News - Friday, July 18, 2025

In 2012, Brian and Jamey Elrod were sitting in a Chattanooga restaurant, waiting – and waiting – for their server, but no one was checking on their table. Frustrated, they joked, “Too bad we can’t just text the restaurant.”

Tiffany Grandstaff still remembers the moment it all clicked.

“I saw the video of the turtle with the straw stuck in its nose, and I thought, ‘That could have been my straw,’” Grandstaff says. “That was the moment I realized we needed to take how we’re treating the planet more seriously.”

On a hot July afternoon in Harrison, the sharp scent of smoke drifted down Harvest Run Drive as fire tore through part of a home. The homeowner was away, but a dog was trapped inside.

For the firefighters of the Highway 58 Volunteer Fire Department, who cover 112 square miles of Hamilton County stretching from Harrison to Birchwood and beyond, every second mattered. They knew they’d be fighting more than fire – they’d be racing smoke, heat and time to save a life.

Reflection Riding Arboretum & Nature Center has launched its 2025 Summer Campaign, “Laying the Groundwork for the Future,” with a goal of raising $100,000 by Aug. 31. A group of supporters has pledged to match every dollar, unlocking a total of $200,000 for critical infrastructure improvements.

On July 1, attorney Sam Elliott of Gearhiser, Peters, Elliott & Cannon assumed the role of chairman of the Tennessee Bar Foundation board of trustees. Elliott, who’s served on the board since 2019, will hold the chairman position for a one-year term.

The Chattanooga Market will shine a spotlight on local artists and makers 11 a.m.-4 p.m. at the First Horizon Pavilion. Vendors are encouraged to demonstrate their craft, from throwing clay and painting to weaving yarn. The event offers visitors a chance to watch the creative process at work.

Ruby Falls has broken ground on a 14,500-square-foot corporate headquarters atop Lookout Mountain. Designed by HK Architects, the project brings sustainable design to the landmark attraction, known for its 96-year legacy of connecting visitors to nature.

Related to last week’s risk-reduction tips for cybercrimes and wire fraud, this week, we explore deed fraud, including the impersonation of a property owner to sell or take possession of a property via fraudulent deeds. The National Association of Realtors provides the following overview of how dead fraud can occur and best practices to protect yourself – whether you’re an agent or a consumer looking to buy or sell.

There’s a quote about the importance of setting goals that says, “If you don’t know where you’re going, any path will take you there.” 

You probably have dreams about retirement, vacations, hobbies and more. But if you don’t have a strategy with financial goals in place, you may not make the choices that can best set you on the path to achieve those dreams. 

And just like that, you saw the solution. You fixed an issue at work and solved the day. Yay you! You deserve every pat on the back, every hurrah, all the accolades you get. Everyone says you’re brilliant, and you’re starting to think, yeah, they’re kinda right. 

Have you been on LinkedIn lately? If so, you’ve probably seen posts from frustrated job seekers. They are mad. They are demoralized. Some are giving up. Looking for a job is hard, even under the best circumstances. 

The majority of workers have never looked for a new job from scratch. In most cases, the job seeker receives a call from a friend, a colleague or a recruiter. They ask the job seeker to apply for a job. The job seeker interviews for the role and might then be selected. The entire process is relatively quick and painless. 

Jamyan Theodore has fully embraced being considered an in-state recruit even though he was born and raised in Montreal, Canada. He arrived in Chattanooga last year to begin playing football for The Baylor School. In that short time span, Theodore fell in love with the idea of becoming a Vol.

Summer days beckon, and with them the prospect of campfires, fishing holes and scenic hikes. When it’s time to commune with nature, you need a car that can get you there and offer convenience and utility once you’ve arrived.

Whether you’re looking to get far off the beaten path or simply enjoy the outdoors with some comforts of home, we’ve rounded up five of the best vehicles for the occasion.

ATLANTA (AP) — Sam Pittman says a $2.8 billion antitrust settlement that went into effect this month levels the college football playing field in a good way for his Arkansas team.

WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — A settlement was announced Thursday in court in a class action investors' lawsuit against Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg and current and former company leaders over claims stemming from the privacy scandal involving the Cambridge Analytica political consulting firm.

NEW YORK (AP) — In a matter of months, it has become a regular sight around the country — immigration enforcement agents detaining people and taking them into custody, often as public anger and outcry unfold around them. But in the process, something has disappeared: the agents' faces, covered by caps, sunglasses, pulled-up neck gaiters or balaclavas, effectively rendering them unidentifiable.

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Louisiana is officially halting a $3 billion coastal restoration funded by the Deepwater Horizon oil spill settlement money, state and federal agencies confirmed Thursday.

The Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion Project had been intended to rebuild upward of 20 square miles (32 kilometers) of land in southeast Louisiana to combat sea level rise and erosion on the Gulf Coast.

WASHINGTON (AP) — All solar and wind energy projects on federal lands and waters must be personally approved by Interior Secretary Doug Burgum under a new order that authorizes him to conduct "elevated review" of activities ranging from leases to rights-of-way, construction and operational plans, grants and biological opinions.

The debate over whether Coca-Cola should use high-fructose corn syrup or cane sugar in its signature soda obscures an important fact: Consumers are increasingly looking for Coke with no sugar at all.

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, which was introduced in 2017, uses both the artificial sweetener aspartame and the natural sweetener stevia in its recipe. It's one of Coke's fastest-growing products, with global case volumes up 14% in the first quarter of the year. By comparison, the company's total case volumes were up 2%.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' administration left many local officials in the dark about the immigration detention center that rose from an isolated airstrip in the Everglades, emails obtained by The Associated Press show, while relying on an executive order to seize the land, hire contractors and bypass laws and regulations.

WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump will not recommend a special counsel in the Jeffrey Epstein investigation, a White House spokeswoman said Thursday, turning aside calls for further action in an inquiry that has roiled the Justice Department and angered supporters who had been expecting a treasure trove of documents from the case.

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday read a doctor's letter about President Donald Trump that she said was intended to dispel health concerns about the swelling in his ankles and a makeup-covered hand.

Leavitt said Trump noticed "mild swelling" in his lower legs and was evaluated by the White House medical unit.

WASHINGTON (AP) — The House has passed three bills intended to boost the legitimacy of the cryptocurrency industry with new regulations as President Donald Trump has pushed to make the U.S. the " crypto capital of the world."

One of the bills, which would regulate a type of cryptocurrency called stablecoins, had already passed the Senate with broad bipartisan support and will now head to Trump's desk. The other two bills — broader legislation to create a new market structure for cryptocurrency and a bill to prohibit the Federal Reserve from issuing a central bank digital currency — will go to the Senate.