Posts with the category “local-news”

Unemployment rates fell in all 95 Tennessee counties in September, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development.The statewide unemployment rate held steady at 3.4% for the third consecutive month, remaining below the national rate of 4.2%.Ninety-three Tennessee counties reported unemployment rates below 5%.Locally, Bradley County’s unemployment rate fell to 3.6%, down f...  Read More

From News Channel 9: Cleveland Police are reminding drivers that they must stop for school buses, even on four-lane roads, unless a physical median separates traffic.The warning comes as police report more than 1,200 school bus stop-arm violations since enforcement efforts began.Under Tennessee law, drivers traveling in both directions must stop when a school bus has its red lights flashing and st...  Read More

From Local 3 News: A senior firefighter from the Chattanooga Fire Department (CFD) is no longer employed after being arrested in McMinn County for aggravated assault and other charges.On September 29, the Athens Police Department responded to a domestic incident at Joseph Millsaps’ residence.In an affidavit obtained by Local 3, the responding officer then spoke to a woman at Millsaps’ residence.Sh...  Read More

Bradley County Juvenile Court Judge Andrew Morgan is calling for major reforms to Tennessee’s Department of Children’s Services.In a letter to Governor Bill Lee, Morgan says he recently removed two children from juvenile justice sentences because of threats and a lack of appropriate services.Read the full story HERE....  Read More

From Local 3 News: National Prescription Drug Take Back Day is this Saturday, October 24. Chattanooga-area residents can dispose of their unused, unwanted and expired medications at several locations across the Tennessee Valley.Safely dispose of the following items:Prescription medicationsOver-the-counter medicationsVape pensOther E-cigarette devicesSeveral locations will act as free drop-off spot...  Read More

From Local 3 News: A panel of judges has dismissed a lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s expanded school voucher program, allowing the Education Freedom Scholarship program to continue, according to NBC affiliate WSMV.The lawsuit was filed by a group of parents and taxpayers against Governor Bill Lee and other state officials.The plaintiffs argued that the Tennessee Constitution prohibits the state fr...  Read More

From News Channel 9: Two scams circulating in Rhea County have prompted a warning from the sheriff’s office, which says residents are reporting calls designed to steal money and personal information.In one scheme, scammers contact people and claim they have won a vehicle.The callers may ask for money or personal information before allowing the person to claim the supposed prize.The Rhea County She...  Read More

The City of Cleveland is inviting families to celebrate the fall season at Autumn on Inman this Friday, October 23.The event will take place at Johnston Park in downtown Cleveland from 6 until 9 p.m.Activities will include hayrides, carnival games, a petting zoo, kids’ crafts, pumpkin painting, and more.The event is designed to bring families and friends together for an evening of fall fun....  Read More

Bradley County has now surpassed 6,000 early votes ahead of the November 3rd general election.1,123 people voted Tuesday, bringing the total to 6,308 ballots cast during the first six days of early voting.Tuesday was the third-busiest day so far, and weekday turnout has remained above 1,000 voters every day.Early voting in Tennessee continues through Thursday, October 29.Bradley County voters can ...  Read More

From Local 3 News: The Polk County School District has announced that schools in the Copper Basin area will be closed on Wednesday, October 21.This is due to a boiler malfunction at Copper Basin High School....  Read More

A Cleveland man is facing charges after police say he struck two pedestrians on Wildwood Avenue Southeast Friday and drove away.Read the full story HERE....  Read More

From News Channel 9: Polk County Schools Superintendent Dr. James Jones admits he violated district policy by keeping turkeys inside a condemned building on school property.The situation came to light after a Facebook video showed the animals inside the building, raising concerns among residents.Jones says a district employee gave him the turkeys, and he kept them in the building for about three m...  Read More

The Bradley County Commission approved two zoning changes and renewed employee health insurance during its latest voting session yesterday. All 14 commissioners voted to rezone property on Waterlevel Highway for general commercial use, and property on Benton Pike for rural residential use.The Benton Pike proposal raised concerns about traffic and crowded schools. An engineer said the zoning change...  Read More

From Local 3 News: “Let me take a break from the real news to share a little bit of personal news.Some of you have watched this channel, and perhaps me on this channel, for a long time.We may have even met on a news story, or a book signing, or even in a store or restaurant.The connection we share has been a true highlight of my life. And that's why I want to let you know that I'll be leaving Loca...  Read More

