News - Friday, October 12, 2018

In the early 1980s, accountant Joe Decosimo told a young attorney named Michael St. Charles that, for his money, Nelson Irvine was the best corporate attorney in Chattanooga.

It was no small compliment, but Decosimo said it with the conviction of a true believer. Since then, St. Charles, now the managing shareholder of Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, has seen firsthand why Decosimo was impressed with Irvine.

Arbitration & Mediation Services is back with new owners, new mediators and a fresh coat of dark gray paint – but the same address.

The business closed last year on the retirement of its previous owner, Joe Wilson. Chattanooga’s Dianne Blankenbaker purchased the 1810 McCallie Avenue building, which housed AMS for 25 years, in August and has re-opened the business with Wilson’s blessing.

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Congressman Marsha Blackburn must have been sitting back laughing as she pounded former Gov. Phil Bredesen for postponing his stance on the Kavanaugh nomination.

No matter how he came down, he couldn’t really win.

The Tennessee Supreme Court has adopted significant revisions to its rules regulating court-approved mediators in the state.

The revisions to Tennessee Supreme Court Rule 31, and the adoption of Rule 31A, are the first in-depth changes to the rules governing mediation and arbitration in Tennessee since Rule 31 was first adopted in 2001. These changes, most of which are effective Nov. 1, 2018, clarify and enhance the current rule.

Members of Greater Chattanooga Realtors have chosen their leaders for the upcoming year.

The newly elected officers and directors will serve under the leadership of 2019 GCR President Kim Bass.

Keller Williams Realtor Brandi Pearl Thompson will serve as 2019 president-elect, while Keller Williams Realtor Joyce Smith will serve as secretary-treasurer.

Each year, we seem to start decorating for the next holiday a little earlier. Halloween is no exception. While showing a home recently, I encountered porch columns covered with fake spider webs and a cute scarecrow and pumpkins adorning either side of the front door.

There are 12 notes in an octave, Sam Elliott’s character says in “A Star is Born.” Every piece of music ever written has used these same 12 notes; the difference between one song and another is in how the composer uses them.

Likewise, writers draw on many familiar tropes when telling a story, with the difference between one story and another lying in the way the author uses them.

The Tennessee men’s basketball team can’t play the disrespect card this season. The Vols can’t use perceived slights as added motivation.

One year after being picked to finish 13th out of 14 teams in the SEC, the Vols are being touted as a team with Final Four potential.

J. Douglas Overbey, United States attorney, Eastern District of Tennessee, says he is encouraged by a year-over-year reduction in persons shot in Chattanooga and is committed to working to drive down violent crime even further.

The Chattanooga Police Department recently announced crime statistics showing reductions in violent crime from 2017 to 2018. According to the statistics, criminal homicides were down 61 percent, gang member-involved homicides were down 53 percent and non-fatal shootings involving gang members were down 35 percent. Overall, persons shot in Chattanooga, both fatal and non-fatal, were down 27 percent.

We’re officially in autumn – the season when we bring in what we planted in the spring. But the concept of planting and gathering isn’t confined to agriculture. In fact, it can be used in many walks of life, including investing. So what can you do to help work toward a successful investment “harvest”?

The Chattanooga Police Department has received a three-year, $450,000 grant to be used to enhance the department’s response to and support of victims of crime in Chattanooga.

The Law Enforcement-Based Victim Services Grant comes from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime. With over $20 million in total funds for the grant, the OVC expects to award 40 law enforcement agencies across the United States.

Georgia-based Ascent Hospitality has purchased The Chattanoogan Hotel from the city of Chattanooga for $27 million.

The sale of the building will generate an estimated savings of $23 million over the remaining life of the bonds. This includes more than $280,000 in annual property taxes revenues for the city.

A decade ago, small sedans were the entry point into luxury-car ownership. But because of the increasing popularity of SUVs, automakers are scrambling to create new, stylish SUVs to attract those shoppers.

The SUVs are smaller and more affordable than the already-familiar crop of luxury SUVs such as the Audi Q5 or the BMW X3. Often, they are the most affordable model in a brand’s lineup, making them even more important for carmakers hoping to win over new customers.

Volkswagen Chattanooga has achieved a production milestone with the completion of the 100,000th Volkswagen Atlas.

Assembled in the LEED Platinum-certified production facility in Chattanooga, the 100,000th SUV is a 2019 Atlas SEL premium, finished in Pacific Blue, with Shetland V-Tex leatherette interior. The Atlas has a 3.6-liter direct-injection VR6 engine, eight-speed automatic transmission.

Cindy Brown and Misty Reese have joined Pinnacle Financial Partners as financial specialists for the firm’s Broad Street office.

Before coming to the firm, Brown spent 13 years with SunTrust Bank, where roles included serving as a licensed personal banker, teller coordinator and client services specialist.

The Granfalloon, 400 E. Main St., will host an Aretha Franklin tribute featuring Neshawn Calloway on Saturday, Oct. 13 beginning at 8 p.m. Calloway will be accompanied by her full band as she sings some of Franklin’s greatest hits. Tickets will cost $10 at the door. Adelle’s Creperie will be open. Information

It was stated in last week’s profile of Realtor Jennifer Regan that she earned an accounting degree from the University of Alabama.

Regan clarifies: “While I worked in accounting for many years, my formal education never culminated in a formal degree.”