Niles city leaders ask for return of missing baby Jesus taken from nativity scene
Published 12:13 pm Monday, December 28, 2020
- Niles was claimed to be the city responsible for fastest growth of COVID-19 in Michigan by a web article by 24/7 Wall St. The Berrien County Health Department addressed its concern with articles with similar narrative, saying the data can be used multiple ways, but it does not change objectives of containing virus. (Leader file photo)
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NILES — Over the Christmas weekend, something seemed to go missing at the intersection of Main and S. 11th streets.
The city’s nativity scene, which sits on the triangle across from the Rite Aid this year, lost its baby Jesus figure. As the nativity was recently taken down, the scene was placed into storage without its central figure.
“This is not the first time,” said Niles City Administrator Ric Huff. “We’ve lost baby Jesus and wise men a few times. With any luck, we will recover the baby Jesus this time.”
Huff said the nativity scene usually goes up on display about five days before Christmas, and is taken down right after. It is a tradition that brings both admiration and ire from community members each year, he said.
As for the recovery of the baby Jesus figure, Huff said no one has requested a ransom for its return.
“We don’t have any real leads,” Huff said. “It would be nice if someone would return it.”
