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Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Dedicates New Home
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) A new chapter has begun for ShaTaylor Thurman and her family as they step into their brand-new home, thanks to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga. For the past six years, ShaTaylor, a dedicated mother of two, lived in an apartment that lacked basic amenities—no laundry facilities, limited space, and no safe outdoor area for her children to play.
But today, everything changed.
In partnership with the City of Chattanooga, the new home marks the second Habitat home sponsored by United Way of Greater Chattanooga. The groundbreaking took place in May 2024, and thanks to the hard work of volunteers and community support, the home was completed in under a year.
ShaTaylor now has a place to call her own—complete with space for her children to grow and a washer and dryer hookup, something she had never had in her previous living situation. The new home is not just a house; it’s a life-changing investment in her family’s future.
ShaTaylor shared her heartfelt gratitude, expressing how much this new home means to her. “They definitely gave me something to pass down to my kids—a great investment,” she said. “This is everything that I own. From no washer and dryer to having one installed, Habitat has done more for me than they may even realize.”
... Continue ReadingStarting Today: Chattanooga Shines with the SEA Light Festival
Chattanooga workers accused of $80,000 overtime fraud
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — The state comptroller’s office accuses three Chattanooga employees with over-billing the city for up to $80,000 over a four year period.
The three employees worked as traffic signal electricians for the city’s transportation division.
The investigation claims the three got paid for overtime work that they didn’t do.
They also say that some records were altered in the process.
The city reported the questionable payroll transactions to the state.
However, state auditors also claim that Chattanooga officials did not report all the facts in a timely manner.
The results of their investigation will be turned over to the District Attorney’s Office.
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CARTA awarded over $1 million in grants from TDOT, state programs
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — CARTA has been awarded $1.2 million in grants from TDOT’s IMPROVE Transit Investment Grant program and the Statewide 5339(a) Bus and Bus Facilities Program.
CARTA says these grants will be put towards advancements in transit safety and mobility infrastructure.
“We are grateful for TDOT’s support in advancing innovative mobility solutions and enhancing the safety of our transit system. These investments will help us lay the groundwork for future transit improvements while ensuring a safer and more efficient experience for both riders and operators.”
-Charles D. Frazier, CEO of CARTA
The two awarded grants include the following:
- Preliminary Engineering for Mobility and Innovation Center – CARTA will receive $600,000 from the state, with an additional $150,000 local match, to support the early-stage planning and design of a state-of-the-art Mobility and Innovation Center. This center will serve as a hub for transit-oriented development, multimodal connectivity, and emerging transportation technologies.
- Safety Monitoring Technology – A total of $450,000 in funding, including $360,000 federal, $45,000 state, and $45,000 local match, will be used to implement cutting-edge monitoring technology. This initiative aims to enhance safety measures, reduce risks, and proactively identify potential safety concerns before they become critical by leveraging real-time analytics to support transit operators.
‘The Dream’ receives five day suspension of beer license after shooting
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- A Chattanooga nightclub has received its punishment following a shooting in December.
Inside of the crowded “Dream” nightclub on Glass Street on December 1st, shots rang out, injuring one person and causing dozens of patrons to exit the club in a panic.
At a hearing two weeks ago, representatives of the club testified that their metal detectors had been broken by cleaning staff, and were not operational that night.
They also stated that they instructed their staff not to talk with police.
Thursday, the Chattanooga Beer Board handed them a 5 day suspension of their beer license.
However, the club has been serving a more severe punishment from the Tennessee Alcoholic Beverage Commission since February 5, as their liquor license is already suspended.
The club’s owner and founder, Yasmin Springs, said, “We go back in front of everybody and they are going to give us whatever punishment they come up with.”
Board member J.W. Cole asked, “But as of today, your liquor license with ABC is already lifted today?”
Springs replied, “Yes.”
Their beer license will be suspended starting next Thursday through the next week, but they hope to get their liquor license back on the same day.
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Commissioners express concern over potential elimination of Department of Education
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- How much will Hamilton County be affected if the federal Department of Education (DOE) is eliminated?
That’s a question some commissioners asked during Wednesday’s meeting.
Concerns were specifically over how potential cuts could affect schools with higher rates of students in poverty.
Currently, 40 public schools in Hamilton County are listed as Title I Schools.
That means at least 40 percent of their students come from low-income households.
These schools get federal money.
That adds up to more than 36 million dollars a year from the DOE to Hamilton County schools.
It’s roughly 5.5% of the total revenue for the school system.
That has several county commissioners worried.
Commissioner Greg Beck said, “If we can’t maintain education… with the funds that we have, I can see way out there, the beginning of talks about how to increase our revenue, maybe through taxes.”
Others say they believe the ongoing efforts of DOGE could actually increase the federal money available to schools.
