Chattanooga Times Free Press readers voted on the top stories in the region for 2024, and these are the top 10 they chose:
Olympic medalist: Hixson’s Olivia Reeves, a senior at UTC, won the United States’ first gold medal in weightlifting in 24 years at the Paris Olympics. Reeves lifted 117 kilograms (258 pounds) in the snatch and 145kg (320 pounds) in the clean and jerk for a total of 262kg to beat Mari Leivis Sanchez of Colombia by five kilograms in the women’s 71kg division. Reeves received the keys to the city and was celebrated with a parade in September.
Police chief indicted: Chattanooga’s police chief, Celeste Murphy, resigned June 26 and turned herself in to the county jail the next day under indictment. She faces charges including perjury, official misconduct, illegal voter registration and falsely filling out official documents. Murphy had been under investigation since at least May, after the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported that she made conflicting residency claims on tax and voter forms after moving from Atlanta to Chattanooga.
UAW at VW: Employees at the Volkswagen factory in Chattanooga in April overwhelmingly voted to join the United Auto Workers union. The union won 73% of the ballots cast at the plant that employs 5,500 people and makes the Atlas, Atlas Cross Sport and the all-electric ID.4 SUV. After two previous attempts in Chattanooga, the election gave the union its first breakthrough win at a foreign automaker in the South.
Staff photo by Matt Hamilton/ Construction continues at the future South Broad District location of the Lookouts stadium on Dec. 4, 2024.