Friday, June 19th

From Channel 3- MCMINN COUNTY, TN (WRCB) – The safety of a swimming hole in McMinn County is being questioned after a 31-year-old man jumped from a bluff and drowned earlier this week. But the Blue Cove Hideaway is still operating like normal.  Channel 3 spoke with the Blue Cove’s property owner, Charlie Womac. He said he doesn’t consider the place a business because it’s private property, but all guests must sign a waiver before they can do anything out there. “I’m not a business, and I don’t care if nobody comes. I never have,” Womac said. McMinn County’s business licensing office reported there is no operating business license on file for Blue Cove Hideaway. Tennessee law requires any business with yearly sales over $3,000 to be licensed, but there’s an exception for camp operators who rent out land. Womac says that’s what he does. “I’m not open. People just come,” he said. “If they want to rent some daytime space from me, I’ll rent it to them,” he said. It costs $5 per person to swim or use the land, but Womac wouldn’t comment on the yearly profits. A sign out front says no illegal activity is allowed, but Sheriff Joe Guy said the Blue Cove is a hot spot for underage drinking.  According to McMinn County 911, officers have been dispatched to the Blue Cove 12 times since last month for problems like underage drinking and theft or extra police presence requested in the area. The sheriff’s office is still investigating the drowning. No charges have been filed. Channel 3 reports- RICEVILLE, TN (WRCB) – UPDATE: I-75 in McMinn County is back opened after a tractor trailer crash that closed Interstate 75 Thursday for nearly six hours.The crash happened at mile marker 40 on I-75 South. Dispatchers tell Channel 3 a vehicle lost oil, causing the truck driver to lose control, leaving the roadway and striking a tree along the road. The driver received minor injuries. Crews were able to contain and cleanup the fuel leak from the crash Traffic was directed off the interstate at Exit 42 to U.S. 11 and returning to the interstate at exit 36 Times Free Press reports- The Bradley County Sheriff’s Office is seeking the identity of a man who burglarized the Quick Burger restaurant on South Lee Highway recently.  The owner of the business discovered an open window lastFriday,  when she arrived to open for business. A subsequent check of surveillance video showed a vehicle arriving at the business at about 1:30 that morning, followed by the man crawling through the window to gain entry. He stays inside for several minutes, and then leaves via the same window. There was no damage and nothing was found to be missing. Information as to the man’s identity is requested and can be left anonymously on the CID Tip Line at 423-728-7336 24 hours a day. The Chattanoogan reports- A consumer finance website ranks Cleveland among the best places in Tennessee to start a business. NerdWallet ranked Cleveland 14th after examining 85 Tennessee locations with populations of 5,000 or more. The website examined factors related to business climate and local economic health.  According to the report, “Cleveland is one of the largest cities in our list. With 41,898 people, the city has 4,356 businesses and over 30 percent of these businesses have paid employees. These statistics, coupled with Cleveland’s ratio of businesses per 100 people (10.4), support the city’s strong business climate.”  Mayor Tom Rowland noted this is not the first time NerdWallet has included Cleveland on lists of outstanding cities. “After looking at some of the criteria,” Mayor Rowland said, “it looks like we exceed the important ones such as low taxes and less regulation. Clevelanders are more and more shopping with local businesses as our merchants continue to offer more opportunities and selections of merchandise and services.” “A good barometer is the many ribbon cuttings sponsored by the Chamber of Commerce as new businesses open. Your elected officials and city staff strive to make it easy to begin a new business and encourage success of the entrepreneur who has faith to invest in the city. I am always proud when our city is recognized by someone on the outside,” said Mayor Rowland. NerdWallet ranked Alcoa first on its list, followed in order by Pigeon Forge, Crossville, Lebanon, Brentwood, Greeneville, Pulaski, Franklin, Sparta and Bristol. Sevierville was ranked eleventh, followed by Athens, Morristown, Cleveland and Knoxville. Statewide, the website’s study cites Tennessee’s initiatives to encourage business startups and entrepreneurship, including Launch Tennessee, a public-private partnership. Cleveland, TN (WDEF)- One person died in fatal accident on Cleveland Highway Thursday morning.  According to our media partners, the Dalton Daily Citizen, a Rocky Face man died in a fatal, head-on collision on Cleveland Highway.  Georgia State Patrol told the Dalton Daily Citizen that a van driven by Michael Hilton, 56, of Rocky Face, hit a dump-truck head on after he crossed the center line at 10:56 am. Officials tell the newspaper that Hilton was driving north on Cleveland Highway and drifted into the shoulder of the road and struck a curb. After hitting the curb, Hilton crossed the center line and hit the dump truck going south on Cleveland Highway. Officials say Hilton was fatally injured in the wreck and the driver of the dump truck was also injured. The Dalton Daily Citizen reports that no charges have been filed and the investigation is on-going. The Banner reports- The city of Cleveland is taking steps to develop a city brand and marketing campaign to set it apart from the out-of-state cities both big and small that bear the same name.  An official trademark has been applied for with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. The brand concept was created by University of Tennessee students as a part of the Smart Communities Initiative. The concept plays off the idea that Cleveland ends in “and.” “We really want to use this as a way to market the city,” said city intern Brian Moran, who is also working on the project. The Cleveland City Council approved moving forward with trademarking the idea at a May 11 meeting.