Honoring America: What does the USA’s 250th anniversary mean to you?

KIFI on July 4, 2026

David Pace

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) – With hundreds of thousands of guests preparing for the biggest Melaleuca Freedom Celebration and Liberty on Parade in history, Idahoans across the state are reflecting on the magnitude of the semiquincentennial anniversary of the United States.

“I’m really looking forward to all the fireworks and see all the different colors of them in the sky,” said Mazen and Wilder Cooper.

When asked her favorite part about America, Aliya Hawker didn’t hesitate.

“Not the gas prices,” she said.

Fybercom employee Alexa Bermudez loves the wildlife and natural beauty found in America’s vast landscapes.

“The national parks are my favorite because I love nature, and I love hiking,” Bermudez said. “I love all the animals and them being able to be in their natural habitat.”

Others appreciate America’s civil liberties.

“The right to vote. I’m very grateful that I have the ability to make that choice of who – whether or not that person gets elected,” said Abby Pexton, a fireworks crew volunteer.

Her friend, fellow fireworks crew member Laura Coles, added, “I love that we have freedom of speech, right to bear arms, freedom to just say your mind and speak your mind and and talk to people. And, a lot of countries, I know they don’t necessarily have that.”

In America, each individual can choose his or her own path with self-determination.

“I can be whatever I like as long as I put the work in,” said Carson Campbell, who grew up in Bonneville County. “Most countries don’t allow that or try to limit you to what you can do.”

Kids reveled in the joys of life in the U.S.A.

“We can be free and play outside,” said Logan Goodman.

“We can go to national parks like Yellowstone,” chimed in his brother Ryan.

“I love that in the United States that we get to run trains,” Max Goodman added.

“Go America!”

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Donation campaign at Grocery Outlet in El Centro

KYMA on July 4, 2026

Oswaldo Rivas

Donation campaign at Grocery Outlet in El Centro

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Paradise Casino hosts 3rd of July Celebration

KYMA on July 4, 2026

Moses Femino

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – Paradise Casino helped kick off the Fourth of July holiday weekend by hosting its 30th annual 3rd of July Celebration on Friday evening.

The free, family-friendly event brought together residents and visitors for a night of entertainment, food and community festivities at the casino, located at 450 Quechan Drive in Yuma.

Attendees enjoyed a variety of attractions throughout the evening, including live music, food and drink vendors, face painting and a high-flying motocross stunt show. Families and children also showed off their patriotic spirit with red, white and blue face paint as they gathered to celebrate ahead of Independence Day.

Organizers said the event serves as a way to thank the community for its continued support over the past three decades.

“We just want to thank everyone for coming out and for supporting Paradise Casino,” Mark Benevento, Paradise Casino’s Senior Marketing and Entertainment Manager, said. “This is our 30th anniversary in Yuma. So we get a lot of support from the community and we really appreciate it. So we’ll see everyone tonight”

The evening concluded with a fireworks display, lighting up the desert sky and helping families officially kick off the holiday weekend together.

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Troop F traffic fatalities nearly double, and water drowning incidents see an increase

KMIZ on July 4, 2026

Melissa Houston

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Online traffic crash reports from the Missouri State Highway Patrol show that traffic fatalities in Troop F have nearly doubled so far this year compared to the same time period in 2025.

MSHP Troop F — which covers much of Mid-Missouri, including Boone and Cole counties –has reported 35 deadly crashes in 2026, marking an 84% increase from the 19 fatalities reported by this time last year.

This year initially began with fewer traffic deaths until February, when numbers started to level out before gradually surpassing last year’s numbers. MSHP Sgt. Kyle Green said traffic fatalities usually run in waves.

“If you look at the overall fatalities in Troop F, we were up for this time last year,” Green said. “But if you were to look at it just a couple of months ago, you would have saw that we were down 40-something percent.”

Green said there are no specific driving patterns contributing to the spike, but just like most fatalities it can be caused by preventable driving behaviors.

“It’s inattention. It’s speeding, it’s people, you know, operating their vehicle while impaired,” Green said.

State traffic crash maps show that Highway 54 has been the deadliest stretch of road in Troop F’s coverage area this year, with eight fatalities. Interstate 70 followed with four deaths, and Highway 63 had two deaths. In comparison, at this time in 2025, four deaths occurred on Highway 63, two on Highway 54, and none on I-70.

The majority of the crashes from this year have occurred during the daytime with clear road visibility, according to the state traffic crash map. However, Green said the installation of construction zones is a contributing factor.

“We’ve got an increase in construction zones along I-70, and so that has led to some additional crashes and other incidents,” Green said.

