by Mary-Beth Mangrum SODDY-DAISY, Tenn. — The arrests of 5 people in a sting operation in Soddy-Daisy earlier this week has shined a spotlight on the resources needed for human trafficking victims in the Chattanooga area Those arrested face charges that include prostitution and sex trafficking Hamilton County ranks as the fourth highest in the state on the Vulnerable Population Index (VPI) which measures the prevalence of vulnerabilities that traffickers often exploit according to advocacy group Engage Together Tennessee Hamilton County has only half as many organizations working with high-risk populations compared to Nashville's Davidson County The sting operation revealed that two of those arrested believed they were meeting a minor for sex they encountered agents with the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) two victims got help at WillowBend Farms in Bradley County An affidavit we obtained from the police detailed one victim's claim that her boyfriend forced her into sex work to support his drug use McKinnis explained the county's VPI score But there's always room for improvement data suggests that Hamilton County needs to enhance resources for providing exits for survivors and aftercare and restoration of victims' lives The Chattanooga Police Department says five agencies in town support victims and survivors of human trafficking, with two having offices at the Family Justice Center These services are completely confidential, and more information is available on their website Read more: 5 people arrested in online human trafficking operation in Soddy-Daisy, TBI says Already have an account? Log in here agents placed multiple decoy advertisements on websites that predators are known to visit The focus of the operation was to identify people in the Soddy Daisy area seeking to engage in sex acts with minors and to rescue commercial sex victims Five people were arrested following an undercover joint operation by TBI's Human Trafficking Unit Local 3 has covered Patterson and Harden before in previous arrests Patterson was arrested in 2018 after crashing a vehicle into a telephone pole and fence surrounding the Chattanooga Police Services Center Harden was charged with aggravated prostitution after working with HIV she already faced 5 previous prostitution charges Email notifications are only sent once a day Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Get up-to-the-minute news sent straight to your device With a fastball that consistently pops the mitt above 90 mph mixed in with a nasty slider in the mid-70s and a newfound splitter Soddy Daisy senior Cooper Poe's status as one of the Chattanooga area's top pitchers of recent prep baseball seasons has been cemented this spring Patrick MacCoon is an avid sports lover who joined the Chattanooga Times Free Press January 2 He covers prep sports along with the Chattanooga Football Club and Chattanooga Lookouts Patrick is a fan of Atlanta professional sports and began reading newspapers at an early age to analyze the MLB box scores He is a graduate from Red Bank High School and the University of Tennessee (Knoxville) This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Chattanooga Times Free Press Material from the Associated Press is Copyright © 2025 audio and/or video material shall not be published rewritten for broadcast or publication or redistributed directly or indirectly in any medium Neither these AP materials nor any portion thereof may be stored in a computer except for personal and noncommercial use The AP will not be held liable for any delays errors or omissions therefrom or in the transmission or delivery of all or any part thereof or for any damages arising from any of the foregoing TN-(WDEF-TV) Soddy Daisy scored four runs in the 7th inning to knock off Hixson 7-6 in game one of their best of three district tournament series Hixson built a 5-0 lead before the Trojans mounted their comeback more never met a stranger and was always willing to help others Eddy answered the call of duty early in his life enlisting in the United States Navy and serving his country with honor and distinction for 13 years and unwavering commitment to his fellow sailors and to the mission at hand aboard the USS Bennington & USS Dwight D Following his career in the United States Navy Eddy continued to exemplify the values of integrity and perseverance with the United States Post office for 42 years Eddy was preceded in death by his (Parents) Leander and Pauline Elder Walker Eddy is survived by his loving wife of 56 years Marjorie Walker Daughter Amanda Baugh (Jeff) and his 2 grandchildren Ethan Walker and Aubrey Baugh many nieces and nephews and extended family 2025 at Williamson & Sons Funeral Home with Rev Burial will follow in Chattanooga National Cemetery with Military Honors Condolences and memories may be shared at www.williamsonandsons.com Arrangements are by Williamson & Sons Funeral Home An undercover TBI operation targeting human trafficking in the Soddy