The Daviess County Council held its regular August meeting Wednesday morning. The Council received the commissary report for January through June from Sheriff Gary Allison. They also heard a report from County Coroner Tyler Counsil. Council said the coroner’s office has to investigate all sudden, unexplained, or accidental deaths and said the office has investigated five deaths since Friday. The coroner has authorized 43 autopsies so far this year and noted there had been a 300% increase in substance abuse-related deaths. The County Council approved the coroner’s request for an additional appropriation of $30,000 to cover an expected 15 more autopsies for the remainder of the year. The County Council then approved appropriating funds received as donations by the Prosecutors office, the Back to School program, and West Boggs Park. The Council members complied with a State Board of Accounts request and officially designated that the hourly wage received by employees in the Health Department doing work under funds received from grants would be the same as the stated county hourly wage. The Council also appropriated funds received from the State for the Boater Safety Education program. At the end of the meeting, the Council members voted to return to its normal 9:00 a.m. start for regular meetings. The next regular County Council meeting will be held in the Commissioner Room of the County Government Center on September 10.
