News - Friday, June 24, 2022

Keller Williams Realtor Angela Pierce was spending time with her extended family when the inevitable happened: Someone mentioned the housing market.

Pierce, 37, enjoys getting together with loved ones and talking about anything but real estate. But as someone who typically says she works “eyes open to eyes shut,” she’s also accustomed impromptu discussions about home sales with clients, friends and “strangers at the grocery store.”

By David Laprad

John McClarty was 4 years old when the dream that would guide his life awakened in him as his father spoke about the lawyer he had hired to handle a car accident case.

Seventy years later, McClarty can still see the respect on his father’s face. “As a kid, I wanted my dad to look at me like that,” he says.

Christie Kizer Burbank is the new senior legal counsel for CHI Memorial.

A graduate of Sewanee and the University of Tennessee College of Law, Burbank has more than 20 years of experience in regulatory, transactional and contract law and has represented a variety of health care providers throughout Tennessee and Georgia, including facilities, physician groups and individual providers.

Chattanooga attorney Nicole Watson will join 44 rural and urban leaders in participating in Leadership Tennessee’s Signature Program.

Watson and the rest of the class will spend the next year engaging in collaborative, non-partisan dialogue on issues of statewide importance.

Pay It Forward celebrated its ninth anniversary June 13 by recognizing the work of Chattanooga State Community College barbering teacher Janaria McIntosh.

Pay It Forward is a neighbor-helping-neighbor feature that airs each Monday at 6 p.m. on WTVC NewsChannel 9.

Growing up, Angela Pierce heard many of the things exasperated parents say to correct the behavior of their children. She learned money does not grow on trees, for example, and that her mother had an extra pair of eyes in the back of her head.

But her parents never asked her if she was born in a barn because, well, she was.

After two years of record-setting activity, there are emerging signs that the national housing market might be cooling. High home prices and a surge in mortgage interest rates are slowing buyer activity, with home sales declining for the third consecutive month under the weight of soaring homeownership costs.

From flooding to tornadoes, Mother Nature’s wicked rages can take a toll on your home. And now, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has predicted an above-normal 2022 Atlantic Hurricane Season.

Even though Chattanooga is not in a hurricane-prone area, we unfortunately have seen tornadoes and severe storms that were the product of hurricanes and tropical storms.

Greater Chattanooga Realtors this spring awarded five $2,500 college scholarships through its Community Scholarship Program.

The association selected the recipients following a review of their application, letter of recommendation, introductory video and academic record.

It seems like only yesterday when Kenny’s Southside Sandwiches opened in the Market Street spot where Porker’s Bar-B-Que served patrons for more than 25 years before closing in 2017.

Always on the hunt for new eateries, I remember it piquing my interest as I drove by. Without knowing anything about the food or staff, I spotted the large shade tree that stood over its patio and thought it looked like the best lunch spot in town.

East Ridge Police Department Lt. Josh Creel has graduated from the FBI National Academy. The academy is a 10-week professional development class for law enforcement executives.

Community Foundation adds four board members

The Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga recently welcomed four new board members: Gene Geiger, Andrea Hardaway, Skip Schwartz and Dr. Le Andrea Ware.

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga is one of 15 stops on the upcoming U.S. tour of the Kyiv City Ballet from Ukraine.

The tour marks the first time the Kyiv City Ballet has performed in the U.S.

The company is scheduled for three performances in the newly renovated Roland Hayes Auditorium in the UTC Fine Arts Center Oct. 5-7.

EPB dedicated 11 new community murals on the second side of its 10th Street substation last week with a ceremony honoring the artists and community partners.

The second set of murals faces Foster Street and highlights the history, heritage and significance of downtown Chattanooga’s Martin Luther King Boulevard area.

Next week, we observe Independence Day, an opportunity to celebrate all the liberties we enjoy in this country. Of course, there are different types of freedoms – such as financial freedom, which can open the doors to many other opportunities. What steps can you take to gain your financial independence?

Health care bills are about to become far less threatening to the financial well-being of millions of Americans.

The three major credit bureaus are erasing most medical debts from people’s credit reports, and the Biden administration is reducing or eliminating medical debt as a factor in government lending decisions.

You never had trouble saying “goodbye.” Goodbye, paycheck! Goodbye to the space in your closet and kitchen, spare change from the couch and the car console! Goodbye, everyone! You won’t be back any time soon because you’re heading for the mall now.

If you’re in the market for a new midsize sedan like a Honda Accord and have the budget for a fully loaded trim, then there’s a good chance you can afford an entry-level luxury sedan. Luxury models typically offer more power, comfort, refinement and, of course, brand-name prestige. Two options to consider this year are the Audi A3 and Volvo S60.