TEXARKANA, Ark. - Efforts to dry out the Miller County Courthouse will be continuing for a few more days.
Miller County Judge's Office Administrative Assistant Carla Jenkins said drying operations could be completed sometime this week on the courthouse's third, second and first floors, along with the basement.
Presently, the county's traditional telephone numbers for its displaced government offices, should now all be reconnected to those offices, now operating temporarily in downtown Texarkana, Arkansas' Landmark Building - an office outlet located at the corner of the East Broad Street and North State Line Avenue intersection.
The county's Tax Assessor's Office, Treasurer's Office and Elections Administrative Office are located on the second floor, while the Tax Collectors's office is on the first floor and County Clerk's Office is in the basement.
Jenkins said she anticipates that once all five of the courthouse's floors, along with its basement, are dry, county officials will likely hold another meeting with the county's insurance claims adjusters regarding where the next step toward reopening the courthouse will go.
All five of the courthouse's floors, along with the basement, suffered severe water damage Feb. 20 after below-freezing winter temperatures caused water in the building's water pipe system to freeze and rupture the water lines.
Once the courthouse's full interior is dry, asbestos abatement procedures will eventually have to take place - at which time the courthouse will have to be completely closed off to everyone except abatement personnel.
Since last month's water pipe burst and subsequent interior courthouse flooding, asbestos has been found inside the courthouse's second-floor courtroom as well as in areas on the third floor and in the basement.