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

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

Chattanooga, Tenn., Milliner Keeps Old Store Alive.
October 2, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Oct. 2--Hats off to Pat Hogue. Ms. Hogue says she's keeping the country's last surviving Wormser Hat Store open, and is liquidating a couple of merchandise categories to make room for more hats. Ms. Hogue...

Production of Iron Castings Delayed at New Etoway, Tenn., Foundry.
October 2, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Oct. 2--Production at the new Waupaca Foundry Inc. plant in Etowah, Tenn., which was to have begun Monday, has been delayed. "We're going to begin pouring iron the week of Oct. 15," said Jim Larson, the...

Financier Hopes to Turn Around Idled Tennessee Nuclear Power Reactors.
October 2, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Oct. 2--For nearly two decades, TVA's oldest and newest nuclear reactors have generated political heat but no electric power. Franklin Haney is convinced he can change that. The Chattanooga financier, who...

Planned Chattanooga, Tenn., Trade Center Already Faces Competition.
October 2, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 2--When Chattanooga's bigger Trade Center opens in 2003, officials say the doubling of exhibit space will put the facility in a new league and triple its economic impact to the city to $70 million a year. ...

Study Looks at Passenger-Train Service in Tennessee.
October 2, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 2--Passenger trains from Chattanooga to Nashville or Bristol are under study as part of a look at rail service in Tennessee that could gain a renewed emphasis after last month's suicide air strike. "The Sept. 11...

Reduction of Interest Rates Has Downside for Some Investors.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Oct. 3--Falling interest rates may cheer borrowers, but those renewing certificates of deposit at their local bank are being hit with sticker shock. The Central Bank's efforts to boost the economy with lower...

Hamilton County, Tenn., Auto Dealers Struggle to Boost Sales.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 3--New vehicle sales struggled in September in Hamilton County as dealers sought to counter the impact of the nation's worst terrorist attack. Sales of new cars, trucks and vans countywide were off about 24...

Tennessee Realtors Gather to Discuss Relief Fund, Tax Issues at Convention.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Oct. 3--Realtors remain opposed to banks being allowed to offer real estate brokerage services, but aren't actively lobbying on the issue because of the recent terrorist attacks have put such activities on hold, said...

Developer Asks Permission to Build New Grocery Store in Chattanooga, Tenn.
October 3, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Oct. 3--Bi-Lo is proposing to relocate its South Broad Street supermarket into a bigger store along with a new Eckerd Drugs Store. The Amereco Group of Huntsville, Ala., will ask the Chattanooga-Hamilton County...

Tennessee Valley Authority to Add Pollution Controls at Coal-Fired Plants.
October 5, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Oct. 5--The Tennessee Valley Authority announced Thursday it will install scrubbers at four more of its biggest coal-fired power plants as part of a $5 billion effort to clean up its dirtiest plants. "This...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Nuclear Engineer Says He Blew Whistle, Lost TVA Job.
October 5, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Oct. 5--A nuclear engineer says he was dismissed from the Tennessee Valley Authority for blowing the whistle on the utility's problems with radiation exposure records for thousands of current and former TVA employees...

Goody's Family Clothing Opens Store in Hixson, Tenn.
October 5, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Oct. 5--Getting into Hixson's new Goody's Family Clothing store was worth a 30-minute wait for Chris Scarbrough. "I'm impressed," said Mrs. Scarbrough, who waited in a long line early Thursday morning for Goody's...

Woman Heads SunTrust Bank in Chattanooga, Tenn.
October 5, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Oct. 5--Margaret Callihan became the first female president of a major Chattanooga bank this summer when she relocated from Nashville to help head SunTrust Bank in Chattanooga. It's not a role the Long Island,...

Home Depot to Present Proposal for Store Replacement in Chattanooga, Tenn.
October 6, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Oct. 6--Home Depot wants to build a new store near Hamilton Place to replace its store on Perimeter Drive, which opened in 1987 and was the first Home Depot in Tennessee. The Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional...

President of Realtor Group Expresses Confidence in Real Estate Industry.
October 6, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Oct. 6--Although the nation's real estate industry temporarily slowed with recent terrorist attacks, the president-elect of the National Association of Realtors said his group anticipates a resurgence in business in...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Airport Sees Decline Due to Shutdown, Public Wariness.
October 11, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 11--Boardings at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport plunged nearly in half last month as the temporary aviation shutdown and the public's jitters dampened traffic. "We think we've gotten through the worst," said...

