COEUR D’ALENE, Idaho (AP) - Authorities in northern Idaho say damage to a bell at a memorial for veterans in Coeur d’Alene was an accident, not vandalism.
The 350-pound “Pappy’s Bell” at the Veterans Memorial in McEuen Field shattered Oct. 22 when it fell after visitors tried to ring it, The Spokesman-Review reported (https://bit.ly/2fdtGWB).
Deputy City Administrator Sam Taylor said police found a video recording that shows a man and a woman trying to ring the bell. As they tried to ring it, the man looked underneath the bell for a clapper and the bell fell to the ground, breaking.
“This appears to have been an unfortunate accident, and while people should not be touching the bell, the city is aware it occurs often, likely triggering the defect that caused the bell to fall,” Taylor said.
Taylor says no crime has occurred and authorities are not seeking the couple.
The city’s Parks and Recreation Department is working with Allied Weldery to make temporary repairs to the bell to get it back up for Veterans Day, Nov. 11. The parks department plans to have the bell welded to its frame so it can no longer move.
“The city knows this artifact is an important icon for the community and especially our local veterans,” Taylor said.
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Information from: The Spokesman-Review, https://www.spokesman.com
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