Reps. Fleischmann, Green signal support for Cheney ousting

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – At the Chattanooga Convention Center, both Congressman Chuck Fleischmann and Mark Green spoke at a luncheon after the Armed Forces Day Parade. In an exclusive interview with News 12, both congressmen indicated that they support recent calls to remove Liz Cheney from GOP House leadership. “I think that Liz has lost the confidence of the conference…

Sadruddin twins sentenced for Pikeville textile fraud case

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF) – Twin brothers will serve time over a business scheme in Pikeville. Rahim and Karim Sadruddin have been sentenced to 50 months in prison (video is story of their guilty plea in 2019). They pleaded guilty to wire fraud and money laundering involving Presidentially declared disaster funds. The government accused them of defrauding FEMA, TVA and the…

Rent rises, as RPA denies Manufacturers Road rezoning

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — The price of living in downtown Chattanooga has gone up dramatically. So has the number of apartment buildings. While the recent influx of transplants have filled the new apartments, Chattanooga residents aren’t pleased with the rise in rent. “Oh my God. So ridiculous,” Tonya Jones said. “It’s been crazy,” Brandon Spurling said. “We can’t afford it,”…

Gordon Lee Senior Jake Poindexter Brings a Big Pitching Arsenal to the Mound

Chickamauga, GA-(WDEF-TV) Gordon Lee has turned out some top baseball players in recent years, and senior pitcher Jake Poindexter is carrying on that tradition. He has been lights out in helping the Trojans reach the quarterfinals of the state playoffs. When Jake Poindexter takes the mound, the called third strike echoes through Chickamauga. Poindexter has been fanning batters since he…

Ten ‘ArtSpark’ student winners honored

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF)- Ten Hamilton County high school students are being recognized for their artwork. The winning artwork will be displayed on EPB utility boxes for at least a year and on EPB windows during the month of May. The students created their artwork based on this year’s theme “Community Sparks.” Each piece shows a design that represents the power…

State bill would punish schools teaching about systemic racism

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – “When you’re using the term systemic racism and making that the focal point of so much of the discussion, soon it reframes everything.” The Tennessee legislature passed a bill Wednesday that would strip funding from public schools that teach concepts of systemic racism in America. It passed mostly along party lines, and has since been met…

The 2020 flower shortage affecting prices and availability ahead of Mother’s Day

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Mother’s Day is on Sunday and it is the second busiest holiday for Tennessee Wholesale Florist on McCallie Avenue. While their cooler is nearly full, that wasn’t the case last year. Tanner Stewart, a Salesman at Tennessee Wholesale Florists, “The demand was not there when COVID and everything shut down. So, they had to layoff a lot…

Heritage High Grad Cole Wilcox Makes Minor League Debut

Former Heritage High school standout Cole Wilcox made his minor league debut on Wednesday for the Charleston RiverDogs, which is the Class A affiliate of the Tampa Rays. The big right hander threw four scoreless innings, recording five strikeouts.  Charleston won the game 8-2 over Myrtle Beach, but Wilcox did not get the victory. Categories: Sports, Sports – Local Sports…

Gordon Lee Baseball Sweeps Washington-Wilkes in State Playoffs

Chickamauga, GA-(WDEF-TV) The Gordon Lee baseball team advanced to the quarterfinals of the state playoffs on Wednesday after sweeping Washington-Wilkes 6-0 and 11-0. Brody Cobb had a two-run homer in game one to back a strong pitching performance from Jake Poindexter. Categories: Sports, Sports – Local Sports News Tags: Baseball, Gordon Lee High School, High School Baseball, Washington-Wilkes

Chattanooga clergy demanding DOJ investigation of HCSO

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – “There has not been any cooperation from the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office.” A Chattanooga clergy group says they’ve repeatedly been denied meetings with the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office regarding use of excessive force. Now they’re asking the Department of Justice to open an investigation. “This is just the final step that we feel needs to happen…

Racial Equity Grant for Individual Artists in Chattanooga

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn (WDEF) – ArtsBuild is a local nonprofit organization that helps support artists in our area.  The organization is announcing a Racial Equity Grant for Individual Artists program.  The program renews grant-funded support for artists of color  who identify as Black or African-American and are living and working in Hamilton County. Each year a different group will be prioritized for…