Community welcomes young survivor home after near-fatal crash

WHITFIELD COUNTY, Ga. (WDEF) – It’s a homecoming four months in the making — and one many feared would never happen. On January 12, 2024, a young girl named Khloie was severely injured in a weather-related car crash in Whitfield County. The roads were slick with snow and ice, and her vehicle slid off the road, ending in a devastating wreck….

Chattanooga IRONMAN Race Tests Limits

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Chattanooga rolled out the red carpet for athletes from across the globe this morning, as the IRONMAN 70.3 race returned to the Scenic City for its tenth year. Despite a rainy week leading up to race day, spirits were high as the 2025 IRONMAN 70.3 Chattanooga triathlon kicked off Sunday morning.  Due to elevated river conditions,…

Detective’s Fight with Chronic Hives

Tenn. (WDEF) – Elisha R., a police detective and mother of two from Memphis, began experiencing sudden, itchy hives all over her body in late 2021.  Using her natural investigative skills, she carefully documented her symptoms and sought medical help.  Eventually, she was diagnosed with chronic spontaneous urticaria, or CSU—a condition characterized by hives that last six weeks or longer…

Fatal motorcycle crash left one person dead

SODDY DAISY, Tenn. (WDEF) – On Saturday, an early morning motorcycle crash in the Soddy Daisy community has left one person dead. First responders were called to the scene around 7:15 a.m. Monday at 517 Lee Pike. Upon arrival, deputies found the body of a male victim and a heavily damaged motorcycle several yards away. According to investigators, the motorcycle…

McCallie soccer back to States

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF)- McCallie soccer looks very different than it did during last year’s state winning team. The thing they have in common both teams competing in Murfreesboro. McCallie feel to CCS earlier in the year during the regular season but since then the team has played well capped off with a 2-0 win on Saturday to get the chance…

Tennessee Aquarium hosts Laurel Dace Day

SPRING CITY, Tenn. (WDEF) – They’re small, bright, and fighting to survive. The Laurel Dace, a striking freshwater fish found only in a few streams atop the Cumberland Plateau, is one of the most endangered fish species in the United States. Pollution, habitat loss, and other environmental pressures have pushed their population to the brink. In an effort to raise…

Suspect dead following police chase outside Hamilton Place Mall

  Chattanooga Police and other agencies working the active crime scene Friday evening outside of Hamilton Place Mall following a police chase that ended in a deadly officer involved shooting. UPDATE 2: The suspect who was killed in the Hamilton Place Mall police chase according the TBI had a lengthy criminal history. Hamilton County Court records show that Alricko Trimble…

High Tech vs. Low Tech Showdown at Brainerd Motorsports Park

CHATTANOOGA, TN – Throughout history, people have always asked the question: “what would it be like if Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali met in both their primes?”  Comparisons of legends against the latest phenomenon have always left us to ponder the what ifs.  Unfortunately, we don’t have a Tyson vs. Ali heavyweight match up but we did have some fun…

Rep. Rose describes what he saw in the Covenant School Shooting documents

NASHVILLE, Tennessee (WDEF) – A Tennessee Congressman has finally reviewed documents on the Covenant School shooting in Nashville more than two years ago. Three students and three adults were killed in the attack. But police withheld documents from the public on the shooter’s motives. Police agencies often hold back inflammatory writings by mass shooters to keep from spreading their message….

The Incline Railway to reopen soon after December wildfire

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- A Chattanooga landmark damaged in a December wildfire will soon be reopening. The Incline Railway was taken out of service because of the December 7, 2024 Lookout Mountain wildfire. Over the past six months, crews have had to replace cable, rail, and timber on the burnt tracks. CARTA CEO Charles Frazier says that nearly 90 percent of…

Education Freedom Scholarship launches in Tennessee

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- After a controversial path to being passed, Tennessee’s new school choice program has gone live. At noon central Thursday, The Tennessee Department of Education launched the application link for the Education Freedom Scholarship. Over 33,000 Tennessee families according to Governor Lee’s office have applied for the program. Gov. Lee said, “Education has the power to change the…

Former addict turns life around through IRONMAN racing

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — As athletes gear up for this year’s IRONMAN Chattanooga, one name on the roster carries more than just racing credentials; it carries a story of survival. Todd Crandell, the founder of Racing to Recovery, shared with News 12 his incredible journey from addiction to IRONMAN. Crandell spent 13 years battling heroin, cocaine, alcohol, and nearly every…

Thursday Throwback: 1985 Old Time Jamboree

As we get you ready for the first IBMA festival and conference here in Chattanooga this fall, let’s look back at some of our bluegrass history in this area. The music has a long history in our rural communities. For our Thursday Throwback, we take you back to 1985, to the Old Time Jamboree. The IBMA festival is a four…

DOGE like taskforce in Hamilton County

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — The federal government has been operating a department of government efficiency or doge. That has trickled down into other governments including our own county government. Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp was inspired by DOGE to bring efficiency to the county. Mayor Wamp said, “At the beginning of the year we created, in earnest, what we called…

Rick Davis Faces Mounting Charges

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) —  A familiar face in Chattanooga’s jewelry scene is at the center of a legal firestorm. Rick Davis, longtime owner of Rick Davis Gold & Diamonds on Brainerd Road, is facing mounting legal troubles.  A Hamilton County grand jury indicted Davis on six counts of theft, with allegations that he obtained property valued between $10,000 and $60,000…