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

From the Chattanoogan: Lee University professor Dr. Bryan Poole has been named the recipient of this year’s Excellence in Teaching Award.The award was announced during Lee University’s spring commencement ceremony by President Dr. Phil Cook.Dr. Poole is a professor of psychology and director of Lee’s Center for Teaching Excellence and faculty development. University leaders say the award recognize...  Read More