News : LEC nearly finished: Officials plan walk-through May 18

The temporary fence surrounding the new LEC has been removed; the building will soon open.

A worker prepares the area above the entry for its decorative finish.

Concrete workers pour part of the sidewalk on the south side of the LEC.

The front entry contains a reminder of the Flood of 2008.

Finishing the entry: decorative sheet metal will cover the wall over the door.

Pouring the sidewalk around the LEC is one of the final steps in the year-long construction process.

For Benton County Sheriff Randy Forsyth and his staff of deputies and jailers, the nearly three-year challenge of doing their jobs in a small temporary location is nearly over.

The new Benton County Law Enforcement Center is nearly complete. On May 18, county officials plan to make their walk-through and "punch list" of small details to finish before the project is declared complete.

An open house is still being planned for mid-June, at the anniversary of the 2008 flood that destroyed the old LEC.

The sheriff and his stafff have been working in a few rooms at the old West elementary building; part of the Lincoln building has been used as a temporary jail.