Mariah Franklin

5 days ago | timesfreepress.com | Mariah Franklin

Chattanooga's city government recently released new versions of a mobile app and online portal that allow residents and visitors to request services like pothole repairs and graffiti removal. The city's new 311 app and web portal — Cha 311 — let users receive notifications about their requests for nonemergency services in the app and through email. The new systems also let users drop pins on a map to let staff know where they found issues.

6 days ago | govtech.com | Mariah Franklin

Members of the City Council voted unanimously and without comment Tuesday to withdraw Chattanooga’s renewal of a contract term with Nationwide Recovery Services. The city’s purchasing department asked the council to rescind the contract renewal. The contract with the firm dates to April 2021, according to a city purchase agreement. The city’s purchasing department gave the council a $220,000 annual cost estimate for the contract.

6 days ago | timesfreepress.com | Mariah Franklin

Four people this month have filed federal lawsuits against a Cleveland, Tennessee, debt collections agency following a July 2024 data breach. Felicia Cooper, Charles Mitchell, Gary Self of Georgia and Lisa Nail of New York have each filed lawsuits against Nationwide Recovery Services, alleging the company delayed in notifying them of the breach, which could have exposed private financial and medical information. Mitchell, Self and Cooper are also suing Vitruvian Health.

1 week ago | timesfreepress.com | Mariah Franklin

Chattanooga's city government is ending a contract with a Cleveland, Tennessee, debt collector weeks after revelations that a breach of the company's data last year could have affected thousands. Members of the City Council voted unanimously and without comment Tuesday to withdraw Chattanooga's renewal of a contract term with Nationwide Recovery Services. The city's purchasing department asked the council to rescind the contract renewal.

1 week ago | timesfreepress.com | Mariah Franklin

Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp's communications director has been elevated to a new position and will be replaced by a former spokesperson for Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly. Mary Francis Hoots, formerly of Local 3 News, will become deputy chief of staff, Wamp's office said Monday. She said her annual salary will remain $105,700 per year. Although with a different title, Hoots will fill the position left when the director of operations, Jennifer Pukenas, left county government earlier this year.