Cliff has worked for the Times Free Press for five years and covers Chattanooga city government.
He previously covered Rhea County, as well as transportation and growth and development in Southeast Tennessee.
A native of Maryville, Tenn., Cliff graduated in 2003 from the University of Tennessee with a bachelor’s degree in communications with an emphasis on journalism.
Before coming to Chattanooga, he was a crime reporter with Hernando Today, a supplement of The Tampa (Fla.) Tribune; a reporter at the Knoxville News-Sentinel; editor of the The Daily Beacon (the UT student newspaper); a reporter at the Daily Times in Maryville, Tenn.; and a crime reporter at the Monroe County Advocate and Democrat in Sweetwater, Tenn.
Cliff won a third place award for beat reporting in the 2005 Florida Society of Newspaper contest; a second place for General News Writing in the 2004 Florida Press Club contest; first place for best single feature in the 2000 Tennessee Press Association contest; second place for best news story in the 2000 Tennessee Press Association awards; and was named University of Tennessee Student Publications Senior Journalist of the Year in 2003.
Cliff has been married to Lisa for seven years and they have with two children, Carolina and Kellen. Cliff enjoys almost anything outdoors from hiking, backpacking, mountain biking to swimming. He also enjoys fiction writing and has written two novels, both currently sitting on shelves. Cliff served three years in the U.S. Army before going to college.
Contact Cliff at 423-757-7480 or chightower@timesfreepress.com.
Follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/CliffHightower.
Recent Stories »
An 18-month saga for Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield may have ended Friday. Standing inside a Hamilton County courtroom, Littlefield said that, for the remaining 14 months of his administration, “we’re going to keep doing the business of the city.”
A judge invoked a decision he made more than a year ago -- later overturned by a higher court -- to stop the recall election of Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield for a second time.
Judge Jeff Hollingsworth has ruled that the August recall election of Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield will be stopped.
Hamilton County Circuit Court Judge Jeff Hollingsworth is expected to announce his ruling about 1 p.m. today in the recall case against Mayor Ron Littlefield.
A group responsible for forcing a scheduled recall election of Mayor Ron Littlefield has intervened in the case and will be allowed to participate in a hearing set for Friday.
A group responsible for forcing a scheduled recall election of Mayor Ron Littlefield will try to intervene in the case.
Barbara Ensign and her family are avid recyclers. Sorting what plastics go into the trash and what goes into recycling has turned into a family activity, she said.
Greta Hayes, the city's recreation director, said Tuesday the city is trying to find a way to compensate a tennis professional who came under fire recently for his management of the Champions Club.
Chattanooga’s recreation director said today the city is trying to work out a contract in which a professional tennis professional at the Champion’s Club could still receive extra compensation.
Orange and white cones line the intersection of Shallowford and Jenkins roads, and a "road closed" sign blocks the end of Morris Hill Springs Road.
