Practice fireworks safety during Fourth of July festivities

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — Though fireworks are a treasured part of Independence Day celebrations, it’s crucial to adhere to city and county fireworks ordinances and to practice safe handling techniques, especially for parents of young children.

STAY SAFE, HAVE FUN — Jesse Bocksnick, extension 4-H outdoor skills coordinator for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said he advises that people check with their city and county ordinances regarding the legality of setting of fireworks in their area. People should also strictly adhere to safety guidelines when shooting off fireworks, and young children should never be allowed to use them. (Division of Agriculture graphic.) 

The safest way to view fireworks is to attend a professional show. Jesse Bocksnick, extension 4-H outdoor skills coordinator for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said people prepared to take on the risk of legally setting off their own should make safety their main priority.

“It’s as American as apple pie to shoot fireworks around the Fourth of July,” Bocksnick said. “It’s a tradition. Every kid loves to do it, and they ooh and ah, but fireworks are actually really dangerous. Everybody gets gung-ho about them, but safety is of the utmost importance.”

City and county ordinances regarding the legality of setting off fireworks vary from area to area. For example, in Little Rock, residents are explicitly prohibited from possessing, selling, manufacturing or using fireworks within the city limits. Bocksnick said it’s also important to keep an eye out for burn bans in dry areas of the state.

“The main thing I would do if you have any questions — and especially if you’re in a populated area — is get ahold of the county or city and make sure you’re not violating any ordinances,” Bocksnick said.

Ensure quality when buying

When it comes to purchasing fireworks, Bocksnick advised buying from a reputable, licensed dealer.

“If they’re selling them out of the back of their car, it’s probably not a good place to be getting them,” Bocksnick said. “Trust your gut instinct. If it doesn’t look like a reputable dealer and something feels a little off, I wouldn’t buy from those folks.”

Bocksnick suggested looking instead for dealers who have built permanent structures, such as warehouses, for their businesses.

“If they’ve invested that much, and they have facilities that are climate controlled, where those fireworks do not draw moisture, they’re likely being handled safely and properly,” he said.

This can also help ensure customers are not purchasing damaged or expired fireworks, which can cause accidents or injury. Bocksnick said this also applies to any fireworks purchased last year and stored at home throughout the year.

“If they got wet, if there’s a tear in the package or the fire mechanism looks a bit rotten, don’t use them,” he said. “It’s not worth it. I’ve actually seen one of those go off prematurely, and it’s not funny. Even if no one gets hurt, it’s still not funny, because you’re dealing with small explosives, and in some cases, large explosives.”

Safety first and foremost

Practice common sense and good judgment when using fireworks around children and talk to them about the dangers of improper use, Bocksnick said.

“Make sure they’re age-appropriate,” he said. “When you start handling these fireworks, I wouldn’t just turn a 4-year-old, a 5-year-old, or a 10-year-old loose with whatever they wanted. Talk to your kids so we can avoid those tragedies that happen every year. Somebody loses their hearing, somebody loses the end of a finger or somebody gets blinded because they get too close to one or it goes off in the wrong area.”

Check package instructions to ensure the firework is pointed in a safe direction, he said.

“Make sure that you know exactly how the firework fires,” Bocksnick said. “Don’t assume that you know exactly which direction it’s going to go, because some say face up or face down, and I’ve seen folks get those backwards when they weren’t paying attention.”

Bocksnick suggested adults adhere to the following rules when setting off fireworks:

• Never light them indoors.

• Mark off a perimeter for spectators.

• Light one firework at a time.

• Have a fire extinguisher or water handy.

• Have a first aid kit on-site.

• Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear.

• Adults should also never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol.

• Keep a bucket of water ready, like those used at a gun range, and place devices that don’t explode in the water. Do not try to relight defective devices, and never lean over them.

Even sparklers, often considered safe for children, can cause serious injuries and accidents. According to the National Fire Protection Association, sparklers account for roughly 25 percent of emergency room fireworks injuries. They can burn at up to 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit in some cases — hotter than the temperature at which glass melts.

That’s why no one should ever hold lighted fireworks in their hands or point fireworks at another person, including bottle rockets and Roman candles.

“That’s a good way to burn and ruin your clothes at least, and at the worst, you could really injure someone,” Bocksnick said. “All kinds of terrible things happen when you start shooting fireworks at each other.”

For families living in neighborhoods and other areas where residents are setting off fireworks from the street or sidewalk, it’s also important to keep a close eye on children who may be running into the street.

