The Hamilton County Election Commission has approved ballots and early voting locations for the Nov. 3 state and federal general election.
The ballot includes races for governor, U.S. Senate and House, state Senate and House, as well as municipal elections in Collegedale, East Ridge, Lakesite, Red Bank, Ridgeside, Signal Mountain, Soddy-Daisy and Walden.
Early voting will run Oct. 14-29 at six locations: the Election Commission office, Hixson Community Center, Chris L. Ramsey Sr. Community Center, Chestnut Hall at the Commons in Collegedale, Harrison Center and Soddy-Daisy Community Center.
The deadline to register to vote is Oct. 5. Polls will be open 8 a.m.-8 p.m. Election Day.
View sample ballots
Kids Art Box program expands
Kids Art Box, a Chattanooga-based children’s art education company, has opened a larger facility at 2000 Chestnut St. to accommodate its continued growth.
Founded by Melanie and Nick Phillips during the COVID-19 pandemic, Kids Art Box began as a home-based business and has grown to employ 15 people. The company has shipped more than 200,000 art boxes to families and educators nationwide.
The new facility provides additional space for inventory, operations and employees as demand for the company’s products and art experiences grows.
Kids Art Box plans to add a large mural to the building to reflect the company’s focus on creativity and children’s art.
The company celebrated the expansion with a ribbon-cutting ceremony Sept. 9.
Inclusive playground opens at Heritage Park
The city of Chattanooga, Hamilton County and community partners have opened Harvesting Inclusive Play at Jack Benson Heritage Park in East Brainerd, a $2.5 million playground designed for children of all abilities.
Spanning nearly 17,000 square feet, the facility is the largest fully accessible play space in Hamilton County and was designed to allow children with and without disabilities to play side by side. The playground exceeds ADA requirements, with all ground-level and elevated structures accessible.
The facility includes a 6,000-square-foot play area for children ages 2-5 and an 11,000-square-foot area for ages 5-12. Features include poured-in-place rubber surfacing, double-wide ramped play structures, sensory panels, cooperative games, accessible musical instruments and specialized handrails.
The project was inspired by Chattanooga Fire Department Capt. Skyler Phillips and his son, Noah. Phillips spent about a decade advocating for an inclusive playground.
“Ten years is a long time to hold onto a dream, and there were certainly moments when I wondered if we’d ever get here,” Phillips says. “Now, as we open the gates, I find myself feeling less proud than grateful.”
The project was funded through a public-private partnership that included nearly $1 million from the city of Chattanooga, $800,000 from Hamilton County, $250,000 from Tennessee’s Hamilton County legislative delegation and a $440,000 PlayCore grant. Foundations, businesses and individuals also contributed.
Collegedale ends license plate readers
The Collegedale Police Department has ended its use of Flock license plate reader technology following concerns expressed by residents and visitors to the city.
Police Chief Jack Sapp discontinued officers’ access to the city’s six Flock license plate reader cameras Sept. 3 and also revoked access to the cameras by outside agencies.
Sapp subsequently recommended that the city terminate all contracts and agreements with Flock. The Collegedale Board of Commissioners unanimously approved the recommendation during its Sept. 8 meeting.
“While LPR technology has provided valuable assistance to our officers and investigators, the benefits of any law enforcement tool must be carefully weighed against the concerns, expectations, and the support of the citizens,” Sapp says.
The department no longer uses or has access to Flock or any other license plate reader vendor systems, networks or databases, Sapp says.
Damaged bridge closed on Hickory Ridge Road
A section of Hickory Ridge Road will remain closed after inspections found significant damage to a bridge, according to the Hamilton County Highway Department.
The department inspected the bridge after a section of the road failed. A subsequent evaluation by the Tennessee Department of Transportation determined the roadway could not safely remain open, and the county determined the bridge must be replaced.
Survey and engineering work began Sept. 1, with construction expected to begin in 2027. The schedule will depend on required approvals, fabrication, weather and environmental considerations, including the presence of protected Chickamauga crawfish.
The road will remain closed during engineering, environmental review, permitting and construction.
Emergency service agencies and school transportation officials have been notified and are adjusting operations as needed.
Aquarium auction offers unique experiences
Animal-created artwork, behind-the-scenes encounters and even penguin naming rights are up for bid during the Tennessee Aquarium’s annual fundraising auction.
The online auction, which supports the Aquarium’s nonprofit mission, will run through 10 a.m. Sept. 22.
Dozens of Aquarium species, including penguins, turtles and alligators, created artwork using animal-safe tempera paint and their paws, claws, tails and flippers. Atlanta-based artist Andrea Nelson also collaborated with the Aquarium’s Gentoo penguins and collared brown lemurs on pieces for the auction.
Experiences include an encounter with Soleil, a red-collared brown lemur born in April. The winning bidder will help prepare a meal for Soleil and her family and participate in a feeding session.
Another package offers a behind-the-scenes encounter with Curly, the Aquarium’s newly arrived Linnaeus’s two-toed sloth, before he goes on public exhibit. The winner will help prepare Curly’s food and watch Aquarium staff perform his daily care routine.
Bidders can also compete for the right to name two Gentoo penguin chicks hatched this summer, a male born to Nipper and Pebbles and a female born to Flower and Blue.
Additional auction items include staycation packages and other Aquarium experiences.
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