Excavation for possible graves starts at future jail site

QUINCY, Ill. (AP) - Workers have started excavating the site of a new western Illinois jail to look for possible graves.

The Quincy Herald-Whig reports (http://bit.ly/2qW53GX ) the area near the Adams County Courthouse was the site of Quincy's first cemetery. A ground-sounding process used radar to search for grave sites and there are expected to be between 15 and 20 of them.

Excavation began this week. Officials hope to have a contract to build the jail in August.

Initial cost estimates of the excavation were around $150,000. But officials say it'll be lower.

If anything is found it must be removed and permits from the Illinois Historic Preservation Agency will be required.

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Information from: The Quincy Herald-Whig, http://www.whig.com