Latest news with #CountyCourthouse
Los Angeles Times
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
OC Parks welcomes visitors to Old Orange County Courthouse for a day of art and music
The Old Orange County Courthouse in Santa Ana is one of the county's most iconic historic landmarks. Dedicated in 1901, the restored 30,000-square foot building is no longer an active courthouse, but it does still serve the community by offering interpretive programs, art shows and performing civil marriage ceremonies. This weekend, OC Parks invites the public to make special memories at the Old Courthouse. On Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., OC Parks will host 'Spring into Summer,' a new music and art event suitable for all ages, with the chance to learn about all of OC Park's upcoming summer events and programs. 'Spring into Summer welcomes all to enjoy an afternoon of fun and entertainment,' said County Supervisor Vicente Sarmiento in a news release. 'I am excited to invite the community to join this celebration that will include live music, art and history.' Guests are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets to the courthouse lawn for live music performances from The Como la Flor Band: A Tribute to Selena, fronted by Tina Aldana who replicates the look, sound and moves of the famous Tejano Queen, and passionate Latin orchestra, Yari Moré Latin Band. Craft workshops, sketch drawing demonstrations and a paleontology booth are planned, along with a special exhibit at the Third Floor Gallery titled, 'Backyard Kingdom: Orange County's Natural World.' Families can explore Orange County's diverse ecosystems and maybe even get inspired to explore the outdoors with OC Parks, which currently manages nearly 60,000 acres of parks, historical and coastal facilities and open space. Historically, the courthouse has stood as a witness to local government proceedings that shaped early Orange County. The original building was established on land the county bought from the founder of Santa Ana, William Spurgeon; its first use was as a jail. In 1900, the Orange County Board of Supervisors commissioned Los Angeles architect Charles Strange to design the courthouse we see today. Several important cases were heard in its courtroom over the years. After the county's courthouse operations moved to new digs, the old building underwent a multi-phased restoration project that began in 1983. It was reopened to the public as a museum and historic landmark in 1992. Since that transformation, the beautiful wood courtroom has served as a backdrop to Hollywood films like 'Catch Me if You Can,' starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, and 'Legally Blonde,' starring Reese Witherspoon. OC Parks offers free tours of the Old Orange County Courthouse Monday through Friday by appointment from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission to the Old Courthouse Museum is always free. Free parking will be offered on Saturday. 'Free admission and parking allow residents from near and far to attend, become more familiar with the many summer programs offered by OC Parks, and will also highlight Orange County's Historic Courthouse,' said Sarmiento. 'Spring Into Summer' will take place at the Old Orange County Courthouse at 211 W. Santa Ana Blvd. in Santa Ana on Saturday, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is free. Free parking is available at P8/Transit Tower parking structure at 301 W. 5th St., Santa Ana.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Gov. Evers earmarks $25 million for Milwaukee County's crumbling courthouse complex
Milwaukee County's crumbling courthouse complex could receive a helping hand from the state after Gov. Tony Evers announced he wants to award $25 million for the massive project estimated to cost nearly $500 million. The recommendation came as Evers laid out his proposed 2025-2027 capital budget Monday for projects across the state totaling about $4 billion. While the county had requested $250 million in state money and proposed supplementing it with $245 million in gifts and grants, Milwaukee County Executive David Crowley still praised the governor for his support. 'It is critical to pursue this generational investment now to improve outcomes for all impacted by the justice system, address significant safety and constitutional concerns tied to the facilities, create new operational efficiencies, and preserve the continuity of court operations," Crowley said in a statement. 'Partnership will be key. Nearly 80% of Milwaukee County's property tax levy is dedicated to state-mandated services. That's why State investment is needed to help protect taxpayers and resources for critical services — including other state-mandated services." Almost 100 years old, the roughly 320,000-square-foot courthouse complex is home to the county's criminal courts and the Sheriff's and District Attorney's offices. In a report shared by the county late last year, the current judicial buildings are "severely outdated" and, in a handful of cases, "functionally obsolete," creating public safety and security issues. The complex includes the historic County Courthouse, County Jail and the Public Safety Building. In the last decade, the county has highlighted the need to tackle severely backlogged maintenance and the need to invest in the courthouse facilities following advice from advisory and policy groups. Deferred maintenance, code compliance upgrades and upkeep needs exceed $333 million, with the Public Safety Building reporting more than $75 million in deferred system replacements, not including code and safety issues. Some other problems with the current complex include: poor building design resulting in slow transportation for defendants and juries; spaces that are not compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act; air quality issues; poor technology; crumbling façade and plaster; broken windows, plumbing leaks; as well as $500,000 reserved annually for emergency repairs. The design phase of the new courthouse complex began late last year and is expected to wrap up in 2028. The earliest the county would break ground, however, would be in 2027. Chief Judge Carl Ashley previously called the project "long overdue," saying: "The fact of the matter is, the Safety Building is a relic ... It's clearly outdated, functionally obsolete. It has significant public safety and security issues, and it does not reflect the quality of service for which the county is responsible. On March 25, the state building commission will take up Evers' proposal, which will later need lawmakers' approval. Historically, Evers' list has been significantly slimmed down, with the budget cycle seeing Evers' $3.8 billion proposal cut to roughly $2.7 billion. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Evers proposes $25M for crumbling Milwaukee County courthouse complex