“One place that folks like to shoot fireworks off is on a hard, flat surface, so that’s pavement,” Bocksnick said. “Pavement is the road, most of the time. And when kids are playing in the streets, they’re paying more attention to shooting off fireworks than to staying out the road.”

For more information about fireworks safety, visit the National Safety Council’s Fireworks Safety Tips page.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk. 

Arkansas child sexual abuse survivors able to file civil claims at any age

KUAR | By Nathan Treece

Survivors of child sexual abuse in Arkansas have a new opportunity to seek civil justice against their abusers. State Sen. David Wallace, R-Leachville, held a press conference Tuesday morning announcing a new two-year “lookback window” that began February 1, allowing victims of any age to bring their claims forward.

This opportunity for claims comes on the heels of the first window's expiration on January 31, which was put in place under the Justice for Vulnerable Victims of Sexual Abuse Act introduced in 2021 by Wallace and Rep. Jimmy Gazaway, R-Paragould.

"During the past two years, 2022 to 2024, more than 20 civil legal claims were filed on behalf of over 100 survivors of childhood sexual abuse in the state of Arkansas," Wallace said.

Arkansas child sexual abuse survivors able to file civil claims at any age

Nathan Treece/Little Rock Public Radio

State Sen. David Wallace, R-Leachville, announces a new two-year window for survivors of child sex abuse to file civil claims.

Weekly Update from State Representative DeAnn Vaught

Paving the way for a brighter future through education is a goal shared by many families. For parents in Arkansas, the Arkansas Brighter Future 529 Program is a valuable tool designed to help them save and invest in their children’s education. This week, we want to remind you about the valuable resource and all the advantages it has to offer. 

The Arkansas Brighter Future 529 Plan (formerly the GIFT Plan), sponsored by the Treasurer of State’s office, is an education-savings plan that allows your savings to grow tax-deferred through a wide variety of investment options. Later, the money can be withdrawn tax-free to pay for qualified higher education costs like tuition, room and board, and supplies at nearly any two- or four-year college, university, vocational, or trade school. 

In 2018, the federal government expanded the use of 529 funds to include private, parochial, and public K-12 tuition. In 2021, the government broadened the plan even more to allow 529s to cover the cost of apprenticeship programs and pay down student loan debt. 

Arkansas taxpayers are eligible to deduct up to $5,000 (up to $10,000 for married couples) from their adjusted gross income calculation for contributions to an Arkansas Brighter Future 529 Plan account. The savings have the potential to grow at a faster rate than if you had invested in a comparable taxable account. 

You can also invite friends and family to be a part of your savings journey. With a Ugift® code that links directly to your account, they can give the gift of education for a birthday, holiday, special occasion, or even “just because.” Anyone who contributes may be eligible for an Arkansas state tax deduction, too. 

More than 27,000 Arkansas Families are served by the Arkansas Brighter Future 529 Plan. You can begin saving by visiting www.brighterfuturedirect529.com.

Plan in advance, get children involved with preparing nutritious school lunches and weeknight meals

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — With busy family schedules, it can be difficult for parents to find time to prepare nutritious lunches and afterschool snacks, and weeknight meals can often involve a fast-food drive-through. Planning, creativity and getting children involved with meal prep can help develop healthy eaters for life and ease parents’ stress.

NUTRITIOUS AND DELICIOUS — According to nutrition experts with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, children need nutritious lunches, afterschool snacks and weeknight meals to help fuel their growth and ability to learn. Having a variety of flavors, textures and colors can help food look more appealing to children and make headway with picky eaters.

Christine Sasse, registered dietician and extension nutrition specialist for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said food should be both attractive and nutritious for children — a combination that can be hard to achieve during the morning rush.

“Mornings are crazy, especially when you have children,” Sasse said. “A little forethought can help parents plan lunches that include foods with a variety of flavors, textures and colors that make the meal look appetizing to a child — in addition to nourishing them. When parents are forced to throw together a lunch in 30 seconds before running out the door, it’s harder to achieve that kind of variety.”

Planning lunch components can look like chopping up carrots and broccoli and preparing a simple dip for them or cooking a large enough dinner to pack up leftovers for lunch. Sasse said she encourages parents to think outside the box.

“School lunch doesn’t have to be the traditional sandwich, chips and a cookie,” she said. “It’s anything that I might bring for lunch that we consider healthy.”

To keep lunch interesting, change up the offerings. “Consider sitting down with your child and making a list of items they would like to include in lunches from every food group, including a protein food, a whole grain, a vegetable, and a fruit with every lunch, if possible.”

It’s also important for parents to keep food safety in mind. “Cold foods need to stay cold, and hot foods need to stay hot,” Sasse said.

