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MEMORIAL DAY MONDAY MAY 26
Wednesday • May 21, 2025
NFPA provides top grilling safety tips for Memorial Day and beyond May 15, 2025 -- For many of us, Memorial Day weekend marks the unofficial start of summer, when many people dust off their grills to celebrate the holiday and prepare for outdoor cooking in the warmer months ahead. As they do, the National Fire Protection Association® (NFPA®) offers important safety tips and guidelines to help ensure that the grilling season remains fire-safe. “Cookouts and outdoor grilling can be a great way to spend time with friends and family, but they do present potential risks,” said Lorraine Carli, vice president of Outreach and Advocacy at NFPA. “Over Memorial Day weekend and throughout the summer, we want everyone to be aware of where and when grilling fires tend to happen, along with steps they can take to help prevent them.” NFPA data show that between 2019 and 2023, gas grills were involved in an average of 9,287 home fires per year, including 4,682 structure fires and 4,605 outdoor fires. In roughly one-fifth (20%) of these fires, the grill had not been cleaned. In addition, an annual average of 21,682 patients went to emergency rooms because of grill-related injuries between 2020 and 2024, according to data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.
“By following simple safety precautions, people can greatly reduce the risk of grilling fires and associated risks,” said Carli. Here are NFPA tips, recommendations, and resources for using outdoor grills safely: • For propane grills, check the gas tank for leaks. (Watch NFPA’s video on how to check for leaks.) • Keep your grill clean. Make sure to remove all grease and fat buildup from the grills and the trays below. • Place the grill far from your home, deck railings, eaves, or overhanging branches. • Before lighting your gas-powered grill, always make sure the lid is open. • Keep children and pets at least three feet away from the grilling area. • If you use starter fluid with charcoal grilling, only use charcoal starter fluid. Never add charcoal fluid or any other flammable liquids to the fire once it’s been lit. When you finish grilling, let the coals cool completely before disposing them in a metal container. • Never leave your grill unattended when in use. For additional grilling safety information, check out the NFPA podcast episode, a blog post on fire code grill requirements, or a video on some lesser-known grilling safety tips.
Letter to the Editor: School resource officer urges state to stop flow of illicit vapes to youth By STEFAN BJES As a school resource officer with more than two decades in law enforcement serving Addison and DuPage Counties and deep roots in Illinois schools, I strongly support HB2634. This bill represents a crucial step toward restoring order in our schools and shielding students from an industry that’s exploiting regulatory gaps to target our youth. Every day, I witness the disruption caused by illicit vaping products in school environments. Teachers and administrators are exhausted. These devices, which look like highlighters, USB sticks, or candy wrappers, are flooding campuses faster than school staff can confiscate them. The problem isn’t a handful of rebellious kids – it’s
an organized pipeline of illicit, flavored vapes that are designed specifically to appeal to minors and marketed to them through social media and peer channels. These aren’t harmless gadgets. These devices are made without supervision in unknown Chinese factories, using mystery ingredients and unknown materials. There are no ingredient lists, no quality controls – just colorful packaging and fruity flavors meant to hook children early. HB2634 empowers our state to crack down on these products by holding manufacturers and distributors accountable and requiring clear certification that products meet FDA standards. For schools, this is a lifeline. It gives law enforcement and regulators the tools we need to identify what’s legal, what’s not, and how to enforce it.
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Read The Shopper Online! Visit issuu.com/myshopper We cannot expect schools to bear the burden of this epidemic alone. The rise in student vaping isn’t a disciplinary issue – it’s a public health and criminal enforcement issue. We need systemic, state-level action to stop the flow of these products at the source. Illinois has the opportunity to lead. Let’s pass HB2634 and give our schools the backup they need to keep kids safe, healthy, and focused on learning. Stefan Bjes is a school resource officer and a veteran law enforcement officer who was recognized as the 2019 Illinois Juvenile Officer of the Year. He was hired last month to be the first director of safety and security at Plainfield Community Consolidated School District.
Towle Theater Presents Fundraiser Concert of Original Musical Flight by Michael Potsic Featuring Broadway’s Hannah Elless The Towle Theater proudly announces its annual fundraiser event: a concert presentation of Flight, an original musical reimagining the Greek myth “The Flight of Icarus.” The performance will take place on Friday, May 23 at 7:30 PM, and will feature Broadway performer Hannah Elless, who originated the role of Margo in Steve Martin and Edie Brickell’s Bright Star. With music and lyrics by acclaimed Chicago composer Michael Potsic, Flight tells the story through the eyes of Daedalus, his wife Aeden, and their son Icarus. This moving reimagining explores what it truly means to love, to dream, and to take the kinds of risks that define
a life fully lived. Flight premiered to sold-out audiences in 2019 and was named a finalist in the 2020 New York Musical Theatre Festival. This special concert staging brings the show’s soaring score and powerful story back to life for one night only, in support of Towle Theater’s future programming. Following the performance, audiences are invited to a Q&A session with the creative team, offering a behindthe-scenes look at the show’s development. A post-show reception will follow in the lobby, featuring small bites prepared by the talented chefs of HDC’s Community Kitchen. Tickets are $50.00, and all proceeds directly support
the Towle Theater’s mission to present innovative, professional productions and foster new works in the region. Tickets are now available and expected to sell quickly. For more information and to purchase tickets call the box office at 219-937-8780 or visit www. towletheater.org. The Towle Theater is located in beautiful downtown Hammond at 5205 Hohman Avenue. Due to major renovations happening in Downtown Hammond parking is available right in front of the building on Hohman Avenue as well as the gravel lot located on Sibley. For more information call 219-937-8780 or visit www.towletheater.org.