Biz Briefs: Tennesseans get home loan relief

Tennesseans get home loan relief

Thousands of Tennessee homeowners have received more than $161 million in loan relief as part of a landmark multistate settlement with five U.S. banks over foreclosure abuses.

Tennessee Attorney General Bob Cooper's office said Friday that the relief went to about 4,000 homeowners in the state between March 1 and Dec. 31. Tennessee is among 49 states involved in the $25 billion National Mortgage Settlement. Bank of America, JPMorgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citibank and Ally Financial entered the agreement last year with the states and the federal government.

Tennesseans who are eligible could ultimately receive more than $200 million in mortgage relief, the majority of it going to help avoid foreclosure.

Distributor gets Sodaworks brand

Pure Sodaworks, the company behind Chattanooga's handcrafted natural sodas, has formed a partnership with Athens Distributing Co., to extend the reach of the unique new soft drinks.

"It's a fantastic product, and we're looking forward to helping more people discover a special soda that we know they will love," said Trey White, president of Athens Distributing. Pure Sodaworks recently provided a tasting of its six bottled flavors for the sales force at Athens Distributing, which serves restaurants and stores across the region.