Federal Judge Declines Fireworks at Mount Rushmore

A federal judge has rebuffed South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem’s efforts to force the National Park Service to grant the state permission to shoot fireworks over the Mount Rushmore National Memorial to celebrate July 4th this year.

Noem sued the U.S. Department of Interior in an effort to reverse the decision to deny the state’s permit for the pyrotechnic display.  The National Park Service denied the request citing safety concerns and objections from local Native American tribes, and the federal judge has upheld that ruling.