ME office build begins

PROTECTED CONTENT

If you’re a current subscriber, log in below. If you would like to subscribe, please click the subscribe tab above.

Username and Password Help

Please enter your email and we will send you a password reset link.

Five counties contribute funds

81st Judicial District Attorney Audrey Louis broke ground for the Regional Medical Examiner’s Office in Pleasanton on Friday, October 17, two years after securing a grant to fund the facility.
“This represents real progress for our five counties,” Louis said. “It is a major step for our district.”
Friday’s anticipated groundbreaking came three months after Atascosa county commissioners approved the facility.
Louis was able to secure an $11 million grant in November 2023 for the project after earning the support of all five counties in her coverage area – Frio, La Salle, Atascosa, Wilson, and Karnes – in July 2023.
According to a presentation by the district attorney, Frio County would be responsible for contributing $161,000, La Salle County $58,000, Karnes County $128,000, Atascosa County $435,000, and Wilson County $435,000 annually for the service.
Sheriffs in Frio and La Salle counties are welcoming the facility, citing efficiency, timeliness, and case resolution.
“Right now, we have to wait more than ten months to get some autopsy results in Frio and La Salle counties,” the district attorney said. “That is because we depend on other places to help us and they are doing it as a favor. If we had our own regional medical examiner our district area would come first. Getting faster and more professional autopsy services would really help our area. It would also help nearby counties that are using those faraway facilities. Those counties would help pay for the costs by paying for each autopsy we do.”