Work begins: Jesus statue replacement

CINCINNATI, Ohio (AP) - Construction has begun on a 50-foot statue of Jesus that will replace one destroyed in front of an Ohio church when it was struck by lightning.

The Cincinnati Enquirer reports that the frame was hauled in on flatbed trucks, welded together at the church and lifted into place with a 45-ton hydraulic crane, all in a period of about six hours.

Parts of the outer shell, which will take the form of a full-body state of Jesus with arms outstretched, are still being manufactured. The completion date was initially set for mid-November.

The original statue, known jokingly as "Touchdown Jesus," depicted Jesus from the chest up with arms raised overhead. It was fried when lightning struck it last year.