Adams County Sheriff: Upgrade jail now

RITZVILLE — Adams County Sheriff Dale Wagner told county commissioners at their Feb. 21 regular meeting the county jail, which has been empty since August of last year, is in “a dire situation.”

Jail upgrades have been needed throughout the tenures of at least three sheriffs, he said.

In 2014, Sheriff John Hunt and then-deputy Wagner commissioned a study of the jail.

Some issues identified in that study have been addressed.

But lately, the situation has worsened.

One contributing factor has been the government’s coronavirus mandates.

“We are facing a loss of revenue due to COVID restrictions,”...