Another painting in the exhibit is of

Amish volunteers from Pennsylvania rebuild a deck along the banks of the Broad River in Chimney Rock Village, N.C., on Monday, May 19, 2025. (Shelly McCormack via AP)“We definitely could not have done what we’re doing without them, that is for certain,” inn co-owner Kristen Sottile said. “They have brought so much willpower, hope, as well as many other things to our community.”

The Amish are working in concert with Spokes of Hope, a Christian nonprofit formed in the aftermath ofCarolinas in September 2018.Jonathan Graef and his siblings bought the Best View Inn in late 2023 and were halfway through renovations when Helene struck. They’ve been flooded twice since, but the new rafters and framing the Amish workers constructed have held.

Jonathan Graef stands beside a worker’s car engulfed by a slide at his family’s Best View Inn in Chimney Rock Village, N.C., on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. He and his siblings were renovating when Hurricane Helene struck and the inn has flooded twice more since. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)Jonathan Graef stands beside a worker’s car engulfed by a slide at his family’s Best View Inn in Chimney Rock Village, N.C., on Wednesday, May 14, 2025. He and his siblings were renovating when Hurricane Helene struck and the inn has flooded twice more since. (AP Photo/Allen G. Breed)

“It’s really trying to kick us down,” said Graef, whose property borders what is left of the Bayou Billy’s park. “But our spirits are high, our hopes are high and nothing’s going to stop us from opening this place.”

Throughout town, the ring of hammers and saws mingles with the sizzle of welding and the rumble of debris-removal trucks.Even after the measles claimed its

in late February, Kennedy had still not been briefed by CDC staff, Griffis said. His account was confirmed by a second former federal health official, who resigned at the end of February.A spokesperson for Kennedy did not answer specific written questions about how he had been briefed or his communications with CDC staff.

The spokesperson said the CDC activated an Atlanta-based response in early February to provide overall guidance on measles testing and vaccination strategy. An on-the-ground team was deployed to West Texas throughout most of March and withdrawn on April 1.It was a “joint decision” between state and federal officials to send the team home, CDC spokesman Jason McDonald said. Another team of seven was dispatched back to the region this week.