The city of East Ridge has installed a new Driver Services Self-Service Kiosk at City Hall, offering residents a quicker and more convenient way to complete many driver’s license and identification transactions.
Located in the City Hall lobby at 1517 Tombras Avenue, the kiosk is available Monday through Friday 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Through a partnership with the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s Driver Services Division, the machine allows users to handle several common services without visiting a full Driver Services Center.
Available transactions include renewing or replacing driver’s licenses and photo IDs, updating addresses, advancing to a Graduated Driver License intermediate unrestricted license, paying reinstatement fees and requesting a REAL ID. Certain services, such as commercial driver’s license transactions and temporary IDs, are not offered through the kiosk.
New North River School announced for 2027
Hamilton County Schools, in partnership with the YMCA of Metropolitan Chattanooga and the Hamilton County Mayor’s Office, announced plans for a new North River Elementary School that will serve students in the current DuPont, Alpine Crest and Rivermont zones. The community-based facility is scheduled to open in fall 2027 and will be constructed alongside the newly renovated North River Family YMCA.
The school and YMCA will share a recreation center and create a campus model designed to foster both academic achievement and community connection. Through the partnership, students and families will have access to expanded opportunities such as swim lessons, after-school activities and summer camps.
Inspired by successful YMCA-affiliated schools such as Norton Commons Elementary in Jefferson County, Kentucky, the collaboration aims to create a hub for education, wellness and family support.
Construction on the $48 million project is slated to begin in fall 2026, funded through previously issued facilities bonds. The Hamilton County Board of Education approved the project in November 2024, after extensive community engagement and listening sessions.
UT, Erlanger launch rural residency
The University of Tennessee Health Science Center College of Medicine in Chattanooga, in partnership with Erlanger Health, has launched a new Family Medicine Rural Residency Track at Erlanger Bledsoe Hospital in Pikeville. The program aims to improve access to quality health care in southeastern Tennessee’s rural communities, where medical resources are often limited.
The initiative addresses a critical need, as Tennessee ranks 44th nationally in health outcomes, due in part to limited access to primary care, dental services, specialists and emergency care in rural areas. The program is designed to prepare physicians to deliver comprehensive, high-level care in rural settings while helping increase the number of doctors practicing in underserved communities.
The program welcomed its first participant, Dr. Ryan Hall, who completed his first year of family medicine residency at Erlanger Baroness Hospital in Chattanooga. Over the next two years, Hall will train primarily at Erlanger-Bledsoe, a 25-bed critical access hospital.
Summit unites 400 entities to aid families
More than 400 business, nonprofit, and government leaders gathered Aug. 19 for the third-annual United for Working Families Summit, hosted by the United Way of Greater Chattanooga, to tackle growing financial hardship and build a stronger future for local families.
The summit has become a national model for how communities can mobilize to support ALICE (asset limited, income constrained and employed) families who work yet struggle to afford basic needs. According to the latest ALICE data, nearly 11,000 Hamilton County households with children are now living in financial hardship, a 15% increase in just one year. Rising costs, including a $20,000 surge in the annual survival budget for a family of four since 2023, underscore the urgency of the movement.
The 2025 summit featured 70 local nonprofits and 50 local businesses. Sponsors included Tennessee Valley Authority, Southern Champion Tray, TextCare, Unum, Kenco, Chattanooga Gas, McKinsey Global Institute and VaynerMedia.
Speakers at the summit included Claude Silver, chief heart officer at VaynerMedia, who encouraged leaders to “be the reason the room feels better.” Christine Motherwell and Gianetta Jones of Coca-Cola shared stories of working families and discussed solutions from United Way’s Family-Friendly Workplace Guide. Kevin Russell of the McKinsey Global Institute outlined strategies for companies to impact others through stronger connections and capabilities. Meanwhile, Hassan Hammoud of Ford Philanthropy and Matt Marshall, president and CEO of United Way of West Tennessee, highlighted the BlueOval project and its role in revitalizing communities across West Tennessee.
The summit is part of United Way’s ALICE@Work initiative, which partners with 240 local organizations to help employers better understand and support ALICE workers. Both Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp and Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly offered remarks underscoring the region’s shared commitment to uplifting working families.
Swiftwater team earns accreditation
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency has awarded the Chattanooga Fire Department’s swiftwater rescue team state accreditation.
Patrick Sheehan, director of the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA), presented the certificate to the 26-member team, recognizing years of preparation, training and life-saving work.
With the accreditation, the swiftwater rescue team is now a deployable state asset, expanding its ability to respond to emergencies across Tennessee.
The team has already demonstrated its skill and readiness in multiple emergencies this year. In June, they rescued 56 hikers trapped by rising waters at the Pocket Wilderness hiking area. During the Aug. 12 flash flooding, members pulled motorists from submerged vehicles and assisted residents stranded in flooded neighborhoods. Even after completing rescues, the team searched submerged and abandoned cars to ensure no one was left behind.
Arts grants awarded to local organizations
More than $167,000 in funding has been awarded to local arts organizations in Hamilton County to support educational and outreach programs.
The grants, administered through the Tennessee Arts Commission, are part of $12.3 million approved by the General Assembly in the 2025-26 state budget to strengthen arts and cultural initiatives across Tennessee.
Grant recipients include the Chattanooga Audubon Society, which received $4,510 for a mural on Walker Hall, and the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera Association, awarded $88,000 to support concert operations, education programs and outreach during the 2025-26 season.
The Contemporary Performing Arts of Chattanooga secured $9,290 for its second annual Fringe Festival and an additional $14,000 for general programming support. Composer Dave Ragland was awarded a $5,000 Individual Art Fellowship in recognition of his artistic contributions to Tennessee. The East Lake Expression Engine received $17,300 to fund after-school music education for 60-100 K-12 students, along with $11,560 for guest artist workshops.
Invest Chattanooga seeks housing proposals
Invest Chattanooga, in partnership with the City of Chattanooga, has issued a Request for Information (RFI) inviting developers, property owners and prospective purchasers to propose mixed-income multifamily projects that include long-term affordable housing commitments.
The initiative aims to identify potential new construction or acquisition opportunities that could benefit from public financing tools in exchange for keeping a portion of units affordable.
By gathering ideas from the development community, Invest Chattanooga hopes to better understand upcoming projects and explore ways to support housing that balances quality and affordability.
Invest Chattanooga offers several resources to make projects viable while ensuring affordability, including below-market senior debt, low-cost construction financing, common equity, below-market mezzanine debt, property tax relief and access to project-based rental assistance.