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Local News for Wednesday, January 27th

Here is your Cleveland, Tenn. | Bradley County, Tenn. news on mymix1041.com, sponsored by Toyota of Cleveland: From the Chattanooga Times Free Pres

Here is your Cleveland, Tenn. | Bradley County, Tenn. news on mymix1041.com, sponsored by Toyota of Cleveland:

From the Chattanooga Times Free Press…

The driver of an electric utility truck told investigators he was looking in his mirror when the truck veered off the road, causing him to over-correct and crash into a Meigs County school bus last year, leaving two dead, according to a preliminary National Transportation Safety Board report.

The Oct. 27 crash claimed the life of the bus driver, 53-year-old Lisa Dillard, and a 7-year-old girl in the 7700 block of Highway 58 just before 4 p.m.

Seven other children were hospitalized after the crash, five of whom had to be airlifted.

According to the NTSB, that area of Highway 58 is narrowed to one lane in each direction with a double yellow center line and rumble strips along the edges of both lanes. The posted speed limit is 55 mph.

The school bus was traveling south as the utility vehicle — a 2018 Freightliner truck, configured as a service vehicle for a local utility company and equipped with a boom arm — traveled in the opposite direction.

As the truck driver looked into his mirror, the truck drifted off the right edge of the pavement and its right tires went into the ditch. The driver steered back onto the road, but the truck “yawed counterclockwise and crossed into the southbound lane, in front of the school bus. The bus collided with the right side of the truck, between the rear axle and the front of the utility box, and also hit the right side of the boom arm,” the NTSB report states.

The truck continued across the highway into the trees, coming to rest off the west side of the road. The school bus stayed in the southbound lane.

The school bus driver and the student, who was seated directly behind the driver, were trapped and had to be extricated. The utility truck driver was treated at the scene for minor injuries.

According to the NTSB, both drivers were properly licensed. Investigators are gathering training records and qualifications for both drivers, as well as reviewing footage from the several cameras inside and outside the bus.

The Tennessee Highway Patrol is also conducting a separate investigation of the crash. Highway patrol officials did not immediately respond to questions about whether the electric utility truck driver faces any criminal charges.

From WRCB Channel 3…

A study ordered up by Chattanooga’s municipal utility credits its public broadband infrastructure initiative with an economic impact of more than $2.69 billion over its first decade.

The study conducted by University of Tennessee at Chattanooga finance professor Bento Lobo estimates the project by the Electric Power Board saved or created 9,516 jobs in Hamilton County.

The research found the project’s value exceeded costs by more than $2.2 billion. Some impacted categories include business investment, startup funding, real estate development, the smart grid, business productivity, consumer surplus, residential bill savings, health care, telecommuting, education and publicity.

The initiative drew Chattanooga the nickname “Gig City,” promising to offer gigabit-per-second Internet speed.

The study says it likely underestimates the value because it hasn’t been able to adequately quantify local effects on telehealth, education and civic services.

From the Cleveland Daily Banner…

Tim Siniard reports: The Cleveland City Council on Monday unanimously passed a framework of the city’s recently introduced Build Our Future Initiative.

The initiative is a wide-ranging, five-year plan that will address traffic issues, including revamping the Paul Huff Parkway corridor to improve traffic flow, working with the Tennessee Department of Transportation to redesign the 25th Street and Ocoee Street intersection, and adding more lanes to the Mouse Creek Road and Paul Huff Parkway intersection, among others.

The plan was announced by Cleveland Mayor Kevin Brooks during his State of the City address, which was delivered via Zoom to members of the Rotary Club of Cleveland earlier this month. 

City Manager Joe Fivas also presented the initiative to members of the Cleveland City Council during their work session on Monday.

He said if the infrastructure needs outlined in the initiative are not addressed, there will be repercussions down the road as the city continues to grow.

And finally…

Cleveland CIty Schools announced the District Level Supervisor, Principal, and Teachers of the Year. The Principal of the Year is Autumn O’Bryan at Cleveland High School. Supervisor of The Year is Dr. Jeff Elliot at the AOB. District Teachers of the Year are: Sharon Smith, Arnold Elementary; Sarah Thomas, Cleveland Middle; and Mark Miles, Cleveland High.