Latest news with #Donnals
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Tennessee cave's historic Mississippian charcoal drawings possibly damaged after flood
A piece of Native American history in Clarksville could be lost forever due to recent historic flooding at a Tennessee landmark. It isn't yet clear if Dunbar Cave State Park's Mississippian Native American charcoal drawings have been permanently damaged after almost six inches of rain fell in Clarksville Feb. 15, causing the cave to flood. But, officials do know the 800-year-old drawings were completely submerged during the flooding and have been left buried in a coating of mud as the waters have receded. "Both boardwalks inside Dunbar Cave were picked up by water and moved from their locations. Inches of mud coats every surface, even the ceiling in one room. Several bats drowned," officials posted of the flooding Feb. 24 on the park's Facebook page. The state is currently assessing the potential damage to the cave and tribal art, Tennessee Environment and Conservation Senior Communication Advisor Jennifer Donnals said. "The cave reached six feet of water and although it has subsided, (the cave) remains closed," Donnals said. It was an historic level of flooding for a cave dripping with history, Donnals said, noting the water reached two to three feet higher than it did during the Flood of 2010, when the prior record was set. But, flooding at Dunbar isn't a rare occurrence. The Feb. 14 flooding is the third such event in less than a year, park officials say. It's a problem they attribute to climate change and ongoing development in the Clarksville area. Although floodwaters naturally recede, the massive amount of rainfall that led to the flooding at Dunbar has caused an underground river to form, officials explained. The cave is widely known for its cave drawings, which were discovered in 2005. Historians discovered the drawings by accident as they were trying to document historical graffiti in the cave. Any possible damages to the drawings caused by the recent flooding would be due to sediment from the rushing water. Removal of the mud coating that's left behind would need to take place before damage assessments can be made, however. "This has potential to significantly delay the cave tour season, and likely will. It's an emotional scene inside the cave for our rangers, but our number one job is to preserve, protect, and share Dunbar Cave — and we will. We are working with our partners to assess damages and plan a path forward for repair and conservation," park officials said on Facebook. Park Ranger Adam Neblett told The USA Today Network-Tennessee in 2021 that Dunbar Cave is the only place in the world the public can see Native American cave art. The sacred artwork is protected so much that the public must refrain from taking pictures during tours. The park has worked thoroughly with Native American tribes like the Eastern Band of Cherokee to learn more about the Mississippian culture, something which no longer exists, Neblett said in 2021. There are 40 charcoal drawings inside Dunbar Cave, about 200 yards from the entrance. Their meanings remain a mystery as the Mississippian culture dates back about 1,000 to 500 years ago. Carbon dating on the drawings and torch fragments date the charcoal paintings inside the cave to around 700 years ago, with carbon tests estimating the drawings to 1350 A.D., plus or minus 50 years, Neblett said in 2021. Reach reporter Craig Shoup by email at cshoup@ and on X @Craig_Shoup. To support his work, sign up for a digital subscription to This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee cave flooding leaves 800-year-old drawings in jeopardy
Yahoo
08-02-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Tennessee's own EV charging program still running as Trump hits brakes on federal grants
As President Donald Trump orders halts to electric vehicle charger grants, a similar Tennessee program is still moving forward. () Tennessee is pushing forward with a state-level grant program to build new electric vehicle chargers on the state's interstates and major highways even as President Donald Trump's administration blocks similar spending from federal coffers. The state will solicit applications this spring for the second round of grant funding for the Fast Charge TN Network Grant Program. The $24 million program seeks to add about 65 new fast-charging locations to fill infrastructure gaps along Tennessee interstates and highways. The Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation and the Tennessee Valley Authority created the program in 2021 to fund a network of fast-charging stations at least every 50 miles along the state's major arteries. The grant is funded by $7.5 million from Tennessee's cut of the Volkswagen Diesel Settlement Environmental Mitigation Trust, electricity revenues from TVA and cost share from grant recipients. TDEC Senior Communications Advisor Jennifer Donnals said in an email that the Fast Charge TN program will not be affected by the Trump administration's freeze of funding for the National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program (NEVI). The $5 billion Biden-era program supports EV charger installation along 'Alternative Fuel Corridors' across the nation. The state and federal programs 'have complementary goals,' Donnals said. Roadways covered by the NEVI program include all of Tennessee's two-digit interstates and the majority of U.S. 64. EVs in Tennessee: Uncertainty abounds as Trump targets Biden-era electric vehicle funding 'The second round of Fast Charge TN is aimed at funding projects along prioritized corridors that NEVI funds cannot currently address with the goal of avoiding duplicative efforts and funding,' Donnals said. Establishing a statewide fast-charging network 'improves transportation efficiency, reduces vehicle emissions, promotes EV adoption, and strengthens the resiliency of our transportation network,' according to a TDEC announcement published on Feb. 3. About 50 projects have been completed or are under development under the first round of Fast Charge TN funding, Donnals said. The second and final funding round will complete the program's build out. Tennessee's electric vehicle manufacturing industry has grown significantly in the past decade, and is anticipated to create thousands of jobs, particularly in rural communities. Funding changes under the Trump administration have stirred uncertainty about the industry's future. In the early days of his second term, Trump's administration has taken steps to halt funding for Biden-era clean energy initiatives under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and the Inflation Reduction Act. The National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Program allocated $88 million to Tennessee to fund the installation of electric vehicle chargers along major corridors over a 5-year period. The U.S. Federal Highway Administration issued a memo Thursday putting spending for NEVI on hold and rescinding the agency's prior approval of states' plans for the program. 'Therefore, effective immediately, no new obligations may occur under the NEVI Formula Program until the updated final NEVI Formula Program Guidance is issued and new state plans are submitted and approved,' the memo states. While new spending is blocked, states may reimburse existing obligations 'in order to not disrupt current financial commitments,' the memo states. New guidance is anticipated this spring. Trump previously signaled a halt to NEVI spending in an executive order upon returning to office. The Tennessee Department of Transportation oversees the program in Tennessee, and awarded $21 million to 10 applicants in January 2024 to install 30 new charging locations. While TDOT has awarded federal funding, the contracting process is ongoing, TDOT Community Relations Director Beth Emmons wrote in an email in January. Emmons said she believes federal decisions on the fate of the program's funding will 'be known by the time we are ready to enter into any official contract.' SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
