Chad Hedrick
Reporter, weekend anchor
Huntington, West Virginia
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Chad joined the WSAZ team in December 2014 as a part time photojournalist, and has since worked his way up to reporter and weekend evening anchor. You can also catch him occasionally on the WSAZ Now digital news desk.
Chad is from Ashland, Ky. and grew up watching WSAZ. He says it is a dream come true for him to work with people he grew up admiring and aspired to be.
Being a Kentucky boy, Chad says he likes to focus on stories and news that matter to the eastern Kentucky viewers in the WSAZ viewing area.
Updated: Jan. 2, 2021 at 7:04 PM EST
|By Chad Hedrick
Prestonsburg police say it happened at Water Gape Road and Route 302 Saturday evening.
Updated: Dec. 28, 2020 at 6:14 PM EST
|By Chad Hedrick
A Greenup County, Ky. family's home was destroyed by a fire two days after they moved in.
East Tennesseans could go days without power following widespread outages during frigid temperatures
Updated: Dec. 24, 2020 at 6:37 PM EST
|By Alivia Harris and Gwendolyn Ducre
The Sevier County Electric System did not give an estimated time for power to be restored.
Updated: Sep. 5, 2020 at 4:02 PM EDT
|By Chad Hedrick
The multi-day operation was conducted by the F.A.D.E Drug Task Force, DEA, Russell Police, and Boyd County Sheriff’s Department Narcotics Unit.
Updated: Aug. 26, 2020 at 6:43 PM EDT
|By Arial Starks
The family of a man who was shot and killed by police in 2019 is suing the Knoxville Police Department.
Updated: Aug. 25, 2020 at 12:02 PM EDT
|By Associated Press
The furloughs and management layoffs are in addition to 23,500 employees who accepted buyouts, retired early or took long-term leaves of absence.
Updated: Jul. 13, 2020 at 7:04 PM EDT
|By Chad Hedrick
A teenager from Ashland, Kentucky, is fighting to recover from brain trauma after a freak skateboard accident last week.
Updated: Jun. 30, 2020 at 8:51 PM EDT
|By Chad Hedrick
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted all of our lives in some way, but for Sierra O’Brien, it changed her life forever when her father died from the virus in late March.
Updated: Jun. 21, 2020 at 8:40 PM EDT
|By Chad Hedrick
Tuesday’s primary will be the first time more than 175,000 ex-cons who live in Kentucky will be able to vote since being incarcerated.
Updated: Dec. 16, 2019 at 7:00 AM EST
|By Chad Hedrick, Tori Yorgey
An elderly man is in custody after officials say he shot at Mason County deputies early Sunday morning.
Updated: May. 29, 2019 at 4:06 PM EDT
A high bond didn't keep an accused rapist in jail for long in Louisiana, and the victim's father is angry and looking for answers.
Updated: Mar. 29, 2019 at 11:30 AM EDT
The Morristown Police Department have charged two men after a shooting incident in south Morristown Wednesday.
Updated: Jan. 31, 2019 at 10:13 PM EST
|By WVLT News
On their respective Facebook pages, Fee/Hedrick Entertainment Group owners said World Choice Investments, LLC now owns the entertainment properties they have owned for 25 years.
Updated: Jan. 31, 2019 at 4:15 PM EST
|By Kyle Grainger
The sale of Fee Hedrick to Dolly Parton's Dinner Theater group is final.
Updated: Dec. 26, 2018 at 4:50 PM EST
The Smoky Mountain Opry Theater made a $50,000 donation to Creative Theater, the largest donation in the theater's history.
Updated: Dec. 18, 2018 at 5:09 PM EST
The Fee/Hedrick company in Pigeon Forge announced it will be giving its employees over $5 million in bonuses as well as sponsoring a company cruise to the Bahamas.
Updated: Nov. 27, 2018 at 8:02 PM EST
The Fee/Hedrick company is in the process of being purchased by World Choice Investments, LLC.
Updated: Nov. 2, 2018 at 12:59 PM EDT
Knoxville native Chris Blue, winner of The Voice season 12, is on stage at the Smoky Mountain Opry this holiday season.
Updated: Oct. 4, 2018 at 7:45 PM EDT
|By Kyle Grainger
The Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment Group has announced plans to convert the Smoky Mountain Opry into a pirate themed dinner show in 2019.
Updated: Sep. 24, 2018 at 7:44 PM EDT
|By Brittany Tarwater
Being a kid these days comes with very grown-up pressure. Balancing sports, school and volunteer work plus competing with kids across the country for limited spots in the college of their dreams.
Updated: May. 22, 2018 at 7:40 AM EDT
Do you hear yanny or laurel? The video floating across the nation last week has sparked several theories about why we hear what we hear.
Updated: Apr. 12, 2018 at 3:43 PM EDT
|By Chad Hedrick, WSAZ News Staff
An 8th grade class won the grand prize of a $150,000 technology grant from Samsung.
Updated: Dec. 25, 2017 at 8:19 PM EST
|By WVLT Staff
Two Tennessee women were killed in a Christmas Eve double murder, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Updated: Feb. 17, 2017 at 7:03 PM EST
The 20th annual Sevier County job fair is this March.
Updated: Dec. 19, 2016 at 3:56 AM EST
|By Kyle Grainger
A dysfunctional feud between two families and they have to bond together to keep their mayor from stealing Christmas from them.
