From WTVC News Channel 9: A major employer in our viewing area is pushing back on a report that its Charleston, Tennessee, plant could close.

Wacker Chemie told our newsroom directly on Friday: "We have no plans to close the Charleston facility."

That response comes after Reuters reported Friday (note: the story is behind a paywall) that the German chemical company is considering whether to close the plant, which employs about 600 people. Sources told the news agency that Wacker lost its two remaining customers after new U.S. trade measures.

Reuters reports Wacker could make a decision in the coming weeks, citing sources familiar with the matter who were not named because the discussions are not public.

Wacker disputes that characterization.

"The articles published today regarding Section 232 and its impact on WACKER suggests that WACKER has plans to close its facility in Charleston, Tennessee," a company spokesperson told our newsroom. "In response, we can say: We have no plans to close the Charleston facility."

Read the full story HERE.

From Local 3 News: The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office is providing more information about its use of automated license plate reader cameras. Controversy over these types of cameras, often called Flock cameras,  has sprouted up across the country.

The Sheriff’s Office says it currently has 11 Motorola ALPR cameras at seven locations across Bradley County.

The cameras were obtained through a state grant the sheriff’s office applied for with the Cleveland Police Department.

The Sheriff’s Office says the cameras are used strictly as investigative tools to help develop leads in criminal cases, identify vehicles connected to crimes, and locate missing people.

Every search requires supervisor approval, a valid case number, and a legitimate law enforcement purpose.

Data collected by the cameras is kept for no more than 30 days and, according to the Sheriff’s Office, cannot be used to track an individual’s movements.

The cameras do not use facial recognition or collect information about people inside vehicles.

They also cannot be used for speed detection or enforcement.

The Sheriff’s Office says the technology can be a valuable public-safety tool when used under clearly defined policies and safeguards.

From Local 3 News: UPDATE: No chants. No shouting. Just signs and a steady stream of people walking through the city of Cleveland.

Dozens of residents gathered Sunday evening to show their opposition to an $11.3 billion energy campus proposal known as Project River.

The protest was organized by Cleveland resident, Isaiah Bayliss, who says he wanted to turn the growing online conversation into something people could see in person.

“I wanted to organize something where we can kind of be seen and not heard,” Bayliss said. “It's just a show of numbers to let people know, raise more awareness, and kind of have a polite, respectful, organized group just working together.”

From teens to people in their 80s, the demonstration brought people of all ages together.

“This proposed project… it doesn't care if you're young or old, doesn't care which side of the political parties you're aligned with. This is something that's going to have a big impact on the area, and so I just wanted to see an organized group of people come together,” Bayliss said.

Another protestor, Debbie Bise, says she has a personal connection to the 850-acre plot of land the proposed campus would be built on near Lower River Road in Charleston.
She is concerned about the potential negative impacts Project River could have on the environment and the Hiwassee River.

“The river situation is already hectic out there now,” Bise said. “You put nine barges per day, going right past our property and the BNB Marina up that river. Where are you going to fish? Where are you going to boat? Where are you going to do jet skiing?”

Developers behind Project River say the proposal is about more than just an energy campus, but a way to bring in millions of dollars of revenue and hundreds of jobs to Bradley County, helping advance the growing region.

“Here in Bradley County, we've got the opportunity to tie it all together with this, you know, energy and technology campus,” said Mitchell Simpson, President and CEO of Wright Brothers Construction. “We're not trying to hide behind it. It very well could be a data center, but we also need to recognize that we could have advanced manufacturing here.”

In the meantime, Project River developers still have to go through zoning changes and ecological surveys before the county approves plans.

But protesters say they want more answers before that happens.

For the protesters, the message is simple: They want to be seen and they want county leaders and developers to pay attention.

Bradley County, Cleveland City, Polk County, and Meigs County Schools will all dismiss early again today because of continued high temperatures and concerns about afternoon heat on school buses.

Cleveland High School and Cleveland Middle School will dismiss at 11 a.m., and elementary schools will dismiss at noon.

Bradley County elementary schools will dismiss at 11:30 a.m., while middle and high schools will dismiss at 12:15 p.m.

Meigs County Schools will dismiss all schools at 1 p.m.

Polk County Schools will dismiss all schools at noon.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation says interstate and state highway lane closures will be suspended during the Labor Day holiday travel period.

TDOT construction crews will stop lane-closure activities at noon today and resume on 6 a.m. on Tuesday, September 8.

The department says the suspension is intended to provide maximum roadway capacity during the busy holiday travel period.

Construction workers may still be present in some work zones, and drivers are reminded to obey posted speed limits and move over for first responders and HELP trucks.

