Cemetery cleanup to last at least two weeks

The City of Marshall Department of Public Works (DPW) is asking the public to stay out of Oakridge Cemetery until the department's six workers get a chance to clean up a massive mess of fallen trees and limbs caused by the July 2 storms that caused similar problems in other parts of the city. Because crews have been working to pick up brush for the third time in recent weeks due to storms, they have little time left over to remove the fallen trees, some aged more than 150 years old, in the cemetery, said supervisor Barry McCormack. Because overtime has not been authorized to perform the work, it could take more than two weeks to complete. McCormack asks citizens to stay out of the cemetery for at least two weeks to give crews time to remove trees and branches from block the cemetery roads. Already, some drivers in the cemetery have created deep, muddy ruts while trying to drive around onto grass and even onto graves to travel through the cemetery creating even more work for the public works employees. Here, employee Terry Travis works in the front section of the cemetery.