News - Friday, June 25, 2021

As more people receive the COVID-19 vaccine and the pandemic continues to ease, people are no longer asking “How long will this last?” but “What comes next?”

Fears that dense urban cores played a large role in spreading the virus led some prognosticators to declare the death of city centers, which they claimed would empty out as companies abandoned their offices and established permanent virtual workspaces that connected employees online.

Few law firm associates would say being an attorney is easy. From grasping the vastness of the law to spending long days elbow-deep in grunt work to tackling the demands of partners, fledgling lawyers carry a heavy load.

But no new attorney who worked as a summer associate with a law firm that offered a taste of what being a legal practitioner is like can say they went in cold.

Fresh from his final year of graduate school, Sam Berry has joined Rise Partners in Chattanooga as a senior development manager.

A Chattanooga native, Berry graduated from McCallie School and then attended Auburn University, where he earned a degree in building construction.

Each June, Greater Chattanooga Realtors joins other associations around the country to celebrate homeownership by showcasing individual homeowners, government officials and various programs that protect and promote the American Dream of homeownership.

Many homeowners are rethinking their space after spending so much time at home in the past year. The pandemic shifted activities that typically take place outside our homes, such as work and school, into our living spaces.

Designs this year reflect changing preferences and lifestyles while at home. New home designs will likely include stronger connections to the outdoor elements, more creative use of spaces and natural design elements.

Now that we’ve gained at least some space from the COVID-19 pandemic, summer travel is heating up. But while you might be eager to hit the road, you won’t want your investments to take a vacation. You need them to work hard for you consistently. But how can you make this happen?

If you have a high-deductible health insurance plan, a health savings account can help you pay your medical bills. But HSAs have hidden superpowers that make them a great way for some people to create a tax-free pot of money for retirement or other long-term goals.

Indeed.com hosted Indeed Interactive recently with one very notable difference: It was held online. Conference attendees talked about employment during the last year, and it mirrored many of our experiences.

Pawel Adrjan and Daniel Culbertson, Indeed’s labor economists, gave their predictions for the future of work, focusing on work from home.

More than 500 Volkswagen Chattanooga production employees volunteered with local nonprofits during the plant’s temporary production suspension.

Due to the ongoing global semiconductor shortage, Volkswagen Chattanooga suspended production during the weeks of June 7 and 14. Regular production resumed June 21.

The Chattanooga Police Department has launched a virtual ride along program in the hopes of increasing its connections to the community and becoming more inclusive.

The CPD Virtual Ride Along program is a creation of Sydney Hamon, an officer with the department since 2019. Hamon came up with the idea for the program during her rookie year after noticing social media friends were spending a lot of time talking at each other but not listening to one another.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is providing the city of Chattanooga with $500,000 to clean up contaminated brownfield sites, property in which the expansion, redevelopment or reuse might be complicated by the presence or potential presence of a hazardous substance, pollutant or contaminant.

The public art mural on one of the walls surrounding EPB’s 10th Street substation is complete.

Drawing inspiration from Chattanooga’s MLK district, artists visualized “the heartbeat and soul of MLK in arts, music and culture.” A group of community stakeholders then selected the nine artists based on their work’s artistic value, clarity of thought, community reflection and relevance to the theme.

Navigating through a thicket of branches while clambering across slick boulders in a rushing mountain stream is a difficult task at the best of times. Doing so while attempting to balance 40-pound buckets of water filled with imperiled fish takes the challenge to a new level.

There are a number of design choices to consider when you’re shopping for a full-size pickup truck. Some are common elements such as bed length, cab size, engine and trim level. But there’s a less-known purchase decision that’s also important if you plan on towing with your truck: Axle ratio.

Should you take money advice from a stranger on the internet? In Reddit’s r/personalfinance channel, anonymous users exchange tips on buying homes, choosing insurance plans and managing very personal, nuanced money situations. (Think: “How do I handle my dying dad’s debts?”)

The little hairs rose on the back of your neck.

That’s how you knew something was wrong. You sensed it before you knew it, felt it before you saw it when the hairs rose and your gut felt like gelatin.

Did you listen to what your body was telling you or should you read “The Power of Awareness” by Dan Schilling to know what to do next time?

Tennessee American Water has named Doug Wagner vice president of operations. Wagner will manage the teams responsible for the daily operations in the Chattanooga and Sequatchie Valley Districts.

Wagner reports to Grant Evitts, president of Tennessee American Water.