Readers of the Chattanooga Times Free Press voted on the top stories for the region in 2025, and these are the stories, ranked by the number of votes:
— LAND SWAP: For eight months, local officials negotiated in secret on a plan to protect about 1,300 acres of McDonald Farm in Sale Creek while opening hundreds of acres of Enterprise South Nature Park near Ooltewah for industrial development. Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp unveiled the plan in October once the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported that it was in the works. The plan drew opposition from people in the region who want the county to honor its commitment to preserve the park in perpetuity.
— FLASH FLOODING: On August 12-13, the Chattanooga region was hit by torrential rainfall — about 6.4 inches in a single day, making it the city’s second‐wettest day on record. The flooding caused major damage. Roads, including a stretch of Interstate 24, were submerged and vehicles and homes were flooded. Four people died, including a family of three killed when a large tree fell on their car.
— MTG RESIGNATION: U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, Ga., announced in November that she will resign from Congress early in 2026. Her announcement came a week after President Donald Trump withdrew his support for her after she criticized him for his handling of the Jeffrey Epstein investigation and other issues. Several Republicans quickly stepped up to run for her seat.
— NATIONAL PARK CITY: In April, Chattanooga was named North America’s first National Park City by the National Park City Foundation, joining global cities like London and Adelaide. The designation recognizes cities that embrace both nature and urban living — outdoor access, green space, environmental stewardship, culture and community. The designation is unrelated to the National Park Service.
— FEDERAL IMPACTS: When politicians in Washington, D.C., failed to reach agreement on health care premium subsidies, the federal government shut down starting Oct. 1. Some services and programs were interrupted for Chattanoogans. The biggest impact came in the latter days of the shutdown, when Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits lapsed as reserve funding ran low.
— TVA and TRUMP: The Tennessee Valley Authority board of directors, which regulates the nation’s largest government-owned power company, lost its quorum for the first time in more than 25 years when President Donald Trump fired several of its members. His actions created concerns TVA might be privatized, but the board members he eventually appointed said they did not support that idea.
— JASON CHEN TRIAL: Former UTC student Jason Chen in January was sentenced to life without parole for the murder of Jasmine Pace in a case that drew national attention. Chen repeatedly stabbed his girlfriend, Pace, 22, in his Tremont Street apartment in 2022. He then disposed of her body in the Tennessee River. Chen, 24, was found guilty of first-degree murder and abuse of a corpse.
— CITY TAX INCREASE: The Chattanooga City Council approved a property tax rate increase in September that was expected to bring an extra $45 million to the city budget. The rate increase, proposed and pushed by Mayor Tim Kelly, was meant to bring in more money for police and fire raises and other priorities, like road paving, to keep up with inflation.
— ENGEL STADIUM: Engel Stadium will be torn down to make room for a women’s athletic complex for the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. The home of the Chattanooga Lookouts from 1930 to 1999 has been largely unutilized since it was used as a filming location for “42” in 2012. The historic stadium on Third Street hosted the likes of baseball legends Willie Mays and Hank Aaron.
— HOUSING COSTS: Hamilton County home values spiked, sparking concerns over tax assessments. Historic property value increases since the previous countywide appraisal four years ago made residents worried their tax bills would skyrocket. Whether that happened depended on where property owners lived, when they bought their home and rates set by local municipalities.
— VW-UAW: Workers at the Volkswagen plant in Chattanooga, a major employer in the region, voted in October to authorize a strike if needed in stalled negotiations. The plant in 2024 became the first foreign‐owned auto facility in the U.S. South to unionize, and VW and the United Auto Workers have yet to agree to a contract. Issues include health care, job security and workplace safety.