. Although Friday’s weather kept the fleet grounded, the event’s organizer is still optimistic for the weekend ahead. The family-friendly Balloon…
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) — Beginning September first, the Hamilton County Commission will add two new seats to represent recently added districts 10 and 11. Thursday’s election decided who will occupy seats, and a familiar face will be returning to represent District 11 — Joe Graham. Several years ago, Graham represented District 6, and he laid out his priorities to News 12…
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – Election night was historic here in Hamilton County. The youngest county mayor in Tennessee. The first female, and second-youngest District Attorney in Hamilton County. And they happen to be brother and sister. The Wamps had a banner night, calling themselves “The New Generation of Leadership.” After winning their elections, Coty and Weston Wamp established themselves as the…
The U.S. Department of Justice ordered the removal of about 4,000 beagles from Envigo, a breeding facility that supplies laboratories with their animal subjects for pharmaceutical research and testing. A USDA inspection reported the facility performed unnecessarily painful medical procedures on dogs and puppies. Other inhumane actions and hazards found by the USDA included: “A 3-week-old male puppy was found…
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – On a night with many political suspicions confirmed by the voters of Hamilton County, we did see one upset and one amazing close race. But the big story is the Wamp family in Hamilton County politics. Both the son and daughter of former Congressman Zach Wamp will now lead important branches of local government. And both did…
Boyd Buchanan has endured two straight losing seasons. Nothing like bringing in the winningest high school coach in Tennessee history to turn things around.
CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – This was a big week for Chattanooga 35 years ago. In back to back days, Hamilton Place Mall officially opened to customers and local leaders broke ground on the Tennessee Riverwalk project. On August 5, 1987, CBL held the grand opening for their new, flagship mall at the Shallowford Road exit of I-75. Before the mall was…
Dade County High School surprised a lot of football fans last year by upsetting South Pittsburg. This year, the Wolverines would like to do something even more special.