Articles by Adam Beam and Jonathan Mattise

Tennessee Wildfire Death Toll Rises to 7; City of Gatlinburg Surveys Damage

Three more bodies were found in the ruins of wildfires that torched hundreds of homes and businesses in the Great Smoky Mountains area, raising the death toll to seven, a Tennessee mayor said Wednesday. Search-and-rescue missions continued, and Sevier County …

Tennessee Fire Forces Thousands to Evacuate, Destroys Hundreds of Homes

With flames dripping from tree branches and the air filled with embers, thousands of people raced through a hellish landscape as they fled wildfires that killed three people and destroyed hundreds of homes and a resort in the Great Smoky …

Tennessee Bus Driver Likely to Plead Not Guilty in Fatal Crash

The driver in a Chattanooga, Tenn., school bus crash last week that killed six children will likely plead not guilty to related charges, according to his lawyer. Defense attorney Amanda Dunn said she anticipates 24-year-old Johnthony Walker will plead not …

Burn Bans Enacted Over Much of Dry Southeast as Fires Continue

As drought-stressed forests burn across much of the South – including a blaze scorching a Manhattan-sized area of north Georgia – some traditional outdoor activities are now banned. Starting campfires, lighting fireworks, smoking cigarettes, even parking a car off-road is …

Federal Investigators Conclude West Virginia Chemical Spill Was Preventable

A 2014 chemical spill into the water supply of 300,000 West Virginians could have been avoided if a company inspected its storage tanks and saw two tiny holes forming at the bottom, federal investigators said Wednesday. Almost three years after …

West Virginia Governor Wants Special Session to Address $300M in Flood Damage

Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin plans to call lawmakers into session next week to cover West Virginia’s share of recovery costs after deadly floods in June caused about $300 million in damages. Tomblin told reporters Tuesday that the administration is finalizing …

West Virginia Begins Demolition of Flood-Ravaged Homes, Plans Town Recoveries

The West Virginia Army National Guard over the weekend began tearing down homes ruined by floods in June. Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin wants those communities to rebuild with a long-term focus on diversifying their economies. Maj. Gen. James Hoyer told …

West Virginia’s Greenbrier Resort Begins Recovery from Floods, Shelters Victims

At West Virginia’s usually immaculate Greenbrier resort, the grandstands set up for a PGA tournament that was supposed to start the week of July Fourth now look out on a muddy, gouged-out golf course strewn with trash, tires, refrigerators and …

West Virginia House Approves Bill Waiving Permits for Concealed Guns

After the bill was vetoed last year, a proposal to allow carrying a concealed gun without a permit in West Virginia passed its first major test this week. The Republican-led House of Delegates voted 68-31 on the concealed carry legislation. …

Blankenship Case in Limbo in West Virginia as Jurors Struggle to Reach Verdict

After a third full day of deliberations, a jury recessed Friday without reaching a verdict in the criminal trial of ex-Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship. Jurors had been trying since Tuesday, Nov. 17, to reach a decision. Blankenship is charged …