Writing - Megan Engle

Writing

Shenandoah National Park braces for summer crowds amid steep federal cuts

As wildflowers bloom and songbirds chirp across Shenandoah National Park, a tense scene unfolds just outside visitors' view. With ongoing federal cuts and record crowds, the park is straining to do more with less than ever, an arrangement some warn may come at a serious cost.

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels

December 10 2025

Why can’t 911 find you in D.C.?

One warm, late-summer night in 2020, three men called 911 after falling out of their boat and into the Potomac River. Fifteen minutes later, rescue crews responded to the Anacostia River, four miles away.

Their bodies were recovered two days later.

Photo by Eugenio Felix on Pexels

Retired ranger travels cross-country to protest National Park Service cuts

Retired park ranger John Goodwin recently donned his old flat hat and stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial to protest recent cuts to the National Park Service. For him, that moment represented the culmination of a 27-year career and nearly 60 hours of travel.

Federal workers protest DEI firings

Dozens of protesters denounced the Trump administration’s termination of federal employees with past or perceived ties to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at a rally Tuesday outside the Office of Personnel Management.

WVLT • November 13 2025

BJ’s opens Sevierville location, partners with Second Harvest Bank

SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - BJ’s Wholesale Club is opening its new Sevierville location Friday and providing a new grant to help fight against hunger.The wholesale club, located at 124 Allensville Rd., will be the second location in East Tennessee after the location in Maryville opened in January. The new location is situated in a food desert, according to the United State Department of Agriculture. As of 2019, a significant share of residents in the area were both low-income and located more th...

WVLT • March 25 2026

Blount Memorial Hospital announces layoffs, contracts out some services

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Blount Memorial Hospital is laying off 85 people, according to a WARN Notice filed with the state Tuesday. Josh West Marketing Communications Manager for Prisma Health Blount Memorial Hospital said in a statement to WVLT that the hospital is contracting its Food and Nutrition Services and Environmental Services effective May 1. “The vast majority of team members involved with this change have already completed the initial onboarding steps to become Compass Healthcare em...

WVLT • April 17 2026

T-Mobile announces East Tennessee layoffs

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WVLT) - T-Mobile is laying off 200 employees from its Chattanooga call center, according to a WARN notice filed with the state.

With just over 900 current employees, the layoffs represent a 20 percent staffing cut for the facility. The layoffs will be effective June 8th, 2026.

Since the beginning of 2026, 2,710 Tennesseans have lost their job due to layoffs or facility closures reported through WARN notices. That’s roughly the same as the 2,910 seen this time last year.

WVLT • April 22 2026

East Tennessee automotive manufacturing plant closing, costing 200 jobs

ATHENS, Tenn. (WVLT) - Over 200 people are slated to lose their jobs after Adient announced the closure of its Athens facility.

The automotive manufacturing company will close its Athens facility and lay off its 210 employees effective June 30, 2026.

The company has multiple locations in Tennessee. With this latest round of layoffs, Adient has now laid off 825 employees in the state over the past decade.

So far in 2026, 2,920 Tennesseans have lost their jobs due to facility closures or layoff...

September 24 2024

Pa. evangelicals March for Life as GOP backs down on abortion

From church pews across Harrisburg, thousands of pro-life protesters flocked to the state capitol in the rain for the Pennsylvania March for Life on Monday. With their umbrellas and signs raised high, they delivered a clear message: the fight against abortion in the state — and across the country — is far from over.

September 12 2024

Biden signs labor order as both parties fight for union votes

President Joe Biden signed the “Good Jobs” executive order and met with union members in the battleground state of Michigan on Sept. 6. With less than 50 days until the election, both parties remain focused on wooing over union voters.

Photo by AS Photography on Pexels

Local all-women urban farm grows greens and careers

Between faded yellow parking lines in a converted garage, Brittany Gallahan leads a team of all-women farmers. For over a decade, this unconventional farm has quietly challenged the agricultural status quo.

Gallahan joined Little Wild Things Farm as its production manager nine months ago. Though she's spent most of her life surrounded by farms and fields, she'd never worked on a farm quite like this one.