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.
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