The boot has arrived. After months of anticipation, L.L.Bean opened its inaugural Tennessee location at Cool Springs Galleria mall in Franklin July 17.

To celebrate and spread the word, L.L.Bean’s 13-foot-tall Bootmobile boot-shaped vehicle made appearances throughout the Franklin area, including stops at The Franklin Butchery, Hank’s Coffee Station, Leiper’s Fork Distillery and a Nashville Sounds game.

“For generations, Tennesseans have shopped with L.L.Bean through our catalog and online channels, and we’re excited to finally bring the brand experience to life in Franklin,” said L.L.Bean District Manager Kenon Mitchell. “With its strong outdoor culture and growing community, Franklin is a natural home for L.L.Bean. We look forward to deepening our connection with longtime customers while introducing the brand to new audiences through our legendary service, quality products and outdoor expertise.”

Some fans of the Maine-based outdoor gear store arrived for the opening before dawn.  

First in a line of about 150 people was Paul Smith, who got there at 3 a.m.

“We are super excited for this,” Smith said. “We always go up to their headquarters in Maine, so we know what L.L. Bean is and we love them.” 

Smith was most excited to purchase some more of their equipment: “Their outdoor equipment is really great. Their backpacks are well known for being waterproof and long-lasting.” 

L.L.Bean also made a $10,000 contribution to the Franklin Family YMCA. Since 2022, L.L.Bean has contributed more than $2.25 million to YMCA Summer Camp scholarships.

“We’re an all-American outdoor lifestyle program,” Mitchell said. No matter if you’re walking your dog, playing with your kids, or you’re hiking around, we’re providing the gear that helps to make that experience better. We’ve been around for 114 years and our stuff is really well crafted, that people have loved for years. We’re happy to bring this store to our current fans while bringing our store to more people. 

L.L. Bean is located at 1800 Galleria Blvd. Suite 252 at Cool Springs Galleria. The store is open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday – Saturday and 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sundays. 

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CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — New TCAP results are giving parents their first look at how students performed across Southeast Tennessee during the 2025-26 school year.

Among the districts in the Chattanooga area, Dayton City Schools posted the highest proficiency rates in English language arts and social studies, while Rhea County led the region in math.

Here’s how districts in the Tennessee portion of the NewsChannel 9 viewing area performed:

Hamilton County:

• English language arts: 40.3%
• Math: 39.9%
• Social studies: 49.7%

Bradley County:

• English language arts: 45.1%
• Math: 43.5%
• Social studies: 46.7%

Marion County:

• English language arts: 37.9%
• Math: 30.6%
• Social studies: 43.3%

Grundy County:

• English language arts: 32.1%
• Math: 30.7%
• Social studies: 39.4%

Sequatchie County:

• English language arts: 34.1%
• Math: 32.0%
• Social studies: 46.4%

Bledsoe County:

• English language arts: 39.8%
• Math: 34.8%
• Social studies: 49.8%

Rhea County:

• English language arts: 44.0%
• Math: 46.1%
• Social studies: 51.4%

Meigs County:

• English language arts: 37.3%
• Math: 32.2%
• Social studies: 41.0%

McMinn County:

• English language arts: 41.1%
• Math: 39.5%
• Social studies: 50.0%

Polk County:

• English language arts: 35.1%
• Math: 27.2%
• Social studies: 43.0%

Cleveland City Schools:

• English language arts: 33.9%
• Math: 31.3%
• Social studies: 36.0%

Dayton City Schools:

• English language arts: 45.7%
• Math: 45.2%
• Social studies: 63.9%

Richard Hardy Memorial School:

• English language arts: 23.6%
• Math: 25.0%
• Social studies: 21.4%

Etowah City Schools:

• English language arts: 34.0%
• Math: 34.0%
• Social studies: 30.6%

Several local districts finished above the statewide proficiency average.

Bradley County, Rhea County and Dayton City exceeded the state average in both English language arts and math.

Rhea County and Dayton City also outperformed the statewide average in social studies, while McMinn County matched the state average in that subject.

Hamilton County school leaders are expected to present a more detailed look at the district’s TCAP results during Thursday night’s school board meeting.

Depend on us to keep you posted.