Daisy area of Tennessee has resulted in the arrest of five suspects on Saturday (WZTV) — An undercover TBI operation targeting human trafficking in the Soddy Daisy area of Tennessee has resulted in the arrest of five suspects on Saturday TBI agents began the operation by placing decoy advertisements on websites frequented by individuals seeking commercial sex acts The operation was specifically aimed at finding criminals attempting to engage in sex acts with minors and to rescue victims of commercial sex trafficking in the process five individuals were arrested and charged: Two individuals were also rescued and recovered during this operation. They received services through WillowBend Farms a non profit that helps victims of human trafficking For more information on human trafficking and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation's efforts to combat this crime, visit their website. Get reports like this and all the news of the day in Middle Tennessee delivered to your inbox each morning with the FOX 17 News Daily Newsletter. — 5 people have been arrested for their involvement in an online human trafficking operation in Soddy-Daisy the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation says as part of an undercover operation aimed at addressing human trafficking in the Soddy Daisy area TBI agents placed multiple decoy advertisements on websites known to be frequented by individuals seeking to engage in commercial sex acts The TBI says the focus of the operation was to identify individuals seeking to engage in these sex acts with minors and to rescue commercial sex victims but the TBI did not later say in their release that any minors were involved and booked into the Hamilton County Jail" Another part of the operation focused on identifying potential victims of human trafficking The TBI says 2 individuals were recovered and received services through WillowBend Farms (WDEF) —  A joint undercover operation targeting human trafficking in Soddy Daisy has resulted in the arrest of five individuals led by TBI’s Human Trafficking Unit and the Tennessee Human Trafficking Task Force agents posted decoy advertisements on websites known for commercial sex activity aiming to identify individuals attempting to solicit minors and to rescue victims The following suspects were arrested and booked into the Hamilton County Jail: agents identified two victims of human trafficking who were recovered and are now receiving support services through WillowBend Farms Police in Nashville have identified the man charged with kidnapping two girls ages 12 and 13 from their home in Soddy-Daisy last Sunday Court documents obtained by our ABC affiliate WKRN say 21-year-old Isaac Schellsmidt is now in custody Those documents say after communicating with Schellsmidt on social media the girls met him Sunday morning near a home to meet him The arrest report says Schellsmidt drove the girls to his Nashville home WKRN reports that in an interview Schellsmidt reportedly told police he was aware the girls were minors when he picked them up in Hamilton County and that he was aware the parents were searching for them while they were confined in his residence Though a report from the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office says the girls were found with two men this is the only arrest we're aware of in this case right now Depend on us to keep you posted as we learn more Two young Soddy-Daisy girls are safe after authorities found them with two adult men in Nashville on Sunday The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office (HCSO) says the girls were reported missing from a home in the early hours of the morning Social media records revealed to deputies that the girls had spoken to an older man from Nashville Deputies believe the girls left the home and met up with the suspect nearby An investigation by HCSO resulted in the name and whereabouts of the suspect prompting deputies to request the help of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) and the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) HCSO says officers from MNPD responded to the suspect's identified location and found the girls with two adult men They say officers took the girls into custody and released them to their parents HCSO says charges are pending for the two men 2 men have been indicted for scamming a Soddy-Daisy man out of thousands of dollars in gold bars A Hamilton County Grand Jury has indicted Raymond Guan and Ho Yin Li with theft of property valued at $250,000 or more A man from Soddy-Daisy says he was tricked into giving away thousands of dollars in gold bars Authorities arrested Raymond Guan and Ho Yin Li in this scheme Police say Guan and Li were taken into custody and interviewed by TBI agents following a separate incident where one of the suspects was hit by a truck Both of the men were in court Tuesday for a preliminary hearing The victim says the scheme involved him handing over money in the form of crypto-currency