Covista Communications to Move Headquarters to Chattanooga, Tenn.
October 11, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Oct. 11--Five years after moving his family to Hamilton County, Henry Luken is bringing his growing long-distance business and more than 100 employees to Chattanooga. Covista Communications Inc. announced Tuesday...

Chickamauga, Ga.-Based Geotextiles Maker to Produce Items for Military.
October 11, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Oct. 11--Founded in 1967 in North Georgia to make sandbag fabric for the Vietnam conflict, SI Corp. is again answering the call of the U.S. military in America's new war on terrorism. The Chickamauga, Ga.-based...

Chattanooga, Tenn., High-Tech Firm to File Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection.
October 11, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Oct. 11--The Chattanooga company noted for its high-speed streaming video is having to slow down its spending and expansion plans. st3, Chattanooga's biggest high-tech startup firm, plans to file a Chapter 11...

Tennessee Officials to Make Way for Construction of Four Intersections.
October 11, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 11--State of Tennessee officials have agreed to turn over Riverfront Parkway to the city and open the way for the building of four intersections to increase access into downtown. Gov. Don Sundquist said Monday...

Tennessee Power Producer, Distributors Still in Talks over Contract Changes.
October 11, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Oct. 11--The Tennessee Valley Authority, the nation's biggest government power producer, may soon give up some of its power to its customers. TVA is negotiating to revamp contracts with its 158 distributors to...

Real Estate Brokerage Firm in Chattanooga, Tenn., Moves to New Location.
October 11, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Oct. 11--The Charter Real Estate Corp. is moving its offices from a downtown bank building to the former location of a well-known neighborhood market and restaurant. Charter recently bought the brick building at...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Leaders Discuss Renovation of Downtown Areas.
October 12, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Oct. 12--Tales of two renovations were told at Thursday's Chattanooga Downtown Partnership quarterly breakfast meeting. Paul K. Brock Jr., president of the Siskin Children's Institute, and Buck Schimpf, one of the...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Business Partnership Discusses Downtown Renovations.
October 12, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Oct. 12--Tales of two renovations were told at Thursday's Chattanooga Downtown Partnership quarterly breakfast meeting. Paul K. Brock Jr., president of the Siskin Children's Institute, and Buck Schimpf, one of the...

San Diego-Based Leap Wireless Takes Low-Cost Service to Chattanooga, Tenn.
October 12, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Oct. 12--Rocky Crossland has followed an unusual career path in the wireless phone industry. But the new general manager of Cricket Communications in Chattanooga says he is now exactly where he wants to be. ...

Chickamauga, Ga.-Based SI Corp. to Quit Making Polypropylene Sales Yarn.
October 12, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Oct. 12--SI Corp. is quitting its polypropylene sales yarn business after nearly three decades. The Chickamauga, Ga.-based geotextiles manufacturer announced Thursday that it will discontinue production of its...

Bank Head Gains Top Position at Chattanooga, Tenn., Chamber of Commerce.
October 13, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 13--The head of one of the city's largest banks will be named to the top post of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce early next week, sources said Friday. Tom Edd Wilson oversees the Bank of America's...

Foreclosures in Chattanooga, Tenn., Area on the Rise Since 1998.
October 13, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Oct. 13--Some homeowners are finding it harder to keep a house than to buy one. The number of foreclosures in Hamilton County has been on the rise since 1998, the first year Hamilton County Register of Deeds Pam...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Airport Looks to Offset Security Costs.
October 16, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 16--Chattanooga airport officials are looking at tacking on an extra $1 parking fee to help pay for heightened security and permit the reopening of the short-term lot. Also, the airport has put on hold the...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Examines Ways to Draw Economic Development.
October 16, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Oct. 16--The mountains and rivers that help draw more than 8 million visitors a year to Chattanooga are less hospitable for major industries. With limited flat land available in the region, Chattanooga was...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Ranks High in Share of High-Growth Businesses.
October 16, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Oct. 16--The Tennessee Valley may not match the Silicon Valley for technology startup businesses. But in the 1990s, Chattanooga still generated a bigger share of high-growth businesses than most cities its size....

