News - Friday, June 8, 2012

Gail Elsea had to let the cat out of the bag early. She had nominated her boss, Unum Group employment attorney Angela Ripper, for the Judge W. Neil Thomas III Paralegal Utilization Award, and Ripper had won. But there was a problem: The Southeast chapter of the Tennessee Paralegal Association, which gives out the award, was scheduled to announce Ripper as this year’s recipient during the Chattanooga Bar Association’s Law Day celebration, and Ripper spends her lunch hour working out in the company gym.

Legal Aid of East Tennessee has received a grant from the Benwood Foundation in excess of $100,000 to help support the Erlanger Health Law Partnership. This is the largest private donation received by LAET in Chattanooga. Co-sponsored by LAET and Erlanger Health System, the partnership puts a full-time LAET attorney on-site to assist patients at Erlanger Hospital and the Children’s Hospital at Erlanger with legal problems, particularly legal problems that will create a more positive effect on the patient’s medical outcomes. Pictured: Emily Lay, the attorney providing patients at Erlanger with legal assistance. (David Laprad)

Saturday, June 9

Ben Landress, city manager for Martin Theaters, announced Friday that Brainerd Theater will be remodeled and re-equipped at a cost of $125,00 to $150,000 to exhibit the new type of motion picture – Cinerama.

Dr. Luther Joe Thompson, pastor of the First Baptist Church, has returned from San Francisco where he attended the annual meeting of the Southern Baptist Convention. He served as guest preacher in a revival meeting at the Bristol Street Baptist Church in Santa Ana, Calif., the week prior to the convention.

The digital message signs near exit 2 on I-75 in Chattanooga displayed a sobering message May 1: “TN ROADWAY FATALITIES THIS YEAR: 317.”

By May 4, the number had increased to 331.

After record-setting reductions in the number of highway fatalities in Tennessee, the state is seeing a dramatic increase in crash deaths in 2012. Reports show 288 people died on Tennessee roadways from January 1 through April 27. During the same period last year, there were 27 fewer crash fatalities across the state.

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security on June 4 opened a new driver service center in Chattanooga. The Northgate Park Driver Service Center offers reinstatement services only. It is the only location in southeast Tennessee where citizens may reinstate driver licenses that have been suspended or revoked.

June 8

In the mood for alternative neo-Celtic folk?

Four Shillings Short will perform traditional Irish tunes and airs, Indian ragas, folk ballads, medieval and renaissance instrumentals and acappella numbers as well as contemporary folk and original compositions at the downtown branch of the Chattanooga Public Library from 2 to 3 p.m. Their sound has been described as “wondrously diverse,” “truly refreshing” and “alternative neo-Celtic folk of the first order.”

Boutique wealth management firm Acumen Wealth Advisors has launched in Chattanooga with a plan to use an “innovative, holistic planning process” to engage each client’s CPA, attorney and other advisors to ensure the execution of the best possible plan, says a company representative.

Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development Commissioner Bill Hagerty on May 25 met with “42” Executive Producer Dick Cook on the set of “42” in Chattanooga.

The feature film is based on the story of baseball great Jackie Robinson. Written and directed by Academy Award winner Brian Helgeland, the film stars Chadwick Boseman as Robinson, the heroic African American who was the first man to break the color line in the big leagues and whose uniform number, 42, is the only one Major League Baseball has retired.

Harriet Tubman Development/CHA v. Reginald Locklin

Case Number: E2011-01068-COA-R3-CV

Authoring Judge: Judge Charles D. Susano, Jr.

Originating Judge: Judge W. Neil Thomas, III

Date Filed: Thursday, May 31, 2012

The Chattanooga Housing Authority (“CHA”) evicted its tenant, Reginald Locklin (“the Tenant”), after two of his sons were involved in an incident with neighbors. The eviction was accomplished by order of the trial court giving CHA possession of the property. The Tenant appeals arguing that CHA, which is a public housing authority (“PHA”), made the decision to evict him and his family arbitrarily and without due process. We affirm.

