News - Friday, September 29, 2023

John Mathna loves mounting anything with two wheels and heading for the longest stretch of road he can find. Ever since he first rode a pedal bike as a child, he’s enjoyed the freedom, the open air and the way his ride connects him to his environment in a way he says a car can’t.

Assistant U.S. Trustee Nick Foster welcomes his wife, attorney Leslie Foster, and their two daughters to the reception the Department of Justice held in his honor Sept. 21 at the Walden Club. Foster became the assistant U.S. trustee for the Eastern District of Tennessee July 17. Before that, he served as a trial attorney in the Chattanooga office of the U.S. trustee from September 2008 until his appointment. The Memphis-born and raised Foster earned his undergraduate degree at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and his Juris Doctor at the Mississippi College School of Law.

When Tom Ferry first spoke with Doug Edrington in 2015, Ferry suggested he travel to Chattanooga and cut off one of Edrington’s arms.

Sensing Ferry was making a point, Edrington expressed fondness for his arms and then asked, “What are you telling me?”

As I’ve mentioned the past few weeks, September is Realtor Safety Month. At this point each year, Realtors look at their safety protocols to help them remain vigilant against all types of threats.

Why is it important to focus specifically on Realtor safety? Because the very nature of our business puts us at increased risk.

Remodeling your home for the first time can seem daunting. A professional remodeler can help relieve stress by guiding you through the process and providing expert insights on how the project will be completed.

Like other industries, professional remodelers use specific terminology when discussing the nature of your project. Understanding that lingo can help you avoid miscommunication and ensure you get the finished project you desire.

“I don’t want pumpkin spice,” protests actor Mark Wahlberg in a meme that’s making the rounds online. “I want brisket tacos.”

Given the nature of memes, I feel safe suggesting Wahlberg didn’t actually say this but was chosen for the incredulous look he delivered at some point during his career-snuffing performance in “The Happening.”

Adam Myers will serve as the vice president of economic development for the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce. Before joining the Chattanooga Chamber, Myers served as director of business development for the Tampa Bay Economic Development Council.

Siskin Children’s Institute and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga are partnering to continue the child care legacy of Little Miss Mag.

Their joint effort seeks to enhance early learning and child care in downtown Chattanooga as it preserves 124 child care slots.

The Association for Visual Arts’ third annual Between the Bridges arts festival will expand to two days this year: Saturday, Oct. 14, and Sunday, Oct. 15, 11 a.m.-5 p.m. AVA will present more than 40 local artists in Coolidge Park, between the Veterans and Walnut Street bridges. The event will be free for attendees.

Paying for health care can be challenging. Are you taking full advantage of all the resources available to you?

You might have access to a Health Savings Account (HSA) or a Flexible Spending Account (FSA), so let’s look at both.

An HSA is a personal savings account used to pay health care costs. If you’re enrolled in a high-deductible health plan, you also may be eligible to contribute to an HSA. You aren’t taxed on the money you put into this account or on the earnings generated from your contributions, as long as withdrawals are used for qualified health care costs such as deductibles, copayments and coinsurance.

With the holiday shopping season just starting and prices of many consumer goods continuing to rise, saving money can seem impossible. But those financial pressures also make doing so even more important.

“Saving is your margin,” says Eric Maldonado, a certified financial planner and owner of Aquila Wealth Advisors. “When things happen – your car breaks down or there’s a layoff, or smaller stuff like gifts for the holidays – you have something to fall back on.” Maldonado notes that saving can also allow you to have money for fun things.

Only three in 10 Medicare beneficiaries shop around during open enrollment, according to a 2022 analysis from KFF, a health policy nonprofit – and only one in 10 Medicare Advantage enrollees voluntarily switch plans.

But a 2020 analysis of Medicare Advantage plan choices by the National Bureau of Economic Research found that more than half of beneficiaries overspent by more than $1,000 due to the plan they selected.

My introduction to a dress code came on the first day of seventh grade, the coming-of-age transition from elementary school to junior high. My friend and neighbor Ken Hase showed up for the orientation assembly in short pants.

Wrong move, the assistant principal said.

Your pencils are all too short. It’s not the pointy end that’s off, it’s the other end, the part that undoes mistakes. Really, is there anybody in the world who runs out of the business end of a pencil before they use up the eraser? Probably not. Even geniuses err, and in “Right Kind of Wrong” by Amy Edmondson, you can work to be like them.

The Miami Dolphins scored 70 points Sunday. The Tennessee Titans have totaled 71 points in their last five games.

Certainly, the Dolphins scoring 10 touchdowns in a single game is an aberration, even with its potent offense.

But the fact that the Titans are light years away from anything close to that is a warning signal that the team is fighting a losing battle in today’s NFL.

When the Titans drafted Peter Skoronksi with the 11th overall pick back in April, the initial thought would be that the rookie from Northwestern would be groomed to replace Taylor Lewan and continue the team’s left tackle succession that had gone from Brad Hopkins to Michael Roos to Lewan and spanned basically all 27 seasons the team has been in Tennessee.

The Titans limp into a Sunday game against the Bengals, who have underperformed early in the season as Joe Burrow is still bothered by a calf injury. Going into Week 4, the Titans are already in must-win mode if they want to stave off the dreaded “R” word: rebuild.

As sales of electric vehicles continue to grow, so do the number of questions curious shoppers have when considering making the switch to a fully electrified car, truck or SUV.

Undoubtedly, the experience of driving and owning an electric vehicle is different from the traditional one for a gas-powered vehicle. To help first-time EV shoppers, the automotive experts at Edmunds address the most common concerns car shoppers have about going electric.