Tuscaloosa Council President Kip Tyner On Mend Amid Weeklong Hospitalization

Tuscaloosa City Council President Kip Tyner has ended speculation about his health with a social media post to "set the record straight" and said he is on the mend after a week in a local hospital.

Tyner, who was first elected to the city council in 1997, wrote that he took a tumble while attempting to get out of bed last Wednesday and literally crawled down the hall to find his phone to call 9-1-1.

When Tuscaloosa Fire Rescue arrived, paramedics found him having difficulty breathing and started oxygen before transporting him to the DCH Regional Medical Center.

Get our free mobile app

The longtime media personality and community advocate described what happened upon his arrival at the emergency department.

"I got to ER, where the incredible Trauma team at DCH worked on me for over 4 1/2 hours before stabilizing me! Turns out I was bleeding internally and endoscopy showed I had two ulcers," he remembered.

Tyner said he was given five bags of blood and since then bleeding was successfully stopped, "thank the Good Lord".

After surgery for the ulcers, he was found to also have a mass on his left thigh which prompted a successful second surgery.

A move from the Intensive Care Unit, where he has been since last Wednesday, to a regular hospital room is expected today.

"And I must say the level of care has been simply outstanding," Tyer wrote.

The 5th district councilman had been scheduled to undergo a knee replacement, but that will now be rescheduled, he said.

Tyner says he will take the remainder of the week off but plans to resume all duties next week. For now, he is spending his time recuperating and returning "countless" text messages and emails.

In comments to the press about his 2027 budget proposals, Tuscaloosa Mayor Walt Maddox said he can attest that Tyner has not been sitting idly by.

"Man, we miss Councilor Tyner around here. I've worked with Mr. Tyner for nearly a quarter of a century. He is a Tuscaloosa legend and we all wish him well. We're all anxious for him to come back," Maddox said. "I know from our texts, we've texted every single day, that he's anxious to get back too. I can promise you this, though: he is the most relentless council member I've ever met in my career, and just because he's had to spend a few days in the ICU doesn't mean he hasn't been working for the people of Alberta."

For more coverage of City Hall and other news around West Alabama, stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread.