HEAT, HUMIDITY KEEP HOLIDAY QUIET FOR POLICE

Temperatures in the 90s and a high heat index might have helped keep the Fourth of July holiday a quiet one for law enforcement officers.

Monday's heat index of 105 surely kept more people in front of the fans than usual. Only one case of heat exhaustion was reported in Cape Girardeau.

The National Weather Service reported the area can expect a break from the humid conditions by Wednesday.

Temperatures should remain in the normal range of the high 80s to low 90s, but as the area of high pressure shifts, the humidity should decrease.

Angeline Prudt of the Scott City Police Department didn't know if the high heat and humidity had played a part in the calmer holiday weekend.

"I'd like to think people are aware of the accidents involving fireworks in the past and are being more careful," she said.

Whatever the reason, area law enforcement agencies reported a calmer than usual Fourth of July weekend, with fewer than usual traffic accidents and fireworks violations.

Bonnie Bland of the Missouri State Highway Patrol office in Poplar Bluff reported accident numbers were lower than for this time last year. Although the holiday weekend didn't officially end until midnight Monday, she said the numbers looked good.

No fatalities had been reported by late Monday. That compares to one fatality in the region during last year's Fourth of July holiday.

In all, 26 accidents were reported in Southeast Missouri by midnight Sunday, compared to 45 in 1998. Those injured in the accidents were down from 35 last year to only 17 by late Monday.

The number of driving while intoxicated violations dropped as well, from 24 to 17.

The Cape Girardeau County sheriff's office didn't have any fireworks violations to report. The office was thankful for a pretty calm Fourth, an official said.

The Cape Girardeau city police watch commander reported Monday night that there had been a lot of fireworks violations throughout the city.

St. Francis Medical Center emergency room personnel treated two victims of fireworks injuries over the weekend. Both cases involved eye injuries.

A bottle rocket to the eye sent a young man to surgery. Another received a corneal abrasion.

The Scott County sheriff's office reported a calm weekend as well.