Tee off with Love’s Arm Outreach

Inza Haggins-Dyer and Chrissie Holland with Love’s Arm Outreach return to the News 12 studio as the organization gets ready to host its second annual Golf Tournament! CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Love’s Arm Outreach is tee-ing off the golf course for a second year in the row to raise money to help people escaping and recovering from human trafficking. Love’s…

Early morning fire in Harrison, TN

HARRISON, Tenn. (WDEF) – Highway 58 Volunteer Fire Department responded to a residential fire this morning at almost 6 A.M. at 6931 Lakeshore Drive. When firefighters arrived at the scene, they found heavy smoke coming from the garage and located the fire. Chattanooga Fire Department responded for Mutual Aid, assisted with water supply and extinguishing the fire. There are no…

Chattanooga Red Wolves tops Chattanooga FC after penalty shootout

CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee (WDEF)- A historic first meeting between the Chattanooga Red Wolves and Chattanooga FC saw the Red Wolves grab an early lead, only for CFC to equalize. The tension mounted as the rest of the match remained scoreless, with tempers flaring. Both teams saw yellow multiple times and pushing and shoving after several key moments. After 120 minutes of…

Driving Our Economy Forward: STRACT

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)-It’s a company that has been in Chattanooga since 2019.  Starting out as a philanthropic organization and has developed into a cost-effective option for materializing ideas.  We’re learning how the STRACT Corporation continues to Drive Our Economy Forward. “Well, STRACT Corporation came to be in a very odd way I think.  My business partner, Rick Harrison and I…

U-Haul employee dies after East Ridge propane accident

UPDATE (4/3/2025):  We’re learning more about the propane accident in East Ridge Wednesday. The U-Haul employee who was struck by a pick-up truck was identified as 42-year-old Jason Bishop of Knoxville, Tennessee. Bishop sustained life-threatening injuries after being hit by the truck. He and the driver were transported to a local hospital for medical treatment. According to the East Ridge…

Roberts trial delayed due to court error

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)-  The murder trial of Darryl Roberts has been postponed by two weeks. Roberts is charged with first degree murder in the 2023 shooting of Christopher Wright in front of Patten Towers. It had been scheduled to start yesterday, as a jury had been selected Tuesday morning. However, in the initial reading of instructions, a court officer read…

UTC Mocs Make Historic NIT Final

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Chattanooga Mocs men’s basketball team has made history by advancing to the National Invitation Tournament (NIT) finals for the first time.  This marks their deepest run in any NCAA postseason event.  Previously, the Moc’s participated in the NIT during four consecutive years from 1984 to 1987, never advancing beyond the quarterfinals.  Now, decades later, they’ve…

Hamilton County Data Breach Debate

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – A reported data breach in Hamilton County is raising concerns, not only about the security of personal information but also about how the county handled the situation.  Commissioners debated the issue today, leading to a heated discussion over a resolution that changes how risk management is handled. Hamilton County authorities are investigating reports that sensitive financial…

FBI personnel on scene at Chattanooga business and home of Rick Davis

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) —  Authorities are currently on scene at the business and residence of Chattanooga business owner, Rick Davis. News 12 sent personnel out to the scene to try and learn more about what’s going on. Our personnel confirmed that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) was on site. Rick Davis Gold and Diamonds was also blocked off with…

Longtime golfer aspires to golf 90 holes for his 90th birthday

UPDATE: Due to weather, Boyd Cobb will be golfing 90 holes to raise money for YoungLife Chattanooga on Monday, April 14. .CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Longtime golfer, Boyd Cobb has a goal very few dream of. In honor of his 90th birthday, he’s aspiring to golf 90 holes. You’ll typically find Boyd golfing throughout the week at the Chattanooga Golf…

Ticket Sales Running High For CFC Match With Chattanooga Red Wolves

Chattanooga-(WDEF-TV) The CFC were founded in 2009. The Chattanooga Red Wolves were founded in 2018. Wednesday the local soccer giants will meet for the first time ever in the second round of the U-S Open Cup. And fans can’t wait for the match-up. It’s the match we’ve been praying for, and the demand has exceeded expectations according to the CFC’s…

UTC hosts bloodanooga drive due to critical blood shortage

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is partnering with Blood Assurance for a two-day blood drive, held Monday (April 1) and Tuesday (April 2) from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The nonprofit is urging students, faculty, and community members to roll up their sleeves and donate, as the region faces an alarming blood shortage. According to…

Jury still being selected in Darryl Roberts murder trial

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- In September 2023, a Baylor alum and Chattanooga businessman was murdered in front of Patten Towers. Now, the man charged with first degree murder in that shooting is facing this trial. On the night of September 28, 2023, Baylor alum and businessman Chris Wright was walking past Patten Towers. Surveillance footage showed Wright getting into a confrontation…

Cracking Down on Distracted Driving

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – April is National Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and today, law enforcement hit the streets for Operation Hands Free—a statewide effort to crack down on distracted drivers and highlight the dangers of using a phone behind the wheel. In Chattanooga, officers boarded a CARTA bus, using the higher vantage point to spot drivers holding or using their…

Golden Apple Award: Warren Smith, CCS

CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) – Biology is defined as the study of living organisms. It can be one of the more challenging subjects on a 9 grader’s schedule, but Warren Smith sprinkles in plenty of life lessons for his students a CCS. For teaching growing minds about growing things, we honored, Mr. Smith with tonight’s Golden Apple Award. Jake Palumbo is…

Arrest made in connection to Grundy County fatal hit and run

Haley Layman arrested / Grundy County Sheriff’s Office via Facebook UPDATE (4/2/2025):  An arrest has been made in connection to the fatal hit-and-run that killed Bobby Dan Green. According to the Grundy County Sheriff’s Office, multiple agencies, including Tennessee Highway Patrol, assisted in the arrest of Haley Layman. No further details are available at this time. GRUNDY COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF)…

Cleveland Berry Street hit and run suspect arrested

  UPDATE (4/2/2025):  A suspect has been arrested in connection to the hit-and-run incident on Berry Street in Cleveland over the weekend. Cleveland police say they located and apprehended the 17-year-old suspect on April 1, 2025. He was arrested and taken to the Bradley County Juvenile Center. The 17-year-old faces the following charges: Leaving the Scene of an Accident involving…

Seven-figure gift kickstarts New Women’s Athletic Complex at UTC

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga (UTC) has received a generous seven-figure donation from the Steiner family, a local Chattanooga family with a long-standing tradition of supporting UTC. This gift will fund the initial planning stages of a new women’s athletic complex, which will benefit the university’s softball, beach volleyball, and soccer teams. Amy Donahue, UTC’s…

Report says most Hamilton County inmates stay behind bars through the end of their case

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Just how many Hamilton County inmates are staying behind bars while awaiting trial? A new report says, most of them. The Chattanoogans for Love, Equality, and Benevolence, or CALEB for short, has been advocating for inmate rights in Hamilton County for some time. Monday, they released the results of a years-long study on how many inmates are…

Property value notices going out across Hamilton County

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Reappraisal notices have started going out across Hamilton County. County property assessor Marty Haynes says that by the end of April, every property owner should receive such notices. There are over 165,000 properties in Hamilton County. Haynes wants the public to know that while your home value is likely to go up, this doesn’t necessarily equate to…