Updated: Dec. 18, 2016 at 6:12 PM EST
Christmas came early for the kids in Sevier County.
Updated: Dec. 17, 2016 at 3:56 AM EST
|By WVLT
The Smoky Mountain Opry Theater in Pigeon Forge will give out toys to Sevier County children affected by the wildfires.
Updated: Nov. 29, 2016 at 9:18 PM EST
|By WVLT Staff
The Fee/Hedrick Family Entertainment Group donated $100,000 to help with fire relief efforts in the Smoky Mountains.
Updated: Jun. 2, 2016 at 12:25 PM EDT
|By Associated Press
A Knox County woman who was convicted in the death of one of her two deceased husbands has been released from custody.
Updated: May. 16, 2016 at 6:03 AM EDT
|By Kyle Grainger
Entertaining for 22 years in Pigeon Forge, the music scene has a new morning show with a familiar family.
Updated: Feb. 5, 2016 at 5:38 PM EST
A major renovation is underway at Hatfield & McCoy Dinner Theater in Pigeon Forge that will turn the stage into a giant pool of water.
Updated: Jan. 8, 2016 at 7:02 PM EST
|By Amanda Hara
The Casual Pint is known for its craft beer, but soon it'll branch out into science. The beer market plans to host the inaugural Pint of Science: The Half-Life Chronicles.
Updated: Dec. 30, 2015 at 10:41 AM EST
Award-winning moonshine distillers Sugarlands Distilling Company has announced that they have added Rye Apple Moonshine to their lineup of offerings.
Updated: Dec. 6, 2015 at 9:47 PM EST
The Comedy Barn is making sure they appeal to all audiences with a special show Sunday at their theater.
Updated: Dec. 4, 2015 at 11:00 AM EST
|By Marco Villarreal
From Santa and his magical elves to the area’s largest living Nativity, “Christmas at the Smoky Mountain Opry”™ Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., is opening its spectacular Christmas show on Nov. 2.
Updated: Jun. 5, 2015 at 5:31 PM EDT
“Jungle” Jack Hanna, star of the syndicated TV Show, “Jack Hanna’s Into the Wild,” will be making a special appearance at The Comedy Barn® Theater in Pigeon Forge, for one show only, on June 9, 2015.
Updated: Feb. 13, 2015 at 7:16 PM EST
|By Kyle Grainger
A new tourist season brings all new entertainment, with shows in the Smokies open all new performances.
Updated: Feb. 4, 2015 at 10:24 PM EST
Several of the Eagle signees played their high school football in the Knoxville-area.
Updated: Dec. 21, 2014 at 5:53 PM EST
|By Kelsey Leyrer
Christmas carols are the sounds of the holidays. But, for Sean Coombs, it wasn't too long ago, when these songs were an unfamiliar sound.
Updated: Dec. 15, 2014 at 6:34 PM EST
|By Kyle Grainger
The Smoky Mountain Opry has made a big donation to the Pigeon Forge Middle School band program.
Updated: Dec. 4, 2014 at 6:16 PM EST
|By Kyle Grainger
Donna Blackwood of the “Blackwoods Morning Variety Show” at the Smoky Mountain Opry Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., has won the prestigious Publisher’s Choice Diamond Award. The Diamond Awards were held at the Smoky Mountain Convention Center recently as part of the Creekside Gospel Music Convention.
Updated: Nov. 19, 2014 at 6:21 PM EST
|By Submitted
This Holiday Season, The Smoky Mountain Opry Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tenn., brings the spirit of Christmas to life with new scenes, unique sets, brand-new elaborate costumes and many new technological updates in the “Christmas at the Smoky Mountain Opry” Christmas show.
Updated: Oct. 23, 2014 at 7:54 PM EDT
|By Kyle Grainger
Siegfried & Roy's Protégé, Darren Romeo, has plans to join the Fee Hedrick Entertainment in Pigeon Forge to bring Las Vegas to Tennessee.
Updated: Aug. 26, 2014 at 5:50 PM EDT
|By Lauren Davis
Between Boomsday and the first UT football game, it's a big weekend in East Tennessee. With the extra celebration could come an extra danger.
Updated: Jul. 22, 2014 at 3:28 PM EDT
Sugarlands Distilling Company opened its doors to the public in March 2014 and is currently rolling out its seven varieties of moonshine across the Southeast
Updated: Mar. 24, 2014 at 5:27 PM EDT
|By local8now.com
Sugarlands Distilling Company Introduces Legends Series, Partners with Master Moonshiner, Jim Tom as First Shine in Series
Updated: Dec. 14, 2013 at 5:44 PM EST
The LORD’s Child celebred Operation Snowflake 2013 with a huge Christmas Party for less fortunate children.
Each child received a coat, toys and games.
The operation made sure no child will go hungry for at least a day.
Updated: Jul. 10, 2013 at 5:45 PM EDT
|By Kyle Grainger
Large cats will soon have a new home in Pigeon Forge with a new Tiger habitat planned to be built.
Updated: Jul. 9, 2013 at 7:34 PM EDT
|By Kyle Grainger
A rare white lion, one of only 300 in existence in the world, is now performing in the cast of the Smoky Mountain Opry.
Updated: Jun. 19, 2013 at 6:30 PM EDT
|By Kyle Grainger
An all new comedy show is getting ready to open in Pigeon Forge in the former Kickin' Country building.