Top 10 High School Football Plays of the Year
Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) Before we unwrap presents this Christmas, let’s unwrap our top ten high school football plays from this past season. Categories: Sports – Local Sports News
Santa Claus is coming to News 12!
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – This Christmas Eve, News 12’s Chip Chapman has an in-depth conversation with Santa Claus where he asks the real questions like how to get off the naughty list and the true meaning of Christmas. Santa Claus made a very special visit to the News 12 Studio before he heads out to deliver gifts to all the…
Hamilton County parent raises concerns over classroom reading assignment
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – A Hamilton County parent is speaking out after learning her child’s class was assigned The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, saying she was not informed or asked for consent and believes the book contains content inappropriate for students. According to Kelly Hubbard, the issue came to her attention after her son brought the book home and…
FDA Approves First Obesity Pill
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the first daily pill designed to treat obesity, marking a major milestone in weight loss care. The newly approved medication is an oral version of Wegovy, produced by Novo Nordisk. It contains semaglutide, the same active ingredient used in the injectable versions of Wegovy and Ozempic, as well…
Curbside Compost Pilot Expands
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The City of Chattanooga is expanding its curbside compost and glass recycling pilot program to three additional neighborhoods. The Department of Public Works announced Monday the program will now include Missionary Ridge, Ridgedale, and Highland Park. While sign-ups are open now, collection for the expanded zones will not begin until January 2026. The pilot is currently…
Start the new year off with a scary good time at Dread Hollow!
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – While the holiday season features lots of merry moments and holiday cheer, it doesn’t hurt to change up the holiday routine with a great fright! The best haunted house in Chattanooga, Dread Hollow, is bringing back their New Year’s Nightmare special event which features a haunted house and a terrifying escape room. On December 27 and…
Northwest Whitfield Beats Gordon Lee in Holiday Tournament
Chickamauga, GA-(WDEF-TV) Gordon Lee wrapped up their annual Christmas holiday basketball tournament on Monday night. The Trojans faced Northwest Whitfield, and the Bruins held on for a 49-46 victory. Categories: Sports – Local Sports News
Local election season begins as candidate qualifying opens
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The political season for next year officially begins today. Qualifying has opened for local elections that will take place next spring. Candidates now have a two-month window to file the required paperwork in order to officially enter a race. The primary election will be held in May. Voters in Hamilton County will see twelve races on…
Salvation Army hosts Christmas brunch for unhoused community
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Salvation Army of Chattanooga opened its doors this morning to host a special brunch for members of the unhoused community. The event served up a warm plate of breakfast favorites while offering a welcoming space filled with care and connection. News 12 spoke with Major Douglas McClure and his team about what hosting events like…
Proposed Schedule Change Sparks Discussion
WALKER COUNTY, GA. (WDEF) – Walker County Schools is considering a shift to a four-day school week, prompting discussion across the community. The district is collecting feedback through a survey as district leaders weigh the potential benefits and challenges of the proposal. Some parents say a shorter week could help improve student attendance and make scheduling doctor or dentist appointments…
Managing Kids Screen Time
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Winter break gives children extra free time, and many naturally turn to phones, tablets, and computers for entertainment while parents handle work and holiday responsibilities. Too much unsupervised screen time can lead to risky situations, from exposure to harmful content to increased stress or negative emotions. There have even been cases where online personalities influenced dangerous…
What’s Right With Our Schools, Hixson 7th Grade Band
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) – It’s a time-honored holiday tradition in Hamilton County. Hixson Middle School’s 7th grade Band did a great job performing at Christmas at the Courthouse. Categories: Chattanooga, Education, Featured, Hamilton County, Local News, What’s Right With Our Schools Tags: Christmas, What’s Right With Our Schools
Ways to stay unplugged and unwrapped on Christmas
