Councilman George Unseld Dies After Collapsing In Office

by Gabe BullardLouisville Metro Councilman George Unseld died Thursday evening after collapsing in City Hall.The 67-year-old Unseld was alone in his office before a council meeting when colleagues say they heard him fall. He was found bleeding. Councilwoman Vicki Welch led CPR efforts until Unseld was taken to University Hospital, where he was later pronounced dead.Unseld had been receiving dialysis for kidney problems, yet Mayor Jerry Abramson says the councilman remained devoted to his work."Every time there was a meeting, every time there was a reason to be at City Hall, he was there," says Abramson. "And you know there were days that he had been through dialysis or he had been through some painful situations, and yet, when it was time, he was there."It's unclear at this time whether Unseld's previous health conditions contributed to his collapse.Unseld was first elected to the City of Louisville Board of Aldermen in 1998 and then was elected as one of the first members of the Metro Council in 2002. He represented the sixth district, which includes, among other neighborhoods, Old Louisville and California. The council has 30 days to elect a successor to serve the remaining two and a half years of Unseld's term