Wichita County Courthouse hearings postponed due to elevator issues

WICHITA FALLS, Texas (KAUZ) - The main elevators at the Wichita County Courthouse will not be functional until the beginning of next year. Court hearings were postponed Tuesday due to the malfunction.

A single elevator was being used during construction at the courthouse, up until Monday when the 60-year-old elevator called it quits. Elevator technicians were called and they recommended the elevator be replaced.

“We kind of understood that we were heading toward the end of the lives of the elevators, that’s why we have started the projects to replace both of them,” Mark Beauchamp, County Commissioner Precinct 1, said. “Unfortunately, relying on one elevator to do the job of two, one 60-year-old elevator couldn’t keep up.”

The commissioner’s court spoke with the jail commission and is working on a solution to use the old booking and holding elevator. However, there are certain regulations that must be met before the general public can use it.

Beauchamp said it won’t be pretty, but he hopes they will be back with a working elevator by Wednesday morning.

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