🌱 Chattanooga Water Is Safe + City Council Delays Rental Vote + March

Hello, everybody! It's me, Danielle Fallon-O'Leary, your host of the Chattanooga Patch newsletter — here to tell you all the most important things happening in town these days.

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But first, today's weather:

Windy with a strong t-storm. High: 73 Low: 40.

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Here are the top three stories in Chattanooga today:

1. Tennessee American Water (TAW) released a statement that said Tennessee drinking water will not be affected by the Ohio train derailment because TAW does not use water from the Ohio River for the water supply. TAW said it only withdraws from the Tennessee River for its Chattanooga area customers and the Sequatchie River for its Whitwell area customers. According to TAW, the Tennessee River only flows into the Ohio at Paducah, KY; therefore, the Tennessee River water is safe. (MyFox Chattanooga)
2. On Tuesday, Feb. 14, the Chattanooga City Council decided to defer the vote on an ordinance regulating short-term vacation rental homes for two weeks. The council had a long debate on the ordinance, including councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod who said, "I don't think we should be telling people what to do with their property if you want to rent a room, rent it. If its in line with what the code says you should be able to do it." While others disagreed, including councilman Darrin Ledford who said "district 4 is not interested in having them [renters] come into neighborhoods and the traffic and everything that comes with it. It is a business by definition." (WTVC)
3. On Friday, Mar. 3, more than 300 women will commemorate the ratification of the 19th amendment by hosting a Women’s Suffrage March in Chattanooga. The Women’s Suffrage Reenactment March will celebrate the iconic march in Washington, DC on Mar. 3, 1913, when women demanded the right to vote 110 years ago. Amy R. Davis, President of the Chattanooga Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., said they are celebrating "the hard won achievements of the courageous leaders who played a vital role in ensuring that all women earned the right to vote.” The march will start at the lawn of the Hamilton County Court House located at 625 E. Georgia Avenue, then proceed down Georgia Avenue towards Miller Park at noon, followed by a formal 30-minute program at Miller Park beginning at 12:30 p.m. (Chattanooga Pulse)

Today in Chattanooga:

• $2 Beer Night At Sing It or Wing It (4:00 PM)
• Live Music Thursdays At Kinley Hotel Chattanooga (5:00 PM)
• Nightingale Network Happy Hour: Women's Fund Of Greater Chattanooga At Moxy Chattanooga (5:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• On Tuesday, Feb. 14, murder charges were dismissed against Garrett Behlau of Chattanooga after prosecutors determined that he is "permanently incompetent." He had been accused of strangling mother to death, but instead of murder charges he will be "permanently committed to the State Hospital System" and "will spend the rest of his life in a State Mental Hospital," according to Hamilton County Chief Homicide Prosecutor Michael Dowd. (WTVC)
• According to a Chattanooga Police Department news release, a pedestrian died after being hit by tractor trailer on Interstate 24. Police said the man ran into a lane of traffic, was clipped by the tractor-trailer, and was pronounced dead at the scene. No charges will be filed for this case, as investigators said the truck driver was not at fault. (Subscription: Chattanooga Times Free Press)
• Exploring new home listings online can be fun, but it doesn't compare to seeing a home in-person! Check out upcoming open houses in the Chattanooga area, including a five-bedroom in Ooltewah on Sunday, Feb. 19. (Chattanooga Patch)

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That's it for today! I'll see you around.

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.