Whitfield County authorities searching for escaped inmate
Georgia woman pleads ‘no contest’ in TennCare fraud case
Historical marker honors Chattanooga Rotary Club
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- A new historical marker will immortalize one of Chattanooga’s longest running institutions.
The Tennessee Historical Commission unveiled a historical marker that honors the Chattanooga Rotary Club Friday morning.
This is located in front of the UBS Building near the intersection of MLK Boulevard and Broad Street.
It honors the club which was founded in 1914, which has been a service organization for Chattanooga business leaders.
It also honors John Germ, a Chattanoogan who rose to become the President of the International Rotary Club after joining the Chattanooga Rotary Club in 1976.
“It means it’s recognition for all of those people that were here in the past that dedicated themselves to service above self which is the Rotary Club’s motto. To help make Chattanooga and Hamilton County a better place to live. It represents 110 years of hard, strong, community work, with the Rotarians and other citizens in cooperations with governments, to make our city better,” said Germ.
The Chattanooga Rotary Club is ranked as a top 30 rotary club in the entire world.
Crews battle fully involved house fire in LaFayette
LAFAYETTE, Ga. (WDEF) — Fire crews in Lafayette are battling a house fire.
The fire is located in the 600 block of South Main Street.
Crews have closed a portion of the road to allow emergency personnel to efficiently operate.
The City of LaFayette encourages the community to avoid the area and to seek alternate routes.
... Continue Reading
Deconstruction Day at Tivoli aims to recover reusable materials
CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF) — Sometimes you have to break things down to build them back up again.
That was the idea behind Deconstruction Day at the Tivoli.
Crews carefully disassembled parts of the building and recovered everything that could be re-used.
That list included 11 glass and wood interior doors, more than a thousand feet of mahogany trim, custom wood cabinet doors and drawers.
Several organizations collaborated to the make the Deconstruction Day a success.
... Continue Reading
Meigs county man arrested, charged in arson investigation
MEIGS COUNTY, Tenn. (WDEF) — A Meigs County man has been arrested and charged in connection to an arson investigation in Georgetown.
Special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) began investigating a suspicious fire on June 15, 2023.
The fire destroyed a detached garage at a residence in the 3000 block of Sugar Creek Road.
According to the TBI, authorities determined that the property owner, James Harry Burch, was responsible for starting the fire.
Burch was arrested on March 19th, 2025, and was booked into the Meigs County Jail on a $25,000 bond.
He is being charged with the following:
- Arson
- Burning Personal Property
- Filing a False Report
- Tampering with Evidence
- Insurance Fraud $10,000-$60,000
- Insurance Fraud $60,000-$250,000
Florida man sentenced in Chattanooga for enticement of a minor
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — A Florida man was sentenced in Chattanooga Thursday, March 27, 2025 for attempting to entice a minor into sending him sexually explicit images.
Rodney Paul Martin was sentenced to 90 months in prison.
According to the US Department of Justice (USDOJ) following his imprisonment, he will be on supervised release for 15 years, and will be required to register with the state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions.
Martin entered a plea deal with the court, pleading guilty to one count of enticement of a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity.
The USDOJ stated Martin was using a social media platform, attempting to entice a 15-year-old male into creating sexually explicit images and transmitting those images to Martin via the internet.
What Martin thought was a 15-year-old male, was actually an undercover officer with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
This case was part of the nationwide initiative, Project Safe Childhood (PSC).
PSC was launched by the USDOJ to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.
Undocumented student bill advances amid more protests
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WDEF)- A bill that would allow schools to deny admission to undocumented students has cleared another hurdle.
Sponsored by Senator Bo Watson of Hixson, House Bill 793 cleared the Tennessee House Education Committee by a 11 to 7 vote.
Senator Watson has stated that while this is a very hard thing to do, he says that tightening budgets and limited space have necessitated this bill.
There have been several protests of the bill, as its opponents say that it unfairly attacks children.
One of these moments occurred when that committee took a vote, as according to the Southern Christian Coalition, a ten year old girl from Chattanooga confronted legislators yelling “You’re taking away my friends!”
The only representative from our area present on that committee, Yusuf Hakeem, voted against that legislation.
