‘Kind of chaotic;' NATO's security barricades impacting Dayton commuters
Dayton is hours away from the start of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly and thousands of feet of security fencing and barricades have popped up downtown.
As reported on News Center 7 at 5, the fencing and blockades are security measures, but it is making commuting around Dayton more complicated.
[DOWNLOAD: Free WHIO-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]
The NATO village is headquartered at the Schuster Center and spreads out two or three blocks in each direction.
Everything will be closely monitored, but Dayton residents are still allowed to get to their homes and most of the places they work.
TRENDING STORIES:
NATO: What you need to know; Road closures, detours, and parking
Van slams into building in Huber Heights
Recall alert: Cucumbers recalled over salmonella concern In Ohio
'I knew it was going to happen, but I didn't think it was going to be this fast,' Donna Johnson said.
Johnson works downtown and Wednesday morning she had to find a new route to avoid fences and barricades.
'Well you just might as well get adjusted to it because it's here,' Johnson said.
Jasmine Ferrell says she shops downtown a lot.
'I'm just trying to figure out what the heck is going on. It's kind of chaotic,' Ferrell said.
Ferrell's bus is taking a new route to the hub, and all the security measures may make the downtown area a place to avoid for the next few days.
'So now I'm seeing what's about to go on. I didn't know that they were supposed to be down here tomorrow but I knew that was coming down,' Ferrell said.
Signs of the NATO Assembly are everywhere, not just in downtown.
A sign on South Main Street lists the phone number for a NATO information hotline. Another sign warns of street closures and detours.
'It's a very big deal,' Johnson said.
Dayton police estimated they would put up 14,000 feet of fencing and 6,000 feet of concrete barricades.
[SIGN UP: WHIO-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
NATO'S Baltic drills are part of preparations for a potential clash with Russia, TASS reports
(Reuters) -NATO'S Baltic drills are part of the alliance's preparations for a potential military clash with Russia, TASS news agency cited Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko as saying in remarks published on Wednesday. "We assess NATO's military activity as part of preparations for military clashes with Russia," TASS cited Grushko as saying. "If we look at the focus of these exercises, the concept, the structure of the deployment of forces, the forces themselves, their quality, the tasks that are formulated for these exercises, then this is a fight against a comparable adversary," Grushko said according to TASS. BALTOPS - NATO's annual exercise in the Baltic Sea and the regions surrounding it - is being held this month.
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Mike Johnson Goes After Musk for Mega Bill Meltdown
House Speaker Mike Johnson said he was let down by Elon Musk's bombshell rebuke of the Trump administration's signature legislation as lawmakers swiftly took sides on the debate. Speaking to reporters on Capitol Hill Tuesday, Johnson launched into a defense of President Donald Trump's 'One, Big, Beautiful Bill' after the recently departed DOGE chief branded it a 'disgusting abomination' that would 'massively increase' the budget deficit. 'Let me say this: It's very disappointing,' Johnson said of Musk's comments. 'I've come to consider Elon a good friend. He's obviously a very intelligent person, and he's done a lot of great work… But with all due respect, my friend Elon is terribly wrong.' Johnson maintained that the mega bill delivers on Trump's campaign promise of putting America first and saves the government more than $1.6 trillion—despite analyses from nonpartisan organizations like the Congressional Budget Office and the Penn-Wharton Budget Model estimating that the measure would cause the deficit to soar by about $4 trillion. The House Speaker said he and Musk spoke at length over the phone on Monday to discuss the bill, which the tech mogul blasted in an earlier interview with CBS News. 'I extolled all the virtues of the bill, and he seemed to understand that,' Johnson said. 'We had a very friendly conversation about it.' Musk has become increasingly vocal about his opposition to the bill since leaving the Trump administration. He told CBS last week that the measure 'undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,' and wrote in X posts on Tuesday that the 'massive, outrageous, pork-filled' legislation would 'burden American citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt.' 'I'm sorry, but I just can't stand it anymore,' he said. 'Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it.' House Republicans narrowly passed the bill last month in a 215 to 214 vote, with all Democrats uniting against what they described as a giveaway to billionaires at the expense of vulnerable American families. Musk's comments divided GOP lawmakers and appeared to unite Democrats. Four Republican senators were exasperated when they spoke to Politico about Musk's latest jab. North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis said Musk was 'entitled to his opinion,' while North Dakota Sen. Kevin Cramer said: 'I like Elon Musk, but he's one man.' Missouri Sen. Eric Schmitt and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz said lawmakers would continue to work on the measure. 'We need spending reductions, no doubt,' Schmitt said. 'I think the Senate should make the bill substantially better, and I hope and believe we'll do that,' Cruz added. Several other Republicans joined their Democratic colleagues in agreeing with Musk's take. 'I agree with Elon,' Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul said on X. 'We have both seen the massive waste in government spending and we know another $5 trillion in debt is a huge mistake. We can and must do better.' Utah Sen. Mike Lee wrote in a reply to Musk's post that 'the Senate must make this bill better.' Florida Rep. Anna Paulina Luna threatened to withhold votes if the bill fails to codify the sweeping cuts made by DOGE. 'NO CODIFY VOTES? Then guess what: NO VOTES,' she said. 'Half the reason GOP took the majority is because of Trump and Elon and now they are too scared to codify!' Several Democrats, led by Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, echoed Musk's scathing criticism of the bill. 'If even Elon Musk, who's been part of the whole process and is Trump's buddy, says the bill is bad, you can imagine how bad this bill is,' Schumer told reporters. 'Musk said people shouldn't vote for the bill. Let's hope the Republicans follow him, not Trump.' 'Breaking news: Elon Musk and I agree with each other,' Jeffries said in a press conference. 'The GOP tax scam is a disgusting abomination.' Independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders similarly agreed with Musk. 'Musk is right,' he said on X. 'Let's defeat this disgusting abomination.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
NATO to ramp up defence plans amid ongoing Russian threat
NATO is planning to significantly expand its military capabilities to strengthen deterrence and defence against the continued threat from Russia, with plans to boost existing targets by about 30%, dpa has learned from alliance sources. The new objectives include increasing stockpiles of long-range cruise missiles and drones, as well as strengthening air defence and artillery systems, according to sources. To meet these goals, NATO member states are expected to receive updated national planning targets, according to the information. The targets are due to be formally adopted at a meeting of NATO defence ministers in Brussels on Thursday. However, reaching the new targets will be challenging, with senior military officials saying member states are already falling about 30% short of existing goals. The exact national targets remain classified, though some details are expected to be released after Thursday's meeting. In Germany, military sources estimate that the Bundeswehr, as the German armed forces are called, may need to grow by a high five-digit number from its current size of around 182,000 troops to meet requirements. Significant investments in air defence systems are also expected.
