Plastic tubes filled with luminous chemicals are popular with Iowa trick-or-treaters but they’re also the subject of hundreds of calls to the Poison Control Center every fall. Spokeswoman Joan McVoy says while the glow sticks do help make children more visible in the dark, but they can also cause problems. “They’re plastic and little kids love to chew on them because it’s soft and kind of like a teething ring and they break it open because it’s not that hide,” McVoy says. “Inside, there’s a chemical that gets in their mouth and the parents panic and call us because their child’s mouth is now glowing in the dark.”

Last year, glow sticks were the subject of 282 calls to the poison center’s hotline. Parents who realize their kid has managed to munch through a glow stick need to act — and quickly.  “It that happens, give us a call,” McVoy says. “The nurse is going to be able to tell you whether it’s going to be a problem or not. If it gets in the eyes, it may also cause some burning and stinging and the nurse will tell you what you’re supposed to do.” While getting that glow stick goo certainly isn’t good for you, it’s probably not going to be fatal to your child.

“It’s poisonous because it can make them sick and cause some symptoms,” McVoy says. “It’s not something that we would send them to an emergency room, but a parent should give us a call and we’ll give them instructions.” The Regional Poison Center number is 800-222-1222.

(Radio Iowa)

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An Audubon County Sheriff’s Deputy on routine patrol early this (Friday) morning, likely saved the lives of a Brayton family, when he alerted them to a fire. Deputy Jason Rokke told KJAN News he was rolling through Brayton at around 4-a.m. in his Ford Crown Victoria cruiser, with the window partially down when there was a sudden departure from the routine. He said it was just a normal night when he smelled smoke. The deputy checked nearby houses and found smoke pouring out of attic vents at 307 Reynolds Street, in Brayton. Rokke woke up the residences’ two adults and two children, who were able to escape the home safely.

The deputy said the residents of the home were not aware there was a problem, and were surprised twice by what was going on. He said they were surprised someone was knocking on their door, and more surprised to learn the home was on fire. That surprise quickly turned to relief, when they escaped the home without injury. It’s not clear what caused the blaze, but since it started in the attic, the deputy thinks it may have been electrical-related. Firefighters remained on the scene for about two-hours. The amount of damage to the home is unknown.

The 27-year old Rokke is a 2004 graduate of the Belmond-Klemme High School , and a 2008 graduate of Simpson College. He says he’s glad he was able to live up to the role of a law enforcement officer, which is “To protect and serve.” He said he told the dispatcher “It was one for the books,” and that he was happy the wind was in the right direction, which enabled him to smell the smoke, notify the family. Rokke says “It felt pretty good to do that.”

Rokke has worked for the Sheriff’s Department for the past year and a-half. It’s his first full-time job in law enforcement. Previously, he had served as a security guard for a Des Moines Insurance Company.