Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, TN) articles from June 2001

Chattanooga Times/Free Press (Chattanooga, TN) archives from June 2001

Tennessee Energy Laboratory May Benefit from Bush Energy Plan.
June 1, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Jun. 1--President Bush's energy plan could give a extra jolt to the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, including the possible revival of the breeder reactor project scrapped in East Tennessee more than two decades ago,...

Couple To Renovate Chattanooga, Tenn., Building for Office, Retail Space.
June 1, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Jun. 1--Renovating old houses in Highland Park is "near and dear" to Heather Bell's heart, but Mrs. Bell and her husband, Jonathan, are expanding their renovation efforts into the commercial sector. The couple...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Businessman Is Partner in Waste Disposal Firm.
June 1, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 1--Chattanooga businessman Corky Coker built a national reputation selling vintage tires, and he hopes to see results in another transportation venture -- hauling commercial waste. Mr. Coker is a partner in...

Hamilton County, Tenn., Bank to Celebrate Opening of New Headquarters.
June 2, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Jun. 2--Community Trust & Banking Co. will celebrate the grand opening of its $2 million headquarters next week. The two-story complex being dedicated Monday near Lee Highway and Interstate 75 is the tallest and...

Oldest Hotel in Chattanooga, Tenn., Is on the Market.
June 2, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 2--Chattanooga's oldest hotel and one of downtown's anchors is on the market. The 75-year-old Radisson Read House has been put up for sale by its Atlanta owner, Tech Motel Ltd., said Lois Davis, the hotel's...

Computer Application Service Provider Buys Chattanooga, Tenn., Office Site.
June 2, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 2--Part of the site that housed Chattanooga's oldest manufacturer will receive new life and become home to a startup high-tech firm. A building at Central Avenue and East 11th Street that was used by soft drink...

Chattanooga, Tenn.-Based Engineering Firm Will Relocate.
June 5, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 5--A downtown Chattanooga business, citing a lack of parking and employee security, is moving out of the central city and into to a suburban office park. The engineering firm Arcadis, Geraghty & Miller Inc. is...

Hospital Giant Stays in Chattanooga, Tenn.'s Biggest Health Insurer's Plan.
June 5, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Jun. 5--Chattanooga's biggest health insurer has patched up its differences with the nation's biggest hospital chain to allow thousands of Chattanoogans to continue to use hospitals such as Parkridge, East Ridge and...

Blood Costs Mount for Chattanooga, Tenn.-Area Hospitals.
June 5, 2001... Byline: Carolyne Park Jun. 5--Hospitals here and across the nation are coping with big increases in blood costs. A new procedure to reduce the chance of patients becoming ill from a transfusion significantly increased blood prices to...

Harrison, Tenn., Construction-Waste Landfill Hopes to Expand.
June 5, 2001... Byline: Judy Walton Jun. 5--The owner of a construction-waste landfill in Harrison has applied for a state permit to expand the site. Some residents along Birchwood Pike, who have complained of noxious odors, speeding trucks and...

Chattanooga, Tenn.-Based Cola Company Launches Entry in Soft Drink War.
June 6, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 6--Chattanooga-based Double-Cola is launching a new entry in the soft drink wars with the unveiling of a caffeine-free version of its orange-lemon product Ski. "We want to offer our current and potential...

Tennessee Utility to Help Fight Against Bringing Older Plants Up to Standard.
June 6, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Jun. 6--The Tennessee Valley Authority, which is already fighting a federal order to clean up its oldest coal plants in court, is joining other utilities to also mount a political battle against bringing its aging...

Former Workers of Engine Manufacturing Plant Struggle to Find Jobs in Georgia.
June 7, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Jun. 7--Time is running out for Marilyn Wilson. The Adairsville, Ga., resident has been jobless since December, when Outboard Marine Corp. declared bankruptcy and closed its engine manufacturing plant in...

Owners to Discuss Sale of Chattanooga, Tenn., Radisson Hotel.
June 7, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 7--Representatives of the Atlanta owners of the Radisson Read House will be in Chattanooga today and Friday talking over the sale of the hotel to parties that could include local interests. "We think partial...

Rising Gas Prices, Slowing Manufacturing Activity Hinder Tennessee Trucker.
June 7, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Jun. 7--Rising gas prices and slowing manufacturing activity continue to create roadblocks for one of Chattanooga's biggest trucking companies. For the second time this year, Covenant Transport announced...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Airport Officials Court Major Carriers during Festival.
June 8, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 8--Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport officials courted airline executives Thursday and today, showing off the city's revitalized downtown and hoping to build a case for the airlines to provide more service here. ...

