Delta expands pet travel options
Delta is partnering with a pet travel pod startup, as it changes its prices and policy for transporting passengers’ animal companions, the airline announced Tuesday.
Delta Air Lines Inc. struck a long-term partnership with CarePod, saying the Singapore-based startup will help it carry and monitor pets better and give real-time updates to customers. The firm offers safety monitoring, tracking and logistics software for transporting pets.
Shawn Cole, vice president of Delta Cargo, said the demand for shipping pets is strong and the company is always looking for ways to improve the travel experience for pets and their owners.
“Working with a start-up like CarePod allows Delta the flexibility to enhance our service in new and innovative ways,” he said in the statement.
Jenny Pan, CarePod’s founder and CEO, said the startup’s goal is to transform the future of pet travel.
In 2016, Delta stopped accepting pets as checked baggage following criticism for the death of pets in checked carriers. Instead, Delta said some pets could travel as carry-ons in the plane’s cabin and others could be shipped via Delta Cargo, with rates at the time ranging from roughly $195 to $1,485.
TVA emergency crews test nuclear readiness
Hundreds of emergency responders from federal, state and local agencies will be running evacuation routes, setting up radiation detection equipment and participating in alert and relocation activities around the Sequoyah Nuclear Power Plant today.
But the exercise is only a drill. Police and emergency response teams from the Tennessee Valley Authority, the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency, the Hamilton County sheriff’s office, the Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency and and other emergency response personnel are participating in the annual graded exercise of how well they would respond to an emergency or radioactive leak at TVA’s Sequoyah Nuclear Plant near Soddy-Daisy.
TVA spokesman Jim Hopson said residents may see increased vehicle traffic in the local area and hear on- and off-site sirens briefly activated during the exercise. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the federal regulatory agency that oversees nuclear power plants, will evaluate how well TVA does in its simulated emergency response and give the federal utility a grade for its performance.
J.C. Penney Co. names new CEO
J.C. Penney has named Jill Soltau, who most recently served as president and CEO of fabric and crafts chain Jo-Ann Stores, to be its next CEO, effective Oct. 15.
Soltau, a 30-year retail veteran, succeeds Marvin Ellison, who resigned this past summer to take the top job at home improvement chain Lowe’s after less than four years at the helm.
Ellison’s departure raised speculation that he wasn’t particularly optimistic about Penney’s prospects. The department store chain, which is based in Plano, Texas, is still struggling despite a stronger economy that has lifted sales at its peers like Macy’s and Kohl’s.
EPB certified for green|light
EPB has completed its green|light certification, marking the businesses success in cultivating, promoting and commemorating sustainable practices
Michael Walton, green|spaces executive director, praised the city-owned utility for everything from investing in energy efficiency and renewable energy “to ensuring nearly-perfect indoor air quality and to reducing waste-to-landfill with commercial composting.”
Elizabeth Hammitt, EPB director of community and environmental stewardship, identified six Green Building Leaders to identify and implement sustainability initiatives throughout the organization.
Other green/light certified organizations include UTC, Chambliss law firm, Ruby Falls, Chattanooga Zoo, Whiteboard, Kelly Subaru, AEED Inc., Hunter Museum of Art, AEED Inc, Beenwood, Crash Pad, Office Furniture Warehouse, Lupi’s, the Strand, Flying Squirrel, River City Co. and Sportsbarn.
Walmart buys online plus-size women’s brand
Walmart says it’s acquiring an online plus-size fashion brand called Eloquii Design Inc., extending its buying spree of niche brands as it tries to compete better with online leader Amazon.com
Walmart declined to disclose the purchase price, but says the move will help it get a foothold into the $21 billion plus-size women’s clothing arena.
Eloquii also operates five retail stores. It says its executive team, including CEO Mariah Chase, and its 100 employees will continue to be based in Long Island City, New York, and Columbus, Ohio.
Walmart aims to attract younger and more affluent shoppers with its string of acquisitions. Two years ago, it bought Jet.com for more than $3 billion and since then, it’s been concentrating on buying smaller online brands such as Bonobos and Moosejaw.