Josh Phelps, extension associate professor of nutrition for the Division of Agriculture, said insulated lunch boxes and reusable ice blocks can help keep food cold until lunch time, while hot foods can be heated up at home and contained in a thermos.

Tips for parents of picky eaters

Sasse said a key to packing lunches for picky eaters is ensuring at least one item in the lunch box is something the child will eat.

“If they open that lunch box and it’s a whole bunch of stuff they don’t like, that’s just anxiety inducing, and it tends to make them pull back even more,” Sasse said. “But if they always know there’s going to be something in there that they eat, then they’ll feel a bit more comfortable.”

The more a child is exposed to different foods, the more it helps. “Expose them to food in a non-threatening way, where they’re not being forced, begged or bribed to eat it,” Sasse said. “If your child doesn’t like broccoli, try it in different forms with different additions, and only put in the tiniest little bit so the child sees it, has the opportunity, but isn’t overwhelmed by a large portion.”

Provide the child with some choice of what goes into the lunch box. By giving the child a limited choice — “Tomorrow, would you like apples or bananas?” — the child still has agency, but “you’ve limited it to things you’re comfortable with as a healthy item,” Sasse said.

Discuss food choices and future options. “If the child is coming back with a lot of food every day, don’t make the child feel bad, or reprimand the child for not eating it,” Sasse said. “You can say, ‘Oh, I see you didn’t eat that yogurt. What are you seeing your other friends do with yogurt that you might want to try one day?’ Always keep that idea open, as it helps the child feel open to it too.”

Sasse also said that if children aren’t eating as much as expected during lunch, parents should also remember that school lunch time is short, sometimes as brief as 20 minutes of actual sit-down time.

“Lunch time is also a time for socializing, so it can be difficult for slow eaters to finish all that they’ve been given,” Sasse said. “Keep in mind that servings for children are small. For example, a mere quarter of a cup of fruit is considered a fruit serving for a kindergartener. Expecting your child to eat a full sandwich might not be realistic.”

Sasse said parents should also consider the lunches provided by children’s schools. “Depending on the district you’re in, some schools have some really exciting things going on with fruits, veggies and farm-to-school meals,” she said. “Don’t rule that out.”

Model healthy eating habits

Sasse said it’s important for parents to cut themselves some slack when it comes to feeding their families.

“We can’t always expect perfection. Sometimes just ‘better’ is what we can do as parents,” Sasse said. “Maybe one night you’re having something that’s not ideal, and you’re opening cans of veggies and having some leftover chicken with it that you warm up in the microwave. That’s a lot better than fast food for supper.”

Making dishes that involve less prep and clean up time — such as casseroles and one skillet meals — can help lighten the load. “It doesn’t have to be complex,” Phelps said.

“See what you have, map out your meals, and pull stuff from the fridge and freezer that you currently have,” Phelps said. “You can get the children involved and say, ‘Pick something out of the pantry that you want to throw into this dish.’ It could be a mixture of rice and beans and vegetables from the freezer. That can be quick and easy, and you can experiment with spices and herbs.”

With all meals and conversations surrounding food, parents should try to model healthy eating habits for their children. This includes the way parents talk about their own relationships with food, such as labeling some foods as good and others as bad.

“Watch your language with how you talk about food, especially if you struggle with your weight,” Sasse said. “Be very careful how you talk about that with your child. Food is something that should be enjoyed and nourishing and delicious, and not something that’s shameful or stressful or is completely focused on weight.”

No more clean plate club

Phelps said parents should avoid the “clean plate club,” or pressuring children to finish all their food. Consider portion size and the fact that children have small stomachs, as well as the ultimate goal: developing a healthy eater for life.

“You want children to eat enough that they’re not stuffed, you want them to stop eating when they’re full, and you want them to get hungry before they eat again so they get that sense of hunger, fullness, and listening to their bodies instead of external cues,” Sasse said. “Trying to maintain that through childhood can go a long way to being a healthier eater as an adult.”

For more information about healthy eating and family meal planning, visit the Cooperative Extension Service’s Food and Nutrition page, or check out these Family and Consumer Sciences blogs:

After School Snacks Shouldn’t Mean Filling Up with Empty Calories

6 Tips for Packing Grade “A” Lunches

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Arkansas 43rd in latest Kids Count study of child well-being

by Steve Brawner (BRAWNERSTEVE@MAC.COM)

Arkansas ranked 43rd in the 2023 Annie E. Casey Kids Count Data Book, which measures child well-being across four domains: economic well-being, education, health, and family and community.

