Published: May 03, 2008 07:18 pm            

Two Dems seek Floyd County coroner post

While the races for superior court judges and county council are getting most of the attention, there is one other county government race that will be decided Tuesday.

There are two Democrats running for county coroner. Incumbent Greg Balmer is being challenged by Leslie Knable. The winner will meet Republican John Clink in the fall.

Balmer, 52, has been in the coroner’s office for 20 years — 10 years as coroner and 10 years as deputy coroner. He is a certified medicolegal death investigator.

“I have extensive knowledge and training in death investigation and procedures. I want to keep serving the community in this position,” he said in his Tribune questionnaire. “I feel that with my training and experience I am the best-qualified candidate for the position of coroner. I am the only candidate certified as a medicolegal death investigator.”

Knable, 45, is a veterinarian and also a licensed mortician and funeral director. She is a former deputy coroner in Tippecanoe County.

“As county coroner, I want to personally assure our community that every death will be responded to promptly, the deceased treated with dignity and surviving family members treated with compassion,” she said in her Q&A submission. “My goal as coroner is to establish a relationship with all law enforcement departments allowing each of us to utilize our individual areas of expertise to provide answers to families and the community.”



• In other primary races, except for school board, candidates are unopposed. Those races include: County Commissioner District 2, Democrat Chuck Freiberger, and Republican Dave Matthews; County Commissioner District 3, Democrat Dennis Roudenbush, Republican Steve Bush; county recorder, Democrat Darlene McCoy, Republican Lois Naville Endris; county treasurer, Democrat Bette Buechler, Republican Linda Berger; county surveyor, Republican William Gibson, is the only candidate to file.

        

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