Posts with the category “local-news”

The Cleveland City Schools Board of Education approved several major expenditures during Monday night’s meeting, including new school buses, replacement turf at Cleveland High School, and HVAC improvements at Mayfield Elementary.The board approved purchasing four 78-passenger buses and one special education bus for approximately $916,000. Transportation officials say the district’s aging fleet has...  Read More

From Local 3 News: Following the July 1 Tennessee law banning the sale of kratom, a crackdown on those products recently took place in Bradley, McMinn, Monroe, and Polk counties.The 10th Judicial District Attorney General, Stephen Hatchett, asked these counties to surrender any remaining kratom products to local law enforcement on October 29.Officials distributed informational flyers to businesses...  Read More

Tennessee has elected its first female governor. Marsha Blackburn will be Tennessee’s next Governor. Blackburn won with a razor-thin margin of approximately 45.5% of the vote.  At the time of this recording, one county had three precincts still not reporting. Democratic challenger Jeri Green conceded around 11:45 pm last night before the AP had officially called the race. Green received 42.9% of t...  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

Bradley Central High School was placed on lockdown yesterday following a report of a stabbing. School administrators initiated the lockdown at the direction of the school resource officer.Additional law enforcement and emergency personnel responded to the campus and found no safety concerns. Detectives responded to investigate and were able to quickly identify a juvenile who was responsible for th...  Read More

Two people have been arraigned on murder and abuse charges in the death of a 20-year-old Bradley County woman.Jason Michael Bennett and Rodnie Elaine Bradford each face six felony charges, including two counts of first-degree murder, in the death of Erin Childers.Court records describe Childers as a nonverbal adult with developmental disabilities and Type 1 diabetes.Prosecutors allege the pair rou...  Read More

A former Cleveland Middle School teacher convicted of secretly recording underage girls in a school locker room was back in court yesterday.Christopher Dalton Schroll appeared before a judge on an alleged sex offender registry violation.Schroll was convicted of two counts of aggravated unlawful photographing of a minor following his arrest in 2022.Investigators say a student discovered a hidden ca...  Read More

The Bradley County Commission met yesterday for a work session.The Commission voted unanimously to amend its rules governing public comments during meetings.The changes allow speakers five minutes to address commissioners, with additional time possible by a commission vote. The rules also require respectful behavior and allow disruptive speakers to be removed.The commission also voted 13 to zero t...  Read More

The City of Cleveland is inviting residents to experience the historic downtown freight depot in a whole new way this month.Creative Spark: Destination Unknown takes place Thursday, November 12th, at the freight depot located at 225 Edwards Street Southeast.The free event will feature live music, theater, visual art, and interactive experiences designed to get residents thinking about new possibil...  Read More

From Local 3 News: OCT. 30, 2026 | UPDATE: A Cleveland High School student was arrested and faces charges after police found a handgun in his vehicle Friday morning.Cleveland Police told Local 3 that a school administrator received an anonymous tip that the student took a firearm to his job on a different day.School administration then searched the student’s vehicle and found a handgun under the p...  Read More

From Local 3 News: Starting on Monday, November 2, the Tennessee Department of Transportation will begin their bridge rehabilitation work on the SR 60 bridge over the Tennessee River.In June of 2026, TDOT said the bridge was deemed safe for travel despite a TDOT report from 2022 that lists the bridge as being in “poor” condition.At 9:00am Monday, the bridge will be reduced to one lane, with traffi...  Read More

Don’t forget, Daylight Saving Time ends this weekend.Clocks will fall back one hour at 2:00 a.m. Sunday morning, November 1st.That means an extra hour of sleep Saturday night!Remember to set your clocks back one hour before going to bed Saturday, unless they update automatically....  Read More

The Polk County Board of Education has voted to place longtime Superintendent Dr. James Jones on paid administrative leave.The decision came during a special-called meeting Thursday night, following a closed-door executive session.The board approved three separate motions, including appointing Nick Radcliffe as a liaison between Jones and the board during contract negotiations.Board members also v...  Read More

From Local 3 News: Federal prosecutors charged 24 people in an alleged Middle Tennessee drug-trafficking operation authorities say was linked to the Sinaloa cartel.The charges were announced in Nashville Wednesday.The 33-count indictment alleges the organization moved hundreds of kilograms of methamphetamine, fentanyl and cocaine while laundering millions of dollars in drug proceeds.Prosecutors sa...  Read More

From Local 3 News: Centerstone, a nonprofit behavioral health organization, opened a new clinic in Cleveland, Tennessee, on October 29.The clinic is located on the fourth floor of the Ocoee Corporate Center at 3855 N. Ocoee Street. Centerstone recently entered into a lease agreement for more than 8,600 square feet of space.The grand opening took place on Thursday, October 29, at 9:00am. It include...  Read More

From the Chattanoogan: The City of Cleveland in Bradley County is among the 14 Tennessee Main Street and Tennessee Downtowns communities announced as recipients of Downtown Improvement Grants (DIGs) by Governor Bill Lee and Deputy Governor and Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Stuart C. McWhorter on Wednesday.“Our rural communities are the backbone of our economy, and I...  Read More

