From the Chattanoogan: Two volunteer fire departments in Polk County are receiving state grants for new equipment and training.State Representative Dan Howell and Senator Tom Hatcher announced West Polk Fire Department will receive $54,260, while East Polk Fire Department will receive $43,575.The money comes through Tennessee’s Volunteer Firefighter Equipment and Training Grant Program.The grants ...  Read More

From Local 3 News: Three people were taken into custody following a car chase that started near the Frazier Community, according to the Rhea County Sheriff’s Office.A deputy attempted to perform a traffic stop for a speeding pickup truck, only for the vehicle to accelerate and appeared to try and evade law enforcement. The pursuit that followed resulted in a crash near the Mark Anton Airport.The d...  Read More

From Local 3 News: The Wright family is requesting that the City of Cleveland temporarily delay further action on Project River, which includes a proposed data center in Bradley County.In a statement, the family says it wants to bring in a third-party team of technical experts to review every aspect of the project and address concerns raised through public engagement over the last few weeks.The fa...  Read More

From Local 3 News: A 25-year-old Bradley County man is facing rape of a child charges following a child sexual abuse investigation, according to the Bradley County Sheriff’s Office.Detectives arrested Zachary Rodriguez of Cleveland on Thursday, September 17.The investigation included executing a search warrant.The case was then presented to a Bradley County Grand Jury on September 16. The grand ju...  Read More

The City of Cleveland says Monday night’s Planning Commission meeting will be held as scheduled, but commissioners will not take any votes or formal action on Project River, an $11.3 billion dollar industrial campus that would comprise of a biomass energy plant and a possible data center or another advanced manufacturing facility.The meeting is set for Monday, September 21st at 6:00 p.m. in the Ci...  Read More

From Local 3 News: UPDATE: The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office says deputies arrested two family members connected to the drowning of a 7-year-old on July 13.A Bradley County Grand Jury indicted Jean Marie Kell, 68, and Dennis Ray Page, 40, of Old Fort, Tennessee, on charges of felony murder and aggravated child abuse or neglect, according to a release from the sheriff.BCSO says both individuals a...  Read More

From Local 3 News: UPDATE: The wife of Forrest Preston, the 93-year-old founder of Life Care Centers of America, has been arrested and indicted on elderly neglect charges. She turned herself into the jail’s custody.Kim Phuong Nguyen Preston, a caretaker who married the billionaire after his first wife’s death, was previously at the center of a years-long legal conservatorship battle.Now, she is ch...  Read More

A total of 45 Halo Smart Sensors will be installed throughout McMinn County elementary and alternative schools.Using air-quality and chemical-sensing technology, the sensors detect illicit substances used in schools. The installations come from a growing concern about students using Tobacco and THC.The county says the sensors allow staff to respond quickly and quietly to incidents.McMinn County Op...  Read More

Bradley Medical Center, Vitruvian Health and Children’s Hospital at Erlanger have launched a new initiative for regional hospitals.The Erlanger Children’s Pediatric Readiness Collaborative represents an effort to maintain a network of pediatric care for the region.Through the program, hospitals can earn an Erlanger Children’s Seal of Excellence.To do so, three pathways must be completed:Pediatric ...  Read More

The Bradley County Board of Education has selected its officers for the new term.Vicki Beaty was re-elected Chairman of the Board. Ted Bryson was also re-elected as Vice Chairman. Nancy Casson was also selected to continue as the board’s Tennessee Legislative Network Representative. Casson was also recently elected to represent Southeast Tennessee on the Board of the Tennessee School Boards Associ...  Read More

From TN.gov: A Bradley County man has pleaded guilty to felony tax evasion following an investigation by the Tennessee Department of Revenue.Judge Andrew Freiberg accepted John Gibson’s guilty plea this week to one count of tax evasion.Gibson was sentenced to one year of probation and ordered to pay restitution to the state.The Tennessee Department of Revenue investigated the case and worked with ...  Read More

From the Chattanoogan: Lee University’s School of Music will present its Faculty Gala Monday night at 7:30 in Pangle Hall.The concert will feature Lee’s vocal and instrumental faculty performing a variety of classical and contemporary works, along with original compositions by members of the university’s music faculty.The Faculty Gala is free and open to the public, with no tickets required.Doors ...  Read More

