News - Friday, December 3, 2021

When the sun came up on the last Saturday in October, the Tennessee legislature had voted overwhelmingly along party lines to say that the state – not the federal government – will call the shots in dealing with COVID-19.

There was never any doubt that the Republican-sponsored bills would pass, and pass handily, since Republicans hold a supermajority in both the House and Senate. Gov. Bill Lee signed all but one of the bills. All went into effect immediately, even though they most likely will be fine-tuned when the Legislature reconvenes in January.

As a trust and estate attorney, Shaheen Imami often talks with clients about the uncomfortable reality of death and their need to pass on the wealth they have put together over their lifetime.

In the same manner, Imami, 52, says he believes lawyers with trusts and estates practices should consider that they will someday retire and need to pass on their expertise to a new generation of practitioners.

One of the most important parts of our federal judicial system is the jury. Most people know the role of the trial jury in determining guilt or innocence in a criminal trial and liability in a civil trial. But there is another type of federal jury that is critical to the operation of our federal judiciary – the grand jury.

Realtors Mike and Brenda Purcell say they have a new venture for their real estate business. But to make it work, they’re going to have to rely on an old school principle.

Their latest endeavor took shape not in their hometown of Chattanooga but in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida, a small town located between Destin and Panama City where they recently purchased a second house.

The holidays have arrived, and so has the time of year when homesellers wonder whether they should keep their properties on the market or take them off.

Or if owners haven’t listed their home yet, they might be asking themselves if they should wait until spring or brave the winter real estate market.

Despite continued supply chain woes and labor challenges, builder confidence remains high for a third consecutive month due to strong buyer demand and low existing inventories.

Builder sentiment in the market for newly built single-family homes moved three points higher to 83 in November, according to the most recent Housing Market Index from the National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo.

As Ally Manno moves the tip of a pencil across a white canvas, she creates a patchwork of shapes with curved and meandering edges.

The collage that eventually forms doesn’t resemble anything distinguishable. Instead, it appears to be an expression of what Manno saw or felt in the moment, much like the way a river seems to bend and turn at random as it explores a mountain range or forest.

While you’re working, you might be contributing to an individual retirement account that can provide a tax-advantaged way to save for your future. So, is it ever a good idea to tap into your IRA before you retire?

Ideally, you should leave this account intact until your retirement. After all, you could spend two or more decades in retirement, so you’ll need a lot of financial resources. Still, life is unpredictable, so there may be times you’ll consider taking money from your IRA.

We’re living longer on average, but the number of years we’re healthy hasn’t kept up. This lagging “health span” translates into more time living with serious illness and disabilities at the end of our lives.

This can have significant repercussions for our retirements. Some of us will have our working lives cut short by ill health, reducing how much money we can save for our futures. Others will face big bills for medical and nursing home care.

On a small plot of land at the intersection of Ewing and Sixth Avenues and Lafayette Street in Nashville sits the Church of the Holy Trinity, where it has ministered to an Episcopal flock since 1853.

“If you are searching, looking or longing for a stronger relationship with God; if you are in need of spiritual growth or renewal, we invite you to join our community of faith,” the Holy Trinity website states.

I was recently on a panel that discussed where free speech ends and dangerous speech begins.

The topic is a recurring one in U.S. history and plays out in debates about hate speech, burning crosses in people’s yards, burning American flags and what is uttered by teachers in public schools.

The vibe around UT football was different from the moment Josh Heupel arrived and remained so through the end of his first regular season.

Players were having more fun and looking forward to attending practices. They stayed later at the facility to hang out with each other and competed hard during games. No one was walking on eggshells or fearful of making mistakes.

The Tennessee Titans limp into their much-needed bye week on a two-game losing streak.

At some point before the season ends, the Titans hope to have their A-list players, including A.J. Brown, Julio Jones, Bud Dupree and maybe even Derrick Henry, back to bolster a team that has been so depleted by injuries that they sailed right past the record for players used in a season Sunday, playing four new players to bring their season total to 86 with five games remaining.