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Friday, October 30, 2026Oct 30

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Kennedy: Local family looks for help after roof falls in

View other columns by Mark Kennedy

Some needs are basic and as old as mankind: Food, clothes, shelter.

This week, we spoke to Jeremy Johnson, a 32-year-old Jasper, Tenn., man who has a leak in the roof of his mobile home. It’s not the kind of leak you can catch in a bucket, but a hole big enough to toss a basketball through.

Jeremy and his wife, 35-year-old Kiera Beck, and the couple’s 12-year-old daughter, Sophia, were at home on the evening of Dec. 29 when a storm stripped a limb from a tree, Jeremy said. The branch speared the rusted-out roof and rain water began pouring into Sophia’s bedroom.

“Dad, there’s water dripping from the ceiling,” Sophia called.

Jeremy ran to gather buckets and, a few hours later, a family member came over with tarps. It was too dangerous to fix the roof that night. Luckily, the rain soon stopped, which limited the damage.