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Story originally printed in the Winona Daily News or online at www.winonadailynews.com

Published - Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Ashland sheriff says fireworks killed two

MARENGO, Wis. (AP) — Two Marengo teens are dead after a fireworks explosion.

The Ashland Sheriff’s Department said an “improvised fireworks” exploded just before 9 p.m. Sunday on a gravel bar in the Brunsweiller River about a mile east of Marengo.

The department says 17-year-old Rodney Blakeman died at the scene and 19-year-old Aaron Granger died later Sunday at an Ashland hospital.

Ashland County Sheriff John Kovach said according to witnesses, it appeared the two were attempting to use an improvised fireworks device to blow a 55-gallon drum in the air when the device detonated prematurely.

“There are reasons for the laws they have about fireworks,” he said. “It’s so unfortunate when something like this happens. It’s just a tragedy, I don’t know what else I can say.”

Kovach said he did not anticipate criminal charges in the matter, because the two young men appeared to have been the only ones responsible for building the device.

The tragedy has saddened the small community of Marengo, Kovach said. Granger was a 2007 Ashland High School graduate, and Blakeman would have been a senior this year.

Ashland School District Superintendent Peggy Smith said both young men were good students and the district might plan some sort of response when students return to classes in about a month.

“Our counselors will be putting their heads together to determine how to support those kids who would be especially affected when they return to school,” she said. “This is not a large community and this affects everybody. Everybody feels that loss.”

A joint funeral service is planned for 1 p.m. Thursday.