Church bell, 2,300 lbs., stolen

GLOVERSVILLE, N.Y. - What weighs more than a ton, is brass, shaped like a bell, and disappeared?

Um, that would be the 2,300-pound brass church bell that apparently was stolen before it could be moved to a museum in upstate New York.

Officials tell The Daily Gazette of Schenectady that the nearly 150-year-old bell had been in possession of a church that was demolished three years ago in Gloversville, 40 miles northwest of Albany.

Local officials had planned to move the bell to the front lawn of the Fulton County Museum. But when they went to get it last Thursday at an undisclosed location, the great big bell was gone.

Officials say because of the bell's weight, more than one person likely stole it using heavy equipment.

Police are checking local scrap yards and antiques dealers as part of their investigation.