Posts with the category “local-news”

The Bradley County Board of Education has approved moving forward with plans for a new track and field facility at Bradley Central High School.Board members unanimously approved several motions related to the project during Thursday night’s meeting.School officials said Bradley County has already allocated $1.8 million for the facility, but initial construction bids exceeded the budget.The distric...  Read More

From the Chattanoogan: The Tennessee Law Enforcement Accreditation Program announces that it has granted accreditation status to the Cleveland Polce Department. This is the 5th TLEA award for the department. They were awarded this achievement during the Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police meeting held in Nashville last week.Officials said, "To achieve accreditation with TLEA, an agency volun...  Read More

From Local 3 News: Candy's Creek Cherokee Elementary School in Cleveland has been named a 2025-2026 Tree Campus by the Arbor Day Foundation.This recognition celebrates the school's commitment to trees, environmental education, hands-on learning and community engagement.Rebecca Lay, teacher and PTO leader, spearheaded the effort to earn the recognition by working with students, families, staff and ...  Read More

From Local 3 News: A nearly century-old bridge in Polk County has been torn down as work continues on a major replacement project.According to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), crews demolished the original Easley Ford Road Bridge, which was built in 1924.TDOT says the new bridge structure is now in place, and crews have completed pouring the bridge deck. Construction will next fo...  Read More

From Local 3 News: Bradley County residents could soon be paying more in property taxes under a proposal aimed at increasing pay for first responders and other county employees.The Bradley County Commission's Finance Committee recommended a property tax increase that would help fund salary raises across county government. For a home valued at $350,000, the increase would amount to about $74 more p...  Read More

From Local 3 News: A pickup truck and box trailer carrying a whole load of fireworks went up in flames (and sparkles) on I-75 north in Hamilton County Saturday evening.The Tri-Community Volunteer Fire Department said no one was injured, but as a precaution, both northbound and southbound lanes of I-75 were temporarily shut down due to the ongoing firework explosions.Crews from the Chattanooga Fire...  Read More

From Local 3 News: A former theatre teacher at Bradley Central High School has been cleared of wrongdoing in one investigation into allegations of misconduct, according to the Bradley County District Attorney. However, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says its investigation remains active.District Attorney Stephen Hatchett announced that the investigation into former teacher Lindsey Bell has ...  Read More

A Bradley County deputy has been named Tennessee School Resource Officer of the Year.Deputy Tommy Kimsey, who serves at Michigan Avenue School in Cleveland, received the honor from the Tennessee School Resource Officers Association.The award recognizes officers for excellence in school safety, student mentorship, leadership, professionalism, and community involvement.Sheriff Steve Lawson said the ...  Read More

The Tennessee Department of Transportation is preparing for heavy traffic as the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival returns to Manchester this week.More than 45,000 people are expected to attend the festival, which runs June 11 through June 14 on the 700-acre event site in Coffee County.TDOT officials say they are working with state and local agencies to keep traffic moving on Interstate 24 and help...  Read More

The Bradley County Commission met yesterday and continued discussions on the county’s proposed budget for the 2026-2027 fiscal year.Commissioners reviewed a revised budget proposal that would provide a 15 percent pay increase for county employees earning less than $75,000 annually and a 12 percent increase for employees making $75,000 or more.To fund the pay increases, the Finance Committee is pro...  Read More

The Bradley County Commission will meet today at noon at the Bradley County Courthouse for a work session. On Friday, the County Finance Committee met and voted to recommend a property tax increase. The increase would help fund a 15% increase for all county employees. Last week, Mayor Gary Davis presented a budget with various levels of pay increases for county employees. The Mayor’s budget did no...  Read More

The City of Cleveland is notifying motorists about a traffic signal upgrade at the intersection of Keith Street and 20th Street.Work is scheduled to begin tomorrow morning at 8:00 AM and is expected to take about eight hours.Drivers are encouraged to use alternate routes and avoid the area if possible while crews complete the project....  Read More

One man is injured after a shooting in the Home Depot parking lot on Paul Huff Parkway Saturday night, according to the Cleveland Police Department.The circumstances surrounding the gunfire are currently unclear, but paramedics took one male to a local hospital.Officers and investigators stayed on scene for hours working to gather suspect information.Anyone with information about the shooting can ...  Read More

