Minggu, 05 Juli 2026

Marching Band Performance, Cardinals Wedding Assist, and a Heat Wave

Sunday, July 5, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 2011, a historic dust storm swept through Arizona, bringing winds of more than 50 mph and reaching a peak height of up to 6,000 feet.

🇺🇸 As our nation’s 250th anniversary weekend continues, we’ll be sending out shortened editions through tomorrow so The Arizona Flyover staff can spend time with friends and family. Our regular edition will return Tuesday.

America just turned 250, and we invited the entire world to the party. For years, the world has been told that this country is angry, divided, and not what it used to be. Then over a million international visitors poured into our cities this summer for the World Cup, and they are seeing something completely different. Late-night Waffle House runs, brisket the size of a small child, and strangers going out of their way to help. A lot of them showed up braced for the worst and instead fell head over heels. Tune in to today's Flyover Podcast as Amy shares what the world is discovering about America. Tune in here!

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The whole world came to America for the World Cup this summer, and over a million visitors are discovering why this country is truly one of a kind. (Watch Now)

Sahuarita Band Gets Second Stage

The Sahuarita High School Mustang Marching Band performed outside a Philadelphia television studio after extreme heat led to the cancellation of the 250th anniversary parade it had spent two years preparing to join.

The Sahuarita band was among dozens of groups that traveled east for the Salute to Independence Semiquincentennial Parade, part of the nation’s 250th birthday celebration. Organizers canceled Friday’s event after temperatures tied a record high of 103 degrees, with heat index values forecast at 105 to 112.

Instead of heading home, the students received an invitation from Philadelphia’s WPVI-TV, 6abc Action News, which welcomed them and a Wisconsin band to its studios to perform the routines they had rehearsed. The station handed out water bottles to help keep the students hydrated.

The band had raised thousands of dollars over nearly two years for the trip. You can watch their performance here.

Cardinals Assist Wedding Plans

Arizona Cardinals owner Michael Bidwill gave up his presidential suite at a New Jersey hotel so a bride could use it to get ready the morning of her October wedding.

Olivia Coppeletti had eyed the suite for months before learning the hotel reserves it for visiting NFL teams. The Cardinals are booked there for their Oct. 4 game against the New York Giants—the same day as her wedding across the street.

Believing the room was reserved for Cardinals head coach Mike LaFleur, Coppeletti emailed the team with what she called “the most ridiculous request” it might get all season. The suite, it turned out, was Bidwill’s, and he responded with a video.

In the video, Bidwill revealed the suite was the owner’s, not the coach’s: “The good news is that’s me, and I’m happy to give it up to you and your bridesmaids to use during your wedding weekend,” Bidwill said. Coppeletti’s TikTok about the exchange drew more than 2.5 million views in a day.

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➤ Valley: High clouds kept Phoenix’s Fourth of July high near a below-average 105 degrees, but forecasters expect a strong ridge to push temperatures to about 109 today and 114 by Wednesday. (More)

➤ Pinal County: Sheriff’s deputies rescued a stranded hiker from Picacho Peak, then used the case to warn others about extreme heat on the trails. The hiker, who said he was from Glendale, told deputies he had climbed the peak several times before. (Watch Video)

➤ Tucson: The historic Fox Tucson Theatre unveiled Vision 2030, a privately funded $26.6 million expansion that would add a 20,000-square-foot building next door with a flexible 350-seat venue. The theater aims to complete the project by its centennial in April 2030. (See Details)

➤ Also Tucson: Three-star quarterback Caden Jones committed to Arizona, becoming the fourth member of the Wildcats’ 2027 class from Crean Lutheran High School in Irvine, California. (More)

➤ Northern Arizona: Travel + Leisure spotlighted Flagstaff as a Route 66 stop, citing its 7,000-foot elevation, cooler high-desert climate, the world’s first Dark Sky designation, and its location about 90 minutes from the Grand Canyon’s South Rim. (More)

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El Paso Buc-ee's Hits Snag, Aspen Acres Fire Update, and Denver's Rugby Scene

Sunday, July 5, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1951, Hall of Fame pitcher Rich "Goose" Gossage was born in Colorado Springs. One of baseball's first dominant closers, he intimidated hitters with a 100-mph fastball and his trademark mustache.

