News - Friday, December 8, 2017

When the history of Wagner & Weeks is recorded, the author will note that attorney Patrick Wagner was sworn into the Tennessee Bar on Oct. 12, 2017, after passing the state bar exam. To add a bit of flair to the entry, the biographer will mention that Wagner then became the Chattanooga law firm’s first new attorney in 30 years.

David Wade’s ultimate goal when he joined the Electric Power Board as an on-the-ground line helper in 1983 was to become a lineman, climb power poles, and someday troubleshoot and help restore power after outages.

In the early years, the East Ridge native spent most of his time digging holes, installing poles and transformers for homes and businesses and assisting the linemen, most of whom used their own agility, not bucket trucks, to repair power lines high in the sky.

Realtor Angie Pickett will never look at a cup of coffee – or a house – the same after her trip to Guatemala in November to volunteer for Habitat for Humanity.

While in the Central American country for one week, Pickett was part of a group of 18 people who built “healthy homes” for coffee farmers in outlying areas. Healthy homes are existing dwellings Habitat volunteers have outfitted with smokeless stoves, water filtration systems and new bathrooms.

Second Life Chattanooga, a nonprofit organization that focuses on ending human trafficking in greater Chattanooga and Southeast Tennessee, has welcomed attorney Paige Evatt onto its board of directors.

“Paige is passionate about raising awareness of human trafficking in our community, but more importantly, she’s passionate about helping survivors,” says Jerry Redman, chief executive officer for Second Life Chattanooga. “Our board of directors provides leadership and guidance, and they’re our hands and feet in the community. We cannot thank them enough for the work they accomplish day in and day out to end human trafficking. We believe Paige will allow us to continue our outreach efforts and make an impact in our region and beyond.”

Would you rather be home for the holidays or gone? If you chose the latter, you’re not alone.

Call it the new holiday and winter tradition. Fueled by demographics, the sharing of photos on social media and shifting consumer trends, more Americans are choosing to take a trip instead of gathering at home.

When he was president of the University of Tennessee in 1959-70, Andy Holt often referred to the Vols athletics program, and particularly its football program, as “the front porch of the university.”

These days, that front porch is a mess. Smokey is hiding under the steps.

Ultimately, Phillip Fulmer’s success or failure as Tennessee’s athletics director will be tied to his very first hire. If his pick wins enough football games, Fulmer has done his job.

Here is a look at the five men who preceded Fulmer at UT over the last half century and how they handled their responsibilities:

Tennessee’s bungled search for a football coach will come at a cost for the university. A big cost.

There are buyouts everywhere. A potential lawsuit looms. And a rift between boosters caused by the botched search may be the costliest item of all for the university long term.

You can’t live with some people, but you wouldn’t want to live without them.

This was my thought as “Lady Bird,” a comedy-drama written and directed by Greta Gerwig, abruptly cut to the end credits.

I imagine something different passed through the minds of the others in the audience. “Lady Bird” is that kind of movie – layered and engaging. It’s also funny and moving.

So, you’re thinking about selling your home next summer because that’s the busiest time of year for real estate sales. While this statement is true, take a moment to consider why you should call a Realtor now.

The traditional mindset has been that you put your house up for sale in the spring and then it will sell in the following summer months. For this reason, looking back over the last year, we saw 1,252 houses come to market in March and 1,283 new listings in May.

With the holiday season upon us, you may be getting pretty busy. But once the holidays are over, you’ll enter into a new season – tax season. The filing deadline for the 2017 tax year is April 17, 2018, but until that date – and especially before the end of the calendar year – you may want to explore some tax-smart financial moves.

Choral Arts of Chattanooga will feature guest soprano Stella Zambalis during a Christmas concert to be performed Friday, Dec. 8 at 7:30 p.m. at Second Presbyterian Church, 700 Pine St. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students and will be available at the door. Children 12 and under may attend for free. Zambalis is a regular guest of leading opera companies throughout the United States, Canada, Europe and South America.