From Local 3 News: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library delivers free books to children under the age of five all over the world.

Since 2004, the library has delivered more than 304 million books worldwide.

Last year, around 70% of students here in Tennessee were enrolled in the program.
 
Tennessee State Senator Bo Watson, running for reelection this November, and Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton pledge to fund 100% of the cost.

Right now, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library is funded 50% by the state and 50% by local communities and non-profits.

Senator Watson says some areas struggle to raise the funds more than others.

“Currently, the state funds a large portion of the Imagination Library. Local governments or local communities and nonprofits have to raise a match. There are a number of communities that really struggle with that just because they're small, particularly in our rural areas,” Watson said.

He says the change could relieve those communities of the cost and hopes they would use that money to continue encouraging literacy.

“I would be hopeful that if we remove the burden of having to raise funds for the Imagination Library, that it allows the local entity, the local nonprofit, to use those resources in some other avenue that again helps promote literacy and early learning,” Watson said.

Next steps for the initiative will progress after the November election. Watson says it is up to the next Governor or Legislature to add the cost in the 2027 budget. He says it will be an estimated $5.1 million increase.

The budget will be reassessed yearly.

“This would be a recurring expense, but obviously, the legislature and the finance committees can look at it. There's nothing that is completely shielded from budgetary oversight,” Watson said.

Watson says this pledge honors Dolly Parton and her legacy the way she would have wanted.

“She didn't choose an airport. She didn't choose a bridge. She didn't choose a road or a building. She chose literacy as her main purpose. With all of her philanthropy, and of course that spread nationwide and worldwide. So I think members will see that as yeah, this is actually the legacy that Dolly would have written for herself,” he said.

Lee University will once again offer English as a Second Language classes to the community through its Center for English Language and Literacy.

The 10-week program begins Thursday, September 10, with classes meeting each Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 in the Walker Memorial Building on Lee’s campus.

Childcare will be available for children ages one through six, while children ages seven through 12 can participate in age-appropriate English lessons and activities led by trained Lee University students.

Registration information is available through Lee University’s Center for English Language and Literacy.

Opponents of the proposed Project River industrial campus held a protest Thursday afternoon across from Wright Brothers Construction in Bradley County.

Around 15 demonstrators gathered to voice concerns about the estimated $11.3 billion project.

The developers are seeking the rezoning and annexation of about 800 acres into the city of Cleveland. Both requests would require approval from the Cleveland City Council.

According to the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Wright Brothers Construction closed their offices at 4:30 yesterday for the safety of their employees. They also left bottles of water outside for the protesters because of the heat.

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has announced that Bradley County native and former State Senator Mike Bell is returning to the agency as special assistant to the executive director.

Bell returns to TWRA after two years with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, where he served as assistant commissioner for fire prevention.

Bell previously served as TWRA’s legislative director from 2022 to 2024.

He will return to the agency September 14 and serve as one of its liaisons to the Tennessee General Assembly, working with lawmakers and helping support TWRA’s legislative priorities.

Bell is a Bradley County native and has lived in McMinn County since 1989. He spent 16 years in the Tennessee General Assembly, first as a state representative and later as a state senator.

Bell also previously served as a volunteer with Claxton Community Volunteer Emergency Services and earned his first responder certification.

The Tennessee School Counselor Association has named Dawn Cox of Bradley County Schools as its 2026 Administrator of the Year.

The association says Cox is being recognized for her leadership, advocacy, and commitment to strengthening school-based mental health services.

Cox will be recognized at the Tennessee School Counselor and Administrator Leadership Institute later this month.

A Cleveland funeral home owner has filed a formal complaint with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance over conditions and business practices at Sunset Memorial Gardens and Hillcrest Memorial Gardens.

Ralph Buckner, Jr. filed the complaint with the state’s Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers and Burial Services on August 20.

Buckner is asking state officials to investigate several allegations involving the two Cleveland cemeteries.

His complaint alleges poor maintenance of cemetery grounds, including overgrown grass and damaged or neglected markers.

Buckner also raises concerns about conditions inside an enclosed mausoleum where his daughter and both of his parents are entombed. He alleges the building does not have functioning air conditioning or adequate climate control and says there has been an ongoing odor inside.

Buckner says the marker outside his daughter’s crypt has been damaged and lying on the ground since at least December of last year, despite several requests to have it repaired.

The complaint also questions a cemetery policy that Buckner says prevents families from holding committal services at the actual gravesite. He says families instead have services under a tent at another location on cemetery grounds and alleges that the policy is not always clearly disclosed in advance.