The state ranked ahead of four of its adjoining states in this 34th edition of the study: Texas (44th), Oklahoma (46th), Mississippi (48th) and Louisiana (49th). Missouri was 28th and Tennessee was 36th.

Arkansas ranked 37th in the report’s education domain. Seventy percent of the state’s fourth-graders were not proficient in reading on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) in 2022, compared to 69% in 2019. That was slightly worse than the national averages of 68% in 2022 and 66% in 2019.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/06/arkansas-43rd-in-latest-kids-count-study-of-child-well-being/

Arkansas Senate approves limits on gender-affirming care for minors

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

A bill passed by the Arkansas Senate on Tuesday would open physicians up to litigation if they offer gender-affirming care to children.

Senate Bill 199 would give people who received gender-affirming care as a child, including hormones and puberty blockers, a 15-year window to sue their physician.

Its sponsor, Sen. Gary Stubblefield, R-Branch, said the law would protect young children from the effects of irreversible surgeries and hormone treatments. However, no gender-affirmation surgeries are performed on minors in the state of Arkansas, and young children are not eligible for gender-affirming medical treatments.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2023-02-21/arkansas-senate-approves-restrictions-on-gender-affirming-care-for-minors

Michael Hibblen/KUAR News

Lawmakers voted Tuesday to advance a bill that would allow transgender patients to sue their doctors.

Arkansas House passes legislation on adult entertainment, public housing

KUAR | By Josie Lenora

The Arkansas House passed legislation regarding public housing benefits and adult performances on Monday.

Senate Bill 43 initially would have barred children from watching certain drag shows, but, after a rewrite, may now only ban children from attending explicitly sexual performances. House members voted in favor of the bill Monday.

Rep. Mary Bentley, R-Perryville, presented the bill on the House floor, saying it aims to protect the innocence of children.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/local-regional-news/2023-02-07/arkansas-house-passes-legislation-on-adult-entertainment-public-housing

Josie Lenora/KUAR News

The Arkansas House chamber is seen on Monday, Feb. 6, 2023.

Attorney General Rutledge signs bipartisan letter urging Congress to protect children and take action on THC copycat products

LITTLE ROCK –  Arkansas Attorney General Leslie Rutledge joined a bipartisan letter to Congress urging action regarding copycat THC edibles. These products are designed to look like popular snack items and have increased accidental THC consumption in children.  On June 16, the FDA issued a warning stating that between January 1, 2021 – May 31, 2022, National Poison Control Centers received 10,448 single substance exposure cases involving only edible products containing THC. Of these cases, 77% involved patients 19 years of age or younger.

“We must protect young people at all costs especially when these THC products look almost identical to an everyday snack that a child, like my daughter, would eat,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “If you see these look-alike products for sale, report them to my office immediately.”

Widely available, and easily mistaken for name brand snacks such as Oreo cookies, Doritos chips, Cheetos, NERDs, and more, THC copycat products are often unintentionally given to children or mistaken by children for the brand name snack products, resulting in unsuspecting children ingesting large amounts of THC.

The attorneys general letter states that, while they do not all agree on the best regulatory scheme for cannabis and THC generally, they all agree on one thing: copycat THC edibles pose a grave risk to the health, safety, and welfare of our children.

Congress should immediately enact legislation authorizing trademark holders of well-known and trusted consumer packaged goods to hold accountable those malicious actors who are marketing illicit copycat THC edibles to children.

Attorneys General from Alaska, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Nebraska, Nevada, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, and Washington signed the letter.

Attorney General Alert: Ensure Your Child is Safe Online

LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Leslie Rutledge is sending an important warning for parents to take time to monitor their child’s internet usage and social media accounts. Social media sites are a valuable resource for learning and connecting with others, but these platforms also enable bullying, anonymous messaging and exploitation of children by criminals.

“While technology can be an invaluable resource for learning, it can also expose your child to criminal or inappropriate activity,” said Attorney General Rutledge. “It is important we all take the necessary steps to protect our most precious Arkansans from those who want to do them harm.”

Attorney General Leslie Rutledge urges parents to familiarize themselves with these phone apps that may make children vulnerable to dangers online:

• Bumble – Bumble is a popular dating app that requires women to make the first contact. It is common for minors to use this app and falsify their age.

• Chatous – Chatous is a messaging app that allows users to chat and share images. This app makes it easy for predators to engage in age-inappropriate conversations with potential victims.

• Discord – Discord is a voice and text chat tool that allows gamers to communicate in real time. Users can chat, add friends one-on-one or in larger groups. This app discusses content geared towards adults, but allows users as young as 13.

