Speakout 2/10

I heard about the story of an inmate in Charleston who has been diagnosed with tuberculosis. That is a very serious disease. Lanie Black and lawmakers in Jefferson City should pass a law that every time a person goes to prison, they should be tested for TB. The people who work in the state prisons and jails need to be tested too. You certainly have my tax money for that. It should be a top priority for lawmakers and the people who run the prisons.

I live in Chaffee and we have had three officers to resign in the past 30 days. Prior to that, two female employees who worked in the department were either fired or quit. Nobody seems to know why this is taking place. Maybe you can help us. Can you also look into our water system here? We have muddy water that is terrible and it's almost unbelievable.

Does anyone know the proper way to pull over for an ambulance on the road? I have been on Main Street and the ambulance went the other direction as people on my side of the street were pulling over, which seemed to cause more problems than it helped. What is the proper way for cars to pull over when an ambulance is coming in the other direction?

We called South Scott County Ambulance Service in Sikeston and the Missouri State Highway Patrol with your question: The law states that motorists are to slow down, pull over as far to the right as possible and stop for any emergency vehicle with siren and/or lights activated. Drivers don't have any way to know if the ambulance is planning to turn onto another street or stop or exactly what the plans are. You cannot anticipate what the ambulance driver is going to do, which is why the law tells motorists to pull to the right and stop if at all possible. All drivers have the responsibility to be aware and attentive.

Looking for a song

Does anybody know the song, "I'm Tying the Leaves?" I used to sing it when I was a child.

Here are the words to "The Leaves Mustn't Fall (I'm Tying the Leaves) by Moon Mullican, which we found on the Internet: The Leaves Mustn't Fall: (first verse) The autumn leaves were falling and the snow was soon to come. As I was walking down a lonely road, I saw a little fellow who was sitting all alone catching leaves as they began to fall. (Chorus) The leaves mustn't fall, oh no they mustn't fall. I'm tying the leaves so they will stay. I've lost my mom and dad, now sister's all I have. Don't let the falling leaves take her away. (Second verse:) My sister's only seven, and she's sure a pretty thing, as pretty as a picture on the wall. The doctor came this summer and he said that she would die when the autumn leaves had turned and start to fall. (Third verse:) So won't you help me mister? Won't you help me tie the leaves? We'll tie them to the branches good and strong. So come now, we must hurry so we can keep my sister here and show the doctor man that he was wrong.

The dogs are taking Grant City over. There are a bunch of them there (I don't know if they belong there or not). I came around a corner and almost hit two of them. Can somebody pick them up or something?

Call the Scott County Sheriff's Department at 471-3530.

I'm calling about "Don't spank" in the Feb. 1 Standard Democrat. I agree that there is a respect issue that should be given to all children. I also agree that if children don't abide by what their parents are trying to teach them, then they need some form of correction and I'm all for old-fashioned spanking. Children need to learn to respect their parents as well.

I don't believe in beating your kids, but if they're going to run out the road or something and you don't do anything and they hurt themselves, they need to be taught not to do those kinds of things. There is nothing wrong with a little smack on the rear.

The dictionary defines spanking as "to punish by striking the buttocks with an open hand." It does not say to strike in anger or to use an object such as a paddle, belt or wooden spoon.