Proposed Green Cemetery Sparks Bitter Dispute in Rural Minnesota
A plan to establish a natural burial cemetery in rural Minnesota has ignited an intense community conflict involving allegations of harassment, surveillance drones and gunfire as residents clash over the future of a 20-acre property in Blackhoof Township, the Daily Mail reported.
Property owner Matt Connell hoped to transform a hayfield into Loving Earth Memorial Gardens, a cemetery centered on environmentally conscious burials. The concept would allow bodies to decompose naturally without chemical embalming fluids or metal caskets, instead using biodegradable materials and natural landscapes filled with trees, flowers and native plants.
What Connell envisioned as a peaceful alternative to traditional cemeteries instead became the center of a heated local controversy. According to Connell, tensions escalated quickly after news of the project spread through the community. He said drones repeatedly flew over the property and nearby gunfire added to an atmosphere he viewed as threatening.
Connell has argued that many Americans associate cemeteries with fear and decay because of popular culture portrayals, while his goal is to create a setting focused on healing, remembrance and environmental stewardship.
Opponents of the proposal have voiced concerns about groundwater contamination, animals disturbing graves and the potential impact on nearby property values.
Connell partnered with Ed Bixby of Destination Destiny Memorials, an organization that operates green cemeteries across the country. The two purchased the land in 2022, believing local zoning regulations already permitted cemetery use without additional approvals.
Resistance from neighbors followed soon afterward. Connell said one nearby resident vowed to stop the project, while supporters of the cemetery also faced backlash from community members.
More than 500 cemeteries in the United States and Canada now offer green burial services, a dramatic increase from little more than 100 a decade ago.
Similar disputes have surfaced elsewhere, including in rural Michigan, where Peter Quakenbush and his partner Anni proposed creating a woodland burial forest near Manistee National Forest after experiencing the loss of their first child during pregnancy.
Like the Minnesota dispute, the Michigan proposal triggered concerns from nearby residents over groundwater safety and traffic increases, resulting in zoning disputes and lawsuits.
For now, Loving Earth Memorial Gardens remains stalled in legal uncertainty as the dispute continues to divide the Blackhoof Township community.
Black Cemetery Network Conference Brings Together Advocates
The Black Cemetery Network, established in the Tampa Bay area, recently hosted its first national conference at the University of South Florida St. Petersburg campus, drawing anthropologists, archaeologists, historians, researchers, descendants and community advocates committed to preserving neglected African American cemeteries and the histories connected to them, WUSF (West Central Florida’s NPR station) reported.
Although the topic centered on forgotten burial grounds and historical injustice, the atmosphere at the two-day gathering was marked by collaboration, encouragement and renewed determination. Participants from several states exchanged ideas, discussed preservation projects and built relationships aimed at strengthening efforts in their own communities.
Founder Antoinette Jackson, a Tampa Bay anthropologist, created the Black Cemetery Network in 2021 after investigations revealed that many historically Black cemeteries in Florida had been paved over or erased from public memory. The organization works to identify, document and preserve African American burial sites while bringing attention to the stories tied to those cemeteries.
Jackson said the conference reinforced the importance of networking and advocacy, noting that preservation efforts require cooperation between researchers, lawmakers, archaeologists and local residents. She also said Florida has become a leading voice in the national movement to protect Black cemeteries because of growing public awareness and sustained community activism.
The conference keynote speaker, anthropologist and bioarchaeologist Michael Blakey, emphasized the importance of memorialization, the ethical treatment of human remains and the role racism has played in the destruction and neglect of Black burial sites. Blakey previously directed the African Burial Ground project in New York City, the largest excavated burial site in North America connected to free and enslaved Africans.
During his remarks, Blakey argued that preserving Black cemeteries is closely tied to confronting historical injustice and resisting efforts to minimize or erase discussions of slavery and systemic racism. He also encouraged descendants of those buried in Black cemeteries to take active roles in stewardship and preservation efforts.
Organizers said interest in the conference suggests the Black Cemetery Network will likely host another national gathering in 2027 as preservation advocates continue expanding efforts to protect African American burial grounds and preserve the stories connected to them.
