(La Porte, IN) - The courthouse in downtown LaPorte reopened today after repairs were made to the heating system, but that still didn't stop the cold from creeping in.

 

La Porte County Commissioner Connie Gramarossa said she decided to give courthouse workers the day off on Tuesday due to temperatures falling inside the historic structure before sunrise. By mid-morning, Gramarossa said the temperature inside the courthouse was in the upper 50s, on a day when the high temperature barely rose above zero.

 

The courthouse is heated by a furnace system that replaced old boilers during a major renovation of the structure about ten years ago. The facility reopened on Wednesday after an issue with some of the heating elements was ultimately fixed by a heating and cooling specialist with help from the county government maintenance crew.

 

Conditions inside remained chilly, though, but were slightly warmer than the previous day.

 

La Porte County Commissioner Joe Haney said the system, due to it being smaller than it should be, lacks the heating capacity needed to keep the inside of the structure warm enough during Arctic-adjacent conditions.

 

“It’s a large building and an undersized system,” he said.

 

La Porte County Clerk Heather Stevens said the temperature was in the mid-60s on the main level, but slightly above and below 60 degrees on the second and third floors.

 

Stevens said some courthouse workers used space heaters and wore jackets along with gloves to help keep warm, but the colder conditions were not unexpected when they returned to work.

 

“We all know how the system is here. You get used to it. It happens every year,” she said.