| High-tech operation
EDINBURG - The robotic arms arching over Sylvia Martinez's body made the operating room look like something out of science fiction.Sitting a few feet away at a console with a three-dimensional viewfinder and hand controls, the surgeon, Dr. Robert Alleyn, was making the octopus-like machine do his bidding. When he flicked his wrist, a grasping instrument at the end of one robotic arm moved, gripping flesh in Martinez's abdomen. When Alleyn rotated his hands to create a stitch, the instruments followed suit, creating small, perfect stitches.With these robotic tools, Alleyn easily completed a Nissen fundoplication, wrapping a portion of stomach tissue around the esophagus to stop Martinez's acid reflux. Martinez, 43, will be left only with four tiny incisions - the largest the size of a dime - and a quick recovery.The four incisions are for two instruments, a small video camera, and for another surgeon to assist as needed.
Bill would impact juvenile justice
Prosecutors may feel a little heartburn under a House proposal requiring parents' permission before using a child's confession in court. House Bill 727, approved Thursday by the Juvenile Justice Committee, would require parental permission to use the confession of a child younger than 17 if the suspect talked to police without a parent or attorney present. Representatives could vote on the measure as early as next week. Ronnie Harper, former president of the Mississippi Prosecutors Association, said the bill could have a significant impact on cases. "That's a pretty far-reaching requirement for such a large group of people," said Harper, who suggested lawmakers consider a lower age ceiling than 17. Parents who have children in custody said more protective measures are needed.
Former VU coach, current Baylor skipper Scott Drew feeling better
The pain was unbearable and nothing Baylor University head basketball coach Scott Drew took in an attempt to ease his discomfort seemed to help at all.The former Valparaiso University assistant and head coach thought he had a bad case of indigestion or possibly food poisoning.As Drew's condition worsened, he climbed into his car last Tuesday at 3 a.m., and drove himself to Providence Hospital in Waco, where he ended up undergoing emergency surgery for appendicitis."I'm feeling a lot better now and I'm getting a little stronger every day,'' Drew said Monday, as he attempted to catch up on the average of 100 e-mails he received each day since the surgery.Even though it was a hard sell, Drew talked his way out of the hospital in time for Baylor's home game against Kansas on Wednesday night."Coaches, we're all pretty good salesmen,'' said Drew, who showed up at Ferrell Center to be there for his team even though he was as a weak as a kitten.Baylor freshman Tweety Carter, who's among the Big 12 Conference leaders in 3-point field goals made and 3-point shooting percentage, was amazed to see Drew on the bench."That just shows you coach doesn't care about himself,'' Carter said.
The Ypsilanti Courier
Retiring after 11 years as president of the Ypsilanti Area Chamber of Commerce, Keith Peters says golf and yard work won't keep him entertained. "It's a matter of being able to spend time with my wife," he said. Peters, 65, has been a resident of Ypsilanti Township for 41 years. He is to retire from his position and leave the chamber May 31 after 13 years of service. It was a 22-year-old Peters who moved to Ypsilanti after graduating from the Great Lakes Christian College in Lansing in 1964. Peters worked as the senior minister of the First Christian Church in Ypsilanti and stayed with the church until 1983, after helping the church grow more than triple in size. It was during this time that Peters met his wife, Betty, while serving as the assistant manager of a Christian Camp in Berkley.
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