The U.S. Marshals Service recently announced that four federal courthouses in Arkansas, including the landmark post office building that straddles the state line in
Texarkana, are set for renovations designed to enhance overall security.
In a press release issued last week, Western District of Arkansas Chief Dewaine Allen said that work is already under way at courthouses in Fort Smith and Fayetteville and will soon begin in Texarkana and El Dorado.
"The United States Marshals Service is tasked with not only protecting the physical structure of a federal courthouse, but also with protecting those within those facilities, including federal judges, jurors, and the general public," Allen said in the release.
While some inconvenience is unavoidable, "traffic and parking disruptions, along with utility outages and construction noise surrounding both the Fort Smith and Fayetteville federal courthouses have been kept to a minimum," the release said.