News - Friday, June 28, 2013

Gregory Leitner will lead the newly opened Polsinelli regional office in Chattanooga, Tenn. Polsinelli is a law firm with more than 640 attorneys in 16 cities stretching from Washington, D.C. to Los Angeles. Its local branch will serve national clients in mergers and acquisitions and corporate, corporate finance and real estate matters.

Green Trips is a program of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County/North Georgia Transportation Planning Organization. CARTA and pilot partner employers EPB, TVA, Hamilton County Government, the City of Chattanooga and Ivy Academy on June 20 joined Green Trips in celebrating the program kickoff. Green Trips rewards residents and commuters for reducing single-occupancy vehicle trips in the region by promoting walking, bicycling, carpooling, transit, telecommuting and compressed work weeks as alternatives. Following the press event, individuals joined at greentripscha.org to connect with transportation partners and earn rewards for logging biking, walking, transit, and carpool trips as well as telecommutes and compressed work weeks. (David Laprad)

Like most law firms, there’s no shortage of work to be done at Legal Aid of East Tennessee. In additional to helping their clients with their courtroom battles in common practice areas, LAET has several ongoing projects in which it is involved. From the Erlanger Health Law Partnership, to hosting pro se divorce and health empowerment clinics, to being the primary legal contact in the battle against human trafficking in Chattanooga–among many other efforts–its small staff and pro bono attorneys from the private Bar have their hands full. But that’s not stopping them from identifying new needs and attempting to address them. Charlie McDaniels, pro bono project director at LAET, talks about three new projects in development at the firm.

The thing about life is that you only get to live it once. That fact makes it imperative that you understand how important it is to enjoy the ride. Life is a lot like a roller coaster with ups, downs and unexpected turns. You can choose to enjoy the excitement, or you can spend your days regretting what has happened and dreading what is to come. In the end, all you can do is prepare yourself by making sure your seat belt is securely fastened and make the best of the ride.

Hyundai Hope On Wheels and Chattanooga-area Hyundai dealers last week awarded a $75,000 Hyundai Scholar Grant to the Center for Childhood Cancer and Blood Disorders at T.C. Thompson Children’s Hospital at Erlanger to develop Southeast Tennessee’s first pediatric cancer survivorship clinic. Dr. Jennifer Keates, a pediatric oncologist from Children’s Hospital, is one of 40 recipients of a Hope On Wheels’ 2013 Hyundai Scholar Grant, which supports investigators known as Hyundai Scholars. Hyundai Scholars pursue research and implement clinical programs aimed at improving the lives of children battling pediatric cancer.

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions has elected Chattanooga Public Library Executive Director Corinne Hill to serve in a position on the Governing Board’s Standing Committee for the upcoming 2013-2017 term.

The IFLA represents the interests of library and information services and their users.

BELLAGIO, ITALY – They don’t want you to nap too long in this town. Church bells ring about every seven and a half minutes, starting at 7:30. Chiming and chiding, they seem to say, “You’ve slept long enough.” (Good thing I don’t believe in jet lag. Who needs that third hour of sleep anyway?)

Over the past few months, our country has experienced flooding, tornadoes, wildfires and hurricanes that have left hundreds of thousands of people stranded with nothing but the clothes they were wearing.

I have lived through a house fire–one that incinerated everything my children and I owned. We were at church at the time, so no one was hurt; however, I cannot begin to tell you the magnitude of emotional problems devastation such as that causes a young family.

It’s unreal that we are just six weeks away from the NFL kicking off. OK, preseason, but still. Super Bowl prediction – Broncos over the 49ers in overtime, 41-38. My Cowboys will even make the playoffs but lose to the hated Redskins when RGIII throws a pass to himself for the winning score.

In a few short weeks, Americans everywhere will be celebrating the Fourth of July in all of its sparkling, bang-up glory! That is when the wonderful event on July 4, 1776 occurred (actually signed on July 8th), claiming our independence from England and giving birth to democracy in the United States of America.

In May, both home sales and home prices rose at double digit rates above levels seen in May last year. Sales increased by 11.6 percent and the Median Price by 10.8 percent. May marks the fourth month in a row that home sales and prices have risen higher than the previous month and higher than the same month last year. The data suggests that the housing recovery that began early last year is gaining momentum in 2013.

SIGNiX, a Chattanooga-based digital signature company, celebrated a milestone last week when its technology was used to facilitate the first ever remote, digitally notarized deed in the United States.

An American couple living in France used SIGNiX digital signatures and web conferencing to notarize a property deed in Virginia with the Circuit Court of Alexandria.

Celebrating the Fourth of July is always one of my favorite times. With so many military uncles and a son in my family, our country’s independence holds a special meaning for me. Plus, I have many military friends. My pastor even served and just recently retired from the Army. God bless them all and God bless our country. Below is trivia of different events that have occurred on the Fourth of July – some political, some not. See how well you score! Happy Fourth!

In World War Z, zombies do not lumber, nor do they slowly munch on brains and entrails. Rather, they swarm in great numbers, run like mad to the nearest victim, bite them, and move on.

The movie is much the same way. We meet Gerry Lane, a former investigator for the United Nations, as his children awaken him and his wife, begging for pancakes. Breakfast is eaten, a voice on the TV says something about martial law, and then everyone is in the family car, the kids headed to school and the mom on her way to work. Then – BAM! The world as they know it ends and they’re running for their lives.

Chattanooga’s Kids on the Block recently received a $10,000 grant from the Community Foundation of Greater Chattanooga to help continue a limited number of personal safety educational programs presented to children in the Hamilton County school system free of charge.

Video Games Live featuring the Chattanooga Symphony & Opera will take place July 11 at 7:30 p.m. at Memorial Auditorium. Video Games Live was created by award-winning video game composer Tommy Tallarico. The show spotlights the music players hear when rescuing the princess, winning a boss fight, saving the galaxy from aliens, or defeating the undead, with performances from recent hit games and iconic classics. The multimedia concert features video footage, synchronized lighting, electronic percussion, live action and interactive segments. The event will include a pre-show festival and a post show meet-n-greet. The pre-concert events will begin at 6 p.m. and include a Guitar Hero competition, Video Game Live costume contest and giveaways. (Photo provided)

Dr. Shannon Dawkins, D.V.M., has launched Claws and Paws Mobile Veterinary Services, a mobile basic vet care service.

Dr. Dawkins will make house calls for dogs and cats as well as what are known in the vet business as “exotics” – birds, reptiles, rabbits, chinchillas and even amphibians.