It moves in front of another Senate committee next week.
Tennessee Supreme Court rules in favor of Bluecross Blueshield in COVID era suit
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- The Tennessee Supreme Court has ruled on a COVID-era lawsuit against Bluecross Blueshield.
In 2021, Heather Smith, an employee at Bluecross Blueshield here in Chattanooga, was fired over her refusal to comply with a Covid vaccine mandate.
She had contacted several state legislators to complain about the mandate, which the company said played a factor in her firing.
She had sued Bluecross claiming the firings were retaliatory because she had contacted legislators and had asked to be reinstated at the company.
In the newest ruling, the Tennessee Supreme Court sided with Bluecross.
They say that government entities are prohibited from firing employees while petitioning the government, but that restriction does not apply to private companies.
An attorney for Bluecross, Robert Boston, during the hearing for this case used an analogy comparing the company to a farmer named Bob as to why this ruling was necessary.
“She puts up a billboard, she writes an article/letter to the newspaper, she assembles a protest in which she expresses her view. Her view is to shut down the cattle farm, for reasons she thinks are important to her. Bob, being the cattle farmer, determines that’s very damaging to my business. At that point he terminates her employment. He’s done nothing wrong under employment at will,” said Boston.
A concurring opinion was filed which questioned the Court’s ability to rule on this case, but it still agreed with the ruling.
... Continue Reading
Mayor Wamp discusses entrepreneurship, education at Rotary Club
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp addressed the Downtown Rotary Club Thursday.
He discussed the future of entrepreneurship and education in the county.
The mayor presented data showing a wide range of outcomes in local schools, saying it shows the best and worst of our community.
He also stated that he is concerned about what he perceives as a slippage in home grown entrepreneurship, and potentially over reliance on foreign investment.
He referenced Volkswagen’s recent decision to cut back production amid ongoing negotiations with the UAW as one issue.
“What we’re witnessing even over the last several weeks are things that are out of our control. The third shift diminishing (at Volkswagen). The disruptive nature of the UAW that does not give much confidence to those of us in leadership positions. So I would suggest that we should reengineer we make tax dollars available to companies in a way that benefits local companies than it much more rewards companies who might invest here from the outside,” the mayor said.
He told the club he will be sharing some new initiatives at next month’s State of the County address at Soddy-Daisy Middle School.
Weather Update: Thursday March 27, 2025
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Overnight: Hazy with wildfire smoke at times. A Few Clouds. Dry. Mostly cloudy by morning.
Lows: low 50’s. Winds: L&V.
Friday: Cloud/Sun Mix. Mild. Dry.
Highs: high 70’s. Winds: S @ 5 MPH.
Overnight: Mostly cloudy. Mild.
Lows: high 50’s. Winds: S @ 5 MPH.
| ||||
Upcoming #Skywarn storm spotter training sessions for the @WDEFNews12 viewing area. If you haven’t considered becoming a Skywarn spotter, please do so. The more storm spotters that are trained to watch during severe weather the better covered an area will be when it comes to more reports being filed with the local National Weather Service.
| ||||
Y
You, the viewers, asked for it. This year, the annual #WinterWeatherForecast returns on the WDEF-TV News12 What I Want To Know Show.
Encore presentations available on our social media pages, including News 12 YouTube, and here at our website.
| ||||
“I have spent over 30 years studying meteorology and climate. We take a lot of physics, calculus, thermodynamics and other complex subjects. The atmosphere is a fluid within a rotating frame of reference. Such complexity is far beyond fourth grade lessons about cumulus clouds or cold fronts. As I look at the despair caused to those in the Southeast like farmers, homeowners and businesses, I wish we could control hurricanes. Many families lost loved ones or property. Many communities of color, poor rural areas and regions with high elderly concentrations receive a disproportionate punch from storms like Helene or Milton. Gosh, I wish we did have the technology to spare them such angst and despair. We don’t.”
