Bryton Richey is taking on a rather unique job straight out of high school — acting as the Scott County coroner.
The 19-year-old Scottsburg resident was recently elected to head the office in Southern Indiana, located a little more than half an hour north of downtown Louisville, with plans to continue a career in public service.
Richey said working at Collins Funeral Home in recent months and in fire service at Scottsburg and Johnson County Fire Departments in recent years originally drew him to the coroner’s position, often “getting to watch them work.” He was on the bus headed home from Prosser Career Education Center , a New Albany trade school where he’d been completing his fire training, when he received a call from a local politician about the position.
“By that night, I was already filling out the paperwork to enter the election,” Richey said, after discussing with his parents and other elected officials about what the job would entail when getting home.
Richey, still a senior at Scottsburg High School at the time, ran against another Republican in the primaries, and without a Democrat on the ballot, easily secured the November victory.