Welcome to Weekly Connections! Here is your summary of key updates from the justice industry for the week of May 11.

This episode is brought to you by Willoughby Industries, American-made since 1947. Visit willoughby-ind.com or call 463-314-1043 to get started.

Let's get started with project updates:

• Officials with the Pueblo County, Colo., Sheriff's Office cut the ribbon to the new $150 million Pueblo County Detention Center last week, the first net-zero energy detention facility in the country.
• Work has started on a new $86 million jail and sheriff's office complex project in Greene County, Wis., with completion expected by October of 2028.
• Officials in Douglas County, Nev., said construction of the county's new $47.9 million Justice Center project is on schedule and about 26% complete, with completion targeted for spring of 2026.
• A major expansion and renovation project at the Arapahoe County Detention Center in Colorado is now complete after three years of work.
• South Dakota Governor Larry Roeden attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony last week for the new $7.4 million Edmonds County Jail and Sheriff's Office.
• A former cell block at the Norfolk City Jail in Virginia has been renovated into a fully equipped medical and mental health services clinic.

Moving on to legislation and funding:

• Bills adding a half-cent sales tax increase to fund a $45.5 million jail replacement project in Sherburne County, Minn., have advanced through the state's legislature.
• The Dougherty County Commission in Georgia has approved adding a 10% fee on bonds and fines to fund jail construction, operation, and staffing expenses.

Up next in people news:

• Mark Kohles has joined Treanor as Director of Project Delivery in the firm's Lawrence, Kansas office.

For this week's construction reports:

• Construction Manager Skanska is seeking bids for renovation and restoration work at the Montgomery County, Pa., Justice Center's historic county courthouse, with bids due June 2.
• Lauderdale County, Miss., is seeking contractors to install a new IP-based video surveillance system at the Lauderdale County Detention Facility, with bids due June 2.
• Clackamas County, Ore.,is seeking bids for security electronics system upgrades at the Clackamas County Jail, with bids due June 4.

And finishing up with events for the week:

• There's still time to register for a free webinar from Correctional News and ViaPath Technologies this Wednesday, May 13, titled "Telehealth in Corrections."
• The American Jail Association's 45th Conference and Jail Expo will open this weekend in Milwaukee from May 16–20.
• The Correctional Leaders Association's Midwest Region meeting will be held May 27–30 in Wisconsin Dells, Wis.

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