Latest news with #MonicaJohnson
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Roan Mountain State Park prepares for summer season despite Hurricane Damage
ROAN MOUNTAIN, Tenn. (WJHL)—Many state parks are beginning to open for the season, welcoming the public back onto their trails. However, Roan Mountain State Park faces a new set of challenges this season. In September, Hurricane Helene hit the park, causing devastation that led to closures throughout the park. 'One of the biggest things is the bridge here in the campground,' Park Director Monica Johnson said. 'Going up to our upper areas, it's pretty much washed completely out. At least half of the bridge is completely destroyed.' Greeneville native wins $100k at Major League Fishing All-Star tournament Johnson said the park began canceling summer reservations for the upper campsite in March, including reservations for Memorial Day weekend. 'It's one of our busiest weekends of the year and kicks off our season,' she said. 'So we definitely felt the impact from having to do that, and the disappointment that we received from our visitors.' Johnson said that since the roads to the upper campsite belong to TDOT, it may be a while before it's ready for cars again. 'We're kind of at the mercy of TDOT,' she said. 'And that's taking a little bit longer than they had originally planned, because the projects ended up being than what they originally thought. The upper loops are closed currently through August 31. It will probably be closed for the rest of the season, just based on some of the information I've got back from the Department of Transportation.' Despite the disappointment, the public has continued to show up and provide support for the park. 'We're still seeing that impact,' Johnson said. 'But we still have the support of people coming to the campground and camping in the lower area, staying in the cabins, going to the gift shops, and purchasing souvenir items. Just coming out and hiking.' Johnson said the park still plans to host Memorial Day events throughout the weekend. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Dozens in Midtown protest the War in Gaza on the heels of a hostage release
Dozens of people gathered in Midtown Saturday afternoon for a Pro-Palestine protest. They held up signs and banners that read 'Free Palestine' in front of the Consulate General of Israel on Spring Street. 'A ceasefire was never going to be the end,' said Monica Johnson with the Party for Socialism and Liberation who organized the rally. 'We have to keep fighting until the end of the occupation.' War between Hamas and Israel sparked after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2023, abducting 251 Israelis. A ceasefire deal was secured during the final days of the Biden Administration and went into effect on January 19. As part of the truce, Palestinian prisoners would be returned in exchange for Israeli hostages. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] On Saturday, Hamas released three more Israeli hostages, and Israel released 369 Palestinian prisoners. 'It gives us great relief to see more hostages coming out,' said Temple Sinai Rabbi Natan Trief. 'It is not at the rate we need. We need all the hostages released immediately.' President Donald Trump is urging Israel to give Hamas an ultimatum to release all the hostages at once and threatening that if Hamas does not do so, to cancel the ceasefire deal altogether. Earlier this week, Trump also suggested the U.S. would take over the Gaza Strip and Palestinians would be relocated to Egypt and Jordan. Trump suggested previously that he could withhold aid from Jordan and Egypt if they do not accept displaced Palestinians but then said he would not quote 'threaten with money.' Rabbi Trief said he sees what Trump is doing and saying as an unconventional way to solve this conflict. TRENDING STORIES: 10-year-old shot in the head at the drive-thru of GA McDonald's Family can't bury young father because his accused killer is his insurance beneficiary Jefferson wrestler regaining some feeling each day after broken neck at state tournament 'One thing I do respect about President Trump's plan is that it changes the whole equation,' he said. 'It makes the Palestinians and especially Hamas realize that they have something to lose if they launch an exterminationist war.' However, Palestinians said what Trump is proposing is disturbing and contributing to the ethnic cleansing of Gaza. 'When are you going to treat the Palestinians like individuals who have the right to stay in their homes,' said Jawahir Sharwany, a Palestinian activist. King Abdullah II of Jordan said during a visit with Trump earlier this week that Jordan would take in 2000 sick children from Gaza as quickly as possible. So far during the ceasefire's first phase which ends in a couple of weeks, 24 hostages and nearly 1000 Palestinian prisoners have been freed. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
