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Who are the Tennessee plant explosion victims? 16 people presumed dead in factory explosion

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Who are the Tennessee plant explosion victims? 16 people presumed dead in factory explosion


A small Tennessee county is in mourning after an explosion at an ammunition processing plant last week is believed to have killed everyone who was inside.

The blast Friday was reported at Accurate Energetic Systems near McEwen, Tennessee, at around 7:45 a.m., leaving behind only scattered debris. Officials reported a day after the explosion that there were no survivors, adding that 16 people who were in the privately owned facility were unaccounted for.

A candlelight vigil was held Sunday outside the Humphreys County Courthouse to mourn the 16 presumed victims of the blast. Crowds of people could be seen paying their respects with lit candles.

On Monday, a list of the victims was released: Jason Adams, Erick Anderson, Billy Baker, Adam Boatman, Christopher Clark, Mindy Clifton, James Cook, Reyna Gillahan, LaTeisha Mays, Jeremy Moore, Melinda Rainey, Melissa Stanford, Trenton Stewart, Rachel Woodall, Steven Wright and Donald Yowell.

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As the cause of the blast remains under investigation, more is coming to light about the victims.

Trenton Stewart

Trenton Stewart.via Facebook

Stewart, 25, is missing and presumed dead as a result of the Friday morning explosion.

His fiancée, Katy Stover, described him as the best man she has ever met.

“I don’t know what I can even say to make anyone understand the man he was,” Stover wrote in a Facebook post. “He made me laugh until I couldn’t breathe, and he was truly my best friend, my soulmate, and my person.”

According to Stewart’s Facebook page, he was a pastor at a church in Waverly, Tennessee. In a post, he said that his goal as a pastor “isn’t to have the biggest crowd, or to be the most perfect person, but to show the love of Christ in whatever way possible.”

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The last livestream from one of his sermons was posted on Oct. 5.

LaTeisha Mays

LaTeisha Mays.
LaTeisha Mays.via WSMV

Mays, 26, is unaccounted for, her family told NBC affiliate WSMV. She worked for Accurate Energetic Systems for eight months.

Her family described her as “the glue to our family.”

Steven Wright

Steven Wright.
Steven Wright.via Facebook

Wright’s wife, Melinda, is mourning her husband.

“How could I have known that 24 hours ago I would have watched those taillights disappear for the last time!” she posted to her Facebook account the day after the explosion.

The couple shared two boys.

Rachel Woodall

Rachel Woodall.
Rachel Woodall.via Facebook

Woodall was a production operator at Accurate Energetic Systems, according to her Facebook profile.

Her boyfriend, Nathan Birchard, remembered her as his angel.

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“You brought color into my world that was otherwise dark and grey,” he wrote in a Facebook post. “You made me a better man and always made me wanna strive to be better. We had dreams and a future that we was planning just to be taken away in a instant.”

Birchard said Woodall “touched so many lives.”

“You never would’ve realized the impact you have made on those around you,” he wrote.

Christopher Clark

Christopher Clark.
Christopher Clark.Family photo

Clark’s sister, Peggy Wood, said he was known as “Buck.”

“He never met a stranger and was loved by everyone,” Wood told NBC News. “He is greatly missed by his family. This is a loss we will never get over.”

Clark was the youngest of all his siblings, his sister said.

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“There was 9 years between us,” she said. “We were the ‘babies’ out of nine.”

Melissa Stanford

Melissa Stanford.
Melissa Stanford.via Facebook

Stanford was a mother, daughter, sister and aunt, according to her niece, Brittany Kirouac.

Kirouac said the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation spoke to families of the victims on the day of the blast and told them “there was a zero percent chance of survival.”

“Keep our family in your prayers, send good vibes, whatever you do,” Kirouac wrote in a Facebook post.

Jeremy Moore

Jeremy Moore.
Jeremy Moore.via Facebook

On Friday, Moore’s mother, Ava Hinson, asked for prayers for her son after hearing there had been an explosion at his workplace.

She described her son, who lived near her, as “sweet as sugar.”

“I call him ‘my little boy’ and he would tell you that he was my little boy and he was about 6′ 7″ and weighs about 300 pounds,” Hinson told NBC News on Saturday.

