Pool safety

If you have children who have been staying indoors during the recent heat wave, there's a good chance cabin fever has set in. It's still hot, but the young ones are begging to go outside and play. One of the few safe outdoor activities these days is swimming or wading in the backyard pool.

With that in mind, we want to caution safety.

The city of Cape Girardeau requires 4-foot fences around swimming pools that hold at least 2 feet of water.

Jackson has similar restrictions.

But even for smaller baby pools that don't meet those depth requirements, please remember to keep an eye on the children in the water.

And when you're finished with swimming, for the sake of other children's safety, don't forget to take down the pool or empty it.

This summer's heat has already taken the lives of 16 people around Missouri. Let's not let swimming pools claim more victims.