State Funding Approved for Ground-Penetrating Radar Study at Former Mount Herman Cemetery Site
State funding has been secured to investigate a Jacksonville park and community center that may sit atop hundreds of unmarked graves connected to a historic Black cemetery. Researchers believe as many as 600 people could still be buried beneath the property, with no documented evidence showing the remains were relocated before development occurred, News 4 Jax reported.
The land in Durkeeville was once home to Mount Herman Cemetery, established in the 1880s as Jacksonville’s first major burial ground for Black residents following emancipation. Those interred there included formerly enslaved individuals, local families, and soldiers from the LaVilla area.
Use of Mount Herman Cemetery declined during the early 20th century after burial activity for African Americans shifted to Moncrief. The cemetery had originally been founded by LaVilla Mayor Francis LeEngle. At some point, ownership of the property transferred to private hands, likely descendants of LeEngle, before the land was eventually sold to the city.
During the construction of Interstate 95 through nearby neighborhoods such as Sugar Hill and Wilder Park, Jacksonville sought additional recreational space and selected the former cemetery property for redevelopment. Emmett Reed Community Center was later constructed on the site during the 1960s.
For decades, the property has functioned as a park and gathering place for neighborhood residents, many of whom have strong personal memories tied to the location.
Urban planner Ennis Davis, co-founder of Community Planning Collaborative, is among the researchers working with the city on projects intended to honor the cemetery while supporting revitalization efforts in the historically Black Durkeeville community.
According to Davis, ongoing research conducted over the past several years has significantly increased the estimated number of burials connected to the site. Early documentation suggested between 100 and 200 graves may have existed there, but continued investigation has pushed that estimate to roughly 600 individuals, with researchers believing the total may continue to grow.
Known burials include American soldiers, members of their families, and at least one individual believed to be buried beneath a sidewalk. Researchers have also identified the Fagin family plot located near the tree line of the property, predating later development of the land.
Historic records, including an 1887 map preserved by the State Library and Archives of Florida, confirm the cemetery’s boundaries existed before Durkeeville was established as a neighborhood.
Funding for the project was included in Florida’s 2026–27 state budget through the Abandoned African American Cemetery Grant program. Jacksonville is among the municipalities expected to receive assistance through the initiative.
Forest Lawn Prevails in Motion to Move Grave Marker Dispute to Arbitration
A Los Angeles County judge has ruled in favor of Forest Lawn Mortuary and Forest Lawn Memorial Park Association in a legal dispute involving allegations that a burial marker was placed at the wrong gravesite, allegedly causing a family member to visit an incorrect location for several years, MyNewsLa.com reported.
The case stems from a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court in which the plaintiff brought claims including fraud, breach of contract, negligence, and negligent infliction of emotional distress. The court determined that these claims fall under an arbitration provision included in a 2021 purchase and sale agreement, and therefore must be resolved outside of court.
Forest Lawn argued that the dispute should be handled through arbitration in accordance with the signed agreement. The plaintiff’s legal team challenged the clause, contending it was unfair because it required arbitration before a California Supreme Court justice, mandated that each party cover its own legal expenses and arbitration costs and made the arbitrator’s decision final and non-appealable.
The court rejected those arguments, finding that the arbitration agreement was not one-sided or unjust. The judge concluded that requiring each party to pay its own costs and selecting a high-level jurist as arbitrator did not create an unfair advantage for the defendant, and that there was no evidence the plaintiff’s rights had been compromised through the process.
According to the complaint filed in May of last year, the plaintiff purchased two burial plots in 2008 and later arranged for additional adjacent plots to accommodate family members. After his mother died in July 2021, she was interred the following month in one of the purchased spaces.
The lawsuit alleges that a monument placed in her memory was installed at the wrong gravesite, resulting in the family unknowingly visiting an incorrect location for years.
Greenwood Cemetery in South Dakota Adapts After Windstorm Damage with New Columbarium
Four years after a 2022 derecho (a windstorm) severely damaged Greenwood Cemetery and removed hundreds of mature trees from the landscape, the city’s oldest non-denominational burial ground is continuing a gradual transformation that blends restoration with modern burial practices, the Brookings Register reported.
