Close to 30 high schools representing the SkillsUSA Region 1 counties of the northwest Georgia area competed in 25 skill-based competitions on Friday, spread throughout the Walker County Campus, with the winners headed to the statewide competition in the spring. “Think of a science fair for technical students mixed with leadership skills, that is a SkillsUSA competition,” Melissa ... (click for more)

The inaugural open scholastic chess championship hosted by Chattanooga Preparatory School, The Chatt Prep Open, will take place Dec. 14 at Chattanooga Preparatory School and is open to students K-12 throughout Tennessee, Alabama and Georgia. There will be a rated division for members of the United States Chess Federation and also an unrated division for scholastics players new to ... (click for more)

Improving reading among K-3 students and bolstering classroom discipline were topics when the County Commission and School Board got together on Monday night. However, County Mayor Jim Coppinger said the joint session at Red Bank Middle School did not produce the consensus he had hoped for on a number of school improvement goals. A school employee was stationed at a blackboard ... (click for more)

The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission on Monday chose to take no action on the zoning ordinance previously approved last month by the Walden Town Council, clearing the developer to proceed with a controversial Walden Town Center. The development slated for Taft Highway on Signal Mountain will include a full-service grocery store, fuel station, retail, offices ... (click for more)

It's really not unusual to see coyotes in St. Elmo. They've been venturing down from the mountains and elsewhere for decades and as far back as I can remember. Right along with raccoons and other critters, large and small. In fact this summer, being a very light sleeper, I was awaken by a sudden noise outside only to look outside and see five very large and healthy raccoons in my ... (click for more)

It was back in April when I read a wonderful story on one of the websites I scan during My Morning Readings. It had a story that caught my soul. The website is “Little Dumb Man” and, because I am most certainly one of those, it is a continuous joy for me to visit. The story was entitled “15 Signs That Show Someone is a Real, True Friend.” I read it and printed a copy off to save ... (click for more)