From Local 3 News: A Rhea County man has been arrested and charged with two separate burglaries in May.Deputies charged Michael Jordan Frazier with burglaries that took place on May 11 and May 26.Frazier faces the following charges.Burglary breaking and entering — 2 countsBurglary — 2 countsDestruction/damage/vandalism of propertyTheft of property less than $1,000 — 2 countsVandalism — 2 countsSto...  Read More

Bradley County Schools has been recognized as a Common Sense District.The designation comes from Common Sense, a national nonprofit that promotes digital citizenship and online safety education.The recognition highlights Bradley County Schools’ efforts to teach students responsible technology use, internet safety, privacy protection, media literacy, and cyberbullying awareness.The district has inc...  Read More

From News Channel 9: Some Meigs County residents are expressing concerns about the condition of the Tri-County Veterans Bridge on Highway 60 between Meigs and Rhea counties.A crack in the bridge deck has drawn attention from drivers after photos circulated on social media.A 2022 TDOT report listed the bridge, which was built in 1995, in poor condition.TDOT says the bridge is inspected every six mo...  Read More

From Local 3 News: Athens City Manager Dr. Randall Dowling has been terminated following a 3-2 vote by the Athens City Council following a special session on Thursday, June 4. The reason for his termination was not specified.The decision came during a pair of council meetings, where members discussed the potential impact a change in city leadership could have on ongoing retail development projects...  Read More

From Local 3 News: Tennessee's 65th state park was dedicated in Meigs County Tuesday.Cherokee Removal Memorial Park is now Cherokee Trail of Tears State Park.Tennessee Rep. Greg Vital posted about the dedication on social media.He was joined by State Sen. J. Adam Lowe and State Rep. Dan Howell as well as members of the Cherokee nation.Vital says the Cherokee Trail of Tears State Park remembers 'th...  Read More

The Bradley County Jail has once again received certification from the Tennessee Corrections Institute following its annual inspection.Inspectors conducted an unannounced review of the facility in May and reported no findings. The Tennessee Corrections Institute Board of Control officially certified the jail on June 3.The inspection examined areas including facility operations, sanitation and main...  Read More

From Local 3 News: A grand jury indicted the Rhea County High School girls’ basketball coach on several child sex crimes.Tracy Vest is charged with:Sexual battery by an authority figure (three counts)Continuous sexual abuse of a childAccording to principal Ansley Massengill, who spoke to us over the phone, Vest is no longer a current employee and was let go “a few months ago.”An indictment obtaine...  Read More

From News Channel 9: A Cleveland family says they are seeking answers after a headstone was removed from a gravesite at Sunset Memorial Gardens and has not been returned.The Trippett family says the headstone was moved after a burial in March and cemetery officials told them it would be replaced within two weeks while the ground settled.More than three months later, the family says the marker rema...  Read More

As a reminder, drivers in Cleveland should plan for a major road closure beginning today, June 3.The City of Cleveland says Peerless Road Northwest will be closed to through traffic starting at 9 a.m. between 25th Street and Maple Drive.The closure is part of infrastructure improvements and is expected to remain in place into early August....  Read More

From our partners at Local 3 News: UPDATE: Despite recent excessive rainfall across the Tennessee Valley, the region remains in a severe drought, and the effects are still being felt throughout Tennessee's water systems, according to TVA.TVA reports that runoff across the eastern Tennessee Valley is currently the fourth-lowest recorded in 152 years of recordkeeping.While the valley has received an...  Read More

From Local 3 News: The City of Athens, Tennessee, announced details for its America250 celebration. It will feature fireworks and 600 drones, according to city leaders.To celebrate America’s 250th birthday, Athens will have its first-ever drone show, which it is dubbing the “largest drone show around.”The event will take place July 4 at Athens Regional Park, which Athens officials say will be the ...  Read More

Drivers in Cleveland should plan for a major road closure starting Wednesday, June 3rd.Peerless Road Northwest will close to through traffic at 9:00 a.m.The closure will be between 25th Street and Maple Drive.The City of Cleveland says the infrastructure work is expected to last into early August....  Read More

Bradley County Mayor Gary Davis presented a $234.4 million county budget last night at the Bradley County Commission meeting.The plan includes no new taxes, no tax increases, and no fee increases.The budget provides a 3% raise for most county employees, 6% raises for fire department employees, and 6% raises plus step or longevity increases for certified law enforcement, jail, and EMS workers.Davis...  Read More

