The Bradley County Commission met yesterday.Commissioners approved an annexation agreement involving nearly 20 acres along Dalton Pike.The commission voted 11-to-1 to allow County Mayor D. Gary Davis to enter into an interlocal agreement with the City of Cleveland.Property owner Aaron Ware requested the annexation as part of plans for a new commercial development. Ware said the property could incl...  Read More

From News Channel 9: A former McMinn County Sheriff’s Office deputy has been charged following a domestic violence investigation.Sheriff Joe Guy says deputies responded Sunday night to a home on Highway 39 West near Athens involving former deputy Caleb Latham.After reviewing body camera footage, witness statements, and consulting with the District Attorney’s Office, investigators obtained a warran...  Read More

From Local 3 News: Ross Elementary School students and families teamed up with art teacher Kathryn Beeh to transform original artwork into a colorful mural celebrating creativity, collaboration and community along the Cleveland/Bradley Greenway.Every nature-inspired element in the mural began as an original drawing by a Ross student.Beeh incorporated the student creations into a unified design, pr...  Read More

From Local 3 News: Copperhill Utilities has issued a boil water notice for all customers on Monday, July 20, after a water main break caused a loss of water pressure in parts of the distribution system.Utility officials said the damaged water main has been repaired and water pressure has been restored. However, because pressure dropped "below acceptable levels," there is a risk that contaminants m...  Read More

From Local 3 News: Volunteer firefighters saved a Snow Hill Road home from burning down after an electrical fire started in the home’s fuse panel.Crews with the Hwy 58 Volunteer Fire Department responded on Saturday morning just before 9:00am to find the box sparking.Pictures from the scene, which you can view above, show heavy smoke coming from the fire.Firefighters removed the power meter and pu...  Read More

From Local 3 News: Five people suffered “significant” injuries after a Polaris ATV pulled in front of another vehicle on Lower Mill Road, according to the Chattanooga Police Department.The crash happened a little before 11am on Sunday, July 19.The driver of the ATV was leaving a parking lot when it was struck by another car. The driver and all four passengers were ejected from the ATV.All five of ...  Read More

The Tennessee Department of Finance and Administration announced that state tax collections exceeded budget expectations in June.The state collected $2.5 billion in tax revenue during the month, nearly $282 million above budget estimates and more than $182 million higher than June of last year.Officials say strong sales tax collections and corporate tax revenues helped produce the surplus.The stat...  Read More

From Local 3 News: The City of Athens will officially break ground on a new fire station during a ceremonial golden shovel event on Tuesday, August 11.The ceremony is scheduled for 1:30pm at the future site of the station, located at 300 Elizabeth Street in Athens, Tennessee.City leaders say the project is a major investment in public safety and is designed to improve emergency response throughout...  Read More

From Local 3 News: A vehicle caught on fire on Interstate 75 Northbound in Bradley County on Friday, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT).As of noon on Friday, July 17, traffic was completely stopped in the northbound lanes as crews worked the fire.The fire was reported near mile marker 17 on I-75 at the Bradley Ridgecut.The left lane has now reopened, but the right lane ...  Read More

Tennessee’s unemployment rate fell to 3.5 percent in June.The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development says the rate dropped one-tenth of a percentage point from May and remains well below the national unemployment rate of 4.2 percent.Over the past year, employers across the state added more than 25,000 nonfarm jobs.The largest job gains were in health care and social assistance, le...  Read More

Today is the first day of early voting in Tennessee for the State Primary and local General Election.Early voting runs through Saturday, August 1.Bradley County voters can cast their ballot at the Election Office on Broad Street, the OCI on Urbane Road, the Northeast Recreation Center on Berry Street, or the Bradley County Fire-Rescue Training Center on Dalton Pike.Early voting hours are 9:00 a.m....  Read More

From Local 3 News: Sweetwater police are investigating a false 911 call that prompted a large law enforcement response downtown Thursday.Officers responded after a caller reported four masked individuals armed with firearms entering a business, claiming they heard gunfire and that someone had been shot.Out of caution, officers temporarily closed Main Street at the intersections of Main Street and ...  Read More

