News - Friday, April 14, 2017

Chattanooga Realtor Doug Edrington used to joke about how virtual reality would someday allow agents and buyers to tour a home without being there.

Like Neo in “The Matrix,” they would be able to plug into their computers and tour a three-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath ranch on the North Shore, complete with a glowing fire in the hearth and birds playing outside.

Word has it extra tissue will be placed on the desks of some House members in the coming weeks so they can dry their tears of pain.

It seems a faction of the Republican supermajority just hasn’t gotten a fair hearing – from their own party – on opposition to Gov. Bill Haslam’s IMPROVE Act, which contains a dreaded gas and diesel tax increase to rebuild the state’s roads and bridges. It’s the gas tax versus the surplus, which is pretty big at $1 billion in one-time money and another billion in extra recurring money.

Chattanooga sports fans have long supported their teams with all the energy and excitement that earns them labels like “apathetic,” “frontrunners” and, most damming of all, “non-existent.” 

But for the better part of the last decade, there has been a proud-but-small group of true-to-their-soul, hardcore fans of one very fortunate team.

The most unexpected development during Tennessee’s 2016 football season wasn’t three straight losses in October or the disappearing act at Vanderbilt.

It was the utter collapse of the Vols’ defense.

Bob Shoop is working overtime to make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Angela Cirina Kopet, managing attorney of Carlock, Copeland & Stair’s Chattanooga office, is the recipient of the 2017 Claims and Litigation Management Professional of the Year Award in the Outside Counsel category.

CLM is an insurance industry organization with over 35,000 professionals nationwide in the claims resolution and litigation management industries.

Attorney Zachary Morris has joined Hurst & Cromie to support the firm’s growth in Chattanooga and across the region.

“Clients are drawn to our boutique firm for help navigating commercial transactions, real estate developments and mergers and acquisitions,” says Hurst & Cromie managing member Jamey Hurst. “Zach’s extensive experience serving as in-house counsel for a large local corporation makes him a great fit for our dynamic corporate practice.”

Savannah Clay of Ooltewah is one of seven University of Tennessee Knoxville students recognized for their academic achievement, leadership and service with the university’s highest student honor – the Torchbearer Award.

The students were notified of their selection with surprise visits from Chancellor Beverly Davenport and other UT administrators while in class, in student organization meetings and even in their coach’s office. They will receive a Torchbearer medal during the Chancellor’s Honors Banquet on Wednesday, April 19. The event is the university’s largest recognition event of the year.

Following a community input process held in February to name a new park being built in Alton Park, the City of Chattanooga will name the space Southside Community Park. The park is located at the former Charles A. Bell Elementary School site.

“From the beginning, this project has been driven by community input and wishes. I’m proud of the work we have done and hope it conveys that Alton Park matters to the City of Chattanooga,” says Chattanooga City Councilman Chris Anderson, who represents District 7, home to the park.

Realtors in Chattanooga put down their smart phones and picked up a hammer on April 6-7 to help build a house for Habitat for Humanity in the city’s historic Glass Street neighborhood.

The efforts of the agents were part of the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtor’s annual commitment to assist Habitat through either a fundraising event or hands-on help.

In 2016, the Greater Chattanooga Association of Realtors made a commitment to donate $10,000 annually to Snack Pack, a program started by Realtor Janice Robertson of Crye-Leike.

The colossal effort puts food in the hands of more than 1,000 students a week in 12 Hamilton County schools.

It would be easy to dismiss “Going in Style” as a cinematic trifle. Others have. Common complaints are that it’s light on laughs and plays it safe.

I think it has just enough laughs to earn a passing grade.

One area in which it excels is its cast, with Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Alan Larkin as Joe, Willie and Albert, respectively, who are well into their golden years.

The City Council has approved the final agreement between the Miracle League of Chattanooga and the City of Chattanooga, paving the way for construction to begin on the Miracle Field Sports Complex and Playground at Warner Park.

Chattanooga’s Miracle Field will become one of more than 250 Miracle Fields worldwide that provides those with physical and mental challenges the opportunity to play organized sports, especially baseball, on a specialized surface that is safe for those with mobility issues.

The first quarter of 2017 is in the record books, and it’s been a record setting start to the year.

Home sales continued on an upward pace in March after taking a step backwards in the first month of the year. There were 860 closed sales for the month of March, which moved the first quarter ahead of last year by 4.8 percent.

The fitness levels of many of us tends to wane during the fall and winter seasons, and then a renewed motivation comes each spring as we endeavor to get ourselves beach ready. Similarly, a home endures a variety of harsh elements during the winter months, and springtime is a great opportunity to get it back into shape.

Over time, you will run into various suggestions for investing successfully. Upon closer inspection, however, many of these ideas turn out to be “myths” that could cause you trouble if you treat them as solid advice.

Here are five of these myths, along with some reasons for ignoring them:

Sculptures by four artists now grace the lawn of the Bessie Smith Cultural Center on MLK Boulevard.

The works were selected by a panel of Chattanooga citizens through a competitive request for proposals that called on artists to commemorate the cultural history of the Big 9, now called the Martin Luther King District. The sculptures will be on display through the end of 2018.

Volkswagen Chattanooga and Chattanooga 2.0 have established a new workforce development program called the Volkswagen Neighborhood Talent Pipeline.

The five-week program is offered free of charge to qualified participants. Participants are introduced to the manufacturing process, with the goal of preparing them for careers at Volkswagen Chattanooga.

The South Chickamauga Creek Greenway Alliance will host Earth Day MidTown: Healthy and Green Wednesday, April 19, 2-6 p.m., at the new Family Justice Center, 5705 Uptain Road. The event will feature food, vendors, music and small workshops and will focus on learning about and supporting local, green businesses. The South Chickamauga Creek Greenway Alliance advocates for the protection of the local watershed.