Subscribe | UPI Odd Newsletter Subscribe Ernie Banks' Wrigley Field statue restored PEORIA, Ill., Nov. 11 (UPI) -- The statue of "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks from Chicago's Wrigley Field was restored at an Illinois University after it began to oxidize. Advertisement Lou Cella, the Chicago artist who created the Banks statue, said Cubs officials wanted the statue restored because it was "oxidizing a little too fast" and was "turning green," the Peoria (Ill.) Journal Star reported Thursday. Cella said he enlisted the help of Kyle Chipman, who worked with him on a statue of Cubs great Ron Santo, for the restoration. Chipman said the statue was taken to Bradley University in Peoria Nov. 2 and the old finish was burned off with a torch. He then sandblasted the surface and cleaned it with a metal degreaser. Chemicals were applied to the statue to give it a new surface appearance and a coat of lacquer was applied. Advertisement Chipman said the statue of the 80-year-old hall of fame shortstop and first baseman will return home to Wrigley Field Friday. Baby born one room away from voters MELROSE, N.Y., Nov. 11 (UPI) -- A New York state woman gave birth at a firehouse Election Day while people voted only one room away, officials said. Dominic Pasinella, chief of the Melrose Fire Department and a candidate for town board, said he had just finished voting around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday when the department received a call from a couple who did not think they would make it to Samaritan Hospital in Troy before the birth of their baby, WTEN-TV, Albany, N.Y., reported Thursday. Pasinella said he rushed back to the fire house and Ptarmigan Fox-Etman gave birth with the help of an EMT while people voted only one room away at the firehouse, which was serving as a polling place Tuesday. The baby girl, Charis Etman, was born healthy at 7 pounds, 10 ounces. Tire stuck on rodeo bull's head KAHULUI, Hawaii, Nov. 11 (UPI) -- The Hawaii owner of a champion rodeo bull said she is trying to figure out how to remove a discarded truck tire from around the animal's head. Advertisement Paige De Ponte, owner of the Triple L Ranch on the island of Maui, said the bull, Skywalker, returned to the corral for water Tuesday and she noticed the tire stuck around his head, The Maui News reported Thursday. "People seem to think that Kanaio is a dumping ground," De Ponte said. She said Maui County recently cleaned public rights-of-way and "did a pretty good job," but they left behind several old tires. De Ponte said the tire has been slowing Skywalker down and he appears to be in pain, but she is unsure of how to remove the tire from his head. $1,000 reward for return of cannon MONROE, Mich., Nov. 11 (UPI) -- A Michigan man said he is offering a $1,000 reward for the return of an antique Spanish-made bronze cannon dating to 1795. Matt Switlik, 70, of Monroe, said his cannon, which is engraved with the crest of a Spanish king, was stolen alongside other items Nov. 2 at Edston Plastic in Romulus, where he had taken it to have a plastic replica made for a museum, the Detroit Free Press reported Thursday. Ed Roberts, owner of Edston Plastic, said the thieves also took about 20 power tools and several 200-pound boxes of aluminum. Advertisement Switlik said the $1,000 reward he is offering for the return of the cannon is more than twice what the item would fetch as scrap metal.
