Another mediation session was recently held in Jackson concerning the dispute over the Webster County Courthouse’s insurance lawsuit. The courthouse was insured by Atlantic Specialty Insurance Co. when it was damaged in a fire in January 2013. The insurance company has so far awarded the county $6 million, but the county believes more money is due. A previous settlement was reached through mediation during the summer of 2014.

For the past year or so, the Board of Supervisors has been dealing with matters related to the courthouse fire. In October 2015, the county clerk was ordered to issue a check of approximately $12,000 to Complete General Contractors, Inc. An additional $73,000 was paid to Herman Johnson who served as Webster County’s representatives in the appraisal process. The money is being paid by the Courthouse Recovery Fund.

The county recently approved the decision to work with JH&H Architects to design new courthouse plans, based on the concerns still at large concerning insurance matters. Benchmark Construction has also been approved to proceed with details of a lease-purchase plan on the new courthouse.

Residents of the county and the board are eager to move forward with the design and construction of the new courthouse, and to put the fire and insurance dispute behind them. The rebuilt courthouse will eventually be located on the west side of Highway 9 in Walthall. Unfortunately, they will need to wait until the matter is settled through mediation or forced into the courtroom, based on the willingness of the insurance company to negotiate.