Commissioner Gene-O Shipley said that after a conversation with Congressman Chuck Fleischmann, he believes that, “Could this put more money than we’re receiving now into the states, or the states to put into the counties, and that is a good possibility of that,” and added he had been told a large amount of waste within the DOE.
Commissioner David Sharpe countered this by saying, “There’s a lot of talk about waste, right, in the Department of Education or whatever. But I would say this, one man’s waste is another child’s treasure… The state of Tennessee is what a lot of people refer to as a welfare state, meaning that we receive more federal dollars than what we put into the federal government.
In addition to the concerns raised about the Department of Education being eliminated, there were also concerns about the recently passed Tennessee Education Freedom Act.
Chairman Jeff Eversole said that after the first year of the school choice program, they would potentially need to act based on if Hamilton County Schools began to lose funding.
Governor Lee and state lawmakers have said that program will not take away funding from local schools, but the Hamilton County school board among other county school boards have raised concerns.
For now, it’s a waiting game.
Commissioner Steve Highlander said, “There’s more questions than answers. There’s a lot of concerns, but until we know the details we won’t know what we can do.”
The President has indicated he may abolish the DOE via executive order, although he has yet to do so.
Chattanooga man arrested for stabbing woman at local daycare
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — A Chattanooga man has been arrested for stabbing a woman at a local daycare.
On November 4, 2024, at 5:41 p.m., officers responded to a local daycare following reports of an assault.
Upon arrival, officers found the victim being loaded into an ambulance with multiple stab wounds.
According to the affidavit, the suspect, Reginal Oakley-Woods, entered the facility and began arguing with his sister over financial issues.
Witnesses stated that Woods then stabbed the victim multiple times.
A witness who entered the office saw the victim with several stab wounds and observed Woods discarding a knife before leaving the scene.
The victim was transported to a local hospital for treatment.
There, she told officers that Woods had shown up uninvited and attacked her.
Woods was initially held at the Catoosa County Jail before being transferred to the Hamilton County Jail on February 18, 2025.
Chatt Prep releases statement regarding former teacher’s arrest
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — Chattanooga Preparatory School has released a statement regarding the recent arrest of former teacher,
The school released the following statement:
Chattanooga Preparatory School is deeply troubled by the recent arrest of a former employee.
The safety and well-being of our scholars remain our top priority, and we are treating this matter with the utmost seriousness.
We are cooperating with law enforcement and conducting a thorough internal review. As this is an open investigation, we cannot provide further comment at this time.
White is facing a list of charges, including kidnapping, sexual exploitation of a minor by electronic means, and solicitation of a minor.
The indictment stated that the incident occurred more than two years ago, on or about February 15, 2023.
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Chickamauga Lock Project Moves Forward with Final Contract Bids
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has solicited their final contract for bids, aiming to complete a new, fully operational lock by 2028.
“They’re reaching some major milestones on this project. We’re excited to bring this project to full operation, and part of that process involves soliciting our next contract. We’re thrilled to have contractors come on site to see if they want to be a part of this historic project,” said the project manager of the Chickamauga Lock replacement project Cayce Grall.
Joseph Cotton, the project manager leading this significant effort, explains the critical need for a new lock to meet the demands of modern shipping.
“That was done using concrete mixed with cement and water, creating a rolling concrete substance that coats every stone you see throughout the dam. Because of the immense pressure on the dam, some parts have shifted over time. However, thanks to the hard work of the Tennessee Valley Authority, they’ve managed to keep the dam structurally sound for the last 85 years,” said Joseph Cotton, the project manager.
The new lock will also provide a wide range of economic benefits.
“To provide the Tennessee Valley Authority, the owner of this project, with a more predictable flow pattern through the Chickamauga Lock, we are focusing on improving the concrete structure and increasing the efficiency of commerce passing through the dam. This will significantly enhance the entire navigation system, especially in the Chattanooga and Knoxville areas,” said Joe.
... Continue ReadingCFD responds to two overnight fires across Chattanooga
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF) — A family has been displaced after a kitchen fire off of Highway 58 late Tuesday night.
Crews with the Chattanooga Fire Department (CFD) responded to a residence on Badger Lane at 11:35 p.m. after receiving reports of a grease fire that had gotten out of hand.
All occupants were able to exit the residence safely.
Upon arrival, CFD found heavy smoke coming from the back of the residence.
Crews launched a fire attack and were able to knock down a majority of the flames by 11:54 p.m.
No injuries were reported from this incident.
Half an hour later, CFD crews responded to the 3800 block of Monte Vista Drive in Brainerd on reports of a deck fire.
Upon arrival, crews found the deck behind the residence fully engulfed in flames.
According to CFD, all members of the residence and pets were safe.
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