By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Residents are making plans to mark one of summer's biggest holidays on Friday, and local officials say caution should go right along with the fun.
Many celebrate the Fourth of July with fireworks, barbecues and reunions. As parents gear up for the three-day weekend, they are reminded to be careful whether staying at home or making road trips.
Forrest City Fire Chief Dan Curtner said anyone using fireworks during the holiday season should make safety their first priority.
"The number one thing that I like to tell people is to make sure they try to have a safe holiday. Parents need to make sure that if their children are shooting off fireworks, there is always adult supervision," Curtner said.
Curtner also cautioned against careless handling of the explosives and playing with them. "I know that kids like to hold onto bottle rockets and firecrackers and throw them, but the best place for them are on the ground. It's best to place bottle rockets into a container of some type or in the ground and then light them and enjoy the entertainment. With firecrackers, it's never safe to attempt to throw them. Just put them on the ground and light them and stand back," he said.
In Forrest City and several other towns throughout the county, fireworks use is prohibited. The fine in Forrest City can range from $10 to $100 at the judge's discretion.
Baptist Memorial Hospital has also joined in the safety effort for the Independence Day weekend, and recently issued a press release on the dangers of fireworks. According to the press release, fireworks can cause serious burns and eye injuries. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and its national and state partners recommend that only professionals set off fireworks.
Also gearing up for the holiday weekend is Troop D of the Arkansas State Police.
According to ASP Lt. Tommy Wicker, troopers will be concentrating their efforts this weekend on motorists who drink and drive. Troopers are currently involved in a crackdown on drunk driving. That effort began last week, and is scheduled to end on Sunday, July 13.
Troopers are using an innovative new tool in fighting drinking and driving in the "Sniffer," flashlights with built-in alcohol detectors. Over 100 of the detectors were distributed to ASP Troops across the state in conjunction with the "You Drink, You Drive, You Lose" program being co-sponsored by the Arkansas chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.
According to Wicker, the authorities have not yet been able to compile information on the success of the program after the first weekend of use. However, Wicker said other efforts to stop drinking and driving will also be implemented.
"We'll have at least six sobriety checkpoints set up across the troop, and no one will be taking any leave during the weekend," Wicker said.
The holiday period begins Thursday at midnight and will end on Sunday, July 6, at midnight.
Those who plan to spend the holiday weekend on the road might want to consider alternate routes when traveling on the interstate. Construction work across the state could slow travel in several areas.
According to a press release from the Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department 24 miles of interstate will be affected by closures. That number is down from 70 at the same time last year.
On I-40, traffic will be down to one lane in each direction for three miles in Crawford County near Alma. In Johnson County, road work will close the interstate to one lane at two different locations for eight miles each at Clarksville and east of Clarksville. The only other lane closure in the state will be five miles in each direction in Mississippi County on I-55 near Osceola.
BMH-FC has issued a number of safety tips that should be associated with fireworks use. They are:
* Never allow small children to play with or ignite fireworks.
* Read and follow all warnings and instructions.
* Be sure other people are out of range before lighting fireworks.
* Only light fireworks on a smooth, flat surface away from the house, dry leaves, and flammable materials.
* Never try to re-light fireworks that have not fully functioned.
* Keep a bucket of water in case of a malfunction or fire.
* Only light one item at a time.
* Never throw or point fireworks at another person.
* Don't attempt to make your own fireworks.
* Pets are often frightened by loud noises and bright flashes, so keep them indoors while you enjoy your fireworks.
By KENDALL OWENS
T-H Staff Writer
Customers of the Forrest City Water Utility found their monthly water bills accompanied by a envelope containing information regarding the condition of the city's water
Although the letter may have been difficult for many to read, FCWU Manager Jim Beazley said the envelope contained good news for local consumers.
Beazley said the information listed in the letter released last week, is part of a national program which notifies water consumers of the quality of their water. This report was for water quality in 2001-2002.
"Under the safe drinking act, we have to notify our customers each year of the quality of their water in a consumer confidence report. It's basically a written report which covers the tests that we've run over the past year," he said.
Much of the report, according to Beazley is information simply input by water department personnel.
"The report is basically a form letter, and it spells out what has to be included. So, we just take our information and plug it in from our tests," Beazley said.
"The bottom line is that our water is safe, and that's what's important," he added.
By ALAN SMITH
T-H Staff Writer
Forrest City firemen are working to improve the city's fire rating.
In an effort to improve the city's Insurance Service Organization (ISO) fire rating, firemen have recently begun repainting plugs, testing flow rates of hydrants and placing blue reflectors in streets.
An ISO determines the amount residents pay for fire insurance coverage. "The better your ISO rating, the better the premium the city residents have to pay for fire insurance," said FCFD Chief Dan Curtner. "The ISO is rated on a scale of one to 10, a rating of one is the best. The lower your rating, the more money you save.
"We are putting the reflectors on the streets near fire hydrants to help improve our ISO rating, but also to help us locate the hydrants at night. It also helps us be more familiar with where they are located. This is just part of our maintenance program."
Two other parts of the maintenance program are also under way. Since late last year, fire plugs in the city having been getting a new coat of paint. Curtner stated that the colors chosen are not at random.
"After we have flow test the hydrants, we check the results and color code them. Color coding them helps us by letting us know just by the color of the hydrant how much flow it is capable of handling. This helps us make a plan on how to fight a particular fire.
"The green hydrants are the best," Curtner said of the color code. "Green hydrants have a flow of 1,000 gallons or more per minute. Orange indicates a flow from between 750 to 900 gallons per minute, and red is below 750 gallons per minute."
A liquor store in Hughes was burglarized Sunday by men who got away with several cases of beer.
An anonymous call came in to the St. Francis County Sheriff's Department at about 4 p.m. Sunday, saying that some men had broken into the Poor Boy Liquor Store in Hughes and were carrying out cases of beer.
When deputies arrived, they found that the men apparently made entry into the liquor store through the ceiling in the store's storage room.
According to the Sheriff's Department report, there are suspects in the break-in, and an investigation is under way.