Mormon missionaries clear away illicit flagpole

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - A group of Mormon missionaries won’t get citations for cementing a flagpole onto a Salt Lake valley mountaintop.

The Salt Lake Tribune reports (https://bit.ly/1qNwmuG ) the missionaries chiseled away about 80 pounds of concrete and hauled it off Mt. Olympus on Saturday.

Hikers reported the American flag on the 9,000-foot peak last week. It was flying above a T-shirt bearing the name of the mission and the signatures of several missionaries.

The Forest Service says the summit is a designated wilderness area where it’s illegal to make any permanent installations.

Hikers who visited the summit broke the pole and stripped it of the flag and the T-shirt before the missionaries returned to remove the cement base.

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Information from: The Salt Lake Tribune, https://www.sltrib.com