Articles by Travis Loller and Jonathan Mattise

Tennessee Safety Agency Says Plastics Workers Were Given Time to Evacuate

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — Workers at an East Tennessee plastics company who died in flooding from last year’s Hurricane Helene had time to evacuate, albeit by “makeshift routes,” according to an investigation from the Tennessee Occupational Safety and Health Administration …

Pilot Error Likely Caused Small Plane Crash That Killed Family in Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A fiery small plane crash in Tennessee last year that killed a Canadian family of five was most likely the result of an error by the father, who was piloting the plane, according to a National …

Whitewater Rafting Businesses Face Uncertain Future After Hurricane Helene

ERWIN, Tenn. (AP) — After 24 years of guiding whitewater trips on the Nolichucky River Gorge for other companies, Patrick Mannion finally received a permit last year to operate his own outfitter business. But following the devastation of Hurricane Helene, …

Helene’s Flooding: The Human Toll on One Family in Tennessee

ERWIN, Tenn. (AP) — Jerry and Sibrina Barrett never spent a day apart over 35 years. They worked long hours, never took vacations, and liked to relax with their son at home. They had no idea that a hurricane could …

A Look at the $100B Disaster Relief in the Government Spending Bill

Congress is allocating more than $100 billion in emergency aid designed to address extensive damage caused by disasters after this week’s scramble to find consensus on a government spending bill. The money comes after back-to-back hurricanes — Helene and Milton …

Once Praised, Settlement to Help BP Oil Spill Workers Leaves Most With Nearly Nothing

When a deadly explosion destroyed BP’s Deepwater Horizon drilling rig in the Gulf of Mexico, 134 million gallons of crude erupted into the sea over the next three months — and tens of thousands of ordinary people were hired to …

Controllers Cleared Runway But Pilot Couldn’t Make it in Fatal Tennessee Crash

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The pilot of a single-engine plane that crashed near downtown Nashville told air traffic controllers he could see the runway they were clearing for an emergency landing. But he said he couldn’t reach it. “I’m going …

If New Cars Are Safer, Why Are Fatalities on the Rise?

Alyssa Milligan was someone who intuitively knew when another person needed help, encouragement or a kind word. Although she was new to Tennessee, the 23-year old physical therapy student, whose mother called her “Sweet Alyssa,” had already made many close …

AI in Connected Cars Can Ease Rush Hour Congestion, Vanderbilt Research Shows

As millions of people travel the interstates this Thanksgiving, many will encounter patches of traffic at a standstill for no apparent reason – no construction or accident. Researchers say the problem is you. Human drivers just don’t do a good …

Corps of Engineers Partners With Mother Nature in Flood Control Initiatives

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is known for damming rivers and building levees to keep waterways at bay. But a new initiative seeks natural flood control solutions as climate change brings increasingly frequent and severe weather events that test …