News - Friday, November 16, 2018

After decades of prohibition, stigma and an overall image problem, at least 35 states nationwide – including Tennessee – now allow some form of hemp cultivation. It’s not the kind of hemp that gets you stoned, however.

Yes, there’s a difference between the kind of hemp grown in Tennessee for industrial uses and the marijuana hemp variety that gets you high. But because controversy and illegality has surrounded hemp and marijuana for so long, neither variety was allowed to be grown in the U.S. until recently.

Knoxville is now home to Blühen Botanicals, an industrial hemp processor that’s aiming to be one of the largest companies of its kind in the Southeast.

The new company, which formed this year, operates a 2,000-square-foot research and development facility at 1329 Chilhowee Ave., and is on the verge of opening an 18,000-square-foot processing plant at 2209 North Central St.

As the director of the Tennessee Center for Botanical Medicine Research at Middle Tennessee State University, Dr. Elliot Altman is on the front lines of researching hemp. Students in the program are cultivating cannabis in greenhouses to research potential medicinal uses for the plant.

CBD is an abbreviation for the cannabinoid cannabidiol, which is a non-psychoactive cannabinoid that can be used as a daily supplement to contribute to overall health and wellness. Cannabinoids are naturally occurring compounds and are found within the hemp plant.

Hemp is among the oldest industries on the planet, going back more than 10,000 years to the beginnings of pottery. Presidents Washington and Jefferson grew hemp. Americans were legally bound to grow hemp during the Colonial Era and Early Republic. Hemp popularity has soared in recent years following its revitalization after the 2014 Farm Bill approving its cultivation.

Thirty-six members of the Chattanooga Bar Association made the list of Super Lawyers’ Mid-South Rising Stars for 2018.

Super Lawyers is a nationwide rating service that utilizes a selection process consisting of independent researchers, peer review nominations and evaluations to rate lawyers from more than 70 practice areas.

The Hamilton County Commission has unanimously approved the award of $500,000 in federal grant funding to Hamilton County’s Drug Recovery Court. The approval follows the Department of Justice’s award of over $320 million in grant funding to combat America’s opioid crisis.

Lisi Chavarri was climbing the steepest mountain she’d ever faced. Only a few months earlier, she’d uprooted herself and her unborn child from New York City and moved to Chattanooga to begin a new life.

Since then, Chavarri has given birth to her son and had started the process of earning her real estate license. As she cared for Maddox during his waking hours and studied while he slept, doubts plagued her mind.

For many seniors in the Chattanooga area, moving or downsizing to a smaller home can be physically and emotionally challenging. After raising a family or spending a good portion of their adult lives in one home, it’s often difficult to think about putting it on the market.

Almost 56 percent of Tennessee voters took part in last week’s election, the most for a midterm since 1994, reports indicate.

This is considered the good news, an indication of relatively high engagement by the electorate even without a presidential contest on the ballot to stir the juices.

“Overlord” wastes no time getting right to the action. As the lights dimmed and the movie lit up the screen, I could imagine the cast gathering for the first day of filming and the director standing behind the camera saying, “It’s the night before D-Day. You’re a company of American paratroopers tasked with penetrating the walls of a fortified church and destroying a radio transmitter. Go!”

The Architecture, Construction and Engineering Mentor Program of Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia is raising scholarship funds for architecture, construction and engineering students.

ACE is an after school mentoring program through which high school students meet with architects, engineers and builders to learn about careers in the design and construction industry.

Internationally renowned soloists and ensembles will perform in Chattanooga for the first time in the coming months as part of Music at St. Paul’s 2018-19 Artist Series.

The season will consist of four concerts taking place at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 305 W. Seventh St. in downtown Chattanooga. Season subscriptions and single tickets may be purchased in advance through the St. Paul’s website. Tickets for each concert will also be sold at the door.

Rock City’s Enchanted Garden of Lights has returned for its 24th season with more than one million LED lights and the first-of-its kind walk-through Christmas tree. The award-winning extravaganza will showcase more than 30 holiday scenes from 6-9 p.m. nightly through Dec. 31 (excluding Christmas Eve).

White House volunteer decorator Brandon Carruth will host a decorating clinic Saturday, Nov. 17, at The Great Christmas Shop in Chattanooga. The clinic will focus on how to decorate a tree, mantle and wreath. The event is free but requires registration. Those interested in attending can register at The Great Christmas Shop’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/greatchristmasshopChattanooga). The Great Backyard Place is located 6240 Perimeter Drive. Information: 423 892-3128.