Via Forbes Magazine (may require subscription to site)
Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd, a leading international expert in weather and climate, was the 2013 President of American Meteorological Society (AMS) and is Director of the University of Georgia’s (UGA) Atmospheric Sciences Program
| ||||
“We have a NEW Virtual SKYWARN spotter training! It consists of four interactive sections to complete, followed by a final exam that must be taken to receive credit. After finishing the exam, please be patient and understand that up to two weeks may pass between completing the exam and receiving your spotter ID card and certificate. ” – National Weather Service, Morristown TN
| ||||
Southeast Drought Summary
Southeast US
A historical winter weather event impacted the area early in the week with snow in many places throughout the region. The greatest precipitation amounts were in southern Georgia, Florida, and into southeast Georgia. The recent wet pattern in Florida allowed improvements in the northern and central portions of the state as well as into the Panhandle to moderate drought and abnormally dry conditions. Dryness was still lingering in southern Florida, where moderate drought was pushed eastward towards the coast this week. Moderate drought and abnormally dry conditions were improved in southeast Georgia while abnormally dry conditions were expanded slightly in the northern portions of the state. In North Carolina, moderate drought and abnormally dry conditions increased in the western part of the state while some moderate drought expanded in the northeast. In Alabama, abnormally dry conditions improved in the south and expanded slightly in the northern part of the state.
– NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu
Got #weatherpix to share for our @WestShoreHome #WeatherWindow #PictureOfTheDay? E-mail them to [email protected].
| ||||
Make sure you & your family stay in touch with us. Remember the Storm Team 12 app can always bring you the latest weather alerts for your location as well as Titan Radar. Download it for free from your app store – just search “WDEF Weather”.
The best time to prepare for severe weather is when nothing weather-wise is going on. Learn more about programming your weather alert radio with WDEF-TV News 12.
Who can participate?
This is a community project. Everyone can help, young, old, and in-between. The only requirements are an enthusiasm for watching and reporting weather conditions and a desire to learn more about how weather can affect and impact our lives.
What will our volunteer observers be doing?
Each time a rain, hail or snow storm crosses your area, volunteers take measurements of precipitation from as many locations as possible (see equipment). These precipitation reports are then recorded on our Web site www.cocorahs.org. The data are then displayed and organized for many of our end users to analyze and apply to daily situations ranging from water resource analysis and severe storm warnings to neighbors comparing how much rain fell in their backyards.
Who uses CoCoRaHS?
CoCoRaHS is used by a wide variety of organizations and individuals. The National Weather Service, other meteorologists, hydrologists, emergency managers, city utilities (water supply, water conservation, storm water), insurance adjusters, USDA, engineers, mosquito control, ranchers and farmers, outdoor & recreation interests, teachers, students, and neighbors in the community are just some examples of those who visit our Web site and use our data.
https://cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=application
One of NOAA’s missions is to save life and property by providing critical environmental intelligence, including weather forecasts and warnings, to our partners and the general public. NOAA wants everyone, from communities across the country, businesses, and the public at large to be ready, responsive, and resilient to extreme weather, water, and climate events. Weather-Ready Nation Ambassadors (WRN Ambassadors) are formally recognized by NOAA as organizations committed to collaborating with NOAA, sharing preparedness messaging in outreach to the public, and serving as examples themselves by implementing resilience best practices. Apply to become an Ambassador here.
Dalton police seek public’s help identifying suspect in wallet theft
Man arrested after throwing various contraband over jail fence
Chattanooga Fire Department and Hamilton County Emergency Management Unveil New $3 Million Fire Training Tower
Firefighters battling woods fire in East Lake
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Chattanooga firefighters are battling a woods fire Wednesday evening in East Lake.CFD said they received the call around 4:45 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.
The fire is located near Westside Drive, East 32nd Street, and 16th Avenue, at the base of the ridge.
Those roads had to be shut down for firefighting operations.
According to CFD, approximately 10-15 acres were burning.
We did also see a crew from the Tennessee Department of Agriculture on scene.
No structures were damaged during the woods fire, and no injuries were reported
The cause of the fire is unclear at this time.
Leaked memo about possible data breach stirs controversy at Hamilton County Commission
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- A report of a data breach is stirring controversy inside of Hamilton County Government.An article from the Chattanooga Times Free-Press claimed that a memo from the Hamilton County attorney’s office says that the financial information of 14,000 people may have been leaked in a data breach in July 2024.
