News - Friday, February 25, 2022

In the midst of Black History Month and on the cusp of Women’s History Month, Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly’s choice for the city’s next chief of police is Celeste Murphy, a law enforcement veteran who will be the first woman – and black woman – to lead the local police force.

As Brown Professional Insurers owner Rob Brown met with attorneys at his vendor booth at the Chattanooga Bar Association’s annual meeting earlier this month, he offered the hottest item at the event for free.

It wasn’t the malpractice insurance his company sells. And it wasn’t a voucher for a discount.

The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee – Chattanooga Division is inviting high school and middle school students in 17 area counties to participate in its annual civics essay contest.

This year’s topic is Brown v. Board of Commissioners of the City of Chattanooga, a federal lawsuit that alleged the Chattanooga city government was in violation of the Voting Rights Act.

Immigration attorney Martin Lester has joined Baker Donelson’s Chattanooga office as of counsel.

Lester represents businesses and individuals in immigration matters, including E-2 petitions to start or purchase businesses, L-1A petitions for foreign businesses opening new offices or transferring executives and managers to the U.S., H-1B and TN petitions for U.S. employers hiring workers in specialty occupations, PERM petitions for U.S. businesses seeking immigrant visas for employees, EB-2 petitions with National Interest Waivers for skilled individuals seeking permanent residence in the U.S. and a range of family-based visa petitions and naturalization applications.

The Governor’s Council for Judicial Appointments will consider Hamilton County Criminal Court Judge Tom Greenholtz and six other applicants when it meets in March to select nominees for two imminent vacancies on the eastern section of the Court of Criminal Appeals.

Being named rookie of the year is no small triumph. The National Football League, for example, based its selection of Ja’Marr Chase as its 2021 rookie of the year due to his huge numbers as a Bengals receiver. As the Cincinnati team fought to reach the playoffs during the regular season, Chase collected 1,455 yards on 81 receptions and 13 touchdowns.

The beginning of the year marks a new opportunity for many hopeful buyers to make their home purchase dreams a reality. While those efforts won’t be without challenges – including a shrinking inventory – Realtors continue to advocate for access to affordable housing.

The cost and availability of labor was reported as a significant problem by 82% of builders in 2021 and is expected to rise to 85% this year, the NAHB/Wells Fargo Housing Market Index reports.

To help ease severe worker shortages that are raising housing costs and delaying construction, homebuilders must make fundamental changes to the way they do business, Ed Brady, CEO of the Home Builders Institute, said recently at the 2022 International Builders’ Show in Orlando.

Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly is filling five roles in his administration by promoting current staff.

Kelly has named Karitsa Mosley Jones as administrator of the Department of Early Learning.

Mosley Jones has been working since August to establish the mayor’s Community Forward partnership with Hamilton County Schools.

Facing an unsteady blood supply, Blood Assurance has joined a national partnership to ensure preparedness for emergency situations in which blood needs are high.

The Blood Emergency Readiness Corps is composed of several blood centers from across the nation that have committed to collecting extra blood units on a rotating, on-call schedule.

Steam Logistics broke ground this month on its future headquarters at 328 Broad Street. The company states it anticipates adding 400 employees during the next five years.

Located at the corner of 4th and Broad streets, the four-story building has been boarded up for several years, the company states.

The Erlanger Health System board of trustees is pursuing a transition of the organization to a 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Many safety-net hospitals across the country have already transitioned to a 501(c)(3) structure, Erlanger reports, including UT Medical Center in Tennessee and Grady Medical Center in Georgia.

What do you think of when you hear “estate planning?” For many people, these words evoke images of immense wealth. But estate planning isn’t just for the wealthy – it’s for everyone.

And it’s about more than preserving wealth – it’s about putting you in control of your own legacy. But how can you achieve this worthy goal?

The online landscape is littered with horrible personal finance advice: teenagers promoting day trading strategies, “influencers” flogging questionable investment schemes and people with dubious credentials insisting you shouldn’t invest in a 401(k).

Warren Buffett famously said, “Look for the job that you would take if you didn’t need a job.” This is an incredibly true statement that should serve as a lesson for all.

When it comes to job searching, it is extremely common to run away from something rather than running toward something else. And that can lead us to a less-than-ideal next job.

The small luxury SUV market is seemingly packed with as many automotive all-stars as there are athletes in the Winter Olympics. Yet among the field there’s been one model that’s consistently won more Edmunds gold than any other: the Mercedes-Benz GLC.