Employees with CMC remediate a lawn. Friday, November 22, 2024. (Photo by Connor Spelta).
An estimated 11,699,100 cubic feet of lead-contaminated soil has sat in the yards, gardens, playgrounds, parks, schools and churches of eight neighborhoods in Chattanooga’s southside for the better part of a century. This is the EPA superfund site in your backyard.
Jasmin Jeffries, the remedial project manager for the site, explained that five years in, there is still plenty of work to be done.
“It’s ongoing, Monday through Friday, sometimes Saturday,” Jeffries said.
There is a sense of urgency to the cleanup. Dawn Curley, the health program manager for Hamilton County’s Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, talks about the effects of elevated blood levels in children and the importance of early intervention.
Ana Garcia (14) rushes past Valerie Huerta (18). Tuesday, October 29, 2024. (Photo by Mia Liu).
Addi Dills receives her senior roses. Tuesday, October 29, 2024. (Photo by Mia Liu).
In the chaos of high school extracurriculars, where the color guard rehearses their routines with large bright flags sweeping back and forth, the marching band walks in unison with the distant sounds of football pads colliding from a practice field. It’s a typical Tuesday night at Heritage High School, and the Girls Varsity Flag Football team is about to kick off.
Led by Junior linebacker and wide receiver, captain Addi Dills’ face is painted with the familiar eye black spectators many see on Saturday or Sunday, reminiscent of Ray Lewis or John Randle. Dills, a three-sport athlete, also plays basketball and runs track.
The Chattanooga Run Club is a group of individuals who value community and welcome new runners with open arms. Drew White speaks with Lucas Gallon, founder of the club, about the club’s impact on the Chattanooga area and the people who attend.
The low patter of footsteps and the occasional labored breath can be heard throughout downtown Chattanooga. A group of strangers gather due to their shared interest in running, but in the process, they gain community.
Those exploring North Chattanooga early Saturday morning might run into the Chattanooga Run Club.
The idea that someone actively chooses to push their body in a way that causes their heart to race, blood to pulse, and sweat to drip can seem daunting to some. The Chattanooga Run Club aims to change that perspective on running. According to the club’s founder, Lucas Gallon, the club prides itself on welcoming all speeds and experience levels.
Rising Rock is excited to showcase some of our best audio stories in a continued partnership with Scenic Roots. To listen to Scenic Roots, visit https://www.wutc.org/scenic-roots.
Tiny Bailarinas
Ava Nessell spoke with Wendy Reynoso, the student success and services coordinator at La Paz Chattanooga, about her experience finding a community in Chattanooga after immigrating from Guatemala.
Brylan Miller supports a visiting bull rider in the chute. Sunday, December 3, 2023. (Photo by Abby White)
Gravel and dust kick up while passing through the iron gates branded “BZ” after a scenic ride through rural Alabama. Blue heelers circle cars as guests are welcomed by the roaring banter of bullfighters and riders. You’ve landed at Bioz Zoe, a home away from home for many.
Located in Boaz, Alabama, Bioz Zoe provides a community for beginner, intermediate, and professional riders and fighters attracting people from all walks of life, including bull rider and inspirational speaker, Brylan Miller.
Scarlen Valderaz plays with her children in their family’s living room. Sunday, April 14, 2024. (Photo by Bethany Cothran)
In a cold hospital room, Scarlen Valderaz gave birth to her first child in a room full of strangers, enduring the pain of childbirth while tackling every question thrown her way.
Finally seeing her baby boy, she was ecstatic, but she knew that she did not want to have another baby in a hospital.
“We actually didn’t know until my husband and I talked about our first born again that they kept offering me an epidural, and I had to say no because I didn’t want that,” Valderaz said. “…the last thing that you want to do when you’re pushing an entire baby out is having to make good decisions that are going to affect you.”
A couple years went by and Valderaz discovered she was pregnant once again, and this time, things would be different.
Valderaz and her husband researched and interviewed midwife after midwife, not stopping until they found the one they trusted best to deliver their baby.
Trading the cold hospital full of strangers and illnesses for the warmth and comfort of her own home, Valderaz could relax and give herself the space she needed to do what she felt would be best for her and the baby.
“We go with homebirth because now there’s so much that happens in the medical system, especially when it comes to the lady through it,” Valderaz said. “There is a lot of autonomy that gets stripped away from the woman when she’s birthing.”
For Valderaz, there would be no race to the hospital for an on-call OB to deliver the child, she would instead be in the safety of her bedroom surrounded by her husband and trusted midwife. Rather than staring at the foreign furniture of a delivery room for hours with her baby wheeled away to the nursery soon after, she would look to her familiar bedroom walls and know that her baby would always be close to her.
Alexis McMurtry speaks with Bill Moore about his experiences volunteering with the Chattanooga Hamilton County cave/cliff/technical team and his chaotic day-to-day schedule.