He also recommends that people leave early for their destinations, slow down in construction zones and remain attentive to prevent further deadly crashes.

Despite the rise in traffic deaths, Green said in comparison to statewide statistics, Troop F is lower than the state average by 3%.

In addition to traffic fatalities, the MSHP online boat/drowning incident report shows that drowning deaths within Troop F have also seen an increase compared to last year’s numbers.

So far in 2026, five drownings have been reported, compared to the two during the same time in 2025. Three of this year’s drownings occurred at Lake of the Ozarks.

The Lake of the Ozarks is expected to see an increase in boat traffic over the weekend due to Independence Day celebrations, and Green said he is hoping that everyone is making safety their priority anytime they are near the water.

“You can be the greatest swimmer out there, but if you enter that water where you’re injured or some type of medical emergency and you’re not conscious, obviously you’re not gonna be able to swim,” Green said. “Or it’s gonna be extremely difficult to.”

Green is recommends adults and children wear life jackets any time they are near the water.

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World Cup fans weigh in on Kansas City’s heat, FIFA hydration breaks

KMIZ on July 3, 2026

Mitchell Kaminski

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KMIZ) 

Triple-digit heat indexes and temperatures in the 90s have become one of the defining storylines of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, but fans gathering in Kansas City for Friday night’s knockout-round match between Colombia and Ghana said the sweltering conditions in the afternoon have done little to dampen the experience.

With extreme heat expected to last until 8 p.m., just before kickoff of Colombia and Ghana, thousands of supporters flocked to the FIFA Fan Fest, where organizers installed hydration stations, cooling fans and misting areas to help visitors stay cool throughout the day.

For many Colombian supporters, the weather was nothing out of the ordinary.

“We live in Florida; we are pretty much used to this. There is a nice breeze right now, which feels nice. Anyone coming from anywhere else, probably not used to this,” said Nico, of Naples, Florida.

Hector Lozardo, a Colombian native who traveled from Orlando, said summer tournaments have always brought hot conditions.

“These are always played on in summer and it is always hot pretty much everywhere. So I’m really kind of accustomed to that. So I don’t mind, plus, the water, the hydration stations and the fans and the shade, I think that helps,” Lozardo said.

The heat hasn’t just been felt by fans it has also changed what they see on the pitch.

For the first time in World Cup history, FIFA has implemented mandatory three-minute hydration stoppages around the 22nd minute of each half to help players cope with the extreme temperatures.

While FIFA officials have said it is for player safety, many have been skeptical of the true intentions behind the change. Many fans online argue that FIFA is just trying to fit in more commercial breaks. 

Coaches have also argued the stoppages give teams an unearned opportunity to make tactical adjustments mid-match, potentially shifting momentum. U.S Men’s Natioanl Team coach Mauricio Pochettino, was one of several coaches who have spoken out against the change, saying that “it is unnecessary.”

While some fans ABC 17 News spoke with generally understood the reasoning behind the change, several said they were not sold on its affect on the game.

“As a long-standing soccer fan, it does interrupt the flow. So we don’t like it, but I guess we accept it,” Lozardo said.

Despite the heat and the debate surrounding the new hydration breaks, fans said the atmosphere in Kansas City has exceeded expectations. Lozardo, who has attended multiple World Cup events, called this year’s tournament experience in Kansas City a step forward.

“This is definetly an upgrade like America!” Lozardo said. “This is wonderful. The Fan Fest, it’s much bigger. There are a lot more attractions and the atmosphere is amazing.”

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Arizona Senate candidate hopes to change the tone of political debate

KYMA on July 3, 2026

Adrik Vargas

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA) – A Democratic candidate for the Arizona State Senate says she’s speaking out after experiencing vandalism and online harassment during her campaign.

Laura Huber says campaign signs of hers have been stolen or vandalized dozens of times, calling the experience discouraging.

She also says she’s received a wave of negative comments on social media. While Huber expected some criticism when she decided to run for office, she says she didn’t expect it to reach this level.

Rather than staying quiet, Huber says she wants to bring attention to the issue and encourage more respectful political conversations.

She believes elected leaders should set the tone by modeling empathy, respect and ethical behavior.

Huber also says she hopes the negativity doesn’t stop people from getting involved in politics or serving their communities, regardless of their political party.

When asked what role policy could play in addressing online harassment, Huber said the challenge is finding a balance between protecting free speech and reducing abusive behavior that serves no positive purpose.

She says she plans to continue the conversation about making it safer to run for office and encouraging more people to participate in public service.