However, the veracity of that claim, along with how that information was obtained, is causing frustration and anger among commissioners.
They held a lengthy legal meeting following Wednesday’s Hamilton County Commission session, in which Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp attended.
He described it as tense as he said, “But on a day like today, seeing a shouting match among county commissioners, that’s what we’re dealing with in our community.”
On this breach itself, the mayor says it’s under investigation, as is the leak which he says violates county policies pertaining to classified documents.
He said, “There’s an investigation that’s underway. I don’t think there has been confirmation of a breach, but what we do have confirmation of is a leak and continued unethical practices from the newspaper of record in our community.”
This is not the first incidence of a potential leak causing a leak within the county commission.
Back in October, a report that the cost of the Gateway School had doubled caused a similar situation, which was later not found to be accurate in an audit report.
Commissioner Gene-O Shipley asked, “Where are these leaks coming from? Somebody is leaking something to somebody. I called it out back there the other day. A week later and here we go again.”
This comes as a resolution is to be considered that would transfer the county’s risk management program out of the county attorney’s office, which sparked discussion on the article.
Back in October, a report that the cost of the Gateway School had doubled caused a similar situation, which was later not found to be accurate in an audit report.
This comes as a resolution is to be considered that would transfer the county’s risk management program out of the county attorney’s office, which sparked discussion on the article.
Commissioner David Sharpe said on that issue, “This is an incredibly important issue, one that carries significantly litigious consequences if not handled appropriately.”
Mayor Wamp says he questions the motives of Commissioner Sharpe and believes he had something to do with the leak.
“Even though this is a majority, conservative county commission, David Sharpe was put in charge of this HIPAA task force, only for his very close relationship with Joan Mclane to lead to leaked documents, and if that’s not what happened, it makes it really hard to explain that’s what happened when so many leaks have occurred between those two individuals,” said the mayor.
We did try to ask Commissioner Sharpe for his response to the situation after the legal meeting.
He said he could not speak on it due to possible pending litigation.
Mayor Wamp did add that if their investigation does turn up issues, they will reach out to potential victims.
... Continue ReadingHamilton County to send out property tax notices
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Some Hamilton County property owners can soon expect a tax increase.
Property assessor Marty Haynes said Wednesday morning that notices will be sent as soon as next week.
Despite previous rumors, the reassessment schedule will remain at every four years instead of being shortened to every two years.
Haynes says that final certified tax rates won’t be known until after the thousands of properties across the county are evaluated.
There will be a range of tax outcomes for owners.
“About a third of those are going to go down in some shape, form, or fashion. Maybe ten dollars, maybe a hundred dollars or more, could be related to their taxes, not the value, the taxes after the certified tax rate is applied to their property. Yes a third will stay about the same and a third will go up,” he said.
Haynes also said since 20-6, nearly 16,000 new homes and 70 new apartment complexes have been built in Hamilton County.
... Continue ReadingDriving Our Economy Forward: Brickyard
Firetruck and pickup collide at Highway 58 intersection, three taken to hospital
Weather Update: Wednesday March 26, 2025
| ||||
Wednesday: Mild, windy, sunshine.
Highs: NW @ 5-10 MPH, gusts 20 MPH.
Overnight: Clear, dry, chilly.
Lows: low 40’s. Winds: NW @ 5 MPH.
Thursday: Sunny, Mild, Dry.
Highs: low 70’s. Winds: L&V.
Overnight: A Few Clouds. Dry. Mostly cloudy by morning.
Lows: low 50’s. Winds: L&V.
Friday: Cloud/Sun Mix. Mild. Dry.
Highs: high 70’s. Winds: S @ 5 MPH.
Overnight: Mostly cloudy. Mild.
Lows: high 50’s. Winds: S @ 5 MPH.
| ||||
Upcoming #Skywarn storm spotter training sessions for the @WDEFNews12 viewing area. If you haven’t considered becoming a Skywarn spotter, please do so. The more storm spotters that are trained to watch during severe weather the better covered an area will be when it comes to more reports being filed with the local National Weather Service.
| ||||
Y
You, the viewers, asked for it. This year, the annual #WinterWeatherForecast returns on the WDEF-TV News12 What I Want To Know Show.
