News - Friday, May 1, 2026

In any city – large or small – commercial buildings are everywhere. They shape skylines, anchor neighborhoods and house the businesses that define local economies. Together, office towers, retail strips, mixed-use developments and industrial sites make up the physical backbone of commerce.

The possum sat right where it shouldn’t be – settled under a tarp in a dim corner of a barn, guarding a sewing machine as if it belonged to him.

It was late – around 10 p.m. – and Eric Hanson was doing what most husbands eventually do: stepping outside on a small errand at his wife’s request.

The Highland Park Local Market, known as HILO, is bringing fresh local food to the heart of one of Chattanooga’s most community-driven neighborhoods. Launched April 25 at Highland Park Commons, the Saturday morning market runs from 9 a.m. to noon and features a rotating lineup of regional farmers, food producers and small businesses.

Something old feels new again as we turn our attention to Ooltewah for the opening of a family-friendly pizza spot. If you’re craving great food without stretching your wallet, this one’s worth a visit.

What do you mean by “family-friendly?” You’re not sending me to Chuck E. Cheese, are you?

I’d never steer anyone to The Big C. The good news? You don’t have to compromise to get a delicious pizza at a price that won’t break the bank. Load up the spouse and kids – or whoever makes up your crew – and head to Mr. T.’s Pizza & Ice Cream for a meal that’ll have everyone moaning about how their eyes were bigger than their stomachs. That was my wife and me last night – and we still have leftovers waiting in the fridge.

Join Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area May 1, 11 a.m.-1 p.m., at The Chattanoogan Hotel. This annual spring fundraising event brings together women and allies from across the community in support of affordable homeownership for local families. Guests will enjoy a keynote from Natosha Reid Rice, vice president of housing opportunities and mission engagement at Habitat for Humanity International, along with homeowner stories and a celebratory brunch. Tickets

The Chattanooga City Council has approved the next step in Mayor Tim Kelly’s multiyear effort to address traffic delays at the Hamill Road rail crossing in Hixson.

Council members authorized $323,750 in local matching funds toward a $1.62 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration, which the Kelly administration pursued in 2024. The funding will support preliminary engineering for a grade-separation project that would allow vehicles to pass beneath the rail line via an overpass.

First Horizon Bank has named Amy O’Bannon vice president and trust relationship manager at its downtown Chattanooga banking center. In her new role, O’Bannon will manage client portfolios and provide product strategy recommendations to help clients meet their financial goals.

Real estate trends do not always announce themselves with a single headline. Sometimes the clearest story is hidden in the “typical” numbers that quietly shift over time.

A Realtor News article by Melissa Dittmann Tracey, published April 15, highlights findings from the National Association of Realtors 2026 Home Buyers and Sellers Generational Trends report, including several historic markers that help explain why buying and selling feels different right now.

Everyone needs an emergency fund. Financial experts recommend it, and we’ve all experienced surprise expenses: a costly car repair, a broken water heater or unexpected medical bills. Despite our best intentions, building a financial cushion can feel impossible. After rent or mortgage, groceries, utilities and everyday expenses, it seems there’s nothing left to save.

For the second consecutive year, a team of University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Doctor of Physical Therapy students has won a national title.

Third-year DPT students Alondra Lopez, Anna Broyles, Kara Lucchesi and Gretchen Morris captured the championship at the American Physical Therapy Association’s Combined Sections Meeting Knowledge Bowl in Anaheim, California, edging out competitors from programs across the country.

For several days, the fields and training grounds around Chattanooga filled with the sharp commands of handlers and the focused energy of police dogs at work.

Nearly 40 K-9 teams from Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee moved through a series of demanding exercises – searching rooms for hidden narcotics, tracking down evidence, responding to simulated criminal encounters and demonstrating the discipline that underpins every successful deployment.

Diana Cantú returned to the University of Tennessee in 2021 to take over the women’s golf program with a clear vision. Having played for the Lady Vols, Cantú knew the program had all the resources in place to be a national contender. Her job was working to get everything in alignment and find players willing to stay the course.

Now that the 2026 NFL Draft is in the books, Mike Borgonzi’s plan to rebuild the franchise is starting to come into focus.

The Titans spent heavily on offense in this draft, beginning by taking Ohio State’s Carnell Tate with the fourth overall pick. In bypassing Tate’s Buckeye defensive teammates Arvell Reese and Sonny Styles, both of whom had been mocked to the Titans and other teams in the top five, the Titans sent a signal that finding a potential No. 1 receiver to help maximize Cam Ward’s talents was a focal point in this draft.

In some ways the Titans plan for 2026 looks a little bit like their plan for 2024, which turned out to be a colossal failure.

So how is this plan different from the one Ran Carthon and Brian Callahan put together two years ago that produced a three-win season?

• Carnell Tate, WR, Ohio State, first round (fourth overall): Sooner or later, Tate will be expected to become Cam Ward’s No. 1 receiver. Having played at Ohio State, which has been a receiver factory, Tate will play right away and it seems to be just a matter of time before he supplants Calvin Ridley as the top option.

Automakers have been introducing an increasing number of off-road-capable variants of their pickups. These trucks come with a slew of upgraded components that greatly enhance a truck’s ability to climb up hills and clamber over rocks without sustaining damage. 