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Drone Show Rings In 250th 4th Of July At Santa Maria’s Downtown Fridays

KEYT on July 3, 2026

Jarrod Zinn

SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) – Downtown Fridays in Santa Maria hosted a drone show to ring in the nation’s 250th 4th of July.

The “best seat in the house” literally was Downtown Fridays.

Around 8:45 Friday night, Sky Elements Drone Shows launched 100 drones into the air above the Abel Maldonado Community Youth Center for a special Independence Day presentation which coincided with Downtown Fridays.

“We have the Santa Maria High School cheer squad, the Orcutt High School Jazz Band is coming out, the mayor’s going to come up on stage, do a proclamation, and then we’re going to have a drone show,” says Ed Carcarey, Downtown Fridays event coordinator.

The Sky Elements crew began unloading and setting up in the afternoon on the Elks Baseball Field behind the Maldonado Center, making sure every drone was powered up, positioned and programmed.

“I feel like drone shows are definitely taking over and they definitely fit the category more with family friendly,” says Fernando Cortes, a pilot for Sky Elements Drone Shows.

The drones were piloted by a graduate of Cal Poly Pomona who says the show’s music accompaniment played on loudspeakers at Downtown Fridays.

“There’ll be a playlist track going on. And while each song is being played through the drones, they will get their formation into every song,” says Cortes.

To commemorate the nation’s 250th Independence Day, the pilot says one sequence was programmed to simulate 4th-of-July-style fireworks.

“Definitely got to see some firework little images instead of actual ones blowing up,” says Cortes. “You’ll see a little images of maybe the drones all colliding there, one light board on each drone to make a huge explosion of lights to kind of simulate the firework.”

The City Of Santa Maria’s Recreation And Parks Department provided the drone show, and Downtown Fridays remains free to the public.

“We have a much bigger shared demographic now where it’s more representing of our city,” says Carcarey. “So a lot more general market people are coming to the event where we hadn’t seen them before.”

Families crowded McClelland street for the environmentally friendly presentation ringing in our semiquincentennial Independence Day.

“Tomorrow will be all over the country doing shows for 4th of July,” says Cortes.

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Road closures scheduled in Columbia begin next week

KMIZ on July 3, 2026

Ryan Shiner

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The City of Columbia on Wednesday announced a number of road closures that will occur next week.

Beginning on Monday, West Sexton Road will be closed at the intersections of Jefferson Street and McBaine Avenue for a storm water improvement project, according to a release sfrom the city.

The closure is expected to last 90 days. The Jefferson Street intersection will be completed first, the release says. The Go COMO Gold Route will detour around the Sexton Road closure.

Affected bus stops include:

West Sexton Road and Oak Street

West Worley Street and Oak Street (westbound)

Chip seal pavement maintenance

Beginning on Tuesday, Public Works crews will start chip seal pavement maintenance on several Columbia roads, according to a second press release from the city.

Crews will work 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Monday through Thursday until the project is complete. Orange “No Parking” signs will be placed on streets 24 hours in advance.

