Tripwire, Episode 7: Remembering Woodbine

It's been more than 50 years since the Thiokol explosion. Today, it's remembered by two lines in history books. But one group aims to change that. Follow along with our visual episode companion at SavannahNow.com. Other media in this episode, including songs, newscasts and speeches were used for …

Tripwire, Episode 6: The Price of a Life

While the courts had come to a resolution on who was liable for the 1971 explosion at Thiokol, it wasn't the end of the road for many of the victims. The next years forced many survivors and family members of the victims to relive the day over and over again in front of a judge. What was the cost …

Tripwire, Episode 5: The Normalization of Deviance

The dust had begun to settle in Woodbine and a new owner had taken over at the former Thiokol site. But the infamous day still lingered in the minds of survivors and victims as the legal battle began. Thiokol and the U.S. government were pointing fingers at one another, but the former was protecte…

Tripwire, Episode 4: The Whole World Changed For Me

After February 3, things were different in Woodbine. Families were broken, mothers lost and Thiokol wanted everyone back to work soon. Condolences came in from President Richard Nixon to Georgia Gov. Jimmy Carter, and the state worked to help those affected by the blast to get their homes in order.…

Tripwire, Episode 3: The Fire Had A Voice

LISTENER WARNING: There will be graphic descriptions of the explosion and its aftermath in this episode. Listener discretion advised. February 3, 1971 seemed like any other day when Thiokol workers entered the plant that morning for their shift. By 10:53 a.m., the world as they knew it would chan…

Tripwire, Episode 2: Woodbine, We Have A Problem

As the U.S. was embroiled in the space race and the Vietnam War, Thiokol saw an opportunity in Woodbine in both realms. After securing a space contract with NASA, the prospect of 2,000 jobs in the small town was on the horizon until budget cuts from the federal government cut it short. Then came Vi…

Tripwire, Episode 1: We Sang While We Worked

Welcome to the town of Woodbine, Georgia. It's the end of the 1960s. A small town in Camden County, Woodbine was selected to house the Thiokol Chemical Corporation plant, which provided ample employment opportunities to Black women in the area, who previously could only find domestic work, line wo…

Introducing Tripwire, a podcast investigating the 1971 Thiokol chemical explosion

Tripwire, a production of the Savannah Morning News, investigates the 1971 chemical explosion at the Thiokol Chemical Corp. plant in Woodbine, Georgia. The blast killed 29 people, predominately Black women, and injured nearly 50 others, leading to decades of legal battles between the families of vi…