Structural Engineer Will Inspect Old Jail
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The loose bricks will be stored inside the building until a decision is made about the fate of the building.
WATER VALLEY – A structural engineer will inspect the county-owned 117 year-old jail building on Blackmur Drive in Water Valley after county supervisors voted unanimously to approve the $3,500 to expense for the work. The inspection by Tupelo-based Mark Watson Engineering was authorized by supervisors during the Feb. 27 meeting and follows concern about the structural integrity of the building after a section of bricks on the front of the building came tumbling down in mid-February. The historic building served as the county’s jail from 1906 until 1966.
Chancery Clerk Amy McMinn told supervisors that the inspection includes a building evaluation, a report that details the extent of the damage and required repairs.
“That includes the use of a bucket truck,” McMinn added about the inspection.
Architect John Beard, who was at Monday’s meeting on an unrelated matter, explained that Watson’s company will do a thorough inspection, identify the problems and provide recommendations for work on the building.
“The company will be completely honest with you. If they see that it is structurally compromised to a point where it really isn’t reasonable to repair, they will tell you that too,” Beard added.
The building was designated as a Mississippi Landmark in 1991, according to the Mississippi Department of Archives and History website. It is also listed as a contributing element in the Water Valley Historic District, which was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in March, 2012. The building is also located in the Water Valley Historic Preservation District.
Other action in the Feb 27 meeting included:
• Decided to postpone executing a contract with the low bidder for repairing the windows at both of the county’s courthouses. The delay comes as supervisors are checking to see if USDA funding is available to help pay for the work. Kenneth Thompson Builders submitted the low bid, $728,714.
Beard told supervisors that they had up to 60 days from the bid opening to accept the bid.
• Accepted the resignation from Jimmy Cofer as a board member of the Yalobusha Water and Sewer District. Cofer submitted a letter to supervisors stating he was stepping down due to health reasons.
Supervisors approved John Foxx to fill the void following a recommendation from Larry Gray, who also serves on the district’s board of trustees.
“He lives down in the Benwood area, we don’t really have anybody representing the district on that end of the county,” Larry Gray added.
“He will make y’all a good one,” District 5 Supervisor Gaylon Gray noted.
• Approved a request from Yalobusha County Coroner Ronnie Stark to take the county-owned coroner’s van to a Ford dealership to diagnose a mechanical problem. Stark explained the van is 12 years old and has 61,000 miles on the odometer and has been trouble-free until a few weeks ago when it started losing coolant fluid.
“Somebody asked me, ‘when are you going to get a new van recently?’ I told them, I don’t need one, this will last me until I retire,” Stark said. “I hope I didn’t speak to soon.”
