Latest news with #AlabamaDHR
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Alabama toddler dies in hot car while in state custody
The Birmingham Police Department is investigating the death of a 3-year-old boy who was trapped inside a hot car while in the custody of an worker contracted by the Alabama Department of Human Resources, the state's child protective services agency, according to the Jefferson County Medical Examiner's Office and the state Department of Human Resources. Ke'Torrius 'K.J.' Starkes Jr. had been left inside a car parked outside a home in Birmingham, Alabama, for several hours during the middle of the day on Tuesday, the Jefferson County Medical Examiner's Office said. It was humid with temperatures ranging from 93 to 96 degrees during the 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. window when K.J. was allegedly left alone inside the car. Heat index values, which factor in temperature and humidity to determine what it feels like in the shade, ranged from 101 to 105 degrees, according to CNN meteorologists. The family says a worker, who was employed through a company contracted by the Alabama Department of Human Resources, picked K.J. up from daycare at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday for a supervised visit with his father. That visit ended around 11:30 a.m., according to Courtney French, the family's attorney. 'Rather than properly returning K.J. immediately to daycare, the worker made numerous personal errands with K.J. buckled in a car seat in the back of her car,' French told CNN. CNN has contacted the contract company and the Birmingham Police Department but did not immediately hear back. According to a timeline provided by the family attorney, the employee went home at 12:30 p.m., leaving K.J. 'strapped inside the vehicle, with all windows up and the car engine off.' He was left in the parked car outside the employee's home for more than five hours before the daycare reached out to her to ask why K.J. hadn't returned, French said. 'The worker told law enforcement that it was only then that she realized K.J. was still in her vehicle,' French said, noting that 911 was then called. K.J. was pronounced dead at 6:03 p.m., according to the medical examiner's office. The Alabama Department of Human Resources said the incident occurred while the child was 'in DHR custody' and 'being transported by a contract provider.' The department noted that their contract provider has terminated their employee. 'Due to confidentiality, DHR cannot comment further regarding the identity of the child or the exact circumstances,' the agency said in a statement Saturday. K.J.'s death is the first hot car death in Alabama this year and he is at least the 16th child to die in a hot car nationwide in 2025, according to Amber Rollins, the director of Kids and Car Safety, a nonprofit organization dedicated to its namesake issue. CNN's Linda Lam contributed to this reporting. Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
3 days ago
- CNN
Alabama toddler dies in hot car while in state custody
The Birmingham Police Department is investigating the death of a 3-year-old boy who was trapped inside a hot car while in the custody of an worker contracted by the Alabama Department of Human Resources, the state's child protective services agency, according to the Jefferson County Medical Examiner's Office and the state Department of Human Resources. Ke'Torrius 'K.J.' Starkes Jr. had been left inside a car parked outside a home in Birmingham, Alabama, for several hours during the middle of the day on Tuesday, the Jefferson County Medical Examiner's Office said. It was humid with temperatures ranging from 93 to 96 degrees during the 12:30 to 5:30 p.m. window when K.J. was allegedly left alone inside the car. Heat index values, which factor in temperature and humidity to determine what it feels like in the shade, ranged from 101 to 105 degrees, according to CNN meteorologists. The family says a worker, who was employed through a company contracted by the Alabama Department of Human Resources, picked K.J. up from daycare at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday for a supervised visit with his father. That visit ended around 11:30 a.m., according to Courtney French, the family's attorney. 'Rather than properly returning K.J. immediately to daycare, the worker made numerous personal errands with K.J. buckled in a car seat in the back of her car,' French told CNN. CNN has contacted the contract company and the Birmingham Police Department but did not immediately hear back. According to a timeline provided by the family attorney, the employee went home at 12:30 p.m., leaving K.J. 'strapped inside the vehicle, with all windows up and the car engine off.' He was left in the parked car outside the employee's home for more than five hours before the daycare reached out to her to ask why K.J. hadn't returned, French said. 'The worker told law enforcement that it was only then that she realized K.J. was still in her vehicle,' French said, noting that 911 was then called. K.J. was pronounced dead at 6:03 p.m., according to the medical examiner's office. The Alabama Department of Human Resources said the incident occurred while the child was 'in DHR custody' and 'being transported by a contract provider.' The department noted that their contract provider has terminated their employee. 'Due to confidentiality, DHR cannot comment further regarding the identity of the child or the exact circumstances,' the agency said in a statement Saturday. K.J.'s death is the first hot car death in Alabama this year and he is at least the 16th child to die in a hot car nationwide in 2025, according to Amber Rollins, the director of Kids and Car Safety, a nonprofit organization dedicated to its namesake issue. CNN's Linda Lam contributed to this reporting.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
3-Year-Old Boy Dies After Being Left in Hot Car By the Department of Human Resources, Which Took Him Away from His Father
