The Marshall County Council approved an additional appropriation request by Coroner Bill Cleveanger explained that a jail death, industrial fatality, a drowning, traffic accidents and other issues have prompted the request for funds. He explained that these things are obviously unpredictable but are necessary in order to bring conclusion to a case as serious as a fatality.
The Marshall County Council approved his additional appropriation request of $25,000 for autopsy expenses and $4,000 for the cost of toxicology tests.
In another request, the council approved a request for $3,500 by the representative of the Drug Free Community. Speaker David Parnell is expected to be in the area Oct. 21 through Oct. 31 and it is anticipated that he would speak at all seven schools in the county. Several schools have committed to have him speak, at a cost of $500, but no dates have been set.
The $3,500 would offset the cost so Parnell can speak with students of his struggle with methamphetamine. He went through a period of heavy methamphetamine use and during one hallucination, he shot himself in the face with a shotgun. He’s undergone 30 surgeries to correct the damage and now speaks of his experience to discourage the abuse of methamphetamine.
Taxpayer money will not be used in the appropriation. The funds will come from the alcohol and drug interdiction fees collected by the court.