Scenic Roots

Here in Southeast Tennessee, the Chattanooga Regional Homeless Coalition applies for Federal funds for agencies in this area that are working to end homelessness. Mackenzie Kelly - who led the Coalition on an interim basis since last summer - was recently named its new executive director. Last month, I spoke with her - and Zach Hurst, the Coalition’s board chair.

The next chapter at a Chattanooga hub to fight homelessness. For Be The Change, curbing food insecurity goes to school. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

(Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga) What are barriers to entrepreneurship in a city such as Chattanooga? What are ways to overcome those barriers to support local small businesses, provide access to capital - including for people of color - and extend economic mobility to underserved communities? Darian Scott is director of talent and economic inclusion at the Chattanooga Area Chamber of...

Chattanooga Lookouts hats on a construction vehicle at the groundbreaking for the new multipurpose stadium in Chattanooga's South Broad District. (Chattanooga Lookouts) This week, a groundbreaking was held for the new multipurpose stadium for the Chattanooga Lookouts in the South Broad District. Getting to this point took multiple rounds of negotiation between the City of Chattanooga, Hamilton Cou...

Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly - at the Wreath of Honor Fallen Five Memorial this week. (City of Chattanooga) On Thursday afternoon, live here on WUTC, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly joined us for our latest monthly conversation. Among the topics: Groundbreaking for the Chattanooga Lookouts multipurpose stadium; One Westside; the search for Chattanooga’s next Chief of Police; the Shallowford Urban Ecolo...

(Chattanooga Theatre Centre) “La Cage aux Folles” is the final production for the centennial season at Chattanooga Theatre Centre. The 1983 musical - and the 1996 movie “The Birdcage” with Robin Williams and Nathan Lane - were both adapted from the French farce, first on stage and then in film, from the 1970’s. The story - recommended for mature audiences - follows Georges, the manager of a drag c...

(Clínica Médicos) Here in Chattanooga, Clínica Médicos provides quality health care for people in the underserved Latino community. The nonprofit is taking a few steps forward in the care that it offers. Dr. Kelly Arnold is founder and medical director of Clínica Médicos. Dr. Kelly Rodney Arnold, second from left, with members of the first summer scholar class at Clínica Médicos. (Clínica Médicos)

Capítulos nuevos: Dr. Kelly Rodney Arnold of Clínica Médicos. A finale in farce: “La Cage” caps CTC’s centennial season. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

Parts of the sculptures of “Rising Action.” (ArtsBuild) Inflatable sculptures that represent fire and water - heat and flooding - in a changing climate are the heart of a new public art exhibition here in Chattanooga. “Rising Action” is the work of New York artist Adam Frelin - and part of the Chattanooga Art + Climate Project. The exhibition debuts at Crabtree Farms on Saturday from 10 AM to 3 PM...

A performance at the McLemore Songwriters Series. (McLemore Songwriters Series) In Northwest Georgia, a concert series atop Lookout Mountain features singer-songwriters to match the landscape around them. Now in its fourth season, the McLemore Songwriters Series is held at McLemore Resort. IV Whitman is executive vice president of marketing for Scenic Land Co., parent company of the McLemore commu...

Music on Lookout Mountain: The McLemore Songwriters Series. “Rising Action” for the Chattanooga Art + Climate Project. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

The Wreath of Honor Fallen Five Memorial at Tennessee Riverpark. (Hamilton County Parks & Recreation) It happened here in Chattanooga: July 16th, 2015. Five service members were killed in a terror attack by a gunman at the Armed Services Recruiting Center on Lee Highway - and the U.S. Naval Operational Support Center and Marine Corps Reserve on Amnicola Highway. In 2019, the Wreath of Hono...

Dr. Larry Sargent, preparing Beth Wilson for her mid-face surgical procedure during the film of “Beautiful Faces.” (Holt Webb Photography) (Aired 7/09/24) A documentary on the extraordinary work of a surgeon here in Chattanooga, three of his patients and their families is now available worldwide. The surgeon in the film “Beautiful Faces” is Dr. Larry Sargent, the founder and director of the Cranio...

