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State medical examiner and state public-information board brief Jefferson County on autopsies, communications and open-meeting rules
Summary
The board heard a presentation from Mark Bethel of the State Medical Examiner's Office on autopsy criteria, costs and the value of sending suicides and many motor-vehicle-crash deaths to the state for autopsy; the Iowa Public Information Board also briefed supervisors on open meetings and public-records requirements, including a July 2024 change requiring remote participation options.
Jefferson County supervisors on Feb. 10 heard two extended briefings that touched on public safety, county operations and legal compliance.
Mark Bethel, chief investigator with the State Medical Examiner's Office in Ankeny, told the board the office reviews county investigations and performs autopsies for mandatory categories such as homicides and unidentified remains. Bethel urged counties to consider sending suicides and most motor-vehicle crashes to the state office because autopsies and toxicology can clarify manner and cause of death and reduce future liability. He said average autopsy costs with toxicology run about $2,000 to $2,200 and that infant autopsies are…
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