Church Affordable Housing Plan Moves Forward

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – A proposed affordable housing development connected to Greater Tucker Missionary Baptist Church is moving closer to construction after the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission approved a key request at its March 2026 meeting. The commission approved the zoning request for Greater Tucker Missionary Baptist Church’s housing development at 1107 North Moore Road, which involved lifting previous…

Second Whataburger Opens in Area

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Another Whataburger is now open in the Tennessee Valley.  The Texas-born chain officially opened its second Chattanooga location Monday, March 9, at 2332 Shallowford Village Drive, the former home of Fazoli’s. Founded in 1950 in Corpus Christi, Texas, Whataburger began as a small burger stand with a simple idea: make each meal fresh, customizable, and served…

What’s Right With Our Schools: GeorgiaFIRST Robotics Competition

DALTON, GA (WDEF) – Creating a working robot requires a strong understanding of mathematics and mechanical engineering. Teams of local teenagers recently showed what the machines could do at the GeorgiaFIRST Robotics competition. We visit the Dalton Convention Center for tonight’s “What’s Right With Our Schools.” “Today is the Dalton First Robotics Competition qualifier. This is one of five qualifiers…

River Market Returns For Season

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Chattanooga River Market is back for the season, bringing local vendors, artists, and small businesses to the Tennessee Riverfront. Some vendors make the drive from outside the area to participate, drawn by the sense of community the market fosters.  As small business owner Brady Williams explained, “Without having a community you don’t really got anything…

Regional Coin and Currency Show

EAST RIDGE, Tenn. (WDEF) – Coin collectors from across the region attended Camp Jordan Arena this past weekend for a regional coin and currency convention. The event brought together vendors and hobbyists for three days of buying, selling, and trading coins and other collectibles. Inside the arena, tables were filled with U.S. coins, world currency, paper bills, and precious metals…

CommonSpirit Health volunteers partner with YMCA to pack meals for children

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Employees from CommonSpirit Health spent part of their Sunday giving back to the community by partnering with the YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga to pack meals for local children. More than 50 volunteers gathered to assemble over 1,300 meals, working together along an assembly line to help support families across the Chattanooga area. “The best wraps you’re…

Iranian American Psychotherapist speaks on Iran conflict

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – As the conflict continues in the Middle East, News 12 spoke with an Iranian American living in the United States who offers another perspective. She now works as a clinical psychotherapist counseling people who were once imprisoned by the Iranian government for political reasons. “I always, as a therapist, think about how desperate the Iranian people…

Americans in Israel wait for flights to resume amid conflict

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Since the start of the conflict following the strike in Iran, transportation for tourists and visitors has become increasingly difficult to obtain. CBS reports that officials in Israel hope to reopen the airport for limited commercial flights on Sunday. One U.S. citizen tells us she has been trapped in Israel since Saturday the 28th and is…

New raised beds bring fresh food opportunities to students and families

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Saturday afternoon, Calvin Donaldson Elementary welcomed dozens of community members and local organizations to campus to help with one of the school’s Restore the Roar outdoor projects. Organizers say the effort is designed not only to benefit students but also the surrounding community. Behavior Intervention Teacher Annie Paden says volunteers gathered to improve the school grounds…

UTC Women Advance to the SoCon Finals

(soconsports.com) — Gianna Corbitt and Caia Elisaldez were dominant on Friday, powering No. 1 seed Chattanooga to a spot in the Ingles Southern Conference Women’s Basketball Tournament championship game. Corbitt, a sophomore forward, and Elisaldez, a junior point guard and the SoCon Player of the Year, scored 29 and 28 points, respectively, in a 76–65 semifinal win over No. 4 Furman at…

Mocs Fall on Last Second Three by the Citadel

(soconsports.com)  – Senior forward Sola Adebisi capped a memorable game with a fantastic shot, hitting a 26-foot 3-pointer that broke a tie with under 10 seconds left and gave No. 9 seed The Citadel an 88-85 win over No. 8 Chattanooga in the opening game of the Ingles Southern Conference Men’s Basketball Tournament Friday night at Harrah’s Cherokee Center – Asheville….

Mayor Wamp Addresses Primary Ballot Question

Last week, a letter from the Tennessee Republican Party said several republican candidates would be removed from the primary ballot. This letter listed several local candidates including County Mayor Weston Wamp and County Trustee Bill Hullander. Mayor Wamp says there were some key details that voters were not made aware of. Mayor Weston Wamp told us, “What that letter didn’t…

Rotary Club of Chattanooga Hears About Global Disaster Relief Efforts

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)— Imagine losing your home in minutes after a hurricane or earthquake. That was the message shared during a recent meeting of the Rotary Club of Chattanooga, where members learned how an international organization is helping families recover after disasters. Kihyon “Kim” Kim with ShelterBox spoke to the group about the nonprofit’s mission to provide emergency shelter and…

Duck Duck Goose Sale Underway

HIXSON, Tenn. (WDEF) – The Duck Duck Goose consignment sale started today at Northgate Mall, bringing together families looking to buy and sell children’s clothing, toys, books, and baby gear. Courtney Ibach, the owner who first had the idea for Duck Duck Goose 21 years ago, explained how the event works. “Hundrerds of families drop off their items within a…

1885 Grill Closes St. Elmo Location

ST. ELMO, Tenn. (WDEF) – After more than a decade in St. Elmo, 1885 Grill is closing its flagship restaurant, effective immediately. “We made the difficult decision to close our St. Elmo location,” the owners said in a recent Facebook statement. “Ongoing building challenges and changes involving the property made it clear that we were no longer aligned in vision…

Dollywood to kick off their 41st season on March 13

Ellen Liston joins News 12’s Amelia Greer as Dollywood gets ready to kick off its 41st season at the park with the return of the ‘I Will Always Love You’ festival! Celebrations start March 13 in Pigeon Forge with activities for the whole family.  PIGEON FORGE, Tenn. (WDEF) – Spring Break is around the corner which means Dolly Parton is…

Rod ‘RodMan’ Thompson brings laughter to the Scenic City

Rod ‘RodMan’ Thompson joins News 12’s Amelia Greer as he prepares to make the Scenic City laugh this weekend.  CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – Chattanooga continues to bring quality entertainment and Rod ‘RodMan’ Thompson is in town to share a few laughs. RodMan will be at the Comedy Catch Friday and Saturday for two shows each night! You can enjoy the…

UTC Women Hit 13 Treys to Beat WCU in SoCon Tournament

(gomocs.com)  The No. 1 seeded Chattanooga Mocs women’s basketball team posted a comfortable 66-47 victory over No. 8 Western Carolina in the quarterfinal round of the 2026 Southern Conference Championships on Thursday afternoon inside the Harrah’s Cherokee Center in Asheville, N.C. The Mocs took control early, highlighted by Gianna Corbitt knocking down three consecutive three-pointers, including one at 5:59 assisted by Izzy McPherson,…