News - Friday, April 24, 2020

As Torrey Feldman began her last semester of law school in January, 2020 lay before her like a crisp set of blueprints.

She would first graduate in May, then prepare for the bar exam, which she would take in July.

After a brief vacation, Feldman would begin working at Baker Donelson in Chattanooga – where she served as a summer associate in 2018 and 2019 – while awaiting the results of the exam.

Baker Donelson has announced firmwide pro bono efforts focused on addressing legal needs created by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

“We’re calling on our attorneys to give back during this unprecedented situation by performing pro bono work to address the many legal issues brought about as this pandemic continues to touch virtually every aspect of life in our communities,” says Samuel Bowman, the firm’s pro bono shareholder.

Ever since the coronavirus pandemic turned homes into shelters, Doug Edrington has noticed people are “staying up late and drinking too much.”

He says this with only half a smile, suggesting he’s not joking.

As the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices J Douglas Properties, Edrington wants to help his team leaders and agents to continue to be productive, so he’s implemented an eight-part plan to focus and fortify their mindset during this season of abnormality.

Last week’s tornadoes reminded us that more and more factors are impacting the way our friends and families live their lives. And these factors are sure to have an impact on the housing market.

Is COVID-19 having an impact on home sales? Of course. To help understand the full extent, we turn to the National Association of Realtors March 2020 Existing Home Sales Report.

As communities in North Georgia and Chattanooga continue to recover after an EF-3 tornado and a band of severe storms ravaged the area, the Home Builders Association of Greater Chattanooga wants to help victims avoid costly mistakes when hiring a contractor to repair their properties.

“Hangry?” asked the mobile website for Rolling J’s Mobile Bistro & Sandwich Shop from the screen of my iPhone. I assumed the question was rhetorical. Why else would I be there?

“There” was along the curb outside Rolling J’s on Riverfront Parkway on a Tuesday afternoon. I had visited the sandwich shop before, but with Chattanooga still under a shelter-in-place order, I was on the outside looking in instead of inside looking at the hand-scribbled menu on the wall behind the cash register.

TDOT contract crews have begun replacing the bridges over and on I-24 near mile marker 183 in Chattanooga. Built in the 1960s, the bridge on Belvoir Avenue and the bridges over Germantown Road will be replaced using both traditional techniques and a process called “accelerated bridge construction.”

A new Mark Making initiative is offering stipends to professional artists to create cards for workers at Erlanger Health System and CHI Memorial. An anonymous donation is funding the project, which is called “Love Notes to Front Liners.”

Nashville and Davidson County Mayor John Cooper, Memphis Mayor Jim Strickland, Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon and Chattanooga Mayor Andy Berke have formed the Tennessee Major Metros Economic Restart Task Force to plan and coordinate the restoration of business activity currently suspended due to COVID-19.

 The coronavirus crisis has unsettled every age group, as we are all worried about our health and that of our families and communities. And if you’re in the millennial generation, generally defined as anyone born between 1981 and 1996, you might also be concerned about your financial future, given the sharp decline in investment prices.

Work seemed stressful for all the normal reasons a month ago. Perhaps your boss had unrealistic expectations, you were making less than you wanted or your co-workers were annoying.

Now, work is stressful for a new set of reasons. You’re worried about losing your job. You’re working from home for the first time. Your business model is shifting due to “The Virus.”

Tens of millions of Americans have filed for unemployment benefits in the past few weeks as the coronavirus pandemic has taken hold in the U.S. and shut down business on a large scale. When people are struggling to keep up with their bills, they often prioritize their basic needs and move their car payment to the bottom of the list.