Welcome to Weekly Connections! Here is your summary of key updates from the justice industry for the week of Feb. 9.

Let's get started with project updates:

1. Commissioners in Flathead County, Mont., have hired In2itive Architecture to serve as the owner's representative on the Flathead County Jail project, with groundbreaking tentatively planned for late May or early June.
2. A new Career Technology Center offering educational and vocational opportunities has opened at the Ralph C. Starkey High School on the campus of the Circleville Juvenile Correctional Facility in Ohio.
3. Construction is progressing on a new jail for the Choctaw County Sheriff's Department in Mississippi, with completion expected in the fall.

Next, in legislation and funding:

1. A jail committee has been formed in Greenlee County, Ariz., to consider options for building a new county jail, with costs estimated up to $30 million.
2. The County Corrections Professional Standards Council in Maine is recommending that the state increase its annual share of funding for county jails by $8 million.
3. Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy has requested $1.1 billion in emergency funding, including $24.1 million for the state's Department of Corrections.

Next, in people news:

1. Architecture and engineering firm DLZ Corporation has announced that Ram Rajadhyaksha has been named the company's president.
2. Virginia Gove. Abigail Spanberger has appointed Jermiah "Jerry" Fitz as the Chief Deputy Director of the Virginia Department of Corrections.
3. The National Sheriffs’ Association has named Montgomery County, Ala., Sheriff Derrick Cunningham as the 2026 Sheriff of the Year.
4. The Sheriff's Office in Bibb County, Ga., has appointed Brannon Grace as Major, where he will oversee day-to-day jail operations.

Moving on to construction reports:

1. Victoria County, Texas is seeking subcontractors and suppliers for the Victoria County Mental and Behavioral Health Facility Project, with bids due Feb. 17.
2. The City of Balch Springs, Texas has issued an RFP for firms to provide integrated security solutions across city facilities, with bids due Feb. 26.
3. The City of Lock Haven, Pennsylvania is accepting bids for the construction of a new two-story building for the Lock Haven City Police Department, with bids due Feb. 19.

And finishing up with events:

1. The International Corrections and Prisons Association will host its International Research in Corrections Conference in Auckland, New Zealand from March 2–5.
2. The International Law Enforcement Educators and Trainers Association will hold its annual conference in St. Louis from March 16–21.
3. The Correctional Leaders Association will hold its Spring Deputy Directors and Probation and Parole Conference in Hilton Head, S.C., from March 24–27.

For more details or to access the links mentioned, check out our podcast show notes at correctionalnews.com/podcast.