From the Chattanoogan: Lee University's School of Music will host the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera Brass Quintet on Friday, Oct. 23. The concert will take place at 7 p.m. in the Squires Recital Hall, in the Humanities Building."The School of Music is excited to welcome the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera Brass Quintet to campus," said Dr. Jesse McConnell, director of music events at Lee. "We're gra...  Read More

From Local 3 News: The Tennessee Valley Federal Credit Union's annual Idea Leap grant applications are now open.But they won’t be open for long.Every year, the TVFCU gives small businesses in 17 counties a chance to win a grant to help their business grow.Vice President of Marketing at TVFCU, Kim Gunter, explains the contest.“The way it works is every eligible business- and that's any business tha...  Read More

From News Channel 9: A Cuban native will spend the next 25 years in prison after pleading guilty to second-degree murder in the death of a 25-year-old woman whose body was found inside a Cleveland home.On Oct. 9th, 2026, Dayren Lopez Roque pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the death of Dayana Garcia Cuba and was sentenced to 25 years in prison to be served at 100%.The case began on Sunday,...  Read More

From Local 3 News: An officer was involved in a shooting on Friday, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) has begun a probe into the incident.At around 3:15pm on October 16, Monroe County sheriff’s deputies and Madisonville police officers responded to a “disturbance” on Glenlock Road in Sweetwater, according to the TBI.Authorities responded to reports that a man was armed with a rifle a...  Read More

From TN.gov: Tennessee’s unemployment rate held firm at 3.4% for the third month in a row, according to new data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in September was unchanged from the previous two months and down one-tenth of a percentage point from a year ago. Before July, the last time Tennessee posted an une...  Read More

From News 12: President Donald Trump is scheduled to return to North Georgia today, October 16, and the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office has released details about road closures and parking restrictions ahead of his visit.Whitfield County Sheriff Darren Pierce announced that a portion of Airport Road will be completely closed to traffic during the president’s visit to Dalton Municipal Airport.The...  Read More

From News Channel 9: Rhea County residents are getting their first look at what a proposed nuclear facility could mean for their community, including the possibility of long-term radioactive waste storage.Last month, Rhea County commissioners began discussing whether the county should explore becoming part of a proposed Nuclear Life-cycle Innovation Campus.The main campus could be located in Oak R...  Read More

From Local 3 News: Early voting officially opened in Tennessee on Wednesday.Republican Gubernatorial candidate Senator Marsha Blackburn held a small rally in Chattanooga on Wednesday.Blackburn spoke alongside Greg Vital, Senator Bo Watson and other Republican candidates.Blackburn shared her campaign strategy moving forward now that early voting has started.Local 3 News photo“Voter contact, making ...  Read More

From Local 3 News: The 20th annual walking tour of the historic Fort Hill Cemetery presented by Lee University is set to return to Cleveland on Sunday, Oct. 25.To commemorate the nation's 250th anniversary, Lee University and Cleveland State student volunteers will lead walking tours of select gravesites where reenactors will portray families who helped organize the Cleveland centennial celebratio...  Read More

From Local 3 News: The City of Athens is preparing to celebrate the opening of Oostanaula Commons—a new stormwater management and recreational facility.Oostanaula Commons is located along Oostanaula Creek, with several nearby attractions, including the Ingleside Recreational Complex, public library, several trails and more.Athens officials describe Oostanaula Commons as combining stormwater infras...  Read More

From Local 3 News: An employee was taken to the hospital after a small blast at the Amaero Plant in Cleveland on Tuesday, according to Bradley County spokesman Adam Lewis.The incident happened in a confined room inside the plant and involved the ignition of material, Lewis said.The employee suffered a burn to the top of his hand and was transported by ambulance to Erlanger in Chattanooga.No additi...  Read More

Early voting for the November general election begins this Wednesday, October 14, in Tennessee.Voters can cast their ballots at four locations in Bradley County: OCI on Urbane Road, the Bradley County Election Office on Broad Street, the Northeast Recreation Center on Berry Street, and the Bradley County Fire-Rescue Training Center on Dalton Pike.Early voting runs through Thursday, October 29.Hour...  Read More

From Local 3 News: A Cleveland, TN, nonprofit is helping people recover after Hurricane Isaias tore through the southeastern U.S.Operation Compassion helps with disaster relief and is currently providing support for crews in Pensacola, FL, and delivering “Blessing Boxes” to residents."We're talking wet wipes, we're talking deodorant, or things like shaving kits, shampoo…just some things that they ...  Read More

