The cleanup after Hurricane Irma is a massive undertaking, after the destructive storm hit Florida and neighboring states over the weekend. In Miami, a nun chipped in to clear trees in her neighborhood — and no one, it seems, can resist a story about a chainsaw-wielding nun.

Sister Margaret Ann was spotted at work by an off-duty officer of the Miami-Dade Police Department, which posted video and images from the scene in the community of Kendall West Tuesday.

The department calls the sister’s work another sign that Miami’s community will work together to repair what Irma broke, writing on its Facebook page, “Thank you Sister and all of our neighbors that are working together to get through this!”

Sister Margaret Ann is the principal of Archbishop Coleman F. Carroll High School, southwest of downtown Miami, which wrote on its Facebook page early Wednesday, “We are so blessed to have her and the Carmelite Sisters at our school. We are proud of the example they show for our students and other members of the community every day.”

The phrase “chainsaw-wielding nun” is one we didn’t know we would need to use in the wake of Irma, but it shows the breadth of the work it will take to recover from this storm — in Florida, in neighboring states and in the Caribbean.

The nun with a chainsaw habit quickly drew interest beyond Miami. She made headlines in England; CNN interviewed her Tuesday night.

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Sister Margaret Ann was spotted at work, chainsaw in hand, by an off-duty officer of the Miami-Dade Police Department.

Miami-Dade Police Department

“The road was blocked, we couldn’t get through,” Sister Margaret Ann told CNN. “And I saw somebody spin in the mud and almost go into a wall, going off the road. So, there was a need, I had the means — so I wanted to help out.”

The chainsaws were sitting in a closet at her school, Sister Margaret Ann said, “and they didn’t belong there. They needed to be used.”

By using the chainsaw, the nun said, she was trying to live up to something her school teaches its students: “Do what you can to help.”

Sister Margaret Ann’s example resonated online. On the Miami-Dade police page, Annette Zayas wrote a comment saying, “She attends my parish and always has this warm smile with everyone she meets.”

THE TWO-WAY

When Hurricanes Churn, A Little Hotel Becomes Something More

People thanked the nun — and discussed the difficulty of handling a chainsaw wearing a habit.

“Somebody made a comment that she was not handling the chainsaw correctly. I was raised ‘do the best you can and after the day you can go home proud.’ That is all we ask for, she rocks,” Eggert Edwald wrote on the Miami-Dade Police page.

Blog Post by Louis Howard

Community Impact: The Forgotten People and Areas in this Booming Economy.

Even with the U.S. economy boasting impressive job growth and domestic equity markets near record highs, a fragmented recovery has left many states struggling to close budget deficits nearly a decade after the 2008 financial crisis S&P Global has downgraded 11 states compared to just two upgrades since January 2016. It has 11 states on negative outlook, which means the ratings agency believes more than 20 percent of states are in danger of a credit downgrade.sis.

Most economists believe that America is at full employment. After all, the official unemployment rate is a mere 4.5%, the lowest level in years

“I’d say we’re doing pretty well,” Janet Yellen, the head of America’s central bank, west level in in years.

1.Unemployed People who have disappeared or exhausted benefits They aren’t counted in the official unemployment rate, which only tallies people who actively searched for work in the past month.

2.  Public Assistance:

As of July 7, 42.6 million Americans were receiving SNAP benefits during the current fiscal year, down from 44.2 million in 2016. The 2017 figure is the lowest since 2010, when 40.3 million people were on food stamps. The number peaked in 2013, at 47.6 million.

3. The 14.4 million in need of a full-time job

Every month, the Labor Department puts out the official unemployment data. Its latest count says there are 7.2 million unemployed. These are the people who are represented in the 4.5% unemployment rate. Too many people are stuck in part-time jobs, and not enough people are working at all in their “prime years” between ages 25 and 54.

4. A New Milestone in Household Debt

In the first quarter of 2017, consumer debt rose to $12.73 trillion, exceeding its peak in the third quarter of 2008. Student loans account for 10.6 percent of that total, up from 3.3 percent in 2003, while housing’s share, though still great, has fallen back to 2003 levels One of the major factors behind the latest debt binge has been student loans, a mounting burden that can stifle economic growth by preventing Americans from buying homes or spending on big-ticket consumer items.

5. Lack of Structure:

       For some a lack of built on job opportunities like factories and production lines impact the ability for some to get good paying jobs in their area where they live

6.  Where is your place in the Economy:

1 At the Bottom: If you are on the millions with no voice at or below the poverty line are one on public assistance and low ages then it is the same economy it as always been which is a struggle

2. The Middle: If you are part of middle America making the median which $51,000 income up to 100k a year. You are impacted by debt especially consumer and student loan debt and course our favorite taxes. You are not saving enough to keep up with your monthly  housing and and save up enough for retirement or investments
3. The Top %: The median income is $214, 000. Life is freer and has more choices for you because you have higher income, credit, assets, investments and a growing retirement fund. The top 5% are the ones who feel the  best of the economy because there is more insulation and protection than those at the bottom