he says he handed over several dozen gold bars worth nearly $1 million He testified that the schemers would come to his house as 'secret agents' and use secret passwords before making the hand off A TBI agent who interviewed the suspects also testified He says the suspects revealed they were from California and traveled to Soddy-Daisy The TBI agent also says the suspect told him they were working under the direction of another man from California — Students headed to Soddy-Daisy Middle School Wednesday morning had to turn back around after downed power lines over a road near the school entrance forced classes to cancel for the day Watch our live updates here. A post on the school's Facebook page just before 7 a.m a new post said classes would be cancelled for the day: Buses that had already come in now needed to exit the school to take students home But the downed power lines near the entrance to the school kept 8 buses where they were We're working to learn more information about what caused those downed power lines and have reached out to school officials to learn more — A fully engulfed house fire broke out overnight off of Big Pine Lane in Soddy Daisy Soddy Daisy Fire Department along with Sequoyah and Dallas Bay Volunteer Fire Department helped with the fire The family has set up a GoFundMe page to help with getting back on their feet. — A 13-year-old and 16-year-old both face charges after police say they stole a rifle from a Soddy-Daisy Police vehicle and a magazine from a Chattanooga Police vehicle Sunday when officers responded to the theft of a Honda on Sofias Circle A CPD auto crimes investigators spotted a social media video that showed a suspect officers conducted a search warrant at the teen's home Both boys are now charged with auto burglary We reached out to learn more about existing department policy for leaving weapons in vehicles both at the Chattanooga Police Department and the Soddy-Daisy Police Department Here is the official Chattanooga Police Department policy. Soddy-Daisy's Chief Petty told us that there are no specific department policies on guns kept in police cars but there is a policy saying patrol cars must be locked when they're not in use These suspects are the same boys who we reported earlier face charges, after a total of 14 cars were broken into at the Hawthorne at the Hollow Apartments in Soddy-Daisy. Soddy-Daisy Police Chief Billy Petty told us "this doesn't happen here often." she knew plenty of people who were facing that reality We spoke with some affected residents off-camera who say the same and believe the suspects were looking for something specific — An 83-year-old Soddy-Daisy man tells us he was scammed out of over $1 million by men claiming to be working for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) The suspects in question convinced the victim to pay him in gold bars. Larry Cox says he was scammed out of $1.3 million he was sent emails by what appeared to be from the FTC’s Fraud prevention team telling him an amount of $450,000 must be converted into cryptocurrency Cox says he was unable to convert his funds to bitcoin so the 'FTC agent' asked for it in gold bars An affidavit says police were able to catch them after Li was unexpectedly hit by a truck as he was leaving Cox's home Guan "received information that Guan was in Soddy-Daisy to meet Larry Cox for a pick up." It was only after police spoke to Cox that he discovered that he had been defrauded he just hopes his life can get back to some kind of normal Police say there's a 3rd suspect they are looking to arrest in this case The FBI reports that scams targeting individuals aged 60 and older caused over $3.4 billion in losses in 2023—an increase of approximately 11% from the year prior — A teen in Soddy-Daisy faces charges after authorities say he created a video on TikTok "referencing school violence," specifically against Soddy-Daisy Middle School and its faculty Deputies arrested the unidentified teen Thursday afternoon That's after Soddy-Daisy High School's School Resource Deputy was made aware of the TikTok video according to a release from the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office That teen was taken to the Hamilton County Juvenile Detention Center and charged with threat of mass violence Hamilton County Schools confirms that Soddy-Daisy High School coach Ulric Winesburgh was reinstated to his position on Thursday UPDATE: Hamilton County Schools confirms that Soddy-Daisy High School coach Ulric Winesburgh was reinstated to his position on Thursday This follows the conclusion of the investigation by law enforcement Hamilton County Schools did not provide any more information PREVIOUS STORY: Local 3 News is learning more about the Soddy-Daisy wrestling coach suspended while DCS investigates allegations involving him Ulric Winesburgh was notified of his suspension by a letter on March 20 saying: "Law enforcement is currently conducting an investigation into allegations pertaining