News - Friday, January 9, 2026

Lisa Goolsby found the deeper meaning of her business – the undercurrent of purpose beneath the day-to-day operations at Wired Coffee Bar in Ooltewah – while drinking a cup of coffee in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Finding the café where she ordered her cup of brew had been easy. She merely stepped into a mall near the university where she teaches marketing a couple of months each year, took in the cluster of coffee shops inside and chose one almost at random.

For a while now in Chattanooga, nearly every conversation about a newly opened Chinese restaurant has returned to the same refrain: it’s good, but it isn’t the Chinese restaurant the city needs.

What does Chattanooga need from a Chinese restaurant? The same things it needs from any restaurant: authenticity and quality. Everything else – freshness, range, technique, hospitality – harmonizes under those two standards.

As 2025 comes to a close, the Chattanooga Fire Department is marking a year defined by operational growth, expanded training and response capabilities and a significant leadership transition while positioning the department for continued progress in 2026.

I often say to clients, “Every move should feel like a sunrise.” As I prepare to take the reins and welcome 2026, this phrase has taken on a broader meaning, one that reaches far beyond a buyer stepping into a new home.

M-O-V-E. Four letters that make such an impact. By moving, we evolve to set a clear direction and take visible steps (large or small) to make a meaningful difference for our members and the public we serve. When we move, we show up, energize, connect with others and adapt to change.

Millions of Americans are pledging to improve their financial lives as the calendar flips to a new year. But without a concrete plan, those well-intentioned resolutions often fade quickly.

Financial goals consistently top the list of new year’s resolutions. A 2025 Certified Financial Planner Board of Standards study shows that financial resolutions are prominent, with saving more money (45%) and reducing debt (32%) ranking among the top three goals.

Welcome back to Flick Picks, your twice-monthly movie fix. From an animated biblical epic to a conspiracy-soaked arthouse satire and a nostalgic rom-com revisit, this installment runs the gamut of faith, weirdness and pure fun.

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My ears perked when I first learned Angel Studios was releasing an animated film about the biblical David. We’re studying his life at church, and I couldn’t help wondering how a story centered on a warrior king – one whose legacy includes adultery and murder – could be transformed into a family-friendly animated feature.

A slate of new Tennessee laws approved during the first session of the 114th General Assembly will took effect Jan. 1, ushering in changes across commerce, elections, public safety, health care, taxation and government operations.

The legislation reflects policy decisions adopted during the 2025 session and touches nearly every aspect of daily life, from vaping regulations and health insurance coverage to voter registration requirements and paid leave for state employees. Lawmakers are scheduled to reconvene for the second session of the General Assembly Jan. 13.

It is both telling and unsurprising that the Oxford University Press Word of the Year for the recently departed 2025 is “rage bait.”

Rage, after all, seems to have become the default emotional setting for many Americans. Most Americans, maybe. Rage bait – the spelling should probably be squeezed together – serves to stoke that condition.

After a season marked by inconsistency and underwhelming results against quality opponents, the University of Tennessee football program is undergoing wholesale changes on the defensive coaching staff and through the transfer portal.

The Vols (8-5, 4-4 SEC) finished the season with back-to-back losses, falling to Vanderbilt in the regular season finale and to Illinois in the Music City Bowl. Between the setbacks, head coach Josh Heupel began the dismantling of the defensive staff by firing defensive coordinator Tim Banks and hiring Jim Knowles to take his place.

There are many types of head coaching candidates out there with varying degrees of experience and expertise. Some have been head coaches before, while others would add a fresh face to the coaching carousel.

So maybe it’s time for the Tennessee Titans to think outside the box with their upcoming hire.

If an electric car stirs your interest but the lifestyle changes sound daunting, consider a plug-in hybrid. A plug-in hybrid is simply a rechargeable hybrid with a larger battery than a standard hybrid that enables a short range of fully electric driving.