Local News

Cleveland State has announced the winners of its 2026 Community First Awards.The Alumni of the Year is Bianca Chavez Baker. JoKari Pugh, a Mars Wrigley production coordinator, was named Community Servant of the Year. Educator of the Year is Brittany Cannon, Director of the PIE Innovation Center.The winners will be honored during “An Evening with Jim McCloughan” on February 19th at the PIE Innovati...

Cleveland Mayor Kevin Brooks delivered his State of the City address, highlighting growth, safety, and major projects.Speaking to the Kiwanis Club, Brooks said Cleveland issued 608 new construction permits last year, totaling $220 million in investment. Since 2018, the city has added 2,640 jobs and brought in more than $1.1 billion in local investment.He praised the Cleveland Police and Fire depar...

From Local 3 News: A gun was found in a student's car on McMinn County High School's campus Wednesday morning.Administration says they were notified of "suspicious activity" in an area of the parking lot earlier that day.School officials, as well as the McMinn County Sheriff's Department K9 Unit, searched several cars.During the search, they found a gun in one of the vehicles. Deputies immediately...

The Polk County Courthouse will receive $500,000 in renovation funds.The grant comes from the Tennessee Historic Development Grants program, which supports the preservation and redevelopment of historic courthouses across the state.Projects were selected based on community need, impact, and eligibility under federal historic preservation standards.State Representative Dan Howell said in a statemen...

Jenkins Deli in Cleveland will close its doors on January 17 after nearly 50 years in business.The restaurant announced the closure on social media, thanking the community for decades of support. Customers can pick up personal photos displayed inside the deli on January 21, between 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM.An estate sale for the remaining antique and décor items will be announced later.......

From Local 3 News: An Athens man has received one of the longest criminal sentences in Tennessee history in a child sex abuse case.Kenterrius McGuffie is slated to serve 10 consecutive life sentences without parole, plus an additional 16 years in prison, according to a statement from the 10th Judicial District Attorney's Office.DA General Stephen Hatchett announced the 29-year-old's sentencing by ...

According to a release from Bradley County EMS, crews responded to a multi-vehicle crash on I-75 Southbound at mile marker 24 that resulted in the interstate being shut down yesterday.Five vehicles were involved in the crash.One person had to be rescued from a vehicle by the Cleveland Fire Department and was taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.Other drivers were evaluated ...

Cleveland City Schools has announced several leadership transitions at the end of the 2026 school year.Dr. David Stone, Director of Special Populations, is retiring after a 30-year career in public education.His wife, Dr. Stephanie Stone, Principal of Ross Elementary, will also retire at the end of the year. She’ll continue leading the school until then.Assistant Principal Zach Riggins will also r...

From Local 3 News: Bradley County Schools will begin training school safety teams this week on the use of weapons detection systems at secondary schools, part of the district’s ongoing efforts to enhance student and staff safety.Training will start Thursday, January 8,  at Walker Valley High School, followed by Bradley Central High School on Friday, January 9. During the training sessions, student...

From Local 3 News: A new report from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation shows hundreds of people arrested for driving under the influence in 2024 later tested negative for both alcohol and drugs.According to the TBI, 419 DUI arrests statewide resulted in no detectable substances in a person’s system. Several law enforcement agencies in the Tennessee Valley area contributed to that total.Officer...

From Local 3 News: January 5 was the day former Tennessee State Representative Robin Smith was supposed to begin an 8-month sentence at an all-women's federal jail in West Virginia, but a judge re-sentenced her to a year of probation.“She was due to report this afternoon, and she was also fined an amount of $7,500, which she was required to pay,” says Ben Rose, Smith’s pardon attorney.Smith resign...

From Local 3 News: The Tennessee Department of Transportation is temporarily closing lanes along I-75 North for tree trimming in Bradley and McMinn Counties.The work is set to take place on January 6-7 from 8:00pm to 6:00am each night.The right lane and shoulder of the interstate will be closed from mile marker 34 to mile marker 36.Tennessee Highway Patrol Officers will be assisting drivers with t...

The Bradley County Commission met last night.Lisa Lovelace with Bradley Medical Center shared updates on improvements since Vitruvian Health took over in 2024, including increased patient satisfaction, added services, and staffing expansions. She also addressed concerns about a proposed free-standing ER by Parkridge, stating it could threaten the viability of local health care and result in duplic...

From Local 3 News: UPDATE: Robin Smith now knows which federal prison she will serve time in after her conviction and sentencing in the 2022 federal mail fraud case that also ensnared then-Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his chief of staff Cade Cothren.Smith is scheduled to report to FPC Alderson in West Virginia no later than 2:00pm, Monday, January 5, 2026.Federal Prison Camp Alderson is...

From WKRN: Four family members, including two children, were found dead inside a Waverly, Tennessee home on Friday.Authorities in Humphreys County say the victims, two women and two boys under 18, died from gunshot wounds.Deputies found the bodies during a welfare check at a home.The sheriff says investigators suspect a murder-suicide and do not believe there is an outside suspect. The Tennessee B...

From Local 3 News: Traffic fatalities are trending downwards in the State of Tennessee, 14% for 2025. According to the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, there was 1,194 in 2024, and there were 1,045 in 2025. Overall, there were 147 fewer roadway deaths in the Volunteer State."We are looking at statistics; the contributing factors from the drivers, was it speed? Was it alcohol? ...

From Local 3 News: A Cleveland man and a Johnson City man associated with a biker gang are now facing charges after a stabbing incident in Tazewell, Tennessee in late December.Town officials say officers found multiple motorcyclists affiliated with the "Pagan Motorcycle Club" at a convenience store called Catdaddy's Market on North Broad Street when responding to a call about a large disturbance.O...

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 ...