The state of Iowa's closing the Warren County Jail February 2nd.
Delbert Longley, the state of Iowa's chief jail inspector, had warned the Warren County Board of Supervisors that if they didn't set a date for a bond referendum to raise money to either renovate the existing jail or build a new one, he was going to close the existing facility by the beginning of February.
The Board of Supervisors were scheduled to vote on a measure setting a May referendum vote at their meeting last Tuesday, but Supervisor Dean Yori pulled the item from their agenda at the last minute.
County officials had an agreement to purchase land south of Indianola to build a new jail, but residents protested the land choice at a meeting earlier this month. Residents said they wanted the jail on the north side of Indianola.
The current facility has failed an inspection by the state fire marshall's office, has been prone to inmate escapes, and jail inspectors say there have been problems with mold, food storage and cleanliness. The current jail is on the third floor of the Warren County Courthouse on the Indianola town square.