As our nation commemorates its 250th birthday, we’ll be sending out shortened editions through Monday, July 6, so The Colorado Flyover staff can celebrate the holiday with friends and family. Our regular edition will be back on Tuesday.

America just turned 250, and we invited the entire world to the party. For years, the world has been told that this country is angry, divided, and not what it used to be. Then over a million international visitors poured into our cities this summer for the World Cup, and they are seeing something completely different. Late-night Waffle House runs, brisket the size of a small child, and strangers going out of their way to help. A lot of them showed up braced for the worst and instead fell head over heels. Tune in to today's Flyover Podcast as Amy shares what the world is discovering about America. Tune in here!

Speaking of our great land: did you know that one of our podcast hosts, Ayla Brown, was once an American Idol finalist and recorded a song called "Pride of America"? Give it a listen—we have a feeling it'll strike a chord with anyone who's proud to call America home.

The whole world came to America for the World Cup this summer, and over a million visitors are discovering why this country is truly one of a kind. (Watch Now)

El Paso County Stalls Buc-ee's

El Paso County declined to classify a proposed second Colorado Buc-ee's as a convenience store, the designation the Texas chain needs to build on its land off I-25.

The parcel near County Line Road sits in a C-1 commercial zone, which allows a convenience store but not a gas station or truck stop. In a July 1 letter, staff said the use was too unusual to fit any single definition in the code.

Buc-ee's markets its sites as travel centers but asked the county to treat this one as a neighborhood store, a gap Tri-Lakes-area opponents have pointed to.

The land has been fought over for more than a year, after Buc-ee's dropped a bid to annex it into Palmer Lake amid recalls and resignations. The state's first Buc-ee's, in Johnstown, has been a major draw since opening in 2024, and the company has 30 days to appeal.

Denver Eyes 2031 Rugby World Cup

Denver hosted the U.S. men's rugby team's Nations Cup opener against Portugal at Dick's Sporting Goods Park on Saturday night.

The Independence Day test was the latest international match the city has drawn as it bids to host 2031 Rugby World Cup games. The United States will stage that tournament for the first time.

It marked the Eagles' first test of 2026 and the first time they have played Portugal on U.S. soil. Portugal arrived as the reigning Rugby Europe champions on a seven-match winning streak. See match results.

World Rugby officials have toured Empower Field at Mile High as a potential 2031 venue. Denver has pointed to recent events, including the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, to bolster its case.

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➤ Pueblo and Custer Counties: The Aspen Acres fire grew past 85,000 acres over the July 4 holiday and remains 0% contained, now the 8th-largest wildfire in state history. More than 180 structures have burned, and 11,000 people have evacuated. (More)

➤ Littleton: A man drowned in Chatfield Reservoir Thursday evening after jumping in without a life jacket to help three children whose inner tube overturned. The children, wearing life jackets, were rescued by boaters. Crews recovered the man's body Friday after a 19-hour search. (More)

➤ Colorado Springs: The Air Force Academy removed athletic director Nathan Pine, in the role since 2019, reportedly at the urging of outgoing superintendent Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind. Athletic corporation CEO Nancy Hixson will serve as interim while Pine stays under contract through 2028. (More)

➤ Montrose: The city won a $3.3 million EPA grant to clean up the Bullock Steam Electric Plant, a coal-fired station idle since 1983 that left coal ash and asbestos along the Uncompahgre River. Montrose plans to redevelop it into a recreation hub with a climbing gym. (More)

➤ Denver: Ed Sheeran brought his LOOP Tour to Empower Field at Mile High on Saturday night, joined by openers Myles Smith and Aaron Rowe. It marked the singer's return to Denver, where he set the stadium's single-night attendance record with 85,233 fans in 2023. (More)

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Texas Marks July 4 Floods, Arlington Parade, and Big Bend Border Wall

Sunday, July 5, 2026

Good Morning! On this day in 1855, Governor Elisha Pease authorized James Hughes Callahan to lead a force across the Rio Grande after cross-border raiders. The campaign ended months later with the Texans burning Piedras Negras, opposite Eagle Pass.

