This aerial file photo provided by the National Park Service shows a flooded out North Entrance Road, of Yellowstone National Park in Gardiner, Mont., on June 13, 2022. Yellowstone National Park is postponing the opening of a renovated road at its north entrance as it continues to repair the damage from this summer's catastrophic flooding, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reports.

MAMMOTH SPRINGS, Wyo. — Yellowstone National Park is postponing the opening of a renovated road at its north entrance as it continues to repair the damage from this summer’s catastrophic flooding, the Wyoming Tribune Eagle reported.

The park has pushed back the road’s opening date from Oct. 15 to Nov. 1, according to the newspaper, as park officials said they need more time to ensure that over 5,000 feet of guardrail are properly installed for traffic safety.

“We have set incredibly aggressive time frames for these repairs, and our contractors have worked at lightning speed to get this road safely reopened,” Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Cam Sholly said in a news release. “It’s essential that we do not cut corners and we ensure the road meets required safety standards prior to opening.”

Unprecedented flooding in June severely damaged roads, swept away homes and forced the park to close as it evacuated about 10,000 visitors.

The National Park Service said the most significant damage occurred at the Yellowstone’s north and northeast entrances, where access was cut off.

The flooding washed out segments of the roadway between the north entrance in Gardiner, Montana, and Mammoth Hot Springs inside the park.

To reconnect the two areas, authorities have paved and expanded an old stagecoach route from the 1880s called Old Gardiner Road. The single-lane dirt road has been enlarged to two lanes over its entire four-mile length, according to the National Park Service. Officials say it will serve as a short-term solution while the primary road is reconstructed.

The project is being completed with support from the Federal Highway Administration.

The park has asked FHA to expand road widths in certain sections of the Old Gardiner Road. It has also requested the federal agency build a new approach road into Mammoth Springs, due to safety concerns stemming from the main road’s 12-15% steep grade.

Lost wedding ring found in brush pile after Hurricane Ian

FORT MYERS, Fla. — Ashley Garner had given up on ever seeing her wedding ring again.

She lost it outside her Fort Myers home just days before Hurricane Ian crashed into the coast of southwest Florida last Wednesday, Oct. 5. Despite enlisting her husband and three young children to help search around their yard and garage for two days, there was no sign of the ring.

“I just accepted that it was gone,” Garner said. “It was only a thing. It’s replaceable, and I just let it go. We knew the hurricane was coming, so we just kind of said goodbye.”

The family stayed at their home during the storm and went outside to clean up as soon as it had passed.

“We’re about 10 minutes into cleaning, and my husband is cleaning up the brush and the trees right next to the garage door,” Garner said. “There’s a pile of brush and trees, and he moves over one pile, and the ring was right there.”

Garner said she couldn’t believe they found the ring. Her neighborhood didn’t experience the destructive flooding that many parts of the state did. But 150 mph winds left massive piles of trees and brush throughout the area.

“I just sat on the curb, and I prayed to God and thanked him for providing and giving us a sign that there’s hope for the community,” Garner said.

Garner posted about finding the ring on Facebook earlier this week.