Chattanooga is launching a major traffic signal retiming project and installing new smart technology aimed at easing congestion citywide.
The upgrades include the addition of Gridsmart GS3 Fisheye Camera Vehicle Detection Systems, which enable real-time, adaptive traffic management. The installations, handled by the Department of Public Works, were funded through grants.
New detection systems are already in place at several key intersections, including Bonny Oaks Drive at Hickory Valley Road, Cherokee Boulevard at Manufacturers Road, Frazier Avenue at Barton Avenue and East Brainerd Road at both Panorama Drive and North Concord Road.
Work on the Highway 153 corridor will begin the third week of November and is expected to finish by mid-December.
October property sales top $340 million
Hamilton County recorded more than $340 million in property sales during October, according to data from Register of Deeds Marc Gravitt.
The monthly report shows $1.26 million in conveyance tax collected on property transfers and $503,850 in mortgage tax. Total mortgage activity exceeded $443 million, with 1,386 deeds of trust and 1,314 deeds recorded. Overall, 5,038 documents were filed last month.
The county’s largest transaction was the $12.26 million sale of 400 Workman Road in Chattanooga. Other top sales ranged from $3.36 million to $1.76 million, including properties in Apison and multiple high-value parcels across the county.
Automated cameras enforce school speeds
The city of Chattanooga has launched its Automated School Zone Speed Enforcement program to promote safer driving near Orchard Knob Elementary and Brainerd High schools.
Traffic cameras installed at both schools will now issue $50 citations to drivers exceeding the 15 mph school zone limit. The program follows a 30-day warning period and officially began Nov. 10.
Flashing beacons mark the enforcement zones at four locations: East 3rd Street near Stanley and North Willow streets by Orchard Knob Elementary and North Moore Road near Brainerd High School in both directions.
City officials said the effort aims to protect students and reduce speeding in school zones. According to the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety, pedestrians hit by vehicles traveling 30 mph have only a 50% chance of survival.
CHI Memorial to adopt CommonSpirit name
CHI Memorial announced that its hospitals and care sites across Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia will transition to the CommonSpirit Health name beginning in January. The change aligns the organization with its national parent system and coincides with the opening of the new CommonSpirit – Memorial Hospital – North Georgia in Catoosa County.
Local hospitals will rebrand as CommonSpirit – Memorial Hospital – Chattanooga, CommonSpirit – Memorial Hospital – Hixson and CommonSpirit – Memorial Hospital – North Georgia. The “Memorial” name will remain part of each facility’s identity.
According to Janelle Reilly, CommonSpirit Health’s market president for Tennessee and Georgia, the change represents unity under one shared name while maintaining local trust and leadership.
“We are simply uniting under one shared name to better reflect a connection to a larger national health system, but the local team and its dedication to this community are constant,” Reilly says.
CommonSpirit Health, one of the nation’s largest faith-based health systems, includes more than 2,300 care sites and 138 hospitals across 24 states. The new North Georgia hospital will feature 64 inpatient beds, an ICU, a 24-bed emergency department, five operating rooms and comprehensive imaging and cardiac services.
The updated branding will begin appearing throughout CHI Memorial’s facilities in the coming months, but the organization emphasized that patient care, physicians and services will remain unchanged.
HHM CPAs set to sponsor 2026 Pink!
CHI Memorial Foundation has announced HHM CPAs as the presenting sponsor of the 2026 Pink! gala, marking the firm’s third consecutive year in the role. The sold-out black-tie event will take place Saturday, Jan. 31, at the Chattanooga Convention Center.
“Serving and giving back to Chattanooga has been part of our DNA since 1981,” says Donnie Hutcherson, HHM CPAs managing partner. “This partnership is one way we can help create a healthier future for the people who call this region home.”
Funds raised through Pink! stay local to support the MaryEllen Locher Breast Center at CHI Memorial, providing advanced technology, patient care and scholarships for children of breast cancer patients.
“As a breast cancer survivor, Pink! holds a personal meaning for me,” said Beverly Edge, HHM CPAs chief operating officer. “It brings our community together to celebrate hope and fund care that saves lives.”
Jennifer Nicely, CHI Memorial Foundation president, praised HHM CPAs’ continued support, saying it reflects shared values of community service and compassion.
Over the past 20 years, the Pink! gala has raised more than $8.2 million for breast cancer care and awareness. For more information, visit SupportMemorialFoundation.org or call 423 495-PINK.
Regions Foundation backs LAUNCH
LAUNCH leadership has received a $50,000 grant from the Regions Foundation, an Alabama-based nonprofit funded primarily by Regions Bank. The award is part of the foundation’s $31 million in commitments to organizations across the Southeast, Midwest and Texas since 2018.
“This investment will help us reach even more individuals who have the passion and potential to build successful businesses, but who need access to training, coaching, capital and resources,” says Hal Bowling, LAUNCH co-CEO.
The grant will support programs serving underrepresented entrepreneurs in the Chattanooga area.
“The Regions Foundation is committed to advancing inclusive economic growth,” says Marta Self, the foundation’s executive director. “LAUNCH is a shining example of what’s possible when communities invest in people with passion, talent and drive.”
LAUNCH co-CEO DeJuan Jordan said the funding will help expand efforts to help entrepreneurs start, sustain and grow businesses. Jason Allen, Regions Bank’s Chattanooga market executive, cited LAUNCH’s Kitchen Incubator of Chattanooga and Startup Matrix as programs turning ideas into thriving businesses.