The Pantagraph from Bloomington, Illinois • Page 1

Happy IiidepeFidevwe Day wvvw.pantag Bloomington-NcT JULY 4, 2008 PffC ffrnfil tllltG(l Inside IftjlllUll en(jjn i 1 "fl I flights i i Couple escapes blaze A dog alerted its sleeping owners to a fire in their Bloomington residence late Thursday morning. Local, A3 Thunder signs pair c7 -'A I 1 The Bloomington I PrairieThunder siqns two players with NHL experience, including goaltender Scott Fankhouser, who logged "i kx --ih 1111 time with the Atlanta Thrashers. Sports, B1 Burster Inn A historic El Paso building has new uses. Money, CI Sharpen your pencil Service to Chicago to be cut this fall By Michelle Koetters mkoettersfSipantagraph.com BLOOMINGTON The number of flights from the Twin Cities to Chicago will be halved this fall. United Express will no longer fly out of the Central Illinois Regional Airport in Bloomington after Nov.

2, said Carl Olson, airport executive director. The loss of service is part of United Airlines' plan to cut 17 percent of its domestic flights this year, Olson said Thursday. Airlines across the country are in a crisis situation because of the high cost of fuel. "This is an industry issue. This service is part of the casualty this industry is facing," Olson said.

American Airlines' American Eagle regional carrier still will provide Bloomington-Nor-mal travelers with daily flights to the Windy City. Business travelers will be most affected by the news because they fly the Chicago routes more than leisure travelers, said Sue May, owner of Clinton Travel Agency in Clinton. But even with travelers' options for flights to Chicago cut in half, May believes American will be able to accommodate fliers. "I don't think it's going to be much of an impact," she said. "We'll weather the storm." Under its reorganization plan, United will take 100 larger aircrafts such as Boeing 737s out of service and replace them with smaller regional jets in some major metropolitan areas where they plan to maintain service.

They'll get those smaller, 50-passenger planes from routes serving regional airports like Bloomington's, Olson said. SEE UNITED BACK PAGE How much do you know about America's history and government? Test yourself with our holiday-inspired quiz. Life, D1 The PantagraphB MOSHER Police charge into State Farm Corporate Headquarters in Bloomington after a report that a man was seen with a rifle Thursday afternoon at the building's east entrance. Officials determined it was a custodian possibly carrying a pipe. Worker possibly carrying pipe mistaken for gunman Weather On the Web Situation at State Farm Log on for photos and video of Thursday's lockdown: www.pantagraph.com By Sharon K.

Wolfe and Edith Brady-Lunny swolfepantagraph.com eblunnypantagraph.com BLOOMINGTON A scare at State Farm Corporate Headquarters ended peacefully Thursday afternoon after a suspected gunman turned out to be a custodian carrying what may have been a pipe on his shoulder. Still it gave an estimated 2,000 people at State Farm Insurance headquarters near Veterans Parkway and Washington Street a late start on their Fourth of July holiday weekend. They were ushered into the building's often called the Tower, the tallest part of the headquarters complex, police said. As police teams searched the building, officials reviewed video from company video cameras. Ultimately, they determined the scare was unfounded.

"What was seen by the SEE STATE FARM BACK PAGE Two people cross a lot at State Farm during the investigation. lower level for almost two A passer-by reported see-hours while police searched ing a man with a "long gun" the building and grounds. about 4 p.m. outside Building Today's weather symbol was drawn by Matt Sorensen, Tri-Valley Middle School, Downs. High: 78 1 Low: 59 Complete weather: Back page 24-7 updates: Pantagraph.com PAIKH Soldiers' leaves can give dads a break from worry If you're looking for something to do, or you have something for others to do and you want them to know about it, log on to www.pantagraph.comcalendar and check out Pantagraph.com's online community calendar.

Find in -it I. Abby D2 Movies D3 Classified C3 Obituaries A7 Comics D4 Opinion A6 Crossword C4 Scoreboard B4 Horoscope D3 Sudoku C4 1 A. ri. For The Pantagraph Adam Kinzinqer stands in front of an RC-26B light fixed-wing plane in Iraq. The Air Force pilot, who will leave for a fourth Mideast tour in February, will celebrate the holiday with his parents today in the Twin Cities.

Fourth of July always special for this flier fday For The Pantagraph Lt. Michael Johnston, son of Pantagraph Publisher Richard Johnston, is shown last year in Mahmudiyah, Iraq. Editor's note Richard Johnston, publisher of The Pantagraph, wrote the following column a year ago, when he was publisher at the Racine (Wis.) Journal Times. Since then, his son has returned to the States, has married and is completing his final year as an Army captain at Fort Ben-ning, Ga. But the thoughts of parents of soldiers who serve are the same today July 4, the day we celebrate our country's freedoms and those who fight for it Our youngest son, 1st Lt.

Michael Johnston, came home recently for a two-week leave from Iraq, where he has served for the past nine months with the 10th Mountain Division. When he got off the plane in Milwaukee, he appeared as a tall, broad-shouldered Airborne Ranger, betrayed only by his boyish smile. I don't know that I've ever seen anything that looked so good. Friends have commented to me about how difficult it must be to have a son in a war zone. They're right.

It's more difficult than his mother and I ever imagined. I've described it as if I were carrying a couple bricks around all day. I desperately want to set the bricks down from time to time, but I just can't. But when I saw him emerge from the concourse, I Go with v- the gram Faux bois gives vv tne look of wood, without the splinters. In USf-Ji Life.

READ MORE I Odell woman who shares birthday with nation By Mary Ann Ford mfordpantagraph.com BLOOMINGTON Adam Kinzinger has been patriotic for as long as he can remember. 1 marks her 90th Page A4 UEE ENTERPRISES i I I WW, "Almost every Fourth of July while I'm watching the Fireworks, I get teary-eyed," he said. That patriotism is even thy for my anxiety Michael is a volunteer, and we supported his decision to serve. He is among the best soldiers this country can produce. He believes in the mission and accepts the challenge head on.

"He's always upbeat, never complaining. He is taking part in something of truly historic significance, doing something that not all 25-year-olds have the courage or sense of selflessness to do. He is mature beyond his years. He knows the "snapping" sound an AK-47 round makes as it breaks the sound barrier when it passes over your head. His patrol has been hit a dozen times by improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

SEE JOHNSTON BACK PAGE 75 Cents his fourth tour in February. "It's 120 degrees, and you don't know Monday from Sunday because you're working every day" he said. "But people are doing what they believe in." Kinzinger was the pilot of a midair refueling plane in Afghanistan for about a month during his first tour. He did the same thing out of Qatar during his second, 1 'a -month tour. He recently returned from SEE FLIER BACK PAGE Richard Johnston set my bricks down and relaxed.

I stopped looking at my watch so much, doing the calculation for Baghdad time, wondering what he's up to. Is he in for the night? Is he on patrol? Is he in danger at that particular moment? For a short two weeks, I knew he'd be safe. I don't expect any sympa- 6 5 stronger now Adam that Kinzin- ger, a special Kinzinger forces pilot and captain with the U.S. Air Force, has served three tours of duty in the war-torn Middle East. He leaves for Copyright 2008 The Pantagraph Bloomington, III.

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