to an incident involving members of the wrestling team and your alleged corresponding actions in your role as coach." Ulric has been part of the Hamilton County Schools system since 2008 PREVIOUS STORY: The Tennessee Department of Children's Services confirms they are investigating a case involving the Soddy-Daisy wrestling coach Tennessee law mandates DCS to investigate any allegations of child abuse or neglect A Hamilton County Schools spokesperson says Winesburgh was suspended in March without pay because of him being the subject of a law enforcement investigation "Soddy Daisy High School wrestling coach Ulric Winesburgh was suspended without pay on March 20 The suspension is pending the outcome of a law enforcement investigation of an anonymous allegation involving Mr Winesburgh’s alleged actions as coach of the wrestling team It is standard HCS procedure to suspend any employee who is the subject of a law enforcement investigation no further details are available at this time," said HCS spokesperson Steve Doremus Stay with the Local 3 News app for updates to this developing story PREVIOUS STORY: The Soddy-Daisy wrestling coach has been suspended without pay because he is the subject of a law enforcement investigation A Hamilton County Schools spokesperson says Ulric Winesburgh is under investigation because of an anonymous allegation involving his actions as a coach on the team We are working to learn what those actions are It is standard procedure for the school to suspend employees who are the subject of a law enforcement investigation Each year the city of Soddy Daisy invests in its parks The reasons are two-fold said Commissioner Steve Everett He said that part of the importance of sports for kids is to teach them how to work and play well with other people Another reason for the emphasis on sports in Soddy Daisy is because the city does not have a lot to sell so bringing people from out of town produces income.  The commissioners are behind in making improvements to the sports facilities and spending money on them each year Sporting events are a big attraction for the city and good facilities help encourage people to come to sporting events and stay long enough to spend money in the city people buy gasoline and eat in restaurants and the city receives sales tax on the money on those purchases.  The council just approved the purchase of bleachers and the installation of a sun screen over them The Kids Club will be contributing $15,000 for the bleacher covers which not only shield from the sun and wind but also function as a safety feature that protects people from foul balls That money will come from sign-up fees for the various sports Across multiple sports the city services from 1,500 to 1,800 kids each year And this year there are 800 kids participating in Soddy Daisy’s baseball and softball programs alone With the increase in participation of the sports and recreation programs and facilities in the city has been given the new title of parks supervisor.  He will be able to devote more time and effort to the sports and recreation department than before There are plans to hire a couple more employees for the Parks and Recreation departments.   After the 30 years that the city has maintained Pine Tree Park near the lake the state of Tennessee has finally transferred all real property interests in the TVA easement tract to Soddy Daisy City Manager Burt Johnson said that before now the state actually ran the park but citizens thought that the city did if improvements are needed or wanted in the park it will be able to apply for grants to do the work where previously all the money used for the park came from the city’s general fund.  Soddy Daisy was given a $21,000 grant from the Red Bank Soddy Daisy Charitable Foundation this year This money came from interest on investments from the sale of the Red Bank Community Hospital Each year the foundation splits the proceeds between Red Bank and Soddy Daisy with the condition that the money is used to help the most people in the city and is used for projects that the foundation approves This year the fire department will use it to purchase fire hoses in the amount of $15,960.  The Sequoyah Health Center - Soddy Daisy location is scheduled to close June 30 The Soddy Daisy Clinic is scheduled to close June 30 A clinic that has served Soddy Daisy and the nearby communities will close its doors for good this summer The Hamilton County Health Department announced the news Thursday says the closure of the Soddy Daisy Clinic will allow them to enhance access to care Other Hamilton County Clinic locations are said to be unaffected by the closure and can be found at: “The Soddy-Daisy Clinic faced several challenges throughout the COVID-19 pandemic resulting in a notable decline in client numbers that have not yet returned to pre-pandemic levels we have made the difficult decision to close this location Staff members from the Soddy-Daisy clinic will be retained and reassigned to other