News - Friday, December 20, 2019

John Pudelski had breathed prison air for 11 years, locked within the walls of an Ohio correctional institution after a jury convicted him in 1999 of killing his 12-day-old daughter, Elly.

On the night Pudelski’s fate was sealed, he says he was watching television when his wife brought Elly out of the bedroom, where she and the baby had been sleeping. After his wife returned to bed, Pudelski says he fed his daughter and then dozed off with her cradled in his arms. When he awoke, he says he returned Elly to her crib before returning to bed and falling asleep next to his wife.

March 29, 1999: Elly Marie Pudelski is 12 days old when she’s found nonresponsive in her crib.

April 14, 1999: John Pudelski is indicted for Elly’s murder.

Aug. 23, 1999: The trial commences in Cuyohoga County Court in Ohio. Pudelski is found guilty of murder but acquitted of aggravated murder.

Baker Donelson has appointed Allie Weiss to serve as pro bono committee office chair for the firm’s Chattanooga office.

As the chair, Weiss will work to identify and address local pro bono needs while coordinating with Baker Donelson pro bono shareholder Samuel Bowman for global pro bono initiatives.

There comes a time when many children stop believing in Santa Claus. After outgrowing the naiveté of youth, they conclude the stories about cheery St. Nick giving gifts to good girls and boys couldn’t be true. However, at 45, Realtor Lore Conway says she still believes they are.

In November, the Federal Reserve reduced its benchmark rate for the third time this year. This action was widely anticipated by the market.

Mortgage rates have remained steady this month but still are down more than 1% from last year at this time. Residential new construction activity continues to rise nationally. The U.S. Commerce Department reports that new housing permits rose 5% in October to a new 12-year high of 1.46 million units.

Even though time spent outdoors lessens during winter in the Chattanooga area, your home can still benefit from a mudroom or mudroom area.

For some homeowners, a mudroom is an actual separate room near the entryway of the home, built to reduce clutter and to store everything from gloves to sports gear.

“Richard Jewell” is a biographical film that seeks to publicly exonerate the security guard who found a bomb during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta and alerted the authorities. Although Jewell’s actions were initially said to have saved lives, the FBI later accused of him of building and placing the device.

There was a time when Dec. 26 was my favorite day of the year for one simple reason: It’s as far as possible from another Christmas.

Various factors contributed to my grinchiness, not the least of which was a seeming talent for buying people the wrong gift. First case in point: a gyroscope for my youngest brother, then 5. I’d always wanted one myself.

Ryan Tannehill’s emergence as Tennessee’s starting quarterback sort of came out of left field from the Titans’ perspective.

When he replaced Marcus Mariota six weeks into the season, no one could have expected the results that Tannehill has produced.

Have you thought about your New Year’s resolutions for 2020? When many of us make these promises, we focus on ways we can improve some form of our health. We vow to get more physically healthy by going to the gym, or we promise to improve our mental health by learning a new language or instrument.

The Chattanooga Fire Department has implemented new methods to increase efficiency and effectiveness.

A new program called CFD Connect is already loosening the strain on emergency services and getting citizens the help they need while keeping them from routinely calling 911.

The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission chose to take no action on the zoning ordinance previously approved last month by the Walden town council, clearing the developer to proceed with Walden Town Center.

The development slated for Taft Highway on Signal Mountain will include a full-service grocery store, fuel station, retail, offices and a public park.

The Tennessee Educational Technology Association has named Nikki Russell, STEM teacher at Orchard Knob Elementary School, the state’s Outstanding Technology Teacher of the Year.

The recognition is awarded to one person in Tennessee each year. With over 15 years as an educator in the Chattanooga and North Georgia areas, Russell’s work as an educator has impacted children in numerous elementary schools.

Justin Robertson, chief of schools in Hamilton County, will move to chief of operations. Robertson has worked as assistant superintendent for curriculum and instruction and as chief of schools since 2016.

He will now serve in the support roles of transportation, school nutrition, maintenance, facilities, student discipline, technology and other non-academic services.

The Chattanooga Symphony & Opera will present Home for the Holidays on Saturday, Dec. 21, 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 22, 3 p.m., at the Tivoli Theatre.

Sponsored by First Horizon Foundation, the event will feature guest conductor David Torns, the Metropolitan Bells, the CSO Chorus & Orchestra and vocals from Signal Mountain native and internationally acclaimed bass-baritone Seth Carico.