County workers began moving boxed-up office files and file cabinets to the new Webster County Courthouse in Walthall on Monday.
The Board of Supervisors referred to the activity as starting the "transition" from the Webster County Office Building in Eupora to the new courthouse. The office building, commonly known as the Justice Court building, has served as the temporary courthouse since a fire destroyed the historic courthouse in January 2013.
The offices of the chancery clerk, circuit clerk and tax assessor-collector will be moving to the new two-story courthouse on the west side of Highway 9 at Highway 50 in the county seat.
Paving of the parking lot was the last major part of construction and was completed in recent weeks. Although a number of items remain on the contractor's "punch list," county officials confirmed with Benchmark Construction on Monday that they could begin the move. Other work such as computer and internet set-up was also pending as of Monday morning.
Supervisors could not give a definite date that the new building will be open to the public for business, but said they hope it will be by next Monday, July 15. The board met this Monday and recessed until that date, with tentative plans to hold that meeting at the new courthouse.
