One county in Northwest Georgia and two in Southeast Tennessee qualify as distressed, according to research from the federal government's Appalachian Regional Commission, part of a downward economic trend.

Joined by Gov. Bill Lee and Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs, Hamilton County mayoral candidate Weston Wamp reiterated many of his key priorities to supporters Tuesday as he prepares for the final month of campaigning leading up to the general election in August.

Standing in the abandoned shell of a building in the city's South Broad District, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly and Hamilton County Mayor Jim Coppinger last week detailed a grand vision for revitalizing 120 acres near one of the municipality's major entrances.

Hamilton County will spend $1 million to ensure there is at least one school security officer or school resource officer in every county school across the district, building on $950,000 already appropriated by the school board.

On Friday, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the 1973 decision that guaranteed a woman's right to obtain an abortion.

Hamilton County commissioners will cast their deciding vote Wednesday morning on Mayor Jim Coppinger's proposed fiscal year 2022-23 budget, an $881.2 million spending plan that contains no tax increase and focuses on, among other priorities, retaining employees.

The Chattanooga City Council approved on first reading Tuesday a change to the municipality's purchasing rules that staff hopes will ease outdated requirements and lower a hurdle for small businesses.

Hearings will continue Wednesday before Judge Jeffrey Atherton in Chancery Court inside the Hamilton County Courthouse regarding six violations involving the Blue Light nightclub on Station Street.

Catoosa County officials are planning to add seven school resource officers at elementary schools, giving all the county's 18 school campuses their own dedicated Catoosa County Sheriff's Office deputy.

After the Chattanooga City Council appointed her in March to serve the remainder of former Councilman Anthony Byrd's term, Councilwoman Marvene Noel, of Orchard Knob, has announced plans to seek election to her District 8 seat in August.

A small parents' activist group started in Taylor Lyons' East Brainerd living room five years ago has become a national movement, with 3,000 local members and five chapters across the country.

"Today's landmark Supreme Court decision marks the beginning of a hopeful, new chapter for our country. After years of heartfelt prayer and thoughtful policy, America has an historic opportunity to support women, children and strong families while reconciling the pain and loss caused by Roe v. Wade. We have spent years preparing for the possibility that authority would return to the states, and Tennessee's laws will provide the maximum possible protection for both mother and child." — Tennessee Gov Bill Lee

"The decision by the Supreme Court today is in direct contrast to the majority of Americans' belief that women should be trusted to make decisions for their own bodies. Democrats will fight back against these restrictive laws and will work hard to replace lawmakers who would willingly put the lives of women in danger for their own craven desire for power. We will go to the polls on Aug. 4 and Nov. 8 and make our voices heard. We will not go back. Never vote for another Republican, ever." — Rachel Campbell, Hamilton County Democratic Party chair

Hamilton County school board candidate and former Chattanooga City Councilman Larry Grohn will appear in court July 22 for allegedly stealing $710 worth of campaign signs belonging to the Democratic candidate for district attorney, John Allen Brooks, but Grohn says he didn't steal them.

Tennessee and Georgia U.S. senators are splitting along partisan lines this week on legislation to strengthen federal gun laws while also providing billions of dollars in new funds to help stave off future mass shootings.

Following a deadly shooting on McCallie Avenue earlier this month that left three dead and 14 injured, members of the Chattanooga City Council have been informed of an emergency purchase of 11 additional police cameras.

Georgia Republican voters rebuked Donald Trump for the second time in a month Tuesday by rejecting his picks for a pair of open U.S. House seats, another blow to the former president after his attempt to unseat Gov. Brian Kemp and other incumbents collapsed.

Chattanooga leaders expect to conduct $513 million worth of improvements to the city's sewer infrastructure between 2020 and 2030, the second phase of an almost two-decade project intended to prevent wastewater from entering the Tennessee River.

Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett was driving a state vehicle when he was arrested and charged with driving under the influence last weekend in Tullahoma, his office stated Tuesday.

Former President Donald Trump on Friday lambasted former Vice President Mike Pence for not having the courage to go along with a plan to overturn the results of the 2020 election.

Tennessee's top lawmakers Friday said they hope legislation adopted in the General Assembly this year will effectively limit pharmacy benefit managers from unfairly penalizing independent pharmacists from dispensing drugs across the Volunteer State.

Two weeks after a shooting incident left three people dead and 14 injured on McCallie Avenue, Tennessee lawmakers were in Chattanooga this week as part of a multicity tour celebrating the passage of a new law they say makes the state a national leader in enforcing stiffer penalties for violent crimes.

Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton, R-Crossville, and Lt. Gov. Randy McNally, R-Oak Ridge, will honor victims of violent crime and their families in Chattanooga on Friday during a ceremonial signing of their recently passed Truth in Sentencing bill.