News - Friday, December 16, 2016

The local Women’s Council of Realtors (WCR) is turning a new page in its 60-year history.

Previously known as the Chattanooga Chapter of the Women’s Council of Realtors, the group is now known as Women’s Council of Realtors Chattanooga. In addition, WCR Chattanooga will no longer be called a “chapter” but a “network.”

The Company Lab has announced three emerging companies as the winners of its seventh annual Will This Float? business pitch competition.

 Music Therapy Gateway in Communications took first place, winning $3,000 in cash, 30 hours of free business services, a spot in a CO.LAB program and three months of access to co-working space at Society of Work.

A pair of local attorneys are among the nine women selected to be honored at Girls Inc.’s 13th annual UnBought & UnBossed Awards luncheon.

Paige Evatt, pro bono director and staff attorney at Legal Aid of East Tennessee, and Nicole Osborne, government affairs counsel at Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, will be recognized on April 19, 2017.

Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate (BHG) has added Signature Brokers to its franchise network. The newly named Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate Signature Brokers, led by owner and broker Gina Sakich, will continue to serve the Chattanooga area, including the Ooltewah, Apison, Soddy Daisy, East Brainerd, Hixson, Harrison and North Shore communities.

By just about any measure, state Rep. Jeremy Faison is a hard-core conservative. But when it comes to the cannabis plant, the East Tennessee legislator is ready to fire up the General Assembly with a move to liberalize the state’s pot law.

After passing bills for industrial cannabis and cannabis oil in recent years, the Cosby Republican from the Great Smoky Mountains area is joining state Sen. Steve Dickerson, a Nashville Republican and anesthesiologist, to sponsor legislation allowing medical marijuana in Tennessee.

Carr Allison has added two new associates to its Chattanooga office.

Jordan Carpenter’s practice areas include premises liability, insurance, professional liability and construction. Carpenter earned a degree in environmental science from the University of Alabama and his law degree from Vermont Law School.

Leitner, Williams, Dooley & Napolitan is teaming with the Salvation Army to sponsor the Corporate Angel Tree Program this season. Staff and attorneys at the law firm are sponsoring angels throughout the Chattanooga area.

The program provides gifts to children and seniors who, due to financial hardship, might not otherwise receive a Christmas present.

When it comes to college football, I tend to be a traditionalist.

That doesn’t mean I yearn for the days of leather helmets and quick kicks. I try to adjust to the times. But I must admit it’s hard to swallow a 76-61 final score, as was the case in the Pittsburgh-Syracuse game this season.

Not every 5-year-old gets a Twitter account. But then again, not every 5-year-old has served in the United States Marine Corps and the Chattanooga Police Department.

K9 Camie has made it through military and police training, served in Afghanistan and is now ready to take on social media – possibly her most difficult task to date.

When writing about a film, I often focus on the director. Although the making of a movie is a collaborative process, the director is at the helm of the project and the one responsible for its success or failure.

For me, writing about a film without discussing the director would be like reviewing a Van Gough without mentioning the artist. There would be no context for my opinions.

Existing-home sales are forecast to muster only a small gain in 2017 because of increasing mortgage rates and shrinking consumer confidence that now is a good time to buy a home, according to new consumer survey findings and a 2017 housing forecast update from the National Association of Realtors (NAR).

Innovations in smart-home technology have made it possible for consumers to make modifications to their existing homes to increase efficiency and comfort while also enhancing value and improving marketability when the time eventually comes to sell.

Most of us need to do some type of estate planning, but it’s especially important if you are part of a “blended” family. And the best time to start is now – before these plans need to be implemented.

Estate planning can be complex, so you will need help from a qualified legal professional. But here are a few general suggestions that can be suitable for blended families:

The story concerning residential real estate has remained consistent. In year-over-year comparisons, the number of homes for sale has been fewer in most communities. Meanwhile, homes are selling in fewer days and for higher prices. This hasn’t always been the case, but it has occurred with enough regularity and for enough time to make it a trend for the entirety of 2016.

The Salvation Army’s Christmas presence is back downtown after a lapse of more than 30 years.

However, instead of reappearing at its former spot at the corner of 8th and Broad Streets (the old American National Bank plaza) it has moved one-and-a-half blocks east to 109 E. 8th St., the home of Herman Walldorf & Company Realtors.

In the mid-1970s, Susan and I went into a fast food restaurant. We sat down, and the chair that she sat in, one of those glued-to-the-floor models that was prevalent at that time, just sorta slowly came loose from the floor and fell over.

She was more angry than hurt. We discussed how inexcusable it was to have an item so poorly installed that this could happen.

Holiday Market 2016

The Chattanooga Holiday Market will be indoors this weekend at the Chattanooga Convention Center.

Open Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., the Holiday Market will feature more than 200 local food vendors, artists and crafters offering gifts and festive preparations. Shoppers will be able to find unique pottery, custom art, handcrafted jewelry, local foods, natural bath and body products, locally designed and made apparel, wood furniture and more.