Ben Benton is a news reporter at the Chattanooga Times Free Press. He covers Southeast Tennessee, North Georgia and Northeast Alabama. Ben has worked at the Times Free Press since November 2005, first covering Bledsoe and Sequatchie counties. Ben was born and raised in Cleveland, Tenn., a graduate of Bradley Central High School. He has a bachelor's degree in communications from the the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In 2014, he placed third in the Green Eyeshade Awards for Disaster Coverage- All Dailies for his story on the South Pittsburg flood, and third place in the Specialized Site category for the newspaper's Civil War 150th anniversary online special section. Ben previously worked at The Daily Post-Athenian in Athens, Tenn., The Herald-News, in Dayton, Tenn., and at the Knoxville Journal, in Knoxville, Tenn. Ben, a lifelong UT fan, lives in Chattanooga with his wife, Lisa, and has been a Chattanooga resident since 1988. Ben has one son, Benjy, who works in town as a web developer. When he's not working, Ben likes to cook and hit the backroads in search of barbecue and the region's natural beauty. Contact Ben at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or twitter.com/BenBenton or www.facebook.com/ben.benton1 or 423-757-6569.
cms,ryA Bradley County Sheriff's Office deputy has been suspended with pay amid allegations he "strangled" a 14-year-old boy at a local alternative academy overseen by the Bradley County Juvenile Court, authorities said.
by Ben BentonIf completion of the Interstate 75-Interstate 24 Interchange Improvement project near the Tennessee-Georgia state line is nearing completion, why is there still a daily backup for northbound traffic, often stretching miles into Georgia?
by Ben BentonThe 12th Judicial District Drug Task Force director has now been fired after a two-month leave of absence amid a TBI investigation into the seizure of drugs and money in an operation in Sequatchie County in 2020.
by Ben BentonA Rhea County, Tennessee, man has been arrested on a grand jury indictment charging him with a 17-count string of sex charges involving minors.
by Ben BentonFall Creek Falls State Park's new $40.4 million, 85-room lodge remains on course for a fall finish as crews continue work on the exterior, interior and the installation of kitchen equipment, state officials said.
by Ben BentonCLEVELAND, Tenn. — The city of Cleveland got a $500,000 Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation parks and recreation grant for the development of a new park, dubbed Candies Creek Park, along the winding creek on the west side of the city.
by Ben BentonOne man is hospitalized and another is behind bars after a shot was fired in an Etowah, Tennessee, alley among a group of people, injuring one man Monday.
by Ben BentonThe Alton Park community's Southside Community Park got a $50,000 grant from the Washington, D.C.-based Trust for Public Land for the construction of a play area for children.
by Ben BentonA former assistant in the University of Tennessee Agricultural Extension Office in Jasper, Tennessee, has been arrested on indictments charging her with the theft of more than $39,000.
by Ben BentonWhitewater enthusiasts and others heading east on U.S. Highway 64 toward the Ocoee River and Cherokee National Forest in Polk County, Tennessee, can see the state's $12.6 million "signature" bridge as the new span takes shape alongside its aging predecessor.
by Ben BentonThe contractor on the $32 million Interstate 24 interchange improvement project near Broad and Market streets will shift the flow of motorists to a new traffic pattern that will go into effect at 9 a.m. Monday, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation.
by Ben BentonThe inmate in Grundy County, Tennessee, who fled from the local health department Tuesday barefoot and wearing handcuffs and an orange prisoner jumpsuit is back in custody facing an escape charge, according to authorities.
by Ben BentonOfficials in the six-county 12th Judicial District on Thursday celebrated the opening of a Children's Advocacy Center in Jasper, Tennessee, becoming the last judicial district in the state to open such a facility.
by Ben BentonBradley County authorities are warning of a group they identify as "Irish Travelers," which investigators say have a history of targeting elderly and other vulnerable people in financial scams using aggressive and demanding tactics usually involving home repairs, according to a statement from the Bradley County Sheriff's Office.
by Ben BentonSix men were arrested in a two-day undercover operation in Monroe County, Tennessee, linked to human trafficking, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
by Ben BentonAuthorities in Grundy County, Tennessee, are seeking an inmate who fled custody on a trip to get a COVID-19 test Tuesday and was last seen barefoot and handcuffed wearing an orange jail jumpsuit.
by Ben BentonThe National Cornbread Festival in South Pittsburg, Tennessee, has been officially canceled after organizers said scheduling conflicts with vendors and other festival participants would result in a sub-par event that isn't what people expect.
by Ben BentonA local conservation group is worried construction associated with the Red Wolves soccer stadium in East Ridge will permanently damage wetlands in the South Chickamauga Creek watershed after the state allowed the $150 million project to go forward.
by Ben BentonYoung male black bears are on the move this time of year, and the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency warns it's the season for increased human-bear encounters.
by Ben BentonThe Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and Bledsoe County authorities are seeking new information in the 2016 double slaying of a Bledsoe County couple, particularly information related to a third person seen with them the day they were last known to be alive.
by Ben Benton