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Morning headlines: July 4, 2011

Fireworks light up the St. Louis Arch.
(via Flickr/AddyG)
Fireworks light up the St. Louis Arch.

Safety tips for handling fireworks

The City of St. Louis Department of Health is reminding City residents that it is not only unsafe, but illegal to possess or discharge fireworks within the City limits without a permit. The department says as recently as 2009, nearly 9,000 emergency room visits throughout the U. S were due to injuries sustained from fireworks. Approximately 6,000 of those injuries were reported during the 30 days surrounding July 4th.

The City Health Department says residents who will be engaged in legal possession and discharge of fireworks in other jurisdictions are advised by the Department of Health to follow the U. S Consumer Protection Safety Commission tips below:

  • Never allow young children to play with or ignite fireworks.
  • Avoid buying fireworks that come in brown paper packaging, as this can often be a sign that the fireworks were made for professional displays and could pose a danger to consumers.
  • Adults should always supervise fireworks activities. Parents often don't realize that there are many injuries from sparklers to children under five. Sparklers burn at temperatures of about 2,000 degrees - hot enough to melt some metals.
  • Never have any portion of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse. Move back to a safe distance immediately after lighting.
  • Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not fully functioned.
  • Never point or throw fireworks at another person.
  • Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.
  • Light one item at a time then move back quickly.
  • Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.

Rain cancels Sunday's Fair St. Louis events

Fair St. Louisorganizers were forced to cancel events yesterday afternoon because of thunderstorms that soaked the fair grounds.

Events canceled included the Sunday afternoon air show, the Maroon 5 concert and the nightly fireworks. According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, 2-inches of rain fell in parts of the region.

Missouri law schools see fewer applications

Missouri law schools expect fewer students in the fall after several years of significant enrollment growth both regionally and nationally.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that the University of Missouri flagship campus in Columbiahas received 17 percent fewer applications this year. Applications at Washington Universitydropped 13.3 percent, while St. Louis Universityis seeing a nearly 20 percent decline. A national group that tracks law school enrollment says that applications are down more than 10 percent overall compared to this time last year.

The economic downturn means that law school graduates can no longer count on landing lucrative jobs straight out of college.