Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, TN) articles from July 2007

Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, TN) archives from July 2007

Democratic candidates skipping 'national conversation'.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Andy Sher Jul. 26--NASHVILLE -- Former President Clinton will attend the upcoming Democratic Leadership Council meeting in Nashville, but neither his wife, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Hillary Clinton, nor any other...

Veterans hope for reform, doubt it.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Mary Fortune Jul. 26--Area veterans said they hope efforts to slash red tape, improve care and simplify the disability claims process for injured soldiers will succeed, but they aren't especially optimistic. "I think the...

Arkansas coach had tough offseason.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Darren Epps Jul. 26--HOOVER, Ala. -- There was a brief moment, after the SEC West title and Darren McFadden's appearance at the Heisman Trophy ceremony, that the SEC Coach of the Year thought he might walk away. "There was...

Balloon takes one-way trip.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Susan McMillan Jul. 26--On July 4, Winnie Boylston found firsthand evidence that what goes up must come down, in this case on her patio, in the form of a deflated balloon. The balloon, which bore the Chattanooga Times Free...

'Always do your best'.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Brooks Rexroat Jul. 26--Motivational speaker Zig Ziglar came to Chattanooga's Memorial Auditorium on Wednesday to get people fired up, and his crowd's reaction showed he brought along the right lineup. With music thumping and...

Davis faithful to Fillauer 50 years.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Emily Bregel Jul. 26--When Troy Davis started training as an orthotist at age 19, crafting leg braces and prosthetic devices was a different game. During his five decades in the industry, "plastic has taken over. Back in...

Tax freeze for elderly not in near future.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Ian Berry Jul. 26--Although many Hamilton County officials said they probably would support a tax freeze for the elderly, it likely will be months if not longer before such a freeze would take effect. Several county...

Griffin breaks slump to lead Lookouts' win.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Wesley Rucker Jul. 26--Putting it politely as possible, Mike Griffin struggled at the plate in his first 11 games as a Lookout. He was 2-for-32. With two singles. And no walks. That's an .063 batting average,...

Training for school safety.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Lauren Gregory Jul. 26--With Hamilton County schools to reopen Aug. 13, local law enforcement officials are working to hire, train and place as many school resource officers as possible in the days and weeks to come. But not...

Law aims to protect pets from domestic abusers.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Angie Herrington Jul. 26--A new Tennessee law gives victims of domestic violence a legal avenue of protecting their pets from their abusers. The law, which took effect July 1, expands the definition of domestic abuse to...

Schools official weighs bus safety measures.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Michael Davis Jul. 26--As Hamilton County Schools officials prepare to start running bus routes, the system's director of transportation said Wednesday that school leaders must weigh costs and benefits in determining which bus...

Recovery time key to a good exercise regimen.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Kathy Gilbert Jul. 26--Many exercise enthusiasts push themselves to the limit. But rest and recovery time complements the exercise phase of a quality workout, local fitness experts say. In fact, proper rest in the form of...

Recent rain limited help to farmers.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Ronnie Moore Jul. 26--The region's crop losses from drought are worst in the counties along the border where Georgia and Alabama meet Tennessee, according to local agriculture officials and farmers, and recent rains are of little...

Hiring officers get tips on new immigration rules.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Erin Fuchs Jul. 26--DALTON, Ga. -- Georgia's new immigration law requires certain employers to verify the residency status of new hires. But, there's no fine for employers who fail to meet the requirement, said Atlanta-based...

2 children die in apartment fire.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Randall Higgins Jul. 26--CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- Autopsies will be performed on the bodies of two boys who died in an apartment fire Wednesday. The children, ages 3 years and 10 months, died in the fire reported at 654 Poplar St....

Gamecocks eye title.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Gentry Estes Jul. 26--HOOVER, Ala. -- Not often will a college football player compare himself and teammates to adolescent females. It happens about as much as, say, South Carolina wins conference titles. So tailback...

Investors flee Covenant; stock at 7-year low.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Mike Pare Jul. 26--Covenant Transportation Group's stock fell to its lowest closing price in nearly seven years Wednesday after the Chattanooga trucking company posted an $11.3 million second quarter loss. Also, analysts in...

Teens tackle home repairs.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Yolanda Putman Jul. 26--Alton Park resident Eunice Wilbur has a rotting roof and gutters but lacks the money to pay for repairs. This week, 33 volunteer work crews are fixing her residence and other houses throughout the...

