News - Friday, April 12, 2024

“We are born with whirlwinds, forest fires and comets inside us. We are born able to sing to birds and read the clouds and see our destiny in grains of sand. But then we get the magic educated right out of our souls.”

– Robert McCammon, “A Boy’s Life”

Some statistics are hard to swallow. One of the toughest comes from the Chattanooga Area Food Bank: More than 13,000 Hamilton County children are at risk of food insecurity in 2024, data the nonprofit has received shows.

Throughout each school year, local nonprofits such as the Food Bank and ministries such as East Brainerd Church of Christ’s Snack Packs program strive to provide Hamilton County students who are facing food insecurity with nourishing fare.

Continuing our monthly director spotlight, I have the privilege of serving alongside secretary-treasurer Mike Purcell. Mike shows his dedication and passion for the association and our members through the same actions he puts in place for his clients – always having their best interests at heart. You’ll see what I mean in his answers below.

As winter fades and the days grow longer, it’s time to welcome the spirit of spring into your home with a thorough round of cleaning. Whether you’re a seasoned cleaning pro or a newcomer to deep cleaning, these expert tips will help you revitalize your living spaces and create a fresh, inviting atmosphere for the season ahead.

People associate many pleasing aromas with a holiday. The piquant fragrance of pine needles reminds people of Christmas, for example, while the smell of a pumpkin pie baking stirs thoughts of Thanksgiving. And if the bouquet of a stout beer doesn’t make you declare, “Happy St. Patrick’s Day!” you’re doing that holiday wrong.

The Association for Visual Arts will bring its annual 4 Bridges Arts Festival back to the First Horizon Pavilion. The festival will take place April 20-21, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. and feature 140 artists from 27 states – including over a dozen from the Chattanooga area. The artists will bring work in a variety of media, including painting, ceramics, textiles, jewelry, wood, glass, photography and more. More details at 4bridgesartsfestival.org. AVA’s mission is to “strengthen and promote the artistic ecosystem of Chattanooga’s visual artists, art enthusiasts and arts-based institutions.”

The city of Chattanooga will create a protected multi-modal lane as part of its reconfiguration of Frazier Avenue. The lane will accommodate pedestrians, cyclists and wheelchair users. The plan also calls for a new mid-block crosswalk at the CARTA parking garage at 345 Frazier Avenue. The city expects to begin implementation of the redesign in late spring.

Mention the words “citizen’s arrest,” and any faithful “Andy Griffith Show” fan will immediately flash to the episode of that title. It’s among the classics, of which there are many.

In it, after being ticketed by Barney for an illegal U-turn in his pickup, Gomer – shouting “Citizen’s arre-est! Citizen’s arre-est!” – turns the tables when Barney executes the same prohibited traffic maneuver in his squad car.

We all hope to remain healthy and independent throughout our lives, but life can be unpredictable. If you were ever to need some type of long-term care, would you be financially prepared?

Long-term care encompasses everything from the services of a home health aide to a stay in an assisted living facility to a long residence in a nursing home. You may never need any of these kinds of care, but the odds aren’t necessarily in your favor: Someone turning age 65 today has almost a 70% chance of needing some type of long-term care services and support in their remaining years, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

For college students, sending money to friends has never been easier thanks to peer-to-peer payment apps like Venmo, PayPal and Cash App. But that convenience poses risks, including vulnerability to errors, fraud and the tendency to overspend.

As a result, payment apps can contribute to financial stress at a time when young people are learning how to manage their finances on their own.

Whether it's going to bed before midnight, eating broccoli or dealing with your finances, doing the "right" thing can sometimes feel like a herculean effort.

Similar to an erratic sleep schedule or an aversion to eating green things, there are consequences to delaying wise financial moves. If you avoid creating a budget, putting your bills on autopay or learning how to invest, your financial life may become more stressful.

In the second half of a Predators’ season defined by streaks, one that ran mostly parallel to the recent franchise-record stretch of 18 games earning a standings point also came to an end.

This one went two games longer than the 16-0-2 record that vaulted the Predators into the playoff picture after a one-year absence.

Looking ahead to potential first-round Stanley Cup Playoffs matchups for the Predators, a few things could still happen over the final week-plus of the season that will determine what team Nashville will face to start the postseason.

The Predators clinshed one of the two Western Conference wild card positions Tuesday. The two wild card teams play the two division winners in the first round, with the division winner with the most points playing the second wild card team. The division winners will have home-ice advantage in the respective series, so the Predators will start the playoffs on the road.

The Predators’ regular season concludes with three games in four days, two of which are on the road. These games could be meaningful for playoff positioning or possibly to provide players some time off for rest and healing of bumps and bruises before the playoffs begin.

Improving the defensive secondary has been a primary concern for Tennessee during the last few seasons, and having seven players transfer out and three more declare for the NFL draft makes that an even taller task.

To help fill the void, the Vols have welcomed three transfers and some rookies to bolster a unit with two returning juniors at safety.

Genesis, the spinoff luxury automaker from Hyundai, launched its GV80 midsize SUV in 2021. Noting its high-quality interior, supple ride over bumps and generous complement of standard tech features, Edmunds immediately ranked it as one of the top models in its class.