Disassembly work underway on Lee pedestal in Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — Disassembly work on an enormous pedestal that until recently held a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee has commenced in Virginia’s capital city.  A crew atop scaffolding and a large crane truck worked to dislodge and lift away a hunk of the stone pedestal Wednesday morning in Richmond. It marked an early step in what’s expected to be a weekslong process. Democratic Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam’s administration announced plans Sunday to remove the pedestal. The massive structure sits in the middle of a traffic circle along the city’s historic Monument Avenue. The governor also announced plans to convey the state-owned site to the city after the pedestal is removed.