ASHLAND — A network of pastors and churches presented the city with a $10,000 check on Tuesday.
Dave McNeely, president of the Ashland County Ministerial Association, handed the check to council members just before Tuesday’s meeting.
McNeely said the money is earmarked for repairs to the Ashland Cemetery.
Unidentified miscreants toppled 133 headstones, broke windows and wrecked a bronze military memorial in June. Officials with the city and the cemetery have estimated the total cost to replace everything at $250,000.
related
Police have yet to make any arrests, said Ashland Mayor Matt Miller.
Since June, the city established a special fund to raise money for needed repairs. Numerous individuals and organizations have donated.
A total of around $65,000 has streamed into the city’s special fund, according to Miller. He said the city has spent nearly $35,000 of that, which has gone to reimbursing the cemetery for their expenses.
“This is just another way for our Ashland County Ministerial Association to step forward in a time of crisis and meet a very practical need,” Miller said.
Other donations have come from several local individuals, a lemonade stand, a cookout benefit hosted by Turk Bros Custom Meats and the local Elks Lodge donated money to go toward improving security systems at the cemetery.