An 11-year-old boy from Hueytown has died after suffering complications from a severe case of the flu, according to family members.
Jace Watkins was hospitalized at Children’s of Alabama just days before Christmas after being diagnosed with the flu. Family members say Jace’s condition quickly worsened, and he was admitted to the intensive care unit.
According to relatives, Jace began experiencing seizures and at one point stopped breathing. He remained in critical condition in the ICU as doctors worked to stabilize him.
Late Tuesday night, Jace’s condition deteriorated further. Family members said he developed significant swelling of the brain that did not subside, preventing adequate oxygen from reaching his brain. His grandfather, Scott Parsons, described the situation as overwhelming and heartbreaking.
Family members previously told WBRC that Jace did not have any major underlying health conditions.
“He was a premature baby, but other than that, he’s had inhalers and stuff, but that was years ago,” said Jace’s aunt, Sabrina Parsons. “He was telling everybody he was fine. He felt fine. Then he started throwing up that night, and later he had a seizure.”
Jace was a fifth-grade student at Hueytown Intermediate School, where classmates and staff are mourning his loss.
Statement from School Administration
The principal of Hueytown Intermediate released the following statement regarding Jace’s passing:
“We are deeply saddened by the loss of one of our students, Jace Watkins. Our hearts go out to his family, friends, classmates, and teachers during this incredibly difficult time. We will continue to support our school community as we grieve together.”
Counselors are expected to be made available to students and staff as the school community processes the loss.
Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall has joined a 21-state coalition of attorneys general in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit in support of a Florida law aimed at preventing sexually graphic materials from being made available to students in public-school libraries.
The brief challenges a recent ruling by a federal district court in Florida that determined the law likely violates the Free Speech Clause of the First Amendment and temporarily blocked the state from enforcing it.
In their filing, the coalition argues that decisions regarding which materials are placed in public-school libraries constitute “government speech” under the First Amendment. As such, the states maintain that schools are not constitutionally required to provide sexually explicit content to K-12 students.
“It should be common sense that the First Amendment does not require public schools to fill their library shelves with graphic books depicting sex acts,” Marshall said in a statement. “But we are at the point where such commonsense interpretations have to be spelled out in legal briefs, so we are proud to help Florida defend its law and we call on the Eleventh Circuit to quickly correct the decision of the district court.”
The brief was led by Arkansas and includes attorneys general from Alaska, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, and Tennessee.
The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals is expected to review the case in the coming months
A man who was critically injured during a domestic-related shooting in Dale County last week has died, authorities confirmed.
Mason Bynum, Sheriff of Dale County, confirmed that Daquarius Quartez Green, 31, passed away over the weekend after being shot during a reported domestic dispute on December 23.
The shooting occurred in a residential neighborhood in Level Plains, near the Enterprise gate to Fort Rucker. Green was airlifted from the scene in critical condition following the incident.
Investigators with the Dale County Sheriff’s Office and Level Plains Police Department confirmed that no arrests have been made at this time. Authorities say the findings of the investigation could be presented to a Dale County grand jury early next year.
Court records indicate Green had been arrested three times in 2024 on misdemeanor domestic violence charges in Houston County. All of those cases were later dismissed. Records also show a woman filed a protection order against Green last year, stating she believed him to be a danger.
Authorities have not released the name of the person who fired the weapon, and it remains unclear whether Green’s prior domestic cases are connected to the fatal shooting.
DOTHAN: 8:25 PM. Dothan 911 dispatched a firearm assault, 386 East Saunders Road. The victim was found with a gunshot wound to the leg and laying on the ground in the main driveway of the park.
Dothan Police have issued a BOLO ) Be On Lookout ) on a suspect vehicle.
Dothan Police Criminal Investigation Division is in charge of the investigation.
8:43 PM Dothan Fire Engine Company Medic 2 ( Lakewood ) and Pilcher Ambulance transported emergency under trauma alert.
HENRY COUNTY: Tonight Henry County Sheriff Eric Blankenship heard a call dispatched which prompted him to hit the street to assist. Sheriff Blankenship went to Headland and was on lookout for the vehicle on the call that was dispatched.
While looking for the vehicle Sheriff Blankenship backed some Headland Police Officers who made some traffic stops. Then Sheriff Blankenship spotted the vehicle he was on lookout for. The Sheriff was behind the vehicle and the Sheriff has a total unmarked vehicle which you would not realize it is a law enforcement vehicle. The vehicle sped up and about that time the Sheriff’s unmarked vehicle looked like a Christmas tree with all the blue lights.
The person was placed under arrest and transported to Henry County Jail.
So to the people of Henry County, your Sheriff left his family on Christmas Eve and assisted Deputies responding to a call. And here it is midnight, Henry County Sheriff Eric Blankenship has been on the street serving the citizens and guests of Henry County Alabama.
BTW – it is not unusual for the Sheriff to be on the streets working.
