Instead of boring you with my shortcomings, I will focus on one of the few things in which I take pride: spelling.

When I was offered a TV news job, I called Cindy, who had been hired at the station two years earlier.

I haven’t written much lately about the state of Hamilton County schools.  About a year ago, it seems like that was all I was writing about.  The Ooltewah High basketball team rape case was dominating the news, followed shortly by the fall of Superintendent Rick Smith. The perfect storm was just beginning.  A few weeks later, parents were threatening to prevent their children from taking state-mandated achievement tests.  Sure enough, they had a point. ...

Jodi Upton is a sign language interpreter for Heritage High School in Catoosa County, and has accomplished many other things in her career, and she can now add NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” to her resume’.  

This poem “The Crash” was written by Thrasher Elementary fifth grader Annelise Perez, after the Woodmore Elementary bus crash in Chattanooga.

Coming soon to a theater near you: a blockbuster movie about an American hero who once lived in our area.

Homecoming week is a highlight of the year at Sequatchie County High School in Dunlap, Tennessee.

I first heard of Facebook around ten years ago, when my sons were teens.  Our family computer was in the living room, enabling us to keep a close eye on their usage of the wild, wild West that was (and is) the Internet. Every now and then, while they were supposed to be doing homework, we would look up and see them on something called Facebook. It was new, and like most parents, I was suspicious of anything online. “What are you doing?” I would ask in my best cranky...

The events of September 11, 2001 are so fresh in my mind.

The next time you’re cleaning house, and you see a stack of papers, think twice before you toss them aside.  A West Tennessee woman is thankful she took a closer look. One recent Saturday, 34-year-old Tiffiany Lee of Huron, Tennessee was cleaning out a desk that “came with the house” when she bought it last year.  “I found these papers, handwritten and folded in half,” she said.  There were about thirty of them, and curiosity got the best ...

Many of my school news stories cover the leaky roofs, the fights, the weapons, the dress code complaints, and the overcrowded classrooms and buses. The majority of school stories, however, involve positive aspects of education. Many of those stories go relatively unnoticed. I suppose that’s human nature.  Some weeks, nine out of ten school-related stories will be positive and uplifting.  I often get no response or feedback about those stories, but the negative story ...

On this last weekend of July, there is a very special reason to visit Chattanooga’s waterfront: “The Moving Wall” is the half-size replica of the Washington, DC Vietnam Veterans Memorial and has been touring the country for more than thirty years. 

On July 16, 2015, one person, one senseless act, changed our lives.

On this 4th of July weekend, here are five of my USA favorite songs.

When my sons were little, these were the magic words: "We're going to Lake Winnie!" 

Recently we asked Facebook friends to complete the sentence, "It's SO hot, that...."

One of Hamilton County’s best high school coaches, Wes Skiles recently told his players that he’s stepping down at the end of this season. 

It’s always nice to see good things happen to good people.  The Tennessee Radio Hall of Fame will welcome six new career inductees on Saturday at the Embassy Suites in Murfreesboro.  Three of them are from Chattanooga, and they are our city’s first additions to the Hall since the late Luther Masingill in 2012 and Tommy Jett in 2013.  In alphabetical order, let me pay personal tribute to three great guys: Lifelong Chattanoogan Earl Freudenberg...

Dolly Parton celebrated her 70th birthday in January, and will soon celebrate her 50th wedding anniversary, so let me tell you a quick story or two. Did you know she was once a regular performer on Chattanooga TV? 

Every once in a while, I see a picture and I just stare at it.  It might as well be framed and mounted in my mind.  This is one of those pictures. 

We lost 80 lives in a 60 mile radius of Chattanooga that on that dark Wednesday.  For about 13 hours, the tornadoes came in waves.  One would pass through, only to be followed by another, equally fierce.

How would you like to get a phone call from your hero?  Especially if he’s a 2016 Super Bowl champion?  That’s what happened to Logan Pickett on Tuesday night. 

In TV, you know you’ve made it when the viewers adopt you as one of their own.  Jed Mescon reached that status many years ago.  How many times have I been asked, “How’s my boy Jed doing?” I’ve been told so many times, “I can’t wake up without my Jed in the morning.” And now, it’s “What are we going to do without our Jed to start the day?” Jed and I worked together at WRCB for more than 28 years.  From th...

But with April Fools Day here, let's embrace the day (carefully).

Monday morning, Hamilton County Schools Supt. Rick Smith made yet another U-turn in a two-month roller coaster ride that has had his own staff spinning their heads. 

One local writer named Bill Colrus, whom I have not met, was kind enough to throw my name in the hat, particularly after reading my recent blog about reorganizing the school system into smaller districts.

Based on the reaction I received to the “Apology from a Teacher,” the firestorm over Tennessee’s failed attempt at online achievement testing isn’t going away any time soon.

Months after the December 22 assault, the victim is doing better. He has returned to school, although not at Ooltewah, and has been cleared to play basketball again.

I was going to write about the Tennessee online testing fiasco (TNReady…not), and then a teacher sent this to me. It is quite powerful, and eloquent. She wishes to remain anonymous, but wants her message to be seen.  

One comment in particular caught my eye.  It’s from “Mr. Know-it-all,” who is offering a common sense explanation of controversial Common Core math.

COMMENTARY: "I’ve been doing this radio/TV/internet news job for quite a while now.  I’ve never received this many questions about any other school-related story."  

Most of my reporting has been in the education field, and I’ve always encouraged school officials to be open and accessible. Thankfully, most of them are.

What has happened in our society, that children are allowed to grow up without learning the basics of acceptable human behavior? 

Thanks to NBC’s “The Voice,” America has finally discovered “Mary Did You Know.” 

Dalton Roberts passed away on Wednesday. He wore many hats: Guitar picker. Teacher. Politician. Songwriter. Storyteller. Poet. County Executive. Newspaper columnist. Friend to the birds. Singer. Erlanger watchdog. BS detector. Visionary.

Ooltewah: do you pronounce the "L" or not? 

Sometimes you see a picture, and you just want to find out more, right?  For me, this is one of those pictures.  Yes, there are four big guys in this picture, but just try to take your eyes off the little girl’s face.  It’s face of a child who had been through a lot, but was comforted and cheered by four heroes.The Chattanooga Fire Department posted this photo on social media, saying “On Monday, firefighters with Squad 19 based in Hixson (Green Shift) r...

I hear it every day.  “You news media people are too liberal,” or “too conservative,” or “too negative,” “too sensational,” “dishonest,” misleading,” and many others. We’re hiding the truth, we’re telling too much, we’re stirring the pot, we’re missing the real story….we’re just plain evil.

When I was growing up watching Chattanooga TV, Bill was one of the first faces I saw, and one of the first voices I heard. What a fine voice he had. Clear, distinctive, memorable.

Nineteen children have died of heat stroke after being left in hot cars in the United States so far in 2015.