I was at the firm’s summer picnic yesterday – a reasonable justification for dressing down. It’s hot in the summer in my part of the country, but I had a board meeting at 8 a.m., clients coming to the office at 11 a.m., and a retirement party for a long-time Urban League employee at 4 p.m. A suit was appropriate for all of those meetings. So, getting dressed in the morning, I tried to figure out the best attire for varied commitments. I chose a seersucker suit, acceptable for summer board and client meetings, yet light enough to be tolerable at a picnic. On my way out the door, my wife suggested adding a straw hat. That seemed to be the perfect addition for a picnic, although walking up to the pavilion, I felt a little like Tom Wolfe, and one of my partners mentioned Jay Gatsby.

About a week ago, it was announced that the University of Arkansas would only serve Pepsi products at football games.  My favorite online response to all of this was one in which a fan asked, “So now I have to sneak my Coke in along with my whiskey?” While I would never promote or condone the sneaking of contraband into a football game, I thought the response succinctly tapped into the attitude of most folks when it comes to Pepsi products. Is it ok? Not really.

In a unanimous opinion, the Tennessee Supreme Court set aside the 2010 convictions of Guy Alvin Williamson of Tipton County for the felonious possession of a handgun and the unlawful possession of a handgun while under the influence of alcohol.

On May 31, 2009, an anonymous 911 caller reported an “armed party” at the Baxter Motel in Covington. The unidentified caller did not mention any particular illegal activity or otherwise identify or describe a suspect. The police arrived at the scene in less than a minute; one officer drew his weapon, pointing it toward a second floor exterior corridor where Williamson and two other men stood. After frisking one of the individuals and finding nothing, police conducted a “pat down” search of Williamson, which yielded an inoperable .22 pistol. After determining that Williamson had been drinking and had a prior felony conviction, officers charged him on the two felony counts. Later, Williamson was tried and convicted. The Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed the convictions.

As organizations create increasing amounts of digital data, electronic discovery costs for lawyers can skyrocket. For firms with limited technology budgets, or cases with small amounts of electronically stored information, e-discovery can be challenging. “Electronic Discovery for Small Cases” offers effective, budget-friendly solutions for collecting, viewing and analyzing electronic evidence that will benefit any litigator, says a representative of the American Bar Association.

Chaos is a friend of mine. – Bob Dylan

Another APA Super Convention is drawing near. They are always excellent, thanks to the long hours put in by the great staff of the APA. This year, we meet in the Capital City, and as usual, it promises to be great.

I figure if I had been born 25 or 30 years later, I could own a high school and whatever assets a few of my teachers had. Although, I guess the teachers in question wouldn’t even try to discipline their students the same way they did back then. By the way, those teachers in question were some of the best teachers I ever had, even if I didn’t realize it at the time.

June is a month that has its fair share of celebrations, and with its midway location in the calendar, it has become a month that seems to have something for everyone. For centuries, June has been associated with weddings and the uniting of couples for a lifetime. It is also a month that contains numerous other celebrations beside just tying-the-knot for a lifetime. They include things like celebrating Tennessee becoming the 16th state in 1796, National Adopt-A-Cat Month, National Ice Tea Month, National Drive Safe Month, Turkey Lovers Month, National Accordion Awareness Month, National Fresh Fruit and Vegetable Month, National Candy Month, National Rose Month, National Tennis Month and National Frozen Yogurt Month.

Viewer mail continues at a record pace. I love it! Phil Newman wrote, “Enjoyed your ‘Check please’ column in the Nashville Ledger, but would submit that you left out one of the most famous usages of the phrase. In “Dumb & Dumber,” after Harry and Lloyd kill the bad guy accidentally by slipping peppers into his burger, Jim Carrey raises his head from the chest of the bad guy and says, ‘Check, please!’ Perfect line and timing.”

