Sam Still

5 days ago | timesfreepress.com | Sam Still

The 652-mile-long Tennessee River has seen some things in its time. From Knoxville through to Paducah, people have set up shop along the river's waters. In our neck of the woods, the river has seen more than 10,000 years of human history. It's seen the birth of Chattanooga, the city's highs and lows and the city's renaissance. There would be no Chattanooga without the Tennessee River, so let's take a stroll – or swim – through time to understand our relationship to our river.

5 days ago | timesfreepress.com | Sam Still

It might not be easy to tell from its greenish-brown hue, but the Tennessee River is "cleaner than it's been in 150 years" — and that's coming from an aquatic conservation biologist. The Tennessee River has the greatest biodiversity of any river in North America, says Tennessee Aquarium scientist Bernie Kuhajda. Most of that diversity is found in the river's tributaries, but the river proper, thanks to water quality improvements, has pretty good diversity as well, Kuhajda says.

5 days ago | timesfreepress.com | Sam Still

Sports are already hard enough for able-bodied people. The coordination and skill, the physical exertion, the next-day exhaustion and soreness – it's a lot for anyone. Now imagine partaking in a sport when you have a disability. The challenge might be greater, but it's not impossible, especially with the existence of adaptive sports. And here in Chattanooga, one all-volunteer organization has, for more than 30 years, offered adaptive sport opportunities for people with disabilities.

1 week ago | timesfreepress.com | Sam Still

The Hamilton County, Catoosa County and Walker County health departments inspect food service establishments twice a year, grading them on a 100-point scale. Establishments are reinspected if they fail to meet critical standards. The scores are original and do not reflect on-the-spot changes, which sometimes lead to upward adjustments. To file a health-related complaint, call:Chattanooga-Hamilton County Health Department: 423-209-8110. Catoosa County Health Department: 706-406-2030.

1 week ago | timesfreepress.com | Sam Still

This weekend is for the soccer buffs, with both Chattanooga area professional teams playing home games and the Guatemala and El Salvador international teams playing in an international friendly. For the non-sports fans, there's still plenty to do, including festivals for the Walnut Street Bridge and honeybees and the opening weekends of the Skate Station at the Chattanooga Choo Choo and Riverfront Nights at Ross's Landing. Here's the chronology.