VOL. 45 | NO. 30 | Friday, July 23, 2021

Pershing pushes tangible solutions to curb addiction
Karen Pershing was still in elementary school the first time she witnessed the turmoil alcoholism wrought on a close relative. “Just seeing the emotional anger and how it created some economic stressors within the family” left its mark, she says.
JOE ROGERS: MY TAKE
I’ve long been of the belief that the best thing Bill Frist did for Tennessee and the whole of the United States was to retire from the Senate in 2007. I have now reassessed that stance.
NEWSMAKERS
Jens Dilling is the new director of institutional strategic planning for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He will join the lab Aug. 9.
BRIEFS
Barrette Outdoor Living officials have announced the company will expand operations in Hawkins County.
BEHIND THE WHEEL

Americans are holding onto their vehicles longer than ever, with the average age of a car in 2020 rising to a record 12.1 years, data from IHS Markit reveals. But if you own a car for long enough and something goes wrong mechanically, you’re likely to see an amber check engine light somewhere in the gauge cluster.
PERSONAL FINANCE
In some ways, the U.S. credit reporting system has improved. Credit freezes, which lock our credit information to deter identity theft, are now free and fast. We have free weekly access to our credit reports, courtesy of the credit bureaus Equifax, Experian and TransUnion, until April 20. Free credit scores provided by banks, credit card issuers and other companies allow us to easily monitor for signs of fraud and other problems.
MILLENNIAL MONEY

When you’re frequently bombarded with ads for credit cards at big banks, it’s easy to overlook credit cards at a local credit union. These not-for-profit organizations typically require membership based on location or affiliation with an employer, a family member or an organization.
BUSINESS BOOK REVIEW
You need it.... now. Actually, the document you’re looking for was needed yesterday. You had it then, it was here five minutes ago, and it’s gone now – probably buried beneath 50 other pieces of paper you’ll also need soon and won’t be able to find.
CAREER CORNER
There’s a shortage of workers. It’s hard to say exactly how we got here since there are so many factors involved. But, you can see the results of this shortage everywhere you look.