As Chattanooga rings in the new year, it's time to take a look back at the best of the web for 2014. Below are the top cartoons, project and multimedia features as well as the most widely-read five stories of the year.
Photo Gallery
Art show at EJ's
Works by Little Rock artist Stephano were on display with photographs by John Bridges during a showing at EJ's in downtown Little Rock Thursday
Best Projects
Our top longform pieces and presentations.
Andrew Hamblin, the 22-year-old pastor of Tabernacle Church of God, a snake-handling church of Appalachia in LaFollette, Tenn., preaches with a Canebrake/Timber Rattlesnake during service on November 21, 2013.Snake handling churches have long existed in the hills of Appalachia, often in tight-knit, closed communities. Now a new generation of pastors are bringing their faith to the greater public.
Radio personality Tommy Jett brought rock 'n' roll to the Chattanooga airwaves. He's a member of the Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame. He's used to being recognized and greeted every time he goes out. But radio is a changed industry. And entertainers like Jett, now 74, are a dying breed.
Ryan Harris sits on his mother's couch. From the project "Into the darkness". Suicide is a growing national epidemic. Every sixteen minutes, someone takes his or her own life. Sometimes they leave behind bereaved families. Sometimes their plans go awry. This is a three-part series on suicide from the statistics to the people behind the numbers.
From left, Franklin McCallie, Tresa McCallie, Stacy Lightfoot and Wonjen Bagley share a laugh before a practice run of the Tennessee Aquarium's Protect and Serve fundraiser dinner on Sept. 4.A member of one of Chattanooga's most prominent families, Franklin McCallie, saw the light on race in college and has been working for justice ever since. He and a group of black and white friends are starting a revolution in town with conversation and dessert.
For 18 years, this building was at the center of the abortion debate in Chattanooga. Although its mission has changed radically, Amendment 1 has brought the abortion debate and a new crop of activists back to the city.
Best Multimedia
Compelling videos, maps and compilations from 2014.
The Chattanooga Times Free Press's new printing press operates Wednesday, Oct. 1, 2014, in Chattanooga.This year the Times Free Press installed a new printing press, a $6.4 million project that allows for higher quality printing and more color pages. This time-lapse video explores the whole process over the course of the past year.
Preston Baum stops to be interviewed for Humans of Riverbend.
"I'm a skater."
"What's the difference between a skater and someone who skates?"
"Heart."Inspired by the famous photo project Humans of New York, we stopped to talk to unique people we met during the Riverbend Festival in Chattanooga. Humans of Riverbend captures the beloved culture of Riverbend as well as one of its best pastimes: people watching.
We hear a lot about Chattanooga's incredible internet. Some people (and billboards) go so far as to call this Gig City. But who has the Gig? And where do they live? This map explores those questions.
When abortion legislation comes up, we often hear from partisan advocates on both extremes of the debate. This project doesn't have that. In this audio piece, hear four women tell their own very different stories about terminating unwanted pregnancies.
Ironman 2014. Chattanooga athlete Alexis Willis was the last to finish the swim portion-the crowd cheered the whole wayIronman, one of the most challenging triathlons in the world, held its inaugural race this year in Chattanooga. This video gives a slice of the action and the emotion.
Most Popular Stories
The most widely read articles on our website in 2014.
A Calhoun High School senior was sexually assaulted and battered by four peers at an after-prom party, but Chattanooga Times Free Press columnist David Cook says that supervision and alcohol are not to blame. "Beer doesn't cause that. Drinking wine on prom night doesn't cause that," he writes. "Something far more insidious does."
Republican Rep. Jeremy Faison of Cosby presents his bill to allow handgun carry permit holders to store loaded firearms in their vehicles no matter where they are parked to the House Civil Justice Subcommittee in Nashville, Tenn., on Wednesday, Feb. 13, 2013. The panel later advanced the bill to the full committee. (AP Photo/Erik Schelzig)A Tennessee law has gone into effect that allows gun owners to legally keep loaded firearms in their vehicles even without a state-issued handgun-carry permit. Proponents of the measure hailed it as a victory for gun rights, but some law enforcement officials had reservations about the changes.
Chattanooga Ironman bikers begin their course.Tacks and oil were thrown on the Chattanooga Ironman bike course resulting in flat tires and delays before Ironman staff could get the mess cleaned up. An Ironman employee said course sabotage is not uncommon, especially in rural areas.
Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon runners are pictured in this file photo.Tabatha Hamilton was disqualified as the women's winner of the Chickamauga Battlefield Marathon after race officials determined her final time was impossible. Hamilton disputed the reported time of the first half of her marathon, saying her husband was looking at his watch when she ran by and called out the time. She stood by her time of 26.2 miles in 2 hours, 55 minutes, 39 seconds.
Southern Adventist University while it was on lockdown.James Gaines was detained after making jokes about bombing Southern Adventist University because he was upset at a delay in getting paperwork from the school. Gaines was never on campus, no shots were fired there and no one was injured, but precautions were taken against what police called a "credible threat".
Editors pick top local stories of 2014
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Best Chattanooga business stories of 2014
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