Halloween shouldn't be scary for wrong reasons

Stock up on candy and leave the porch light on, Halloween is coming tomorrow night.

It will be an unusual observance in McCook, with the Bison hosting Alliance in the opening football playoff game, so we hope fans and trick-or-treaters will watch out for each other. Drivers should be especially careful because goblins and ghosts who wait to go out until after the game will be on the street after dark.

That's truly scary, because children are four times more likely to be hit by a car on Halloween than any other night of the year, and the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services is urging parents and caregivers to make sure children going trick-or-treating walk safely and stay visible to drivers.

"All of the usual rules of pedestrian safety still apply," said Dr. Joann Schaefer, chief medical officer of the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services. "Walk, don't run. Cross the street only at a crosswalk or corner, after looking both ways, and never dart out into the street," she said.

And, make sure kids under 12 are accompanied by an adult. "Naturally, kids will be excited, and they'll need active supervision," Schaefer said. "Older kids who have demonstrated the maturity and good judgment to go trick-or-treating with friends, without adult supervision, should stick to a predetermined route with good lighting."

Schaefer reiterated the usual safety precautions, such as wearing costumes that don't cause children to trip and are flame resistant, use makeup instead of masks, carry glow sticks or flashlights and use retroreflective tape, and make sure candy is safe and age-appropriate. Make sure toy weapons and props are flexible and won't cause an injury if children fall, and consider using glow sticks instead of candles in jack-o-lanterns.

In addition, however, she urged parents to keep children who are already sick home, to avoid spreading colds or viruses to other children.

We don't imagine a bag full of candy and a case of the flu are a good combination, anyway.