The Clinton County Courthouse will reopen Friday morning. Last Thursday, it was evacuated after workers found a support beam had fallen on the basement floor.
Almost immediately, employees were moved into the county administration building.
Auditor Eric Van Lancker says a structural engineer said the beam supports the first floor. And as a temporary fix, the support beam has been replaced and shored up.
"What he said is, you know, this is the sort of thing that happens to an eyebeam of this kind after 125 years of being in a basement with limestone walls — the moisture eventually deteriorates that material and it just came away from the support," Van Lancker says.
The engineer approved the temporary shoring of the floor and will prepare plans for permanent supports to be installed as soon as possible. Those repairs will include concrete columns to support the beams in the basement.
Late last week and this week, Van Lancker says Clinton County and court business has continued. Everyone followed Clinton County's emergency action plan, and a sentencing hearing had resumed within one hour of Thursday's evacuation.
