News - Friday, August 13, 2021

Margie Quin recalls the breakthrough with a bit of wonder lingering as she shared the memory: A handful of special agents listening intently to a newly rescued sex trafficking survivor who had just turned 18.

She was laying out the details of the murky world of code words and nuance that veil the encounter of a trafficking victim and a customer intent on having sex with a girl barely out of childhood.

This is the second installment in a series of articles exploring the storylines and themes of films in which the U.S. system of justice plays a central role. In this entry, lawyers Steven Moore and Hugh Moore discuss “To Kill a Mockingbird” and its reflection on the character of criminal defense attorneys. Spoilers for the film are included.

The Chattanooga-based law firm of Summers, Rufolo and Rodgers has made a $5 million donation to the University of Tennessee College of Law.

The gift will support the Center for Advocacy and Dispute Resolution, the Legal Clinic, the Douglas Blaze Professorship and scholarships for students interested in pursuing legal careers in advocacy.

The start of the new school year brings the return of Snack Pack Ministry, an all-volunteer program that provides nourishing groceries to food insecure students in local schools. After weathering the pandemic uninterrupted during the 2020-21 school year, snack packers returned to East Brainerd Church of Christ last week to fill 6,500 bags. The bags will serve 2,010 students at 19 schools for three and a-half weeks, says program lead Janice Roberson, a Realtor with Real Estate Partners. Roberson says the program needs about $102,000 in additional donations to purchase enough groceries for the 2021-22 school year. Donations are accepted at eastbrainerdchurch.org/give. To volunteer as a snack packer, call Roberson at 423 595-1093. Pictured are Roberson, right, and Snack Pack volunteer Anita Kapperman.

Right after the eviction moratorium was set to expire July 31, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a new eviction moratorium Aug. 3. This means tenants can stay in their homes, and everyone is happy, right?

Not so fast.

In an article in The Tennessean, Cassandra Stephenson reports that “Judges and legal experts say [the new eviction moratorium] likely does not apply in Tennessee, despite nearly all of the state’s counties meeting the order’s ‘substantial or high’ COVID-19 transmission rate requirements.”

With nearly 38% of Hamilton County’s 367,000-plus residents being 50 and older, new home designs continue to evolve in response to their changing consumer preferences.

In the 55-plus market, the floor plan life cycle is shorter than ever, influenced by increasingly savvy homebuyers who are of the age where “I want what I want” is nonnegotiable.

If Stephanie Hays ever travels to Las Vegas, she’ll probably stay in an Airbnb, as she’s done in dozens of countries.

This will come as a relief to the hotels there, which would likely prefer Hays steer clear of their casinos given her propensity for beating incredible odds.

The Tennessee Human Rights board of commissioners has reelected Robin Derryberry of Derryberry Public Relations in Chattanooga as chair. The board announced the reelection at its July 2021 meeting, which was the first in-person meeting since January 2020.

If you’ve heard of 529 plans, you might think they can only be used to help pay for college. And you wouldn’t be alone: Less than one-third of adults properly identified that a 529 plan can be used for more than just higher education, a survey by Morning Consult and Edward Jones finds. But what are these other expenses?

Job applicants have many social rules that are necessary to increase their chances of being taken seriously as a candidate. On the flip side, there also are rules companies should follow when interviewing candidates. These give the company the best chances of attracting the best candidates.

Buying a hybrid vehicle is typically a smart way to help save money on gas and reduce your carbon footprint compared to a conventional gasoline-only vehicle.

Not long ago, your shopping choices were largely limited to hybrid hatchbacks and sedans, but the hybrid SUV market has expanded considerably the past few years. The latest hybrid SUVs can get impressive fuel economy while providing plenty of cargo space, a higher ride height, available all-wheel drive and cutting-edge technology features.

Taylor Lewan doesn’t come off as the sentimental type.

The Tennessee Titans left tackle mostly comes as advertised, whether it’s his collection of tattoos, his penchant for playing through and, occasionally, past the echo of the whistle or just his outgoing personality.

Taylor Lewan isn’t the only key Titan player coming off an injury to make his way back onto the practice field in this training camp.

Two vital additions on defense, who began camp on the injured list, are back and now being eased back into practice.

Yes, it is preseason, but let’s look at four things to watch for when the Titans open with the Atlanta Falcons Friday in the Mercedes-Benz Dome. It will be interesting to see how the playing time is divvied up now with the preseason reduced from four games to three.