From News 12: The Rhea County Commission has voted to stop pursuing a proposed nuclear energy campus following strong opposition from residents.In September, commissioners supported beginning discussions about a possible facility that could store and recycle nuclear waste.County leaders initially saw the project as an opportunity to create jobs and bring additional revenue to the area.However, res...  Read More

From Local 3 News: The Tennessee Highway Safety Office is distributing $25 million in federal grants across the state for highway safety education and enforcement.The grants were awarded to law enforcement agencies and highway safety partners across the Volunteer State.Here’s what each agency was granted across the Tennessee Valley and how those funds will be used:Bledsoe CountyPikeville Police De...  Read More

From Local 3 News: The deadline for students to apply for TN Promise is approaching.High school seniors can apply for the scholarship until Monday, November 2.TN Promise covers tuition and mandatory fees that are not already paid for by the Pell Grant, HOPE Scholarship or Tennessee Student Assistance Award.This gives students eligibility for tuition-free college through TN Promise. New this year, ...  Read More

From Local 3 News: Tennessee Governor Bill Lee proposed to bring the United States Space Academy to the Volunteer State.Earlier this year, President Donald Trump established the U.S. Space Academy, which aims to strengthen America’s space workforce and educate the next generation of workers.The academy is designed for the education of astronauts, engineers, scientists, technicians and operators.NA...  Read More

From Local 3 News: The Chattanooga Airport has received additional funding from the State of Tennessee for a new parking garage. On Tuesday, October 27, the Airport announced it had received an additional $9,255,200 in funding.In total, the Airport has received more than $22 million in state grants for the new parking garage, which will cost $35 million in total. State funding will cover about 95%...  Read More

The 39th Annual MainStreet Cleveland Downtown Halloween Block Party returns this Saturday, October 31, with an evening of free family-friendly activities.The fun begins at 5 p.m. with festival food, bounce houses, children’s games, and DJ dance music on Broad Street.Live music begins at 5:30 p.m. with Tyson Leamon performing on the courthouse stage.Mars Wrigley’s Treat Street opens at 6 p.m., offe...  Read More

From News Channel 9: A Tennessee fisherman has landed a new state record while fishing in the Ocoee River.Heath Jordan caught a record-breaking northern hogsucker on October 8th while fishing with his twin sons, just a few miles downstream from the Ocoee Dam.Jordan wasn’t even trying to catch a hogsucker. He was fishing for spotted bass when he spotted the unusually large fish and decided to cast ...  Read More

From Local 3 News: On Tuesday morning, Bradley Central High School broke ground on a community safe room.The Bradley County Community Safe Room Project is funded through FEMA’s Hazard Mitigation Grant Program.The project will feature a dual-purpose facility at Bradley Central High School.It will serve as both a science wing during regular school hours and as a community safe room during severe wea...  Read More

The Charleston City Commission voted Monday morning to continue discussions about potentially changing Bradley County’s urban growth boundaries amid concerns over proposed data center developments in northern Bradley County.During a special called meeting, residents urged Mayor David Lattimore and commissioners to request a review of the City of Cleveland’s urban growth boundary, particularly in t...  Read More

The Bradley County Commission met Monday evening, with commissioners receiving updates on upcoming committee meetings and county business.Commissioner Denny  Collins reported that the Legal and Legislative Committee met earlier in the day to review the County Commission’s rules of procedure.Under Tennessee law, the commission is required to adopt rules of procedure every four years following the e...  Read More

The Cleveland City Council voted Monday to move forward with a management agreement for several city recreation facilities, including Waterville Golf Course.After lengthy debate over financial protections, council approved an agreement with Sports Facilities Management that includes a five-year term and three optional five-year renewals.Councilman Duane Goff raised concerns about potential termina...  Read More

The MainStreet Cleveland Christmas Parade will have a new starting location and route, after 37 years of staging at Bradley Central High School.The annual parade returns Saturday, December 5th, at 6 p.m., but construction at Bradley Central means organizers must move to a new staging area.Parade participants will now gather in the large parking lot at Third Street Southeast and Edwards Street Sout...  Read More

Local storytellers will share spooky tales Tuesday night during the annual Spirits, Legends and Lore event at the Bradley County Courthouse.The free event begins at 6:30 on the Ocoee Street side of the courthouse. Organizers encourage everyone to bring a lawn chair and blanket.If it rains, the program will move inside to the courthouse basement. Ocoee Street will be closed near the courthouse duri...  Read More

From News Channel 9: A Bradley County grand jury has indicted two people in connection with the death of a 20-year-old woman who authorities say was locked in a 42-inch dog cage in May.Indictments we obtained say the grand jury found Jason Michael Bennett and Rodnie Elaine Bradford responsible for the death of Erin Childers on October 21.According to the documents, Childers was non-verbal, develop...  Read More

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

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