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Show Area voters encouraged to vote for iail bonding Granted, $3.9 million is a lot of money. Granted, we would all like to keep taxes as low as possible. However, one way or another, Iron County is going to have to build a jail, and residents if they want to save money and taxes, as well as headaches, in the future should vote Dec. l for the issuance of the bonds for the new jail. Professionaljail consultants, law enforcement officers and court personnel have repeatedly during the past year warned that if a new facility isn't built soon, that a judge would probably order such. And the County Commissioners, while listening to them, have also listened to the voice of the people who elected them and have kept the price of the jail as low as possible, slicing off a few feet of space here, a possible frill there, and quite a few dollars in the total. So, with three weeks remaining before the special bond election, citizens should start thinking about how they are going to vote. And they should certainly cer-tainly learn the facts of the matter. We at the Record are confident enough about the need for such a facility that we encourage everybody to learn Uk facts. We believe that if they do, they will vote for the bond. If you're not sure, or if you're dead set against the proposal, may we make a few suggestions that will fill you in on the facts; then you can think it through agaia Certainly, such an important issue is worth the little bit of time to find out all the available information. First get a copy of the jail consultant's report on the current jail. The Cedar City Chamber of Commerce has one, and Cedar City and Iron County both have one somewhere. In addition, we have one at the Record office that anyone is welcome to come here and read through. It will be an eye opener. It tells of an inmate trying to hang himself and of another inmate hurriedly taking out a four-inch knife and cutting him down. It tells of a female prisoner who refused to wear any clothing and of male jail workers who were the only ones available to go back and check on her. If you're chuckling at that situation, think a little deeper. Such is legally very dangerous and could cost the County a lot of money. These are things that can not be easily corrected in the present building. Iron County simply needs a new facility. And if that isn't enough, talk to any sheriffs deputy, any policeman, any worker in the circuit court or the Cedar City justice of the peace court. Or talk to Iron County Attorney James L. Shumate. They can tell you even more stories and, even more importantly, they can tell you the consequences con-sequences of such stories, in reality. Better yet, go to the places these people work and see for yourself. Ask Judge Ronnow what it is like to be conducting court and have a dynamite blast go off not 100 feet away from the courtroom. Ask any jailer what would happen over at the jail in the event of a major power outage. Ask Cedar City Police Chief what he does with evidence in a hundred hun-dred cases when his evidence closet is destroyed because of remodeling for the Middle School. And, more frightening, ask a teacher if there is any danger of bringing murderers, rapists, armed robbers and the like into the same building where sixth, seventh and eighth graders are going to school. We are not trying to scare you. We are simply hoping that you will find out the facts before the Dec. 1 bond election. We hope you will find out all the facts. |