Come Saturday, area residents will have the chance to see just what the new Freeborn County Government Center is about.

A committee of county employees from each department has been working through their lunch hours for the past five months to create a day of exploration for residents.

The new government center wasn’t just built for county employees; it’s for the residents.

That’s why we’re urging people to take advantage of this opportunity to take a self-paced tour which will offer the opportunity to see the new courtrooms, jury rooms, judges’ chambers, court administration area, public health department, recorder’s office, auditor-treasurer and assessor’s area, license center and the detention center. County employees will be on hand to assist and answer any questions about the new addition.

This will be the only time people may see certain areas of the building as following the preview day, inmates will be transferred to the new detention center. Some rooms will still be locked, such as the individual cells, but the booking area and classification cells will be open.

There will also be entertainment. The Carey Aires will appear at 1:15 p.m. to sing patriotic songs. At 2:30 p.m., the Albert Lea Community Band will play a selection of American favorites. To raise money for a proposed county veterans’ memorial, volunteers from the Freeborn County veterans’ organizations and auxiliaries will offer a host of refreshments. Family members and spouses of the area’s National Guard members will be on hand to share updates on loved ones who recently were deployed.

So, make it a day. Take advantage of this one-time opportunity to preview the new government center. Then hang around and enjoy Albert Lea’s July 3 parade. It’s your day, folks.