The news in brief for May 22

Ailing student's wish for tools fulfilled

FAIRBURY - An 18-year-old from Fairbury received a 1,201-piece Craftsman Pro Mechanic's Tool Set, chest and rollaway cart to fulfill a wish.

Volunteers from the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Illinois and Bloomington's Sears, Roebuck and Co. presented the donated items to Harry Johnson.

Johnson has cystic fibrosis and receives daily breathing treatments. He is a quiet, reserved and friendly young man who is just preparing to graduate from high school this month and works part-time at a local pizza restaurant.

His love for mechanical work of all types is what prompted his wish for a custom tool set, which was donated by Sears. Additional help for fulfilling his wish also came from Ned Kelly's, area retailers and volunteers Tracey Vincent and Joe Hack.

Pontiac to test weather sirens

PONTIAC - Pontiac's new weather-warning system will be tested at 10 a.m. today.

Fire Chief Dennis McDugle said the test will be postponed if there is bad weather. The weather sirens usually are tested on the first Tuesday of each month.

Komen announces Ride for Cure results

NORMAL - The 11th annual Ride for the Cure to benefit Susan G. Komen for the Cure attracted 1,470 motorcyclists from throughout Central Illinois and raised nearly $55,000, said Deb York of Washington, who helped organize the event.

"We were just blown away," York said. "This was by far our largest year."

Among riders were about 100 motorcyclists who rode from Eastview Christian Church in Normal to Peoria. There they joined other motorcyclists from throughout Central Illinois for the ride to Pekin.

The event was May 12 but results weren't compiled until the past few days. Money raised will go to breast cancer prevention and treatment research, programs and services.

Setting it right

Local

Woodford County contracts - E.C. Gupton, president of Viscon Networking Innovations, a company contracted for computer services for Woodford County, is engaged to the daughter of former County Clerk Peggy Rapp. His marital status was incorrect in Monday's Pantagraph.

Child Safety Day photo - A mother depicted in a photo in Sunday's Pantagraph at Saturday's State Farm Child Safety Day was receiving training on how to install a car seat for an older child. A safety seat for a younger child, such as the one in the photo, would face backward. The child's seat was reversed into the correct position for a young child before the mother left the safety event.

Child Safety Day story - The Bloomington Police Department provided a canine unit demonstration and the Bloomington Township Fire Department provided a fire truck for the State Farm Child Safety Day. The Bloomington Fire Department had an ambulance on site for kids to tour. The units involved were wrong in Sunday's Pantagraph because of incorrect information supplied to the Pantagraph.

Kids Idol - The name of Rylan Kelley, a winner in the Pantagraph's Kid Idol contest, was misspelled in a caption in Sunday's Pantagraph.