News - Friday, June 14, 2019

A “trainer of bodies and souls” is this year’s recipient of the Chattanooga Bar Association’s Liberty Bell Award. Darrell Wyke, a minster who mentors youth and advocates for the homeless, received the award during the bar association’s annual Law Day luncheon June 5.

The Chattanooga Bar Association hosted its annual Law Day luncheon June 5 in the Silver Ballroom at The Read House.

Guest speaker Jerry Mitchell, an investigative reporter whose work led to the prosecution of unpunished murders from the Civil Rights era, focused on the cornerstones of representative government – free speech, free press and free society – and called on his listeners to understand and protect these rights.

The headline on the Inman Real Estate News website reads like a declaration of war: “Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate goes capped, taking on KW”

The article reveals a less explosive truth: BHG Real Estate is offering franchisees a capped fee model that allows them to pay a royalty fee capped at a fixed amount per sales associate annually. The company rolled out the option after testing it in 2018 and seeing growth in terms of franchise sales and agent count, the article states.

At this point in the year, we’re getting a good sense for how the housing market is likely to perform for the foreseeable future. Although it’s not a particularly exciting forecast, it is a desirable one, as markets across the country are regulating toward a middle ground between buyers and sellers.

With so many diverse rural and suburban communities spread throughout the Greater Chattanooga area, house hunting can be a challenge.

Driving through neighborhoods and asking friends and family for recommendations used to be customary ways to find a new home, but today searching for houses online has become the new standard.

No one likes a tax increase, but they are sometimes necessary, says Doug Fisher, executive officer of the Home Builders Association of Greater Chattanooga.

Such is the case with the 2020 Hamilton County budget proposed by School Superintendent Bryan Johnson, Sheriff Jim Hammonds and Mayor Jim Coppinger, which includes a $34 million tax increase for public education.

So, is it pronounced Nash-ville, or Nash-vul? Should Maryville be referred to as Murvil, Marvull or Mehrvul?

And do the good folks of Santa Fe, Tennessee, really think of themselves as living in Santa Fee?

I can no longer trust my instincts in these matters, even when it comes to places in my home state, Mississippi. Both it and Tennessee, it appears, are minefields for verbal gaffes.

Mothers nurture, protect and love their children in the hopes of seeing them become happy, productive adults. It’s in their programming. The science fiction gem, “I Am Mother,” asks what kind of mom a robot would make.

A pretty good one, if you go by the first 30 minutes of the movie, which is set in an underground bunker after an extinction event wipes out humanity. A signpost on the moon could literally say, “Earth ahead. Pop: 1.”

Are we there yet? Not exactly, as the question relates to Williamson County Republican Rep. Glen Casada’s resignation as Tennessee House Speaker.

For the record, Casada has resigned the speakership, effective at 8 a.m. Friday, Aug. 2 – the day after Metro Nashville votes for a mayor, vice mayor and Metro Council members. When he announced the Aug. 2 exit date, Casada also asked Gov. Bill Lee to hold a special session of the legislature that same day for lawmakers to choose a new speaker.

Signal Mountain is standing taller than usual after the Tennessee Municipal League presented the city with an award for Small Town Progress.

Each year the league honors cities throughout the state for overall excellence, improvement, outstanding programs or department accomplishments.

If you’re a dad, you might be pleased to unwrap some tools as Father’s Day gifts. Of course, it might be a stereotype that all men are handy at repairs; women certainly can be every bit as good when it comes to building and fixing things.

The University of Tennessee board of trustees will be considering a record fifth year of tuition increases when it meets June 21.

The proposed increases range from 2 to 2.5%, which are within the 2.5% maximum set by the Tennessee Higher Education Commission.

Alnoor and Gina Dhanani will co-chair Siskin Children’s Institute StarNight 2019 gala. Alnoor is the president and CEO and Gina is COO of The Double Cola Company. Their youngest daughter attended the Siskin Early Learning Center for several years. StarNight will be held Saturday, Aug. 24, at the Chattanooga Convention Center. Tickets

Sculpture Fields has broken ground for the construction of restrooms with funding from the City of Chattanooga. The new facility will have two bathrooms, a water fountain, an information board and a small covered pavilion.

Sculpture Fields has hosted several free events, including a three-story sculpture burn, a collection of more than 50 sculptures and unique landscaping to display the art.

Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office personnel tolerated periodic rain as it hosted over 150 people during the first Fishing with a Deputy event June 8 at Chester Frost Park. During the event, local community children and teenagers fished for free while spending time with HCSO deputies and civilian staff. Many of the youth at the event were fishing for the first time.

The Chattanooga Mocs’ women’s soccer team will host nine matches this season and take on a pair of SEC foes in an 18-game schedule.

Head coach Gavin McKinney says the challenging non-conference schedule will prepare the team for Southern Conference play. “We’re confident going into 2019 as we return a group of players who have taken the program forward over the past several years,” he says. “Along with our returning group, we have a lot of fantastic additions to the squad. We’re excited about seeing how they come together on and off the pitch.”

The world was watching a grainy TV signal July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the moon, declaring, “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.”

Audiences can relive one of humanity’s greatest achievements when “Apollo 11: First Steps Edition” launches at the Tennessee Aquarium IMAX Theater on Friday, June 14. The film is a giant-screen version of Todd Douglas Miller’s acclaimed theatrical documentary, “Apollo 11.”

The 32nd annual Spring Garden Tour will take place Saturday, June 15, 10 a.m.-6 p.m., and Sunday, June 16, 1-6 p.m. Tickets can be purchased on the day of the event at any of the gardens on the tour. Proceeds from the Spring Garden Tour benefit educational and scholarship programs sponsored by the Chattanooga Area Food Bank and the Master Gardeners of Hamilton County. Information. This year’s tour features two public educational gardens and four private gardens:

Researchers tell us most people would be better off waiting to claim Social Security benefits. Yet most people file early.

More than half apply for Social Security before they reach full retirement age, which is currently 66 and rising to 67 for people born in 1960 and later. More than 30% apply as soon as they can – at age 62.

Model year 2019 marks the end of the line for some notable Ford and General Motors sedans. As a result, dealers will be slashing prices to try to move these discontinued models out of their inventory.

Savvy consumers can take advantage and get one of these overlooked cars at significant savings. Going with a discontinued vehicle allows more wiggle room for negotiation, especially if a particular car has been on the dealer lot longer than average. You’re also more likely to see incentives or special offers as dealers try to unload their inventory.