Latest news with #CoreyMurray
CBC
26-07-2025
- Health
- CBC
St. John's morgue octuples its storage capacity with new facility
New Ron Johnson doesn't believe unclaimed bodies will be problem again Newfoundland and Labrador has vastly increased the number of bodies it can store in a new morgue facility in St. John's, say health authority officials. Daniel Parsons, senior director of provincial capital planning and engineering with Newfoundland and Labrador Health Services, said this new facility consists of two fridge units and two freezer units, which is located off a hallway in the parking garage of the Janeway Children's Hospital. He said the original morgue facility was constructed in the 1970s and had a capacity of 12 bodies. The new facility can store 96 bodies. "What we've done here is significantly increased our capacity," he told reporters on Friday during a tour of the facility. Ron Johnson, chief operating officer of the health authority's eastern-urban zone, said having this expanded facility is a boon, including for those who work there, but it's also a matter of "perception." "We wanted to ensure that … people's bodies and families and others were dealt with in a very professional way. In a very caring way and empathetic way," said Johnson. "So I think this new facility does that." Johnson said the new facility came online in early June. Corey Murray, senior director of pathology and laboratory medicine, said the new space is ergonomically designed and is safer for staff. "The older space again was very confined. We had a very limited capacity. So it was difficult at times to be retrieving a decedent, either for the funeral home or for autopsy services," said Murray. Unclaimed bodies won't 'pile up' CBC News first reported 28 bodies were being stored in freezer units outside of the Health Sciences Centre in St. John's due to a lack of space in the morgue in March 2024. The morgue doubles as the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner. The freezers were later relocated to the hospital parking garage — where the new, expanded morgue has been constructed. The provincial government amended legislation, which was filed on Dec. 24 and came into effect on Jan. 1, that empowered the health authority to bury unclaimed remains after two weeks of searching for next of kin and then five days after the identity of the person is posted online on a dedicated website. Between legislation and the expanded facility, Johnson said he doesn't anticipate they will have to tackle a growing number of unclaimed remains again. However, he said there may be other reasons they would need more storage, like a "mass event" that causes numerous deaths.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Morel mushrooms are in season! Here's where they can be found (and how to cook them)
OSSEO — The 29th Annual Osseo Heritage Day and Great Mushroom Hunt returns this Saturday, May 10, with the hunt and morel mushroom auction. Organizers have lined-up a full day of events with chainsaw carving, vendor booths and food trucks, as enthusiasts take to the woods around Hillsdale County in search of spring morels. Mushroom headquarters will be located half a mile east of Jefferson Township Hall in Osseo. Foraging for morel mushrooms can be a great way to get active and explore nature. While enthusiasts hold their hot-spots close to the chest, new foragers should be mindful of the dangers of 'false morels.' What is a morel mushroom? Morels are a wild mushroom with an earthy, nutty flavor, according to with a meat texture. They cannot be grown on farms. Where can morel mushrooms be found? Morel mushrooms have a short growing season in the spring and are often found in wooded areas near dead or dying trees, near ferns, and along riversides, according to Beware… 'False morels' may look similar to the real thing but are often poisonous. These lookalikes can be a reddish-brown or yellow color and aren't hollow like legitimate morels. What is the best way to cook a morel mushroom? Morel mushrooms need to be cleaned in cold water to help remove dirt, debris and any insects that might've been foraged with the mushroom. Once they're cleaned, remove the stem and slice the morels in half lengthwise, then give them another rinse, according to Morel mushrooms should be cooked on high heat using butter or oil for sauteing. — Contact reporter Corey Murray at cmurray@ or follow him on X, formerly Twitter: @cmurrayHDN. This article originally appeared on Hillsdale Daily News: Morel foragers invited to Great Mushroom Hunt in Osseo on May 10