Paragliding in the Sequatchie Valley. (Land Trust for Tennessee) (Aired 7/09/24) Twenty-five years ago, a new conservation nonprofit was created - to, quote, “protect the unique character of Tennessee’s natural and historic sites for future generations.” Today, the Land Trust for Tennessee protects 136,000 acres across 76 counties in the Volunteer State - including here in Southeast Tennessee. Luk...

DIY Full Body Vinyl Wrap by TESBROS for a Tesla Cybertruck. (TESBROS) (Aired 7/09/24) Many ideas begin - and end - in a garage. A few of those ideas outgrow it. Fewer still scale for success beyond it. TESBROS is a company here in Chattanooga that makes accessories that Tesla owners can customize for their vehicles - such as door labels; a kit that can change the color of door handles, trims and l...

A DIY startup behind the wheel: Ji Hoon Heo of TESBROS. Twenty-five years of impact at the Land Trust for Tennessee. Filmmaker Dagan Beckett on “Beautiful Faces” revisited. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

Rev. Wheeler Parker, Jr. (Rev. Wheeler Parker, Jr. / Facebook) In 1955, nearly seventy years ago, Emmett Till was kidnapped and lynched in Mississippi. The horrific murder of the 14-year-old African-American teen ignited outrage nationwide - a pivotal moment in the civil rights movement. On the fateful night when Emmett was taken from his bed, his cousin Wheeler Parker, Jr. - age 16 - was in the h...

Cast members of “Destiny in Dayton,” the 2024 Scopes Trial Play. (Rhea Heritage Preservation Foundation) “Destiny in Dayton” is the play for this year’s Scopes Festival. On Friday and Saturday, the festival in Dayton will commemorate the 1925 trial of John Scopes, a high school teacher accused of violating a Tennessee law that barred the teaching of evolution in public schools. The play performed...

A pea plant at the ELLA Library’s community garden. (ELLA Library) Community gardens are shared spaces for people to grow plants - flowers, vegetables, you name it. These gardens are found in communities large and small, urban and rural, across the country - and they are as varied as the places where they grow, including here in Chattanooga and Hamilton County. Jazmine LeBlanc is cofounder and exe...

Ambulances flank the entrance to the recently opened Hamilton County EMS Administration & Training Center. (Hamilton County EMS) For Hamilton County EMS, it’s a time of change and transition. Last month, the County opened a new administration and training center for EMS - on Volunteer Drive in Chattanooga. Since then, John Miller - the County’s EMS director - has announced his retirement....

For Hamilton County EMS, looking back and moving forward. How community gardens can help communities to grow. At this year’s Scopes Festival, “Destiny in Dayton” on stage. These voices - and more - on this edition of “Scenic Roots.”

Downtown Chattanooga skyline. (Chattanooga Tourism Co.) This month, Chattanooga hosts the State of Tennessee’s Digital Opportunity Summit. It takes place on Tuesday, July 23rd at the Chattanooga Convention Center - with a pre-summit conference set for Monday, July 22nd, starting at the Bessie Smith Cultural Center, that will highlight Chattanooga’s story in digital opportunity partnerships in the...

Jake Gutstein and Graham Kirstein, co-founders of Zest. (Zest) A recent article in Forbes Magazine described Chattanooga as an “under-the-radar culinary gem.” The foodie scene here inspires and challenges people who want to learn how to cook in their own home - but who also struggle with online do-it-yourself lessons that are unappetizing and indigestible for putting food on their table. Zest is a...

The Artist Seven - at work on a mural project in Chattanooga. (WTCI PBS) Art comes in many forms - and here in Chattanooga, iconic murals are celebrated throughout the city. The Artist Seven’s passion for art has propelled him to become one of the most prolific muralists in our community. The new story “Art by: Seven” from "Greater Chattanooga" at our public media partner WTCI PBS looks at how his...

A past Collegedale Freedom Festival and Fireworks. (City of Collegedale) Just east of Chattanooga, another free celebration on the eve of the Fourth of July is in Collegedale. This year’s Collegedale Freedom Festival and Fireworks takes place on Wednesday at the Commons, beginning at 4:30 PM - with fireworks set for 9:30 PM. Samantha Wright is with Friends of the Festival, which is organizing the...