EPB offers app for outage info
With the threat of strong storms once again affecting the Chattanooga area, EPB is introducing a new computer application for customers to report and stay aware of outages, as well as manage their Electric Power accounts.
The MyEPB App is available at no charge for use with iOS and Android mobile devices. It puts advanced mobile technology in the palm of customers' hands with access to real-time smart grid data about outages, energy use, billing estimates and more.
"The new MyEPB App puts the power of the Smart Grid in the palm of your hand," Andy Campbell, EPB assistant vice president of strategic systems said in a statement. "Whether you're reporting a power outage or just want to get a better understanding of your energy use, the MyEPB App offers an easy-to-use interface with lots of valuable information."
To get the free app, simply go to the Apple App Store or Google Play and search "MyEPB" or call 423-648-1EPB(1372).
In Nashville State sites sell for $8.9 million
A Chattanooga-based auction company said today it sold two state properties in downtown Nashville for $8,925,000.
Compass Auctions and Real Estate, which conducted the sale, said 30 parties registered for the auction. The winning bidder will remain confidential until after closing on or before Aug. 7. Paige Holt, president of Compass Auctions & Real Estate, said the Nashville market attracted a lot of interest.
"Real estate in this market is in high demand, and a property of this size is a rare opportunity," he said.
The properties, located at 450-460 James Robertson Parkway, include 2-plus acres located on the north side of James Robertson Parkway and Gay Street, with frontage on the south side of Fourth Avenue North. The location is zoned in order to encourage a mix of compatible land uses that provide opportunities to live, work and shop downtown.
Sears to close 20 more stores
Sears Holdings Corp. is closing 20 more stores. The latest closing - including 18 Sears and two Kmart stores - follow 150 stores Sears shuttered in the first quarter of this year and another 66 expected to close by early September.
Sears plans to close its anchor store in the Walnut Square Mall in Dalton and its Kmart store in Fort Oglethorpe by September. But the latest round of cuts did not include any more stores so Sears wil continue to operate stores at Hamilton Place and Northgate malls and its two Kmart stores in Dalton.
"We have been strategically and aggressively evaluating our store space and productivity and have accelerated the closing of unprofitable stores as previously announced," Sears spokesman Howard Riefs said.
New home sales up 2.9 percent in May
Sales of new homes rebounded in May, helped by strong sales gains in the South and West.
Sales of new single-family homes rose 2.9 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 610,000, the Commerce Department reported Friday. That followed a 7.9 percent drop in sales in April which was the biggest monthly decline in eight months.
The median price of a home sold last month rose to a record $345,800, up 16.8 percent from a year ago. Prices have been increasing as demand has outstripped supply, in part because of a shortage of available building lots.