Welcome to Weekly Connections! Here is your summary of key updates from the justice industry for the week of March 30.

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Let's get into it with project updates:

• Commissioners in Stearns County, Minn., approved the majority of construction contracts for the new Stearns County Justice Center, with the construction budget now estimated at $291 million.
• In Montgomery County, Texas, commissioners have voted to move forward with a plan to construct a new $250 million, 7-story county courthouse.
• A groundbreaking ceremony was held for the new $46 million Ector County Juvenile Justice Center in Texas, with completion expected in late 2027.
• Officials in Humphreys County, Tenn., have broken ground on the new Humphreys County Law Enforcement Center, which will house a 178-bed jail.

Moving on to legislation and funding:

• Leaders in Shawano County, Wis., have unanimously voted to approve borrowing up to $121 million to fund the design and construction of a new county courthouse and jail.
• The New Hampshire Executive Council has voted to pause an almost $36 million contract with DLR Group to design and initiate construction on a new 1,500-bed men's prison.

Next, in people news:

• South Dakota Department of Corrections Secretary Nick Lamb has appointed Eric Aldridge to serve as the first Warden of the Rapid City Correctional Facility.
• New York City Department of Correction Commissioner Stanley Richards appointed Margaret Egan as the agency's First Deputy Commissioner.

Moving on to construction reports:

• The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, Tenn., is seeking proposals from contractors for the design and construction of a replacement correctional facility, with bids due April 16.
• The Town of Plymouth, Mass. has issued an RFP for consultants to provide a feasibility study on consolidating the Plymouth Fire and Police Departments, with proposals due April 21.

And finishing up with events:

• The National Commission on Correctional Health Care's Spring Conference on Correctional Health Care will take place in New Orleans from April 18–21.
• The International Corrections and Prisons Association's Prison Technology and Design Conference is scheduled for April 21–24 in Rabat, Morocco.
• For more details or to access the links mentioned, check out our podcast show notes at correctionalnews.com/podcast.