Buckner is also asking the state to investigate a dispute over opening and closing fees for a burial lot he owned at Sunset Memorial Gardens. He alleges the deed showed those costs had already been paid, but the cemetery later sought an additional payment of approximately $3,970.

Local residents and some elected officials are continuing to discuss an $11.3 billion industrial development proposed for Bradley County. Project River would include an on-site biomass and natural gas power plant, and a possible data center or another industrial project at a later date.

As we have covered here on WCLE, a meeting was held Tuesday night at the PIE Center for the public to receive information from the developers.
 
Three elected officials weighed in on the proposal on social media yesterday.

State Senator J. Adam Lowe, who lives across the river from the proposed development, says he has deliberately tried to separate his personal concerns as a nearby resident from his responsibilities as a state official.

Lowe said, “No one at the state of Tennessee level currently has the authority to stop development on private property that is done lawfully.”

He says the decision over annexation rests with Cleveland City Council, while his role as state senator is to ensure state laws and environmental regulations are followed.

Lowe acknowledged the project could personally impact his family and neighbors, but said it would be improper to use his elected position to influence a local decision for his own benefit. He encouraged residents to take their concerns to local elected officials.

Cleveland City Councilman Duane Goff also posted on social media criticizing the behavior of some in attendance at Tuesday’s meeting.

Goff said people repeatedly talked, yelled and heckled speakers, adding, “Disagreement is healthy. Disrespect is not.”

Much of the frustration at the meeting came from residents who wanted to directly question the panel. Attendees were instead asked to submit questions electronically using a QR code, with selected questions read by a moderator.

Goff encouraged residents to continue asking hard questions, but to listen to the answers and treat others respectfully.

Bradley County General Sessions Judge Clay Collins, meanwhile, has publicly come out against the proposed project.

Collins said it was clear to him that the “vast majority” of residents at the meeting opposed the data center and biomass power plant, with concerns ranging from pollution and traffic to the project’s impact on the community.

Collins defended residents who have been outspoken, saying, “It isn’t ‘uppity’ to ask questions and get annoyed when those questions aren’t and/or can’t be answered.”

He said elected officials should be listening to their constituents and, while acknowledging that project supporters see potential benefits for Bradley County, Collins said, “I strongly disagree.”

The Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce has announced the 2026-27 Leadership Cleveland class.

Twenty-six local professionals were selected, making this the largest class in the program’s history.

Participants represent local businesses, nonprofits, schools, financial institutions and public organizations.

The nine-month program includes sessions on economic development, education, government, health care, tourism, community services and quality of life.

Chamber Vice President of Operations Lisa Fain says the program is designed to help participants better understand the community while building relationships with other emerging leaders.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation says interstate and state highway lane closures will be suspended during the Labor Day holiday travel period.

TDOT construction crews will stop lane-closure activities at noon Friday, September 4, and resume them at 6 a.m. Tuesday, September 8.

The department says the suspension is intended to provide maximum roadway capacity during the busy holiday travel period.

Construction workers may still be present in some work zones, and drivers are reminded to obey posted speed limits and move over for first responders and HELP trucks.

Drivers convicted of speeding in a work zone while workers are present can face fines ranging from $250 to $500, plus court costs.

Visitor spending in Bradley County topped $200 million in 2025, according to newly released Tennessee tourism statistics.

Visitors spent $203.4 million in Bradley County last year, an increase of 3.5 percent from the previous year.

Visitor spending generated $20.3 million in state and local taxes, representing an estimated tax savings of $477 per Bradley County household.

Bradley County ranked 16th among Tennessee’s 95 counties for visitor spending, moving up one spot from 2024.

Melissa Woody with the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce says spending at local hotels, restaurants, shops, events and attractions helps reduce the tax burden on residents.

Statewide, travelers spent more than $32.5 billion in Tennessee during 2025.

A large crowd of residents gathered last night at the PIE Center to ask questions about Project River, a proposed $11.3 billion industrial development in northern Bradley County.

The proposed 850-acre project would be located west of Interstate 75 and north of Old Lower River Road along the Hiwassee River. The Wright Family, owners of Wright Brothers Construction, announced the project publicly at the end of August.

Some residents have raised concerns about transparency and the potential environmental impact of the development.

Project River would include an on-site power plant, and developers say a data center is likely, although it has not been confirmed. In an interview with WCLE’s Steve Hartline, Wright Brothers CEO Mitchell Simpson says the power plant would generate electricity using natural gas and biomass.

Developers say the project would primarily generate its own electricity and would not use municipal water for daily operations or draw water from the Hiwassee River.