From News Channel 9: More than 85 grams of fentanyl, along with methamphetamine and marijuana, were seized during a multi-agency drug investigation in Monroe County.Sheriff Tommy Jones says the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office worked with police departments in Madisonville, Sweetwater and Vonore during the operation near Oak Grove Road.One person was arrested on multiple felony charges. Authorities ...  Read More

From Local 3 News: UPDATE: The missing autistic teen, Trenton Daniel Martin, was found safe, according to the Cleveland Bradley County Office of Emergency Management.“Great job Bradley County! Trenton has been located and is safe!”Bradley County says if you live in the county and did not receive their text or email notification about the incident and would like to be enrolled, you can sign up on t...  Read More

From TN.gov: Eighty-nine of Tennessee’s 95 counties reported unemployment rates below five percent in April, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.Thirty-six counties saw their rates decrease from March, while 32 counties were unchanged, and 27 counties reported increases.Tennessee’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for April was 3.6%.Bradley County’s unempl...  Read More

From News Channel 9: The Tennessee Department of Education has announced that 176 schools across the state have been selected to become trauma-informed schools.The designation provides schools with training, resources, and ongoing support to help students facing challenges outside the classroom.Local schools receiving the designation include Ingleside Elementary, City Park School, and Westside Ele...  Read More

From Local 3 News: The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Department of Public Safety and UTC Police Department will host Active Violence Response Training today, May 29, as part of an advanced law enforcement preparedness course.Officials say the training is developed by UTC public safety personnel and approved by the Tennessee Peace Officer Standards and Training Commission for credit, focus...  Read More

From Local 3 News: Meigs County Emergency Services says a gas leak in the 17000 block of State Highway 58 North that forced officials to tell the public to avoid the area has been resolved.The Decatur Fire Department, Meigs County Emergency Services, and Tennessee Natural Gas worked together to address the situation.“There is no longer any danger to the public, and normal travel can resume in the ...  Read More

From News Channel 9: Local Bradley County leaders are saying the Amaero manufacturing plant in Cleveland will remain closed while the company addresses ongoing safety concerns following three explosions in less than a month.According to public records, six separate emergency calls have been connected to the facility over the past nine months.The latest incident happened Tuesday at the plant on Inn...  Read More

The Bradley County Commission held a work session Monday night.Commissioner Josh Rogers introduced Hannah Goodson as the new director of the UT Ag Extension Office. Rogers says Goodson will now serve as the county director and Ag and Natural Resources Agent.Officials also announced the Bradley County Cannery will open June 9th.Commissioners discussed a proposed annexation request involving approxi...  Read More

From Local 3 News: UPDATE: Two separate lawsuits challenging Tennessee’s redistricting maps have been halted after recent court rulings.A panel of Tennessee state judges dismissed a lawsuit challenging the state’s redistricting plan, while a federal court denied a temporary restraining order sought by Memphis-area voters against the newly drawn maps.Despite the setbacks for challengers, the legal ...  Read More

From Local 3 News: Friday Festivals are returning to Cleveland this week.There will be free live music performances downtown at 7 p.m. every Friday in June.The series opens with a special bonus concert at First Street Square this Friday, May 29, featuring the Collins Brothers Band.Other performances in June include the Get Happy Jazz Band, Michael Cass and the Ridge Runners, Karen Collins featurin...  Read More

From News Channel 9: Federal immigration officials have released more information about eight people detained during a targeted enforcement operation in Cleveland.ICE says the arrests happened in the Green Drive area while agents were looking for a suspect believed to be in the country illegally.Officials say several people tried to flee as agents approached the area.According to ICE, the eight pe...  Read More

From Local 3 News: Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) has requested to meet with local power companies to discuss potentially rising rates amid large increase in electricity demand due to an influx of data centers and high-energy industries. That increased demand is placing a strain on the electric grid, and TVA wants to keep its energy reliable and avoid large price hikes for regular customers. TVA...  Read More

From Local 3 News: UPDATE: Following the small fire on Tuesday, May 26, at the Amaero plant, Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration (TOSHA) officials say investigations are conducted “as quickly as possible.”According to TOSHA, facilities with multiple incidents may face a more intensive review. Officials also note that, in certain situations, hazards identified during inspections...  Read More

From Local 3 News: CVS is planning to file a lawsuit against the state of Tennessee after Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill into law which the company says "puts special interests and local politics ahead of patients."The 'Fair Rx' Act is intended to limit corporations from controlling insurance coverage, among other things, but CVS says the bill will force more than 100 of its locations to close across...  Read More