News - Friday, January 3, 2014

...this week in Chattanooga, presses began printing the first issue of the Hamilton County Herald. Founder and Editor W.B. Cleage’s venture was revealed to its readers in the form of a four-page, six-column paper of “attractive typography.”

On Jan. 1, 2014, the new Local Rules of Hamilton County General Sessions Court will become effective. Judges Christie Sell (Division 1), David Bales (Division 2), Clarence Shattuck (Division 3), Lila Statom (Division 4), and Gary Starnes (Division 5) collaborated to draft the comprehensive rules for uniformity and to inform all persons having business before the court of the requirements regarding procedures, dress-code, and appropriate conduct.

Hate sitting in traffic? Is your daily commute growing? Want more transportation choices? The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) is updating its 25-Year Long Range Transportation Plan to address the growing needs and changing demands of Tennessee’s transportation system.

Patti and the kids left about a week ago. First, they went up north to Osceola to hang out with the in-laws for Christmas, and then they flew to Orlando for three days of wrestling camp for my youngest son and relaxation and amusement for everyone else. I went up to Osceola for Christmas Eve and Christmas, but other than that, I’ve been all alone.

My feet hurt. A lot. My toes and calves are always cramping once I go to bed at night. I have been to a podiatrist and to an orthopedic doctor specializing in feet, but I was unable to get any relief.

The podiatrist wanted to do surgery to straighten some of the bones in the top of my foot that are not quite straight. No thanks. Not that he did not know what he was doing or anything like that, it’s just I have learned over the years that when you have elective surgery done, most times it creates another problem. So, I walked out on that idea.

Early last month an attorney whose name I’ll spare you was suspended from practice for 12 months by his state’s lawyer disciplinary panel. Someone the lawyer had represented in a criminal case presented documentation indicating that he (the client) was the beneficiary of a large bequest. From a long-lost cousin. In Nigeria.

"Heroin clears the complexion, gives buoyancy to the mind, regulates the stomach and bowels, and is, in fact, a perfect guardian of health.” 

 ~ A 1905 pharmacist

With thanks to J. Mark (Kingbossdaddy) Davis, we travel back in time to the year 1905 to see if things really were that much different.

When I was younger, I thought I’d never live to see the year 2000 anything – it all seemed so far away. However, I thought being 50 years old was ancient, and I’d never live to be that age, either. Obviously, I’ve been proven wrong on all accounts, and I’m honestly so glad! In fact, now that I’m “older,” 90 is looking kind of young to me!

By David Laprad

Adam Green was fresh out of college and building houses in Tampa, Fla. As he and his father were inspecting one of his projects, the elder Green said, “Do you know what you’re doing here?” The younger Green said yes – building a house. As fathers tend to do, the elder Green took the opportunity to pass on wisdom. “No, you’re building a home – a place where people will live their lives.”

The Supreme Court has held that a group opposed to a state-issued water pollution permit acted prematurely when they took their case to court, and should first complete appeals to the Tennessee Board of Water Quality, Oil, and Gas.

In 2008, the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation announced its plan to grant a water pollution discharge permit to a quarry near Horse Creek in Hardin County. The trustees of a nearby wildlife sanctuary objected to the permit.

1. Which nation was the first to give women the right to vote? New Zealand; America; Australia; Italy.

2. Where’s the world’s largest aquarium? The Georgia Aquarium, located in Atlanta, Ga.; Epcot Divequest in Florida; Churaumi Aquarium, part of the Ocean Expo Commemorative National Government Park located in Motobu, Okinawa, Japan; AQWA, in Western Australia.

While there are specific criteria by which one can judge the quality of a movie, in the end, one’s enjoyment of a film is subjective. While I think I have good taste in movies, my wife would argue otherwise, and no matter how many bad films she makes me sit through, I’ll likely never come to appreciate her preferences. With that in mind, here’s the list of my favorite movies of 2013 – not the best, mind you, but the ones I enjoyed the most.