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Families Upset With Likely Relocation of War Memorial

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

The Boone County Commission is likely to decide this month whether to move an Operation Desert Storm memorial from public courthouse land to a private cemetery.

The memorial includes a small ichthus, sometimes called a "Jesus fish." The commission has wrestled with the issue since the Americans United for Separation of Church and State threatened in June 2014 to take legal action against governments that allow religious symbols on public property.

The commission on Thursday will consider an order to move the memorial to the historic Columbia Cemetery. The order came after Columbia attorney Dan Simon concluded the memorial violates the Missouri Constitution.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reports a second reading and final approval of the relocation order is on the commission's Aug. 11 meeting agenda.

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