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Lawrence County Health Department moves into new facility
LAWRENCE COUNTY, Mo. — The Lawrence County Health Department has officially been in its new multi-million dollar facility for about a week. The 5.3 million dollar building is now open at 1549 Missouri Drive in Mount Vernon. Staff moved in last Tuesday to the $15,000 square foot facility. It's a big upgrade from its roots in the basement of the Lawrence County Courthouse when it first began with just 6 rooms and less than a thousand square feet. It's also a nice upgrade from its prior home since 1995, of a 6-thousand square foot converted grocery store at 105 West North Street. This new facility is now ADA accessible, includes a community room for a variety of functions, as well as two garage bays for drive-thru clinics and drive-up car seat checks. 'At our old building, we had several rooms that were dual purpose. Like, our exam room was also a finger printing room. And a variety of things like that. And, so, with a new facility, we don't have to plan schedules around those kinds of things. Everything has their own room,' said Janella Spencer, RN, Lawrence Co. Health Dept. Administrator. Lawrence County broke ground on the facility back in November of 2023, made possible through coronavirus state and local fiscal recovery funds. The former building on North Street is still owned by Lawrence County. Health Department Administrator Janella Spencer tells us the Highway Patrol is expected to move into that space. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Yahoo
Chief judge: Incident in Milwaukee courtroom underscores the need for more bailiffs
In any other setting, walking up to someone at a desk may seem pretty innocent. Not so in a courtroom. And definitely not one with no bailiff on duty. Milwaukee County court officials are saying what unfolded in Judge Reyna Morales' courtroom last week ended with no one going to jail, but may have reignited discussion over how to better secure Wisconsin's busiest courthouse each day. For them, it was a wake-up call. More: Federal judge tosses $20M lawsuit against St. Peter-Immanuel, lawyer refiles in state court A person representing a plaintiff in a small-claims case was presenting their case before Morales on Jan. 29. While 'attempting to address the court,' the man approached the dais without permission, Chief Judge Carl Ashley said. There was no bailiff in the courtroom at the time. The person got close to Morales; he was able to step on a platform between the clerk and the judge The man didn't appear to issue any threats or make a statement, then he left the courtroom, Ashley said. At some point, he returned and was instructed not to do that again. 'Although (what happened) was grossly inappropriate … it didn't rise to the level of a violent attack on anyone,' Ashley said. 'You don't approach the bench without a judge's permission. There's no reason for that.' There is a bailiff in Morales' courtroom on most days. On that day, however, the bailiff left the courtroom at 2:30 p.m. A shift change occurred and no one filled in afterwards, Ashley said. The incident unfolded in the bailiff's absence. More: 'Pimpin' Amanda' is going away for trafficking young girls for sex in Wisconsin Ashley said there was discussion about whether to charge the man, but ultimately no charges were filed. The Milwaukee County Sheriff's Office provides security for the downtown courthouse complex, which is comprised of the County Courthouse, the county Safety Building and the Criminal Justice Facility. Security there has long been a hot-button topic, one that took on more serious urgency following a courthouse shooting in 2002 that injured a deputy and left a defendant who was trying to escape from custody dead. Things ratcheted up in the last year as discussion between court and sheriff's officials focused on security staffing levels. In August, the sheriff's office announced it would no longer use overtime to staff bailiffs in courtrooms, and moved 13 deputies to the court from patrol. That brought the complement of security staff to 90, but fell short of meeting the court's needs. More: Milwaukee woman who confessed to selling food stamps on 'Judy Justice' gets 5 days in jail Ashley a month later issued an order, one supported by the Milwaukee Trial Judges Association, that called for the sheriff to staff two bailiffs in felony criminal courts, one bailiff in family court and misdemeanor court; and staff other courts as needed. Sheriff's officials have said the department would allow its employees to volunteer for overtime, but cautioned that if not enough members volunteer to fill shifts, a daily assessment would be made on whether to eliminate specific positions at the courthouse complex. County Executive David Crowley in September recommended a $1.4 billion budget that would also introduce a $300,000 part-time bailiff pilot program, which would bring back retired deputies to work in the courts on a part-time basis. More: New Milwaukee DA says there's still work to do despite downturn in crime Ashley said while bailiffs serve to protect judges, litigants and court staff, they also have a "calming effect" on court visitors and are trained to deescalate conflict. "While this incident didn't involve violence ... it reiterates the importance of having deputies in the courtroom to the staffing levels I've requested," Ashley said. This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Incident in Milwaukee courtroom underlines courthouse security needs
