Stories from Tuesday, October 16, 2007

SIKESTON -- Allegations of TASER abuse are becoming increasingly frequent across the United States but locally they are being used as they should be, officials said. A TASER fires projectiles up to around 25 feet which administer a high- voltage, low-amperage electric shock to incapacitate. The name is an acronym for "Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle" which refers to an adventurous inventor character from a series of books in the early 1900s...

SIKESTON -- A subject is in custody for charges of burglary at a Sikeston business Monday night. According to a news release from the Sikeston Department of Public Safety, officers were dispatched to HabCare at 216 Edmondson just before 8 p.m. Monday in reference to a call from a citizen who saw a male subject enter the business after hours...

As if you really needed it, let me give you one more tidbit to worry your tired brain. Let's say you are the parent of a young lady who comes home one night and proudly proclaims she has met the special object of her unending love and she plans to marry. Now, imagine that this "special object" is none other than a robot! You think this is far-fetched? Well, keep on reading...

SIKESTON -- Pallbearers for services conducted Monday at the Ponder Funeral Home for Robert Gene Hampton, 75, who died Oct. 11, 2007, were: Josh Hampton, Ben Eaton, Ethan Noyes, Danny Tumbleson, Bobby Stinnett and Josh Rice.

PARMA -- Louella Shaw, 86, died Oct. 13, 2007, in Richardson, Texas. Born Aug. 14, 1921, in Tuckerman, Ark., daughter of the late James Atlas and Leona Morton Crabtree, she was a homemaker and a member of First Baptist Church in Tallapoosa and Parma Eastern Star...

ROCKVIEW -- Norman S. Gribler, 66, died at 9:45 a.m. Oct. 15, 2007, at his home. Born Nov. 19, 1940, at McGee, to the late William Steward and Dolly Lucille McKnight Gribler, he had been an employee in the tool section of Lowe's in Cape Girardeau. A veteran of the U.S. Air Force, he retired as a master sergeant. He was a member of New Hope Apostolic Church and a 32nd Degree Mason with the Chaffee Masonic Lodge No. 615 AF&AM...

DEXTER -- Bertha M. Miller, 92, died Oct. 13, 2007, at the Crowley Ridge Care Center in Dexter. Born Aug. 15, 1915, near Dexter to the late Stephen E. and Maugreete Ruth Williams Miller Sr., she was a former bookkeeper for the Department of the Navy in Washington, D.C. She was a member of the First Baptist Church in Dexter, Daughters of the Nile and The Order of Eastern Star in Washington, D.C...

CHAFFEE -- Lowell D. Spane, 85, died at 10:30 p.m. Oct. 14, 2007, at his home. Born Aug. 10, 1922, in Marquand, to the late J.O. and Essie Sitze Spane, he retired in 1987 from Southeast Missouri State University where he had worked in maintenance of heating and air conditioning. A veteran of the U.S. Army, he was a member of Bell City Masons and the General Baptist Church of Chaffee where he served for many years as a deacon and trustee...

WOOD RIVER, Ill. - Leonard David "Dave" Glass Jr., 77, died at 11:30 p.m. Oct. 13, 2007, at VIP Manor in Wood River. Born Oct. 12, 1930, in Betrand, Mo., to the late Leonard David and Nancy Lucille Mason Glass, he was a mechanic for Jack's 66 and UPS for 40 years until his retirement. A member of Edwardsville Moose Club, he built and drove race cars to run at Tri City Speed Way. He loved his family, auto racing, camping, fishing and football...

SIKESTON -- When it comes to educating people about fire safety, fire departments have found it's most effective to teach children, who in turn go home and share what they've learned with their parents. "The kids will get the parents to do it," said George DeLisle, assistant chief at the Portageville Fire Department. His department, as well as others in the area, are going into schools this month to reinforce good fire safety measures...

SIKESTON --?A Sikeston man is in stable condition after he was shot on Monday night. According to a news release from the Sikeston Department of Public Safety, Josh Jones, 22, was shot in the right shoulder area around 10 p.m. near School and Dorothy streets...

Workers from Tom's Tuckpointing Co. of Corning, Ark., apply a fresh coat of paint to the second story of Sikeston's City Hall Monday. In addition to painting, exterior maintenance on the building will include tuckpointing and sealing on the north, west and south walls...

JACKSON -- The Sikeston Bulldogs junior varsity football team lost to the Jackson Indians 28-12 Monday night. Jackson jumped out to a 21 point lead in the first quarter before Sikeston responded with 6 minutes left in the second quarter on a JuQualin Wiggins to Demetrious Jackson touchdown pass...

EAST PRAIRIE -- Robert J. McIllwain, 87, died Oct. 15, 2007, at Missouri Delta Medical Center in Sikeston. Arrangements are incomplete with Shelby Funeral Home of East Prairie.

EAST PRAIRIE - Lucille Smithson Jernigan, 74, died at 11:53 a.m. Oct. 15, 2007, at her home. Arrangements are incomplete with Shelby Funeral Home of East Prairie.

SIKESTON--The Sikeston Lady Bulldogs volleyball team played host to the Bell City Lady Cubs on Monday evening at the Sikeston Fieldhouse, losing in two straight games by scores of 25-10 and 25-21. The loss takes the Lady Bulldogs to 11-13-4 on the season...

I overheard some of my Republican friends agreeing that they would support Rudy Giuliani, in spite of the fact that he is pro-abortion, pro-gay rights, pro- illegal immigrant, and anti-gun, because they think he's the only one who can beat the likely Democratic candidate. My, my, how quickly their "Christian values" are compromised to make way for their desire for power...

SIKESTON - The Rev. R.M. Talbert, pastor of the Christian Church, has been appointed by Mayor Marvin L. Carroll as chairman of a local committee to coordinate community activities in connection with the return of World War II dead from overseas for reburial...