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Moore had been working in the munitions industry for almost 19 years, his father, Gary Moore, said. On the day of the blast, he dropped his daughter off at his mother’s house and went to work as he normally would.

“At 7:45 a.m., the day turned very abnormal, and here we are,” Gary Moore said.

Hinson went to visit her son’s house after hearing about the blast, hopeful that she would find him.

“And it hit me, just a few minutes ago, that he won’t be back,” Hinson said.

Moore would have turned 38 on Oct. 20.

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Jason Adams

Jason Adams.
Jason Adams.via Facebook

Adams and his wife, Valerie, just celebrated their 26th wedding anniversary, she said in a Facebook post.

“How am I suppose to live without my soulmate, love of my life and my best friend,” she wrote.

Billy Baker

Billy Baker.
Billy Baker.via Facebook

Baker’s cousin, Emily Tate, announced his death on Facebook the day after the blast.

“Billy always seemed big and sturdy — larger than life,” Tate wrote. “He always had a smile and a hug for me, his ‘little cuz.’”

Tate asked for prayers for his wife, sons and grandchildren.

Mindy Clifton

Mindy Clifton.
Mindy Clifton.via Facebook

A friend of Clifton’s remembered her as “a big personality wrapped around a caring heart,” while another said she took him under her wing at the start of his career in the corrections industry.

“When we last spoke, I told you ‘I Love you’ and your response was…’I love you too brother,’ so i have absolutely no regrets,” JayVion Mcvadian wrote.

Reyna Gillahan

Reyna Gillahan.
Reyna Gillahan.via Facebook

Gillahan’s daughter, Rosalina, said her mother’s dream was to pay off her home.

“She was a beautiful soul — loving, strong, and always thinking of others before herself,” Rosalina Gillahan wrote in a Facebook post.

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Donald Yowell

Donald Yowell.
Donald Yowell.via Facebook

A friend of Yowell’s said, “his love, his laughter, and his hugs were all larger than life.”

Ashlee Oliver asked for prayers for his family and loved ones, and advised everyone to live life the way he did.

“And in honor of Don… be kind, forgive easily, and love well,” Oliver wrote in a Facebook post. “All things he did perfectly.”

Melinda Rainey

Rainey was passionate about WWE, according to her nephew’s wife, Kimberly Thomas-Thorn.

“She was one of the sweetest, kindest people I’ve met,” she wrote. “I’m going to miss her talking about WWE wrestling and aggravating Josh about TN vs BAMA.”



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Three NFL Draft Fits for Tennessee Football Cornerback Jermod McCoy

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Three NFL Draft Fits for Tennessee Football Cornerback Jermod McCoy


Tennessee football star Jermod McCoy is the player who will likely hear his name called first from the Tennessee program in the upcoming NFL Draft. There are many teams he would fit well, but these three teams are the teams I believe he is the best fit with at this moment.

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1. Dallas Cowboys

Feb 26, 2026; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy (DB20) speaks to media members during the NFL Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys are in need of a cornerback in the draft class, and they are likely to spend one of their first two picks on one. They are selecting at No. 12 and No. 20 in the draft as of now, and McCoy could hear his name called. He would be joining a decent group of cornerbacks, but he would be an immediate starter, likely alongside a later selection that they make with a cornerback.

It would be shocking if the Cowboys pass on him if they select at 12 and he is still on the board. McCoy would be an immediate starter and would be someone who could shut down a whole side of the field for the Cowboys early in his career.

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2. Miami Dolphins

Tennessee defensive back Jermod McCoy (3) jogs during warm-ups before a NCAA football game between Tennessee Volunteers and New Mexico State Aggies at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., on Nov. 15, 2025. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The Miami Dolphins is one of the better fits for Jermod McCoy, and it would make the most sense, as the Dolphins could use almost every position after a major haul of their players. They are in a major rebuilding phase and drafting at No. 11 leaves many to believe that McCoy could be in play.

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McCoy would likely be their No. 1 cornerbakc the day he got to the franchise, and would have the chance to dominate the way he did in his one season on the field with the Vols. This selection would depend on who drops out of the first ten selections. If he is one of the better players remaining (highly likely) he very well could hear his name called at pick 11.

