Vandal paints swastika over Laura Bush billboard on New Circle

A New Circle Road billboard featuring a picture of Laura Bush was replaced after a swastika was found on it.

The billboard was advertising Bush's planned visit to St. Mark Catholic Church in Richmond as part of the church's Evening Among Friends series, which has hosted celebrities including Regis Philbin, Bill Cosby and Martin Short.

Bush is scheduled to read to students on May 24 at St. Mark Roman Catholic School while raising awareness for literacy, Father Jim Sichko said. She will then speak at a fund-raiser for the school.

Sichko said the church was alerted to the graffiti by motorists, who called an RSVP number on the billboard. The first calls were received about 1:45 p.m. Monday.

The church called Lamar Advertising, which owns the billboard, and a crew began taking it down within 10 minutes, he said. Sichko also called Lexington police.

Sichko said it was "sad" that someone would deface private property, especially a church billboard during Holy Week, for apparently political reasons.

"Regardless of anyone's political party, Mrs. Bush is coming to do something that all parties agree with, and that is that our children need to know how to read," he said.

This story was originally published April 20, 2011 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Vandal paints swastika over Laura Bush billboard on New Circle."