Attalla, AL - When an Etowah County family moved back home to Attalla they were shocked to discover their loved ones graves covered in weeds and briars.

Now they're asking to local government for help in cleaning it up.

It's not an effort just for their family members, but for all the people forgotten in the overgrowth. Visiting the Attalla Cemetary is difficult for the McCloud family. It's physically difficult to walk through the weeds covering the graves. It's emotionally difficult to understand why this dumpsite nearby keeps inching toward the graveyard.

One family member exclaims, with tears in his eyes, "My mama and daddy lay out here and one day I hope to lay out here with them and i don't know what to do. I just want it cleaned."

They've tried to clean it themselves, but according to Loretta McCloud, "We came out and we in fact made the pathway to here."

But to do it all they need strong machinery - the kind used by county and city work crews. The family asked for help.
McCloud says, "The city keeps telling us that it's the county. The county keeps telling us it's the city. Every time it's a dead end"
It seems this area has fallen through the cracks of jurisdiction. It's on private property with no clear owner. That's a roadblock for county assistance.

Etowah County CEO Patrick Sims explains, "the (County) Commission cannot go on private property and use county equipment and county employees to do that. i think there's an exception that allows Sheriff inmate labor for cemeteries."

ABC 33/40 asked, but a rep from the Etowah County Sheriff's Department said it cant help either. Which means - for now - to get this cemetary cleared it's every family for itself.

Tommy Hicks has been clearing his family plot for years. He says, "There isn't any body else who is going to do it . So who do you think is going to do it? You have to do it yourself."

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