Editing Activity

Edit the copy below, targeted for a local community newspaper. Proofread the copy carefully for grammar and writing mechanics discussed in Chapters Four and Five. Remember that you cannot change direct quotes. Revise the article per above, and divide it into six to eight paragraphs.
Peoria Mayor Tom Reid will resign, which he announced on yesterday. He announced that he was going to resign his position by the end of the month. His decision comes after some recent news that his wife has been diagnosed with cancer and Reid and her plan to move to Ohio to be near family. Reid’s announcement comes in a written statement he prepared and delivered at last night’s city council meeting. In the statement read he read that he expressed regret in not being able to finish out serving his term, and that term would have ended in 2010 but he needed to be free of professional obligations in to fully attend to his wife. “We are sorry to see him go,” said council member Sharon White. “But we know he and his wife are experiencing personal challenges, and his wife’s health is his priority right now.” Reid’s resignation comes at a time of internal struggles in the cities government. These internal struggles are occurring because council members disagreeing on several things in the city budget proposal. Three of the last four council meetings have ended with members walking out of the meetings early because of arguing over how funds should be distributed to the cities departments. The council will need to decide whether to appoint a replacement for Reid until the 2010 election or whether to go ahead and set up a special election for a new mayor. White insisted that the council will work together to decide what is best for Peoria and its residents it will help make the transition from Reid to a new mayor as easy as possible for everyone involved. “There’s never a good time in a city’s operations for a mayor to resign,” White said. “But in this case the council must set aside our differences and we will do so partly out of respect for the work and commitment Reid has made during his term in office.” Some sources estimate that for the city to hold a special election might cost the city more than $20,000. These sources were council members Richard Hirsch and Michael Krueger. But Krueger added that for the council to agree on a replacement for Mayor Reid could be a difficult decision for the council to agree on given its current state. “I’d like for us to come together for the sake of Peoria and reach a consensus on this one right away,” Krueger said. “The city needs to move one we have a lot of work ahead of us.”