News - Friday, January 12, 2018

As Nada Smith sat at the defendant’s table in Judge Tom Greenholtz’s courtroom listening to the closing arguments in her criminal case, her life as she knew it hung in the balance.

If the jury found Smith guilty of the charges against her, she’d go to prison. Accused of driving under the influence, as well as failing to maintain her lane, she’d also lose her job and home.

Confederate Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest died in 1877, but 140 years later some people just can’t let their hero or the Old South go away.

In fact, the state Legislature is set to reignite the Civil War – to some degree – in 2018. We hope no gunshots are fired.

Realtor Kevin Jennings, the newly appointed director of sales for The Edrington Team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Realty Center, has a mountain to climb in 2018.

The team’s CEO, Doug Edrington, son of team founders George and Grace Edrington, is looking for his agent ensemble to sell 650 houses this year. It’s Jennings’ job to make sure that happens, and he says he’s looking forward to the challenge.

Hello, 2018! When I consider what’s come across the director’s desk in my 24 years with the Chattanooga Bar Association, I don’t have to wonder where all the time has gone. Looking ahead, 2018 will be another banner year for us.

To express the excellence of this association, I want to reflect on a quote that often comes to mind: “Quality … [starts] with the people in charge, with their absolute dedication to an idea and their willingness to do all things necessary for attainment.”

Chief Justice Kristina Cook Graham of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit has appointed attorney Melissa Gifford Hise to serve as the Americans with Disabilities Act contact in that circuit.

The appointment comes after the Judicial Council of Georgia issued a position statement to all Georgia Courts in December to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

“Molly’s Game” could be the first “movie book” in the history of cinema. Audiobooks have been popular for years, but I don’t recall another instance where a narrator has read an entire book during a film.

I suppose having actress Jessica Chastain read “Molly’s Game: From Hollywood’s Elite to Wall Street’s Billionaire Boys Club – My High-Stakes Adventure in the World of Underground Poker” was easier than distilling the elements of the autobiographical tome down to its essence.

Vol Nation should celebrate. It’s a new year. It’s got to be better than 2017. Tennessee athletics had a bad year, one of the worst ever. It was rough for fans, alumni and boosters.

Need a reminder? Tennessee football was historically bad, and Butch Jones got fired with two games left in his fifth season.

Premier Property Group, Inc., a full-service real estate firm in Chattanooga, has grown from the vision of owner and principal broker Christi Doll to a team of 15 agents representing residential and commercial clients in Tennessee and Georgia in just four months.

City and county leaders and community members last week broke ground on the new Avondale Youth and Family Development Center, which will provide recreation and learning opportunities. Dozens of Avondale youth attended the groundbreaking alongside neighborhood leaders and City of Chattanooga and Hamilton County officials.

Will Reeve will be the guest speaker at the 15th annual, “Possibilities: Siskin Hospital Celebrates Life Beyond Disability,” luncheon on Tuesday, Feb. 27. The event will be held 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Chattanooga Convention Center.

The Possibilities luncheon will also feature a video that highlights a Siskin Hospital patient who has overcome disability.

Allstate agency owners and financial specialists from the Chattanooga area recently came together with Allstate volunteers from six neighboring states to secure a $103,000 Allstate Foundation Helping Hands grant to benefit the American Cancer Society.

The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera will dedicate its “Movie Masterworks” concert to the memory of local real estate mogul Fletcher Bright, who died Christmas morning at his home on Lookout Mountain.

CSO concertmaster Holly Mulcahy and the CSO strings will perform “Ashokan Farewell” during the concert to honor Bright, an avid supporter of the musical arts in Chattanooga and longtime patron of the CSO.

Outdoor Chattanooga’s Winter Workshop series returns in 2018 to offer classroom-based outdoor education and skill-building workshops that are free and open to the public. No reservations are required to attend.

Workshops will take place Thursdays from 6-7:30 p.m. Jan. 18-March 1 at Outdoor Chattanooga in Coolidge Park (200 River Street).

The public is invited to a gallery opening featuring the work of Donald Keefe, assistant professor of art at Southern Adventist University. Hosted by the School of Visual Art and Design in the John C. Williams Gallery in Brock Hall on the university’s campus, the event will be held Thursday, Jan. 18, at 6 p.m. Light refreshments will be served.

The start of a new year is a time when many people reflect on their goals and pledge personal resolutions for the next 365 days. Whether optimistic about or hoping for changes in the year to come, switching over the calendar also provides an opportunity to reassess one’s housing situation.

New Year’s resolutions are a great way to give yourself that extra motivation to start making positive changes in your life. Why not do the same for your home?

As we enter 2018, take a moment and reflect on your home. There’s a good chance that it has some problems, especially if it’s more than 10 years old. It can be all too easy to ignore home issues and let them get out of hand.

If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to get healthier, you may already be taking the necessary steps such as improving your diet and increasing your exercise.

Of course, physical fitness is important to your well-being – but, at the same time, don’t forget about your financial fitness. Specifically, what can you do to ensure your investment situation is in good shape?