One of the most visible additions is a newly installed 72-niche columbarium on a hillside in the cemetery’s southern section. The structure reflects a broader shift in burial preferences in the community, particularly the increasing use of cremation in place of traditional in-ground interments.
Cemetery board members say burial customs have been changing significantly in recent years. Cremation is now approaching or exceeding traditional burial rates locally, with some estimates suggesting a split of roughly 60 percent cremation to 40 percent traditional burial. Families are also increasingly choosing to hold cremated remains temporarily at home rather than arranging immediate interment.
The columbarium, installed in late 2024 at a cost of just over $60,000, has capacity for up to 144 interments when both niches in each compartment are used.
The new columbarium also includes a dedicated area intended for the respectful interment of individuals who died locally without known next of kin, continuing that tradition of providing dignified burial space for all community members.
Former Cemetery Employees Accused in Alleged $1 Million Burial Plot Fraud Scheme
Two former employees of Memorial Park Cemetery in Oklahoma City have been charged in connection with an alleged long-running fraud operation involving the sale of burial plots to families who investigators say may never have legally received ownership rights, Hoodline reported.
Authorities allege that Syvila Schneider and Akhilesh Lala operated the scheme between 2017 and 2021, improperly collecting payments for cemetery plots and diverting the money away from official cemetery accounts. Investigators believe the operation generated more than $1 million and disproportionately affected elderly customers.
According to court filings, the alleged scheme involved online advertisements, direct sales meetings at the cemetery and altered deed records that transferred burial rights to third parties rather than the families purchasing the plots. Investigators say the payments were routed into accounts connected to Schneider or Lala.
The investigation reportedly began after the cemetery’s corporate ownership identified irregularities in May 2021. Authorities later determined that some families may not have held valid legal title to the burial spaces they believed they had purchased.
Court records indicate the FBI initially participated in the investigation before the case was turned over to Oklahoma City police. Lala was arrested and later released on bond, while Schneider remained the subject of an active arrest warrant at the time of the initial reports.
Detectives allege that Lala used Facebook advertisements to market cemetery plots before meeting buyers at Memorial Park to complete transactions. Investigators claim the money collected from customers was never deposited into official cemetery accounts.
Schneider is accused of altering cemetery deed records so ownership documents reflected a third party instead of the actual purchasers, creating confusion over legal ownership of the burial plots.
Memorial Park Funeral Home and Cemetery operates under the Dignity Memorial network. The cemetery operator said it cooperated with investigators after concerns about internal irregularities were discovered.
Green-Wood Cemetery Proposes Protected Bike Lane and New Sunset Park Entrance
Brooklyn’s Green-Wood Cemetery is advancing a proposal to the city that would add a protected two-way bike lane along its southern perimeter and create a new entrance on Ninth Avenue, aiming to improve safe cycling and pedestrian access while addressing longstanding issues along the surrounding streets, Streetsblog NYC reported.
The cemetery, which spans 478 acres and dates back 188 years, is advocating for a redesigned corridor along Fort Hamilton Parkway, 36th Street, and 37th Street. The plan would convert underused curbside parking areas into a dedicated bikeway and expanded pedestrian sidewalks, while also introducing landscaping and seating elements in select sections.
Cemetery leadership, including President Meera Joshi, has described the southern border of the property as an area that has deteriorated into a space marked by illegal dumping, truck parking, and broken sidewalks. She noted that the conditions make it difficult for delivery workers and other road users to safely navigate the area.
Under the proposal, Fort Hamilton Parkway would be reconfigured to separate bicycle and pedestrian traffic, potentially incorporating planters and benches that would be maintained by cemetery staff. On nearby streets, sections currently used for parking would be repurposed into a continuous, protected cycling route.
A major component of the project is the creation of a new cemetery entrance at Ninth Avenue and 37th Street. Officials say this would give residents of Sunset Park a direct access point, eliminating the need to travel to more distant entrances located on Fourth Avenue, Fifth Avenue, or farther along Fort Hamilton Parkway.
If implemented, the plan would extend a broader network of cycling infrastructure around the cemetery’s perimeter, linking to existing and proposed bike lanes in surrounding Brooklyn neighborhoods.
