Local News

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 ...

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...