Repairs Begin on Vandalized Headstones

LONGVIEW (AP) – Work has started to repair nearly 90 headstones damaged by vandals at an East Texas cemetery. Crews from Texas Cemetery Restoration of Dallas started work Monday at Greenwood Cemetery in Longview. The company was brought in by the Greenwood Cemetery Association to repair damage done by vandals to the historic cemetery in May. James “Rusty” Brenner, owner of Texas Cemetery Restoration, tells the Longview News-Journal the restoration work could take about a month. Brenner says the work will include taking the tombstones apart, constructing new foundations and reassembling the monuments with new joint compound holding the pieces together. Gordon Northcutt, president of the cemetery association board, has said the work will cost about $44,000. He says they’ve raised more than $25,000 so far and are still taking donations.