Chip’s Good Word: Those amazing STOL Bandit fliers

 CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – We’ve got some amazing pilots in our area with a specialty brand of flying. And they proved their skill at a national competition over the weekend in Florida. The STOL Bandits won overall best among other trophies at the Central Florida Classic. STOL stands for “short takeoff and landing.” They compete to see how quickly they can…

Shallowford Apartment Fire Displaces 17, Third Apartment Fire in Ten Days

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – A resident of Waterford Place Apartments off Shallowford Road said he was cooking fish in his kitchen when he and his brother went outside. Moments later, smoke was billowing from the roof. Thinking fast, resident Sam Elhassan ran back inside. “It was, everything was black. He couldn’t see nothing. So he jumped from the balcony,” says Sam’s…

Lawyers Encouraged to take a Pro Bono legal case for the holiday season

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) – It’s the giving season and judges are asking local attorneys to give the gift of their time this holiday season, by choosing a pro bono case from the courthouse tree. Each one of the cards hanging from the tree represents cases of legal needs for residents who can’t afford an attorney.  A Judge even penned a poem…

Brainerd Edges CSAS 49-48

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) CSAS is back in the same district as Brainerd, and the Patriots and Panthers had a district dog fight on Tuesday with Brainerd pulling out a 49-48 victory. Categories: Sports – Local Sports News Tags: Basketball, Brainerd High School, Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences, High School Basketball

Howard Knocks Off New District Foe Bradley Central 58-52

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) The Howard basketball team was pushed up into the state’s biggest basketball classification this season…the new 4A class. Doesn’t seem to faze the Hustlin’ Tigers. They beat district for Bradley Central 58-52 on Tuesday at Howard. Hustlin’ Tigers went up 13 points in the first half before the Bears tied it at halftime. Bradley Central then took a five…

Bradley Central Celebrates Rhyne Howard’s Basketball Career by Retiring Her Jersey

Cleveland, TN – (WDEF-TV) Before Rhyne Howard started tearing up SEC basketball at Kentucky, she was tearing up high school basketball at Bradley Central. Howard is one of the best players to come through our area in recent years. Last Friday night, Bradley Central honored her outstanding career by retiring her number 23 jersey. Said Howard: “It’s just super fun…

Fairy Godmothers Chattanooga: Giving Back to Widowed/Single Parents for Christmas

Chattanooga, TN (WDEF): Fairy Godmothers Chattanooga is giving back this Christmas. The brand new group is partnering with the community to give widowed and single parents Christmas presents. Fairy Godmothers started in Dallas – Fort Worth last Christmas by a widowed mom. “One of the harder things around the holidays is for the children to see their remaining parent without…

Local Officer who lost his foot warns others about the dangers of avoiding medical care

SPRING CITY, Tenn (WDEF) – Spring City Police Officer, Sgt. Jeffery Batten recently underwent amputation surgery. Sgt Batten tells News 12 how type 2 diabetes cost him his foot and how he is working to adjust to a new way of life.” “I couldn’t imagine that one day I’m working and the next day I’m having my right foot cut off,”…

Weather in the Classroom – Skyuka Hall & Battle Academy

Tennessee Valley (WDEF): Weather in the classroom was busy Tuesday. Meteorologist Bekah Birdsall visited Skyukah Hall. The middle school students have been learning about weather. They had lots of questions about volcanoes, tornadoes, and winter weather. Chief Meteorologist Patrick Core traveled to Battle Academy. Patrick taught the four kindergarten classes about the four seasons, thunderstorms, and weather safety. Andy, a…

TSSAA Announces Mr. Football Award Winners

(tssaa.org) Tennessee’s best high school football players for 2021 were recognized at the Tennessee Titans Mr. Football Awards luncheon hosted by the Tennessee Titans. More than 400 people, including the honorees, their families, coaches, school administrators and members of the media from all parts of the state, attended the 2021 luncheon at Nissan Stadium. “This is such an outstanding honor…

Chattanooga Fire Departments adds two new Fire Boats

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) – The Chattanooga Fire Department has two new state-of-the-art fireboats! They are made by Stanley Boats out of Canada. They are 24 feet in length with a dive door and a landing craft front. The boats are powered by 225 horsepower Suzuki engines. “Most of our calls on the water are actually rescues like paddle boarders. With…

What’s Right With Our Schools: Howard High School Family Night

CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) – As the pandemic drags on, educators still have to adapt to make sure everyone is on the same page. Family  night returned in person to Howard High School this year, with a few modifications. Dr. Leandrea Ware is the Executive Principal. She exclaims, “Oh my goodness! There is so much excitement here at 2500 Market Street….

State of Georgia identifies two residents with Covid-19 Omicron

NORTH GEORGIA, (WDEF) – The State of Georgia has identified two residents that have tested positive for the omicron variant-both having recently traveled from South Africa.  Though Georgia has two residents with Omicron, only one is actually in the state. The other was the first resident to be identified but is New Jersey.  Both residents are self isolating. Experts say variants…

Weather in the Classroom Visits Bess T. Shepherd Elementary

Chattanooga, TN (WDEF): Weather in the classroom was on the road again today to Bess T. Shepherd Elementary. During these visits, we present weather related experiments, talk to students about severe weather and the different weather phenomenons that we face in the Tennessee Valley. The kindergarten students have been learning about weather for a month now. They had lots of…

Mayes sentenced for Baldwin Street murder

Sentenced as a multiple offender

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – Jamaal Mondrew Mayes was sentenced on Monday for a shooting near the Community Kitchen in 2017. He got 48 years for second degree murder as a multiple offender. He has past convictions for child rape, attempted murder and aggravated robbery. Four years ago, Mayes shot Willie Bacon on a Sunday night at the intersection of East 11th…

TECH BYTE: Handwritten Cards Go High Tech

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Holiday cards aren’t necessarily a thing of the past. They’re getting even more high tech, while still staying personal. “This year with COVID in particular, sending a holiday card that has actual ink on it really makes a tremendous impact,” said David Wachs, Handwrytten CEO. It may make a big impact, but when you have to…