branches within the Health Department Interim Administrator for the Health Department We sincerely thank the Soddy-Daisy community for their trust and partnership over the years our commitment to improving the health and well-being of Hamilton County remains stronger than ever.” WIC clients will continue to have secure benefits will maintain WIC services for all eligible participants at the other clinic locations Those in Soddy-Daisy who use additional services will be able to access those services at one of the other clinic sites — A family in Soddy-Daisy is distraught and trying to sort out the confusion after learning that the burial plot they bought was occupied by someone else A family member of Jimmy Powell says the Hamilton County Memorial Park admitted they accidentally sold the same plot twice Ashely Beene says a receipt shows the Powell's purchased burial plots at Hamilton County Memorial Park in 2015 This error has caused chaos not only for Powell's but also the family of the woman already buried there and say it stems from a double-purchase of the space The cemetery says the error was on the previous owners of the site We reached out to the family of Mary Stewart who was buried in Jimmy Powell's spot They responded with the following statement: The situation is further complicated by the fact that Powell's name is already inscribed on a shared tombstone at Hamilton County Memorial Park The cemetery says after Mary Powell's burial in 2021 they placed her in Jimmy Powell’s spot for a “temporary fix.” The cemetery says both families were notified of the error But Beene says this came as a shock to her family the cemetery says they are working toward a solution provided to us in an email by the current owners of Hamilton County Memorial Park: Tennessee law allows cemeteries to correct errors like this by moving caskets without permission from the family as long as there are documents that say the family was notified We also reached out to family members of Frank and Mary Stewart to get their side of what happened Soddy Daisy sophomore point guard Emma Rutherford tossed the basketball as high in the air as she could as the final buzzer sounded in Tuesday's 41-29 District 6-3A championship victory over host Signal Mountain — A family from Soddy-Daisy says they were finally able to lay their loved one to rest after they say a cemetery sold the plot where their loved one was supposed to be located to someone else the family says they were charged thousands of dollars by the funeral home as the cemetery worked to resolve the issue We first told you about this earlier this month A family member of Jimmy Powell told us the Hamilton County Memorial Park admitted they accidentally sold the same plot twice. James Powell is now laid to rest where he wanted to be But the cemetery's error had someone else here first causing an unexpected delay and extra costs for the family The cemetery says it was a double-sale of one plot of land that caused the mix-up They say they first found out about the mistake in 2021 and alerted both families 2 of the people who were already buried were moved to another plot both couples are in the order they're supposed to be two couple's tombstones had to be moved apart to make room We spoke with attorney Jay Kennamer with the McMahan Law Firm He says that when a large corporation buys a cemetery company which owns the Hamilton County Memorial Park The cemetery company has an 'F' rating on the Better Business Bureau for past complaints and not responding to those complaints Ashley says she hopes no other families have to go through this The BBB says the cemetery's parent company is not accredited by them — A train crashed into a truck at a railroad crossing in Soddy Daisy Thursday afternoon Norfolk Southern tells us this is a private crossing The condition of the truck driver is unknown at this time Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will continue its free, historical bike tours through Chickamauga Battlefield. The first ride of this year will take place on Saturday, May ... more Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park announces a construction contract has been awarded to rehabilitate Brotherton and Glenn-Viniard Roads in Chickamauga Battlefield. The roads ... more The city of Chattanooga Department of Public Works Transportation Division will host an information session for constituents and neighborhood partners to learn more about the E. 14th Street Neighborhood ... more When he first began wrestling for Soddy Daisy as a freshman four years ago Jonathan Davis posted a losing record on a team that could not even fill all 14 weight classes in the lineup A Soddy-Daisy man was accused of raping a young relative according to Hamilton County Criminal Court documents Kailee Shores covers breaking news for the Chattanooga Times Free Press She holds a degree in journalism from Middle Tennessee State University Angie (Eric) Wilson and step-granddaughter Lexie Wilson “Chicken” all of Soddy Daisy as well as many other extended family members and loved ones.  