News - Friday, October 23, 2026

Chattanooga has a problem that’s been growing in reverse.

In one decade, the Scenic City lost nearly 3,000 acres of its tree canopy, an expanse equivalent to 218 Coolidge Parks, research conducted by the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga found. And while the disappearance of a single tree might not attract much attention, the cumulative losses are changing the landscape of a city known for its natural beauty.

On a drive through Promised Land Ranch, Kelly and Ali Meeks point out a landscape that requires a little imagination. Brush and young trees fill places they envision as pasture. Rocks pulled from a waterline trench lie beside the road. Gaps in the trees offer glimpses toward the Tennessee River Gorge.

Promised Land Ranch will introduce itself to the Chattanooga community with a free leadership and growth seminar Thursday, Oct. 29, at Liberty Tower in downtown Chattanooga.

The half-day event, titled “Built to Last,” will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and feature speakers from law enforcement, media and business discussing leadership, communication and the challenges of organizational growth.

Dennis Hart has spent 18 years exaggerating people’s features for a living, but the biggest character at Hartsyfartsy’s Caricature Couch might be the man holding the marker.

With rectangular glasses perched on a prominent nose, a salt-and-pepper beard and a broad grin that seems perpetually on the verge of laughter, Hart looks at home among the outrageous faces covering the bright orange walls of his tiny studio at the Chattanooga Choo Choo.

One number rarely tells the whole story of a housing market – and September is a good example.

The National Association of Realtors reported another decline in existing home sales nationally, while here in the Chattanooga region we saw more new listings and a larger supply of homes than a year ago. At the same time, pending sales softened, homes took longer to sell and the median sales price held steady.

The second annual festival will bring a day of free live music to the Chattanooga Choo Choo Gardens Sunday, 11 a.m.-7 p.m. The family-friendly festival will showcase more than 10 local jazz, blues and funk artists, including Zowie Boyd, Jim Crumble, Karen Collins, the Monday Night Big Band and the UTC Jazz Band. An all-day market will feature local arts, crafts, clothing, food and beverages, along with family activities hosted by St. Elmo Stroll. The festival will conclude with the Jared White and Friends Open Jam 7:30-9 p.m. at Wanderlinger Brewing Company, where musicians are invited to bring their instruments and join the free community jam session. Drums, amplifiers, keyboard and microphones will be provided. Information

Renovations are underway on Provident Place, a new 134-bed facility that will more than double the capacity of Chattanooga’s Maclellan Shelter for Families when it opens in late summer 2027.

Located at the former Airport Inn on Old Lee Highway, Provident Place will replace the existing 52-bed shelter at 727 E. 11th St. and offer expanded services to help families experiencing homelessness achieve long-term stability.

Margaret had saved diligently for decades with a portion of every paycheck going into her retirement account. Then, the day finally came: She retired. Suddenly, the hardest part wasn’t the saving. It was learning to spend.

If that sounds familiar, you’re not alone. Many retirees find the shift from building savings to living off them emotionally difficult, even when they’ve planned carefully. Here are five smart strategies that can help you feel more confident about what’s ahead.

A high school football team in Eugene, Oregon, recently beat its archrival 63-0, which got the coach fired. Not the losing coach. The winner.

Good riddance.

Some context here: The winning team, Marist Catholic High, had just scored to go ahead 56-0 in the closing minutes of the first half. It then tried an onside kick in an effort to get the ball back quickly and score again. This approach is known by various terms, including “piling on” and “rubbing it in.” And others that I can’t print here.

As the fans rushed onto the field after Tennessee’s 26-10 victory over Alabama last weekend at Neyland Stadium, UT defensive coordinator Jim Knowles could be seen dancing on the grass. The normally stoic Knowles then continued showcasing his dance moves once he entered the locker room and was surrounded by players.

No one could really blame Jeffery Simmons if he wanted to exit stage left from Tennessee and find greener pastures the way past teammates like Derrick Henry and Kevin Byard have.

But Simmons stays and perseveres.

And it appears a big reason for that is moments like Sunday’s when the Titans could have just disintegrated and mailed in another loss in a season where hope has been few and far between.

With prices ballooning everywhere, finding a large family vehicle that fits your budget has become harder than ever. That’s why the Hyundai Santa Fe and Smyrna-built Nissan Pathfinder are appealing. 

These two three-row SUVs are priced to undercut most competitors by thousands of dollars, at both the top and bottom ends of their lineups. The Santa Fe and Pathfinder are considerably different, however, and those differences result in advantages for both. The auto experts at Edmunds tested them to find out which one is the better buy.

Pull yourself up by the bootstraps. That’s often the advice given to someone who’s down and out and left with nothing. Get a hold of yourself, find your spine and just do it. Take that first step, be brave and don’t accept “no” for an answer. 

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Mark Zuckerberg made a deal with Meta's board to help him pay a proposed California tax on billionaires without losing his ownership stake in the company he founded, according to regulatory filings published this week.

The wealth tax is before California voters in the election that concludes Nov. 3. If passed, the measure would levy a one-time 5% tax on the wealth of Californians whose net worth exceeds $1 billion. Zuckerberg is the sixth-richest person in the world with a net worth estimated at more than $220 billion, according to Forbes. That would put his tax liability at more than $11 billion.

NEW YORK (AP) — The latest shudder for AI stocks pulled markets sharply lower around the world.

The S&P 500 fell 1.2% Thursday for its worst day since July, while the Nasdaq composite tumbled 2.6%.

The weakness for tech stocks was so overwhelming that it masked strength for the rest of the market, where the majority of U.S. stocks actually rose.