Indiana Landmarks, ‘Save the Courthouse’ Group to Look Into Ways to Preserve Historic Building

Save the Pulaski County Courthouse Group Member Michael Beach speaks with Pulaski County Commissioners Monday

The Save the Pulaski County Courthouse group is ready to get to work to find ways to meet the county government’s current needs without tearing down the historic building. That’s what group member Michael Beach told the county commissioners Monday. “We’re going to try to get a little bit more organized, have a little more meetings, and be a little more proactive,” he said, “but it’s not about just saying, ‘Don’t do it,’ and then we walk away. I think we can help.” Beach asked county officials to take time to do a fuller analysis before making any decisions.

Continue reading

New Pulaski County Facilities Plan Proposes Demolishing Courthouse, Expanding Justice Center

Pulaski County’s 123-year-old courthouse would be torn down and replaced by a parking lot and memorial park, under the county’s latest facilities proposal. During Monday’s joint county council and commissioners meeting, Maintenance Director Jeff Johnston publicly unveiled a four-phase plan designed to address security, ADA compliance, and a number of other concerns with the county’s government buildings.

Continue reading

Building Renovation Plans to be Presented during Tonight’s Pulaski Council, Commissioners Meeting

More details about proposed renovations to Pulaski County’s government offices are expected to be revealed during tonight’s joint county council and commissioners meeting. Back in October, Maintenance Director Jeff Johnston unveiled a plan to improve the accessibility, security, efficiency, and usability of the county’s buildings, all within a three-year period. He said the plan would include a security checkpoint at the courthouse, full ADA compliance, and a 50-to-75-percent reduction in utility costs.

Continue reading

Pulaski County Courthouse Elevator Tentatively Scheduled to Be Ready for Monday, Despite Delays

Pulaski County officials are hopeful that the courthouse’s new elevator will be ready in time for Monday’s county commissioners meeting, in spite of a last-minute hiccup. Maintenance Director Jeff Johnston says a fire alarm issue means the elevator probably won’t be in service by tomorrow, as previously announced. But the contractor says it should still be ready for Monday, according to Johnston. He adds that crews are working diligently to get it done.

Continue reading

Pulaski County Announces Plan to Address Accessibility, Security at Government Offices

Improvements will soon be coming to Pulaski County’s government offices. During Monday’s county council meeting, Maintenance Supervisor Jeff Johnston announced a plan to improve accessibility, security, efficiency, and usability. “The plan itself is only in the infant stages of development, and there’s a lot of work to do before the completed plan can be presented in its entirety,” he said. Continue reading

Pulaski County Courthouse Elevator to be Ready for Use by End of October

The Pulaski County Courthouse elevator will be ready for use by the end of the month.  “The construction will be absolutely complete by the 15th and then two weeks for the inspection,” Maintenance Supervisor Jeff Johnston told the county commissioners Monday. That means that starting in November, the county council and commissioners meetings will be back in the courthouse.

Continue reading

Pulaski Courthouse Elevator Replacement On-Schedule, but Slower than Originally Agreed

The replacement of the Pulaski County Courthouse elevator is on track to be complete by its October construction deadline. The problem is that the original legal agreement called for it to be installed by the end of September. The project is part of a larger effort to make the courthouse compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act, after the American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit over a lack of accessibility.

Continue reading

Pulaski County Courthouse Elevator Replacement Still On-Schedule, Despite Delays

The replacement of the Pulaski County Courthouse elevator is on track to be complete by its October deadline. Maintenance Supervisor Jeff Johnston told the county commissioners Monday the work had been running far ahead of schedule but then hit a couple snags. “We had to cut part of the brick away from one of the columns, and we had to wait for the structural engineer to get with us to tell us exactly how that had to be done,” Johnston explained. Continue reading

Pulaski County Courthouse Elevator Project Ahead of Schedule

The Pulaski County Courthouse’s new elevator may be done ahead of schedule. That’s what Maintenance Supervisor Jeff Johnston told the county council Monday. “If you guys remember, it had a deadline of October, to be complete by the beginning of October,” he explained, “but we’re looking at the middle/end of August to the beginning of September, and we’ll be done. So really good progress there.” Johnston said all the block has been delivered to start building the new shaft.

Continue reading

Pulaski County Commissioners Approve Budget Transfer to Pay Elevator Project Bill

Pulaski County Commissioners: Mike McClure, Jerry Locke, Kenny Becker

The Pulaski County Commissioners have approved a budget transfer to try to keep the courthouse elevator replacement project on track. They agreed Monday to use nearly $28,000 out of their budget to cover a construction bill, until the county council can finalize an additional appropriation.

Continue reading

Winamac Park Restroom, Toddler Playground Upgrades Will Have to Wait for Lengthy Grant Process

Entrance to the Winamac Town Park

It may be a while before the Winamac Town Park gets its new restrooms and playground equipment. The park board’s application for a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant has been turned in to the Indiana Department of Natural Resources. But Park Board President Courtney Poor said Thursday that state approval is only half of the process. Continue reading