Tennessee
Plane Breaks Up Mid-Air Over Tennessee, Killing 3 People Onboard
A Beechcraft V35 crashed near Franklin, Tennessee on Wednesday, killing all three people onboard. This wasn’t the typical single-engine plane crash, as Initial findings indicate the aircraft broke apart in the sky, ABC News reports. A 911 caller reported hearing an explosion that is believed to be the crash, according to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. Federal investigators are now combing through the debris field, looking for answers.
The V35 left Louisiana Regional Airport just southwest of Baton Rouge on Wednesday morning and was headed for Louisville, Kentucky. When the crash happened, the aircraft was in contact with air traffic control and started descending to 9,000 feet. The plane was registered to a Baton Rouge-based plastic surgeon, Dr. Lucius Doucet. He was killed in the crash. Doucet’s practice, Williamson Cosmetic Center, released a statement reading:
“The sudden and untimely loss of Dr. Doucet has left a deep void in our hearts and in our practice. We understand that many of you had strong bonds with him over the years, relying on his expertise, guidance and unwavering support.”
The identities of the two other victims have yet to be confirmed. The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the crash. Local authorities aren’t sure where the incident started or ended. The crash area spans roughly a half-mile, with debris coming over in people’s yards and driveways, but residents didn’t report any structural damage.
General aviation is statistically more dangerous than commercial flying. It’s been 15 years since the last fatal airline crash in the United States. According to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, 157 fatal accidents involving non-commercial fixed-wing aircraft occurred in 2023. The crash in Tennessee was even the only fatal plane crash on Wednesday. An 18-year-old was killed when he crashed a Cessna 150L into a North Texas field after appearing to run out of fuel.
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Tennessee
Trump pardons former Tennessee House speaker and his aide, who were convicted on federal corruption charges
President Donald Trump pardoned former Tennessee House Speaker Glen Casada and his former chief of staff, Cade Cothren, who were convicted on federal corruption charges.
Casada, a Republican, was sentenced in September to 36 months in prison after being convicted on 17 charges, including wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Cothren, the aide, received a shorter sentence.
Casada confirmed the pardon on Thursday in a statement to NBC affiliate WSMV in Nashville, saying: “Yes the president called me today and granted me a full pardon. I am grateful of his trust and his full confidence in my innocence through this whole ordeal.”
In a statement, a White House official confirmed Trump’s decision to pardon Casada and Cothren and blamed the Biden administration for over-prosecuting the two men.
“The Biden Department of Justice significantly over-prosecuted these individuals for a minor issue involving constituent mailers — which were billed at competitive prices, never received a complaint from legislators, and resulted in a net profit loss of less than $5,000. The Biden DOJ responded with an armed raid, perp walk, and suggested sentences exceeding 10 years — penalties normally reserved for multimillion-dollar fraudsters,” the official told NBC News.
The investigation of both men began during Trump’s first term — and the raids of their homes — were conducted in January 2021, while Trump was still in office. The judge who oversaw the case and handed down Casada and Cothren’s sentences was appointed by Trump in his first term.
The charges against Casada and Cothren centered on a consulting firm they founded with another lawmaker, called Phoenix Solutions. Prosecutors alleged that the former House speaker and his aide used the company to illegally funnel money to themselves for campaign and taxpayer-funded work, including by organizing a $52,000 mailer program for Tennessee lawmakers.
Prosecutors said they used a false name — Matthew Phoenix — to run the company.
Several years before Casada was charged, he served as House speaker in Tennessee, but resigned in 2019 after a no-confidence vote by his fellow lawmakers. The vote came in the wake of another scandal involving Casada and Cothren, where the two were accused of exchanging sexually explicit text messages about women. Casada apologized for the texts and said that they were “not the person I am.”
The president this term has also pardoned several other former politicians, including former Democratic Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, former Tennessee GOP state Sen. Brian Kelsey and former GOP Las Vegas City Councilmember Michele Fiore. He also commuted former GOP Rep. George Santos’ prison sentence.
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