Top Headlines: Alabama’s unemployment fund, Mobile aerospace facility won’t reopen

Florida man pleads guilty in $200M prescription fraud case in Haleyville
Officials say a Florida man has pleaded guilty in Alabama to a prescription drug-billing scheme that fraudulently charged health insurers over $200 million. John Jeremy Adams of Panama City Beach, Florida, pleaded guilty Monday to several counts of fraud, including 16 counts of health care fraud. Adams was the former co-owner and chief executive officer of Northside Pharmacy in Haleyville. – WTVM

More growth on Huntsville’s South Memorial Parkway
A new mixed-use office complex for technology companies is coming on south Memorial Parkway in Huntsville, developers say. Freedom Real Estate & Capital is developing the 92,000-square-foot facility at 4040 Chris Drive. Torch Technologies and Invariant Corp. are the first two tenants. – AL.com

How much money is left in Alabama’s unemployment fund?
Just two months ago, Alabama had its highest amount of money ever in the Department of Labor’s unemployment fund. Then came the pandemic, and almost half a million Alabamians have filed for aid since. So how healthy is the fund now? Well, the short answer is there’s nothing to worry about in the near future. Let’s recap. – AL.com

Honeywell Aerospace plans to close its plant in Anniston
An Anniston manufacturing company is closing its doors. Honeywell Aerospace has plans to move operations out of the state next year. The business currently has about 200 employees. “Honeywell is moving repair and overhaul work from Anniston, Alabama to Tempe, Arizona by March 2021 to streamline operations and better serve our customers,” according to a company statement. The Calhoun County Economic Development Council has plans to connect workers to jobs within the county. – ABC3340

Mobile aerospace facility won’t reopen after pandemic
An aerospace facility in business for 20 years in Mobile is closing down and will not reopen after the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in the loss of about 80 jobs. The planned closure of the Carlisle Interconnect Technologies facility brings an end to the story of Star Aviation, a home-grown success that helped raise Mobile’s profile in the aerospace industry long before Airbus decided to start assembling jetliners on the Alabama coast. – AL.com

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Long-term care residents about 43% of COVID-19 death toll in Alabama
The number of long-term care residents who’ve died due to COVID-19 has risen by 76 in the last week. According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, there are 183 reported deaths of long-term care residents due to coronavirus as of Tuesday. On May 4, ADPH reported 107 deaths. According to ADPH data, 429 people have died from coronavirus in the state. Long-term care residents make up about 43 percent of the deaths. – WTVM

Alabama limits liability for Covid-related claims
In an effort to flatten the curve of pandemic-related litigation, Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey (R) signed a proclamation on May 8, significantly limiting the liability of employers for COVID-19-related claims. Using powers granted by the Alabama Emergency Management Act, Gov. Ivey put all but the most egregious claims in quarantine by granting near immunity against negligence claims and isolating defendants from many claims for non-economic damages. The order raises the burden of proof for plaintiffs. – Lexology

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