Local News

Bradley Medical Center says United Healthcare rejected its counteroffer and ended negotiations, putting local patient care at risk.The hospital says UHC gave them only two days to accept a proposal that pays less than the cost of care.BMC says Parkridge Hospital gets significantly higher payments from UHC for the same services. For example, an ER visit is reimbursed at nearly $3,000 at Parkridge b...

From News Channel 9: A Decatur, Tennessee woman is suing United Airlines, claiming the company fired her for refusing to get a COVID-19 vaccine that violated her Christian beliefs.Christina DeBusk, a former United supervisor, worked remotely from her farmhouse in Meigs County for more than five years before her termination in November 2021. She had been with the airline for 26 years, holding senio...

From Local 3 News: Starting January 1, 2026, Tennessee will have a new public safety law aimed at preventing repeat domestic violence and protecting potential victims.Savanna's Law was passed this year and is named after Savanna Pucket, a Tennessee Sheriff's Deputy who was killed in 2022 by a former partner who had a history of domestic violence.The law requires the state to keep a list of people ...

From Local 3 News: AAA recently released its Year-EndHoliday Travel Forecast: a prediction of how many people we can see on the roads and in the skies as we reach the end of 2025.They estimate 122.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home over the last few weeks of the year. This number is a 2.7 percent increase from the numbers we saw last year and surpasses that record of nearl...

From News Channel 9: Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti is suing Roblox, accusing the platform of deceiving families and endangering children.The lawsuit claims Roblox misled users about safety risks and prioritized profit over child protection.Skrmetti said, “Roblox is the digital equivalent of a creepy cargo van lingering at the edge of a playground.”He says the company reduced child s...

From Local 3 News: The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation is leading an investigation in Polk County after a Tennessee Highway Patrol trooper fired his service weapon at a man, and the man then shot himself.The shooting happened Sunday night in Reliance, near Spring Creek Road.The Polk County Sheriff's Office and the Tennessee Highway Patrol were responding to a call of a man experiencing "mental h...

From Local 3 News: Blood Assurance is offering an incentive to all donors through December 31.Donors can receive a $25 eGift card as the non-profit says they are facing a critical holiday blood shortage.To be eligible to donate, you must be at least 17 years old, or 16 with parental consent, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in good health.Donors are asked to eat a full meal and hydrate before don...

The Bradley County Trustee’s Office has received a positive audit for the 2024-2025 fiscal year.Trustee Mike Smith said the audit was performed by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office and found no year-end adjustments were needed.The Trustee’s Office processed more than 53,000 parcels with 100% accuracy.This marks the tenth year the office has also handled property taxes for the City of Charleston.S...

From Local 3 News: Tennessee Governor Bill Lee announced Thursday, December 18, that he has granted executive clemency to 33 individuals across the state. Country music star Jelly Roll, legally named Jason DeFord, was among those pardoned.“After thoroughly reviewing the merits of each case, I have decided to grant 33 individuals executive clemency,” said Gov. Lee. “Each individual case is unique a...

From Local 3 News: A 64-year-old woman is dead after a camper fire in the 900 block of County Road 20 in McMinn County.Now, special agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, alongside the McMinn County Sheriff's Office, are working to determine what led to the fatal fire.Firefighters from multiple agencies responded to the scene Thursday, December 18, according to the TBI.After they extin...

From Local 3 News: Tennessee could get a new childhood cancer license plate, but they first need a minimum of 1,000 preorders.The Childhood Cancer Organization and The Grayson Foundation are trying to bring the new plates to Tennessee. The preorder deadline is January 6, 2026.There have only been 610 preorders out of the 1,000 needed. It costs $40 to preorder a plate, and you can do so here.If you...

A local sports legend is being remembered for his impact on and off the field.Alphonso Martin, known as “Mr. Bradley”, passed away this week.Martin was a three-sport standout at Bradley Central from 1979 to 1981, later playing baseball at Seminole State and the University of Tennessee. He went on to play semipro baseball and returned home to coach and mentor young athletes.Martin’s legacy is remem...

Another Bradley County Commissioner has announced he will not seek re-election.District 7 Commissioner Josh Rogers said he made the decision after careful reflection and prayer, choosing to prioritize his family and other responsibilities.He said serving Bradley County has been one of the greatest honors of his life, and emphasized his commitment to continue serving the community outside of electe...

Bradley County is no longer an option for the proposed replacement of Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute, according to State Senator Adam Lowe.Lowe told our news partners at Local 3 yesterday that the state would be searching for another location. The Bradley County Commission united against the proposal Monday in a unanimous vote to send a letter to state officials officially objecting to a st...

From News Channel 9: Police officers in Sweetwater shot and killed a man Monday night after they say he advanced toward them with a knife.Officers were called just after 7:30 p.m. to a business in the 900 block of South Main Street on a shoplifting report.When they arrived, they located the man and started chasing after him, according to a release from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI).F...

From Local 3 News: Shock and disbelief sounded across the room at Tuesday night's Bradley County commission meeting when things took an unexpected turn after an item not on the agenda took center stage: discussion of a piece of property located off of exit 20 on Pleasant Grove Rd. for the building of a new Moccasin Bend mental health facility."We've had zero meetings, community meetings, and conve...

From Local 3 News: UPDATE: Two people died in a house fire in McMinn County Tuesday evening, prompting a partial closure of State Route 163, Sheriff Joe Guy says.The fire started around 6:15pm. Once the fire was under control, two deceased people were found. TBI Arson Investigators are now on the scene and will lead the investigation, Sheriff Guy says.We have a crew on scene working to learn more....

From the Chattanooga: Cleveland Police have made an arrest in an armed robbery at Harry’s Food Mart, 4600 North Lee Highway, that occurred last Monday.The store was robbed by a lone armed subject. Information gathered from the initial investigation, combined with online tips and the work of Sergeant Russell Fredricks of the CPD Intel Unit, developed a suspect.  Based on this information Detective ...

From NewsChannel 9: An investigation by the Tennessee Department of Revenue (TDOR) led to the owner of a tropical fish store in Cleveland pleading guilty to tax evasion.The department says a judge accepted Eric Wayne Helton's guilty plea last Friday.Helton's charges stem from his failure to remit collected sales tax for the Aquatic Den, located on Keith St NW in Cleveland.TDOR says Helton was sent...

The Bradley County Commission met yesterday. County Mayor Gary Davis suggested a resolution authorizing the county to participate in an interlocal purchasing system. The resolution passed 12-0. Fourth District Commissioner, Howard Thompson, announced he will not seek re-election. He thanked his fellow commissioners and the community for their support over the years. Commissioners had a lengthy dis...