Bill Moore, a volunteer rescuer, was surrounded by the faint glow of his and his teammates’ headlamps as they navigated through a cave’s twisting passages, squeezing through narrow crevices and scaling steep inclines.
On the surface, Cara Moore is developing and releasing information about the rescue to the public. Her mind is in two places: the state of the rescue and the well-being of her husband, Bill.
What seemed like an adrenaline-filled adventure was another day in the office for the Chattanooga Hamilton County Cave-Cliff-Technical Rescue Team.
Adam and Jessica Moore lock arms as the Love on the Diamond wedding ceremony takes place. The Moores renewed their vows at the Chattanooga Lookouts’ home plate as one of the couples selected by Sunny 92.3 to participate in the ceremony. Saturday, February 17, 2024. (Photo by Bethany Cothran)
Drawn onto the arms of Jessica and Adam Moore is a dark anchor tattoo, keeping them together no matter what. The tattoo is a result of the couple’s appreciation of tattoos, meaning much more than what is on the skin. It is not only a symbol of love, but of commitment and dedication to their relationship and their family; a reminder of what is truly important when hard times may come. They are each other’s home plate and with each other, they are safe.
“We are each other’s anchor, you know? It means multiple things,” Adam Moore said. “We keep each other tied down, we keep each other stable.”
Adam and Jessica met on an online dating service in 2009. Adam messaged Jessica after coming across her profile and the two made plans for a first date.
“I went to his house and we just watched a movie,” Jessica Moore said. “I didn’t get off work until two hours after I was supposed to, and I felt really bad because he had to be up for work in [like] six hours.”
After a late albeit successful movie night, the pair knew they wanted to see each other again. Being around Halloween, the pair decided to get in the holiday spirit, so they made a visit to see Jessica’s father at Ruby Falls’ Haunted Cavern, an annual Chattanooga Halloween favorite that converts the beautiful Ruby Falls cave into a spooky haunted tour.
“After that, I remember he took the drive to me. Then I took him with me and brought him to go meet my dad. We met on the side of the mountain, and it was good,” Jessica Moore said. “You know, it’s your dad. You always want to make a good first impression.”
Alyssia Rich, left, trims Terri Greer’s dogs nails during a routine free pet food & supply delivery to a local neighborhood. Thursday, February 22, 2024. (Photo by Noah Camacho)
McKamey Animal Center is ten miles from Alton Park, one of the poorest zip codes in Tennessee. The Center is a thirty-minute drive but without other means of transportation, a three-and-a-half-hour walk, one way.
During MAC C.A.R.E.S grand opening, Heather Hensley, the Community Solutions Manager at McKamey said, “Being at MetMin [Metropolitan Ministries] is such a big relief, we are closer to Alton Park and other populations that are looking for this assistance… We can spread the love so much better by being here with MetMin.”
In late January McKamey Animal Center and Metropolitan Ministries Impact Hub partnered to open MAC C.A.R.E.S Center. Located at 4001 Rossville Blvd., less than two miles from Alton Park.
The grand opening being at noon, staff spent their morning giving pet supplies to people in need.
“More than half of MetMins clients have pets, they were already talking about this,” Hensley said. “As we were unloading food this morning people were coming to us, so we were giving it out.”
President of FACES, Kim Fox teaches a sculpting class to the greater Chattanooga community at Bud’s Creative Art Center. Fox’s passion for art is one thing that fueled her drive when Bud’s Creative Art Center was built. November 18, 2023 (Photo by Taylor McKinley)
A person’s facial appearance significantly influences their daily interactions, impacting everything from grocery store visits to the formation of friendships. FACES, a Chattanooga based craniofacial nonprofit, brings comfort and acceptance to those in this community.
“We help children and adults get desperately needed craniofacial surgeries,” said Kim Fox, President of FACES. “Not only do these people have to deal with numerous surgeries, but they also have to deal with peer pressure and people being mean to them, and calling them names.”
Class attendee Ean Danon works on a sculpture with the help from president Kim Fox. Danon attended the class at Bud’s Creative Art Center with his mother. November 18, 2023 (Photo by Taylor McKinley)
The work of FACES and Bud’s Creative Art Center go beyond Jewelry Making or Paint classes. Children and adults undergo life changing surgeries that will impact how they carry themselves for the rest of their lives. The community plays a significant role in getting those who suffer from craniofacial anomalies surgeries, while also benefiting their artistic abilities as well.
“Every time you take a class at Bud’s you are helping the children and adults of FACES,” Fox said. “So you’re doing a really good thing for yourself and you’re doing something really good for FACES.”
FACES distinguishes itself by actively raising awareness about laws that protect individuals with facial differences and advocating for face equality as an essential human right.
“Sadly so many people that have a facial difference actually do get discriminated against, “ Fox said. “Sometimes they either don’t get the job they want or they keep them back in the warehouse.”
