Courthouse Work Above, Courthouse Work Below

Materials are Hoisted to the Roof

A new roof is going on the Prowers County Courthouse. A construction crew and crane were just south of the courthouse Monday afternoon, May 9^th for just the amount of time needed to haul new roofing materials to the top.  The old roof will be stripped down to the concrete and a new surface will be added.  The project, according to one of the crew members, should be completed in under a week.

Adding a New Load of Supplies

Down below, workers have been digging away at the old curbsides between the parking lot and sidewalk along South 4^th Street.  A new topping for the parking lot has been planned, as well as new curbing and sidewalks for the perimeter of the courthouse.  Long years of use and especially weathering have taken its toll on the sidewalk where patching over the cracks just won’t suffice any longer.  The majority of the cost is grant funded.  The interior of the courthouse will also see repairs.  Since last year the commissioners have had a repair study underway for the third floor, courtroom ceiling.  Water leaks caused some cracking of the decorative plaster, causing it to flake away.  The leaks have since been fixed, but some extra funding was called for to cover the cost of the restoration project.

By Russ Baldwin