Partners Revive Custom Car-Parts Business in Chattanooga, Tenn.
June 8, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Jun. 8--"Honest hisself" would undoubtedly be proud. The custom components business started in 1948 by the late Charles Card Jr. -- known as "Honest hisself" -- has been re-established through a partnership...

Cigna Offices in Chattanooga, Tenn., to Gain Jobs.
June 8, 2001... Jun. 8--Cigna Corp. plans to add jobs to its Chattanooga operations as the insurer cuts its work force at its Connecticut General Life Insurance Co. subsidiary in Memphis. The Philadelphia-based company said it is trimming 176 jobs at one...

Concession Stand Offers Louisiana-Style Treats near Chattanooga, Tenn., Park.
June 8, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Jun. 8--The Mudpie and the Big Much got together and created Dogzilla. Dogzilla is described as a dinosaur who eats snoballs and hot dogs instead of kids and is the name of a new concession stand directly facing...

Owners of New Chattanooga, Tenn., Building Supply Firm Focus on Service.
June 9, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 9--Stan Brown says he can go into a big-box home improvement store, look at the people waiting in line and tell who is the professional builder. "He's the one fidgeting and trying to get out of there. For...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Internet Service Provider To Be Sold.
June 9, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Jun. 9--A local Internet service provider to more than 1,800 Chattanoogans will be sold next month to the highest bidder in federal bankruptcy court. Chattanooga Data Connection, one of Chattanooga's biggest...

Tennessee Committee To Propose 1 Percent Sales Tax Increase.
June 9, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Jun. 9--Lee Coffman of East Ridge minds the prospect of a higher Tennessee sales tax far less than Gov. Don Sundquist. With a new fiscal year starting July 1 and the state facing an $880 million budget shortfall,...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Seminars Aim To Help Entrepreneurs Start Tech Firms.
June 9, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 9--Craig Harston sees a major contrast between starting a high-tech company and setting up a more traditional business. "When someone is trying to introduce a new product and invention, they don't have the cash...

Arts, Handicrafts Shop Opens in Chickamauga, Ga.
June 12, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 12--Joke Plunkett worked for the Dutch ministry of defense when she moved to the United States in 1987. Today, near the grounds of the historic Civil War battle of Chickamauga, she and her husband, Larry, are...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Conference Center Falls Short of Projections.
June 12, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 12--Business is slower than expected at the Chattanoogan, and an official said Tuesday the forecast for the summer may not improve. "The pace is not where it should be at this time," said General Manager Dave...

Chattanooga, Tenn.-Area Development Gets Approval for More Condos.
June 12, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Jun. 12--The developers of Cummings Cove, a golfing community being developed in Lookout Valley, apparently satisfied objections from its neighbors and received approval Monday from the Chattanooga-Hamilton County...

Greenville, S.C.-Based Newsprint Manufacturer Resumes Normal Production Level.
June 12, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Jun. 12--Things are back to normal at Bowater Inc. after the newsprint manufacturer cut back production for two months. Gordon Manuel, a spokesman for the Greenville, S.C.-based company, said Bowater curbed...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Real Estate Executive to Receive Award.
June 13, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 13--At age 69, longtime Chattanooga real estate executive Fletcher Bright is working on his biggest deal. Mr. Bright's company is involved in a joint venture to see 500 acres of land near Canton, Ga., north of...

Chamber to Raise Funds for Chattanooga, Tenn., Job-Growth Effort.
June 14, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 14--The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce hopes to raise $3 million in private money over three years to help fund what it calls the city's most aggressive job-growth effort ever. Chamber officials are telling...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Chamber Aims to Raise $3 Million for Job-Growth Project.
June 14, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 14--The Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce hopes to raise $3 million in private money over three years to help fund what it calls the city's most aggressive job-growth effort ever. Chamber officials are telling...

Tennessee Utility Prepares for Hot Summer Weather.
June 14, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Jun. 14--The mercury climbed into the 90s in Chattanooga on Wednesday for the first time this summer. But amid the heat and humidity outside, Tennessee Valley Authority and energy advisers kept their cool...

Mother, Son Open Employment Service in Chattanooga, Tenn.
June 15, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Jun. 15--Teresa Dampier wanted to go into business for herself, and her son, Jason Dickson, was looking for a job. So the mother-son duo got together and recently opened Expert Employment Service in the Doctors...

Merchant Bank Acquires Investment Management Firm in Tennessee.
June 15, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Jun. 15--For the past decade and a half as a financial consultant and portfolio manager, Curt Seiler has focused on buying the right companies. So when he went shopping this spring for an investment company to...