Man dies at UTC work site.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Kelli Gauthier Jul. 26--A local man died Wednesday morning during a demolition project on the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga campus, officials said. Construction worker Jesse Banks was tearing down an interior wall...

'60s teenagers recall magic pull of Chattanooga's first mall.
July 26, 2007... Byline: Clint Cooper Jul. 26--Sherry Wright Lee said she used to make Chattanooga's first shopping mall an all-day experience. She was hanging out before hanging out was cool. "Every weekend, my mom would drive my friend and me...

Whitfield board joins Dalton in addressing overcrowding.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Erin Fuchs Jul. 25--DALTON, Ga. -- Overcrowding of people into single-family homes threatens neighborhoods in both Whitfield County and Dalton, local leaders say. So, "it makes good sense for both" city and county to limit...

Public hearing hears pros, cons of new airport.
July 25, 2007... Jul. 25--CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- Supporters and opponents of a new general aviation airport came to a public hearing Tuesday to record their opinions. The hearing, held at the Cleveland/Bradley Chamber of Commerce, marks the end of an...

Bredesen defends pay hikes.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Andy Sher Jul. 25--NASHVILLE -- Gov. Phil Bredesen on Tuesday said the salary increases he recently granted top officials are reasonable and that pay boosts could be in store for other high-ranking officials including his deputy,...

Committee investigates disposal of radioactive waste in state landfills.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Pam Sohn Jul. 25--NASHVILLE -- An environmental advisory panel is studying the safety of a state program allowing low-level radioactive waste to be disposed of in five Tennessee landfills, while a lawmaker is promising that waste...

Ban's effects called positive.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Emily Bregel Jul. 25--Even without cigarettes, business at some Chattanooga restaurants has been smokin'. Months before Tennessee's statewide smoking ban goes into effect for enclosed public spaces, some Chattanooga...

Carmike building 12-screen theater.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Mike Pare Jul. 25--Carmike Cinemas plans to open a 12-screen theater in Dalton, Ga., outside of Walnut Square Mall. The 42,500-square-foot moviehouse will replace the company's existing nine-screen theater inside the mall,...

Get the skinny on weight loss.(Recipe)
July 25, 2007... Byline: Anne P. Braly Jul. 25--Little changes can add up to pounds subtracted Want to lose a few pounds? Store shelves are flooded with weight-loss products. Turn on the TV, and you're bombarded with offers from companies...

Side Orders: Quality seafood hard to come by.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Anne Braly Jul. 25--EDITOR'S NOTE: Read Anne Braly's blog "Looking past high-calorie grocery offerings " here. Anne Patterson Braly Side Orders THE FOOD AND DRUG Administration's recent recall of certain...

Officials divided on tax reform.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Matt Wilson and Chloe Morrison Jul. 25--A proposal to do away with all property taxes in Georgia is being met with approval from some county officials, while others are worried that the plan takes away local control and puts it in...

Boyd-Buchanan picks president to uphold values.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Christina Cooke Jul. 25--As the new president of Boyd-Buchanan School, Lanny Witt said his main goal is to promote Christianity and spiritual values among the school's nearly 1,000 students. "The No. 1 goal is to glorify God...

Bledsoe jail official faces charges in inmate beating.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Dick Cook Jul. 25--PIKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Bledsoe County Jail Administrator Trish Johnson will be arraigned on charges of official oppression and perjury on Friday in Bledsoe County Circuit Court, officials said. Mrs. Johnson,...

Farm bill gets support, criticism Bipartisan.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Herman Wang Jul. 25--WASHINGTON -- Acknowledging that the House Agriculture Committee's farm bill is compromise legislation that will not please everybody, several committee members on Tuesday urged support when the full House...

Appalachian is easy No. 1 pick.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Wesley Rucker Jul. 25--GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The biggest anticipatory question at the 2007 Southern Conference Football Rouser wasn't whether Appalachian State would be voted the preseason favorite, but whether it would be a...

State pays for new area pre-k classes.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Angie Herrington Jul. 25--Thirty-nine new prekindergarten classes will open this fall across Southeast Tennessee, Gov. Phil Bredesen announced Tuesday. The 257 new classrooms statewide, which will serve about 4,000 more...

Private clubs have mixed success.
July 25, 2007... Byline: David Uchiyama Jul. 25--The membership status of private golf clubs in the Chattanooga area and beyond has been better. It's also been worse. "Clubs across the state on the private side are holding their own," said Joe...

