First Tennessee aids Gatlinburg fire victims
First Tennessee Bank is partnering with national nonprofit Operation HOPE and raising money for the American Red Cross to assist residents affected by the recent wildfires in East Tennessee.
First Tennessee branches across the state are accepting donations from the public to support the East Tennessee relief efforts of the American Red Cross. The First Tennessee Foundation will match those contributions up to $50,000.
Starting Dec. 5, First Tennessee also will staff its Sevierville with financial wellbeing coaches from HOPE Coalition America to provide financial counseling, small business recovery, help obtaining destroyed documents and assistance with insurance claims and home inspection and repair contracts.
“First Tennessee is deeply committed to the communities we serve and to assisting our customers and neighbors who have been affected by this tragedy,” said Bryan Jordan, chairman, president and CEO of First Tennessee’s parent company, First Horizon National Corp.
Local foreclose rates only half U.S. average
The rate of Chattanooga area foreclosures among outstanding mortgage loans declined to 0.4 percent, or one of every 250 homes, during the month of September, according to a new report by CoreLogic. Chattanooga foreclosures were down by 0.14 percentage points from a year ago and were less than half the U.S. foreclosure rate of 0.86 percent during September.
CoreLogic also said mortgage delinquencies decreased in the Chattanooga area from 3.79 percent of all mortgages in September 2015 to 3.08 percent of all loans in September 2016.
Chamber council gives $1,000 to Brown
The Downtown Council of the Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce has given Brown Academy $1,000 for school uniforms.
At a recent Council meeting, Brown Academy Principal Emily Baker shared some of the challenges faced by the students, including uniforms.
Council President Joey Greer presented Baker with a check for $1,000 for uniforms. In addition, he said the Council set a goal to assist Brown in providing uniforms for each of their students. The cost will be an additional $6,000, and the Council will partner with downtown businesses to reach that goal.
Charleston Storage adds U-haul trucks
Charleston Storage has signed on as a U-Haul neighborhood dealer in Charleston, Tenn.
Located at 8610 Hiwassee St. N., the new U-Haul dealer will offer trucks, trailers, towing equipment, support rental items and in-store pick-up for boxes. Charleston Storage is owned by Alan Washburn and is open 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Saturday. After-hours drop-off is available for customer convenience.
U-Haul estimates that each truck placed in a community helps keep 19 personally owned large-capacity vehicles, pickups, SUVs and vans off the road.
Incoming treasury secretary steps down from Sears board
Steven Mnuchin, who was nominated by Donald Trump as the next Treasury secretary, is stepping down from the board at Sears.
Mnuchin, 53, has been on the Sears Holdings Corp. board for more than 11 years, according to the company. He was the Yale roommate of Sears Chairman and CEO Eddie Lampert.
Mnuchin was tapped in May to head Trump’s campaign finance operation, and said this week that he had been asked by Trump to head the Treasury.
Sears, based in Hoffman Estates, Illinois, said Mnuchin’s departure reduces the number of board members to nine.