BEATRICE -  The doors to the historic Gage County Courthouse in Beatrice are being reopened to the public.   The county supervisors voted 7-0 Wednesday, taking a step Board Chairman Erich Tiemann sees as setting an example.

Gage County and other counties in the Public Health Solutions District began operating under a new Directed Health Measure on Monday, allowing some restrictions to be lifted on businesses.   Tiemann says at the courthouse, elected officials still have some options as to whether they reopen their individual offices.  The Gage County Treasurers Office plans to open on Tuesday after Memorial Day, for processing new vehicle titles, only.   Other offices plan to be open as of today.

Tiemann encourages residents to continue to do business online, by phone or by using a nearby county drop box, if they can.  Citizens have been able to come into the courthouse for county or district court appointments, and for some other business needs by appointment.

County employees have been working throughout the pandemic, but up until Wednesday, the building had been locked.  At night, the courthouse interior has gone through a regular cleaning and in recent days, additional protective measures such as plexiglass shields and dividers have been constructed in some offices.