A central Indiana park that lost most of its mature trees to an August tornado will be replanted with native trees as crews rebuild its damaged playgrounds.
A tornado swept Kokomo Aug. 24 with winds up to 152 mph and uprooted more than 60 of Highland Park's mature trees — many of them more than a century old. That storm also ravaged the park's playgrounds and its baseball diamonds' fencing and bleachers.
The Kokomo Tribune reports Solidarity Community Federal Credit Union has pledged $29,000 as the first donation for the Rebuild Highland Park fund. That fund will pay to replant trees and repair the park's playgrounds, including its wheelchair-accessible playground.
Kokomo Mayor Greg Goodnight says 16 native tree species, including oak and black walnut, will be replanted in the park.
In the latest installment of Ask The Mayor, Goodnight takes WFIU's Joe Hren on a tour of the hardest hit areas in Kokomo, including Highland Park.
"We've already begun to order trees," Goodnight says. "We'll get some insurance money for the playground equipment, we won't get any for the tree replacement."