News - Friday, July 7, 2017

It’s a sunny Saturday morning in Bellevue as 10 women register for the required class that will allow them to get Tennessee handgun-carry permits.

Two have never fired a gun before; one has owned a gun for six years and fired it once. Many are taking the class to be better able to protect themselves and their families. More than half of gun owners nationally say protection is a primary reason they own their weapons.

If you ever want to see an example of dueling statistics, try to get a handle on how often guns are used for self-defense.

Representing opposite sides and presenting starkly different conclusions are the Violence Policy Center and the National Rifle Association.

Tennessee’s handgun carry-permit law recognizes citizens’ “right to keep and bear arms for their common defense,” along with the power of the legislature to regulate “the wearing of arms with a view to prevent crime.”

Metro Nashville is used to getting hammered by the Legislature’s Republicans. Nearly every time the Metro Council tries to come up with a solution to growing problems, conservatives in the General Assembly swoop in and save the rest of the state from Music City’s attempts to better handle its success.

Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel has hired Charles Gilbreath II and Catie Karczmarczyk to its labor and employment practice. Both Gilbreath and Karczmarczyk work on state and federal employment matters with employers of all sizes in a variety of industries including transportation, education, service and manufacturing.

When Jake Mauer climbed out of bed on June 9, following an all-night road trip to Montgomery, the morning paper told him that his Chattanooga Lookouts team was in third place in the Southern League East, albeit by the narrowest of margins.

A team that had gradually built up its resume to that of contender, the Lookouts on April 29 were foundering around the bottom of the division with a 10-13 record and were last in the league in home runs.

All it took to win me over at Sip Coffee+Kitchen was one bite of the BLT.

It usually takes more. I’ve rarely formed an opinion about a restaurant before finishing a meal or at least trying another dish. But the new North Chattanooga eatery won me over that quickly.

When it comes to good stories, Realtor Maggie Armstrong is well-stocked.

There’s the one about the time she taught more than 2,000 Santa Clauses how to talk with children while taking their picture with Polaroid’s new instant camera. One of the classes was in Miami, where her Southern dialect didn’t translate well with the Spanish-speaking St. Nicks.

The beginning of July brings “The Beguiled” to theaters. This welcome bit of adult melodrama arrives in the midst of blockbuster season, which has already grown long in the tooth. I appreciate everything about the film except its ending, which feels too easy.

Keller Williams Chattanooga is one of the top-ranked real estate brokerages in the nation, according to the 2017 REAL Trends 500, an independently verified compilation of the nation’s leading residential real estate companies.

Ranking above all other firms in town for the second year in a row, KW Chattanooga ranked 94th in number of transaction sides closed and 184th in volume sold across all of America.

The Torgerson Team at Keller Williams Realty is sponsoring its first Back-to-School Supply Drive.

For the month of July, The Torgerson Team will be collecting donations of school supplies on students’ and teachers’ wish lists.

Desired items include sticky notes, EXPO markers, dry erase board cleaner, Kleenex, highlighters, pens, Clorox and Lysol wipes, paper, hand sanitizer, binder clips, pencils, Sharpie pens and paper clips. These supplies will be distributed to local teachers and students in time for the new school year.

The folks at Pro Football Focus recently ranked the Tennessee Titans’ roster No. 3.

Not third in the AFC South. Third in the entire NFL.

This means one of two things: Either Pro Football Focus has gotten hold of some bad videotape or the Titans finally have some really good players.

Chattanooga p?olice officers, civilian employees, community members and partner agencies were recognized last week at the Chattanooga Police Department Annual Awards Ceremony? held at Calvary Chapel.

Each year the Chattanooga Police Department honors officers and civilians who have performed an exceptional act or served in an exceptional manner.

Darius Jermaine Blakemore of Chattanooga pleaded guilty on June 28 to conspiracy to distribute heroin resulting in death, distribution of heroin resulting in death, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession with intent to distribute crack and possession with intent to distribute heroin.

Leaders from Amazon’s Chattanooga and Charleston fulfillment centers surprised the Chattanooga Area Food Bank last week with a $10,000 donation to support its mission to end hunger for all in the region. Since 2016, Amazon’s local fulfillment centers have donated more than 187,000 pounds of food to the Chattanooga Area Food Bank, which equates to 156,000 meals provided to families in need.

During the summer vacation months, many families toy with the idea of owning or renting a beachfront condo or home. If you’re considering a second home or vacation rental this year, there are a number of options to consider within a short drive of Chattanooga.

Water is one of the world’s most valuable resources, which means we all need to be good stewards and find ways to use it more wisely. But a small household water leak can add up to more 10,000 gallons of water waste per family each year.

You could invest in a high-tech irrigation system or replace your toilets and shower heads with super-low-flow models. But there are plenty of less costly, relatively simple steps that will make a noticeable difference in how much water you use.

Next week, the 2017 Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be held in Marlins Park in Miami. If you’re a baseball fan, you may tune in to admire the skills and grace of the players. And if you’re an investor, you can learn some valuable lessons from the All Stars, including these:

The Chattanooga Zoo will host its annual Q & Brew at the Zoo event on Saturday, July 15, 6-10 p.m. Tickets include zoo admission during the event, a signature Q & Brew cup, two complimentary beverage tickets, animal encounters, live music by Matt Downer, Slim Pickins Band and Mountain Cove Band, the opportunity to purchase dinner plates from vendors, and games. Money raised during the event will go to support the Chattanooga Zoo and its animals. Information, tickets: www.chattzoo.org/fundraiser/q-n-brew.