List of streets

Burrwood Drive from Oakhaven Drive to the cul-de-sac

Crestwood Lane from Larail Drive to Forum Boulevard

Larail Drive from Burrwood Drive to Crestwood Lane

Lakepoint Drive from Larail Drive to the cul-de-sac

Green Meadows Road from Forum Boulevard to Bethel Street

Juniper Drive from South Rock Quarry Road to the cul-de-sac

Juniper Place from Juniper Drive to the concrete section

Telluride Lane from Rock Quarry Road to the cul-de-sac

Access Road from Old 63 to the cul-de-sac

East Point Drive from Stadium Boulevard to the cul-de-sac

Ray Young Drive from East Point Drive to the cul-de-sac

Old Mill Creek Road from County Line Road to Vawter School Road

Jake Lane from Bray Avenue to Cunningham Road

Longwell Drive from Bray Avenue to the cul-de-sac

English Street from Cunningham Road to Jake Lane

Alsup Drive from Talent Drive to Bradshaw Avenue

Wallace Street from Chapel Hill Road to Alsup Drive

Barkley Drive from Alsup Drive to Kohler Circle

Talent Drive from Chapel Hill Road to Kohler Circle

Kohler Circle from Talent Drive to the bulb

Rollins Road from Fairview Road to Scott Boulevard

Rollins Road from Fairview Road to Stadium Boulevard

Manor Drive from Rollins Road to Broadway

Westridge Drive from Rollins Road to Broadway

North Circle Drive from Maplewood Drive to Westridge Drive

Panorama Lane from North Providence Road to Aspen Ridge Lane

Aspen Ridge Lane from Snow Mass Drive to Snow Peak Court

Bear Creek Drive from Texas Avenue to the dead end

Hickman Avenue from North Eighth Street to North Fifth Street

Derby Ridge Drive from Brown School Road to the dead end

Hatteras Drive from Tidewater Drive to Derby Ridge Drive

Sandering Drive from Tidewater Drive to Hatteras Drive

Carolina Drive from Tidewater Drive to Hatteras Drive

Tidewater Drive from Carolina Drive to Derby Ridge Drive

Buxton Drive from Carolina Drive to Tidewater Drive

Chesapeake Drive from Carolina Drive to Tidewater Drive

Piedmont Place from the cul-de-sac to Carolina Drive

Thornberry Drive from North Oakland Gravel Road to Savannah Court

Thornberry Drive from Culpeper Drive to Savannah Court

Northland Drive from Parker Street to Blue Ridge Road

Isherwood Drive from Pioneer Drive to Mexico Gravel Road

Isherwood Circle from the cul-de-sac to Isherwood Drive

Martha Drive from Pioneer Drive to Fairhaven Road

East and West Henley Street from Mexico Gravel Road to Mexico Gravel Road

Burbank Loop from Bullhead Lane to Bullhead Lane

Bullhead Lane from Burbank Loop to Black Hills Drive

Black Hills Drive from Woodshire Drive to Mexico Gravel Road

Woodshire Drive from Wood Lake Court to the cul-de-sac

Opal Drive from Amethyst Drive to North Wyatt Lane

Coral Drive from the cul-de-sac to Opal Drive

Granite Drive from Coral Drive to the end of the street

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RV fire breaks out in Indio

KESQ on July 3, 2026

Haley Meberg

INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) – Firefighters quickly contained an RV fire that broke out earlier Friday afternoon in Indio.

Cal Fire reports the fire began at approximately 12:52 p.m. at Mary Lane and Madison Street, with firefighters arriving at the scene shortly after. Initially crews believed the fire may have spread to a single-story family dwelling nearby.

Officials say the fire was contained at 1:24 p.m. with the damage being contained to the RV only. No injuries from the incident have been reported at this time.

Stay with News Channel 3 for more updates.

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Poet Katharine Lee Bates’ travels west to Pikes Peak inspired “America the Beautiful”

KRDO on July 3, 2026

Heather Skold

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) — The song, “America the Beautiful,” is woven into the fabric of our very patriotism in the United States: its imagery, its faith, its call for oneness. 

Written in 1893 by the poet and English professor Katharine Lee Bates, it expresses gratitude while also being aspirational. 

Katharine Lee Bates, Courtesy of Regional History & Genealogy, Pikes Peak Library District, 102-354

Bates was born shortly before the Civil War started, and thus, many of her writings focused on social reform.  

A professor at Wellesley College in Massachusetts, Bates decided to venture west to teach for the summer at Colorado College.

“This was a business trip, where she spent several weeks in Colorado Springs,” said Matt Mayberry, Director of the Colorado Springs Pioneers Museum, outside which Bates’ iron statue sits, facing Pikes Peak. “She thinks as a poet, and she processes her reality as a poet. Her travels west inspired her and became part of the poem.”

Bates had never been west of Philadelphia at that point in her life, but her travels by train created inspiration: patriotism on display at the World’s Fair in Chicago, the prairies of Kansas, and the “sublimity of the Rockies.”

“It was with this quickened and deepened sense of America that we went on, my New England eyes delighting in the wind-waved gold of the vast wheat fields,” she wrote, in an article published in a 1928 edition of the Gazette and Telegraph. 

Colorado Springs Gazette and Telegraph, Dec. 30, 1928

She and her colleagues were shown Manitou Springs, Cascade, and Garden of the Gods — “all so marvelous that our stock of exclamations ran out.”

One day, she and her teacher friends ventured up Pikes Peak, via “prairie schooner,” pulled by horses that were traded out with mules halfway. 

Once at the top, they were advised against jumping out of the wagon, but instead “descend leisurely” due to the altitude, a warning that befell their guide, who himself fainted at the summit and curtailed their visit to 30 minutes. 

The brief view at 14,115 feet was enough to bring a sense of awe to Bates, who wrote of its “purple mountain majesties above the fruited plain.”

That night, upon returning to the Antlers Hotel, Bates wrote the first lines of her poem.  She made several revisions to her poem before its final version as we know it today.  

Antlers Hotel, Courtesy of Regional History & Genealogy, Pikes Peak Library District, 102-354

“It is not stuck in time, and can be meaningful to us today,” said Mayberry. 

Her words were set to the hymn, Materna, which was composed Samuel Ward.

Here is a 1923 recording of “America the Beautiful.”  Public Domain.

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