According to incident reports received from the Bartow County Sheriff's Office on Sunday, deputies responded to four calls reporting loud music or disorderly homes.
The county's noise ordinance falls under a disorderly conduct classification, saying, "A person commits the offense of disorderly conduct when such person ... makes, or causes to be made, any loud, boisterous, or unreasonable noise or disturbance to the annoyance of any other persons nearby or near to any public highway, road, street, lane, alley, park, square, or common area whereby the public peace is broken or disturbed."
No arrests or citations were issued by the county deputies during the night for such disorderly manners, but warnings were handed down.
The city of Cartersville has a similar ordinance, defining noise in the same terms and allotting a time frame between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. for all "noise" to cease for the night. One citation was issued to a city resident in an apartment unit on Leake Street due to loud music clearly audible over 100 feet away from the source.
According to the city's code, a citizen violates the ordinance when the sound from a radio, musical instrument or phonograph can be heard at a distance of 50 feet from the building or structure and 100 feet from a motor vehicle.
BCSO deputies also responded to several reports of shots being fired as well as calls regarding fireworks. All reports were left unfounded after no contact was made with anyone shooting firearms or lighting fireworks.
One resident called in before celebrating in his own unique way to notify authorities that he would be sounding his cannon. The shots were fired three times, according to a deputy's report, and were done so in a safe and authorized manner.
While fireworks are a common way to enjoy festivities of all kinds, their use should be handled with care. Some fireworks, but not all, have been legalized in the state of Georgia.
Georgia law defines any fireworks as illegal except:
* Wire or wood sparklers of not more than 100 grams of mixture per item.
* Other sparkling items that are non-explosive and non-aerial and contain 75 grams or less of chemical compound per tube or a total of 200 grams or less for multiple tubes.
* Snakes and glow worms.
* Trick noisemakers including paper streamers, party poppers, string poppers, snappers and drop pops -- each consisting of .25 grams or less of chemical composition.
If residents suspect that illegal fireworks are being used, they are encouraged to contact law enforcement to ensure safe celebrations.