Election Day is Tuesday, November 3, and Hamilton County polling places are open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Eastern.

Voters must visit their assigned Election Day precinct and bring an acceptable Tennessee or federal photo ID.

The ballot includes governor, U.S. Senate, U.S. House, state legislative races, three proposed constitutional amendments and selected municipal offices, including in East Ridge, Red Bank, Collegedale and Signal Mountain.

Check your polling place with the official state voter lookup or call Hamilton County Election Commission at 423-209-8683 before leaving home.

A major private investment is moving forward near Chattanooga’s new ballpark, adding another piece to the transformation of the former industrial riverfront.

Developers have announced a roughly $100 million residential project immediately north of Erlanger Park in the Foundries District.

A groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled for Friday, November 13.

Plans call for a six-story building with approximately 287 apartments next to the ballpark’s left-field side and the Tennessee Riverwalk.

A separate parking structure would provide about 550 spaces for residents, future businesses, and some game-day needs.

Chattanooga’s transportation technology story is moving beyond the promise of smarter streets, with research demonstrations and a national award offering tangible signs of progress.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga earned third place and a $150,000 prize in the federal transportation department’s September innovation challenge.

Its PRISM platform combines information from roadway sensors, connected vehicles, and communication networks to help transportation systems share a more current picture of conditions.

Chattanooga’s Tennessee Aquarium is investing in a new facility intended to improve care for its animals and create distinctive learning opportunities for future veterinary professionals.

The aquarium has begun construction on a $5 million animal hospital inside the River Journey building.

Planned for the building’s third-floor area, the approximately 3,100-square-foot facility is expected to open in June 2027.

The hospital is being designed to bring diagnosis, treatment, surgery, and recovery closer together for the aquarium’s freshwater and other aquatic species.

Among its planned features are imaging equipment, laboratories, surgical areas, and dedicated recovery space.

Former EPB chief executive David Wade received the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce’s 2026 Community Impact Award at its annual meeting.

EPB CEO Janet Rehberg presented the recognition, honoring Wade’s leadership and contributions to Chattanooga.

The award highlights a career associated with the utility’s fiber network, power infrastructure, and community partnerships.

A two-goal deficit turned into a milestone night for Chattanooga FC on Sunday at Finley Stadium.

The club came from behind to defeat Columbus Crew 2 by 3-2 and claim the MLS NEXT Pro Eastern Conference Championship.

Now the reward is even bigger: Chattanooga will host the league's Cup Final on Sunday, November 8, at 6 p.m.

Columbus struck twice early, leaving the home side chasing the game almost from the opening whistle.

Captain Alex McGrath pulled one goal back just before halftime, giving the hosts a path into the second half.

A regional effort to make technology more accessible has reached a notable milestone.

Tech Goes Home Tennessee, a program of Chattanooga’s Enterprise Center, reports serving more than 25,000 learners since launching in 2015.

Its participants live across parts of Tennessee, Georgia, and Alabama, reflecting a mission that extends beyond Chattanooga city limits.

The program works with schools, community organizations, nonprofits, and neighborhood partners to offer practical computer and internet skills.

Participants may receive help learning to use devices, locating affordable connectivity, or building confidence with everyday online tasks.

Chattanooga is developing a workforce partnership intended to connect training more closely with the jobs local employers actually need to fill.

The city announced its collaboration with Accelerator for America and The Skills Initiative on October 23.

Supported by Truist Foundation, the effort will adapt an employer-led model developed in Philadelphia.

Artists, designers, makers, performers, and other creative business owners around Chattanooga are being asked to share what they need to grow.

The Chattery has launched a regional Creative Entrepreneur Assessment, with a survey open through December 4.

The project is intended to identify everyday challenges, ambitions, and gaps in available business support.

Organizers are interested in hearing from people at every stage, from those exploring a first idea to owners of established creative enterprises.

The assessment is being conducted with Chattanooga consulting partners Prospera Strategies and Rad Work.

Stable housing can be one of the most important resources for someone leaving substance-use treatment and rebuilding daily routines.

In Chattanooga, CADAS, the Council for Alcohol and Drug Abuse Services, has opened 16 additional sober living apartments.

The expansion raises the organization's recovery-housing capacity from 24 to 40 apartments on its local campus.

The new two-story building is intended for people working to maintain sobriety while moving toward independent living.

Units include basic furnishings and appliances, giving residents a more settled starting point after treatment.

Chattanooga will celebrate a homegrown musical figure with a free concert honoring the life and work of Dr. Roland Carter.

The tribute is scheduled for Thursday, November 5, at 7:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 401 Gateway Avenue.

Performers will include choirs from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and special guests from the Morehouse Glee Club.

Carter, a Chattanooga native and Howard High School graduate, built a distinguished career as an educator, arranger, conductor, and advocate for choral music.

He studied at Hampton University and New York University before teaching for many years at Hampton.

From November 6 through 8, Chattanooga and Southeast Tennessee offer a lively mix of family outings and entertainment.

The Hamilton County Fair returns to McDonald Farm, while Saturday brings Pioneer Day in Soddy-Daisy and a holiday vendor market in Hixson.

Chattanooga Comic Con, an orchestral presentation of The Empire Strikes Back, a guided kayak outing, Cleveland's Sunday farmers market and the Chattanooga FC championship round out the weekend.

