Boone County to Move Memorial With Religious Symbol

KBIA | By Associated Press

Published August 11, 2015 at 4:23 PM CDT

Boone County officials say its mental health board could be folded into another city or county institution.

The Boone County Commission has voted to move a memorial that includes a religious symbol from the county courthouse lawn.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports the Boone County Commission voted 3-0 Tuesday to move the Operation Desert Storm memorial, which includes a small ichthus, also called a "Jesus fish."

The memorial honors two Boone County men who died in Desert Storm. It is one of several memorials to veterans of different wars on the Courthouse Plaza near the Boone County courthouse.

The commission voted to move the memorial to the Columbia Cemetery.

The county government covered the symbol in June 2014 after a Columbia lawyer concluded the memorial violated the Missouri Constitution.

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