Openness is key to avoiding foreclosure.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Jason M. Reynolds Jul. 25--Mum's not the word. Mortgage lenders say homeowners who are struggling to make their monthly payments shouldn't stay silent. Instead, they should contact their lender at the first sign of a problem....

Mocs defensive about seventh-place pick.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Wesley Rucker Jul. 25--GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Charles Profit looked like a big, angry man Tuesday morning. The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga senior defensive tackle, one of the team's two player representatives at the...

Obituaries.
July 25, 2007... Jul. 25--Chattanooga Times/Free Press, Tenn., Obituaries HAMILTON COUNTY Anthony Andrew Anthony Andrew, 33, of Chattanooga, passed away Sunday, July 22, 2007, at his home. He was a truck driver for Keon Trucking and was...

Hispanic kid count soars.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Emily Berry Jul. 25--Tennessee and Georgia had double-digit percentage increases in their populations of Hispanic children and children of immigrants between 2000 and 2005, according to a report issued today by the nonprofit...

Council delays vote on pay raise for city workers.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Michael Davis Jul. 25--After a stalemate over a previously enacted 3 percent pay increase for city workers, the Chattanooga City Council on Tuesday night delayed a first vote on the 2007-08 fiscal year budget. The council...

Home sweet homer.
July 25, 2007... Byline: David Paschall Jul. 25--The race for the most home runs among Chattanooga Lookouts players has been wide open all season, so why not add a late entry? Adam Rosales homered twice Tuesday night at AT&T Field as the Lookouts...

FSG increase lending, cut costs, report quarterly gain.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Emily Bregel Jul. 25--First Security Group Inc. reported increases in net income and revenue for the second quarter Tuesday on strong loan growth and expense control. FSG's profit in the quarter grew 2.6 percent to $2.9...

Bats return.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Kathy Gilbert Jul. 25--It isn't easy to love a bat. Squinty eyes, odd-shaped limbs, a habit of hanging upside down -- these are not traits of endearment. Yet human conservation efforts are helping to revive a colony of...

Fire issues dominate Fort Oglethorpe City Council talks.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Ronnie Moore Jul. 25--Failure of Catoosa County officials to respond to Fort Oglethorpe with information on issues of funding and potential consolidation of fire service departments, has upset members of the City Council. ...

Upgrading services.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Beverly A. Carroll Jul. 25--For the last five years, Copper Basin Medical Center has worked under the limitations of the isolated geography in the basin area of eastern Polk County, and without a full-time surgeon on staff. ...

Adams shrugs off criticism from Thurman new billboards.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Ian Berry Jul. 25--Hamilton County Commissioner Curtis Adams said Tuesday that anti-tax leader Rhonda Thurman is "not a hero" for her opposition to county leaders who approved a property tax increase. Mr. Adams said he is not...

Man killed in motorcycle crash.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Lauren Gregory Jul. 25--A 23-year-old man was killed Tuesday when his motorcycle did not make it around a curve in East Brainerd Road near Apison Elementary School, Hamilton County Sheriff's Department officials said. The...

New Catoosa County interstate link nixed.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Ronnie Moore Jul. 25--RINGGOLD, Ga. -- A proposal for interchange access to Interstate 75 at Three Notch Road is likely to be eliminated from a five-year work program and a 20-year growth plan for Catoosa County, officials said....

Thousands of Stars brighten city.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Kelli Gauthier Jul. 25--Thousands of motorcyclists thundered into Chattanooga on Tuesday to kick off the ninth annual rally of the international Star Touring and Riding Association. Star Days celebrates Star motorcycles and...

Frontier Women's Open is still a round behind.
July 25, 2007... Jul. 25--CROSSVILLE, Tenn. -- Bad weather continued to plague the 2007 Frontier Women's Open Championship on Tuesday, but at least the first round got finished. Lisa DePaulo of Austin, Texas, moved into a share of the lead with Monday...

Blog: Canon Cup features top recruits.
July 25, 2007... Byline: David Uchiyama Jul. 25--The recruiting list is long. It starts with Tiger Woods, continues with Stewart Cink, Paula Creamer, Morgan Pressel and Cristie Kerr and continues on to other professionals. They all played on the...