The community board ultimately voted to move forward with further study and preliminary funding for design and engagement. Local elected officials indicated conditional support, describing the project as a potentially valuable public investment while stressing the importance of robust community input before implementation proceeds.
Manatee County in Florida allocates $100K for Cemetery Security Upgrades
Manatee County, Florida commissioners have approved $100,000 in funding for security enhancements at Old Memphis Cemetery after vandals damaged 17 graves in May, ABC 7 reported.
The money will be used to install fencing and surveillance cameras at the historic cemetery in Palmetto, where the destruction of burial vaults, damaged headstones and graffiti upset residents throughout the community.
County officials described the funding as part of a broader effort to better preserve neglected cemeteries and honor the area’s history and those buried there.
As county leaders move forward with security measures, local residents and business owners have already begun restoration efforts. Business owner Christopher Mullinex volunteered concrete and labor to help repair the damaged graves, joining others in providing assistance at no charge.
Officials said the community support has allowed the county to focus more attention on improving long-term security and future restoration plans for the cemetery.
Meanwhile, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office continues to investigate the vandalism incident.
Woodland Cemetery Added to National Register of Historic Places
Woodland Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia has been officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places, recognizing its long-standing cultural and historical importance to the city and the nation, WWBT 12 On Your Side reported.
Established in 1917, the cemetery was created to provide African Americans with a dignified burial ground at a time when segregation shaped nearly every aspect of civic life. Over the decades, it became the final resting place for numerous Black leaders, professionals, and community figures whose influence extended across Virginia and beyond.
The cemetery’s origins are closely tied to John Mitchell’s family history. Mitchell, now director of the Woodland Restoration Foundation, said his relatives and other founders intentionally purchased and developed the land with the goal of ensuring permanent, protected burial rights. Their intent was to guarantee that families who purchased plots would hold secure ownership that could not be revoked or disrupted.
Mitchell also pointed to the cemetery’s broader symbolic significance in the context of Richmond’s Confederate monument era, explaining that its creation represented a form of resistance and a commitment to preserving Black dignity and legacy during Reconstruction and the Jim Crow period. He described Woodland, along with other historic Black cemeteries such as Evergreen and East End, as living monuments to African American resilience and achievement.
Visitors who toured the grounds recently heard stories about prominent figures buried there and gained insight into lesser-known community leaders. Mitchell emphasized that the cemetery serves not only as a burial site but also as a place where personal histories and community contributions come into focus, revealing how many individuals played meaningful roles in shaping local life.
Punta Gorda’s Oldest Cemetery Set for $2.2 Million in Repairs After Hurricane Irma Damage
Charlotte County, Florida is moving forward with a $2.2 million restoration project at Indian Spring Cemetery, the oldest burial ground in Punta Gorda, following erosion damage caused by Hurricane Irma nearly a decade ago, WINK TV reported.
The county awarded the contract to address ongoing shoreline erosion that has threatened historically significant graves on the site. In some areas, cement grave markers sit close to a creek bank where soil has continued to shift, with visible erosion also affecting a nearby ditch. Temporary orange fencing has been placed to keep vehicles away from vulnerable sections of the cemetery.
According to Charlotte County officials, the funding will come from the general fund and will be used to regrade and stabilize the affected areas. The goal is to prevent further movement of the creek bank and protect graves that remain intact.
The Punta Gorda History Center has been closely connected to the cemetery’s preservation efforts. Its managing director, Theresa Murtha, has spent considerable time at the site and described it as an important link to the community’s past. She emphasized that the cemetery reflects generations of residents who contributed to the development of Punta Gorda and said preserving it remains essential.
Indian Spring Cemetery is the final resting place of several notable local figures, including former Florida Governor Albert Gilchrist. Other prominent individuals buried there include a former Coca-Cola Bottling Plant owner, an editor of the Punta Gorda Herald, and a garage owner known for driving the first automobile across the Barron Collier Bridge.
Farmington Considers Converting Town Park into Cemetery Amid Community Opposition
Officials in Farmington, Connecticut are exploring whether Don Tinty Family Park could be repurposed into Farmington’s next cemetery, a proposal that has sparked strong opposition from nearby residents and revived a debate that has surfaced in the community before, NBC Connecticut reported.
