News - Friday, December 21, 2018

Realtor Tara Maner likes to be in control. Evidence supporting this claim is visible in many of the corners in her life.

At Uptown Firm, the Chattanooga real estate boutique where Maner serves as principal broker, she handles tasks other brokers might be more than happy to turn over to an administrative assistant or two.

Chattanooga law firm Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel recently welcomed Michael Mallen, an attorney for more than 30 years with experience in workplace health and safety, regulatory compliance, manufacturing guidance, environmental law, public financing and development of real estate and related infrastructure.

The Chattanooga Bar will be well-represented in the Tennessee Bar Association’s 2019 Leadership Law program.

The TBA has selected three attorneys and one judge from the city to join its six-month leadership training program:

• Zachary Greene of Miller & Martin

Generally speaking, I can sum up my political leanings by pointing to Republicans and saying I’m against what they’re for, and for what they’re against.

But.

The Tennessee Republican Executive Committee recently called on the Legislature to require party registration for voters who want to participate in primaries.

After six years of serving as the commercial director of Keller Williams Realty, Robert Fisher has passed the torch to Lisa Brown, who has served the Chattanooga area for nearly a decade.

As commercial director, Brown will oversee all Keller Williams commercial agents working in the Chattanooga area, act as the liaison between residential and commercial offices, and coach agents that are new to the commercial side of the real estate business.

The booming U.S. economy continues to prop up home sales and new listings in much of the nation, although housing affordability remains a concern.

Historically, housing is still relatively affordable. Although Freddie Mac recently reported that the 30-year fixed rate is at its highest average in seven years, reaching 4.94 percent, average rates were 5.97 percent ten years ago, 6.78 percent 20 years ago and 10.39 percent 30 years ago.

If you’re planning to buy a new home this spring, you might be thinking it’s too early to start your search and begin the financing process. But with just a few months to go until the cold weather thaws in the Chattanooga area, it’s time to lay the groundwork for your new dream home.

Consumers retain the internet as a critical tool during their home buying process, while buyers continue to utilize the knowledge and expertise of a real estate agent, the National Association of Realtors’ Real Estate in a Digital Age report shows.

The trailer for “The Mule” suggests writer-director Clint Eastwood’s new film is a tense thriller about an octogenarian drug runner and the DEA agent who’s gradually closing in on him.

Eastwood’s gravely voiceovers, the foreboding hum of the background music and the clips of Eastwood on the open road, anxiously peering into his rearview mirror, makes “The Mule” look like an atmospheric thrill-ride through a hidden world.

Bellhops has raised more than $31 million in its Series C round of funding, which was led by Advance Venture Partners, with participation from Canaan, Initialized Capital, Lerer Hippeau Ventures and Nashville Capital Network.

This caps a year in which the Chattanooga-based company expanded into 10 new cities and increased its revenue by 150 percent.

As the year winds down, you might want to look ahead to see which areas of your life you can improve in 2019. Perhaps you’ll decide to exercise more, eat healthier foods, reconnect with old friends or volunteer at a school or charitable organization.

Raphael Bostic, president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, will deliver the keynote address at the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce’s Jan. 9 Economic Outlook Breakfast.

The Economic Outlook Breakfast celebrates local business success over the previous year and looks to the future. Bostic will share his expertise related to economic trends and what to expect for doing business in 2019.

The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport Authority has approved the construction of a 520-space economy parking lot with shuttle service to the terminal. For the first time in more than six years, the board also passed a parking rate adjustment to “more closely align with comparable airports in neighboring cities,” says airport President and CEO Terry Hart.

Ruby Falls recently selected three employees to receive the annual John Thomas Steiner Sr. Memorial Scholarship.

Farin Cloyd, Clayton Curole, and Ashley Brotherton are receiving the award for their “distinguished passion and commitment to their academic careers,” says a news release from Ruby Falls.

Home gardeners and growers across the state can now utilize a free resource for planting in 2019. The Tennessee Home Garden Vegetable Calendar has been developed by the University of Tennessee Extension Fruit and Vegetable Workgroup to help users create a comprehensive plan for home vegetable gardens.

Buying a used car instead of a new one has long been a surefire way to save money. Someone else takes the initial depreciation hit – between 25 to 30 percent on average for the first year – so you pay a lot less for the car and finance a smaller amount.

David Wiles, M.D., a board-certified neurosurgeon with Southeastern Spine and Neurosurgery, has joined the medical staff at Parkridge Medical Center.

Wiles earned his medical degree from Tulane University School of Medicine and completed a general surgery internship and neurosurgical residency at The University of Tennessee Health Science Center in Memphis.

The Great Russian Nutcracker will be at the Tivoli Theatre on Sunday, Dec. 30, for two performances. Purchase tickets at www.nutcracker.com/buy-tickets.

The dove is a multicultural symbol of purity and peace embraced by Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. It also is the central theme of Moscow Ballet’s holiday spectacular, “Great Russian Nutcracker.”

The Chattanooga Police Department is sponsoring free crime prevention training designed for business owners and managers who are interested in making their facility and employees as safe as possible.

A nationally accredited crime prevention specialist from the University of Tennessee’s Law Enforcement Innovation Center will cover lighting, access control, video surveillance, emergency management, glazing, environmental design and more during the four-hour session. The instruction will incorporate Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design principles, security and vulnerability assessments.