Local News

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

The Bradley County Commission began a new four-year term with five new commissioners and nine returning members.All 14 commissioners were present for the voting session.Commissioner Milan Blake was elected chairperson, receiving 12 yes votes, with one no vote and one commissioner passing. Commissioner Cindy Slater was elected vice chairperson.County Mayor D. Gary Davis also gave an update on the c...

From WTVC News Channel 9: A major employer in our viewing area is pushing back on a report that its Charleston, Tennessee, plant could close.Wacker Chemie told our newsroom directly on Friday: "We have no plans to close the Charleston facility."That response comes after Reuters reported Friday (note: the story is behind a paywall) that the German chemical company is considering whether to close th...

From Local 3 News: The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office is providing more information about its use of automated license plate reader cameras. Controversy over these types of cameras, often called Flock cameras,  has sprouted up across the country. The Sheriff’s Office says it currently has 11 Motorola ALPR cameras at seven locations across Bradley County.The cameras were obtained through a state g...

From Local 3 News: UPDATE: No chants. No shouting. Just signs and a steady stream of people walking through the city of Cleveland.Dozens of residents gathered Sunday evening to show their opposition to an $11.3 billion energy campus proposal known as Project River.The protest was organized by Cleveland resident, Isaiah Bayliss, who says he wanted to turn the growing online conversation into someth...

Bradley County, Cleveland City, Polk County, and Meigs County Schools will all dismiss early today because of continued high temperatures and concerns about afternoon heat on school buses.Cleveland High School and Cleveland Middle School will dismiss at 11 a.m., and elementary schools will dismiss at noon.The school system says updates on sporting events and other extracurricular activities will b...

The Tennessee Department of Transportation says interstate and state highway lane closures will be suspended during the Labor Day holiday travel period.TDOT construction crews will stop lane-closure activities at noon today and resume on 6 a.m. on Tuesday, September 8.The department says the suspension is intended to provide maximum roadway capacity during the busy holiday travel period.Constructi...

From Local 3 News: Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library delivers free books to children under the age of five all over the world.Since 2004, the library has delivered more than 304 million books worldwide.Last year, around 70% of students here in Tennessee were enrolled in the program. Tennessee State Senator Bo Watson, running for reelection this November, and Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton...

Lee University will once again offer English as a Second Language classes to the community through its Center for English Language and Literacy.The 10-week program begins Thursday, September 10, with classes meeting each Thursday evening from 6:30 to 8:30 in the Walker Memorial Building on Lee’s campus.Childcare will be available for children ages one through six, while children ages seven through...

Opponents of the proposed Project River industrial campus held a protest Thursday afternoon across from Wright Brothers Construction in Bradley County.Around 15 demonstrators gathered to voice concerns about the estimated $11.3 billion project.The developers are seeking the rezoning and annexation of about 800 acres into the city of Cleveland. Both requests would require approval from the Clevelan...

The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has announced that Bradley County native and former State Senator Mike Bell is returning to the agency as special assistant to the executive director.Bell returns to TWRA after two years with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance, where he served as assistant commissioner for fire prevention.Bell previously served as TWRA’s legislative director ...

The Tennessee School Counselor Association has named Dawn Cox of Bradley County Schools as its 2026 Administrator of the Year.The association says Cox is being recognized for her leadership, advocacy, and commitment to strengthening school-based mental health services.Cox will be recognized at the Tennessee School Counselor and Administrator Leadership Institute later this month.......

A Cleveland funeral home owner has filed a formal complaint with the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance over conditions and business practices at Sunset Memorial Gardens and Hillcrest Memorial Gardens.Ralph Buckner, Jr. filed the complaint with the state’s Board of Funeral Directors and Embalmers and Burial Services on August 20.Buckner is asking state officials to investigate several ...

Local residents and some elected officials are continuing to discuss an $11.3 billion industrial development proposed for Bradley County. Project River would include an on-site biomass and natural gas power plant, and a possible data center or another industrial project at a later date. As we have covered here on WCLE, a meeting was held Tuesday night at the PIE Center for the public to receive in...

The Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce has announced the 2026-27 Leadership Cleveland class.Twenty-six local professionals were selected, making this the largest class in the program’s history.Participants represent local businesses, nonprofits, schools, financial institutions and public organizations.The nine-month program includes sessions on economic development, education, government, healt...