News - Friday, July 17, 2020

Even though the COVID-19 pandemic is far from over, themes have emerged: resilience, flexibility, initiative. And in those early days in March and April, housecleaning, so much housecleaning.

So what to do with that third set of silverware that never got used, or the boxes of toddler clothes that belonged to the high-school senior ready for college? Or the sofa that finally was liberated from the junk room and hauled to the driveway?

As the Chattanooga Bar Association continues to adjust to the realities of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is now planning to hold a portion of its annual Law Day event virtually from the Tennessee State Capitol.

Scheduled to be held Tuesday, Aug. 18, the live event will honor the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which guarantees all American women the right to vote.

In the wake of canceling the July 28-29 Uniform Bar Exam last week, the Tennessee Supreme Court this week ordered the cancellation of the Uniform Bar Examination in Tennessee scheduled for Sept. 30-Oct. 1, citing the current trajectory of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The American Immigration Lawyers Association has appointed Chattanooga immigration attorney Martin Lester to a second term as chair of the military committee.

In this position, Lester leads the AILA’s Military Assistance Program, a nationwide pro bono service of more than 600 volunteer attorneys that provide free immigration law assistance to members of the Armed Forces and recent veterans.

The Tennessee Supreme Court is requiring all persons entering a courthouse for the purpose of court-related business to wear a face covering over the nose and mouth. The face covering must be worn at all times while in the building.

Chief Justice Jeff Bivins first issued an order declaring a judicial emergency in the state March 13. The court has extended the emergency multiple times through additional orders.

In a bit about a trip to the ER, comedian Brian Regan muses that breaking one’s femur is the most intense pain a person can experience, save giving birth. Regan then suggests giving birth with a broken femur must be hell.

Realtor David Turner can at least confirm that fracturing one’s femur is no cakewalk. While taking photos of a new construction listing in June, he stepped back into an uncovered vent, snagged his right foot, fell, twisted and broke the largest bone in his body.

While much of the country was working on a phased reopening of the economy in June, real estate activity continued to strengthen. Nationally, June showing activity was up considerably from the COVID-19 depressed levels in recent months. It also increased compared to June 2019, reflecting pent-up demand by prospective homebuyers.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold this year, a place to call home has taken on new meaning for Chattanooga-area residents. Living spaces have evolved into offices, schools and playgrounds, and many are looking at their own homes in a much different way.

Realtor Paula McDaniel of Real Estate Partners Chattanooga has completed The Institute for Luxury Home Marketing’s Certified Luxury Home Marketing Specialist training. McDaniel says the program equipped her with knowledge and tools that will enable her to better serve her clients in the upper-tier market. A Realtor since 1990, McDaniel focuses on luxury, waterfront, mountain brow and investment properties, as well as new construction, new development, land, condominiums and townhomes. Other designations McDaniel holds include ABR, CRS, e-pro and GRI. Contact McDaniel at 423 355-0311, 423 362-8333 or Paula@PaulaMcDaniel.com.

School districts and parents across the country face a looming and vexing question: What to do about reopening for the 2020-21 academic year.

Looming, because for some districts the assumed start date is just a couple of weeks away. Vexing, because of the still present – and in some places growing – threat of the coronavirus.

When Hamilton County Schools open in August, parents who are not comfortable with sending their children to school in person will be able to take advantage of a new option called HCS at Home.

The new program will allow children to connect to the school in which they are enrolled but learn from home. Teachers familiar to the family will connect with the child enrolled in HCS at Home electronically with video lessons and Zoom discussions to keep each child moving forward.

R. Kirk Walker Jr., retired headmaster of McCallie School and former Girls Preparatory School trustee, will serve as interim head of GPS for the 2020-21 school year.

Walker’s nameplate has graced the headmaster’s door at several schools, including Bright School and McCallie School in Chattanooga and Ensworth School in Nashville.

If you were to inherit a large sum of money, what would you do with it?

The question might not be hypothetical, especially if you are in the millennial, Gen X or Gen Z demographic groups. That’s because the baby boomers – often referred to as the richest generation in history – are poised to transfer some $30 trillion in assets over the next few decades, the consulting firm Accenture reports.

For more than 25 years, thousands of people who might not have been able to visit the Tennessee Aquarium in person have still experienced moments of connection with nature thanks to Bill “Mr. Bill” Haley.

Haley has been a fixture of the Aquarium since it opened May 1, 1992, when he was one of its first group of volunteer docents. That November, he was hired as a full-time educator.

The Hamilton County Register of Deeds reports increases in all real estate transaction areas during fiscal 2019.

Marc Gravitt, Hamilton County register of deeds, says, “Despite facing the COVID-19 pandemic, job furloughs and the downturn in the stock market, the Hamilton County real estate market remains very strong.”

The local chapter of the Better Business Bureau honored the Robinson Team at Keller Williams Greater Downtown Realty with a 2020 Torch Award for Marketplace Ethics.

The Torch Awards for Ethics recognize companies that display “an outstanding level of ethics and integrity in all of their business dealings,” indicates the BBB website (www.bbb.org).

The non-profit Accelerator for America has awarded the City of Chattanooga a $50,000 grant to provide financial assistance to Latinx residents during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Building on the Angeleno Card financial relief program for Los Angeles residents, Accelerator for America will help 10 additional U.S. communities establish similar programs, including Chattanooga.

Bethlehem Center will host a Food Drive on Friday, July 31, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., at Christ United Methodist Church, 8645 E. Brainerd Road. Donations will help underserved youth and families in South Chattanooga.

Bethlehem Center will accept granola bars, crackers, chips, canned tuna, pasta, goldfish, fruit cups and fruit snacks, as well as paper bags and variety storage bags.

Used cars have historically been a smart alternative for those in need of transportation during an economic downturn. They don’t depreciate as much as new cars and are less likely to overburden a buyer with a large loan at a time of uncertainty.

A reader recently reached out after his elderly mother died asking how soon he could distribute the $10,000 she had earmarked in her will for each of her two grandchildren.

Because she lived in California, I had to break the bad news: He won’t be able to hand over the money any time soon.

Thanks to quick online applications and, in some cases, instant approval, credit cards make it as easy to build your credit history as it is to make purchases. But they can also make it easy to fall into debt if you struggle to pay on time or tend to spend more than you have.