Local News

From TN.gov: Unemployment rates rose in nearly every Tennessee county in July.Ninety-two of 95 counties saw increases from June, while three remained the same.Sevier County recorded the lowest rate at 3.3 percent. Weakley County had the highest at 8.5 percent, a jump of 3.5 points from the month before.State officials say seasonal changes, including school breaks, were a major factor in the rise.I...

About 600 TVA employees have taken buyouts as part of the federal utility's plan to cut nearly $1 billion in spending by 2026. Departures began in May and will continue through September, a TVA spokesperson confirmed.“As part of our Enterprise Transformation, we have followed a rigorous process to refine TVA’s operating model and design an organizational structure that prioritizes operational exce...

From Local 3 News: UPDATE: Local and federal authorities are investigating the origin of a call that led to an active shooter response on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's campus Thursday.Nobody was injured and nobody was detained during the incident, police say. Another student had a medical emergency, but it was not related.The FBI will be helping local agencies determine the origin o...

From the Chattanoogan: Rhea County Executive Jim Vincent announced Tuesday that he will not seek re-election.Vincent, who has led the county since 2022, endorsed State Representative Ron Travis of Dayton as his successor.Travis has served in the state legislature for more than a decade and was instrumental in bringing a Tennessee College of Applied Technology to Rhea County.The election will take ...

From Local 3 News: An Ooltewah resident and race car driver was killed Monday when the single-engine airplane he was flying crashed in a remote area of Southwest Arkansas.Barry Boes, 54, was pronounced dead at the scene about two miles south of the town of Bradley near Arkansas Highway 29, Arkansas State Police said in a news release. The aircraft Boes was flying had departed from Austin, Texas, a...

From Local 3 News: The District Attorney's Office says foul play isn’t suspected in the death of a man whose remains were found in Meigs County on Monday.DA Russell Johnson says the remains are believed to be that of Monty Ritter and were found during a 'well check' in a remote wooded area off Bowerman Lane in the south end of the county.Johnson says Ritter had not been seen in three to four weeks...

From WDEF News 12: Blood Assurance is calling on the community to help with an urgent need for blood donations. Supplies have dropped in recent weeks, especially O negative blood. Officials say one donation can save up to three lives. To encourage donors, Blood Assurance is offering a $20 e-gift card through the end of August. Starting in September, donors will receive a 9/11 memorial t-shirt hono...

From Local 3 News: An overturned dump truck has closed a busy intersection in Bradley County on Tuesday morning. Bradley County EMS crews are working the single-vehicle accident on North lee Highway near the intersection of Walker Valley Road. The driver walked away from the crash with only minor scratches. The road is closed while crews continue clean up. Drivers are asked to take Walker Valley R...

Officer Jordan Martin with the Cleveland Police Department has been named Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police (TACP) 2025 Officer of the Year. Officer Martin was nominated and selected by the TACP to receive this prestigious award when he saved a 3-year-old boy who was drowning in a creek in SE Bradley County in June.......

The Bradley County Commission met yesterday.During the meeting, Commissioners voted 12 to 1 to reappoint Adam Lewis as Judicial Commissioner. During committee and district reports, Commissioner Scotty Gilbert said constituents near Bates Pike and Minnis Road have been complaining about low water pressure in areas serviced by Ocoee Utilities. The commission also voted 12 to 1 to follow the Finance ...

The Cleveland Police Department has announced the promotion of Lieutenant Evie Lastra West to the rank of Captain.West began her career with the department in 1999 as a volunteer reserve officer and English-Spanish interpreter. She has since served as a School Resource Officer, Public Information Officer, and, most recently, as a lieutenant in the Community Relations Unit.Her promotion makes her t...

A Cleveland man accused of killing his ex-wife was in criminal court again yesterday. Charlton Craig Liner, 61, has been held without bond on a first-degree murder charge at the Bradley County Jail since the murder of Karen Liner in January.Liner appeared in criminal court yesterday before Judge Sandra Donaghy, as questions continue over who will represent him during his trial and how he will pay ...

From Local 3 News: A multi-vehicle crash on Highway 58 left one person dead Sunday night, the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office says.According to the investigation, a white 4Runner hit a guardrail near the Wolftever Bridge and a red vehicle before crashing head-on into a green Ford Fiesta. The impact pushed the Fiesta into another vehicle.The Fiesta’s driver was taken to the hospital, but later die...

From the Chattanoogan: Lee University has received a $10,000 grant from the Eaton Charitable Fund in support of Lee’s School of Engineering capital campaign. The gift, facilitated by the company’s corporate philanthropic arm and supported by leadership at Eaton’s Cleveland facility, was announced during a presentation held at the future building site.The grant supports Lee’s engineering campaign, ...

From News Channel 9: A firefighter in Cleveland is back at home after a deployment to Syria and Kuwait with the Tennessee Army National Guard.According to a Facebook post from the Cleveland Fire Department, Heath Pendergraft spent 10 months overseas.The department also said several Cleveland firefighters placed hundreds of American Flags around Pendergraft's neighborhood to welcome him back home.....

From the Chattanoogan: The City of Cleveland announced the closing and official acquisition of the former Whirlpool Plant 1 and Plant 2 properties, located in the heart of downtown Cleveland. Officials said, "These sites, which total approximately 50 acres, are key to the future revitalization and development of the city’s core."This milestone marks the culmination of more than two years of negoti...

From News Channel 9: Miller Industries in Ooltewah is laying off 150 employees as part of a cost reduction plan.The towing equipment manufacturer cited reduced sales and lower order volumes as reasons for the cuts, which will be spread across plants in Ooltewah and Greeneville, Tennessee, and Hermitage, Pennsylvania. The company says it will provide financial assistance, benefits support, and care...

From the Chattanoogan: Lee University alumna Lora Taylor has accepted an appointment with the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., where she will serve in the Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives Office as part of the Albert Einstein Distinguished Educator Fellowship Program. Ms. Taylor, who earned her Master of Arts in Teaching from Lee in 2020, most recently served as a STEM educat...

From TN.gov: After several months of steady unemployment rates, newly released data for July reflects a slight change in Tennessee’s jobless rate, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD).The state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate in July was 3.6%, an increase of one-tenth of a percentage point over June’s rate. One year ago, the rate was 3.4%.Tenness...

The Bradley County School Board met last night.Director of Schools Dr. Linda Cash reported a strong start to the school year, highlighted improvements in achievement rates, and introduced Britain Sapp, a BCHS student recently appointed by Governor Bill Lee to serve as a student member of the Tennessee State Board of Education. Representative Dan Howell was also in attendance and honored with a pro...