Bread Store Owners to Launch Franchises in Chattanooga, Tenn., Area.
June 16, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Jun. 16--As sweet as customers have found The Bread Basket's baked goodies for the last dozen years, those cookies, pastries and breads will soon be sweeter still for the company's owners. Charlie and Marie Hyde...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Power Board Upgrades 63-Year-Old Substation.
June 16, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Jun. 16--When the Electric Power Board was established in Chattanooga 61 years ago, the utility's power came from a single source -- the substation powered by TVA's Chickamauga Dam. Six decades later, the...

Tennessee Governor Nominates Top Aide As Utility Director.
June 16, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Jun. 16--Gov. Don Sundquist is backing another one of his top aides to serve as a director of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Courtney Pearre, a Nashville attorney who previously served as chief counsel and chief...

Head of Chattanooga, Tenn., Water Utility Endorses Larger Firms.
June 16, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Jun. 16--KNOXVILLE, Tenn.--Two years after his company fought off a takeover attempt from the city of Chattanooga, the head of Chattanooga's water utility suggested Friday that bigger, privately owned utilities are...

Comcast Fights Cable Television Theft in Chattanooga, Tenn., Area.
June 18, 2001... Byline: Kimberly Greuter Jun. 18--A restitution hearing is scheduled today for a former East Ridge police officer who was charged last year with two counts of theft of cable television service. Clyde "Butch" Bryson, 42, agreed earlier...

Investments Rise, Jobs Decline in Hamilton County, Tenn.
June 18, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 18--Jim Frost plans to double the size of his Chattanooga knife-making plant later this year and boost the company's work force by about 20 employees. "Our business has grown. We need the extra space," said Mr....

Chattanooga, Tenn., Airport Officials Criticize Delta Air Lines' Service.
June 19, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 19--Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport officials Monday scolded Atlantic Southeast Airlines and parent company Delta Air Lines for subpar service. Some members talked about suing ASA, saying the city has been...

Greenville, S.C.-Based Paper Maker Aims to Avoid Layoffs in Calhoun, Tenn.
June 19, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Jun. 19--Bowater, Inc., will shut down one of the five paper machines at its Calhoun, Tenn., plant Thursday for at least two months, but might avoid layoffs. The newsprint and paper manufacturer made the...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Specialty Shop Emphasizes Personal Service.
June 19, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 19--When Rodney and Susan Bass started their Chattanooga specialty shop 25 years ago, they didn't realize how little they knew about running a small business. "We went in without any retail experience at all....

Best Buy to Open Store in Chattanooga, Tenn.
June 20, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 20--Best Buy, the Minneapolis-based electronics and appliances retailer, is powering up operations in Chattanooga. The company announced Tuesday it will open a 45,000-square-foot store in the former Albertson's...

Two Businessmen Plan to Restart Chattanooga, Tenn., Condominium Project.
June 20, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Jun. 20--Two Chattanooga businessmen have put the stalled condominium project in the Lovemans building back on track. National investment banker Nelson Bowers and Buck Schimpf, a veteran of 25 years in real...

Production Halted at Chattanooga, Tenn., Wood, Paper Industry Equipment Plant.
June 20, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Jun. 20--Less than two years after acquiring Graco Inc., Dietcher Bryce Inc. has ceased manufacturing at the 39-year-old company. "The economic conditions have really deteriorated in the past eight months," said...

Manufacturer's $8 Million Expansion Is Good for Economy in Athens, Tenn.
June 21, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Jun. 21--The economic news in Athens, Tenn., was good for a change Wednesday, when Denso Manufacturing Tennessee broke ground on an $8 million expansion. The expansion will consist of a 50,000-square-foot building...

Ford to Fund 50 Hispanic-Owned Dealerships.
June 21, 2001... Byline: Adolfo Pesquera Jun. 21--Ford Motor Co. has a new Job One: a plan to open 50 Hispanic-owned U.S. auto dealerships in five years, officials with Ford and a key Hispanic business organization said. Ford officials signed an...

Georgia Firm to Manufacture to Textile, Automotive Replacement Parts.
June 21, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Jun. 21--Teammates for five years and competitors for eight, Larry Cope and David Davis are teammates again. The two North Georgia businessmen have merged their companies and will move forward as Precision Products...

Second Quarter Results Up for Chattanooga, Tenn.-Based Consumer Products Firm.
June 22, 2001... Jun. 22--Chattanooga-based Chattem Inc. said Thursday second quarter results beat its earlier guidance and analysts' expectations as it recorded net income of $3.4 million, or 38 cents per share. The consensus of analysts was that the...

New Traffic System in Chattanooga, Tenn. to Give Buses the Green Light.
June 22, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 22--CARTA will be the first public transit agency statewide to install a system on some buses that will keep traffic lights green longer so its vehicles can go through intersections faster. "It could save...