Encore presentations available on our social media pages, including News 12 YouTube, and here at our website.
| ||||
“I have spent over 30 years studying meteorology and climate. We take a lot of physics, calculus, thermodynamics and other complex subjects. The atmosphere is a fluid within a rotating frame of reference. Such complexity is far beyond fourth grade lessons about cumulus clouds or cold fronts. As I look at the despair caused to those in the Southeast like farmers, homeowners and businesses, I wish we could control hurricanes. Many families lost loved ones or property. Many communities of color, poor rural areas and regions with high elderly concentrations receive a disproportionate punch from storms like Helene or Milton. Gosh, I wish we did have the technology to spare them such angst and despair. We don’t.”
Via Forbes Magazine (may require subscription to site)
Dr. J. Marshall Shepherd, a leading international expert in weather and climate, was the 2013 President of American Meteorological Society (AMS) and is Director of the University of Georgia’s (UGA) Atmospheric Sciences Program
| ||||
“We have a NEW Virtual SKYWARN spotter training! It consists of four interactive sections to complete, followed by a final exam that must be taken to receive credit. After finishing the exam, please be patient and understand that up to two weeks may pass between completing the exam and receiving your spotter ID card and certificate. ” – National Weather Service, Morristown TN
| ||||
Southeast Drought Summary
Southeast US
A historical winter weather event impacted the area early in the week with snow in many places throughout the region. The greatest precipitation amounts were in southern Georgia, Florida, and into southeast Georgia. The recent wet pattern in Florida allowed improvements in the northern and central portions of the state as well as into the Panhandle to moderate drought and abnormally dry conditions. Dryness was still lingering in southern Florida, where moderate drought was pushed eastward towards the coast this week. Moderate drought and abnormally dry conditions were improved in southeast Georgia while abnormally dry conditions were expanded slightly in the northern portions of the state. In North Carolina, moderate drought and abnormally dry conditions increased in the western part of the state while some moderate drought expanded in the northeast. In Alabama, abnormally dry conditions improved in the south and expanded slightly in the northern part of the state.
– NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information https://droughtmonitor.unl.edu
Got #weatherpix to share for our @WestShoreHome #WeatherWindow #PictureOfTheDay? E-mail them to [email protected].
| ||||
Make sure you & your family stay in touch with us. Remember the Storm Team 12 app can always bring you the latest weather alerts for your location as well as Titan Radar. Download it for free from your app store – just search “WDEF Weather”.
The best time to prepare for severe weather is when nothing weather-wise is going on. Learn more about programming your weather alert radio with WDEF-TV News 12.
Who can participate?
This is a community project. Everyone can help, young, old, and in-between. The only requirements are an enthusiasm for watching and reporting weather conditions and a desire to learn more about how weather can affect and impact our lives.
What will our volunteer observers be doing?
Each time a rain, hail or snow storm crosses your area, volunteers take measurements of precipitation from as many locations as possible (see equipment). These precipitation reports are then recorded on our Web site www.cocorahs.org. The data are then displayed and organized for many of our end users to analyze and apply to daily situations ranging from water resource analysis and severe storm warnings to neighbors comparing how much rain fell in their backyards.
Who uses CoCoRaHS?
CoCoRaHS is used by a wide variety of organizations and individuals. The National Weather Service, other meteorologists, hydrologists, emergency managers, city utilities (water supply, water conservation, storm water), insurance adjusters, USDA, engineers, mosquito control, ranchers and farmers, outdoor & recreation interests, teachers, students, and neighbors in the community are just some examples of those who visit our Web site and use our data.
https://cocorahs.org/Content.aspx?page=application
One of NOAA’s missions is to save life and property by providing critical environmental intelligence, including weather forecasts and warnings, to our partners and the general public. NOAA wants everyone, from communities across the country, businesses, and the public at large to be ready, responsive, and resilient to extreme weather, water, and climate events. Weather-Ready Nation Ambassadors (WRN Ambassadors) are formally recognized by NOAA as organizations committed to collaborating with NOAA, sharing preparedness messaging in outreach to the public, and serving as examples themselves by implementing resilience best practices. Apply to become an Ambassador here.
