News - Friday, September 22, 2017

As a little girl, Caroline Walker was aware that her family was heavily involved in the community.

Her mom volunteered at the food bank, bought Christmas gifts for children in need and planted gardens to feed the less fortunate.

Her paternal grandmother strongly supported the arts, while her grandfather donated considerable time to United Way.

As a Hamilton County General Sessions Court judge, the Hon. Clarence Shattuck, Jr., spends his days on the bench.

As the captain of the Bombers, a team of octogenarian basketball players, he hits the bench only during breaks in the action. He’s on the court the rest of the time sinking two-pointers and hustling on defense.

Forgiveness or farewell: What should be the fate of the Achievement School District? Among Memphis legislators, it just depends.

State Rep. Mark White calls the task to pull Shelby County’s poorest performing schools out of the state’s bottom 5 percent a “heavy lift.”

A group of civil rights advocates has filed a federal class-action lawsuit challenging Tennessee’s suspension of more than 250,000 driver’s licenses affecting people too poor to pay traffic tickets.

Attorneys with Washington, D.C.-based Civil Rights Corps, the National Center for Law and Economic Justice in New York City, Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz law firm of Memphis and Just City of Memphis have filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Nashville claiming the suspensions are made without “basic constitutional protections” and prevent tens of thousands of Tennesseans from having transportation to jobs, health care, child care and other fundamental needs.

The Shipleys are well-known throughout Chattanooga, Sheila Shipley and her son Aaron having made a name for themselves years ago as co-owners of RE/MAX North Properties.

In 2014, the company became ERA Blue Key Properties (ERA). Since then, a second son, Travis, and two grandsons, Skylar and Taylor, have become been a part of the company’s legacy, as well.

Nick Tiano, who declared he was “chasing his dream” when he transferred to UT-Chattanooga last winter, instead found his worst nightmare chasing him in his home debut this past week.

As he stood behind center in his third start as an emergency fill-in for suspended starter Alejandro Bennifield, he could not have liked what he saw Saturday night every time he looked downfield.

Thomas A. Varlan, chief U.S. district judge, has announced the selection of Debra C. Poplin to the position of United States magistrate judge for the Eastern District of Tennessee.

Poplin will begin her term of office on Feb. 13, 2018, upon the retirement of Chief Magistrate Judge C. Clifford Shirley, Jr.

Ranking nationally among leading law firms, Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel has secured a prominent position in the seventh annual “BTI Litigation Outlook 2018: Changes, Trends and Opportunities for Law Firms” report.

BTI, a nationally known legal consulting firm, recognized Chambliss for its client service in six areas of litigation: class actions, complex employment, everyday employment, product liability, complex commercial and everyday commercial.

Tennessee isn’t dead last when it comes to equality for women in the U.S. but it’s close. The Women’s Fund of Chattanooga is leading the effort to move the state from 49 to one by focusing on the areas that will improve the status women in Tennessee.

Baker Donelson is adding artificial intelligence technology to its suite of innovations through adoption of Kira, machine-learning artificial intelligence software from Kira Systems.

Baker Donelson will implement Kira to conduct due diligence for transactions as well as for contract review and analysis.

River City Company and Atlanta-based real estate investment firm The Simpson Organization held a grand opening Sept. 14 to celebrate the newly completed Market City Center. The complex includes 125 apartments, 22,000 square feet of commercial space and approximately 18,000 square feet designated for retail.

The Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce has named storytelling platform Pass It Down, co-working space Society of Work and The Tomorrow Building apartments finalists for the 2017 Spirit of Innovation Award.

Cameron Prince looks like he’s stepped out of a “Ghostbusters” movie as he lowers his gun, takes aim at a young woman’s hand and pulls the trigger.

A crackling sound fills the air as a bolt of lightning arcs three feet from the tip of the gun to its target. But instead of screaming in agony as her hand melts from the heat of a thousand suns, the young lady laughs and holds her hand steady.

While watching “mother!” I felt like I was touring a museum that gradually ramps up the level of challenge for guests. Picture a gallery that begins with a selection of treasured Renaissance paintings, moves on to the Romantics and then plunges you into a dizzying array of abstract expressionism.

In 2012, the Tennessee General Assembly adopted the Tennessee Excellence, Accountability, and Management Act of 2012 (TEAM Act), which addressed the hiring and termination of state employees. The TEAM Act replaced the prior Civil Service Act.

The TEAM Act established two categories of state employees: executive service employees and preferred service employees. The Tennessee Supreme Court has determined that the TEAM Act does not create a protected property interest for preferred service employees for continued employment in their positions and that preferred service employees challenging a dismissal bear the burden of proof during the appeals process.

County Clerk Bill Knowles says the clerk’s office is remitting $868,300 in excess fees to Hamilton County’s general government.

“Much of this excess was earned through additional work the clerk’s office assumed voluntarily to assist taxpayers by contracting with the Tennessee Department of Revenue, the Tennessee Department of Safety and the City of Chattanooga, Knowles says.

Navy veteran and Crye-Leike Realtor Ron Tucker has been awarded the nationally-recognized Military Relocation Professional Certification. The National Association of Realtors awards the MRP certification to Realtors who help military personnel, veterans and their families find housing that makes the best use of their benefits and serves the unique needs of military life.

Tax reform done right could yield savings and simplification that benefits average Americans, but history shows that misguided reforms can pose significant economic threats.

That’s the message the National Association of Realtors brought to Congress last week as Iona Harrison, chair of NAR’s Federal Taxation Committee, testified before the Senate Finance Committee.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga has elected Marcus Jones to its board of directors. Jones is an engineer and principle project manager for Tennessee Valley Authority. In addition, Jones is the president and CEO of Magnolia Developments.

Southern Adventist University will pay tribute to three Chattanooga community members during the Honoring Servant Leaders President’s Gala on Oct. 5, 5:30 p.m., on the university’s campus.

The honorees are Wilmer Perez, a student at Howard High School, Irvin Overton, volunteer and Ron Lowe, a former executive director at Every Valley Leadership Academy.

One of the often-cited statistics in this space is the Housing Affordability Index. This week, I’ll take a moment to explore what’s behind this term.

There are two components that affect affordability in residential housing: interest rates and home prices. While these factors might move independently, their intersection is a key definer in what a home buyer can or will purchase.

School is back in session in Chattanooga and the surrounding area, and that means the children will be bringing home more and more homework. This, combined with a growing trend of professionals who can work from home on a permanent or part-time basis, places increased emphasis on creating the perfect home office.

Women are an integral part of the workforce, but they have had to overcome many obstacles along the way. Of course, challenges still remain, but women’s success in the working world is worth commemorating – which will happen on American Business Women’s Day Sept. 22. Are you a woman considering “setting up shop” on your own?  If so, here are five tips to consider:

Judy Darling Donuts, 121 Frazier Ave., will host The Donut Show, an art show opening, on Saturday, Sept. 23, 4-7 p.m.

Artists Brianna Bass and Noah Kocher will conduct a short talk at 5 p.m. Judy Darling will be open for business during the show.