Charles Smith
A young inventor from southeast Iowa finished first in his grade at the National Invention Convention.
Charles Smith, a student at Eisenhower Elementary in Ottumwa, topped the first-grade division for his invention that he calls H.E.R.B., which stands for Home Emergency Responder Beacon. S
Smith’s creation is an exterior light that can be placed on a house or mailbox that creates a beacon for emergency workers. It can be activated by a wireless signal from a smoke detector, dispatcher, or Life Line.
This is the second time Smith finished first nationally in his division. Last year, the youngster finished first in the kindergarten category. Smith also made a 2019 appearance on Good Morning America to showcase an invention he titled the “Benge Beacon”
(By Ellis Codjoe, KBIZ, Ottumwa)