DIETERICH — Dieterich officials are working to bring the village’s mural back to its former glory after it was defaced by a vandal in broad daylight.
On Monday, in their first meeting since the mural was vandalized on the morning of Nov. 29, Dieterich village trustees discussed the incident and the cost of restoring the mural to its original condition.
The mural was defaced by a man who threw a gallon of black paint onto it, which also splattered the ground and the wall surrounding the mural.
Most of the paint was washed off by village workers, but black paint still lingers and the process of removing it entirely is still ongoing.
“I have not heard an update since the individual was brought to the Greenville Hospital as far as the mural vandalism,” Village Maintenance Supervisor Mike Campbell said.
According to Village President Brad Hardiek, the man was taken to a hospital in Greenville for potential mental health concerns but has since been released.
Hardiek said the man responsible posted a brief apology on Facebook, but he also noted that the post didn’t appear to be directed toward anyone in particular.
“Hopefully, he gets the help he needs,” Campbell said.
According to Campbell, cleaning and restoring the mural is expected to cost around $4,000. He said most of the mural can restored because the vandal didn’t used an oil-based paint or acrylic paint, which would have been much harder to remove without further damaging the mural.
Campbell said the mural might need to be resealed as well.
Although some black paint streaks and spots can still be seen on the mural, Campbell said, from afar, the mural still looks essentially the same as it did before being defaced.
“You can’t really tell from the road if you drive by in a car,” he said.