Shots Fired....at an Airplane

Having an airport in the neighborhood, we're surprised this doesn't happen more often:

• The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating after a plane was struck by a firework near Chicago’s Midway Airport on the Fourth of July.

  According to the FAA, the pilot of Delta Flight 1076 reported that a fireworks mortar struck the aircraft just before it landed at Midway Airport around 8:30 p.m. Saturday.

  The plane landed safely without incident.

  A statement from Delta said the plane was coming in from Atlanta and confirmed that it made contact with a firework.

Maybe it does happen more often than we hear about? Last night seemed....extensive (?) in terms of fireworks once the rain died out.

And speaking of loud reports, this one from the Babylon Bee:

• After fielding a flood of calls complaining of loud popping noises, the Chicago Police Department issued a statement assuring residents that those were just gun shots.

  City officials reminded residents that discharging fireworks within city limits carries fines and potential criminal penalties, while also noting that the familiar staccato soundtrack of neighborhood gunfire should not be mistaken for any sort of holiday celebration.

  "These noises are nothing to be alarmed about," said Police Chief Larry Snelling. "Chicagoans can rest easy that we have not seen any illegal fireworks, and the loud 'bangs' that residents are hearing are nothing but gunfire. There's been an uptick in gang battles as well as criminals shooting bullets into the sky for fun, but that's all. Everything is under control."

With the amount of fireworks we heard and saw last night, we can only imagine the amount of sales tax dollars that went to Indiana and Wisconsin from Illinois residents. You'd think that some politician trying to figure out ways to raise revenue (instead of cutting costs) would wise up and get their relatives into a fireworks business.