News - Friday, February 9, 2024

The Chattanooga Bar Association announced the recipients of its 2023 awards during its annual meeting Jan. 31 at The Westin Chattanooga. This year’s recipients included, from left: Arnold Stulce, Jr. (Ralph H. Kelley Humanitarian Award); Judge L. Marie Williams (Jac Chambliss Lifetime Achievement Award); Mike Little (Harry Weill Zealous Practice of Law Award); and Lynda Minks Hood (President’s Award). They are pictured with the Hon. Rob Philyaw, immediate past president. More photos beginning on page 2.

“Man gives you the award, but God gives you the reward.” – Denzel Washington

A quote attributed to actor Denzel Washington suggests that while human accolades are valued, there’s a deeper form of reward that exceeds worldly recognition. For the present, however, earthly awards must suffice, as the Grammys, Emmys, Oscars and more attest.

The Chattanooga Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division’s recently elected Legal Aid of East Tennessee attorneys John Jolley and Mary Frances DeVoe to the positions of president and vice president, respectively.

Jolley has been with LAET since 2016. He represents victims of domestic violence in orders of protection, divorces, custody matters and other civil legal issues. Jolley graduated from the University of Tennessee College of Law in 2014. He’s also a graduate of Leadership Chattanooga Class of 2020 and serves as an on-site partner at the Chattanooga Family Justice Center.

When Realtor Jason Carr was the first to join Mark Hite’s team in 2008. Hite was growing his business and needed help, Carr recalls, and asked him to be his buyer’s agent. “I’ll start tomorrow,” Carr recalls saying.

He was still a member of Hite’s team when Hite died Dec. 30.

People often ask me, “Why should I use a Realtor when I can save money by selling my house on my own?”

I know this question can be frustrating for Realtors, and I understand people often underestimate a Realtor’s role in a home sale. Some might even wonder if Realtors are truly worth the compensation they receive.

Greater Chattanooga Realtors presented its 2023 George Kangles Community Citizenship Award to Realtor Sabrena Smedley during its annual Installation & Awards Reception Jan. 25 at Chattanooga Whiskey Event Hall.

The association established award in 2011 to remember the late George Kangles and his dedication to serving the community and the association. Kangles’ governmental and political affairs work on behalf of the association at the local, state and national level was unprecedented, notes Greater Chattanooga Realtors in a news release.

Blood Assurance has appointed Dr. Liz Culler as its new president and CEO. Culler began her career at Blood Assurance as medical director in 2006. The organization later named her chief medical officer.

During her tenure as chief medical officer, Culler played a role in Blood Assurance’s expansion in the region and establishment of a research and cellular therapy program. Culler also helped Blood Assurance to become one of the first blood centers in the country to collect convalescent plasma for COVID-19 patients.

City of Chattanooga 2023 property taxes are due Feb. 29. Beginning March 1, the Treasurer’s Office will consider unpaid 2023 property taxes past due and begin applying monthly interest.

Residents can pay their bill or request a copy of their original bill at chattanoogatn.igovservices.com.

When many people think about investing, the first thing that comes to mind is the stock market. And that’s not surprising, as the rise and fall of stock prices is constantly in the news. But if you’re going to achieve your financial goals, you may well need to look beyond stocks and include fixed-income investments in your portfolio.

Getting married when you’re an older adult comes with complications: You and your spouse may have assets from years of working, and you may have children from previous relationships.

Tying the knot could affect your Social Security benefits if you’re widowed or divorced. You will need to update estate documents and beneficiary designations, and you may even want to consider a prenuptial agreement.

The former Leisure Lady casino ship has arrived at the Bend. Real estate developer Urban Story Ventures worked with marine transportation company Serodino to transport the ship from its mooring on the Tennessee River in the Battery Place Neighborhood in downtown Chattanooga to its new home last week.

The congenial relationship between the University of Tennessee and the NCAA has quickly turned sour.

A few months after touting their cooperation, Tennessee officials came out swinging against the NCAA for its latest investigation into the UT athletic department. The entities engaged in a war of words last week following the revelation that UT is under NCAA investigation for alleged violations related to name, image and likeness (NIL).

Coming off a week of rapid developments and legal actions between the NCAA, the University of Tennessee and at least two states over name, image and likeness compensation, potential recruiting violations and other issues, the pace is about to slow considerably once matters head to court.

As new Titans head coach Brian Callahan puts together his first staff, the early opinions have been extremely positive.

Callahan has gone outside the organization to people that he and Ran Carthon have history with to fill some of the first vacancies as he puts his inaugural staff together.

As Brian Callahan fills out his first staff in Tennessee, the lack of holdovers from the previous staff is noteworthy.

Thus far, no 2023 Mike Vrabel assistants have been retained. That’s not to say some of them won’t be kept to work under Callahan – a few coaches, often younger, low-level assistants, survive a regime change.

Like them or not, the Kansas City Chiefs find a way.

You might be tired of seeing Patrick Mahomes, and you might be over the whole Travis Kelce/Taylor Swift saga, but there is no denying that the Chiefs are building a dynasty of sorts.

In the division round, they outlasted Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills again, then went into Baltimore and took out the Ravens – who for most of the season had been the NFL’s most complete team – in the AFC Championships Game.

In a grueling stretch of games leading up to the combination All-Star break and bye week, the Predators stumbled as they traversed the North American continent playing eight games in 17 days spanning all four time zones.

With just two of those eight games played at home, the road-weary Predators needed that time off to rest and recharge. Despite going 2-5-1, the Predators have to feel good about where they are, both with how they are playing and being within striking distance of a playoff berth.

As a big winter storm rolled across the United States in mid-January, many news outlets reported on drivers of electric vehicles dealing with dramatically reduced range and multi-hour waits at public charging stations.

It’s true that driving an EV in freezing weather poses extra challenges compared to a gasoline-powered vehicle. But it’s also possible to employ techniques that can make EV winter driving less challenging. The car experts at Edmunds report on what you can do.