Nearly a year after Hurricane Helene devastated Cocke County, Mayor Rob Mathis has helped lead recovery efforts, securing funding for roads, community projects and a balanced budget without raising taxes. But Knox News reports that the county’s biggest unresolved challenge is its flood-damaged jail, which has been closed since last September, forcing taxpayers to spend $2 million annually to house inmates in other counties. FEMA initially indicated the county qualified for a new 216-bed jail but later reduced its support to repairs for the old 88-bed facility, frustrating local leaders. Officials have said they will appeal the decision.

The TBA Construction Law Section will host the inaugural Joint Georgia/Tennessee Construction Conference Oct. 9-10 in Chattanooga. The two-day event will kick off with a welcome networking reception followed by a day of high quality CLE sessions for both Georgia and Tennessee lawyers. Topics include regional differences in construction law, a view from the bench session featuring judges and arbitrators, insurance 101, AI and ethics, construction defect trends and a case study session. The program will offer 6.75 total CLE hours, including one dual hour. CLE credit will be submitted to both Georgia and Tennessee. Get more information and register.

You’ve probably used a live chat window on a website; maybe with a business like Amazon, FedEx or an airline. Often times it’s handier than being on hold, even if you like hold music. Add the same capability to your website for client and prospect engagement. This chart compares major live chat vendors. Find this and more in the Opening a Firm section of TBA’s Law Firm in a Box.

JOHN K. BUSH, Circuit Judge. Jeffrey and Jessica Bilyeu objected on religious grounds to a coronavirus vaccine mandate imposed by their employer, UT-Battelle, during the pandemic. According to the Bilyeus, when an employee raised a religious objection to COVID vaccination, UT-Battelle required the employee to submit to a lengthy panel interview with UT-Battelle’s leadership regarding the employee’s beliefs. Not only that, according to the Bilyeus, UT-Battelle officials prepared a “fact sheet” that the objecting employee had to read that included the views of various religious leaders in support of taking the vaccine. Only after completing this process could a religious objector forego the vaccine and then, only by being placed on indefinite unpaid leave. This treatment and other conduct by UT-Battelle, the Bilyeus contend, violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 based on disparate treatment, failure to accommodate, and retaliation. The district court granted summary judgment to UT-Battelle. We AFFIRM the grant of summary judgment as to Mrs. Bilyeu because she lacks Article III standing. But we VACATE the grant of summary judgment on Mr. Bilyeu’s disparate treatment and failure-to- accommodate claims and REMAND those claims so the district court may reconsider its decision in light of intervening Supreme Court precedent. Finally, we REVERSE the grant of summary judgment on Mr. Bilyeu’s retaliation claim and REMAND it for further proceedings because Mr. Bilyeu has presented evidence that might persuade a reasonable jury to believe he suffered adverse action for seeking a religious accommodation.

The Defendant, David Patrick Lauderdale, was convicted by a jury of domestic assault, interfering with an emergency call, robbery, resisting arrest, felony evading arrest in a motor vehicle, aggravated assault, leaving the scene of an accident, violating the financial responsibility law, and driving with a canceled, suspended, or revoked license. On appeal, the sole issue presented for our review is whether the evidence is sufficient to support the robbery conviction. After review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

Romeaka Evans, Defendant, was indicted by a Shelby County Grand Jury for second degree murder. After a jury trial, she was convicted as charged and sentenced to twenty- five years in incarceration as a Range I, standard offender. The trial court denied a motion for new trial, and Defendant appealed, arguing that the trial court improperly denied a mistrial, that the evidence was insufficient, and that the trial court imposed an improper sentence. After review, we affirm the judgment of the trial court.

The Defendant, Ray Gene Elliott, III, was convicted by a Knox County Criminal Court jury of three counts of rape, three counts of statutory rape by an authority figure, three counts of aggravated sexual battery, one count of attempted aggravated sexual battery, and one count of sexual activity involving a minor, and was sentenced by the trial court to an effective term of thirty years at 100% in the Tennessee Department of Correction. The sole issue the Defendant raises on appeal is whether the evidence is sufficient to sustain his convictions. We affirm the judgments of the trial court.

This is a termination of parental rights appeal. The trial court found clear and convincing evidence to terminate mother’s parental rights to the minor child on two statutory grounds: severe child abuse and failure to manifest an ability and willingness to parent. The trial court further concluded that termination was in the child’s best interest. We affirm the trial court’s judgment.

This is a termination of parental rights appeal. The trial court found clear and convincing evidence to terminate mother’s parental rights to the minor child on two statutory grounds: severe child abuse and failure to manifest an ability and willingness to parent. The trial court further concluded that termination was in the child’s best interest. We affirm the trial court’s judgment

A property owner granted a friend permission to live on his property while the friend was renovating the owner’s house. Five years later, the owner filed a successful detainer action against the friend in general sessions court. The friend appealed the adverse judgment to circuit court and, in that forum, filed a counterclaim asserting multiple causes of action including breach of contract and quantum meruit. After a bench trial, the trial court granted the property owner a detainer and dismissed the friend’s counterclaims. We affirm.