Holiday update: Let freedom ring!
Happy Fourth of July, Quad-Cities. It’s Independence Day in our great nation.
Today is shaping up to be a beaut in the Q-C! We should see lots of sun with a high in the upper 70s — a great day for a picnic or grilling out.
Many public offices will be closed today because of the Fourth of July holiday. Check out all the holiday closings.
The Quad-Cities celebrate
• There will be numerous celebrations in the Quad-City region today kicking off in East Moline with the annual 5K/10K Firecracker Run that begins at 7:30 a.m. Start and finish lines are downtown East Moline at 15th Avenue and 8th Street.
• Celebrations continue with the an old fashioned Fourth of July parade at 10 a.m. in downtown Bettendorf. The parade begins at the intersection of 23rd and State streets. The procession will go east on State Street, around McDonald’s to Grant Street, then west on Grant Street to 15th Street, turning south on 15th Street, then east on State Street before ending at 21st Street. Lilah Bell is this year’s grand marshal.
• Later, the AMVETS parade in East Moline marks its 50th anniversary today. The parade begins at 1 p.m. The parade route is along 15th Avenue from 3rd to 15 streets.
• Also, the IH Mississippi Valley Blues Festival will be going strong today on 2nd and 3rd streets in Davenport. Watch for detours.
• Numerous communities will be holding fireworks shows beginning at dusk. Here’s a partial list.
Iowa
• Bettendorf — Veterans Memorial Park, dusk
• Davenport — Red, White, Boom! after River Bandits game
• Durant — High school at dusk
• Muscatine — Muscatine riverfront at dusk
Illinois
• Aledo — Fenton Park (below the high school) at dusk
• Galva — Park District at dusk
• Kewanee — Northeast Park at 9:30 p.m.
Check out the complete list elsewhere on this Web site.
Fireworks safety
Speaking of fireworks, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons offers these safety tips:
• Check with your local police department to determine if fireworks can be discharged legally in your area. If so, determine which types are legal.
• Never buy illegal fireworks. Their quality cannot be assured.
• Only adults should light fireworks.
• Never hold lighted fireworks.
• Never allow young children to play with or go near fireworks, including sparklers. They seem harmless but sparklers can reach temperatures of more than 1,000 degrees.
• Never play with fireworks if you are under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission:
• More than 21,000 fireworks-related injuries were treated in hospitals, doctor’s offices, clinics, ambulatory surgery centers and emergency rooms in 2007. Children under 17 accounted for approximately 11,000 of those injuries.
• The total cost for medical expenses, legal expenses, work loss, and pain and suffering due to fireworks injuries equaled more than $615 million.
“Fireworks can be used safely by trained adults, but illegal firecrackers or ones that are used improperly present substantial risks,” said Dr. Clifford Jones, an orthopaedic surgeon specializing trauma and member of the Academy’s Leadership Fellows Program. “If fireworks misfire or explode prematurely, the extreme force can tear or destroy bones, tissue and nerves, causing permanent damage to the body.”
Road work/detours
If you’re hitting the road for the holiday today, you’ll want to check out state and local road conditions for Iowa and Illinois before you head out. And check out our gas-price guide for the cheapest prices at the pumps in the Quad-Cities. And remember, state and local law enforcement agencies will be out in force this holiday weekend cracking down on impaired drivers. According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Association the Fourth of July is the second deadliest day of the year for alcohol-related deaths.
Today’s events
• Recycled Float Races and family fun in Rock Island (9 a.m.)
• $4 IMAX movies in Davenport (11 a.m.)
• Quad-Cities River Bandits vs. Cedar Rapids Kernels in Davenport (6 p.m.)
• Park Band concert in Bettendorf (7:30 p.m.)