Tagged: fireworks

It’s now against the law to possess fireworks within the city of Columbia. City Council members voted Monday night to amend the city code, making it easier for police to enforce fireworks restrictions. Owner of Bob’s Fireworks, Bob Gereau says the change could hurt his business since many of his customers live in Columbia.

The Columbia City Council is considering a ban on possessing fireworks within the city limits.

The proposed law would make possession of fireworks a misdemeanor. The existing law prohibits the sale, manufacture and use of fireworks inside the city.

Columbia Police Sergeant Jill Schlude says existing laws restrict officers’ ability to respond to complaints. Shooting usually stops before they arrive.

“It just became a real issue – that enforcement was close to impossible based on the current language,” Schlude says.

There will still be fireworks displays in Columbia and Jefferson City today, despite exceptionally dry conditions lately.

Fire concerns are widening in southeast Missouri as crews battle a 550-acre blaze in the Mark Twain National Forest.

Gov. Jay Nixon on Friday ordered the Missouri National Guard to get ready to assist with firefighting efforts. The fire broke out Thursday in a section of the 1.5-million-acre forest located in Iron County, and the governor's office says about 2,000 additional acres are at risk.