Kevin Hensley
Looks like I picked the wrong week to go on vacation.
My first time off in two years was a bit surreal, as I spent quite a bit of the break trying to piece together what unfolded in the court of public opinion at the Graham County Community Building on July 16.
Frankly, I was as shocked as many of you. Asbestos in the Graham County Jail? Lead-based paint that could potentially harm inmates and detention officers alike? Low pay for sheriff’s office employees? The need for a new justice center?
The main reason I found myself bumfuzzled was that literally none of the above topics are breaking news – but many treated it as such.
Our friends from WLOS even made the trek for the public forum, where County Manager Brady Cody fielded questions, comments and concerns about the detention center and sheriff's office in general. As expected, no one left exchanging addresses for Christmas cards to be sent in December, and a planned second night of public conversation was postponed. The board of commissioners called an emergency meeting to discuss the feedback Friday, but that's as far as the story goes.
Folks, Graham County has needed a new detention center for decades. Decades. I recently located a story in our archives from 1988 that decried the jail as aging and needing to be replaced – and it was only 46 years old then.
I sat less than 5 feet from Graham County Sheriff Brad Hoxit and the office's attorney, David Wijewickrama, at the Jan. 23, 2024, commissioner meeting and – in a speech you can still go watch at your convenience on our YouTube page today – reported as the attorney cautioned, "We believe that maintenance of the jail has came into question, regarding the health, safety and welfare of inmates at this time" and later added that the amount of lead in the jail was found to be "over a dozen times" above what is acceptable, per an engineer's inspection.
The Star later did a deep dive on a warning letter issued by 30th Judicial District Senior Resident Court Judge Tessa Sellers on Aug. 21, where she went in-depth regarding a number of issues about the courthouse and gave the county 60 days to develop an action plan.
Just a few weeks ago, I utilized the space on this page to defend county commissioners and speak on how proactive they have been regarding the search for the best site. I stand by that.
Due diligence is important, and with a decision of this magnitude, it is crucial that it not be taken lightly.
The board is elected on two-year, staggered terms, so to fully blame the current crop of commissioners because Graham County inmates are being housed across western North Carolina is unfair; after all, the current jail has only eight cells. The sheer amount of humanity inside the detention center the night before district court is said to mimic, to borrow a common expression, "Stackin' 'em like cordwood."
Graham County needs a new justice center. Period. End of story. You can sit in the front row of the one-room courthouse and, if the air conditioning is on, even the court reporter often cannot hear what is being said.
The building is aesthetically pleasing, but surpassed its limitations around the Reagan Administration. The employees upstairs have to sprint downstairs if they need to use the restroom; the men's room has no hot water. And, as we were just reminded anew last week, there's asbestos and lead-based paint where the few inmates we can house in-county are kept.
My takeaway is everyone is just at their wit's end regarding the justice center. Rightfully so, as all we are seeing today is payment for yesterday's delays. Both need to tackle the problem together: working against the grain is getting us nowhere.
In the meantime, I haven't forgotten the boat. We'll get there – hopefully through some smooth sailing.
Kevin Hensley is the publisher/editor of The Graham Star. He can be reached via phone, 828-479-3383; email, editor@grahamstar.com; or on X,
@KevinHensleyCNI.