On October 27, the Chattanooga Times Free Press ran an inaccurate story on the county’s school facilities planning process. Earlier this year, I (Mayor Weston Wamp) collaborated with the Superintendent of Schools Dr. Justin Robertson and the longtime County Engineer to add a new step of due diligence and accountability to our school facilities planning […]

Kamala didn’t get the questions in advance. It’s a presidential debate, of course the questions would be about abortion, the economy, inflation, immigration, and foreign affairs. Her ease with the questions isn’t her having the questions in advance, it’s her being prepared for a debate. What did Trump think he was showing up for? A […]

The City of East Ridge is considering an ordinance to ban all neon and LED lights from storefronts, a decision that could significantly impact local businesses. While the intent behind this ordinance may be rooted in aesthetics or environmental concerns, the potential economic repercussions warrant serious reconsideration. Neon and LED lights play a crucial role […]

This opinion is from Tennessee Lookout On Thursday, Tennessee Democratic Rep. Gloria Johnson announced she will run again for her Knoxville state House seat. Democrats and Republicans alike went wild, because she’s also running for U.S. Senate. Her announcement last week came amid debate over a proposed bill by Sen. Richard Briggs, a Knoxville Republican, that would prohibit […]

This article is from Tennessee/Lookout. Tennessee’s chief open records advocate is questioning moves to keep documents secret in two high-profile cases roiling Tennessee. Deborah Fisher, executive director of the Tennessee Coalition for Open Government, contends Metro Police is off the mark in claiming the writings of Covenant School shooter Audrey Hale are exempt from the Public […]

The East Ridge Ministerial Association relaunched on February 23 with six area pastors from six different East Ridge churches represented at our meeting. Prior to the meeting, three pastors had notified me saying that they wanted to be part of the association but were unable to make the meeting due to other obligations. That would give […]

This editorial is from Tennessee/Lookout. As the 113th General Assembly gaveled into session in January, so did I begin the new year with all intentions of writing high-minded and substantive commentary on legislative bills that will make the biggest difference in the lives of ordinary Tennesseans, instead of getting pulled into the annual “shiny object” legislation […]

This editorial is from Tennessee/Lookout. If the video footage from the Tyre Nichols beating in Memphis tells us anything, it’s that we need to keep protecting the tools that allow public accountability for corruption. Two bills in the Legislature last year sought to reduce a citizen’s ability to view body cam or other law enforcement video […]

This editorial is from Tennessee/Lookout. In 1910, one year after leaving the presidency, Theodore “Teddy” Roosevelt delivered a speech at the University of Paris — better known as the Sorbonne — titled “Citizenship in a Republic.”  The speech is better known as the “Man in the Arena” speech, and you may be familiar with it as one portion is […]

This article by Holly McCall is from Tennessee/Lookout. Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated two months before my fourth birthday in 1968 and Robert Kennedy, former U.S. attorney general and Democratic presidential candidate, was assassinated the day after I turned four.  I remember Kennedy’s death, although not King’s, despite that King’s occurred in Memphis, […]

This article is from Tennessee/Lookout. All y’all know I love to read, I always have and one of the joys of owning a bookstore was recommending books to customers of all ages. Once someone discovers the pleasure of escaping mentally with a great book, that wanting to read never goes away.  This grandmother is stunned to […]