Colorado-Based Ceramic Packaging Plant Lays Off 25 in Chattanooga, Tenn.
June 22, 2001... Jun. 22--Chattanooga's CoorsTek plant laid off 25 employees this week as it feels the effects of a slowdown in the telecommunications industry, an official said Thursday. The Manufacturers Road facility, which produces ceramic packaging...

Tennessee Unemployment Figures Show Near-Record Low in Hamilton County.
June 22, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Jun. 22-- Unemployment in Hamilton County ebbed to a near-historic low in May, according to figures released Thursday by the state of Tennessee. The Department of Labor and Workforce Development's monthly report...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Airport Looks for More Revenues.
June 23, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 23--Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, hit by the Comair strike, is looking for more revenues. Airport officials on Friday heard a proposal for a parking fee increase and they may ask other entities, including the...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Funeral Homes Find Ways to Stay Competitive.
June 23, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 23--Construction company chief Gary Mason said renovating a funeral home isn't an ordinary job. On most refurbishing projects, workmen hammer and saw while employees and clients manage best they can. But on...

Paper Maker Bowater to Lay Off 29 Employees at Calhoun, Tenn., Plant.
June 23, 2001... Jun. 23--Bowater's Calhoun, Tenn., newsprint mill will lay off 29 employees by the end of next week, a spokesman for the company said Friday. "This is regrettable," said Darrell Douglas, personnel director at Bowater's Calhoun plant....

Comair Likely to Begin Flying Some Pre-Strike Flights in Chattanooga, Tenn.
June 26, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 26--Comair is expected to begin flying in Chattanooga again July 12 with one departure, but the regional airline won't resume all five of its pre-strike flights at Lovell Field until September, an official said...

Tennessee Health Plan Adds New Insurers, Hopes for Smooth Transition.
June 26, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Jun. 26--More than 250,000 Tennesseans will change their health plans next week in the biggest revamp of TennCare since the Medicaid-funded program began seven years ago. But TennCare director Mark Reynolds hopes...

Tennessee Valley Authority to Hire Weather Forecaster to Help Keep Down Costs.
June 26, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Jun. 26--The Tennessee Valley Authority will bring on a new weapon this week in its battle to keep low-cost power flowing in the hot summer months. TVA is hiring a weather forecaster. The federal utility,...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Conference Center Projects Financial Shortfall.
June 27, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 27--The Chattanoogan conference center is projecting a $757,000 loss in the coming year, and the city may have to make up the shortfall. Officials for the management company running the $43-million, city-owned...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Retirement Facility May Benefit from Refinancing Plan.
June 27, 2001... Jun. 27--Asbury Center's Chattanooga retirement facility could receive some refurbishing as the result of a planned refinancing of up to $12 million in bonds by the company. Knoxville attorney Warren Sanger said Tuesday the Maryville,...

WorldCom Launches High-Speed Internet Access Service in Chattanooga, Tenn.
June 27, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Jun. 27--Despite the economic static for many telecommunication ventures in Tennessee, providers of a new type of high-speed Internet service still claim a clear channel of business opportunity in Chattanooga. ...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Entrepreneur Opens Seasonal Gift Shop.
June 28, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Jun. 28--Christmas has already arrived near Coolidge Park. That happened recently with the opening of Carousel Christmas Shoppe on the North Shore in the vicinity of the park. A Chattanooga holiday tree is...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Man Hopes to Add More Steak Delivery Chain Outlets.
June 29, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Jun. 29--Michael Hagen is a young man with a mission. Mr. Hagen, 29, wants to re-establish the Steak-Out name in the Chattanooga area market and add more stores to the one Steak-Out on Lee Highway that is open...

Automobile Association Estimates Increase in July 4 Auto Travel.
June 30, 2001... Jun. 30--Mike Burdette is planning to burn a little gas around the Fourth of July, but nothing compared to what he'll see burned next weekend at Daytona Beach, Fla. Mr. Burdette and his wife, Sarah, plan to head south to visit friends and...

Nashville, Tenn., Health Plan's Computer Conversion To Ease Payment Problems.
June 30, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Jun. 30--Glen Watson is planning a special Independence Day celebration next Wednesday. By then, the head of the TennCare health plan Access MedPlus expects that his company will have largely completed its $10...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Publicly Traded Firms Fare Better Than Overall Market.
June 30, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Jun. 30--Chattanooga's stock-traded companies didn't join in the running of the bulls in the late 1990s. But the local publicly traded companies are faring better than the overall market this year. All but one of...

Lower Income Tax Rates Begin.
June 30, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Jun. 30--Some Chattanooga area taxpayers will see their paychecks grow a little fatter next week thanks to the $1.35 trillion tax cut passed by Congress earlier this year. However, many workers will see no change, and...