3. New York Jets

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Jermod McCoy runs during Tennessee Football Pro Day 2026, at University of Tennessee on March 31, 2026. | Angelina Alcantar/News Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The New York Jets have the chance to be very good when it comes to the draft, as they are drafting at both No. 2 and No. 16. I believe they will be looking to get a cornerback with their No. 16 pick, which would make a lot of sense considering they had to get rid of Sauce Gardner.

McCoy would be the perfect replacement, as they could find themselves in one of the better situations on the defensive side of the football. He can shutdown a side of the field, and I would bet that he would be a great fit with the Jets because of that exactly.

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Nashville Sounds and Autism Tennessee partner to host inclusive Beyond the Label Day for local children

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Nashville Sounds and Autism Tennessee partner to host inclusive Beyond the Label Day for local children


NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — At a ballpark built for noise, there is space for something quieter.

During the Nashville Sounds’ “Beyond the Label Day,” kids are learning, playing and experiencing baseball in a way that works for them. Autism Tennessee volunteers stepped in to guide kids through sensory play designed to calm and focus.

From spinning toys to textured fidgets, these tools help turn overwhelming moments into manageable ones. Children engaged with the activities, pointing out shapes like a circle, noticing items like candies, and expressing how nice the experience was.

Adam English, general manager of the Nashville Sounds, said making space for everyone is the goal, even as the stadium announcer calls another Sounds strikeout.

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“It’s important for us to raise awareness about autism, but also just make sure that First Horizon Park is an inclusive place for everybody” English said.

The Sounds stadium even has a sensory room for families at every game.

“There’s huge baseball fans that sometimes shy away because of loud crowds and we want to make sure every game out here available” English said.

For Autism Tennessee leaders like Jessica Moore, days like this are about more than awareness. They are about belonging.

“Typically events like this can be super overwhelming… so this is just a way for people to feel like they can come and still be successful” Moore said.

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What are your thoughts on making sports venues more inclusive for all fans? Watch the video to see the sensory room in action, and share your experiences with me at kim.rafferty@NewsChannel5.com.

In this article, we used artificial intelligence to help us convert a video news report originally written by Kim Rafferty. When using this tool, both Kim Rafferty and the NewsChannel 5 editorial team verified all the facts in the article to make sure it is fair and accurate before we published it. We care about your trust in us and where you get your news, and using this tool allows us to convert our news coverage into different formats so we can quickly reach you where you like to consume information. It also lets our journalists spend more time looking into your story ideas, listening to you and digging into the stories that matter.

Checking in on Cole: Gallatin rallies around teen battling brain tumor with prayer vigil

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Austin Pollack brings us an update on a remarkable young man facing great odds, and his family has one simple request: pray for Cole. I believe in the power of prayer and hope you’ll join me in lifting up Cole and his family.

– Carrie Sharp





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Tennessee baseball vs Ole Miss score, live updates, start time, Game 3

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Tennessee baseball vs Ole Miss score, live updates, start time, Game 3


Tennessee baseball will look to salvage the final game of the SEC series against Ole Miss.

The Vols (25-14, 7-10 SEC) play Game against the No. 23 Rebels (29-11, 10-7) on April 19 (1 p.m. ET, SEC Network+) at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.

Ole Miss has been on a roll. The 8-1 win on April 18 against the Vols moved the Rebels to eight straight wins. It got an ace-level start from Cade Townsend and a grand slam from Tristan Bissetta to secure Game 2.

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Taylor Rabe (3-1, 3.16 ERA) will start for the Rebels. Evan Blanco (3-2, 3.67 ERA) will be on the mound for Tennessee.

Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss live updates

What channel is Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss on today?

  • TV channel: SEC Network+
  • Live stream: ESPN app

Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss game times

  • Game 3: April 19 (1 p.m. ET)

Tennessee baseball vs. Ole Miss probable pitchers

  • Tennessee: LHP Evan Blanco (3-2, 3.67 ERA)
  • Ole Miss: RHP Taylor Rabe (3-1, 3.16 ERA)



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