LOCAL NEWS
DAWES COURTHOUSE COULD GET TEMPERED GLASS WINDOWS
By John Axtell
Sep 1, 2010 - 10:56:14 PM

    The Dawes County Commissioners are considering a possible revision to its contract with Chadron Glass to replace all the windows in the courthouse in Chadron with more energy-efficient ones. The county received a $180,000 state grant for the project.

      Engineer Dave Coe has suggested using tempered glass for the new windows going in on the west and north sides of the courthouse to reduce future losses to hail storms. Chadron's July 23rd storm broke more than 40 windows in the courthouse, all on those two sides of the building.

      Coe says that since the city's most-destructive hailstorms have all come from either the north or the west it makes sense to put the stronger tempered glass in the windows facing those directions.

       Tempered glass would have the same energy-efficiency rating as normal window glass, so the change would not be affected by any requirements of the grant...and Coe thinks reducing the chances of breakage might even bring state support for going to it.

       He will research the issue further and bring that information back to the commissioners at a future session when all 3 members can be there.

       Coe has also suggested that the commissioners preserve some of the old windows that will be replaced since they are original to the more than 70-year old building.

     Commissioner Roger Wess says preserving history and providing a historical reference could be accomplished by either storing the windows somewhere in the courthouse or including them in some type of history display.

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