Steve Allan, of Solutions for Local Government, met with the Courthouse Facilities Advisory Committee Thursday afternoon in the building the consulting firm has been hired to study.

The Moore County Board of Commissioners approved negotiations for the contract with Allan at a November meeting.

Allan toured the Courts Facility building with committee members Thursday and is expected to present his recommendations to the commissioners at a January meeting.

It was a study by Allan several years ago that led the commissioners to make plans to expand the county jail and to build new structures to accommodate public safety and other county departments and agencies. However, now the county faces the need to expand and upgrade facilities serving the justice system.

The present building, erected in the late 1970s, is located in downtown Carthage across from the historic courthouse.

KUNDINGER -- The advisory committee has a new member, Frank Kundinger, who was appointed at the Dec. 7 meeting of the county commissioners.

Kundinger succeeds Randy Hussey, who is no longer assigned to Moore County because of recent reorganization within the state Division of Community Corrections. Kundinger is now the chief probation officer for Moore County.

NO ACTION -- The county commissioners met Thursday morning for a session that was closed to the public to allow discussion of issues pertaining to personnel and property acquisition, subjects that are exempted in the state's Open Meetings Law.

When they returned to open session, the commissioners announced that no action was to be taken.

COBLE -- Congressman Howard Coble is back home in the 6th District for the holiday break.

Coble attended a Military Academy Screening Committee luncheon meeting in Greensboro Friday. He rang the Salvation Army Christmas bell at a local Harris Teeter Saturday, then traveled to Liberty to ride in the Christmas parade.

Coble will speak to the AP government class at Northwest Guilford High School Monday morning and will meet with the Greensboro Homebuilders PAC in the afternoon. He will attend the Alamance Lions Club Christmas party in Gibsonville that night.

His Tuesday schedule includes appointments with constituents in the morning at his Greensboro office and lunch at the String & Splinter Club in High Point. He will read the Scripture for the Christmas eve candlelight service at his own church, Alamance Presbyterian.

Next Sunday, he will attend the Coble family reunion in Liberty.

Contact Florence Gilkeson at (910) 693-2479 or by e-mail at florence@thepilot.com.