CRIME: VANDALS TARGET BULLDOZER

Vandals deviated from the usual turkey and pumpkin pie holiday traditions by smashing the windshields of a bulldozer at the old St. Francis Hospital construction site this Thanksgiving.

J.W. Strack, owner of Strack Excavating and Hauling, estimates the shattered front, side, and rear windshields means $1,000 out of his pocket. He said he plans to offer a $500 reward for any information leading to the conviction of the perpetrators.

"We're going to prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law," said Strack, surveying the blue shards of safety glass scattered across the treads of the bulldozer. "I'm out a thousand dollars every time this happens."

Strack said his crew left the bulldozer in the barren construction site at Good Hope and Pacific at 4 p.m. Wednesday. They discovered the damage Friday morning.

This is the second time in Cape Girardeau vandals struck the contractor. Strack reported that dirt and other materials were thrown into the engines of his construction vehicles a month ago at the Giboney Woods subdivision.

In addition to the windshield vandalism done Thanksgiving night, a fire extinguisher was removed from the cab of the bulldozer and thrown onto the ground. Also, a Port-O-Potty was overturned.

"It's a shame this happened when they're trying to ... make something nice out of this neighborhood," said Strack. "But there's a few bad apples."