Nebraska Woman Arrested, Fined for Climbing Mount Rushmore

A Nebraska woman has been fined $1,000 for climbing the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota.

Published: 7/16/2019, 9:51:38 PM EDT

Nebraska Woman Arrested, Fined for Climbing Mount Rushmore — Mount Rushmore in Keystone, S.D. (David Zalubowski/AP Photo)

RAPID CITY, S.D.—A Nebraska woman has been fined $1,000 for climbing the Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota.

Authorities say Alexandria Incontro scaled the massive granite sculpture on July 12 with bare feet and no rope, making it to about 15 feet from the top.

The Rapid City Journal says Incontro chose a route between George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, whose faces are about 60 feet tall. Several signs at the popular tourist destination warn against trespassing on or climbing the sculpture, which was completed in 1941.

A federal officer and national park ranger convinced Incontro to come down, and she was handcuffed and arrested.

Incontro, from Omaha, appeared Monday in Rapid City federal court, where she pleaded guilty to climbing the monument. Three other charges were dropped.

Major Construction Projects

The Mount Rushmore National Memorial is getting to the core of a multi-million dollar upgrade.

The Rapid City Journal reports that major construction projects at the monument were scheduled to begin last week. The National Park Service says work will continue through much of 2020.

Mount Rushmore spokeswoman Maureen McGee-Ballinger says the upgrades are designed to make it easier to traverse the park and provide clearer views of Gutzon Borglum’s sculpture, which features the faces of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, and Theodore Roosevelt.

Many parts of the park will be closed during construction, including a visitor’s center and amphitheater. McGee-Ballinger says visitors will still have good views of the sculpture and the finished product is “going to be beautiful.”

Last Living Mount Rushmore Carver Celebrates 98 Years

The last living worker who helped build the Mount Rushmore National Memorial, is celebrating a birthday.

Friends and family helped Nick Clifford celebrate 98 years of life in Keystone Monday night. Clifford tells KOTA-TV he’s happy to be healthy and plans on living quite a while longer.

Visitors watch while workers pressure wash the granite faces of George Washington, left, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota on July 21, 2005. (Charlie Riedel/The Associated Press) — Visitors watch while workers pressure wash the granite faces of George Washington, left, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln at Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota on July 21, 2005. Charlie Riedel/The Associated Press

Clifford has been the last living Rushmore carver for 12 years. He was just 17 when he joined 400 carvers, drillers, blacksmiths and other workers who began to build the memorial, which took 14 years to create.

The sculpture in Keystone features the 60-foot heads of Presidents George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln. The four presidents were chosen to represent the nation’s birth, growth, development, and preservation.