Wofford similar to final-four team.
July 25, 2007... Byline: David Uchiyama Jul. 25--GREENVILLE, S.C. -- The fact Wofford football coach Mike Ayers sees similarities between his 2003 national semifinal squad and his current team could result in similar success for the Terriers. The...

Lang, Scott headline U.S. Senior Women's qualifier.
July 25, 2007... Byline: David Uchiyama Jul. 25--A Curtis Cup captain and a five-time winner of the state senior women's tournament will be among a dozen golfers at the Chattanooga Golf and Country Club attempting to qualify Thursday for the U.S. Senior...

CVS opens local drop-in clinics.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Emily Berry Jul. 25--MinuteClinic drop-in clinics will open today at five Hamilton County CVS/pharmacy stores, continuing a trend of in-store medical offices that have opened nationally in recent years. Five MinuteClinics...

Mountain Mamas work to encourage creativity in women.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Chloe Morrison Jul. 25--CLOUDLAND, Ga. -- Ellen Spangler said some women don't consider sewing an art. "Women -- traditionally the things they've done haven't been considered art," she said. "It is considered what you have...

Homeless advocates split over wireless use.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Owen Hearey Jul. 25--Two years ago, Kenny Lindsey found himself homeless, diagnosed with bipolar disorder and schizophrenia, and serving five years on probation after a robbery conviction. Now Mr. Lindsey lives exclusively on...

Chaffin extradition scheduled.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Chloe Morrison Jul. 25--Former LaFayette policeman Harbin "Ben" Chaffin was scheduled to be back in Walker County today to face three felony charges, after his second arrest related to missing Walker County 911 dispatcher Theresa...

BRIEF: Construction workers dies after wall collapses.
July 25, 2007... Jul. 25--A construction worker who was partially trapped under a fallen brick wall on Vine Street today has died, Chattanooga police confirmed this afternoon. Jesse Banks, 56, reportedly was helping to tear down a building at 526 Vine...

BRIEF: Missing woman found in Soddy-Daisy.
July 25, 2007... Jul. 25--A Hamilton County woman reported missing Tuesday has been found, officials said. Theresa Kirk, whose family contacted authorities Monday, was located by a neighbor in the Moses Road area of Soddy-Daisy, said Hamilton County...

BRIEF: Billboards will go up, with disclaimers.
July 25, 2007... Byline: Ian Berry Jul. 25--An anti-tax group and Fairway Outdoor Advertising reached a compromise today that will allow for five billboards poking fun at County Mayor Claude Ramsey and five county commissioners who approved the tax...

Schools eye news ways to assess learning.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Christina Cooke Jul. 23--During her first year of teaching middle-school math at Howard School for Academics and Technology last year, Kay Goodgame was well aware of the latest ways to assess student knowledge. She knew about...

Local man pleads guilty to convenience store drug sales.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Brian Lazenby Jul. 23--A Chattanooga man accused of selling crack cocaine from the Discount Food Market on Fourth Avenue pleaded guilty today in federal court. LaFrederick Deon Sails, 26, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to...

Libraries ask school board for money.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Chloe Morrison Jul. 23--Director of the Cherokee Regional Library System Lecia Eubanks said she has asked the Walker County school board for $6,000 extra to support the four libraries in Walker and Dade counties. "We are not...

Obituaries.
July 23, 2007... Jul. 23--Chattanooga Times/Free Press, Tenn., Obituaries HAMILTON COUNTY Cassie Boston Cassie Dee Boston, 57, of Chattanooga, passed away Saturday, July 21, 2007, in a local hospital. Arrangements will be announced later by...

Cardiologist files discrimination lawsuit against Erlanger.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Brian Lazenby and Emily Berry Jul. 23--A area cardiologist claims in a federal lawsuit filed Friday that he was discriminated against by Erlanger hospital because of his race. Dr. Calvin A. Bell, who is black, filed a lawsuit...

Fast track to fill school posts in math, science.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Beverly A. Carroll Jul. 23--Gov. Phil Bredesen is committed to expanding a 2-year-old program to fast-track professionals through teacher training to help school districts hire teachers for hard-to-fill math and science...

Fast-track teacher program praised.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Beverly A. Carroll Jul. 23--CLEVELAND, Tenn. -- When Robert Donaghy's wife asked him what he was going to do with the second half of his life, the Cleveland resident said teaching was the first thing that popped into his mind....