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Influencer Rachel Leonard Kennedy shows us how to stay unplugged and in the moment during the holidays, while also relieving the stress of wrapping a last second Christmas gift. Skip the mounts of tape, paper crinkles, and last ditch effort cheap gift bags by wowing your loved ones with a gift that’s eco-friendly and involves little…
Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors hosts Christmas event in Miller Park
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – With Christmas just a few days away, families gathered in downtown Chattanooga for a festive holiday celebration filled with cheer, characters, and seasonal fun. “I want to wish everybody a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year,” Santa Claus said. “Ho-ho-ho. Merry Christmas.” The family Christmas event was hosted by Chattanooga Parks and Outdoors at Miller…
Local production ‘Where You Left Me’ films in Northwest Georgia
LAFAYETTE, GA. (WDEF) – Georgia is quickly becoming a go to destination for filmmakers, not only for large scale productions, but also for local storytellers bringing meaningful stories to the screen. Filmmakers across the state are finding inspiration in small towns and familiar places, including right here in Northwest Georgia. Actor David Joel Stevenson plays the lead role in the upcoming…
Luminaria Festival Shines Bright
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Fifth Annual Luminaria Festival lit up the Virginia Avenue Greenway tonight, transforming the streets into a glowing corridor of art, music, and community spirit. Presented by the St. Elmo Stroll, the festival began in 2021 as a small neighborhood gathering and has grown into a beloved annual tradition. Over the past five years, the event…
Growing Christmas Lights Display Draws Crowds
OOLTEWAH, Tenn. (WDEF) – What began as a small Christmas light display has grown into a must-see holiday attraction in Ooltewah. A family on Sarah Drive has been decorating their home for nearly a decade, but the display has expanded dramatically over the last four years. With more time to dedicate to the project, the homeowner began adding more figures…
Ringgold Political event highlights Congressional and Lt. Governor Races
RINGGOLD, Ga. (WDEF) – A political event was held Saturday night in Ringgold, Georgia, where several Republican candidates hoping to replace Marjorie Taylor Greene addressed voters and shared their priorities for the future. Hosted by the Catoosa County Republican Party, the event gave residents the opportunity to hear directly from a few candidates seeking the open congressional seat. Colton Moore,…
Chattanooga Rallies to Beat Western Kentucky 59-58
(gomocs.com) – The Mocs led for just 15 seconds the entire game, but behind a late rally, they came out on top 59-58 against Western Kentucky inside McKenzie Arena. In the final two minutes, Chattanooga (7-5) ended the game on a 9-2 run, capped off by an and-one layup by Caia Elisaldez with 0.1 seconds left to tie the game at 58….
Point Guard Ilianis Rodriguez the Driving Force For Cleveland
Cleveland, TN-(WDEF-TV) When you watch the Cleveland girls basketball team, it’s hard to miss Ilianis Rodriguez. She’s wreaking havoc on defense, and driving the Blue Raiders offense from her point guard position. Brian Armstrong has the story. Categories: Sports – Local Sports News
Trends emerge from state school report card across Southeast Tennessee
The distribution of grades across our viewing area of 159 schools. CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- The state of Tennessee has released their school letter grades for each public school across the state. Every single public school in Tennessee has been on an A to F scale based on test performance along with college and career readiness. Schools across our area varied…
Hamilton County school board adopts growth policy
HAMILTON COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF)- The Hamilton County School Board has adopted a policy pertaining to how new development will affect school zones. Proposed by school board member Ben Daughtery, the policy would affect schools that are at or over 95 percent in capacity. Effectively, it sets a process that would allow the board to zone new neighborhoods to other schools…
Behind the Curtain – Dollywood Christmas Shows
PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WDEF) – News 12’s Amelia Greer took a trip to the great Smokey Mountains and got to look Behind the Curtain at Dollywood’s Christmas shows! Dollywood Stage Manager Farryn Creech explains how their cast is able to prepare for their many 45-minute shows that entertain Dollywood guests daily. “Twas the Night Before Christmas” is this season’s holiday…
AI Video has gotten scary real. Here are some tips on how to spot them.
Chances are, you’ve already fallen for an AI video that someone tried to pass off as real. AI video technology has gotten so good that sometimes it’s impossible to distinguish reality from a computer’s hallucination. We’re going to give you a couple tips on how to do just that on this week’s Tech Byte. When AI video first launched, it…