As our nation commemorates its 250th birthday, we’ll be sending out shortened editions through Monday, July 6, so The Texas Flyover staff can celebrate the holiday with friends and family. Our regular edition will be back on Tuesday.

America just turned 250, and we invited the entire world to the party. For years, the world has been told that this country is angry, divided, and not what it used to be. Then over a million international visitors poured into our cities this summer for the World Cup, and they are seeing something completely different. Late-night Waffle House runs, brisket the size of a small child, and strangers going out of their way to help. A lot of them showed up braced for the worst and instead fell head over heels. Tune in to today's Flyover Podcast as Amy shares what the world is discovering about America. Tune in here!

The whole world came to America for the World Cup this summer, and over a million visitors are discovering why this country is truly one of a kind. (Watch Now)

Hill Country Flood, One Year Later

Across the Hill Country, families and neighbors gathered this weekend to mark one year since the July 4 flood that killed more than 130 people along the Guadalupe River.

The centerpiece in Kerr County was a Saturday morning ceremony dedicating a new 20-foot steel cross at Flat Rock Park in Kerrville, with remarks, music, prayer, and a moment of silence.

Tributes filled the days around it. The Coming King Foundation dedicated a Hill Country Flood Memorial Wall on Friday, and a "Faith and Fellowship" gathering at Louise Hays Park had residents lighting candles and painting mosaic tiles for a future memorial.

The remembrances reached beyond Kerrville: a memorial walk set out from Temple, Center Point's volunteer firefighters held morning prayer, and Unity of the Hill Country opened a three-day "Weekend of Hope and Healing." In Hunt, the school district created new awards honoring the children it lost.

Arlington's Parade Marks 150 and 250

Downtown Arlington's Independence Day parade, the largest in Texas, rolled off Saturday morning as the city celebrated its 150th birthday alongside America's 250th.

What started as a 1965 bike parade in Randol Mill Park is now one of the nation's biggest. More than 100 entries—floats, car clubs, and every Arlington high school band—wound through downtown and the University of Texas at Arlington.

Organizers expected about 75,000 spectators, a crowd they figured could grow with World Cup fans in town after Friday's Egypt-Australia match at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

New this year was a 9 a.m. "ring out," with church bells and handbells across downtown pealing for America's 250th, an idea borrowed from the Daughters of the American Revolution. The party continues today with Light Up Arlington and its expanded fireworks and drone show.

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➤ Big Bend: U.S. Customs and Border Protection's updated "Smart Wall Map" shows two 30-foot wall segments planned through about 2 miles of Big Bend Ranch State Park's western edge near the Rio Grande. (See Details)

➤ Statewide: With new research showing Texas aquifers dropping to worrying lows, residents are pushing lawmakers to rein in the state's AI data centers. Land Commissioner Dawn Buckingham called for ending the centers' tax breaks and making them fund their projects, while warning against ceding the AI race to China. (More)

➤ Hidalgo: U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers found 112 packages of cocaine, about 279 pounds worth roughly $3.7 million, hidden in a cucumber shipment at the Hidalgo port of entry on June 24. Homeland Security Investigations opened a case, with no arrests announced. (See Details)

➤ Katy: DoorDash driver Michael David Butler, 44, was charged July 1 with manslaughter in the June 19 death of Martha Avila, 76, after his Tesla tore through her home. Investigators say he overrode Full Self-Driving, floored it to 73 mph and never braked. Avila's family sued Butler and Tesla. (See Details)

➤ Odessa: One year after Officer Bailey Martin died in the July 4 Hill Country flooding while vacationing with family, the Odessa Police Department unveiled a memorial to him in its front lobby, built around the police badge recovered from the Guadalupe River. The public is invited to visit. (See Photos)

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