The boy was left in the car for five hours while the DHR worker went shopping and stopped at home A 3-year-old boy died in a hot car in Birmingham, Ala., on Tuesday, July 22, while in the care of a Department of Human Resources worker. Ke'Torrius Starks Jr. was identified by his father at the coroner's office. Starkes, who was from Bessemer, Ala., was found in a hot car outside a home on Pine Tree Drive. The child had been left alone in the car between 12:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. local time, and was pronounced dead at 6:03 p.m. local time, local NBC affiliate WVTM13 reported. Tuesday was considered a First Warning Impact Day, with the heat index in the triple digits, per the outlet. "A child in DHR custody was being transported by a contract provider when the incident occurred," a spokesperson for Alabama DHR told WVTM13 and "The provider has terminated their employee. Due to confidentiality, DHR cannot comment further regarding the identity of the child or the exact circumstances." PEOPLE contacted Alabama DHR for comment. The family's attorney, Courtney French, told ABC 3340 the child was in temporary foster care and had been picked up from daycare at 9:00 a.m. for a supervised visit with his biological father, which ended around 11:30 a.m. French alleged that instead of returning Starks to daycare, the worker, employed through The Covenant Services, Inc., stopped to pick up food for her family and shopped at a tobacco store. The employee then allegedly returned to her home and left the child in the parked car for more than five hours. "A heartbreaking and preventable tragedy. Based upon a preliminary investigation, with the current extreme outside temperatures and the heat index of 108 degrees, the interior temperature of the car where KJ was trapped likely exceeded 150 degrees," French told ABC 3340. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. French's office said Starks' parents are grieving this loss. In a statement issued via French, the family said, "This is a parent's worst nightmare. Our baby should be alive." PEOPLE has reached out to the Jefferson County Coroner's Office and French's firm, Petway French Ford, for comment. Read the original article on People
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Alabama officials recommend locking food stamp cards to prevent out-of-state fraud
HUNTSIVLLE, Ala. (WHNT) — The Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) is recommending that all EBT cardholders utilize the new Lock/Unlock feature on the ConnectEBT app and website, especially the 'Lock Card Everywhere' option which will help block out of state fraud. From May 2023 to Dec. 20, 2024, Alabama DHR replaced $15.9 million of SNAP benefits due to EBT fraud. From October to December 2024, over 26,000 reimbursements were approved for $10.5 million. The Department believes that 100 percent of the funds were stolen from outside of the state. Data shows that around $1.8 million in Alabama EBT expenditures happened in the state of New York and around $2.2 million was spent in Pennsylvania. DHR said it believes most, if not all, of this is fraud. 'The very best thing our SNAP clients can do is lock their card when they aren't using it,' said Alabama DHR Commissioner Nancy Buckner. 'With the funds being stolen by utilizing out of state EBT terminals, we believe using our newest feature on ConnectEBT and locking the EBT card will truly combat this type of fraud.' Clients can choose from two options when locking their card: 'Lock Card Everywhere' or 'Lock Card'. 'Lock Card Everywhere' completely locks cards to ALL purchases anywhere. The 'Lock Card' option will lock cards from purchases outside of Alabama but does allow online purchases. DHR strongly recommends the 'Lock Card Everywhere' option at all times when the card is not in use. In the event a card is used at a location for a food purchase, the business can access the amount due, even if the card is then immediately locked by the user. Authorization for the purchase is in real-time and based on the card status at the time of the transaction. If the card is locked when the card is swiped or keyed in, then the retailer's transaction will fail due to the locked card status. But if the cardholder locks the card, even if it is immediately AFTER the transaction is complete, the transaction would have already been authorized and completed and the transaction would be successful as long as available funds were in the account at the time of the purchase. EBT cardholders may also sign up for alerts through the ConnectEBT app and website. These alerts include account activity alerts through the app, text, and/or email. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
06-06-2025
- Business
- The Hill
Alabama officials recommend locking food stamp cards to prevent out-of-state fraud
HUNTSIVLLE, Ala. (WHNT) — The Alabama Department of Human Resources (DHR) is recommending that all EBT cardholders utilize the new Lock/Unlock feature on the ConnectEBT app and website, especially the 'Lock Card Everywhere' option which will help block out of state fraud. From May 2023 to Dec. 20, 2024, Alabama DHR replaced $15.9 million of SNAP benefits due to EBT fraud. From October to December 2024, over 26,000 reimbursements were approved for $10.5 million. The Department believes that 100 percent of the funds were stolen from outside of the state. Data shows that around $1.8 million in Alabama EBT expenditures happened in the state of New York and around $2.2 million was spent in Pennsylvania. DHR said it believes most, if not all, of this is fraud. 'The very best thing our SNAP clients can do is lock their card when they aren't using it,' said Alabama DHR Commissioner Nancy Buckner. 'With the funds being stolen by utilizing out of state EBT terminals, we believe using our newest feature on ConnectEBT and locking the EBT card will truly combat this type of fraud.' Clients can choose from two options when locking their card: 'Lock Card Everywhere' or 'Lock Card'. 'Lock Card Everywhere' completely locks cards to ALL purchases anywhere. The 'Lock Card' option will lock cards from purchases outside of Alabama but does allow online purchases. DHR strongly recommends the 'Lock Card Everywhere' option at all times when the card is not in use. In the event a card is used at a location for a food purchase, the business can access the amount due, even if the card is then immediately locked by the user. Authorization for the purchase is in real-time and based on the card status at the time of the transaction. If the card is locked when the card is swiped or keyed in, then the retailer's transaction will fail due to the locked card status. But if the cardholder locks the card, even if it is immediately AFTER the transaction is complete, the transaction would have already been authorized and completed and the transaction would be successful as long as available funds were in the account at the time of the purchase. EBT cardholders may also sign up for alerts through the ConnectEBT app and website. These alerts include account activity alerts through the app, text, and/or email.
