Knox County emergency meeting: Joseph Smith appointed to sign off on cremation certificates

CENTER,Neb.- The Knox County Board of Supervisors held an emergency meeting Wednesday morning to fill the missing role of county attorney.

The board passed the decision 7-0 to name Joseph Smith as a temporary special county attorney for approving cremations in the county.

The approval comes after their previous county attorney was suspended after being accused of listening to closed meetings through a unknown second microphone.

Board Supervisor Marty O’Connor says he’s grateful to have the help. 

“ We have three deceased bodies in Knox County of natural causes, no suspicion of anything. So therefore according to the law theirs eight days in which you have to respond for a cremation, so he’s going to step up and we appreciate that to be able to fulfill that for us to sign off on those cremation certificates.”

Smith is the county attorney for Madison and Antelope Counties.

Smith is expected to stay in the position until another county attorney is hired