Benton Co. Buildings Without Air Conditioning
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With temperatures rising across West Tennessee, it begs the question, what would you do without your air conditioner? The employees at the Benton County Courthouse do not have to think twice before answering that question, because they have been without one since, essentially, last August. Now, with temps in the 80s and 90s this week and last, it is really putting a damper on their work day, literally. A jumbo gymnasium floor fan is the saving grace for employees at the Benton County Courthouse. Rosanne Ward, an employee, said, “The easiest way to get through this is to keep busy, so that I wouldn’t think about the heat.” But it is hard not to think about it, especially when the air conditioner has been on the fritz since last August. That means their small rooms need just about seven fans to keep employees cool. Benton County Mayor, Barry Barnett, adds, “I was happy the judge didn’t come down, and send a sheriff’s deputy to come down and arrest me because of the heat upstairs, but that didn’t happen.” Some judges are calling certain rooms, which at times can reach an upwards of 97 degrees, “hotter than Hades”, others call it just plain miserable. The $50,000 unit is the point of contention. Mayor Barnett says he thought he could patch-up the 25 to 30 year-old unit last year, however, when elements froze and burst this winter, it was a lost cause. But why did it take so long to fix? Mayor Barnett, says, “It has to be built at the factory before it’s delivered, so after you build it at the factory, and you have three to four days of shipping, this runs into a longer process than we anticipated.” When the new unit finally came in this week, employees actually had to step outside to see it for themselves. Ward, adds, “I think we’re all excited. Mayor Barnett, says, Our employees took it well, maybe better than I did, but they are commended for their resilience to the heat.” The new unit will be up and running by the first of next week.
