USE PICTURE 10 WITH STORY  
PUT PICTURE  04 ON SECOND PAGE WITH "SEE GROUP PHOTO" LINK

Friday, January 9, 2009       8:30 AM

CORONER MOVES INTO NEW OFFICE 
For the first time ever, the Winston County Coroner Larry Gilliland has an office outside Nichols Funeral Home. Gilliland, who served 23 years as deputy coroner, became coroner upon the retirement of Red Nichols in 1998. The new office is in the former Rushing Florist building on Highway 195 next to Nichols. This location will allow the coroner to conduct business in a non-funeral home environment. 
The coroner is compensated with a salary of $780 per year, before taxes. His job is to investigate violent, sudden, or suspicious deaths and is on call 24/7, 365 days a year. The Chief Deputy Coroner, Frank Dodd makes half that much and Deputy Coroner D.J. Dimond, who lives in Addison, receives no compensation. 
Larger populated counties, such as  Jefferson, Mobile, Montgomery and  Madison have a medical examiner, usually a MD pathologist instead of a coroner. The duties are basically the same, to determine the cause of death. Officials on hand for the official opening of the office included Winston County Commission Chairman Roger Hayes, Commissioners Larry Farmer and  Randy Tucker, Haleyville Mayor Ken Sunseri, Coroner Larry Gilliland, Deputy Coroners Frank Dodd and  D.J. Dimond.  
SEE GROUP PHOTO