Coroner details caseload, asks commissioners for opioid-settlement accounting and $15,000 for portable autopsy equipment

The coroner (speaker 5) told the board the office processed 121 death scenes last year and summarized causes: 109 natural deaths, 2 suicides, 6 accidental deaths and 2 homicides. The coroner also announced two cold cases were solved during 2025.

On opioid-settlement funds, the coroner said each eligible department received approximately $29,000 in a prior distribution but reported that portions of those funds were subsequently frozen while the county awaited new settlement rounds. The coroner asked the commissioners for a breakdown of how the $29,000 awarded to the office had been spent to date and suggested the remaining balance may be roughly $19,000 (she said she would verify and provide exact accounting).

The coroner also requested approximately $15,000 to buy portable autopsy equipment (a 3-bay sink and a mortuary table) so autopsies could be performed in-county rather than sending cases to Morgan County. The coroner said such equipment would reduce van wear and free the van for other dispatch needs. Commissioners asked for a formal needs/wish list and an itemized accounting of expenditures from the opioid-settlement allotment before approving dedicated funds.

Chair (speaker 1) asked staff to prepare a report showing the original $29,000 award, line-item spending to date, and the remaining balance. The board did not adopt a funding appropriation during the meeting; staff will return with the requested documentation.