Here's a rundown of some of the bigger issues and projects to look forward to this year:

ELKHART COUNTY

* Sheriff's headquarters: The new $6.44 million sheriff's department administration and investigative building adjacent to the county jail at C.R. 7 and C.R. 26 south of Elkhart is nearing completion. Sheriff's officials have said they plan to fully occupy it sometime this month, vacating the old offices at the sheriff's department structure on Third Street in Goshen, where the old jail used to be.

* Juvenile facilities: The chief proposal to address overcrowding at the county's juvenile detention facility is shaping up to be construction of a new complex adjacent to the county jail and new sheriff's headquarters structure at C.R. 7 and C.R. 26, according to County Commissioner Frank Lucchese. Work could begin this year, he thinks, and the project, which would be paid for with existing county funds, has a tentative price tag of around $3 million.

Crowding is the issue with the existing facility at the Third Street sheriff's department complex in Goshen. What's more, the entire Third Street structure would have to be maintained just to keep up the section where the juvenile facilities remain at a cost of about $400,000 per year.

Officials had also mulled sending young offenders to a facility in St. Joseph County and contracting out juvenile detention responsibilities.

* Bridges: The ongoing upgrades of Johnson Street and Six Span bridges over the St. Joseph River in Elkhart continue in full force this year, so motorists take note.

A new two-lane section of Six Span is nearly complete and C.R. 17 traffic should be shifted to it sometime this month, according to county roads officials. Then the existing bridge will be demolished and a new five-lane span that'll tie into the new two-lane section will be built. Work will continue into 2011 and traffic will be limited to the two nearly completed lanes until then.

The new Johnson Street Bridge section is largely complete. Left to complete are the approaches on either end of the crossing, work that's to start in April. The revamped bridge should be complete by August.

* C.R. 17: As part of the gradual conversion of the roadway into a major north-south arterial, crews will be working into the fall on a new C.R. 17 section between C.R. 30 and C.R. 32, just west of the existing C.R. 17 corridor. Bridges along the new trajectory over C.R. 30 and C.R. 32 are the current focus. Then attention will turn to paving the new roadway in between.

Work on the section further north between C.R. 30 and C.R. 28 is tentatively set to be bid out and start later in the year.

* Dogs: The county's new animal ordinance, meant mainly to control dangerous canines, took effect last Friday. It spells out what constitutes a dangerous dog -- critters that attack humans, among other things -- and sets out a rigorous set of requirements to keep such animals. Dangerous dog owners must register the animals and keep them indoors or in a secure kennel at all times.

* Elections: Several county posts are up for election this year, including Commissioner Lucchese's seat, the sheriff's post and four county council slots.

ELKHART

* Animals: The city council didn't have to pass a new animal control ordinance by Dec. 31 as once thought, so the final debate over the revised law will spill into 2010. A state law limiting puppy mills and other animal breeding activities went into effect Friday, and cities could only pass stricter laws if they did so before the new year. But Elkhart's legislation applies mainly to the licensing of animals and restricts dangerous dogs, so the city has all the time it needs to amend and pass the ordinance. Earlier drafts included a ban on pit bulls, but the current proposal does not.

* Theater: The massive renovation of the city's historic downtown Elco Theatre will continue throughout the year. The project's current cost stands at $11.1 million, though additional project elements will be added as more funds are raised.

* Economic development: Elkhart's unemployment rate is dropping, but it's not back to what it once was just yet. City officials say attracting and retaining businesses will be a primary focus, and Mayor Dick Moore is planning a economic development summit to be held early in the year.

* Railroad overpass: Funding has slowly trickled in for the city's planned Prairie Street railroad underpass, but much more is needed to fund the project. Moore and staff will travel to Washington D.C. again this year, as he did in early 2009. He'll attend the U.S. Conference of Mayors annual session, and hopes to meet with the local congressional delegation and federal transportation officials about the project.

* Sewers: The first phase of the city's costly, federally-mandated sewer separation plan will begin, and continue through the next two decades. The long-term plan is designed to virtually eliminate sewer overflow into local waterways during periods of heavy rain or snow melting. Dozens of cites with sewer systems built 40 or more years ago must overhaul their systems, and the city hopes a combination of sewer rate increases and federal and state funding can support the cost.

GOSHEN

Democratic Mayor Allan Kauffman and Republican City Council President Tom Stump identified several projects that will either start or continue in the Maple City in 2010. Both men also talked about uncertainty over the effects the recession will have on tax income to the city.

* River Race: Plans should come together for the River Race redevelopment area. "Hopefully we'll come to some kind of conclusion on hat we're doing there," Stump said. An advisory committee should have a plan ready within a couple of months, and there will be a public meeting for comment on the plan. "I don't know if the economy will let us put that out to bid, but I think it's important to have a plan in place," he said. In that same area the Millrace Power House will be rehabilitated next year, and Lucid Energy could start generating power on the canal.

* Biking/pedestrian paths: The Plymouth Avenue underpass, along the Maple City Greenway at Shanklin Park, will be built this year entirely with federal funds administered by the state. Bike/pedestrian paths are slated for work along Wilden Avenue, across Lincoln Avenue near the river and along Bashor Road, all to extend existing paths.

* Sewer work: The combined-sewer-overflow detention facility will continue to take shape near the wastewater treatment plant.

* Street work: The final stage of the three-year Crescent Street reconstruction project will happen this summer.

SCHOOLS

* Budgets: Local schools will have to think of a way to make big cuts in their budgets. Gov. Mitch Daniels announced in December that he's cutting $300 million from education funding. Cuts will begin this month. Daniels said he wants schools to try to make funding cuts without impacting the classroom -- increasing class sizes or eliminating teaching jobs. The Indiana Department of Education released a list of suggested ways to save money, but local administrators have said they're already doing most of those things. On top of that, school districts -- along with other government entities -- will lose significant revenue from tightened property tax caps.

* School calendar: Goshen Community Schools could adopt a new kind of school calendar. This month, administrators will ask the board to approve, disapprove or delay the decision on a proposal for a balanced calendar, which has a shorter summer and shorter, more frequent breaks during the rest of the year. Administrators have said they think a balanced calendar would reduce learning loss during the summer and allow for quicker intervention for struggling students. Some other area school districts have said they'll wait and see what Goshen does before taking up the issue themselves.

* Restructuring: One GCS school faces potential restructuring in 2010. Given four options to choose from, the district's Comprehensive Action Committee decided that if Chandler Elementary School does not make adequately yearly progress -- improvements based on standardized test scores -- again in 2010, the district will transfer some staff members and implement new measures to improve student achievement: incentive pay, working on the professional capacity of the staff, grouping students around learning goals, extended learning time, increased parental and community involvement and improving the school environment. If Chandler does make AYP, the restructuring won't be necessary.

* New at Concord: Concord Junior High School students should have a new building. A new building at C.R. 24 and C.R. 11 and renovations on the existing junior high school building -- which will become an intermediate school for fifth and sixth graders -- are expected to be complete for the start of the 2010-11 school year.

* Northridge diploma: Northridge High School students should have the option of going for an International Baccalaureate diploma. The school is working out the details for the program to be introduced for the 2010-11 school year.

Truth staff writers Tim Vandenack, Josh Weinhold, Justin Leighty and Audrie Garrison contributed to this report.