Some attendees were upset that they did not get to ask questions of the panel from the floor. Attendees had to pre-submit questions using a QR code as they came into the facility.
 
A second public meeting is scheduled for Saturday, September 12, from 10 a.m. until noon.

WDEF is reporting that an annexation request for Project River should head to the Cleveland Planning Commission on September 15 at 6 p.m.

This is a different an annexation request from last month for a piece of property closer to Interstate 75 on Lower River Road which is planned to be developed for restaurants and lodging off of exit 33.

That parcel was recommended by the Planning Commission at their August meeting, but has not been approved the Cleveland City Council.

From the Chattanoogan: A former Meigs County deputy says officers were required to work with defective vehicles and that inmate trusties performed maintenance on patrol cars.

Jacob Green made the statements to attorneys in a federal lawsuit stemming from the February 2024 deaths of Deputy R.J. Leonard and Tabitha Smith.

Leonard was transporting Smith when his patrol car entered the Tennessee River. Both died. The lawsuit alleges old equipment and  a lack of GPS availability were main causes of the wreck.
 
During his testimony, Green described internal problems at the Meigs County Sheriff’s Office, including an alleged physical confrontation with a supervisor and what Green says was “a lack of follow-up” after the incident was reported.

Leonard’s widow, Christa Leonard, also testified that her husband had previously been assigned a patrol car that allowed carbon monoxide into the vehicle. She says he repeatedly reported the problem and the vehicle remained unsafe after being worked on.

Green says deputies were also warned to learn county roads because GPS service could be unreliable.

Bradley County’s newly elected officials will officially begin their new terms today with a public swearing-in ceremony at 9:00 am at the Courthouse Plaza.

The public is invited to attend.
 
WCLE will broadcast the event live on MixTV.TV.

The City of Cleveland announced on social media, that Tinsley Park will be closed this week while crews stripe the newly paved parking lot.

The park will be closed through September 4.

Also, the portion of the Greenway beneath the Raider Drive Bridge will also be closed today and Wednesday from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m.

A public meeting concerning a proposed 11-billion-dollar industrial development in Charleston will take place tonight at 6 PM at the Pie Center.

The meeting is open to the public and is hosted by the Wright family who is proposing the project.
 
Project River would create an industrial campus supporting energy-sector manufacturing, and potentially a data center, robotics or semiconductor production.

Developers say the project would be self-powered by an on-site plant generating 1,000 megawatts from natural gas and another 500 megawatts from biomass using pine trees.

Some in the community have raised concerns about a facility of that size and it’s proximity to the Hiwassee River and nearby residents.
 
The first public meeting on Project River is tonight at 6 at the PIE Center.

WCLE will cover the meeting live on MixTV.TV.

From Local 3 News: A man was arrested and charged with armed robbery on August 27 by the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office.

The sheriff’s office says the robbery occurred on August 23 at the Dollar General on 2175 Spring Place Road in Cleveland. Deputies say that during the store’s closing time, Keionte Richards held employees at gunpoint and demanded money from the registers.

He fled the scene, and deputies identified Richards as the suspect.

After being arrested, he faces the following charges:

• Aggravated robbery
• Theft under $1,000
• Firearm use in association with dangerous felonies
• Introduction of contraband into a penal institution
• Possession of methamphetamine

As of August 30, Richards is being held without bond in the Bradley County Jail.

From Local 3 News: Twelve schools in the Tennessee Valley rank among the top 100 high schools in the state for 2026-2027.

One Chattanooga school ranked in the top 10: Chattanooga High School Center for Creative Arts (CCA). This school has a 100% graduation rate, with 404 students enrolled.

The rankings come from a study by U.S. News & World Report, which ranks schools based on performance on state-required tests, graduation rates, and how well students are prepared for college.

Local schools in the top 100:

• #9 — Chattanooga High School Center for Creative Arts
• #25 — Signal Mountain Middle/High School
• #27 — Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy
• #29 — East Hamilton School
• #44 — Hamilton County Collegiate High at Chattanooga State
• #45 — Chattanooga School for the Arts and Sciences
• #60 — Soddy Daisy High School
• #63 — Cleveland High School
• #67 — Central High School
• #90 — Walker Valley High School
• #93 — STEM School Chattanooga
• #99 — Lookout Valley Middle-High School

WARNING: Some readers may find the details of this story, or the pictures and video, disturbing.

From Local 3 News: Dash camera video shows an Arkansas State Police trooper punching and yanking a former UTC basketball player by the dreadlocks after a high-speed chase.

