Martha Steele, left, collects yarn as Ray Steele picks up a quilt Thursday outside Sew Bee It in Ringgold, Ga. The business was hit by an alleged tornado which scattered the quilting store’s materials everywhere.
Staff Photo by Allison Carter/Chattanooga Times Free PressRINGGOLD, Ga. – As the buzz of chain saws and backhoes echoed across the devastated downtown Monday afternoon, a lone sign greeted Ringgold residents as they drove into town.
“God bless our town. Yes, we’re open,” a sign in front of Gingerbread House Child Care Center said in big black letters.
It’s a neat summation of Ringgold itself, which is open, but still broken.
Cleanup efforts across Ringgold and Catoosa County continued Monday as volunteers and contractors poured into the area.
“It’s heartbreaking,” said General Wymbs, a lifelong Ringgold resident. “But also heartwarming because of the hospitality that has been shown.”