State officials announced the arrest of a former employee of a Tuscaloosa County nursing home for abuse of a resident at the facility. Betty Jean Tubbs, 47, of Tuscaloosa was arrested on February 16 and has been released on bond.

The case was referred to the Attorney General Medicaid Fraud [...]]]>

Betty Jean Tubbs

State officials announced the arrest of a former employee of a Tuscaloosa County nursing home for abuse of a resident at the facility. Betty Jean Tubbs, 47, of Tuscaloosa was arrested on February 16 and has been released on bond.

The case was referred to the Attorney General Medicaid Fraud Control Unit by the Alabama Department of Public Health. After conducting an investigation, the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit presented evidence to a Tuscaloosa County grand jury resulting in an indictment* on January 24. The indictment charges Tubbs with one count of second-degree elder abuse, a class B felony. It is alleged that Tubbs, a certified nursing assistant (CNA) at Heritage Health Care and Rehab, struck a 71-year-old resident of the facility on the head, causing injury. It is further alleged that Tubbs punched the resident in the face, causing the resident’s eye to swell and bruise.

If convicted, Tubbs faces a possible sentencing range of two to 20 years in the Department of Corrections and a fine of not more than $30,000.

Attorney General Steve Marshall commended the staff and administrators of Heritage Health Care and Rehab for their prompt reporting of the incident, as well as his Medicaid Fraud Control Unit for its investigation and prosecution of this extremely serious case.

MONTGOMERY – Secretary of State John Merrill issued the following statement on the five year anniversary of the April 27, 2011 tornadoes.

Secretary Merrill represented Tuscaloosa County in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2010 to 2014, and was [...]]]>

Large area of pavement scoured from a road in Phil Campbell.

MONTGOMERY – Secretary of State John Merrill issued the following statement on the five year anniversary of the April 27, 2011 tornadoes.

Secretary Merrill represented Tuscaloosa County in the Alabama House of Representatives from 2010 to 2014, and was actually on the House floor presenting a bill as the tornadoes struck Tuscaloosa that afternoon.

“As we reflect on this unwanted and undesired anniversary, we are reminded of the tragic loss of life and property that occurred five years ago today,” Secretary Merrill said. “And yet with all we have lost, we never lost hope or optimism as we helped our friends and neighbors recover and return to some sense of normalcy.”

“Our state continues to serve as a positive example to the southeast and to our nation of the good things that can come from difficult circumstances. I am honored to represent our community and our state as an elected official in the greatest state in the union.”