Friday, January 1, 1904
A second local 9Round Gym specializing in kick-boxing workouts has opened at 5035 Ooltewah-Ringgold Road. Lisa Dukes, Daniel Robinson, and Tonya Barker are the owners of the new franchise, which will celebrate its grand opening today. The Greenville, S.C.-based 9Round Gym has grown to 45 locations and the company expects to double in size this year. The facilities, which usually are about 1,200 square feet, include nine different workout stations and personal trainers that rotate among those undergoing the 30-minute workouts.
"You can train like a fighter without ever getting hit," said Will Reid, a competitive kick boxer who also serves as director of training opportunity for 9Round Gym. "Everyone wants their own trainer, but our model gives you that support at a much lower cost and keeps the workouts interesting and different." A variety of membership plans are available, starting at about $39 a month for most gyms, Reid said.
The White House will honor John Germ today as one of 12 Rotary International members who are "Champions of Change." Germ is among those being honored for their Rotary work in the U.S. and abroad, including projects to improve health, prevent hunger and aid poor communities.
"The Rotarians we honor truly exemplify the Rotary Club motto: "Service above Self" and in doing so show that the American spirit is a generous one," said Paulette Aniskoff, director of the White House Office of Public Engagement.
Average U.S. rates on fixed mortgages crept closer to their historic lows this week, a trend that could help the housing recovery strengthen. Mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday that the average rate for the 30-year fixed loan edged down to 3.54 percent from 3.57 percent last week. That's near the 3.31 percent reached in November, which was the lowest on records dating to 1971.
The average rate on the 15-year fixed mortgage declined to 2.74 percent from 2.76 percent last week. The record low of 2.63 percent also was reached in November.