Thieves steal fruit harvests from Kansas City-area churches

LIBERTY, Mo. (AP) — Thieves in the Kansas City area have in the past month have taken two churches’ fruit harvests. WDAF-TV reports that Hosanna! Lutheran Church in Liberty had planned to harvest grapes it grows after a Sunday worship service earlier this month. But members discovered that all 1,500 pounds of grapes had been stolen. The church has the grapes bottled for communion wine. Meanwhile, St. Peter and All Saints Episcopal Church in Kansas City had four of its apple and pear trees recently picked clean. The anticipated harvest was three or four years in the making and the fruit was destined for a food pantry and a homeless shelter.