Rep. Hakeem criticizes closed door hearing on Baptiste license

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) – A Tennessee administrative law judge has denied public access to an informal hearing regarding the license suspension of a shelter for immigrant children after one of the employees was arrested following abuse allegations. The Times Free Press reports that Judge Phillip R. Hilliard handed down his decision on Wednesday over objections from attorneys representing Baptiste Group….

Bradley County Grant to Fund Free WIFI Spots

Bradley County has been approved for a grant to bring free internet access to their county. The fifty thousand dollar grant will fund free WiFi to all Bradley County schools and a handful of fire halls. The Bradley County Mayor’s Office says rural parts of the county have trouble getting high speed internet. This grant provided by the Tennessee Department…

Aztec Framing owner pleads guilty to recruiting illegal foreign workers

ROME, Georgia (WDEF) – A Georgia businessman who had operations in our area has pleaded guilty to harboring illegal aliens. Juan Antonio Perez lives in Bartow County. But he owns Aztec Framing that had offices in Rossville and Hixson. Those offices were raided in 2019 as part of the investigation. Investigators say he recruited, hid and hired illegal workers from…

Weather in the Classroom Visits Copper Basin Elementary

Weather in the Classroom had its first in – person class today since the pandemic. Meteorologist Bekah Birdsall traveled to Copper Basin Elementary School in Polk County today. The students have been learning about robots, space, and now the weather in their summer program. Bekah showed them videos on severe weather, weather safety, and experiments they can try at home….

“Chatt En Route” Design Challenge

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) – Carta is working to improve the everyday experience of Chattanooga’s en route transit stops.  Two local multidisciplinary design teams have been asked to develop fresh concepts for bus stops in Chattanooga through a new design challenge: CHATT EN ROUTE. Both design teams presented two very different state of the art transit stops that could better serve the…

Colon Cancer rates in TN rank higher than national average.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) – It’s a growing health issue. Doctors across the country are diagnosing more and more people with colon cancer. In fact, colon cancer is now ranked in the top 5 for most common cancer in men ——and women.  The US preventative task force now suggests colon cancer screenings should  start at a younger age than first advised. “The…

CFC Get Two Second Half Goals to Beat Bigfoot Appalachian FC 3-2

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) The CFC were too big for Bigfoot. Chattanooga scored twice in the second half to rally for a 3-2 win over Applachian FC, whose mascot is Sasquatch. Appalachian scored the first two goals of the match to go up 2-0. Markus Naglestad had Chattanooga’s only goal of the first half as CFC trailed 2-1 at halftime. Naglestad added another…

Chattanooga Tourism Company Reacts to Out of State Residents Receiving Vouchers

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – Tourism is Tennessee’s second largest industry and 2020 hit the Volunteer State hard. “Last year was devastating,” says Chattanooga Tourism Company President and CEO Barry White. “We felt it very hard and the largest cities in the state were hit the hardest.” 2020 came after a record-breaking year for travel to Chattanooga. “We’re looking back at 2019…

DA’s office warns residents of Identity Theft after TN woman arrested

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) – The Hamilton County District Attorney’s office is warning residents to be cautious to prevent identity theft after a middle Tennessee woman was arrested last week by the Tennessee Highway Patrol. Jenniefer Shrum, was arrested back in March of 2018 by East Ridge Police and charged with 17 counts of identity theft. Officials say Shrum used the name…

Summerville’s Brody Malone Headed to the Olympics on U.S. Gymnastics Team

The U.S. Men’s Gymnastics team is on a mission for its first team medal since 2008. Leading the charge for Team USA is Summerville’s own Brody Malone. News 12’s Angela Moryan has Malone’s incredible story of heartbreak and hard work — in this News 12 exclusive. Said Malone: “It was just…. it’s hard to describe the feeling, honestly. It’s just…

Chattanooga Red Wolves Hope Catapult Vests Will Help Guys Play Their Best

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) If you see the Chattanooga Red Wolves at practice, the players are all wearing sports vests, and they’re not for back support. The catapult vests measure each player’s body exertion. By wearing the vests, the club hopes it will get their guys playing at their best. Said assistant coach Kevin Sawchak:”So it’s a player monitoring system. We’re able to…

Chattanooga Skydiving Company went skydiving with the American flag to celebrate freedom

JASPER, Tennessee (WDEF)- The Chattanooga skydiving Company flew an American Flag to honor all those who make America’s freedoms possible. “It the closest I’ll ever get to be in a rockstar. Our songs only about 30 seconds,” said President of Chattanooga Skydiving Company Justin Silvia. The Chattanooga Skydiving Company dove through the sky with an American flag as a sign of…

Delta Variant continues to cause concern among healthcare experts

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) – The Delta variant is a version of the coronavirus that has been found in more than 80 countries, but was first detected in India. This new variant of the coronavirus continues to be a concern for healthcare experts as they say it poses the biggest threat towards damaging our progress. “It’s very contagious. It’s about 75% more…

Cleveland Nonprofit Organization hosts “Christmas In July” celebration

CLEVELAND, Tenn (WDEF) – The Caring Place in Cleveland, TN is hosting a Christmas In July celebration to help raise money that will continue to support their efforts in assisting the needy. The Organization provides access to basic resources and opportunities to help their community members move past poverty. This year’s fundraising event will be on July 29th at the Ole…