The Woodbury County Law Enforcement Center Authority told Siouxland Public Media News in a Friday statement that the $70 million county jail will be considered substantially completed either later today or Monday.
It’s been a long road since voters approved a $54 million bond issue in March 2020, and there have been numerous delays before it’s been issued.
The latest delay included the submission of a report this week to ensure the earthquake-resistant bracing is working adequately. Other problems that have delayed the building’s opening by over a year include missing fire dampers and overlooked mechanical elements.
Workers could begin moving into the prison soon, and an open house is planned for September 18, when the public will be able to tour the building.
The new county jail is located on the northeast edge of Sioux City and includes jail cells, offices and courtrooms in the building.
Members of the Woodbury County Board had previously hired a Des Moines law firm to investigate whether delaying the prison’s opening would cause financial harm to the county.
*In addition, repairs to the Riverfront Trail in Sioux City will be costly and will take until next year.
City and state transportation officials are urging residents to obey the barriers along a three-mile stretch of the trail west from Chris Larsen Park to Riverside Park. Violators face a $10,000 fine.
The Iowa Department of Transportation estimated in a press conference Friday that the total cost of repairing one mile along the Big Sioux River and Interstate 29 would be about $8 million. The trail was damaged after the Big Sioux River reached historic levels in late June.
DOT engineer Jessica Felix said the work is challenging.
“The slope is so unstable, and as the Big Sioux recedes, we have scour damage that we can’t always see with the naked eye. And we dumped a load of rock, and 30 seconds later, 2,500 tons of rock landed in the Big Sioux River,” Felix said.
The emergency repairs are expected to be completed this fall, and Felix says part of the trail could reopen to pedestrians sometime next year.
*There is an update on the race for Iowa’s 13th House District for the November election. A new independent, non-party candidate will be on the ballot as Parker Hansen of Correctionville successfully filed his candidacy by the August 24 deadline for non-party candidates.
In a press release, Hansen described himself as a conservative who would support the values and concerns of all people in the 13th district without the constraints of party affiliation.
In addition, Democratic Party candidate Rosanne Plante of Hinton on Thursday challenged Republican Travis Sitzmann of LeMars to a series of debates scheduled to take place in August, September and October. The House 13th District seat is open because Rep. Ken Carlson is not seeking re-election.
*The long-awaited connection between the Raccoon River Valley Trail and the High Trestle Trail in central Iowa will open August 17.
The extension from Woodward to Perry creates a nearly continuous, 193-kilometer-long, paved loop trail for cyclists, runners and hikers.
Andrea Boulton is the trails and conservation director for the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation, one of the partners behind the 9-mile project that has been years in the planning stages.
“It’s so exciting to see this project finally come to fruition,” Boulton said.
Boulton says the new section connects two iconic and nationally known trails, making the network a destination for Iowa residents and out-of-state visitors.
To celebrate the opening, the Raccoon River Valley Trail Association organized a bike ride and grand opening on Saturday.
Boulton says more trails will be added as part of a larger vision for Iowa’s trails. One of them is to close gaps on the Great American Rail Trail.