The Bradley County Board of Education approved Christmas bonuses for all district employees during its meeting Tuesday evening.Full-time employees will receive $750, while part-time employees will receive $375. The bonuses, totaling nearly one million dollars, will be included in December paychecks.The district also announced an $11.4 million federal GEAR UP grant, shared with Polk and Meigs count...  Read More

From Local 3 News: Cleveland Police arrested a Hixson man after he was found walking naked on a street over the weekend, according to an affidavit.Bradley County deputies responded near Inman Street, where they found David Robey completely nude and holding a brown bottle, authorities said.According to the report, Robey was not attempting to cover himself. When asked why he was walking around naked...  Read More

The Cleveland City Schools Board of Education reviewed student achievement scores, approved new curriculum plans, and recognized outstanding students during Monday night’s meeting.School officials reported improvements in third-grade reading proficiency, increasing from 34.5 percent to 39.6 percent. However, the district said it fell short of its goal, and that middle school students are continuin...  Read More

The Bradley County Commission discussed broadband expansion, rezoning requests, and concerns over development during Monday’s work session.Volunteer Energy Cooperative officials announced plans to bring high-speed fiber internet to more than 1,100 additional Bradley County homes currently without adequate service.The federally funded project is expected to be completed by August 2028.Mayor Gary Da...  Read More

From Local 3 News: A man was killed while riding the Goliath roller coaster at Six Flags Over Georgia on Monday, October 12.NBC Affiliate 11 Alive reports that the man was ejected from the car while the ride was in motion.Dozens of witnesses experienced the accident and were able to describe what they had seen to 11 Alive.One witness said that their souvenir photo captured the moment the man was e...  Read More

From Local 3 News: A traffic stop in Collegedale Friday morning led to the discovery of illegal drugs and a 4-year-old not properly secured in a child safety seat.Chattanooga woman Callie Anne Hale, 42, is now facing multiple drug and child abuse charges, according to a release from the Collegedale Police Department.A police officer pulled over Hale in the 8400 block of Apison Pike after seeing he...  Read More

From the Chattanooga Times Free Press (Read the full story HERE): Tennessee voters will decide next month whether judges should have expanded authority to deny bail to people accused of certain serious crimes.Proposed Constitutional Amendment Number One will appear on the November general election ballot.The amendment would allow judges to deny bail for defendants charged with offenses including s...  Read More

From Local 3 News (AP): A Tennessee death row inmate who survived a failed execution last month has been released from the hospital and returned to prison.50-year-old Christa Pike is back at the Debra K. Johnson Rehabilitation Center in Nashville, where she had been housed for 30 years.Pike survived two doses of lethal injection drugs during her September 30th execution attempt.She had been senten...  Read More

From Local 3 News: A man wanted in connection to a shooting in the Wolf Creek community Friday is now in custody following a SWAT arrest, according to the Rhea County Sheriff’s Office.Rhea County deputies helped McMinn County deputies serve a warrant at the apartment of 49-year-old Ricky Lee Boggess.Limited details are currently available about the shooting, but Local 3 News has reached out to McM...  Read More

For decades, Chattanooga's riverfront has been the place for big events.But now, it's getting a revamp to feel less like an event space and more like a place to enjoy every day."This is about creating a win-win for everyone," says Emily Mack, president & CEO of River City Company.The Riverfront Parks project will bring new restaurants, public restrooms, shade, seating, and recreational activities....  Read More

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says a 25-year-old man from McMinn County has been indicted and arrested after a tip last year alleged he was involved in human trafficking.According to a release from the agency, a McMinn County Grand Jury returned indictments for Exzayveon Smith on September 15, charging him with:Trafficking for commercial sex actsMoney launderingAuthorities located him in B...  Read More

Warning: readers may find the following content disturbing. Discretion is advised.From Local 3 News: OCT. 8, 2026 | UPDATE: A trial date has been set for Darron Lee, the former NFL player charged with the murder of his girlfriend.Lee appeared in court on Thursday, October 8, 2026, and was given a trial date for next year: September 27, 2027.Lee is charged with the first-degree murder of Gabriella ...  Read More

A missing person from Virginia was found dead at the bottom of a waterfall Thursday morning after authorities located their vehicle on a Signal Mountain trail.The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office says deputies were called to the 900 block of Falling Water Trail Wednesday night after someone reported a suspicious vehicle.Deputies determined the vehicle belonged to a missing person from Norfolk, Vir...  Read More