I loved watching the Rochelle fireworks display on the Fourth.  Lots of bangs and flashes. I think we all missed that last year.

Kudos to the fire department folks for putting on a safe and colorful show.  

I am not a hockey fan, and had never heard of Matiss Kivlenieks until this week. He is a goalie for the Columbus Blue Jackets in the National Hockey League.

Or at least, he was.

The youngster died in Michigan over the Fourth when a misguided firework set off at a gathering hit him in the chest.

Fireworks are dangerous toys. If you are trained, like our firemen, then you might be OK shooting them off.  But anyone else is looking for trouble, whether it be blowing off fingers or setting a garage on fire.

I am old enough to remember when Yard Jarts were banned because someone got hit in the head by the steel spiked dart and died.  Action was quickly taken to ban the darts.

Yet every year we read about people killed or maimed by legal fireworks.

Maybe the fireworks sold to the public should be limited  to a certain amount of explosive material.

And why do people think it is fun to shoot them off well into the night and next morning?  

Yes, the Fourth of July is a celebration of our freedoms, but with freedom comes responsibility, the responsibility to be a good citizen and a good neighbor.  

Passports and the postal service

A big thank you to the folks at the local post office.  I did not realize my passport was expiring in a few months and am planning a trip. They helped me with sending it overnight and including return overnight postage to speed up the process.

It is all my fault. I did not check the passport and did not realize it expired in November. I also did not realize you could not travel overseas with a passport that was expiring within six months of your trip.

Now it is a race against time.

Wisconsin accident

There was a horrific accident on Interstate 39 and 90 in Wisconsin over the Fourth. A local couple was involved, with their car flipped in the carnage. Luckily, I understand they escaped with just some bumps and bruises.

Thank heavens for air bags and seat belts.

Bank robbery

A bank robbery in Rochelle? 

Holy cow…I thought all the stolen cars recently were pretty bad.  But a bank heist?

By the way, crime does not pay.

Terry Dickow may be contacted at terrydickow@gmail.com