Tedrick Washington Jr., 24, was a backseat passenger during the multi-agency pursuit late Wednesday, August 19, according to records NEA Report obtained and shared with Local 3 News.

One trooper said he reached speeds over 140 miles per hour trying to catch up with the car.

Trooper Theodore Henderson is seen in the dashcam video ordering Washington to crawl out of the baton-smashed window before grabbing and forcefully pulling his dreadlocks while he struggles to open the door.

At one point, Henderson punched Washington on the left side of his face with a closed fist, later writing in his narrative that it appeared the suspect “postured up” as if he was preparing to strike him.The trooper is seen continuing to pull Washington by the arm and hair through the window until an officer from the Gosnell Police Department came around and pulled him through the semi-opened door.

Out of view of the dash camera, they take him to the ground, where they say he continued to tense up and pull away. The trooper says he struck him one more time when he was not complying with the other officer before his arrest.

Police then charged Washington with obstruction of governmental operations and resisting arrest.

The driver of the car, Adonerus Johnson, tried to flee by crawling through the backseat but was placed at gunpoint, tased, and arrested. He is charged with:

• Driving under the influence
• Speeding more than 15 mph over the limit
• Reckless driving
• Fleeing (felony) vehicle or conveyance
• DWI 1st
• Resisting arrest
• Unauthorized use of another person’s property to facilitate a felony
• No seatbelt
• Failure to stop at a red light
• Improper passing on the right

The front-seat passenger complied with all commands and was later released by police.

Documents NEA Report obtained and shared with our newsroom show that the Gosnell Police Department administration found that their officer’s display of a firearm and hands-on force on Johnson was justified under the department’s policy.

Henderson provided a detailed account of his actions toward Washington in the incident report, but there is no similar paperwork on his use of force.

Washington has bonded out of the Mississippi County Detention Center. We have reached out to him for comment, but he has not responded.

He posted on his public Facebook page the following statement:
“Appreciate everybody for checking in I'm doing fine!! Justice will be served I want my story be heard!!!”

The Blytheville native signed with Chattanooga in the spring of 2025 as a transfer and appeared in 31 games, making 20 starts, UTC says on their website.

From Local 3 News: A 33-year-old man is facing serious charges after the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office says he hit a deputy with his ATV while fleeing from Polk County authorities on Thursday.

The North Carolina agency says they were notified by their Tennessee partners across the border, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, that Thomas Lee Prince was escaping from them on US 64.

Tennessee deputies called off the chase on Pack Mountain, where a North Carolina later deputy found the suspect on his ATV and attempted a traffic stop.

Prince reportedly tried fleeing again but got stuck on the shoulder of the roadway. The deputy approached him and “challenged him” in the roadway, according to CCSO, but Prince was able to free the ATV and accelerated toward the deputy, striking and knocking him to the ground.

Fortunately, the deputy was not seriously hurt, as he was able to get up and return to his patrol car to continue the pursuit.

The chase ultimately ended on Candy Mountain Road, where a fight ensued. Deputies say they tased Prince to subdue him and took him into custody.

Now, he’s facing the following charges:

• Felony assault on a law enforcement officer with a deadly weapon
• Assault on a law enforcement officer inflicting injury
• Felony flee to elude arrest
• Felony resisting arrest

Cherokee County Sheriff Chris Wood says his deputies have shown remarkable dedication and motivation recently:

“The first mistake that Mr. Prince made was crossing the Polk County – Cherokee County line […] In this incident, our deputy’s training kicked in, and he showed excellent resolve in a stressful situation. This type of reckless behavior is unacceptable, and we will not sit passively by while things like this occur. I can’t begin to tell you how thankful I am that our deputy was not seriously injured.”

The ESPN Cleveland 101.3 Community Kickoff Games are here!

Cleveland and Walker Valley squared off last night. Cleveland came from behind, despite a couple of weather delays to win 48 to 20.  

If you missed the game, you can stream a replay at MixTV.TV.

Bradley Central will travel to McMinn County tonight to play in one of Tennessee’s longest high school rivalry games.
 
Listen live to Bear game coverage on ESPN Cleveland 101.3. Watch live at MixTV.TV.

Download our free Mix 104.1 & ESPN Cleveland 101.3 Apps to listen/watch from your mobile device!

Pre-game coverage starts at 6 p.m. and the game begins at 7 p.m.

ESPN Cleveland 101.3 Community Kickoff Games Presented By: Warren & Griffin, P.C.
 
MixTV.TV High School Football TV Coverage Driven By: Mtn View Nissan of Cleveland
 
Mix 104.1 High School Football Radio Coverage Presented By: Cleveland Ford