$32 Million Upgrade for LA Coroner

Renovation required due to overcrowding at beleaguered county facility

Los Angelenos have known for a long time that the LA County Coroner is a little weird, what with that Skeletons In The Closet store online that sells everything from t-shirts emblazoned with the county coroner's official seal to body-outline keychains.

But who knew the sale of all that stuff wasn't enough to finance a state-of-the-art facility? Apparently not, considering the $32 million renovation approved Tuesday by the county Board of Supervisors.

The term "overcrowding" is not often associated in reference to coroners, but it's a big problem in LA.

Anna Pembedjian, justice deputy to Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, said this in today's Daily News: "We are going to gain a lot of new crypt space, which will reduce the overcrowded conditions. We already have 275 crypt spaces, but this will nearly double it to 500. It will also improve the efficiency of their operations."

And this just in … Shoppers can still order the new body-outline cutting mat in time for the holidays at a price of just $6.50 each. As the slogan on the mat says "we have our work cut out for us." And for those who might be wondering, the store was set up in 1993 with the intent that its profits be used to help fund the Youthful Drunk Driving Visitation Program.

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