Howard County inmates will soon leave the Winneshiek County Jail

Howard County's new jail facility is about to open—and that will affect the Winneshiek County Jail.

Howard County Sheriff Mike Miner tells decorahnews.com that administrative offices and the dispatch center in the new jail facility have already opened.  He's hoping that state jail inspectors will approve the facility the first part of next week.

If and when that happens, the Howard County inmates who have been housed at the Winneshiek County Jail in Decorah would be transported back to Cresco to the new jail.  Winneshiek County agreed to house the inmates early last year.  Howard County was charged the going rate of $50/day/inmate during the almost year and a half when the new Howard County Jail was under construction and the old jail had been closed.