Chattanooga, Tenn., Lures Office of Venture Capital Firm.
October 16, 2001... Byline: Duane W. Gang Oct. 16--A key ingredient in spurring economic development in Chattanooga, Mayor Bob Corker has long said, is access to capital. Now, with a venture capital firm setting up an office here this month, the mayor said...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Chamber of Commerce Chooses New Leader.
October 17, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 17--Banking veteran Tom Edd Wilson was picked Tuesday to lead the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce, which now turns its focus to finding a new business recruiter. "I believe that attracting, maintaining and...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Trade Center Maintains Revenue Levels in September.
October 18, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 18--Trade Center officials for once are glad Chattanooga isn't a heavy fly-in convention market. Revenues at the Chattanooga/Hamilton County Convention & Trade Center held up in September in spite of the...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Company Agrees to Offer Internet Video Technology.
October 18, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Oct. 18--A Chattanooga company trying to capitalize on the emerging market for video streaming is getting some help in and out of court this week. NexLec, the parent company of st3 in Chattanooga, announced...

Gas Prices Decline in Chattanooga, Tenn., Area.
October 19, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Oct. 19--After spiking briefly in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, gasoline prices are in free fall around Chattanooga and elsewhere. The price for a gallon of regular unleaded gas averaged $1.22 at...

Chattanooga, Tenn.-Area Transportation Board Recognizes 30 Years in Business.
October 19, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 19--When CARTA's board was created 30 years ago, it not only oversaw bus service but taxis and ambulances in Chattanooga. "Taxis took up a tremendous amount of time," said Tom Dugan, the Chattanooga Area Regional...

Wal-Mart to Open Supercenter Store in Chattanooga, Tenn., Area.
October 19, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Oct. 19--The largest Wal-Mart store in the Chattanooga area will open at 8 a.m. Wednesday in the new Oak Park Town Center in Hixson. The Wal-Mart Supercenter covers 228,000 square feet or, as store manager Tom...

Chattanooga, Ten., Conference to Discuss Entrepreneurship.
October 20, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 20--More than eight of every 10 companies that start up at business incubators and then graduate stay in the city where they're spawned, says TVA Chairman Glenn McCullough. "It's enabling people in the Tennessee...

Multinational Auto Equipment Company to Close Chattanooga, Tenn., Plant.
October 20, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 20--Ahlstrom Engine Filtration will shut its Chattanooga manufacturing plant around the end of the year, officials said Friday. The closing will impact about 70 employees who work at the West 45th Street facility...

Chattanooga, Tenn.-Area Residents Refinance Loans, Mortgages.
October 20, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Oct. 20--Joe Gibson obtained a mortgage on a new home in Cohutta, Ga., 15 years ago at an interest rate of 9.5 percent, the best rate available at the time. Later, Mr. Gibson added onto the house, acquired extra...

Tourism in Chattanooga, Tenn., Could Experience Positive Fourth Quarter.
October 20, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Oct. 20--Bad weather might keep Johnny Swann from flying to San Francisco later this month, but the threat of terrorism won't. The Chattanooga pharmacist made plans six months ago to fly from Nashville to San...

Auto Parts Maker Waupaca Slowly Brings Tennessee Plant On Line.
October 23, 2001... Oct. 23--Waupaca Foundry's new Etowah, Tenn., plant is closer to being ready, but still not quite there. Chip Chandler, the plant's personnel manager, said Monday that some of the $95 million factory is up and running, but the entire...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Better Business Bureau Reports Rise in Charity Scams.
October 23, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 23--The Chattanooga area's Better Business Bureau has seen a jump in inquiries about groups pitching charitable appeals since the Sept. 11 terrorist strike. "People are taking advantage of a grieved nation," said...

Tennessee Official Suggests Incentive Funds Should Incubate Small Businesses.
October 23, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 23--States spend lavishly to woo the big, high-profile plant, but a top Tennessee official wondered Monday if there's enough support for the silent entrepreneurs creating 80 percent of new jobs. "Are we spending...

