As temperatures in the Tennessee Valley consistently reach the mid to upper 90s, with heat indexes soaring over 100 degrees, The Salvation Army of Chattanooga announces the continuation of their box fan drive, initially launched with the Beat the Heat campaign this spring.
Partnering with 1st Priority Homecare, the drive aims to provide much-needed relief to vulnerable residents during the hottest months of summer.
The partnership with 1st Priority Homecare comes at a crucial time. According to Deanne Bolton, owner and CEO of 1st Priority Homecare, “Last week alone, we had more than 75 people on a waitlist for a box fan. This partnership with The Salvation Army is vital to ensuring that seniors and others who are particularly vulnerable to extreme heat have access to cooling solutions.”
The Salvation Army and 1st Priority Homecare are encouraging the community to donate new box fans. Donations can be dropped off at The Salvation Army located at 800 McCallie Ave., or at 1st Priority Homecare’s office at 6466 East Brainerd Road, Suite 5. Drop-offs are accepted Monday through Friday, between 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Some of these box fans will be distributed to clients of 1st Priority Homecare, which provides in-home health services to seniors. “Our clients’ health and well-being are our top priorities,” Bolton continues. “The simple gift of a box fan can significantly impact their comfort and safety during these oppressive summer days.”
Major Douglas McClure of The Salvation Army emphasized the importance of the Beat the Heat campaign. “Our mission is to meet human needs in every way we can. Providing relief from the summer heat is just one example of how we can help ensure the health and well-being of our community, especially those who are most vulnerable.”
Annual sales tax holiday this weekend
The state of Tennessee’s annual sales tax holiday weekend offers Tennesseans a chance to save nearly 10% on qualifying clothing, school supplies and computers. Tennesseans can purchase clothing and school supplies tax-free if they are priced at $100 or less and buy computers tax-free if they are priced at $1,500 or less.
Qualifying items may be purchased online and in stores.
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State unemployment remains at historic low
Tennessee continues to experience record-low unemployment, according to data released by the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The rate for June came in at 3%, which was unchanged from the all-time low unemployment rate the state recorded in May.
In a year-to-year comparison, Tennessee’s June 2024 seasonally adjusted unemployment rate decreased by 0.1%.
Employers added new jobs to Tennessee’s workforce between May and June and increased nonfarm employment by 400 jobs.
The mining, logging, and construction sector and the education and health services sector had the biggest gains in employment. The manufacturing sector also added a sizable number of new positions during the month.
Zillow: Sellers cutting prices as inventory grows
Home listings are piling up as buyers step back from the peak of home shopping season faster than normal, according to the latest monthly report from Zillow.
“A growing segment of homes that aren’t competitively priced or well marketed are lingering on the market. Sellers are increasingly cutting prices to entice buyers struggling with affordability,” said Skylar Olsen, chief economist of Zillow. “For years, the housing market has been defined by fast sales and few options. Now it’s starting to look more like it did before the pandemic in terms of competition, if not costs. As the wait for mortgage rate relief drags on, slower price growth and even dips in some areas will help buyers catch up on saving for a down payment.”
The total number of homes on the market has risen throughout the year, ticking up 4% from May to June to stand nearly 23% above last year’s low level. While inventory levels are still about 33% below pre-pandemic averages, that’s the smallest deficit since the fall of 2020, when the pool of available homes was quickly dropping.
Inventory is higher than last year in all of the 50 largest U.S. metropolitan areas except two – New York and Cleveland – and rose month over month in all but five.
Attractive listings are selling relatively quickly. But buyers still in the market are enjoying a few more days to weigh their choices than they had last summer. Homes sold in June were typically on the market for 15 days before the seller accepted an offer. That’s five days shorter than pre-pandemic norms, the smallest difference since June 2020.
TDEC grants to boost recycling education
The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation last week announced $332,953 in grants for education, outreach and organics management for projects to help reduce landfill waste and increase recycling education in Tennessee.
The grant program encourages and supports local communities to meet solid waste and recycling goals. Local governments can divert more waste from landfills through infrastructure upgrades and provide convenient opportunities for residents to get engaged in the process.
The grants are administered by TDEC’s Division of Solid Waste Management.
The Education and Outreach grant will help local governments produce material needed to consistently promote waste reduction and recycling best practices for established solid waste programs. The primary purpose is to inform residents what they can recycle, where they can recycle and when they can recycle.
Organics management grants are for counties, cities, solid waste authorities and other tax-exempt nonprofit recycling entities designated as 501(c)(3) organizations.
CHI Memorial honored by AHA for stroke care
CHI Memorial has received the American Heart Association’s Get With The Guidelines - Stroke GoldPlus quality achievement award for its commitment to ensuring stroke patients receive the most appropriate treatment according to nationally recognized, research-based guidelines, ultimately leading to more lives saved and reduced disability.
Stroke is the No. 5 cause of death and a leading cause of disability in the U.S. A stroke occurs when a blood vessel that carries oxygen and nutrients to the brain is either blocked by a clot or bursts.
Get With The Guidelines puts the expertise of the American Heart Association and American Stroke Association to work for hospitals nationwide, helping ensure patient care is aligned with the latest research- and evidence-based guidelines.
“We are committed to improving patient care by adhering to the latest treatment guidelines,” said Jennifer Patterson, Ph.D., ACNP-BC, ANVP-BC, CCRN, FHM, CHI Memorial director of neuroscience operations. “Get With The Guidelines makes it easier for our teams to put proven knowledge and guidelines to work on a daily basis, which studies show can help patients recover better.”
CHI Memorial also received the American Heart Association’s Target: StrokeSM Elite Plus award. To qualify for this recognition, hospitals must meet specific criteria that reduce the time between an eligible patient’s arrival at the hospital and treatment with thrombocytic therapy.
In addition, CHI Memorial received the American Heart Association’s Target: Type 2 Diabetes Honor Roll award. Target: Type 2 Diabetes aims to ensure patients with Type 2 diabetes, who might be at higher risk for complications, receive the most up-to-date, evidence-based care when hospitalized due to stroke.
Environmental Solutions Group to be sold
Dover announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to sell its Environmental Solutions Group business, which is part of Dover’s Engineered Products segment, to Terex Corporation for $2 billion on a cash- and debt-free basis, subject to customary post-closing adjustments.
Based in Chattanooga, ESG is a leading provider of refuse collection vehicles, compactors and balers, as well as related aftermarket equipment and digital offerings, including onboard vehicle safety systems, route management, predictive maintenance and customer relationship management software. ESG generated approximately $750 million of revenue in 2023.