Easing the pain of separation.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Mary Fortune Jul. 23--As hundreds of Tennessee National Guard soldiers spend long, sweltering days training in Texas for deployment to Iraq, the families they left behind are forging bonds of friendship and support. "It helps...

Bledsoe trying to keep inmate costs down.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Ben Benton Jul. 23--PIKEVILLE, Tenn. -- Since the Bledsoe County Jail was shut down in May, officials say taxpayers have footed the bill for housing inmates in other counties and transporting them back and forth to court in...

More mold repairs force county office shuffle.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Ian Berry Jul. 23--Several Hamilton County government departments are on the move so workers can fix remaining mold problems despite several million dollars spent on renovations. "We've conditioned ourselves to move, knowing...

UTC plant project serves as model for national database.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Beverly A. Carroll Jul. 23--In a cramped room on the ground floor of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga's biology building is a gold mine of information on plants native to Hamilton and surrounding counties. Few...

Authorities in drug case seek to shut down East Lake store.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Brian Lazenby Jul. 23--Attorneys are scheduled to present evidence in Hamilton County Criminal Court today to determine if a Discount Food Market will be padlocked because of alleged drug sales in the store. FBI agents and...

Drought credited with saving Lafayette man's life.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Owen Hearey Jul. 23--The area's drought may be devastating area farmers, but the dry spell also may have saved the life of one Walker County, Ga., man. Justin Love, of LaFayette, Ga., spent 28 hours trapped under his Jeep...

State Capitol to update access for disabled by January.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Andy Sher Jul. 23--NASHVILLE -- People with disabilities who come to Tennessee's Capitol complex should have easier access to restrooms in the Legislative Plaza by the time lawmakers reconvene in January, officials said. ...

Lula Lake seeks Georgia partnership.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Chloe Morrison Jul. 23--Just before Robert M. Davenport died on Superbowl Sunday in 1994, he made the decision to preserve Lula Lake and the surrounding area, even though he had spent his life developing property for real estate....

Free fans help needy beat the heat.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Kathy Gilbert Jul. 23--When Roger Hamrick, a 50-year-old retired city employee from Soddy-Daisy, needed a fan this year, he dialed 211. "I draw a real small Social Security check and broke my back a few years back. I don't...

Boomers came of age when song lyrics meant something.
July 23, 2007... Byline: Karen Nazor Hill Jul. 23--Baby boomers, and others who remember the 1960s, may not like today's popular music as much as they did when they were teens or college students, but they're still forking over the dollars for CDs. ...

Vols receivers 'really fast'.
July 21, 2007... Byline: Gentry Estes Jul. 21--KNOXVILLE -- David Cutcliffe doesn't have an answer, just a few hints. A 31-year coaching veteran, Cutcliffe isn't about to hand a starting spot to any player, no matter how talented, before his first...

School changes name, mission.
July 21, 2007... Byline: Jason M. Reynolds Jul. 21--After some soul searching, the owners of Electronic Computer Programming College changed the school's name to Chattanooga College and set new course offerings to meet changing industry training needs....

Telecom division at EPB shows first profit.
July 21, 2007... Byline: Jason M. Reynolds Jul. 21--EPB's 7-year-old communications division ended the past year with a net income of $652,000, the first time the unit has turned a profit, officials said Friday. "Each year we've increased the sales...

Churches look for ways to energize during vacation-laden months.
July 21, 2007... Byline: Clint Cooper Jul. 21--Attendance is down. Giving is off. It's the summer slump. And nearly every church experiences it. "I don't think any church can say they have a handle on that," said Joihelene Holloway, administrator of...

New Tennessee Junior Miss chairpersons announced.
July 21, 2007... Byline: Susan Pierce Jul. 21--Traci Dunn Fant's involvement with the Tennessee Junior Miss program comes full circle tonight: contestant to titleholder to state chairwoman. Mrs. Fant, and husband Charles, will be announced as the new...

Banking prepared Townsend for clerk post.
July 21, 2007... Byline: Dick Cook Jul. 21--TRENTON, Ga. -- Don Townsend, Dade's new county clerk, said his career in banking prepared him for his duties with the county. Mr. Townsend worked more than 11 years at the Bank of Dade, rising to chief...

McCormick blasts school officials for ungratefulness.
July 21, 2007... Byline: Andy Sher and Christina Cooke Jul. 21--McCormick Letter The head of Hamilton County's legislative delegation said Friday that he felt slighted by local school officials' remarks about the $12.8 million in new state education...