Ellen Gerst

Ellen Gerst is the breaking news editor at the Times Free Press. She has served as the paper's public editor, overseeing the opinion section, and covered crime, local news, growth and development since joining the paper in 2022. She previously reported on criminal justice and local government for the Casper Star-Tribune in Wyoming.

Contact Ellen Gerst at egerst@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6319.

Chattanooga car break-ins lead to charges for teens, 18 and 17

by Ellen Gerst ·May 7, 2024

Police charged an 18-year-old Sunday in connection with 14 car break-ins at a Chattanooga UPS center and two stolen cars.

Hamilton County Sheriff's Office / Courtyus Fletcher

Five charged after drugs smuggled into Hamilton County jail

by Ellen Gerst ·May 6, 2024

Five people have been charged in connection with drug smuggling that reportedly brought fentanyl and other substances into the Hamilton County Jail, court documents show.

Autopsy: Man’s death before release at Hamilton County Jail likely caused by drugs

by Ellen Gerst ·May 3, 2024

The death of a man who died while waiting to be released from the Hamilton County Jail in March was likely caused by drugs, according to an autopsy report released this week.

Staff photo / A van is received by a guard at Silverdale Detention Center, now known as the Hamilton County Jail, in 2020 in Chattanooga. A man died at the jail while waiting to be released in March 2024.

Police: Two victims, 19 and 21, have died after Wednesday shooting in Chattanooga

by Ellen Gerst ·May 3, 2024

Two men shot Wednesday in Chattanooga have died from their injuries, according to police.

Chattanooga Police Department / After responding to a person shot call Wednesday evening in the 1100 block of Arlington Avenue, Chattanooga police officers found two men with life-threatening gunshot injuries. The men, 19 and 21, later died, police said Friday.

Activist Missy Crutchfield running for Todd Gardenhire’s Chattanooga Senate seat

by Ellen Gerst ·May 1, 2024

Chattanooga activist Missy Crutchfield announced Wednesday she is running for a seat in Tennessee's state Senate after losing a bid for the Hamilton County school board earlier this year.

Staff photo by Matt Hamilton / Missy Crutchfield, middle, talks with Lee McWhirter, left, and Nicole McDermid during an election night party for her Hamilton County school board campaign at HiFi Clyde's on March 5. After losing that race, Crutchfield announced Wednesday she is running for a state Senate seat.

Chattanooga police adding downtown patrols after shooting outside Champy’s

by Ellen Gerst ·May 1, 2024

Chattanooga police are stationing additional officers in the downtown area after a shooting outside Champy's that left two people injured.

Staff Photo by Ellen Gerst / Police block a lane of M. L. King Boulevard after a shooting that reportedly injured two outside Champy's in Chattanooga on April 25. The department is adding extra patrols downtown in response to the shooting, a spokesperson said

Police identify hikers, aged 20 and 23, drowned at Rainbow Falls

by Ellen Gerst ·April 30, 2024

Police have identified two hikers who died after drowning in a creek along Rainbow Falls Trail on Signal Mountain on Sunday.

Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management / First responders work to recover two hikers who fell and drowned at Rainbow Falls on Sunday.

Local Update: Abortion trafficking for minors poised to become misdemeanor offense in Tennessee

by Ellen Gerst ·April 29, 2024

Then: A Knoxville lawmaker proposed a bill that would create a felony charge for abortion trafficking, aimed at adults who help minors access abortion medication or travel out of Tennessee to terminate a pregnancy.

Staff photo by Olivia Ross / Michael Caney, left, and Will Reynolds, with Students for Life of Southeast Tennessee chant from across the street in counter protest at Coolidge Park on Jan. 22, 2023, as the New Suffragettes commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Roe v. Wade decision.

Police arrest man, 29, after homicide outside Chattanooga apartment complex

by Ellen Gerst ·April 29, 2024

Police have arrested a man in connection with a homicide on Windsor Street in Chattanooga earlier this month.

How a court ruling could change voting rights for former felons in Tennessee

by Ellen Gerst ·April 26, 2024

State officials to revise process for registering to vote after felonies