Plans for Lurleen B. Wallace Community College to become a permanent fixture in Luverne are well underway according to Dr. Ed Meadows, President of LBWCC.

The future home of the Luverne center will be in the city's vacant armory building, with twin adjoining wings added to the existing structure as well as student parking and outside lighting.

"We have actually moved past the drawings done by an artist," said Meadows. "We have a floor plan completed by our architects on how we want to proceed."

On April 11, the Luverne City Council allowed LBWCC to proceed in planning for the center, which would offer both university transfer and industrial related classes. Meadows said he expects the center to be completed within two to three years once renovation of the armory building begins. Funding must first be addressed and Meadows said that issue would be resolved in time.

"With any big project of this nature we have to look at how we're going to accomplish this and where the money is going to come from," he said. "That's moving along pretty well right now. We are committed to having a center in Luverne and we're in the process of finding the resources."

Currently in Luverne the college offers adult education courses, FIT (Focused Industry Training), and will offer seven college credit courses in the fall. On-site registration for undergraduate courses is on Aug. 11 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Luverne High School Agri-Science Building.

Meadows said when the main center is complete the college would diversify its year-round schedule to include credit courses found in similar LBWCC centers like Opp and Greenville.

Laura Elliot, supervisor of Crenshaw County's adult and community education programs, was named the future full-time director of the Luverne site.

"I am delighted and excited about having a campus in Luverne," she said. "This new college center will provide a great opportunity for the citizens of Crenshaw and surrounding counties for higher education.

The Luverne center of LBWCC will offer classes at times which are the most convenient for area students."