Daniel Dassow

Daniel Dassow is a business reporter for the Chattanooga Times Free Press. He earned degrees in English and religious studies from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 2023, where he served as editor-in-chief of The Daily Beacon. He previously worked as a tech and energy reporter for the Knoxville News Sentinel. He is the youngest of six siblings. Contact him at 423-757-6318 or ddassow@timesfreepress.com.

Contact business reporter Daniel Dassow at ddassow@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.

TVA smashed September power record amid heat dome

by Daniel Dassow ·September 26, 2026

Agency invests billions to expand grid as demand rises

Staff file Photo by Seth Carpenter / TVA met 17 days in September 2026 with power demand over 30,000 megawatts. The Raccoon Mountain Pumped-Storage Plant is TVA's largest hydroelectric plant and serves as a form of energy storage to support the power grid.

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Chattanooga third in US for properties added to high-risk flood zone

by Daniel Dassow ·September 26, 2026

Designation may come with insurance requirement

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Chattanooga ranked third for most homes added to the high-risk flood area by FEMA, according to a new report. Homes line Mark Twain Circle, a street partially inside the flood zone, Sept. 25, 2026.

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Valleybrook residents ask Jimmy White for transparency after leaked drawing

by Daniel Dassow ·September 25, 2026

Residents of the Valleybrook and Windbrook neighborhoods in Hixson are petitioning developer Jimmy White, owner of the Valleybrook Golf and Country Club, and public officials to include them in any future development plans at the course.

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Neighborhood homes sit off of a fairway at Valleybrook on Sept. 24, 2026. Residents of the Valleybrook neighborhood urged Jimmy White, owner of Valleybrook Golf and Country Club, to include them in planning for future development.

Not just physics: Quantum to make business case at Chattanooga conference

by Daniel Dassow ·September 24, 2026

EPB knows most businesses don't have a clear idea of how quantum technology could be useful to them. That's why the Chattanooga utility is hosting its inaugural "Quantum in Business" conference.

Staff file photo by Matt Hamilton / EPB will host its first "Quantum in Business" conference Oct. 1, 2026, at the Westin hotel. EPB CEO Janet Rehberg reveals a replica of a linear ion trap during the launch of the IonQ Forte Enterprise quantum computer at EPB headquarters Sept. 18, 2026.

Bradley Medical Center to again be fully in-network with UnitedHealthcare

by Daniel Dassow ·September 23, 2026

Bradley Medical Center, the largest hospital in Cleveland, Tennessee, announced Tuesday it would be fully restored to in-network status on UnitedHealthcare plans on Nov. 1.

Contributed Photo / Bradley Medical Center in Cleveland will be fully in-network with UnitedHealthcare on Nov. 1, 2026. The insurer previously terminated its contract with the hospital on Aug. 1, 2025.

Chattanooga Ironman: What to know about road closures, race routes

by Daniel Dassow ·September 23, 2026

The Ironman, the elite 140.6-mile test of triathlete endurance, returns to Chattanooga on Sunday.

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Chattanooga is preparing for the full Ironman triathlon Sept. 27, 2026. Jamie Collins of Goose Creek, S.C., competes in the Ironman triathlon Sept. 28, 2025.

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After restricting data centers, Bradley County fields two major projects

by Daniel Dassow ·September 22, 2026

The Bradley County Commission essentially prevented data center development earlier this year, but two major projects in the East Tennessee county are seeking to build the facilities anyway.

Staff file photo by Matt Hamilton / Bradley County is fielding data center proposals from two major projects. Citizens voice their displeasure during a meeting about Project River, one of the two proposals, at the PIE Innovation Center in Cleveland, Tenn., on Sept. 1, 2026.

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Rock City CEO: Growth still on agenda despite gondola vote

by Daniel Dassow ·September 22, 2026

Rock City is going to grow even after Lookout Mountain, Georgia, officials denied its request to build part of a gondola sky lift within city limits, the company said.

Staff File Photo by Matt Hamilton / Rock City CEO Doug Chapin talks with concerned citizens Aug. 19, 2026, during a listening session at Rock City. Chapin said the company is still pursuing growth after Lookout Mountain, Ga., officials denied the tourist attraction's request for amendments to allow a gondola within city limits.

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Hasan Piker praises TVA, Chattanooga internet as successful state projects

by Daniel Dassow ·September 22, 2026

American left has nostalgia for New Deal era, expert says

AP Photo / Julia Demaree Nikhinson / Streamer Hasan Piker praised TVA and Chattanooga's broadband internet as successful government projects. The left-wing figure is seen canvassing for progressive candidates in a restaurant ahead of the Michigan Democratic primary, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026, in Detroit.

Lookout Mountain City Council denies Rock City gondola amendments

by Daniel Dassow ·September 21, 2026

In the end, the "No Gondola" movement was an unstoppable force.