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Independent
Vol. 135 No. 14 ◊ Groton, Brown County, South Dakota ◊ Wednesday, Dec. 6, 2017 ◊ Established in 1889
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Tessa Erdmann placed second in the State FFA Creed Speaking CDE. (Photo Groton FFA Facebook Page)
The rst major winter storm of the season hit the area on Monday. The system rst dropped freezing rain, then snow pellets before changing over to all snow by 4 p.m. The Blizzard Warning that was issued in the morning caused many area schools to shut down for the day. With the day being called off in Groton Area, the make-up day will be Monday, February 19, President's Day. (Photo by Paul Kosel)
Jail dealt a "Get out of Jail
Free" card
The Groton Jail was subject to be torn down, but the jail has been given a pass, for now, to not be torn down and to allow an entity to see what it can do with the building.
Topper Tastad and Bruce Babcock came before the council Monday evening to discuss the future of the old Groton jail house. The council had set a deadline of November 30, 2017, for the building to be torn downasthecouncilwasnotinterestedinspendingtaxpayer'sdollars in the repairs.
Councilman Karyn Babcock said that the jail is not in that bad of shape and would like to see something done with it. Tastad added, "I would like to see the building preserved and it should be kept as a historical value at no expense to the city."
CouncilmanJayPetersonquestionediftherewasasbestosisthe buildingandhowthatwouldbedealtwithifthetestcamebackposi- tive. Tastad said that he has worked with asbestos in the past and is
The semi found the road a little slippery along with the gusty windandendeduppartiallyintheditchbetweenGrotonand Aberdeen. (Photo Brian Bahr Facebook Page)
not afraid to work with it.
The council has been debating about the future of the jail for three
years. City Attorney Drew Johnson said that the city needs to have ittestedforasbestosandthatthecitycannotpassonanyliabilityto anyoneelse,eveniftheyarewillingtotaketherisk.
The jail was built in 1912. There is some water damage done to the structure prior to the city putting on the new roof. Tastad said that the tuck and point could easily be done at minimal cost. Tastad suggested that the city lease the building to an entity for 10 years and that entity would take care of all
of the repairs. At the end of the 10 years, the city could get the building back in a re- juvenated condition. The council decided to test rst for asbestos, and also instructed Tastad to draw up a contract that the city could review.
- Paul Kosel
Left: This is the view of the inside of the jail building. (Photo by April Abeln)
The old jail house on First Ave. East, east of Third Street. (Photo by Paul Kosel)