News - Friday, February 7, 2020

A Realtor is analogous to a golfer standing alone in the tee box with the objective of getting a tiny ball into a hole that’s at least a couple of hundred yards away. It takes all the skill and knowledge an agent can muster to sell a home for top dollar or find the perfect house at the right price.

As a paralegal for The James Firm in Chattanooga, Samantha DiBois is accustomed to doing some of the heavy lifting at the office.

“Paralegals do the same things as attorneys, only we don’t go to court or sign the paperwork,” she says. “We’re just as involved in the cases and just as deep in the research.”

In an annual migration that begins around noon every Feb. 14, masses of men make their way to the nearest Walgreens, Walmart or Hallmark and begin staring blankly at rows and columns of frilly red greeting cards.

As they scan the honeyed phrases on these cards in their desperate search for a suitable valentine, they curse the holiday and themselves for waiting until the last minute to cobble together a feeble expression of their feelings.

When Cameron Sexton and Tennessee’s other Republican House members adjourned in May, they probably couldn’t foresee how the raucous drama of that legislative session would dog them through the summer.

The House had helped the newly elected Republican governor, Bill Lee, achieve major legislative goals such as authorization to seek federal block grants for the state’s Medicaid program, TennCare and implement a school-voucher type of program to help income-eligible families in Nashville and Memphis move their kids from public to private school.

Hamilton County government has found a new way to prevent access to public records: Get rid of them.

It’s not really new. It’s the oldest trick in the book.

In late July last year, a reporter with the Chattanooga Times Free Press became concerned that the county government was not following state law in its responses to public records requests.

Pratt Home Builders hosted its annual Realtor appreciation soiree Jan. 30 at its Dayton Boulevard location. The event featured $3,000 worth of food and drinks and dozens of door prizes and giveaways, including a big screen television, a laptop computer and $10,000.

This month marks my 15th year in the real estate business. While that might seem like a long time, I feel like I’m just getting started. I say that because this is my ninth year doing what I truly love. Let me provide a little background into what I mean.

Chattanooga-area students seeking a path that will lead to opportunity and personal fulfillment are finding promise in career and technical education tracks. February is Careers and Technical Education Month, which shines a spotlight on the educational opportunities for high school students, college students and adults.

Neon, the film distributor that released the South Korean film “Parasite” in the U.S., is billing the movie as a black comedy thriller. While “Parasite” has moments of genuine levity, I wouldn’t classify it as a thriller, even though it does contain several shocking moments. Rather, it’s more of a piercing drama about the impact of class conflict.

Short of having the cast of “Downton Abbey” swoop in for a public meet-and-greet, “Antiques Roadshow” coming to town is about the best promotion Nashville Public Television could hope.

Coming back to town, I should say. The program was first here in 1997.

Social Security can be one source of retirement income for you and your spouse. To maximize your benefits, you’ll need to make some key decisions and be aware of some common myths.

Myth 1: Always take Social Security early

You can file for Social Security benefits as early as 62, but you could get 25% to 30% more if you wait until your “full” retirement age (likely between 66 and 67). You can receive even more if you wait until 70, at which point your benefits will “max out.”

The Chattanooga Police Department added 18 new officers to its ranks Jan. 30. CPD Class 2019-3 includes four graduates who previously served in the armed forces and are choosing to now serve the people of Chattanooga. There is one legacy graduate, cadet McKenzie Pierre, who is the brother of Officer Christiana Pierre-Monroe. The class also includes three female graduates.

See Rock City recently presented a check for $17,605.25 to Ronald McDonald House Charities of Greater Chattanooga. The proceeds were raised during the 2019 season of See Rock City’s Enchanted Garden of Lights. The total donated since the beginning of the 18-year partnership now exceeds $230,000. Pictured (from left) are See Rock City Public Relations Manager Meagan Jolley, Ronald McDonald House Charities President and CEO Jane Kaylor and See Rock City President and COO Susan Harris.

Chattanooga City Councilwoman Demetrus Coonrod visited Silverdale Detention Facility on Jan. 31 to speak with female participants in the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office’s reentry program.

Coonrod shared how her environment and family’s struggles led her to crime. “I was a frequent resident of Silverdale and eventually served time in a federal prison in Tallahassee, Florida,” she said.

CVS Health will offer free Know Your Numbers heart health screenings at local MinuteClinics on Feb 13 and 20. CVS has MinuteClinics at its pharmacies at:

• 9389 Dayton Pike (Soddy Daisy)
• 8600 Hixson Pike (Hixson)
• 5120 Highway 153 (Hixson)
• 796 Ridgeway Ave. (Signal Mountain)
• 2424 North Ocoee St. (Cleveland)
• 1301 Dorchester Road (Chattanooga)
• 6802 Lee Highway (Chattanooga)
• 8034 E. Brainerd Road (Chattanooga)

To receive a screening, download the voucher, print a copy and bring it to a MinuteClinic registration kiosk. The voucher is located at www.cvshealth.com/gored.

Chattanooga Girls Leadership Academy will present its 11th annual Odyssey Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, March 11, at the Chattanooga Convention Center. The program will begin at 11:30 a.m. Individual tickets are available at CGLAonline.com.

The Odyssey keynote speaker will be Vanessa O’Brien, an accomplished mountaineer and explorer. A citizen of both the U.S. and Great Britain, O’Brien was the first American and British woman to scale K2, the world’s second-tallest mountain.

The Plug Poetry Project will return to the fifth floor of The Edney Innovation Center on Saturday, Feb. 22, to feature award-winning poet Jose Olivarez. Olivarez is the son of Mexican immigrants and the author of the book of poems, “Citizen Illegal.” His work has been featured in The New York Times, The Paris Review and Chicago Magazine. Olivarez will lead a poetry workshop from noon-2 p.m. Email thespeakeasypoetry@gmail.com to secure a spot. A reading will take place from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Local poets Moll King and Tiffany Herron will open the night with sets of original material. Tickets. The Plug is an arts initiative started by Christian Collier in 2019.