Tennessee Legislators May Consider Increase in Business Taxes.
October 24, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 24--New or higher business taxes could be on the table if another special legislative session is called in Tennessee in the next few weeks, the head of a statewide business group said Tuesday. Dave Goetz,...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Conference Center Hurt by Slowing Economy, Lack of Travel.
October 24, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 24--The Chattanoogan conference center is operating under a hiring and salary freeze as it tries to grapple with the twin troubles of a slow economy and the Sept. 11 terrorist strikes. "We've done serious cost...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Hotel Cuts Work Force, Eyes Other Changes.
October 24, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 24--The Radisson Read House has laid off about 10 percent of its work force and is eyeing other changes in the wake of slowing business. "We've seen a decrease in business travelers," said Lois Davis, the...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Insurance Executive Cited for Work, Services.
October 24, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 24--Chattanooga insurance company executive Dan Jacobson was cited Wednesday for his work in helping co-workers attain more education and boost their job skills. Mr. Jacobson, BlueCross and BlueShield of...

Wal-Mart Is Last Store to Open in New Chattanooga, Tenn., Retail Complex.
October 24, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Oct. 24--As hundreds of shoppers christened Hixson's new Wal-Mart Supercenter Wednesday morning, Bucky Wolford looked and sounded like a proud parent. The new store was the last to open at Oak Park Town Center,...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Gas Prices Remain High despite Recent Slide.
October 26, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 26--Chattanooga gasoline prices have slid the past month, but they've fallen less than other metro areas in Tennessee and are higher than in any major city in the South outside of Florida. A gallon of self-serve...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Builder-Developer to Be Inducted into Housing Hall of Fame.
October 26, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Oct. 26--People may not believe it, Don Moon says, but homes are built better today than they were when he started selling building materials 40 years ago. "A lot of new materials are more durable," said Mr....

Chattanooga, Tenn., Unemployment Rate Drops to 3.2 Percent in September.
October 26, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Oct. 26--To the surprise of at least one noted state economist, unemployment in Tennessee and the vast majority of its counties dropped in September. "I'm trying to find the right word," said Dr. Matt Murray,...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Sign Company Showcases New Digs.
October 26, 2001... Byline: Emily McDonald Oct. 26--When M.H. Ortwein started a sign business in Chattanooga in 1923, every sign was painted by hand. "They painted the sides of buildings back then," said his grandson, Butch Ortwein. "You could see Ortwein...

Cleveland, Tenn., Auto Dealership Buys Another Franchise.
October 27, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Oct. 27--Don Ledford II will need a few extra party favors when his Cleveland, Tenn., auto dealership marks its 20th anniversary next month. Mr. Ledford's family-owned Pontiac and Buick store has purchased...

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee to Eliminate Its HMOs.
October 27, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Oct. 27--Tennessee's biggest health insurer is getting out of the commercial HMO business. BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee plans to phase out its health maintenance organizations in favor of other less-obtrusive...

New Parking Garage to Begin Insurer's Chattanooga, Tenn., Development Projects.
October 27, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 27--UnumProvident Corp. plans to build a $12 million parking garage next to its Chattanooga headquarters and open the way for raising a third office tower and other development downtown. "This is the first step...

Chattanooga, Tenn., Paychecks Still Below National Average.
October 27, 2001... Byline: Dave Flessner Oct. 27--Hamilton County workers capitalized on the booming economy last year with their biggest pay raises in four years, according to a new federal study. But the average Chattanooga paycheck didn't grow as much...

CEO Reports on Debt Reduction Effort at Chattanooga, Tenn.-Based Dixie Group.
October 31, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Oct. 31--Dan Frierson, chairman and CEO of The Dixie Group Inc., said Tuesday that his company is two-thirds of the way toward its year-end debt-reduction goal. In delivering the Chattanooga-based carpet maker's...

Chattanooga, Tenn.-Area Convention, Visitors Bureau Wins Kudos.
October 31, 2001... Byline: Bob Gary Jr. Oct. 31--The Chattanooga Area Convention and Visitors Bureau has been recognized as one of the 10 best in the Southeast and 57 best in the nation by Successful Meetings magazine. The Chattanooga Area CVB's Pinnacle...

DuPont Employees in Chattanooga, Tenn., Show Sympathy for New York.
October 31, 2001... Byline: Mike Pare Oct. 31--Chattanooga's DuPont plant employees plan to relay their thoughts and prayers to the victims of the terror attack in New York City. A 5-foot by 10-foot mural created by plant employees to express their...