• Grindr – Grindr is a dating app for LGBTQ adults, not children. The app gives users options to chat, share photos and meet with people based on a smartphone’s GPS location.

• Houseparty – Houseparty is a group video chat app that allows users to communicate via live video chats and texts. There is no screening, and the video is live. Users can also communicate with people they do not know.

• Live.Me – Live.Me allows users to livestream videos using geo-location to share the videos so other users can find the broadcaster’s exact location. Users can earn “coins” to “pay” minors for photos.

• Monkey – Monkey is an app that allows users as young as 12 to chat with people all over the world during a brief introductory call, then users are given the chance to add each other on Snapchat.

• Phony Calculator App– Most phones have a calculator. However there are many third party calculator apps that actually serve as a “vault” where the user can hide photos, videos, files and even browser history data.

• Snapchat – Snapchat is a photo & video sharing app that promises users their photo or video will disappear even though it does not. Snapchat stories allow users to view content for up to 24 hours and share their location.

• TikTok – TikTok is a popular app among kids that is used to create and share short videos with limited privacy controls. Users are vulnerable to explicit content and cyberbullying.

• Tinder – Tinder is a dating app that allows users to “swipe right” to like someone and “swipe left” to pass. Users can falsify their age, share photos, message, and meet.

• Tumblr – Tumblr is a blogging app and website that allows users as young as 13 to create an account. There are very few privacy settings and pornography is easy to find. Most posts are public and cannot be made private.

• WhatsApp – WhatsApp is a popular messaging app allowing users to text, send photos, make calls and leave voicemails worldwide.

• Whisper – Whisper is a social network that allows users to share secrets anonymously and it reveals the users’ location so strangers can meet.

• Yik Yak – Yik Yak is a social media app that allows an individual to anonymously chat with other app users within a 5-mile radius. Due to its anonymous nature, bullying, sexually explicit or other graphic content is often encountered on the platform.

• YouTube – YouTube is a video sharing app that may not be age appropriate for kids. Inappropriate content can be found using innocent search terms, but with parental controls this can be avoided.

• Yubo – Yubo is a social media app that allows users as young as 13 to create a profile, share their location, view other users’ profiles in their area and view livestreams. Substance abuse, profanity, racial slurs and scantily clad people are common.

Parents should follow the following tips to monitor their child’s online activity:

• Talk to children about sexual victimization and the potential of online danger.

• Keep the computer or laptop in a common room of the house, not in a child’s bedroom.

• Utilize parental controls available from internet service providers or use blocking software.

• Always maintain access to a child’s online account and monitor text, email and other message inboxes.

• Teach children the responsible use of online resources.

• Familiarize yourself with computer safeguards being utilized at school, the library and at friends’ homes.

• Never automatically assume that what a child is told online is true.

Control which apps your child downloads by following these steps

Arkansans can report child exploitation by calling the National CyberTipline at (800) 843-5678, or visit CyberTipline.com. In the event of an emergency, dial 911, or call local law enforcement.

Arkansas Children Are Becoming Sick Like Never Before During COVID Pandemic

By MICHAEL HIBBLEN

As Arkansas is experiencing a dramatic surge in COVID-19 cases, with more than 2,800 new cases reported Thursday, kids are being impacted like never before in the pandemic. Gov. Asa Hutchinson said he was especially concerned about the increase in pediatric cases while announcing he was reinstating a public health emergency for the state.

Only people who are 12 and older can get vaccinated, which is a concern as schools are only a few weeks away from starting a new academic year. The latest variant is making a growing number of children sick, with Arkansas Children’s Hospital this week reporting its largest number of patients with COVID-19.

Hutchinson said Thursday there were 24 children being treated at the hospital and none had been fully immunized. Half of those, he said, were under 12-years-old and not eligible to be vaccinated.

https://www.ualrpublicradio.org/post/arkansas-children-are-becoming-sick-never-during-covid-pandemic

Arkansas Children’s Hospital in Little Rock reported a record number of pediatric patients this week suffering from COVID-19.

CREDIT MICHAEL HIBBLEN / KUAR NEWS

Fayetteville Lutheran Church Hosts Week-long Queer Summer Camp for Kids

By JACQUELINE FROELICH

Nearly a hundred LGBTQ+ youth were enjoying activities and comraderie at "Queer Camp" hosted by Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Fayetteville engaging in art, theatre, outdoors activities — as well as daily facilitated empowerment groups. Dozens of volunteers and parents are assisting. The week-long camp is the largest like it to be held in the South.

kuaf.com/post/fayetteville-lutheran-church-hosts-week-long-queer-summer-camp-kids