From our partners at Local 3 News: A dog died, and two other pets were rescued after a residential fire in Cleveland on Thursday, according to the Cleveland Fire Department.First-arriving crews reported a working fire and immediately began an aggressive interior attack to contain the flames.The Cleveland Fire Department thanked Bradley County EMS for their assistance at the scene....  Read More

From Local 3 News: A Cleveland septic company owner is facing charges after investigators say raw sewage was illegally dumped on U.S. Forest Service property in Polk County.According to arrest documents, Michael “Seth” Plasterer, owner of Emergency No More Septic, Drain & More, is accused of dumping sewage from one of the company’s trucks along Forest Service Road 302 in the Cherokee National Fore...  Read More

Cleveland Police are investigating an apparent murder-suicide after two people were found dead inside a home on Wednesday afternoon.Officers responded to a home on Barker Lane Northwest around 3:25 p.m., where they found Holly Jarrett and her husband, Stanley Jarrett, dead from gunshot wounds.Investigators say Holly Jarrett died from a single gunshot wound, and evidence indicates Stanley Jarrett d...  Read More

From Local 3 News: UPDATE: Deountray Dickey, who was wanted on multiple felony warrants, was taken into custody Wednesday evening after a nearly seven-hour-long manhunt, according to the Cleveland Police Department.Dickey was taken into custody at 7:56pm on July 15 by the Cleveland Police Department Crime Suppression team and the U.S. Marshals.PREVIOUS STORY: The search for Deountray Dickey, who i...  Read More

From News Channel 9: A Meigs County Sheriff’s deputy is recovering after investigators say he was ambushed during a routine patrol on Wednesday.The sheriff’s office says the deputy had stopped to speak with one person near Peakland Road and Highway 68 when a second person suddenly attacked him.Investigators say the deputy was struck with an unknown object after getting out of his patrol vehicle, b...  Read More

Cleveland City Schools has named Molly Jackson the new assistant principal at Yates Primary School.Jackson has served the Yates community for more than 16 years as a teacher, instructional facilitator, and school leader.She was named Yates Primary Teacher of the Year in 2018 and recently completed the Bradley County Public Education Foundation’s LEAD Fellows Program.Cleveland City Director of Scho...  Read More

Cleveland city leaders are considering five initial recommendations aimed at reducing homelessness and improving services for people in crisis.The recommendations were presented to the Cleveland City Council on Monday by the city and county’s Homeless Action Committee.The committee is proposing a locally supported eviction-prevention and rental-assistance fund. Officials said community organizatio...  Read More

From News Channel 9: Meigs County voters could decide in November whether to allow alcohol sales and increase the local sales tax.County leaders say both proposals are aimed at generating additional revenue to address long-standing budget challenges and rising costs.One resolution would allow alcohol sales through liquor stores, grocery stores and restaurants, with the revenue supporting the count...  Read More

From Local 3 News: A bill that would make Daylight Saving Time permanent across the country is moving to the U.S. Senate after passing the House of Representatives Tuesday by a vote of 308 to 117.The proposal would end the twice-yearly clock changes if it becomes law.Nineteen states including Tennessee, and neighboring states Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, and South Carolina have already passed st...  Read More

From News Channel 9: The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the drowning death of a child who was found in a pond on private property in the southeast part of the county.The call came in around 2:38 on Monday afternoon.First responders provided emergency care before the child was taken to a local hospital, where the child was pronounced dead.Detectives are continuing to investigate t...  Read More

From Local 3 News: CommonSpirit Hospital, formerly known as CHI Memorial, recently switched radiology providers earlier this month.The switch has caused changes in appointment availability and wait times for certain imaging scans.Longer wait times for radiology imaging results have been an issue for some patients during the month of July.This change has caused lots of feedback online. Dozens of co...  Read More

The Bradley County Commission met yesterday for a work session. The main topic of the meeting was once again a rumored data center in the Charleston area. Several residents urged Commissioners to slow any potential large-scale industrial development near the Hiwassee River, citing concerns about nearby homes, the environment, and local businesses.During public comments, B&B Marina owners Carrie an...  Read More