Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Please log in, or sign up for a new account to continue reading.
Thank you for visiting the Daily Journal. We hope that you continue to enjoy our free content.
Please log in, or sign up for a new account and purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
Your current subscription does not provide access to this content.
Support the Peninsula’s only locally-owned newspaper. Subscribe!
Subscribing annually brings you big savings. We also offer monthly and weekly subscriptions.
Premium Subscription
As low as $8.25 per week
Premium Includes:
-- Access to the Daily Journal’s e-Edition: a digital replica of our daily newspaper including crossword puzzles, games, comics, classifieds and ads. You can download a digital replica of the Daily Journal for offline reading. You can also clip & download articles or images from the e-edition to share with others The most recent 90 issues are available at any given time.
-- Unlimited access to our award-winning online content
-- Commenting access on all stories as a valued member of the DJ community
-- NEW! Access to our online-only digital crossword puzzle. A new puzzle every day, seven days a week!
| Rate | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Year | $99.00 | for 365 days |
| 1 Month | $20.00 | for 30 days |
| 1 Week | $8.25 | for 7 days |
Support the Peninsula’s only locally-owned newspaper. Subscribe!
Subscribing annually brings you big savings. We also offer monthly and weekly subscriptions.
DJ Basic Subscription
As low as $5 per month
Basic includes:
-- Unlimited access to our award-winning online content
-- Commenting access on all stories as a valued member of the DJ community
What you're missing -- Additional features available only with the Premium level:
-- Access to the Daily Journal’s e-Edition: a digital replica of our daily newspaper including crossword puzzles, games, comics, classifieds and ads. You can download a digital replica of the Daily Journal for offline reading. You can also clip & download articles or images from the e-edition to share with others The most recent 90 issues are available at any given time.
-- NEW! Access to our online-only digital crossword puzzle. A new puzzle every day, seven days a week!
All for as low as $5.00 per month.
| Rate | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Year | $60.00 | for 365 days |
| 1 Month | $12.00 | for 30 days |
| 1 Week | $5.00 | for 7 days |
| Rate | Price | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Home Delivery - Year | $120.00 | for 365 days |
| Mail Delivery - Year | $480.00 | for 365 days |
NUNNELLY, Tenn. (AP) — Just miles from a rural Tennessee plant leveled by a devasting explosion, the congregants of Maple Valley Baptist Church devoted Sunday's service to the 16 deceased victims and their families.
Several of the dozens of people praying at the small church knew someone who worked at the plant owned by Accurate Energetic Systems, which supplies and researches explosives for the military and is a well-known employer in the area.
“There’s a somber kind of vibe right now in the community just because it’s so many lives that have been affected by it,” said Pastor Jimmy Andrews of the church in Nunnelly. “It’s family and friends just trying to hold each other up during this most difficult time.”
Churches across many of the area's small close-knit communities, including another one attended by Gov. Bill Lee on Sunday, did the same through vigils and services as many tried to make sense of the devastation.
“The losses are staggering,” Lee told reporters after surveying the damage by helicopter and attending Compassion Church in nearby Waverly.
The cause of Friday’s blast remained under investigation. Crews were carefully going through incinerated property, searching for possible evidence. Authorities warned of smaller controlled explosions Sunday to dispose of hazardous materials.
“Extraordinary precautions are in place to prevent further damage and injuries,” the Humphreys County sheriff’s office said in a statement. “The community around the area is safe but you may hear noise and see some smoke.”
The initial blast was felt for more than 20 miles (32 kilometers), leaving a smoldering wreck of twisted and charred metal and burned-out vehicles at the plant. Authorities said there were no survivors. They had not identified the deceased by Sunday.
The plant is located in a heavily wooded area of middle Tennessee, between the vital Tennessee River to the west and Nashville to the east.
Brandon Brake, 42, said many in the area were leaning on their “church families” to make it through. He attended Maple Valley Baptist.
“It’s been a tragic time,” he said. “We’re going to pull through.”
The community of McEwen lowered its flags to half-staff on Saturday out of respect. A Sunday evening candlelight vigil was planned outside the Humphreys County Courthouse. Schools in the county said counseling services would be available to students on Monday.
“We will continue to play a support role to those affected in any way possible as they are our friends, neighbors, and citizens of our community,” McEwen Mayor Brad Rachford said in an email Sunday.
Andrews, the pastor of Maple Valley Baptist, told congregants to look out for each other.
“Lord, I just pray we lift up those that are continuing to suffer through this tragic event,” he said.
Tareen reported from Chicago.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
Please purchase a Premium Subscription to continue reading.
To continue, please log in, or sign up for a new account.
We offer one free story view per month. If you register for an account, you will get two additional story views. After those three total views, we ask that you support us with a subscription.
A subscription to our digital content is so much more than just access to our valuable content. It means you’re helping to support a local community institution that has, from its very start, supported the betterment of our society. Thank you very much!
Only subscribers can view and post comments on articles.
Already a subscriber? Login Here
Murder for Two Read moreMurder For Two
Join us for the first-ever Fostoberfest on Saturday, October 18, 2025, a brand-new fall fest… Read moreFostoberfest
5K/10K 17th annual Halloween-theme. 9am Paved, flat, fast in Seal Point Park. Goody bag an… Read moreFun Run San Mateo Rotary
Thomas Morgan said:
Thomas Morgan said:
Dirk van Ulden said:
Success! An email has been sent to with a link to confirm list signup.
Error! There was an error processing your request.
(0) comments
Welcome to the discussion.
Log In
Keep the discussion civilized. Absolutely NO personal attacks or insults directed toward writers, nor others who make comments.
Keep it clean. Please avoid obscene, vulgar, lewd, racist or sexually-oriented language.
Don't threaten. Threats of harming another person will not be tolerated.
Be truthful. Don't knowingly lie about anyone or anything.
Be proactive. Use the 'Report' link on each comment to let us know of abusive posts.
PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
Anyone violating these rules will be issued a warning. After the warning, comment privileges can be revoked.