The family will receive friends and loved ones from 4:00 till 8:00 p.m 2025 in the funeral home chapel with Danny’s nephew and others gathered at the house in Soddy Daisy on Wednesday for a floor signing ahead of the giveaway on June 29 A milestone was celebrated on Wednesday in the construction of the 2025 St and others gathered at the house in Soddy Daisy for a floor signing It’s a tradition that brings together the people who make the home possible so they can write messages for the future homeowners and the families who count on St which is located at 12566 Emerald Bay Drive Free Open House tours will be scheduled once the home has been completed You can get your $100 tickets online only Tennessee residents are able to buy tickets online you can still get a ticket by calling 1-800-750-6962 The 2025 St. Jude Dream Home Giveaway is Sunday The Soddy Daisy zoning ordinance has been amended to add a new section related to shipping containers that are being used as an accessory building Discussions about this have been taking place since last year since they city started seeing them all around town The issue was considered by the planning commission which recommended the conditions where they will be allowed the council approved those recommendations unanimously No citizens were at the meeting to speak for or against the ordinance change The containers will be allowed at a residence with lot size over one acre and prohibited on residential properties that are less They will be allowed in the industrial park and in manufacturing zones where the number depends on the size of the property The owners will have to obtain a permit from the building inspector and the containers will be required to be painted and have no rust The location where they can be put is regulated with distances from property lines specified and they have to be placed behind a principal structure on the property Another ordinance which regulates distance requirements from a business that sells liquor by the drink and beer was also amended on the final reading The change was done to make Soddy Daisy attractive to hotels and motels which they hope to draw there was a requirement of 250 feet between those establishments and any church The new section to the ordinance that was added specifies that there are no distance requirements from hotels Building Inspector Steve Grant updated the council on the status of the new city hall building that is going up behind the current municipal building followed by concrete being poured which will be followed by framing He said that soon the back parking lot will need to be closed to use for staging and storing materials The Scramble Alley Park will be blocked off with fencing but it will not be closed during the construction City Manager Burt Johnson attended a recent State of the County presentation by County Mayor Weston Wamp and announced that Hamilton County is prepared to offer matching grants of $250,000 for parks to the municipalities that will provide $500,000 for improvements to the city’s parks The commissioners will decide at a later date which of three parks to use the money for - Scramble Alley Commissioner Steve Everett said the city’s investments in parks Baseball tournaments held in Soddy Daisy have had a big impact the association that promotes sports in the area has reported the economic impact from last year’s “Back to School Bash” baseball tournament held in Soddy Daisy It had 2,500 attendees and had a direct economic impact to the city of $442,000 and a total impact of $742,000 Those numbers should illustrate why the city’s investments in parks and sports have been so important and "you can’t put a price on the investment made in the kids." City Manager Johnson is in the process of organizing a blood drive along with Blood Assurance He will be looking for local businesses to participate by sponsoring donors frauds and thefts aimed primarily at the city’s elderly citizens the Soddy Daisy Police Department has undergone cyber training including from the FBI The first session was at the Soddy Daisy Community Center this week He said so far nine scams have resulted in losses of $136,000 to individuals and one business lost $200,000 His advice is to call the police department if a call or email is suspicious because it is easier to teach people how to deal with fraud before it happens versus the police having to get involved and investigate the cases after people realize they fell for a scam Much of the money that is lost goes out of the country and cannot be recovered he said Chief Petty would like to get this information out to more people and he encourages churches in the city to call him and schedule classes that the police will teach The meeting ended with the council honoring the Soddy Daisy High School wrestling team A proclamation was read recognizing the 2024-2025 team for its many achievements during the year Mayor