From NewsChannel 9: The city recorder in Graysville has been suspended.City officials in Rhea County have confirmed the suspension took effect last week.The City of Graysville’s website identifies the city recorder as Eva Lankford.No additional information about the reason for the suspension have been provided....  Read More

From Local 3 News: Ronald Harrison Jr. has been a part of Candy's Creek Cherokee Elementary for three and a half years."He does such an amazing job keeping our building clean and, you know, ready for our kids to learn. So, we really appreciate that about him,” says school principal Sara Whitener.He does more than just keep the halls clean; he also fills them with color."We've discovered that he is...  Read More

From Local 3 News: The developers of Project River, which includes a proposed data center in Bradley County, have agreed to the City of Cleveland’s development requirements, which they say “mandate significant community benefits.” Requirements address many community concerns, including noise and light pollution, visibility from connecting roads, and environmental impacts.Project River is a propose...  Read More

Cleveland State Community College is now accepting nominations for its 2027 Community First Awards.The annual awards recognize people who give their time, talents, or financial resources to help their communities.Nominees must live in Cleveland State’s five-county service area of Bradley, McMinn, Meigs, Monroe, or Polk counties.Three awards will be presented.The Alumni of the Year award is for som...  Read More

The Bradley County Commission heard an annual report from newly elected Trustee Tim Akins during Monday’s work session.Akins said nearly 2,000 property parcels are currently enrolled in the county’s partial payment program, which allows taxpayers to spread property tax payments throughout the year.He said the program is expected to roll about $685,000 into the new tax year beginning October 1st.Ak...  Read More

The Cleveland City Council began a new term Monday, with newly elected and returning leaders taking the oath of office.Mayor Kevin Brooks was sworn in for his third term.Hiawatha Brown was sworn in as the new First District Councilwoman. She thanked District One residents for their support and said she looks forward to serving the district and city.Bill Estes was sworn in for a sixth term represen...  Read More

Lee University is reporting growth in several areas this fall, along with record retention and graduation rates.The university welcomed 705 new students for the fall 2026 semester, including freshmen, transfer students, and readmitted students.Lee’s freshman-to-sophomore retention rate reached a record 83 percent, while its graduation rate hit an all-time high of 65 percent.The university also wel...  Read More

From Local 3 News: Cleveland Utilities will begin water maintenance around Old Freewill Road NW on Wednesday, September 9.Crews will install new water meter endpoint devices. If a water meter needs to be replaced, there may be a brief water outage during the maintenance.The maintenance will take place near Mountain Brook, Mountain Pointe and Elkmont Road during normal business hours. The work coul...  Read More

From Local 3 News: A long list of agencies took part in “Operation Iron Hickory” on Friday, which resulted in the seizure of several different kinds of drugs.The District Attorney General of the Tenth Judicial District, Stephen Hatchett, says the “massive coordinated crime suppression effort” targeted repeat and violent offenders. They also sought out drug traffickers, impaired drivers, and people...  Read More

From Local 3 News: A Tennessee lawmaker is proposing a three-year pause on new data center tax exemption certificates while the state works to improve how it tracks the financial impact of those exemptions.State Rep. Aftyn Behn (D-Nashville) says she plans to file the bill for the 2027 legislative session.The proposal would require the Tennessee Department of Revenue to report the total cost of th...  Read More

From Local 3 News: The City of Cleveland, Tennessee, was selected as one of 10 state Main Street programs to boost downtown development, the City and MainStreet Cleveland announced in early September.The national firm Place + Main selected Downtown Cleveland for its new program to accelerate development and investment in the MainStreet area. Cleveland was selected out of 95 total applicants.MainSt...  Read More

The Cleveland City Schools Board of Education welcomed three new members and one returning member as the board begins a new term.The four members were sworn in by Cleveland Mayor Kevin Brooks.The board unanimously approved several new grant-funded positions, including interventionists at Arnold Memorial and Blythe-Bower Elementary, additional support at Cleveland Middle School, and a one-on-one sp...  Read More