Cary police officers recognized for accomplishments

Congratulations are in order for Cary Police officers Geoffrey Witherow, Ryan Sherman, Tricia Malone and Kathy Eiring, who made a combined 38 DUI arrests in 2009.

In May, the Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists recognized the four for their work.

Witherow made the most DUI arrests out of the group with 25.

Sherman and Malone had seven DUI arrests, with Eiring posting six arrests.

Statistics show there were 70 total DUI arrests in Cary last year.

Cary Acting Chief Ed Fetzer recommended that AAIM honor the four officers responsible for more than 50 percent of them.

"Anytime an arrest has been made, we feel a life has been saved," said Anita Huvaere, the AAIM staffer who compiled the statistics for Illinois towns. "That's why we recognized the officers."

Setting the record straight: I am the first to admit when I make a mistake.

Last Monday after the Pingree Grove Village Board meeting, Public Works Director Pat Doherty pulled me aside about an article I'd written in May about an audit that detailed Village President Wyman "Clint" Carey's expenses.

According to the report, Carey spent $15.50 of village money on movie tickets for Doherty as a way to boost morale.

Carey was not charged with any wrongdoing.

In the article, I said Doherty was the public works director when he got the tickets.

That was incorrect.

Doherty was in fact, a contractor hired to deal with Pingree Grove's snow removal.

During our brief chat, he also told me he reimbursed the village for the movie tickets, shortly after the story ran.

Village officials confirmed that he indeed paid the money back and Doherty told me he had no idea the tickets were actually a gift from the taxpayers.

"I wouldn't have accepted, had I known," Doherty said.

"I apologize again for that mistake.

Helping our kids learn: Part of the allure of the first day of school is walking in the front door with fresh school supplies.

But there are many kids in our midst who can't afford them, especially in this economy.

And here's where you can help.

The Corporate America Family Credit Union is sponsoring the Project Backpack school supply that allows you to drop supplies off at its Elgin and Crystal Lake branches.

The drive, in its seventh year, will benefit students at Channing Elementary School on Elgin's east side and those enrolled in McHenry County's Head Start Program in Crystal Lake.

You can drop off the following items: backpacks, notebooks, crayons, pens, pencils and erasers, calculators, binders, rulers, markers, glue sticks, highlighters, tissues, folders, and other learning or arts and crafts materials.

Both branches are accepting supplies now through Aug. 15.

The Elgin branch is at 2075 Big Timber Road.

The one in Crystal Lake is on 626 Cog Circle, Unit 200.

The credit unions are open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m.

Both branches are closed Wednesdays.

For details, call (800) 359-1939 or visit www.cafcu.org.

Lenore Adkins covers Algonquin, Lake in the Hills, Cary, Fox River Grove, Pingree Grove and McHenry County College. To reach her, call (847) 608-2725 or send an e-mail to ladkins@dailyherald.com