Jim Coleman and the commissioners congratulated the coaches and team on their outstanding season — A Soddy Daisy student arrested Monday and charged with threatening a teacher and middle school in a series of texts the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office says HCSO says the School Resource Deputy Unit was made aware of a threat directed toward Soddy Daisy Middle School HCSO says a faculty member at Soddy Daisy Middle School had been receiving threatening text messages from a local number since earlier this month the messages were not violent and were therefore not reported to law enforcement HCSO says the texts escalated to violent threats targeting the school prompting the faculty member to notify authorities working alongside Investigative Services Detectives identified the 8th-grade suspect responsible for the threats who later admitted to sending the messages The student is being charged in Juvenile Court with Threat of Mass Violence on School Property or at a School-Related Activity and Aggravated Stalking It's a nod to her part-time job helping trace family trees and solve adoption mysteries His human interest column "Life Stories,” which has published since 1992 appears each Monday in the Region section of the Times Free Press He also writes the "Family Life" column in the Sunday Life section Chattanooga?” can be found in the Saturday Region section He is a contributing editor for Edge and Chatter magazines Kennedy has won first place in the Tennessee Press Association's column writing contests 15 times and is also a five-time winner of the newspaper's Best of the Best reader’s choice contest in the columnist/reporter category He has been the newspaper's features editor Before the merger of Chattanooga's two newspapers in 1998 he was coordinating editor of the Chattanooga Times Kennedy lives on Signal Mountain with his wife Soddy Daisy High School senior Skylar Gooden has been a menace throughout her softball career out of the left-handed batter's box Now her athleticism is shining in between the white lines on the football field The Hamilton County Health Department announced its Soddy-Daisy clinic will shut its doors for the last time June 30. Staff members at the clinic will not lose their jobs but be reassigned to other branches, Sonia Calvin, interim administrator for the health department, said in a news release. Copyright © 2025, Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. This document may not be reprinted without the express written permission of Chattanooga Times Free Press, Inc. Improvements will be made to parks throughout the city. City Manager Burt Johnson said the public works department has already started at Veterans Park with renovations that were made to the pavilion. There is new lighting in the parking lot and next the pickleball courts and the walking track will be lit The city will be applying for a Local Parks and Recreation Fund Grant (LPRF) to increase parking, build a dock and more, at Holly Park. A new playground is being built. Gametime is now in the process of doing a layout for it which will replace the aging wooden Scramble Alley that is behind the city hall. Gametime is designing the playground based on the available amount of $300,000-$350,000. Both Hamilton County and the local Lions Club will help with cost along with a possible grant from Gametime. Mr. Johnson expects it will be built by late fall. The city is continuing to grow with investments from outside the city, said Commissioner Steve Everett. There were over $4 million in building permits last month. That is an indication of how many people are willing to invest in the town, he said. A new development of townhouses will be built at 10623Dayton Pike. The property was rezoned from C-2 Local Business District to R-3 Apartment-Townhouse so the buildings can be put there. Fire Chief Dusty Morgan received approval to purchase new thermal imaging cameras that will replace old ones. A new camera will be on each of the three fire trucks. These cameras can help the firefighters in search and rescue by identifying victims and hot spots even behind sheet rock. The three new cameras will cost $14,250. Also, a new snow plow will be purchased for the public works department. It was budgeted this year for $20,000, but the actual cost is significantly less at $10,650. Commissioner Everett had words of praise for each of the city’s departments. He said the Soddy Daisy Police Department worked with Hamilton County to quickly solve a recent rash of car thefts. He said the fire department does a great job and works as a team. He said he is grateful that the city can get them good equipment. And he said the street department was like a “hurricane” clearing roads during the recent snow. Director of the department Steve Grant keeps them on task, he said. In his report, Commissioner Marcus Keith told the commission that during this winter’s coat drive for kids, 140 had been collected along with hats and gloves. He congratulated Steve Grant for being part of the city’s fire department for 50 years. BREAKING: Former Chatt. Prep. teacher Kenya White intends to plead guilty to enticement charges in federal court. 