Lowndes County Courthouse on Second Avenue North is closed today because the building has no heat, according to County Administrator Ralph Billingsley.
All employees at the main courthouse, which includes the chancery and circuit court offices, were instructed not to come to work Tuesday because of the freezing to near-freezing temperatures expected throughout the day.
Billingsley said the building’s boiler, which he estimated was 14 or 15 years old, broke down on Jan. 14. The county has since ordered a $25,000 replacement, and Billingsley said installation should begin today.
“We’ve been doing fine (since the boiler broke) because we really haven’t had the cold temperatures we’re having today,” Billingsley told The Dispatch. “We just decided there was no way we’re going to put people through working in those temperatures with no heating system.
“I imagine they will be back tomorrow,” he added. “It’s not supposed to be warm, by any means, but it won’t be as cold as today.”
In light of predictions of winter weather today, the county administration building — which includes Billingsley’s office, the tax assessor’s office and other functions — opened at 10 today. Essential personnel, such as law enforcement and E-911, operated as normal.
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