News - Friday, March 24, 2017

Kayoko Dan, music director for the Chattanooga Symphony and Opera (CSO), has her conductor’s baton in one hand and the audience at Tivoli Theatre in the other.

Dan is on the podium preparing to lead the symphony in a performance of composer Bela Bartok’s “Concerto for Orchestra.” To engage the audience, she explains that the organization rented a bass trombone that would allow one of its musicians to play a famous glissando during that evening’s concert.

This June, Adam Holland will do what few Chattanooga attorneys have done in their pursuit of justice: put on his dancing shoes.

Holland is one of eight local celebrities competing in the 2017 edition of Dancing with the Chattanooga Stars, the annual fundraiser that benefits Partnership for Families, Children and Adults. On the evening of Saturday, June 3, Holland will take to the stage of the Tivoli Theatre and get his samba on to raise money for Partnership’s Family Connections program.

Nathan Brown is more than ready for his first coffee of the day. After attending spin class at Sports Barn, he beat a path to Peet’s Coffee & Tea on Chestnut Street, where the smell of freshly brewed grounds welcomed him as he entered the trendy new coffee house.

For those who ignore the news – fake or otherwise – Donald Trump won the presidency last November.

While he didn’t capture a majority of the vote, he did win the electoral vote, causing many detractors to call for the elimination of this outdated voting method.

Last year, I barely batted an eye when I blew off my high school class’s 40th anniversary.

 In fact, my casual indifference toward the City High Class of ’75 matched the indifference I showed for the tenth and 20th (or was it 25th?) class reunions.  I had no pangs of guilt, no desire to pick up a phone, lose weight, buy a new suit, get a haircut or any of the million things people want to do to impress old classmates they either had all but forgotten about or hate outright.

The time has come to write a new chapter of Tennessee Vols football.

Which quarterback is going to write it?

With spring practice unfolding, it looks like a two-man race between junior Quentin Dormady and redshirt freshman Jarrett Guarantano – not necessarily in that order.

The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce has promoted two staff members, both working in member-investor services.

Honor Hostetler and Meredith Rivers have new positions. Hostetler is now community outreach director, managing and supporting the Chamber’s 12 Councils.

Ann Gray, executive director of Cornerstones, Inc., has announced its 2017 board of directors and officers.

Cornerstones is Chattanooga’s historic preservation organization.

Gray announced Bob McNutt, of McNutt Consulting, as the new board chairman.

Armour Commercial Real Estate and the Catoosa County Development Authority have secured the first tenant for a 20-acre site being developed as part of a public and private partnership off Georgia Highway 2-A in Ringgold, Georgia.

The Center for Sports Medicine and Orthopaedics will open a satellite location at the site, located off Hwy 2-A across from Battlefield Imaging.

Katelyn Baker, a Hamilton County elementary school teacher, recently won a $25,000 prize provided by the Milken Family Foundation.

She received the award in a surprise ceremony at Chattanooga’s Battle Academy.

State Education Commissioner Candice McQueen presented the award, along with Jane Foley, senior vice president of the Milken Educator Awards and a former recipient.

The employees at Belko are having a bad day. Just as they were settling in to work, the intercom squawked and a man’s voice said most of them would soon die. To increase their odds of surviving, they’re going to have to kill their co-workers.

The Federal Reserve’s rate change announcement on March 15 will affect local home owners in a variety of ways.

This much-talked about move affects short-term lending with terms of 10 years or less. Examples of the types of loans that are often tied to the prime rate are home equity lines and credit cards.

Though builders in Chattanooga and surrounding areas might generally use similar tools and materials when building homes, not all are alike when it comes to things like technique, training and customer service. Finding the right builder whose business approach aligns well with your personal preferences is essential to a pleasant home-building experience.

Melissa Blevins has been named CEO of Girls Inc., of Chattanooga. She joins Girls Inc. after serving as the director of programs and operations for the Chattanooga Area Food Bank where she had worked since 2011.

“Melissa has demonstrated strong management and leadership abilities throughout her career in steadily increasing roles and responsibilities,’’ says Gina Dhanani, Girls Inc. board chairman.

The Humane Educational Society will host Rescues on the Runway on Saturday, March 25 at 6 p.m. at the Chattanooga Choo Choo Imperial Ballroom. Guests will enjoy a three-course meal as well as complimentary wine and beer. Vegetarian options will be available.