On City Council, everyone is honorable

During a meeting of the Chattanooga City Council's Legal and Legislative Committee on Tuesday, Chairman Peter Murphy used the title "the honorable" each time he called on a fellow committee member.

At one point, a councilman buzzed in with his button. "The honorable Andraé McGary," Murphy announced.

"Actually, I just pushed [the button] to hear you call me that," McGary said. "Just kidding. Just kidding."

A few minutes later, McGary rang in once more. "Mr. McGary," Murphy called.

"What happened to 'the honorable?'" McGary asked, laughing.

EXCHANGE STUDENTS GET TASTE OF AMERICA

A group of 21 exchange students from Germany learned about U.S. legal and government systems. The students, from Hamm, Germany, one of Chattanooga's sister cities, spent Friday studying our court system and visiting city and county governments.

"It was a different opportunity and I think they really enjoyed being able to see something authentically American," said Kay Holl, who teaches German at Signal Mountain Middle/High School and oversees the exchange program.

Students learned about our jury trials - German courts try suspects with lay or professional judges.

After a morning meeting with Hamilton County Commissioner Jim Fields, the Germans held a brief meeting with Chattanooga Mayor Ron Littlefield.

The exchange students are staying in the United States for about 31/2 weeks. Most shadow students at Signal Mountain, while some are at the Center for Creative Arts. The American student hosts then will visit Hamm in the spring.

"It's a true exchange," Holl said.

So far, the German students have experienced their first American high school football game as well as visited the Tennessee Aquarium and the Hunter Museum of American Art.

In their time here, they'll also visit the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, the Chickamauga Battlefield and Lookout Mountain's Rock City, Ruby Falls and Point Park.

FREE PET ADOPTIONS

The East Ridge Animal Shelter is providing 50 free adoptions during October.

An anonymous donation is making it possible for the shelter to waive its adoption fees and cover the costs of spaying/neutering, a health check and rabies vaccines for the first 50 animals to be adopted.

In order to receive the free spay/neuter, the adopted animal must be taken to either Wally's Friends in Red Bank or Dixie Day Spay in Cleveland, Tenn.

Animals can be adopted at the East Ridge Animal Shelter at 1015 Yale St. For more information, contact Carl Zagona at 423-664-0271.

To see the available animals, visit www.eastridgeanimals.petfinder.com.

SCHOOL BOARD MEETING MOVED

A Hamilton County Board of Education meeting scheduled Oct. 20 has been rescheduled for Oct. 27. The board will hold a work session to discuss facilities at 4 p.m., then hold its regular meeting at 5.

The board meets at the Hamilton County Department of Education's central office, 3074 Hickory Valley Road.

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