2 juveniles charged with breaking into multiple vehicles in Soddy Daisy Sundayby WTVC Police now say the 2 young teens charged in this break-ins case stole a rifle from a Soddy-Daisy Police squad car and a magazine from a Chattanooga Police officer's car Read the latest here. 2 juveniles are facing charges in a string of vehicle break-ins that happened in Soddy Daisy over the weekend, according to police. The Soddy Daisy Police Department says 14 vehicles were broken into around 4 a.m. Sunday. Police says some vehicles were unlocked and some had the windows broken to gain entry. Monday, Chattanooga Police executed a search warrant in connection to the burglaries. Soddy Daisy Police say they are in the process of charging two juveniles for multiple burglaries and vandalism. Soddy-Daisy residents report mail delays despite USPS claims of normal operationsby Jakai Spikes Residents in Soddy-Daisy are sharing frustration over delayed mail deliveries despite assurances from the United States Postal Service that operations at the facility are running smoothly Resident Trish Cox told us she has been waiting for four packages that have been significantly delayed Cox explained that her packages were last tracked in Chattanooga on December 5th and December 7th When asked about the expected delivery date "They don't have any idea." Waggoner suggested that a larger facility might improve organization and efficiency our NewsChannel 9 SkyView camera saw packages scattered around delivery trucks outside the post office the USPS told us the Soddy-Daisy facility is fully staffed and current with delivery volume attributing any delays to the holiday season's increased demand USPS says if customers need assistance with mailing or shipping concerns — Baylor and McCallie didn't have to wait long at all for a wrestling rematch and this one brought much higher stakes than the recent regular-season showdown between the Chattanooga rivals Six candidates are vying for three open positions on the five-member Soddy-Daisy City Commission in the Nov for which early voting begins Thursday and continues through Oct Emily Crisman became a staff writer for the Chattanooga Times Free Press in 2009 Emily graduated with a degree in humanities from the University of Colorado at Boulder in 2006 Police Chief Billy Petty told Local 3 that residents are now waking up to broken windows and items missing from their cars Digital Producer/Weekend Assignment Editor Several cars were broken into at the Hawthorne apartments in Soddy Daisy The Soddy Daisy Police Department responded to the call around 3:30am on Sunday this is "not our first rodeo with these guys." He says deputies are investigating the situation Stay with Local 3 for updates on the investigation Two juveniles have been arrested and charged after stealing a car from a home and for burglarizing a rifle and a magazine from two agencies' patrol vehicles The Hamilton County Health Department announces the closure of the Soddy-Daisy clinic location this clinic has proudly served the Soddy-Daisy community providing essential health services to countless individuals and families This closure enables the Health Department to enhance access to care by implementing a mobile health unit which will soon offer services at various locations throughout the county This innovative approach will bring essential health resources directly to the communities we serve we remain committed to ensuring our clients receive the same level of care and access to services and the Health Department will maintain WIC services for all eligible participants at other Health Department clinics Clients in Soddy-Daisy who use additional services will now receive those services at one of the alternative clinic sites “The closure of the Soddy-Daisy clinic ultimately comes down to the most effective use of funding while ensuring the availability of healthcare,” says David Roddy Chief Operating Officer for Hamilton County “When we evaluated the cost of operating the clinic versus the number of patients served Transitioning to a mobile model and the analysis of the placement of other health care providers in the area has allowed us to feel confident in the ability to meet the needs of the Soddy-Daisy area and ensure continued access to health services.” To stay informed about events and information from the Health Department, visit Health.HamiltonTN.org or follow us on social media. For details regarding services and locations, please visit Health.HamiltonTN.org or contact the Hamilton County Health Department at 423-209-8000 Friday night marked the end of the Soddy Daisy High School football program's 2024 season The Trojans — even those who will no longer be suiting up for them — hope what they did this year is just the beginning of something even bigger