By Andy FreudenburgThe Louisville Fire Department encourages people to take safety precautions when handling fireworks this Fourth of July weekend. Sgt. Salvador Melendez says the safest way to enjoy fireworks is to attend a display handled by professionals but many people will ignite their own.“First off remember that there are legal fireworks and there are illegal fireworks, however they are all hazardous, they are all dangerous, should they decide to go ahead and use some fireworks, we strongly recommend, if you’re going ahead and doing it, to be handled by an adult, fireworks should be handled by adults,” he said.He says sparklers are the leading cause of Fourth-of-July-related injuries in the United States.More than ten-thousand firework injuries were treated last year across the country.
Rick Howlett was midday host and the host of LPM's weekly talk show, "In Conversation." He was with LPM from 2001-2023 and held many different titles, including Morning Edition host, Assignment Editor and Interim News Director. He died in August 2023. Read a remembrance of Rick here.