Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee today announced Monday he is issuing a statewide order closing "non-essential" businesses and directing state residents to remain at home to battle the continuing spread of the coronavirus, according to sources.

Deaths and the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Georgia continued to increase Saturday, even as lawmakers tried to grapple with what the respiratory illness will mean for state finances.

The city of East Ridge issued a Civil Emergency and Proclamation Order on Wednesday regarding additional safety precautions and business restrictions during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a city news release.

The Hamilton County Commission and Chattanooga City Council are taking different approaches to conducting meetings amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee said Monday he is establishing a "COVID-19 Unified Command" to streamline coordination among health and emergency officials to combat what he called "not only a health crisis but an economic crisis."

After some local attorneys sounded the alarm over Silverdale Detention Center's lack of precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office says it has addressed the concerns and is working to make remote attorney-client communication available.

Even after some states have postponed their presidential primaries because of the threat of coronavirus, at least a few Georgia Republicans will get together Saturday in each of more than 100 county conventions to elect delegates. They, in turn, will go to congressional district and state conventions that will choose delegates for the Republican National Convention expected to nominate Donald Trump for a second term.

Helping prepare and deliver student meals, conducting inventory in local schools, attending training they might not usually have time — these are just some of the options that Hamilton County Schools officials have developed for ensuring its classified and hourly staff continued to get paid while schools are closed amid the coronavirus crisis.

Tennessee Rep. Andy Holt will not seek reelection this year, the Dresden Republican posted on Facebook on Wednesday.

NASHVILLE — Tennessee lawmakers began a rush Thursday to wrap up their work before an eight-week recess, focusing largely on must-do bills before taking up Republican Gov. Bill Lee's $40.9 billion budget now re-shaped to address coronavirus-related efforts and brace for an expected economic recession.

Tennessee's Republican-led Legislature has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to consider their failed challenge of the federal refugee resettlement program, which claims the state shouldn't be forced to spend money on Medicaid and other services for refugees.

Tennessee Rep. Martin Daniel says he will not run for reelection this year.

Last school year, a group of Hamilton County high school students sent out a survey to their peers.

The Hamilton County Commission voted Wednesday to approve a $4.3 million contract with a large provider for police technology for the sheriff's office purchase of body-worn cameras, cloud storage services, and other equipment that needed updating.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee on Wednesday proposed funneling money into relief for tornado and health crises, scaling back planned teacher raises, and socking more cash away into reserves, as the state reacted to the global impact of the coronavirus on everyday life.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Tuesday signed into law a midyear amended budget that includes $100 million in emergency funding to combat the new coronavirus.

Voting rights groups and the head of the Democratic National Committee want the states with remaining primary elections to offer voting by mail as a way to ensure that voters can safely cast their ballots amid the coronavirus outbreak.

At their first meeting since the first local case was announced, the six present members of the council quickly and unanimously voted Tuesday to cancel all council meetings, waive existing rules on meeting times and grant Chairman Erskine Oglesby the authority to determine when to reconvene.

A Cordele businessman has been sworn into the state Senate representing a south Georgia district.

Georgia's secretary of state legally canceled a scheduled May 19 election for a seat on the state's highest court, a judge ruled Monday, saying the governor can rightfully fill the post even though a judge who is resigning won't leave until November.

Amid increasing concerns over the coronavirus outbreak, Tennessee Republican lawmakers on Monday began discussing taking swift action on "mission-critical" elements of the state budget and various bills, then recessing for as long as eight weeks.

Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally and House Speaker Cameron Sexton are defending their decision to close the Legislature's Cordell Hull State Building to members of the general public in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.

Facing a potentially historic vote on whether to legalize medical marijuana in Kentucky, Republican lawmaker John Schickel is conflicted.