City Mulls Fireworks Ban
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WATER VALLEY — A proposal to ban the discharge of fireworks within the Water Valley city limits drew detailed discussion of the Board of Aldermen’s July 7 meeting, with aldermen ultimately deciding to delay action while they consider whether residents should still be allowed to use fireworks on private property.
Police Chief Jason Mangrum presented the proposed ordinance, telling the board he has long defended allowing fireworks in the city. This year, however, changed his mind.
“Up until this year, I’ve always been in support of keeping fireworks because it’s never been an issue,” Mangrum said. “This past year, it became an issue.”
Mangrum said social media fueled what he described as “firework wars” over the Fourth of July weekend, drawing people from surrounding communities into Water Valley.
“We had people from Holly Springs, Oxford, Charleston, Grenada and Batesville that I know were in the city having firework wars Saturday and Sunday,” he said.
According to Mangrum, fireworks were directed at law enforcement officers during the incidents.
“We’ve got a sheriff’s department car with burn marks in it,” he said. “We’ve got two police cars with burn marks on them because they started shooting at police cars.”
Under the proposed ordinance, individuals would be prohibited from discharging fireworks anywhere inside the city limits, including on private property. Public fireworks displays, such as the city’s Fourth of July celebration or the Watermelon Carnival show, could still be held with approval from the mayor and Board of Aldermen.
Mangrum said the ordinance was intended to address individuals using fireworks, not organized public events.
Mayor Tommy Reynolds agreed that community celebrations should continue.
“We certainly want the Fourth of July celebration and the Watermelon Carnival fireworks,” Reynolds said.
Several aldermen questioned whether the ordinance went too far by prohibiting fireworks on private property.
Ward 2 Alderman Demetrius Ingram expressed concern about enforcing such a prohibition.
“It’s gonna be hard to regulate private property at all,” Ingram said. “I mean, if Grant’s shooting fireworks, you can’t go on his property and tell him he can’t.”
Mangrum responded that the proposed ordinance would give officers that authority.
Ward 3 Alderman Grant Thompson said he supported regulating fireworks but wanted to explore options that would still allow residents to use them responsibly on their own property.
“Personally, I’d like to explore this more to see if there are ways that we can still grant people permission on their own property, but not on city property, or if they get caught shooting it at somebody else,” Thompson said.
Mangrum noted that many Mississippi municipalities already prohibit fireworks and said his proposal was less restrictive than some existing ordinances because it would still allow fireworks to be sold within the city.
“We are one of the few municipalities in the state that even still allow it,” he said.
After additional discussion, Reynolds recommended delaying action so aldermen could further study the proposal, and the board agreed.
In other business:
• Aldermen unanimously approved two public safety ordinances that took effect immediately.
The first ordinance prohibits the sale of hemp-derived products within the city unless they are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or sold through a licensed dispensary.
Mangrum described the measure as targeting what he referred to as “gas station weed.”
Reynolds asked whether the ordinance was modeled after one already in place elsewhere.
“It is, your honor,” Mangrum replied. “As a matter of fact, it’s a matter of changing the word of another city to the word of Water Valley. I’ve learned that’s the best way. It’s already been tested and proven somewhere else.”
The ordinance was approved unanimously and took effect immediately.
The board also unanimously approved an ordinance regulating the recreational misuse of nitrous oxide, commonly known as “whippets.”
Mangrum told aldermen police have seen a significant increase in incidents involving the inhalant, including traffic accidents and ambulance calls.
“We’ve had a huge uptick in issues with this,” Mangrum said. “It’s becoming a more and more serious problem.”
He said the products are commonly sold at convenience stores, even though they are intended for legitimate culinary purposes.
“I don’t need to know why you need to buy whipped cream-making devices in a gas station at two o’clock in the morning,” he said.
Mangrum emphasized the ordinance does not prohibit legitimate uses, including food preparation, medical, dental and emergency purposes. Instead, he said, it gives law enforcement a means of addressing recreational inhalation, or “huffing,” particularly by people under 21.
“It’ll give us a course of action, but right now we don’t have one,” he said.
The ordinance also passed unanimously and became effective immediately.
• A proposed ordinance regulating recreational scooters, skateboards and similar devices also generated discussion before aldermen voted to postpone action.
Mangrum said police have received nearly 100 complaints involving children and teenagers riding scooters in streets and darting into traffic.
“If you haven’t seen them riding around town out in the middle of the road, I’m surprised,” he said. “We’re probably getting close to 100 complaints filed against people riding little scooters in the roadways, across the roadways.”
He said officers have witnessed several close calls involving motorists and warned that it was only a matter of time before someone was seriously injured.
“We’re fortunate that we’ve not had a major accident and a child hurt yet, but it’s coming,” Mangrum said. “At this point, again, we have no course of real action against them.”
Ward 2 Alderman Demetrius Ingram questioned where children would be expected to ride if both streets and sidewalks were off limits.
“What are they going to do? As far as the scooters, I can’t ride it on the sidewalk. Where can I ride it?” Ingram asked.
“Your yard,” Mangrum replied.
Mangrum said he would be willing to remove sidewalks from the ordinance but worried riders would simply move from the streets onto sidewalks, creating another safety hazard for pedestrians leaving businesses.
Ward 3 Alderman Grant Thompson said the primary concern appeared to be motorized scooters and agreed that regulations were needed, but he wanted additional time to study the proposal.
“I definitely think there should be regulation,” Thompson said. “But I grew up very much enjoying skateboarding around a lot and being able to have that freedom.”
Mangrum responded that complaints had increased dramatically over the previous two months and reiterated that the city was not trying to ban scooters but to keep them off roadways and sidewalks.
“It’s the last two months. It has become overrun,” he said.
Ward 4 Alderman Nicole Folson recommended tabling the ordinance until the next meeting, and the board agreed.
