Local News

The City of Charleston will hold a public open house Thursday, August 27, to get feedback on recommendations from a transportation study.The open house will run from 6:00 until 7:30 p.m. at the Hiwassee River Heritage Center on Hiwassee Street.The study includes U.S. 11, also known as Lee Highway and Hiwassee Street, between Market Street and the James S. Varnell Junior Bridge.It also covers Water...

The Bradley County School Board approved several major items Thursday night, including a new technology use plan and the Bradley Central High School track project.The board unanimously approved a technology guide aimed at reducing screen time in classrooms.The district is working toward a 70-30 approach, with about 70 percent of classroom time focused on teacher-led instruction, paper-and-pencil w...

From News 12: A Bradley County judge has reduced bond for two 19-year-olds charged in connection with the shooting death of 19-year-old Aiden Darity in Cleveland.Darity was killed two weeks ago. Cleveland Police say Haydon Land and Jayson Maxwell brought Darity to Bradley Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound.Investigators say the two told police the shooting was an acc...

From Local 3 News: Due to extreme heat indexes, Polk County Schools will dismiss early Friday, August 14 and Monday, August 17.Students will be dismissed at noon on both days as the district takes precautions amid dangerously high temperatures.......

From WSMV Nashville: Some Tennessee travelers are running into problems at airport security because their driver's licenses are not being read by TSA equipment.The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security says it is aware of a small number of licenses affected by the problem.Some travelers have reported missing flights because their licenses could not be read.State officials are invest...

From the Chattanoogan: Cleveland State Community College and Tennessee College of Applied Technology Athens will launch a new program next Tuesday aimed at helping technical college graduates earn an associate degree.The Accelerate Program allows graduates of eligible TCAT Athens programs to receive 30 credit hours toward an associate degree in General Technologies at Cleveland State.Eligible prog...

Twenty-six area high school students have been selected for the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce Youth Leadership Cleveland Class of 2026–2027.Students were selected from Bradley Central, Cleveland and Walker Valley high schools, along with Tennessee Christian Preparatory School.The program gives students a closer look at local government, businesses, nonprofits, and the economy while develop...

From News 12: The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office says video visitation is currently unavailable because of technical difficulties.The service has been down since yesterday and will remain unavailable until further notice while the issue is addressed.The Sheriff’s Office apologized for the inconvenience and said it understands the importance of video visitation for inmates’ families and friends......

From Local 3 News: Chattanooga’s Volkswagen plant may soon start production of a new vehicle. Volkswagen plans to launch a new pickup truck, a vehicle it does not currently sell in the U.S.Reuters and German newspaper Handelsblatt report that the trucks will be built in the United States, and the company’s only U.S. auto manufacturing plant is in Chattanooga.VW's Altas Tanoak pickup truck.Volkswag...

Copperhill Utilities is asking customers to conserve water because of leaks in water lines serving the city and the surrounding area, along with problems involving the city’s water tanks.Copperhill Mayor Greg Barker told WCLE the community is under a boil water advisory and expects that advisory to remain in effect for several days.Residents should boil water for at least one minute before using i...

From Local 3 News (AP): Read the full story here: Tennessee, Alabama and Oklahoma plan to execute inmates Thursday in what would be the first time in nearly 16 years that three people are put to death on the same day in the United States.Tennessee plans to execute Anthony Darrell Hines three months after the attempted lethal injection of another inmate was called off because of problems inserting ...

UPDATE: From Local 3 News: City officials in Athens, TN, held a golden shovel ceremony Tuesday afternoon to break ground on a new fire station.City of Athens, TNMembers of the Athens Fire Department, city officials, project partners and community members gathered at 300 Elizabeth Street to commemorate the beginning of construction on the new facility.The city says the new fire station will expand ...

According to social media reports, a mid-morning crash on Dalton Pike resulted in two people being taken to the hospital.Witnesses say Life Force was called to transport one patient to a Chattanooga hospital, while Bradley County EMS transported a second patient.The conditions of the two patients are not known.WCLE will keep you up to date as we learn more. ......

From Local 3 News: (Watch the video HERE) A political parody posted on TikTok has led to controversy in Rhea County and the resignation of the county’s tourism director.The video, posted by Erin Wright, showed her husband Justin pretending to be former county executive candidate Adam McRorie. The parody imitated campaign videos McRorie had called “table talks.”The controversy began after the offic...

From Local 3 News: UPDATE: As of Saturday, August 8, deputies have located a vehicle in connection with a shooting in McMinn County, according to Sheriff Joe Guy.The two suspects have not yet been located.This follows a shooting that happened Friday afternoon, leaving one person critically injured.The McMinn County Sheriff’s Office is still searching for two suspects, one of whom was identified as...

The Cleveland City School Board met yesterday and approved dozens of policy updates, including several changes directly affecting students, parents and employees.One policy requires parents to be notified by the end of the day when a classroom has to be evacuated because of disruptive behavior, unless there is an ongoing emergency.Another requires a school safety plan within five days when an orde...

The Bradley County Commission met yesterday and heard an update on a proposed annexation plan and several possible changes to commission rules.County Mayor Gary Davis said property owners are requesting the City of Cleveland annex about 385 undeveloped acres near Exit 33 behind the Love’s Travel Stop for future commercial development.Davis stressed the annexation was requested by the property owne...

The Cleveland City Council met yesterday. The Council approved the final zoning of about 800 acres at Hardwick Farms, while also hearing new details about the city’s proposed Events, Sports and Aquatic Center and future infrastructure needs.During its afternoon voting session, the council unanimously approved the Hardwick Farms zoning plan. The development is expected to include housing, commercia...

From Local 3 News: You don’t realize just how often you use water every day until you have to stop and think about whether that water is safe.In Copperhill, restaurants are having to make those decisions with every step of their operations, from washing their hands and dishes to serving water to customers.Water is part of just about everything for restaurants.But with the boil water advisory still...

From Local 3 News: The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office is asking for the public’s help finding a 17-year-old who has been missing since May.Jorge Umanzor-Moreno, who also goes by “David,” was last seen May 2. Investigators believe he may currently be working in the Ocoee River area.Jorge is described as a 17-year-old Hispanic male, about 5-foot-11 and 190 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He...