GLASGOW — Two Barren County officials are hoping to change the location of the main entrance at the Barren County Courthouse.
Currently, visitors at the courthouse have to either climb a set of at least 15-foot tall steps or ring a bell at the lower door and wait for a bailiff to use a metal-detecting wand to search them before letting them enter the courthouse.
The population of Barren County is getting older.
“There are a lot of older people who have to come to the courthouse to take care of their driver’s license or for other things. They have to climb those steps and then take an elevator back down,” said Judge-Executive Davie Greer.
Sheriff Chris Eaton said his choice for the courthouse would be to move the entrance and security station to the lowest floor. This would include adding an awning to cover the entrance in the event of bad weather. The change would allow people to exit the court to smoke at the top of steps and then re-enter the building by passing through a hand-held metal detector instead of the large machine.
“The steps can even be difficult for someone who wants to enter the building with children,” he said.
The room is there for the security staff and metal detector on the lowest floor, Greer said.
There are a lot of people who are too proud to ring the bell at the lower level for someone to let them in, she said.
Eaton said bailiffs do let in several individuals daily on the bottom level who ring the bell.
Greer recently took up the issue during an inspection visit from the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts.
Greer said she went through the building and brought up three items with the inspector.
The first was the lack of a lock for the drug court door, which has been remedied. The second was the lock on the lowest level door. The door swells during the summer and has to be pushed shut. The third was moving the main entrance to the lower level, she said. The stairs also need some sort of railing that people could put their hands on to help them get to the main floor.
“Hopefully we’ll get something from the AOC, but right now we don’t know,” Greer said.
All of the new courthouses being built statewide are receiving money to make them handicap accessible, she said. This change would go a long way toward making the Barren County Courthouse easier to access.
“I’ve talked to the AOC several times about it, but I haven’t got a response,” Eaton said.
Local News
Related Photos
-
Gina Kinslow
Discussion
Courthouse Dilemma
Judge-executive, sheriff say entrance needs change
- Local News
-
-
Teens to be tried as adults
Barren Circuit Court released the names of two juveniles charged in an armed robbery in October, after the court decided to try the teens as youthful offenders in adult circuit court.
-
Payne pleads guilty to lesser charge
A Glasgow man who had been facing a felony charge of custodial interference pleaded guilty Tuesday in Barren Circuit Court to a lesser charge.
-
Rowland will take Comer's seat for now
A Monroe County businessman will fill the unexpired term of former state representative Jamie Comer, according to the results of Tuesday’s special election.
-
County struggles to provide EPA report
Barren County Road Department Head Johnny Kinslow called his bi-monthly report to the fiscal court his “gloom and doom” report Tuesday night. After five years of letters and discussions, the Environmental Protection Agency has informed Kinslow that he must produce a closure report for underground fuel tanks that were removed 13 years ago, or face unnamed consequences.
- MORNING UPDATE: Two juveniles charged as adults in robbery
- MORNING UPDATE: Tebben blogs from New York
-
Chamber names Travis ‘Outstanding Citizen’
Winning the Outstanding Citizen of the Year Award Monday night came as a complete surprise to Dr. Bill Travis.
-
Judge hopes to make ruling Tuesday
A Franklin Circuit judge said Monday he hopes to issue a ruling by Tuesday on some lawmakers’ challenge to a state legislative redistricting plan passed by the General Assembly and signed into law by Gov. Steve Beshear.
-
Hart Co. teen is still missing
The search continues for a Hart County teen who has been missing for 11 days.
-
To bee or not to bee ... the winner
To use some of the words from Friday morning's Barren County Spelling Bee in a sentence: “Those who reign in the linguistics world urgently and jerkily spelled foreign words with enthusiasm and sometimes their cheeks turned an awful rouge.”
- More Local News Headlines
-
Teens to be tried as adults
White House Attacks Romney on Birth Control
Homs Bombardment Continues, Global Outcry Grows
Mo. Teen Gets Life Sentence for Killing Girl, 9
Lower-hassle Screening to Be Tested at Airports
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Helmet Camera Captures Calif. Fire Rescue
Worker Tells 911: Powell 'exploded the House'
Triple Win: Santorum Takes Minn., Mo., Colo.
Injured Marine Inspired by Homecoming
No Rape Charges Against Son of NYPD Commissioner
Egypt's Ruling Generals Play Risky Game With US
Former Komen Exec Defends Funding Cut
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional
Jury Selection for Ex-UVa Athlete Enters 2nd Day
Cab Driver Helps Wis. Family Escape House Fire
Staff Removed at LA School During Abuse Probe
Runaway Goat Leads Police on Wild Chase