Use this chronological guide to plan a local outing and check event details before traveling.

Collegedale residents have a simple way to support neighbors facing food insecurity this November.

The Collegedale Police Department is organizing a Pack-A-Patrol Car donation drive to benefit the Apison Food Pantry.

Participants are encouraged to bring nonperishable groceries and help fill a police vehicle with supplies for local families.

The next collection is scheduled for Saturday, November 7, from noon to 4 p.m. at the ALDI store at 5974 Elementary Way in Collegedale.

Another collection is planned for Sunday, November 15, from noon to 4 p.m. at Village Market, 5002 University Drive.

The Little Debbie Hamilton County Fair is scheduled to return to McDonald Farm in Sale Creek from Friday, November 6, through Sunday, November 8, 2026.

The three-day event promises a mix of agricultural displays, family activities, live entertainment and fairground experiences.

For households planning ahead, the fair offers an early-November outing in northern Hamilton County.

Stories of Black Appalachian life are at the center of two public arts events at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga this week.

Documentary photographer Chris Aluka Berry and oral historian and poet Kelly Elaine Navies will appear in programs linked to the exhibition Affrilachia: Testimonies.

On Thursday, November 5, a reception begins at 5 p.m. at ICA Chattanooga, followed by a public conversation at 6 p.m. in the Card Family Auditorium.

Berry is also scheduled for a First Friday book signing from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on November 6.

The accompanying exhibition remains on view through December 4 at the Institute of Contemporary Art on the UTC campus.

St. Elmo is more than the neighborhood at the bottom of Chattanooga's famous Incline Railway.

Developed as a residential community in the late nineteenth century, its streets preserve a distinctive mix of historic houses, local storefronts and mountain views.

Recognized on the National Register of Historic Places and protected as a local historic district, St. Elmo rewards a slower look.

A walk along its public sidewalks reveals the architecture and neighborhood character that help make this corner of Chattanooga memorable.

The dining lineup around Hamilton Place could gain another familiar name as Jonathan's Grille plans its second Chattanooga-area restaurant.

The Tennessee-based sports-bar chain is targeting Shallowford Road near the mall, an area already known for shopping, hotels and restaurants.

The planned site is in the 7000 block of Shallowford Road, close to the Hamilton Family YMCA.

The company already operates a restaurant on Camp Jordan Parkway in East Ridge, which opened in 2020.

Leaders of the family-run chain say the continuing growth of the Hamilton Place corridor made it an appealing location for another outlet.

Two familiar Chattanooga properties could soon disappear from the city landscape as officials consider an expanded demolition contract.

The buildings are the former Lamar’s Restaurant and Motel on Martin Luther King Boulevard and the old Farmers Market building on East 11th Street.

The city is considering raising its on-call demolition contract with Tower Construction from $300,000 to $700,000.

Reported estimates put removal of the Lamar’s property at about $309,000 and the old market building at about $84,000.

Because the contract proposal still requires consideration by City Council, the work should be viewed as proposed rather than completed.

Retirement can bring welcome freedom, but it can also change the rhythm of everyday relationships in ways few people expect.

For some older adults in Chattanooga, the quietest part of the day is no longer the peaceful break it once seemed.

Co-workers who shared daily conversations may become occasional acquaintances, children may live farther away, and longtime friends may face health or mobility challenges.

Even people with busy calendars can feel lonely when they miss having someone who truly knows them.

Loneliness is not a personal failure, and it does not mean someone has made the wrong choices in retirement.

It is a signal that meaningful connection deserves attention, just like other parts of well-being.

Social isolation and loneliness are associated with increased risks for several health problems, making connection a worthwhile part of healthy aging.

Still, rebuilding a social circle does not require joining every club or becoming an outgoing person overnight.

Finding regular meals can be harder with age, especially when shopping, cooking or getting to a grocery store becomes a challenge.

In Chattanooga and the surrounding Southeast Tennessee communities, meal programs offer more than food on the table.

Some bring older adults together for lunch, while others help people who have difficulty leaving home.

The Southeast Tennessee Area Agency on Aging and Disability is a useful starting point for families exploring those options.

Its congregate dining program supports weekday group meals for adults generally age 60 and older at participating senior centers and community locations.

The best way to enjoy a Southeast Tennessee mountain view does not always involve a hike or a winding drive.

From Delano, the Tennessee Valley Railroad Museum offers an approximately four-and-a-half-hour journey through the lower Hiwassee River Gorge aboard vintage passenger cars.

The Hiwassee Loop excursion covers about 50 miles round trip, following the river through forested slopes and across historic bridges.

Its most unusual attraction is a railroad engineering feature near Farner where the line spirals upward and crosses above its own track.

Passengers may look down and recognize the tracks their train traveled minutes earlier.

An outdoor escape does not have to begin with a long drive from Chattanooga.

At Greenway Farm in Hixson, trails, creek scenery and open space offer a welcome pause from the busier parts of the city.

The public park spans about 180 acres along North Chickamauga Creek and includes roughly six miles of routes used for walking, running, hiking and biking.

Some visitors arrive for exercise, while others come to enjoy the shade, listen for birds or take a slower walk near the water.

The mix of wooded areas and open ground makes the park feel different from a downtown riverfront path.