News - Friday, July 27, 2018

Drocella Mugorewera and her husband, Jean Danascene Nkurunziza, had just celebrated their son’s first birthday when the ethnic killings began in their native Rwanda on April 6, 1994. The couple fled to Congo on foot, terrified and confused, with other family members who had been living with them.

Even as a young girl growing up in Chattanooga, there was something about Kirby Waddell Yost that said “lawyer.”

The energetic 32-year-old remembers being told when she was in grade school that she’d be a formidable attorney because she was often quite ardent – even impassioned – about matters she believed in.

Attorneys Matt Brock, David Elliott, Brittany Faith, George Hixson, Tom Horne, Drew Reynolds, Stephanie Rogers and I, together with staff from La Paz, met on July 18 at Our Lady of Perpetual Help to assist those in need and to reach out to the minority community.

On any given weekend, Chattanooga’s many playgrounds, parks and trails are filled with people who are taking advantage of one of the city’s best-loved amenities – its green spaces.

From Coolidge Park to the Chickamauga Greenway, and from Southside Community Park to the Chattanooga Riverwalk, they are some of the finest jewels in Chattanooga’s crown.

Chattanooga Realtor Jay Robinson, founder of the Robinson Team at Keller Williams Realty, has added two agents to his team of real estate professionals. Preston Putnam and Wilder Robinson have joined the Robinson Team as full-time buyer’s specialists.

Foreign buyers continue to see the U.S. real estate market as a safe and secure investment as Realtors experience an ongoing increase in the number of international clients, according to a report from the National Association of Realtors.

NAR’s “2018 Commercial Real Estate International Business Trends report” analyzed cross-border commercial real estate transactions made by Realtors during 2017.

The income and sales volume of National Association of Realtors members dropped slightly over the last year, but membership increased as younger members continue to enter the industry, according to the “2018 National Association of Realtors Member Profile.”

Renovations are underway at Greater Chattanooga Realtors. In a few months, the office will include a spacious member lounge, updated technology and a more convenient layout.

Renovations are expected to wrap up late this year. During the makeover, the association’s office will be open during normal hours – Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m.-5 pm.

From the simple, utilitarian log cabins of frontier lore to modern luxury living, log homes have been part of the Tennessee Valley landscape for more than two centuries.

Today, some have decided to live full time in one of these unique homes and still more are building or renovating log homes for personal vacation homes or rental properties.

Revenge is a dish best served cold. Or, in the case of Robert McCall, aka the Equalizer, fast.

McCall is back in “The Equalizer 2,” as is his stopwatch, which McCall still uses to time himself as he takes out parties of bad men with skilled close-combat efficiency.

July 15, 2018 marked the 10th anniversary of the day civic and government officials gathered with Volkswagen executives to announce the decision to build an automobile assembly facility in Chattanooga.

This decision resulted an initial investment of approximately $1 billion in Chattanooga and the commitment to hire 2,000 team members. Over the past 10 years, this investment has grown to more than $2.3 billion, resulting in 3,500 jobs and the assembly of nearly 800,000 vehicles.

Upon retiring, many people relocate to enjoy a more favorable climate, to be closer to grown children or to live in an area they’ve visited and enjoyed.

If you, too, are thinking of moving someday, you’ll want to study possible locations, but you also need to be aware that where you eventually decide to live can greatly affect your savings and investment strategies – both now and during your retirement.

The Boyd Foundation Dog Park Dash grant program has presented Chattanooga with $25,000 to be used for improvements to the Jack Benson Heritage Park dog park.

The mission of the Boyd Foundation Dog Park Dash program is to make Tennessee the most pet-friendly state in the U.S. by providing dog park grants.

State Sen. Bo Watson (R-Hixson) and Rep. Patsy Hazlewood (R-Signal Mountain) have asked the Tennessee Department of Transportation to move swiftly on the Highway 127 project leading up Signal Mountain.

In a sternly worded letter, the lawmakers asked TDOT Commissioner John Schroer to prioritize the road project due to further deterioration of the road.

The Tennessee Secretary of State’s office, along with the Tennessee Attorney General’s office, is joining the Federal Trade Commission and law enforcement officials and charity regulators from every state in announcing Operation Donate with Honor, a sweeping new donor-education campaign to help donors spot and avoid fundraising solicitations that falsely promise their donations will help veterans and service members.

Going small is big these days. Just scroll through all the tiny-house shows on cable and you’ll see how popular minimalism is. It’s also popular for trailers. Pulling up to a parking spot and having a comfortable, enclosed bed to sleep in is ideal for lots of travelers – especially if they’re using small, lightweight trailers that don’t require a full-size SUV or a heavy-duty pickup truck to pull them along.

SunTrust Foundation has awarded a grant of $10,000 to Siskin Children’s Institute to support its Siskin Testing and Assessment Relief program.

STAR assists families without insurance or those underinsured with expenses associated with the testing and assessments process of children with special needs. The results from the testing can determine a child’s diagnosis and the treatment or interventions that might be needed to help them reach their full potential.

Chickamauga Lake in Dayton has reeled in accolades during the annual fishing events the lake hosts.

In the new issue of Bassmaster Magazine, Chickamauga Lake is named the second-best lake in the U.S. and the top lake in the Southeast.

“This is a big-bass factory,” writes Bassmaster on Chickamauga Lake, touching on the 42-pound winner during Chickamauga Lake’s 2018 The Chick fishing event. While anglers compete to catch the biggest fish of the day, Dayton benefits with approximately $14 million in economic impact.

The DeFoor Family has announced Old Gilman Grill as the newest dining destination in the West Village.

Located on the corner of Pine Street and Eighth Street, Old Gilman Grill offers an upscale dining experience in the heart of downtown Chattanooga. Old Gilman Grill is part of the vision the DeFoor Brothers had to develop a village around the Westin that will draw locals and travelers alike to “eat, shop and stay.”

The first annual American Digger Chattanooga Civil War Show & Sale will be held at Camp Jordan Arena, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Saturday, July 28, and 9 a.m.-3 p.m. on Sunday, July 29. More than 200 tables of Civil War relics, World War I and II items, Native American artifacts, old coins and newspapers, artwork, metal detectors and books will be on display, with many items available for purchase. In addition, buyers will be offering free appraisals of items brought in by the public.