An explosion at a Tennessee military munitions plant left multiple people dead and missing on Friday, a county sheriff said, as first responders said secondary blasts forced rescuers to keep their distance from the burning site.
Paige Pfleger, Criminal Justice Reporter
Paige Pfleger covers criminal justice for WPLN News. She has investigated guns and juvenile justice as a fellow with ProPublica's Local Reporting Network, and her investigation into domestic violence and firearms dispossession won a regional Edward R. Murrow award and was a finalist for an Investigative Reporters and Editors Award and a Livingston Award. She previously covered criminal justice and addiction in Ohio and was named the state's reporter of the year by the Associated Press. Her work has appeared nationally on NPR, The Washington Post, Marketplace, and PRI's The World, and she has worked in the newsrooms of The Tennessean, Michigan Radio, WHYY, Vox and NPR headquarters in DC.
Report finds Tennessee cities failing to address the root causes of gun violence, compounded by federal cuts
Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville and Chattanooga have some of the highest rates of gun violence in the nation.
In battle over public bench removals, advocates decide to build their own
On Saturday morning, a coalition of community members gathered at a church in East Nashville to build benches.
Tennesseans fired, disciplined for reactions to Charlie Kirk’s death
The shooting death of hard-right activist Charlie Kirk has spurred a wide array of reactions on social media, and Tennesseans are continuing to be disciplined or fired for their posts online. The newest ripple effects became clear Tuesday.
Nashville’s decade of domestic violence reforms focused on victims. Now the city wants increased offender accountability.
In 2013, a Nashville report identified ways the justice system could improve for domestic violence victims. A new assessment looks back at a decade of wins and highlights opportunities to improve.
Tennessee executes Byron Black despite worries about his heart implant
The state of Tennessee executed Byron Black on Tuesday morning. The 69-year-old was convicted of killing his girlfriend and her daughters in 1988. The execution was carried out by lethal injection despite uncertainty about Black’s heart implant.
How the head of an embattled Tennessee youth detention center held on to power for decades
Richard L. Bean remained in his perch as the superintendent of the juvenile detention center that bears his name despite scandals, investigations, and the use of seclusion to punish children.
The Governor’s family business and major lobbying companies received thousands from new franchise tax refunds
Tennessee’s Department of Revenue has officially released the names of businesses that received tax refunds due to the franchise tax reform bill passed last year.
The head of Knoxville’s Richard L. Bean detention center will retire after ‘loss of confidence’ in his leadership
A 2023 WPLN News and ProPublica investigation found that Bean was illegally locking kids up alone in cells. A new scandal has forced his resignation.
Chattanooga school agrees to pay $100,000 after an 11-year-old was arrested under threats of mass violence law
Junior was handcuffed and arrested for allegedly making a threat. His family agreed to a settlement in their lawsuit against his school.
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