MAYFIELD, Ky. — on the region remains unclear as rescuers continue scouring the factory wreckage for signs of life.
A company spokesperson said Sunday that eight of the 110 workers on the overnight shift Friday are confirmed dead and another eight are missing. More than 90 have now been accounted for, making the death toll lower than some had feared hours earlier. The factory employs many people in and around Mayfield, a city of about 10,000 in Kentucky's southwest corner. It is Graves County's third-biggest employer, according to the county's website. Even some inmates at the county jail have worked there.
Most American candle-makers used to complete their holiday orders by early November, but labor shortages and other economic trends tied to the COVID-19 pandemic have extended crunch time well into December, said Kathy LaVanier, CEO of Ohio-based Renegade Candle Company and a board member at the National Candle Association.
Bryanna Travis, 19, and Jarred Holmes, 20, stood vigil near the rubble of the Mayfield candle factory Saturday where they had worked for months, usually for about $14.50 an hour. The engaged couple wasn't working when the storm hit. “There were regular drills and the employees went to the shelter, which is an interior part of that building,” he said. “They were there long enough even for attendance to be taken.” But, he said, the “tornado was of such rare size and strength that” it had great destructive power.
Two reasons........profits and the plant manager. I cannot count the number of times the plant I retired from ignored storm warnings.