Ericson Memorial Studios

The cannons have been removed and taken to Ericson Memorial Studios in Millcreek where they are undergoing an extreme makeover.  The base holding the cannons crumbled, so a new base was designed and built by David Platz, who works at Ericson.  Platz stripped generations of paint and sandblasted and primed the cannons that were manufactured in 1861 and 1864.  He said his work was like a history lesson.  "I was told to look for the maker's mark, so as I started to find the mark, I started researching them and learning all the stuff about both these cannons."One cannon was manufactured in Richmond, Virginia, the other in Reading, Pennsylvania.  Peter Burton, of Ericson Memorial Studios says how glad they were to receive this project.  "Not a lot of companies out there that can restore this kind of stuff," says Burton.  "So, we were very honored to be helpful with this."The cannons will be placed back at the monument for a special unveiling on Thursday, August 3rd during Dan Rice Days. (YourErie)

San Onofre and San Clemente State Beaches remain closed until Wednesday after a swimmer was bitten by a shark over the weekend.Leeanne Ericson was swimming with friends in San Onofre State Beach West of Camp Pendleton Saturday, when a shark “tore her right back leg from her glute to her knee,” according to her Gofundme page.The mother of three is now fighting for her life at Scripps Memorial Hospital in La Jolla.Her injury was likely caused by a great white or a seven-gill shark, said Chris Lowe, director of the Shark Lab at California State University, Long Beach.According to some witnesses, Ericson was wearing a wetsuit and fins near her boyfriend, who was on a board when the shark bit her.A few weeks ago, Surfline cameras caught two separate incidents of what appeared to be great white sharks breaching off San Onofre State Beach.Nearly a year ago, a shark bit a woman while she was swimming off Corona del Mar, about 25 miles to the north of Saturday’s attack. (CBS Los Angeles)