Clint Cooper is the Free Press editor at the Chattanooga Times Free Press, representing the conservative side of the newspaper's opinion section. Previously he worked as a lifestyles reporter, and has been an assistant sports editor and Metro staff writer for the newspaper. Prior to the merger between the Chattanooga Free Press and Chattanooga Times in 1999, he was sports news editor for the Chattanooga Free Press, where he was in charge of the day-to-day content of the section and the section's design. Before becoming sports news editor, he was a staff writer. In the Life section, he is responsible for the content of the weekly religion page but also contributes entertainment stories to the current section; health, home and profile stories for the daily Life pages; and general news articles to the news columns. In the past, he has written on technology and baby boomers for the section. Clint has received honors over the years for his writing and design in both individual work and work as part of a team or section. Among those are several best overall team coverage awards from the Southern League (when he was either lead writer or content/design editor), a best section award by the Tennessee Sports Writers Association (when he was content/design editor) and several first-place awards in the community lifestyles category of the Tennessee Press Association contest (as part of a staff). The Chattanooga native is a cum laude graduate of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a degree in mass communications and did postgraduate work there in secondary education. Clint and his wife of 21 years, Donna, have one son, Patrick, 18. He enjoys acting, reading and running. Contact Clint at 423-757-6497 or ccooper@timesfreepress.com. You may friend him on Facebook.
Twenty-two months ago, the world's top health experts said this COVID-19 thing might be bad, but it eventually would blow over and we'd be done with it.
by Clint CooperIn 2019, after Tennessee legislators passed a law to curb paid, quota-driven, last-minute voter drives that mound election officials with incomplete and errant information they don't have the time to verify before an election, the reaction was what we've come to expect.
by Clint CooperWe watched "42" for the first time the other night.
by Clint CooperFifty years ago, there was no pretense.
by Clint CooperWe couldn't let this week's end of the vehicle emissions testing program in Hamilton County go by without another thank-you to state Sen. Bo Watson, R-Hixson, and the late Rep. Mike Carter, R-Ooltewah, who steered the bill mandating the end of the program through the legislature in 2018 and then patiently waited as the process to unwind it went through labyrinthine federal levels.
by Clint CooperAccording to the National Network to End Domestic Violence, 99% of domestic violence cases involve financial abuse.
by Clint CooperHow much, if any, should Hamilton County mayoral candidate Weston Wamp be responsible for what his father says, writes or does?
by Clint CooperThe discussion an associate professor of public administration at Tennessee State University had Sunday as part of a week of virtual events sponsored by the Unity Group to mark Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Week lacked context, we believe.
by Clint CooperIf a University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Reimagining Committee has its way, all students in the fall of 2023 will be required to take six hours of diversity, equity and inclusion courses as part of their general education requirements.
by Clint CooperIncredibly, nearly two months after commissioners called the Hamilton County Commission's redistricting process the most open and transparent in history, two commissioners are still grousing about the process.
by Clint CooperTo hear some Democrats talk, every Republican - from then-President Donald Trump to the most minor elected official - is responsible for what occurred at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
by Clint CooperThe subject was Orchard Knob Middle School, the reference is the state's list of low-performing priority schools and the occasion was Monday night's special called meeting of the school board.
by Clint CooperWe've made it quite clear that U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who represents the folks just across the state line from Tennessee in Northwest Georgia, is not our favorite conservative Republican.
by Clint CooperIn the midst of the charges and counter-charges about a stolen 2020 presidential election, we don't recall hearing much about ballot irregularities or miscounting or thievery in Tennessee.
by Clint CooperLocal newspapers from 50 years ago, the first week of 1972, offer tastes of what we are still dealing with in 2022, proposals that never came to fruition and portents of things that did.
by Clint CooperDo you play the percentages?
by Clint CooperWhat's your favorite Christmas song?
by Clint CooperRepublicans occupy every countywide office in Hamilton County and have a 6-3 advantage on the Hamilton County Commission.
by Clint Cooperwith commentary label and mug of clint
by Clint CooperNo one disputes that the eastern portion of Hamilton County is currently the county's biggest growth area. But residents of the area may have spoken through Hamilton County commissioners earlier this week in wanting a say about that growth.
by Clint Cooper