Once a year, Christian music fans from across Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama and North Carolina descend on Chattanooga for JFEST, one of the largest festivals of its kind in the Tennessee Valley. Since 1999, the family friendly event has attracted some of the biggest names in contemporary Christian music to Camp Jordan. This year’s JFEST, which took place June 2, was no different, as Kutless, Building 429, Sidewalk Prophets and other popular groups delivered energetic sets before thousands of enthusiastic festival goers.

We live on a golf course smack dab in middle of the city that we share with various urban critters: ducks and swans, squirrels and coons, rabbits and rats, bats and coyotes. In the past, some of them have tried to share our house with us, which just doesn’t work. Recently, we have had coons in the attic. I have learned a lot about coons and other creatures. How much do you know?

I started out having trouble deciding on something to write about that would be halfway entertaining and, of course, yummy – then it happened. I got up and ate a piece of Almond pound cake with Vanilla Ice Cream and Chocolate sauce. NOW I am ready to write!

Realtor Jana Machaskee is used to working without a safety net, so running a household on pure commission doesn’t bother her. In fact, being in a do-or-die situation appears to bring out her best.

Machaskee showed resilience and resolve early in life when she became pregnant and then the father of her child passed away before their daughter was born. Alone, but with the support of her family and the family of her child’s father behind her, Machaskee took care of her daughter, waited tables through college and graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a bachelor’s degree in psychology. At times, she held down three jobs to make ends meet.

The board of Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area has appointed Donna Williams as the executive director of the organization.

“Donna brings a wide variety of experience in marketing, sales, planning and real estate to her new role with Habitat,” says Linda Mines, president of the board of the local Habitat.

Saturday, June 8

Mr. and Mrs. Herman Ferger were hosts to a beautifully appointed dinner at the Patten Hotel in honor of Bishop and Mrs. W.F. Anderson, who are leaving Chattanooga to make their home in Cincinnati, Ohio. Thirty guests were invited to the dinner.

The main office of Blood Assurance last week lit up the evening sky with ruby red lights in celebration of 40 years of service. Since 1972, more than 1,000,000 blood components have been given by local donors and processed by the regional blood center.

TAC Air, a local fixed base operator, hosted the Mooney Aircraft Pilots Association June 1 through 3. Mooneys are high performance single engine airplanes with a loyal following. Albert and Arthur Mooney started the Mooney Aircraft Corporation in 1929. All Mooney aircraft have the signature vertical stabilizer with its vertical leading edge and swept trailing edge, which gives the illusion of being forward-swept. About 30 Mooney aircraft from around the country descended into Chattanooga, where pilots and owners participated in a Safety Foundation Pilot Proficient Program. TAC Air General Manager Pamela McAllister said the association chose Chattanooga for its strategic location and its fully operational airport tower, which allows for comprehensive training. Pictured: Master Instructor Charles Ebbecke of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla., next to an Ovation model Mooney owned by a local businessman. (David Laprad)

What is the most important asset you own?  Is it that wonderful home you live in?  Is it the beautiful car that you drive to and from your listing appointments?  Is it your investment account of stocks?

We spend so much time investing in money and the tangible things we are trying to acquire in life that we fail to recognize the most important asset we own.  Your most important asset is not your money . . . it’s you.

Snow White is all the rage. She’s on Sunday nights on ABC in “Once Upon a Time,” she was in the movie “Mirror Mirror” earlier this year and now she’s in “Snow White and the Huntsman,” a new feature film. I’m not sure who tracks what audiences will like and then tells entertainment companies what to make, but if more than one person fills this role, they need to start comparing notes.

From CNN, June 3, 2012: The man is strapped onto a gurney and restrained, yet he is singing, making faces and twitching.

“You know where you’re at?” a paramedic asks him, but Freddy Sharp can’t answer. He was, he explained later, off in his own world after overdosing on synthetic drugs known as “bath salts.”