Luzerne County workers are told to get out of their offices. Health experts believe they may not be safe to work in. The Courthouse Annex Building in Hazleton was shutdown Wednesday afternoon because of a potential mold problem. The following is a transcript of Patrick Frank’s 11 p.m. story.
 
The Hazleton city health inspector found what looks like mold inside the building, so the county got its workers out, saying it didn’t want to take any chances with their health.

The wall in this office is pulled back to show what appears to be mold.

And the ceiling of the first floor hallway is brown in spots where water leaks.

District Justice Joseph Zola...
"They’re doing what they feel is the right thing to do to protect not only the employees of the county but to protect everyone who enters this building."

Luzerne County is shutting down the courthouse annex building on Broad Street in Hazleton.

A health officer found the potential mold problem, and the 24 people who work inside were forced out.

District justice Joe Zola has had his office in the annex for 10 years.

"The inconvenience isn’t only on myself and my office staff, it’s on the general public who are used to coming down here for the past 10 years."

The building also has offices for the Sheriff, Recorder of Deeds, and most services found in the courthouse.
But the ceiling has leaked for some time.

"The district justice says when it’s raining hard enough, buckets need to be set up on the floor of the hallway to catch the water coming through the ceiling."

The workers will be re-located as the county looks for temporary annex sites in the Hazleton area.

Movers will start getting things out of this building Thursday morning.

Judge Zola will hear his criminal cases at the Magistrate’s office in Hazle Township until a solution is found.

"We’re going to move as quickly as possible to resolve the situation, get back into the Hazleton area and resume business as usual."

No word on if the building can be saved or when it could be used again.
 

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