Author

Eddie Burkhalter

Eddie Burkhalter is a reporter at the Alabama Political Reporter. You can email him at [email protected] or reach him via Twitter.

Birmingham mayor declares emergency, city-wide curfew after violence

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin on Monday declared a state of emergency and a city-wide curfew after violent protests early Monday morning that saw businesses burned and journalists attacked. Birmingham will be under a city-wide curfew from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. beginning Monday evening. Anyone not at home or at work during those hours could … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

June 1, 2020

Alabama’s Missing and Endangered Person Alert goes into effect today

Beginning today, Alabama’s Missing Senior Alert becomes the state’s Missing and Endangered Person Alert, and includes a broader coverage of those who may be in danger. The previous Missing Senior Alert issued alerts for those who may have Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, and while the Amber Alerts and Emergency Missing Child alerts can be called … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

June 1, 2020

Three more prison workers, another inmate test positive for COVID-19

Three more prison workers have tested positive for COVID-19, becoming the sixth prison worker to self-report positive test results in two days. Additionally, a man serving at the St. Clair Correctional Facility also tested positive for the virus, the Alabama Department of Corrections (ADOC) announced in a Friday press release. Three workers at the Julia … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

May 29, 2020

Less than 1 percent of Alabama inmates have been tested for COVID-19

As the number of prison workers in Alabama who’ve tested positive for COVID-19 continues to rise, the number of cases among inmates in the state’s dangerously overcrowded prisons has remained flat, and that likely comes down to testing. Inmates in Alabama are only tested if they are exhibiting symptoms and a physician recommends the test. … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

May 29, 2020

Three more prison workers test positive for COVID-19, testing of inmates remains low

Two workers at the Bullock Correctional Facility and one employee at the Kilby Correctional Facility have tested positive for COVID-19, the Alabama Department of Corrections said Thursday evening. The latest confirmed cases among staff bring the total of COVID-19 cases among prison workers to 58. Twelve of those workers have since recovered, the Alabama Department … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

May 28, 2020

League of Women Voters of Alabama sue over voting amid COVID-19 pandemic

The League of Women Voters of Alabama on Thursday filed a lawsuit against Gov. Kay Ivey, Secretary of State John Merrill and several Montgomery County election officials asking the court to expand Alabama’s absentee voting and relax other voting measures amid the COVID-19 outbreak. The nonprofit is joined in the suit by 10 plaintiffs who … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

May 28, 2020

Two patients at Mary Starke Harper Geriatric Psychiatric Center die from COVID-19

Two patients at the state’s Mary Starke Harper Geriatric Psychiatric Center have died from COVID-19, the Alabama Department of Mental Health confirmed to APR on Thursday. There remained 17 active coronavirus cases among patients at the state-run facility, said ADMH spokeswoman Malissa Valdes-Hubert in a message Thursday. One patient at the facility has recovered from … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

May 28, 2020

Inmate at Elmore prison dies after attack from another inmate

A man serving at the Elmore Correctional Facility died Wednesday after being assaulted by another inmate, the Alabama Department of Corrections confirmed Thursday. Jamaal King, 33, died Tuesday from injuries he received after an attack from another inmate, ADOC spokeswoman Samantha Banks wrote in a message to APR. “The ADOC condemns all violence in its … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

May 28, 2020

More confirmed COVID-19 cases among state inmates, prison staff

Two more inmates in Alabama prisons have tested positive for COVID-19, while confirmed cases among prison staff continue to outpace cases among inmates. Four additional workers have also tested positive, bringing the total to 55. The Alabama Department of Corrections in a press release Wednesday evening announced that two inmates who had been housed at … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

May 27, 2020

About half of Americans asked say they’d take COVID-19 vaccine

While most Americans believe a vaccine for COVID-19 will be available in 2021, only around half say they’ll get vaccinated according to a recent study. A leading infectious disease expert at UAB worries, however, that there’s no guarantee researchers can create a safe, effective vaccine for the virus at all, and that if a vaccine … Continued

Eddie Burkhalter

May 27, 2020