WASHINGTON (AP) — A new analysis suggests Americans are being overcharged by $150 billion annually to insure their homes, autos and businesses — and it proposes federal guardrails so that a public beset by affordability pressures could see savings.

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — The Onion's plan to take over the Infowars platforms that Alex Jones built into a bullhorn of conspiracy theories and turn them into parody sites was in limbo again Thursday, after a court paused a proposed deal involving the satirical news outlet.

NEW YORK (AP) — Pain at the pump. Higher postal prices. Flights canceled, costlier airplane ticket prices and baggage fees. Everyday items such as soap and toothpaste getting more expensive.

Consumers are paying for the Iran war 's disruption of global energy production as the conflict enters its third month. Steeper gasoline, diesel and jet fuel prices are making driving and air travel more expensive.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Trump's pick to lead the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh, has said he wants to bring "regime change" to the central bank, but if confirmed by the Senate he will find a Fed already transformed by the White House's attacks.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday he is removing certain tariffs on Scotch whisky after this week's White House visit by King Charles III and Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom.

"The King and Queen got me to do something that nobody else was able to do, without hardly even asking!" Trump posted on social media.

NEW YORK (AP) — The U.S stock market motored to more records Thursday as profits keep piling up for Alphabet, Caterpillar and other big businesses. The gains came after the latest whipsaw moves for oil prices, which surged toward their highest levels since the war with Iran began only to quickly regress.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Thursday he's nominating radiologist and former Fox News Channel contributor Dr. Nicole Saphier for surgeon general after Dr. Casey Means' path forward stalled in the Senate over questions about her experience and her stance on vaccines.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth clashed with Democratic lawmakers in Congress for a second day Thursday, rejecting senators' accusations that the Iran war was launched without evidence of an imminent threat and waged with no coherent strategy.

NEW YORK (AP) — It's time to cowboy up, y'all. The 2026 Academy of Country Music Awards are right around the corner, and they look different this time around.

Buckle up for a few seismic changes. Shania Twain will host for the first time ever, taking over for Reba McEntire. The awards ceremony will also take place May 17 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, leaving the Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas, just north of Dallas, after three years. And women lead the nominations.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said Friday that he will increase the tariffs charged on cars and trucks from the European Union next week to 25%, a move that could jolt the world economy at a fragile moment.

Trump said in the post that the EU "is not complying with our fully agreed to Trade Deal," though he did not flesh out his objections in the post.

ATLANTA (AP) — Walking through the frame of his soon-to-be new home on a recent morning, an excited Ozzy Herrera could envision the future. A brown leather sofa to match the floors. Terra-cotta-colored walls. A bar cart near the kitchen.

Herrera, who works two jobs at Atlanta's airport, never imagined he would own a home at the age of 27.

FORT COLLINS, Colo. (AP) — President Donald Trump granted a key approval Thursday for a major new oil pipeline from Canada into the U.S. that's been dubbed "Keystone Light" over its similarities to a contentious project blocked by the Biden administration.

NEW YORK (AP) — If you think the life of a journalist is glamorous, take a look at Ann Hermes' photograph of Tom Haley from a winter day in Rutland, Vermont.

He scribbles in a notebook, leaning back in an office chair while dressed in ill-fitting khakis and a baseball cap. His left foot rests on the one portion of a desk not covered with clutter — piles of notebooks, a newspaper, printed reports and a lanyard hanging from a stray photograph. What could be a calendar hangs askew on the wall behind him. The drab blue carpet has seen better days.

Amtrak is considering allowing people to store guns in lockboxes on most of its trains, which critics say would weaken security measures that instead should be strengthened in light of the shooting at last weekend's White House Correspondents' Association dinner.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal prosecutors released a video Thursday showing the moment authorities say a man armed with guns and knives tried to storm the White House Correspondents' Association dinner and attempt to kill President Donald Trump.

Jeanine Pirro, the U.S. attorney for Washington, posted the video on social media amid questions over whose bullet struck a Secret Service officer as Cole Tomas Allen ran through security with a long gun toward the hotel ballroom packed with journalists, administration officials and others.

WASHINGTON (AP) — When Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin was questioned by senators during his confirmation hearing about his vision for implementing President Donald Trump's mass deportation agenda, he said his goal was to keep his department off the front pages of the news.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Many Republicans who have been uneasy with President Donald Trump's war in Iran emphasized that there would be a May 1 deadline for Congress to intervene. But the date is now set to pass with no action from GOP lawmakers who continue to defer to the White House.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration is arguing that the war in Iran has already ended because of the ceasefire that began in early April, an interpretation that would allow the White House to avoid the need to seek congressional approval.

The statement furthers an argument laid out by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during testimony in the Senate earlier Thursday, when he said the ceasefire effectively paused the war. Under that rationale, the administration has not yet met the requirement mandated by a 1973 law to seek formal approval from Congress for military action that extends beyond 60 days.

CAPE TOWN, South Africa (AP) — A China policy giving Africa's biggest economies tariff-free access to its market for the next two years came into effect Friday while its economic rival the United States seeks to impose new import taxes under President Donald Trump's push for protectionism.

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Mike Johnson has lamented he would like to preside over a "normal Congress," but the chamber the Republican is leading is anything but.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump swiftly signed a bipartisan legislation Thursday to fund much of the Department of Homeland Security, but not its immigration enforcement operations, shortly after the package won final approval in the House, ending the longest agency shutdown in history.