Richard DeForrest Pierce, 70, of Signal Mountain, died on Tuesday, May 21, 2013. Arrangements will be announced by Covenant Funeral & Crematory, Crox family-owned and operated, www.CovenantFuneral.com .   (click for more)

Norma Cunningham Putnam Jones, 76, of Chattanooga, died on Wednesday, May 22, 2013 at her residence.   She was a lifelong resident of the Chattanooga and North Georgia area where she was a member of the Lookout Baptist Church.  She graduated from City High School in 1954 and also graduated from Chattanooga State with an Associate’s degree.   Mrs. Jones ... (click for more)

Nellie Mae Smith Hess, 94, of Kimball, TN, and formerly of Grundy County, died Wednesday, May 22, 2013 in a local nursing home.   The daughter of the late John Lewis and Martha Tennessee Smith, she was a member of Kimball Church of Christ and a former member of the Mountain Beautiful Garden Club in Tracy City and the FCE Club.   She was preceded in death ... (click for more)

Roger Lee Easterly, 54, of Dunlap, TN, died Tuesday afternoon, May 21, 2013.  He was a well-known carpenter who was loved by many and he loved to make them laugh. He had a passion for drag racing and was an avid gardener. His hobbies included being a mechanic, dancing and shooting pool. He was a loving father and loved to spend time with his children and his grandchildren.  ... (click for more)

Wade Hinton, who led Mayor Andy Berke's transition team, has been chosen as city attorney. It is a joint appointment with the City Council, and the move was endorsed by a number of council members who appeared with the mayor at a press conference on Friday morning. Attorney Hinton has been the attorney for Chattanooga Volkswagen for the past four years. Prior to that he ... (click for more)

The head of BB&T's Chattanooga commercial banking operations has been charged by federal authorities with making fraudulent loans. Tracy Brown is set to plead guilty to bank fraud on June 4. Authorities said Brown "appropriated the identities of three customers and took out fraudulent loans in their names. In October 2012, a customer of BB&T, D.M., went to the Ooltewah ... (click for more)