See ya, bats: Lincoln County breaks ground on new courthouse

Current courthouse dating to 1875 too small, infested by bats

CANTON – As Lincoln County Commissioner Jim Schmidt would say, the dirt flew on Tuesday.

Schmidt and other county officials held a ceremonial groundbreaking for a new justice center in western Canton, capping a years-long effort to upgrade the county’s judicial offices. The new $55 million facility will hold an arraignment hearing room on the ground floor, three courtrooms and a hearing room on the second floor, office space and a jury assembly room. There will be empty shell space that can be used for expansion.

Voters in 2020 rejected a $50 million bond issue to build a new justice center, including a jail. Following that failure, advocates for a new courthouse and some opponents of that project came together to find a solution that was politically palatable. The Courthouse Improvement Advisory Committee held public hearings around the county and debated about where the best location would be.

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