News - Friday, January 26, 2018

Fully autonomous vehicles are coming to Tennessee’s roads, bringing many more changes than the absence of a steering wheel. Just as America’s interstate highways changed the way we lived, worked, traveled and made decisions in the 1950s and 60s, the age of self-driving cars should deliver significant societal benefits, including reduced accidents, injuries and fatalities, as well as improved traffic management since cars and trucks will be connected, both to each other and traffic signals.

When talking about self-driving technology systems, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has adopted the levels established by the Society of Automotive Engineers, ranging from complete driver control at Level 0 to full autonomy, including extreme environments and conditions, like dirt roads and heavy storms, at Level 5.

Nashville is one of 10 cities worldwide chosen for an autonomous vehicles initiative launched by Bloomberg Philanthropies in New York and the Washington, D.C.-based Aspen Institute.

The others are Austin, Buenos Aires, Argentina, Helsinki, London, Los Angeles, Paris, São Paulo, Tel Aviv and Washington D.C.

About 30 years ago, my wife and I were hanging out with another couple and decided to make a big night of it. We’d go out for Mexican food and then rent a movie.

After we had some Mexican grub, we went to Kroger to find a flick. As we perused the selections, my friend said, “What about a Russian spy movie?” To which his girlfriend (future wife, now ex-wife) whined, “John, you know I don’t speak Russian.” (His name is changed to protect the innocent.)

After more than 40 years of practicing law, Rick Marcus is in a strange position as “the new guy.”

At least he’s not alone. His long-time partners-in-law at Franklin, Cooper & Marcus – David Franklin, Gary Cooper and Cynthia Hall are new as well.

Attorney Martha Burgett has joined the firm of Spears, Moore, Rebman & Williams. As the firm’s newest associate, Burgett will be focusing her practice on insurance defense.

Burgett earned her J.D. at the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law. While attending classes on a full scholarship, she served as a law student ambassador, assistant to the dean of admissions, business editor of the Law Review and treasurer of the Student Bar Association. Burgett was also a member of her school’s Duberstein Moot Court team, which won first place in a regional competition in Las Vegas.

Realtor Nathan Walldorf of Herman Walldorf & Co. has earned the Seller’s Representative Specialist designation after completing the 12-hour class.

Recognized by the National Association of Realtors, the SRS designation is designed to elevate professional standards and enhance personal performance.

The Women’s Council of Realtors Chattanooga held its first networking luncheon Jan. 10 at the Home Builders Association of Greater Chattanooga. In addition to food prepared and served by World Food Champion Chef winner Nick Thiers and presentations by State Farm and Caliber Home Loans, attendees heard a presentation by Home Builders President Jay Bell regarding the challenges facing local builders and developers.

The Home Builders Association of Greater Chattanooga (HBAGC) held its annual Membership & Installation Dinner on Jan. 20 at The Westin. More than 220 people attended the event, during which HBAGC recognized member volunteer achievements and installed its 2018 officers directors.

If the Tennessee Lady Vols make a run in the NCAA basketball tournament this year, Webb School girls basketball coach Shelley (Sexton) Collier will be cheering them on the whole way.

It’s not just because Collier played point guard for four years (1983-87) under Lady Vols coach Pat Summitt, or that she served under the legendary coach as a graduate assistant for two years.

There’s a moment in “The Post,” a new drama produced and directed by Steven Spielberg, that will put a smile on the face of any old salt in the newspaper business. In the scene, a reporter is sitting alone in a newsroom at night, writing, when his desk begins to shake and the building starts to rumble.

As we settle into the new year, let’s look back at how 2017’s housing market in the greater Chattanooga area wrapped up. It was a strong year for home sales as people flocked to our area, many millennials began entering homeownership and homes sold quickly – making for a competitive market.

Anyone who’s ever sold a home knows it can be a complex process. Your home will likely need to be updated or renovated before it can go on the market, and you probably don’t have an unlimited budget with which to work. These tips will help prepare your home to sell quickly and for the best price.

Like everyone, you want to enjoy a comfortable lifestyle when you retire. But a successful retirement doesn’t just happen – it requires a lot of planning. And that’s why it’s a good idea to draw up a “pre-retiree checklist.”

Since being sworn in as United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Tennessee on Nov. 21, 2017, I’ve been working diligently to support the Department of Justice priorities outlined by United States Attorney General Jeff Sessions as well as the mission of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

Tennessee State Treasurer David Lillard, Jr. was able to return a missing Purple Heart medal earned more than 70 years ago to a soldier’s family in Chattanooga due to the efforts of the Tennessee Department of Treasury’s Division of Unclaimed Property.

The Hunter Museum of American Art will present two exhibitions in February exploring technological breakthroughs in art over two centuries and how those advances have altered the way society depicts and interprets the world.

“Under the Mexican Sky: A Revolution in Modern Photography” will examine artistic innovations in photography that blossomed in Mexico just after the end of the Mexican Revolution in the early 20th century. “New Media, New Millennium: Digital Art” will consider the growing importance of electronic media in art.

The Chattanooga Zoo recently welcomed the arrival of the newest addition to the zoo family: Tashi the snow leopard.

Tashi is a one-year-old male snow leopard. He came to the Chattanooga Zoo as a breeding loan from the Idaho Falls Zoo at Tautphaus Park as part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums Species Survival Plan. Tashi has been recommended for breeding with the Chattanooga Zoo’s resident female snow leopard, Callie.

Melanie Hammontree is the Chattanooga Area Food Bank’s new Northwest Georgia development officer. Hammontree will support the nine counties the Food Bank serves in Georgia. She will be based out of the Food Bank’s Northwest Georgia branch, located at 1111 South Hamilton St. in Dalton, Georgia.

Most car shoppers know that a used car can be a fantastic value. In the long run, a used car will usually cost less than a new one and will virtually always be cheaper than leasing a car every three years.

As practical as it is to buy a used car, it can also present an opportunity to get a little fancy. This is where “cousin cars” come in.