National Go Red day

People wear red today to raise awareness for heart disease

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – Today is National Wear Red Day. And though it’s a day of fun, wearing red and taking pictures, it’s also to raise awareness of some pretty sobering numbers about heart disease. The American Heart Association says today, one in five people report lower physical wellness and one in four report lower emotional wellness. This can lead to…

College Life Continues Amid Record High COVID Surge

As Hamilton County crossed the threshold of a thousand COVID deaths, Thursday saw the second largest spike in new cases on record. “We are experiencing a high rate of daily new cases. Our hospitalizations are therefore up, as well, because of that increase in daily new cases. And, unfortunately, we have seen an increase in deaths, recently,” said Jamie Burley,…

Local Father of Child Fighting Cancer Gains Global Awareness Through Social Media

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – “I can’t stop cancer,” says Chad Ehlers during a Tik Tok video that has gone viral. Mia Ehlers was diagnosed with leukemia before she was even two years old in July of 2020. Her father Chad has now dedicated his whole life to raising awareness of childhood cancer. “Being a father and having to watch your child…

More To The Story: Learning about “The Nine”

A new outreach program this year for minor league baseball, including the Lookouts

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – It’s a new outreach program being rolled out by Minor League Baseball. It’s called “The Nine.” Honoring all of the great Black players that have made such an impact on the sport of MILB. Why the nine? That’s the number the legendary Jackie Robinson wore during his only season in the minors. The initiative will specifically target…

Tennessee rates poorly on women’s issues

Fourth Annual Statewide Women's Policy Conference Today at Westin Chattanooga

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – Hundreds of women and men met at the Westin Chattanooga to address policies that impact women in Tennessee. “It’s important for women across the state to understand the policies that affect their lives, that are helpful and that get in the way of them leading their best lives and more important, we need to learn how to…

Head Start employees to receive pay raise

Full-time workers will make $13 hourly, part-time is $11 hourly

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) — For the first time in city history, Chattanooga is augmenting the pay of Head Start and Early Head Start employees. Head Start workers receive their pay from the federal government, but Mayor Tim Kelly is raising the minimum wage to $13 an hour for full-time employees and $11 an hour for those working part-time. Both the mayor’s…

New Lookout Mountain Police and Fire Department building now open after nearly 15 years

LOOKOUT MOUNTAIN, Georgia (WDEF)- Lookout Mountain Police and Fire Department work station has taken a new step in keeping its community safe. School Kids rose the flag to officially open the new police and fire department station this afternoon. The new station took 15 years to complete and finished up phase one of the Lookout Mountain, GA city center project….

Meet Baylor’s new head coach, Erik Kimrey

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — The next chapter of Baylor football has begun. The Red Raiders welcomed Erik Kimrey as head coach Thursday. Baylor believes he’ll be the one to bring championships back to the river bank. “Once I could get him to say yes, then it was an extremely easy decision,” Baylor headmaster Chris Angel said. Erik Kimrey gave up…

UTC Women Fall to Mercer 59-53 Without Leading Scorer Abbey Cornelius

(gomocs.com) CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — The Chattanooga Mocs took the battle to the second half but couldn’t win the war Thursday night at The McKenzie Arena, falling 59-53 to Mercer in Southern Conference women’s basketball action. UTC played without leading scorer and rebounder Abbe y Cornelius. She was on the bench with a boot on her left foot with a lower…

NIL Having Big Impact on College Football Recruitng

  Texas A&M landed the top recruiting class in the country, but they’re being accused of using NIL money to do it. Aggies coach Jimbo Fisher denies that’s the reason his staff had so much recruiting success. Whether it’s true or not, NIL is certainly changing the recruiting game. Said Georgia head coach Kirby Smart: “But what people are doing…

No joke: Hamilton County details plans for Old McDonald Farm

Infrastructure will come first, but it will be three years before any true development on the property

The residents of Sale Creek have heard all the jokes about McDonald Farm… But when Hamilton County bought the old property, it became a dose of reality that some residents are facing that may not end with a fun outcome. Thursday at Sale Creek High School, there was supposed to be a boys basketball game. But it ended up being…

Chip’s Good Word: Rock The Riverfront

River City company brings new month long celebration to the Chattanooga Green this spring

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – The River City Company is bringing a new, unique event to the Tennessee River this spring. Rock The Riverfront is a month-long celebration from March 4-April 3. It will bring a variety of family events and art displays to the Chattanooga Green. The event will be open from 10 AM to 10 PM each day. Some of…

Homeless woman severely burned in homeless camp

Local official says homelessness issues run deep in Chattanooga

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) — A fire at a local downtown homeless camp has left one woman with 15% of her body covered in severe burns. Chattanooga firefighters were dispatched Wednesday night after receiving a call about the burn victim at 1503 Middle St. The victim was a homeless woman. Wendy Winters, the executive director of the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition, wasn’t…

Chattanooga based National Guard Unit Comes Home

Members of 181st Field Artillery arrive in Smyrna this afternoon

SMYRNA, Tennessee (WDEF) – More than 190 soldiers returned to Tennessee on Thursday after a ten month deployment in the Middle East. They are members of the Tennessee National Guard’s 1st Battalion, 181st Field Artillery Regiment. They are based in Chattanooga with a unit from Dayton. The soldiers were greeted by friends and family at Smyrna’s Volunteer Training Site where…

Hamilton County Surpasses 1,000 COVID Deaths

Nearly two years after the first COVID case was identified in Chattanooga, more than one thousand people have died of coronavirus-related illness in Hamilton County. “Omicron is just, is doing terrible damage in that population, not just here, but — you’ve probably seen the statistics — nationwide, our death rate during this surge has been pretty high,” said Dr. Mark…

Chattanooga Boat Show launched this weekend

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF)- The expanded Chattanooga Boat Show launched earlier today for the start of a four day venture at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Over 25 boat brands were on display for people to check out and potential buy. This show gives new and seasoned voters a chance to see what’s new as well as potential save some money. Director…

Used car prices hit record high, again!

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF) -With the supply chain, computer chip shortage continues to impact access to goods. Used Car prices have hit another all time high with the average price on a used car in Chattanooga costing over $25,000. “I’ve been telling people to wait on buying a car they can and if you can continue to wait that’s still probably…

Baylor Plucks South Carolina Gamecocks Staff for New Head Coach Erik Kimrey

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — A new era of Baylor football has begun. The Red Raiders officially welcomed former South Carolina tight ends coach Erik Kimrey as their new head coach. HE’S OFFICIALLY HERE! Welcome to Chattanooga, @ErikKimrey!!! pic.twitter.com/eb5Ca4nk5o — Angela Moryan (@SidelineStormer) February 3, 2022 Kimrey says Baylor has been a dream job for him since before working on Shane…

Several students charged in school fight at Cleveland High

Students could face suspension or expulsion

CLEVELAND, Tennessee (WDEF) – School officials say several students have been arrested following a fight at Cleveland High School on Wednesday. They say it happened in the Commons area. Witnesses who shot video of the fight on their phone say some officials were even punched in the fracas (we have blurred the video to avoid identifying any students). School officials…

Firefighters have a new training complex in Catoosa County

RINGGOLD, Georgia (WDEF) – Firefighters in Catoosa County now have a new facility to train in. The Catoosa County Fire Department has opened a new training facility on Mack Smith Road. Located at fire station 10, the five-story tower will provide firefighters with simulations of challenges they may face in the field. Fire Chief Randy Kemp says “Being able top…