CRETE, Neb. (AP) — A 100-year-old statue in a Crete park has been restored after vandals destroyed it nearly two years ago. The city of Crete rededicated the Goddess of Liberty statue and celebrated its 100th anniversary Tuesday with dozens of residents, city workers, and local and state officials.
An Alabama-based company used original molds for the 20-foot-tall statue and fountain after workers in Crete picked up and stored about 50 shattered cast-iron remnants.
City administrator Tom Ourada says the city paid for the $60,000 project with private donations, the city’s park reserve fund and $40,000 in court-ordered restitution from the vandals.
Mayor Roger Foster says the city has installed a security system with cameras to deter vandalism.