Local News

The Bradley County Commission will hold a special-called meeting on Friday at noon in the Commission Room at the Bradley County Courthouse.Commissioners will consider final budget amendments for the current fiscal year and hold public hearings on county and fire district tax levies for the fiscal year beginning July 1.The Finance Committee has already voted to propose a property tax and fire tax i...

From TN.gov: The Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development says unemployment rates improved in most counties across the state in May.Ninety-four of Tennessee’s 95 counties reported unemployment rates below five percent, while 69 counties saw their jobless rates decline from April.Bradley County posted the lowest unemployment rate in our area at 3.3 percent, down two-tenths of a perce...

Join in the fun during this week’s Friday Festival featuring the Dexter Thomas Band on Friday, June 26, at 7:00 p.m. at the new amphitheater at the Museum and Cultural Center at 5ive Points.Bring a lawn chair, gather your friends, and enjoy an evening of free, live music.Friday Festivals are presented by MainStreet Cleveland and Visit Cleveland Tennessee.......

From News 12: Goodwill Industries of the Greater Chattanooga Area has officially opened its newest retail store in southeast Cleveland.The new location is at 2010 Broomfield Road Southeast in the former Fresh ’N Low building.It includes a retail store, a Donation Xpress Center, and space for a future Goodwill Opportunity Center.The 15,000-square-foot facility created 20 new jobs and drew large cro...

From News Channel 9: Newly released TCAP results show Tennessee students made gains in reading, math, and social studies during the 2025-26 school year.Statewide proficiency rates reached their highest levels since before the pandemic.Reading proficiency increased to 42.3 percent, while math proficiency climbed to 41 percent.Social studies showed the strongest long-term growth, with statewide prof...

From News Channel 9: A former McMinn County correctional officer has been indicted after a Tennessee Bureau of Investigation inquiry into allegations involving contraband at the McMinn County Jail.According to the TBI, agents launched the investigation on Monday, December 16, 2024, at the request of 10th Judicial District Attorney General Stephen Hatchett. The case stemmed from information allegin...

The United Way of the Ocoee Region is seeking volunteers for Day of Action 2026.The annual community service event will take place July 31 across Bradley and Polk counties.Volunteers will spend the morning completing projects that support local schools, nonprofits, and community organizations before gathering for the United Way’s annual Campaign Kickoff luncheon.Volunteer registration closes this ...

From the Chattanoogan: State Representative Dan Howell announced that the Meigs Decatur Friends of the Library has received a $14,776 state grant.The funding comes through the Training Opportunities for Public Libraries program and is designed to improve broadband-related services and expand digital literacy efforts in Meigs County.Officials say the money will help identify digital equity gaps, im...

From News 12: The Athens Police Department is asking for the public’s help in locating 18-year-old Cornelius Raeshaun Hurst in connection with a shooting at McMinn Village Apartments on Westside Street.Police say officers responded to reports of gunfire and found that a person had been struck by a projectile. The victim was taken to a local hospital, and their identity has not been released.Hurst ...

From Local 3 News: Bradley County General Sessions Court Judge Andrew Morgan will now require Tennessee children in custody of the Department of Children’s Services to appear in court, after he says the department failed to provide him with contact information that would allow his staff to ensure children are getting the care they need.“I want all the kids in foster care that have court dates to b...

A legal dispute between a former student and Tennessee Christian Preparatory School in Cleveland has been resolved.Morgan Armstrong filed a lawsuit in 2025, alleging she was suspended, barred from graduation activities, and threatened with the loss of her diploma after publicly revealing she was gay.According to a court order entered Monday, Armstrong’s suspension has been officially rescinded.The...

Cleveland City Council met Monday night.The agenda included the  final passage of a budget amendment, a zoning request tied to the Minnis Road fire station project, and approval to apply for a Firehouse Subs Public Safety Grant.The fire department says that grant could help buy equipment.The Council also heard about a possible class-action lawsuit involving fire truck manufacturers.Attorney Josh J...

Sandra Knight-Helms, former engineer and Bradley County Road Superintendent, has passed away. According to social media posts by family members, she had been battling pancreatic cancer.  Knight-Helms was most recently employed with Caldwell Paving. The company posted a tribute to her yesterday, saying “Sandra was very special and a greatly loved member of the Caldwell Paving family. She did everyt...

Cleveland City Schools is proud to announce three new assistant principal appointments for the 2026-2027 school year.Casey Price has been named Assistant Principal at Cleveland High School, Heather Sacharczyk has been named 6th Grade Assistant Principal at Cleveland Middle School, and Heather Turner has been named 8th Grade Assistant Principal at Cleveland Middle School.Each of these educators bri...

From News Channel 9 (Read the full story here): Five men have been charged following a human trafficking investigation in Middle Tennessee.The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says the operation involved multiple agencies and was conducted June 11th and 12th in Sumner County.Investigators identified nine possible victims and connected them with support services.Among those arrested was Gallatin P...

From News Channel 9 (Read the full story here): World War II veteran Robert Moore of Cleveland has passed away at the age of 101.A celebration of life was held Monday morning, followed by burial at Chattanooga National Cemetery.Moore was a teenager in Sevierville when he learned of the attack on Pearl Harbor and later registered for the military draft at age 17.An injury during training prevented ...

From News Channel 9 (Read the full story here): A Bradley County mother is asking federal officials to investigate the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services after her daughter remained in state custody for more than a year.State Representative Aftyn Behn says she has filed 14 federal civil rights complaints against DCS on behalf of families across Tennessee, including cases in Bradley, Hamil...

From TN.gov: The statewide unemployment rate remained unchanged in May at 3.6%, according to the latest data from the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development (TDLWD). This marks the fourth consecutive month the state’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate has been 3.6%. One year ago, the state’s unemployment rate in May was 3.5%.Tennessee’s unemployment rate continues to track wel...

From News Channel 9: Two Monroe County Sheriff’s Department employees have been indicted following an investigation by the Tennessee Comptroller’s Office and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.Investigators say fleet manager Neal Townsend and maintenance garage employee Jamey Lee Frank improperly used an inmate assigned to the sheriff’s department maintenance garage for work on private property...

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office announced on Thursday that a man has been sentenced to prison in connection with a fentanyl overdose death.Calvin Suttles pleaded guilty to facilitation of second-degree murder on Wednesday, June 17, according to Sheriff Tommy Jones. Judge Andrew Freiberg then sentenced Suttles to eight years in prison to be served at 100%.Sheriff Jones said the overdose happened...