Farmington’s only active cemetery, Riverside Cemetery, is nearing capacity, prompting town leaders to examine options for additional burial space. One possibility under review would involve converting the publicly used park into cemetery land, though officials emphasized the discussion is still in an early exploratory stage.
Residents living near the park have pushed back, arguing that transforming the space would significantly alter the character of the neighborhood. Some neighbors expressed concern about increased funeral traffic and the impact on daily use of the park, while others emphasized that the land should remain a shared recreational area for the community.
Opponents have also begun circulating petitions and organizing in response to the proposal. Several residents contend that the park was donated with the expectation that it would continue to serve as a public green space and recreational asset.
Town officials, however, say the cemetery issue reflects a broader capacity challenge. The town manager has explained that Farmington has been working with the local cemetery association for years to identify suitable land for future burial needs and that the lack of available property has made the search increasingly difficult.
As part of the process, the town plans to conduct preliminary due diligence this summer, including a legal review of the property deed to determine what uses are permitted. Officials have indicated that understanding whether cemetery development is legally viable on the site is a necessary step before any decisions are made.
West Point Cemetery App Helps Visitors Locate Graves and Learn the Stories Behind Them
A new mobile app is making it easier for visitors to West Point Cemetery to locate gravesites and learn more about the individuals buried there through photographs, videos, and historical profiles, the U.S. Army reported.
Released officially in August 2025, the West Point Cemetery App allows users to navigate the cemetery with highly accurate GPS guidance while also exploring the personal histories of some of the more than 10,700 people interred on the grounds. The project was spearheaded by U.S. Military Academy Class of 1970 graduate Bill Taylor, who believes every gravestone represents a life story worth preserving and sharing.
The idea traces back more than two decades to an initiative called Virtual West Point, which sought to bring the academy experience online. Beginning in 2001, the project livestreamed graduation ceremonies, parades, and Founder’s Day banquets for several years. One of its early ambitions was to create an online cemetery database where users could search for a name, view a headstone image, locate the gravesite, and access biographical information about the individual.
At the time, however, the technology and cost of streaming video over dial-up internet connections limited what could realistically be accomplished.
The app’s core features include a searchable burial database, precise geolocation of gravesites, and navigation assistance that guides visitors directly to a burial location. As users walk through the cemetery, the app updates their position in real time until they reach the correct grave.
One distinguishing feature of the app is its multimedia storytelling component. Users can access photographs, short biographical videos and other historical materials that highlight the lives and service of those interred at the cemetery.
State Archaeologist Recommends Ending Casket Burials at Lafayette Cemetery in Colorado
A proposal to permanently end casket burials at Lafayette Cemetery has been postponed after the City Council voted unanimously to delay action on a recommendation from the state archaeologist. The recommendation would have halted burials at the site beginning June 30, CPR News reported.
City officials had brought forward a resolution based on findings from a ground-penetrating radar study that examined burial density within the cemetery, which has been operating since 1891 and spans just under five acres.
The survey, completed in March, revealed a significantly higher number of interments than visible grave markers suggest. According to the report’s executive summary, roughly 2,179 headstones are visible at the surface, some representing multiple interments, while the radar data identified an estimated 3,500-plus casket burials. Researchers also cautioned that additional graves may be undetectable due to interference from trees, infrastructure, or other physical obstructions.
Based on those findings, the study supported the state archaeologist’s position that continuing casket burials could risk disturbing previously interred remains.
Concerns about overlapping graves are not new at the site. In at least two burial operations during 2025, cemetery workers reported encountering possible human remains, prompting responses from local law enforcement, the county coroner, and state historic preservation officials. Subsequent assessments confirmed the presence of human remains in those instances.
Following those discoveries, the state archaeologist recommended placing a moratorium on burials, which the City Council adopted in November. The policy largely paused new interments, while still allowing exceptions on a case-by-case basis.
The issue has become contentious due to the fact that more than 100 burial plots have already been purchased by families, many of them decades ago. Some residents voiced strong opposition to ending future casket burials, emphasizing longstanding family plans and expectations tied to existing plot ownership.
Council members indicated a need for additional time to review options, particularly given concerns that cremation is not an acceptable alternative for some families due to religious considerations.
