The county has formed a special committee to focus on plans for a new county jail building and programming, which met for the first time Tuesday, Feb. 23.

Sheriff Kelly Lake said there is increasing urgency in what has already been a long process.

"The state of Minnesota has given us a deadline of July 31, 2023 when we can no longer house inmates in our current facility," Lake said. "As it is now in the planning process, the goal is to have a jail facility completed by 2024 and we will need an extension for short-term use of what we have now. The state would have to give us another extensi...