Overdoses, suicides and trauma cases are major causes of the increased caseload. 6:00 am, Jan. 22, 2021 × Cass County Coroner Kriste Ross David Samson / The Forum FARGO — Cass County's coroner's office will be getting some extra help as the number of cases it handles grows. The county board this week agreed to expand the hours for part-time employees to help deal with a caseload that has increased significantly because of more suicides, overdoses and trauma cases that need to be investigated. The office usually only investigates unattended deaths, so the COVID-19 pandemic isn't a contributing factor to the deaths. The Fargo Police Department on Thursday, Jan. 21, reported seeing an uptick in the number of overdoses locally so far in 2021, though did not provide specific numbers. In a news release, police suggested multiple deaths were tied to counterfeit painkillers laced with the highly potent opioid fentanyl.