We’ll be sending you our newsletter for the next five days, but if you’re not feeling it after that, we’ll call it quits — no action required. If you like what you see, click any link in this email, and each morning, we’ll keep sending the most relevant news, events, and updates from around Chattanooga. Our newsletters are completely free to receive and you can unsubscribe at any time.
Donate kidney? ✅ Climb Kilimanjaro? ✅
When we asked her how it felt to reach the top, Stotz said she felt overwhelmed with gratitude. | Photo provided by Jessica Stotz
April is National Donate Life Month, a time to raise awareness about organ, eye, and tissue donation and the lives it can save.
One Chattanooga woman knows that impact firsthand.
In April 2024, Jessica Stotz, an anatomy professor at Southern Adventist University, donated a kidney to her mom. Less than two years later, she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to prove what donors are capable of.
The backstory
Stotz’s mom has polycystic kidney disease, a progressive condition that eventually led to kidney failure. When Stotz and her sisters tried to help, their mom refused because PKD is genetic.
“She didn’t want us donating a kidney and then needing one later,” Stotz said.
Stotz got tested anyway, and when she learned she could safely donate, she shared the news with her mom.
“I said, ‘I know you didn’t want us to be tested, but I have undergone the testing, and I would like to give a kidney to somebody. I’d like it to be you.”
The gentoo and macaroni penguins don’t even know what’s coming. | Photo by Doug Strickland
Watch
It’s Rock Day at the Tennessee Aquarium, marking the start of penguin nesting season. Around 10:15 this morning, aquarium staff will bring in rocks for the penguins to sift through and pick out their favorites. If you can’t make it in person — watch the adorable frenzy unfold via livestream.
Civic
Are you registered to vote? If you live in Hamilton County, the registration deadline is this coming Monday, April 6 for the Tuesday, May 5 primary election. Learn more about what’s going to be on the ballot and register online. (Chattanooga Times Free Press)
Community
Chattanooga’s Department of Public Works says trash will be picked up as usual tomorrow. Still, several city facilities will be closed for Good Friday, reopen on Saturday, April 4, and close again for Easter Sunday. (Local 3 News)
Concert
The Road to Nightfall competition kicks off tomorrow, April 3. Eighteen local bands will compete for a chance to headline at Nightfall, the city’s free Friday night concert series. Preliminary rounds start at The Granfalloon, and the audience will choose the winning band each night. Check out the schedule. (The Pulse)
Learn
The UTC Challenger STEM Learning Center is hosting a free, family-friendly event next Saturday, April 11 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Spring in STEAM will feature hands-on learning about rockets, robotics, and more. Bonus: There will also be free parking, food, and drinks.
Featured
Amazon Prime has a new show featuring Nicole Kidman, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Chattanooga’s Market Street Bridge. No, we aren’t joking. The bridge made an appearance in the season opener of the thriller “Scarpetta,” and the scenes were filmed last March. If you tune in, keep an eye out.
Open
Need a staycation?Caption by Hyatt just opened in Chattanooga’s Southside District, and it’s only the second to open in the country (the first was in Nashville). The 123-room hotel has a rooftop bar with a pool and Lookout Mountain views, a ground-floor restaurant, and on-site parking with valet.
Health
Spring is in bloom and so are allergies. Nip them in the bud at Physicians Care Urgent Care — walk-ins are welcome seven days a week at eight locations across Chattanooga. Find a center near you for fast relief.*
The Buy
Sprucing up the house? Shop fresh rugs and runners that will brighten your home for spring:
🏡 These gorgeous area rugs aren’t just pretty to look at — they’re non-slip, thin enough to fit under doors, and low-pile so dust and dander won’t get trapped.
🚪 Treat the front porch to a 4.7-star rated striped or buffalo check doormat that’s easy to wipe down, vacuum, or throw in the wash.
🌼 Fill the whole room with a vintage floral rug that’s machine washable and complete with non-slip backing.
👟 Add a new look and extra safety to stairs with rubber backed stair treads — just place and go with no adhesive needed.
🛁 Your bath mat has seen a lot of feet — shop a fresh one that’s ultra-absorbent and non-slip for under $20.
Has anyone else been lingering too long in the Easter candy aisle? I blame the bright colors for drawing me in and my sweet tooth for making me stay.
According to DoorDash, Reese’s Peanut Butter Bunnies are the top choice in Tennessee(and in my heart). The study also found Tennesseans prefer the classic yellow Peeps over any other color — because we’re loyal like that.
}})
