The owners of a downtown Louisville, Neb., hardware store that was destroyed by fire said Sunday they have made no decision on whether to rebuild the popular business.
The State Fire Marshal's Office gave a preliminary estimate of $750,000 to $1 million in losses to the store owned by Maureen and Larry Gulizia of Louisville. Investigators were working to determine the cause of the blaze.
The fire early Tuesday demolished Stander Ace Hardware on the Cass County town's main street. Firefighters from Louisville, Plattsmouth, Cedar Creek, Manley and Weeping Water battled the blaze between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. No injuries were reported.
Maureen Gulizia said the people of Louisville have been "extremely supportive" as she and her husband try to determine the best way to move forward.
Louisville Mayor Alan Mueller said residents of the town are willing to do "whatever it takes" to help the Gulizias rebuild.
"We are already missing the store. I was just about to run down there this morning when I remembered it's gone," Mueller said. "There is a lot of support for them in our community and I know people here would do whatever it takes to help them rebuild."
Contact the writer: 402-444-1272, kevin.cole@owh.com
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