The new handicapped accessibility ramp currently under construction at the Logan County Courthouse is not the end of the improvements set for the building.

Logan County Commission President Art Kirkendoll said several more improvements including additional security - will be coming to the courthouse in the very near future.

"The ramp should be completed around late February or early March," Kirkendoll said recently.

Construction crews recently installed handrails along the ramp, according to courthouse employee Claude Williams.

Kirkendoll said the improvements have been needed for a long time, but there was no funding in place for repairs so the county commission decided to go ahead on the project and find funding as best they could later.

"All through the years we have applied for Americans With Disabilities Act handicapped accessibility funds," Kirkendoll said. "Finally, we decided to just go ahead and do it ourselves. We were fortunate to get a small, $10,000 grant from the Secretary of State's Office because this is a voting precinct. We also got a grant from the state, because this is a good project.

A (state) Courthouse Renovation Committee has been active over the years and most courthouses require millions to renovate them. Our courthouse was kept up better than most and is in pretty good shape. But one thing the committee did not have was funding for these projects. That is why we decided to go ahead and do some of this work ourselves,"

Kirkendoll said he believes the public, will appreciate the improvements, and said the ramp won't be the last of the courthouse renovations.

"We will be having courthouse security changes as well," Kirkendoll said, explaining that federal and state funding is available for improved security measures, which will include controlled access, metal detectors to keep out prohibited items and possibly extra guards.

"We are working with Sonja Porter at the Sheriff's Office and we are tying to get every loose quarter for these improvements that we can,"

Kirkendoll said. "You don't really think about someone coming into the courthouse and doing something bad. But, all it takes is one time and you're left saying `I never thought that could happen here.' These security improvements will make everyone feel safer when they come into the courthouse."

Kirkendoll said the courthouse steps that lead up to the Main Street entrance are in bad need of repair and that's the next project on his list.

"I think it's important to fix them," Kirkendoll said. "It only makes sense that if we're going to renovate the inside of the courthouse that we renovate the outside, too.

"Those steps are marble, so we might be able to do some repairs and make those a little better."

Kirkendoll is even working on getting the inside steps in better shape.

"We're in the process of putting new covers on the edges of the stairwell steps," Kirkendoll said. "What we're doing to the courthouse is no nonsense, quality work. I'm proud of the handicap ramp. But, we can't sit still. We have to keep moving forward and continue to make improvements.

"We're proud of what we're doing and where we're going with our courthouse. We're trying to make this the best courthouse in the state."