News - Friday, February 10, 2017

The city’s cultural landscape was incomplete before the Chattanooga Film Festival was birthed in 2014.

Chattanooga’s multiplexes were packed every weekend with audiences eager to see the newest mainstream releases, but there was little room for independent and arthouse films – and the people who loved them.

Democrats appear delighted about division within Republican ranks concerning Gov. Bill Haslam’s proposed fuel-tax increase, detecting a possible chink in the armor.

“How many times does the supermajority have to stab the governor in the back and undermine his core proposals before the people of the state of Tennessee wonder whether they need a different group up here?” asks Mike Stewart, House Minority Caucus chairman.

As new Chattanooga head football coach Tom Arth faced a room full of boosters, media and loyal fans on National Signing Day evening, he made the rundown of the Mocs’ 2017  class sound very much like a sermon. He even had the congregation clapping on cue.

When it comes to offense, Butch Jones thinks he knows what’s best for the Tennessee Vols.

And he’s willing to bet his job on it.

By elevating Larry Scott from tight ends coach/special teams coordinator to offensive coordinator, Jones is staying the course. And it’s his own course.

The Tennessee Bar Foundation has elected Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel attorney Harold “Hal” L. North and Baker Donelson attorney Richard B. Gossett as fellows, an honor shared by 841 attorneys across the state. Invitations to membership were extended to 31 attorneys this year by the Board of Trustees. The introduction of new fellows took place in January at the annual Fellows’ Dinner in Nashville.

Three new Miller & Martin associates are beginning work across the firm’s corporate, commercial and litigation practices in Chattanooga.

Varsha Ghodasra is in the corporate group, Rachael Waxler-Ruiz is in the commercial group and Haley Moody has joined the firm’s litigation practice.

Russell Gray, managing shareholder of Baker Donelson’s Chattanooga office, has been re-elected as a member of the firm’s board of directors. Gray was elected by Baker Donelson’s shareholders to a second three-year term as a member of the board.

The Tennessee Bar Association has named Chattanooga attorney Susan Gruber the Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year. Gruber is a long-time volunteer with Legal Aid of East Tennessee (LAET)’s Chattanooga Pro Bono Project.

The Harris Gilbert Pro Bono Volunteer of the Year Award is given annually to a private sector attorney who has demonstrated dedication to the development and delivery of legal services to the poor and who has performed significant pro bono work.

The last time I went to the movies, I had a choice between seeing Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey do the mambo in the 30th anniversary version of “Dirty Dancing” or Milla Jovovich ventilating zombie skulls with her shotgun in “Resident Evil: The Final Chapter.”

Crye-Leike sales associates Shirley Moore and Dan Griess are now members of the real estate firm’s Circle of Excellence.

As members of the Circle of Excellence, Moore and Griess now hold the ­­­­­­honorary title of vice president of Crye-Leike.

Local Crye-Leike offices celebrated a year of growth during their 2017 kickoff recently at Chattanooga Golf and Country Club.

Sales in the Chattanooga region in 2016 increased eight percent to $438 million on 2,447 units closed. Crye-Leike’s Ooltewah experienced the greatest gain, with 34 percent more sales than in 2015.

Leadership Chattanooga’s first meeting of 2017 began at Erlanger Hospital. We were introduced to our first speaker, Lisa Smith, M.D., a pediatric surgeon with University Surgical Associates.

A unique theme of Smith’s presentation involved highlighting the similarities between pediatric trauma surgery and waiting tables at a restaurant, noting both jobs require extreme focus and the ability to constantly reassess the needs of your patient (or diner).

Nominations are open for the 2017-18 class of Leadership Chattanooga.

Go to chattanoogachamber.com/leadership to submit a nomination. Nominations are open until March 3.

Nominating takes less than five minutes. Anyone can nominate, and self-nominations are accepted.

Baby boomers across the Chattanooga area are reaching the point that their children have grown up and moved out of the house or are making plans in that direction.

Though the transition from full house to empty nest can be exciting, it can also be stressful.

The age-old logic has been that a homeowner should wait until spring to put their home on the market in preparation for summer selling season. Recent shifts in buying patterns and climate change have proven this logic to be flawed.

The first issue to consider is tax refunds and the first-time buyer. With the advent of electronic filing, the first-time buyer now has more money in their pocket at the end of February than any other point in the year.

Existing-home sales increased 3.8 percent to a 10-year high in 2016, but affordability pressures, student debt and possible confusion about down payment requirements prevented many aspiring homeowners from reaching the market, according to recent consumer insight from the National Association of Realtors.

The holidays are now over a month behind us, which means it’s about time for another season: Tax Season. While you may not find it particularly festive, you can get through this season with a minimum of stress – if you’re organized. That means, among other things, you’ll need to gather the correct forms in one place. And right about now, you should be receiving many of the forms you’ll need – specifically, those tax forms related to your investments.

The Chattanooga Area Food Bank, serving Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia, has hired two new directors.

Laura Kilpatrick is the new director of agency and government relations, overseeing and directing the management of agency partners, collaborating with private and public sectors and advocating for legislation that addresses the many factors that contribute to food insecurity.

The law firm of Summers, Rufolo & Rodgers will be providing scholarships for criminal justice students at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

The educational award will be issued annually and will alternate its focus each year between students who wish to become prosecuting attorneys and those with aspirations of becoming defense attorneys.

Wade Hinton, chief legal officer and city attorney for Chattanooga, will participate in the 2017 Presidential Leadership Scholars program, a leadership development initiative that draws on the resources of the presidential centers of George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H. W. Bush and Lyndon B. Johnson. Hinton is one of 60 scholars chosen for the program’s third annual class.

The Bethlehem Center will host the annual Breakfast of Champions on Thursday, March 9, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Tyner United Methodist Church, 6805 Standifer Gap Road.

The Breakfast of Champions will feature music, other performances, a special presentation to recognize long-time volunteer Becky Hall and a made-from-scratch breakfast. Table sponsorships and individual seats are available. All proceeds will benefit literacy and enrichment programs for children and families in South Chattanooga.