BALDWIN/MOBILE COUNTIES: July 4 – For many people, the 4^th of July evokes memories on family gatherings in public parks, foods cooked on the grill, children of all ages being excited about the upcoming fireworks and of course plenty of OOOHS and AAAAHS when the first colorful blasts flash across the sky.

Many communities in the Mobile and Baldwin County areas have not only planned fireworks displays, but the entire day full of fun. A list of communities and activities follows: [Click for list]

A fire burns around a sign on a dirt road during a wildfire in Big Sur, Calif., Thursday, July 3, 2008.

BIG SUR, CALIFORNIA: July 4 - Independence Day is normally a booming time for tourism here, with visitors settling into cliffside vacation homes or trekking out to campgrounds nestled among the redwoods. But this year, the only out-of-towners in Big Sur are firefighters working around the clock to save the storied community from flames.

A ferocious wildfire burning through the Los Padres National Forest continued creeping closer to town Friday, after jumping a fire line and claiming several more homes this week. Locals who feared for their homes and businesses also had to worry about lost revenue during peak season. [More]

This image provided by the Department of Defense shows Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates during a press briefing in the Pentagon on June 26, 2008.

WASHINGTON, DC: July 4 - The Pentagon has extended the tour of 2,200 Marines in Afghanistan, after insisting for months the unit would come home on time.

The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which is doing combat operations in the volatile south, will stay an extra 30 days and come home in early November rather than October, Marine Col. David Lapan confirmed Thursday. [More]

In this photo released by Miraflores Press Office, Venezuela's President Hugo Chavez speaks during a meeting with the Non Aligned Movement, NAM, in Porlamar on Margarita Island, Venezuela, Thursday, July 3, 2008.

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA: July 4 - Hugo Chavez, once a key mediator in securing hostage releases from Colombian rebels, could do little more than phone congratulations to President Alvaro Uribe after this week's bold rescue.

But even freed captive Ingrid Betancourt says the Venezuelan president and his leftist allies still have important roles in pushing the rebels toward peace. [More]

In this May 26, 2008 file photo, a student protester hurls a rock at riot police officers during a protest against fuel price hikes in Jakarta, Indonesia.

SAPPORO, JAPAN: July 4 - Between surging oil prices, food inflation and a credit crunch that's depressed global growth, leaders from the Group of Eight economic powers face the gravest combination of economic woes in at least a decade when they gather next week.

The outlook has darkened dramatically since last year's summit in Germany, when the leaders declared the global economy was in "good condition" and oil cost $70 a barrel - which seemed high at the time. [More]

A mural depicting a fife and drum corps greets visitors to Rensselaer, N.Y., Thursday, June 26, 2008

ALBANY, NEW YORK: July 4 - Wish "Yankee Doodle" a happy 250th birthday. Maybe.

The original lyrics to one of America's best-known songs, one associated with the American Revolution, were actually written a couple decades earlier during the French and Indian War, although an exact date has eluded historians. Some peg the year as 1755, when the war's first major battles were fought, or 1756. [More]

In this undated photo provided by Guernsey's, a New York City auction house, Rosa Parks' Presidential Medal of Freedom is shown.

LANSING, MICHIGAN: July 4 - Arlan Ettinger will never forget the response he got when he took one of civil rights pioneer Rosa Parks' hats to a meeting at the Apollo Theater in New York.

"It was a fairly plain-looking black hat. And then I said it was Rosa Parks'. And their mouths just opened up without saying a word and tears" flowed, Ettinger said. "It was a very, very powerful moment. You could see the impact this woman has had on everyone." [More]

President Bush returns to the White House following an afternoon bike ride, Thursday, July 3, 2008, in Washington.

WASHINGTON, DC: July 4 - The White House said Thursday that dangerous detainees at Guantanamo Bay could end up walking Main Street U.S.A. as a result of last month's Supreme Court ruling about detainees' legal rights. Federal appeals courts, however, have indicated they have no intention of letting that happen.

The high court ruling, which gave all detainees the right to petition federal judges for immediate release, has intensified discussions within the Bush administration about what to do with the roughly 270 detainees held at the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. [More]

SUMMERDALE: July 3 - Around 2 am on Tuesday, Baldwin County Sheriff’s deputies say they responded to a burglary in process call at 16423 Honey Road.

Upon arrival deputies spoke with the victim, Johnny Calhoun, who stated that he had heard his dog barking and went out onto his deck. The victim said he saw a white male jump from his deck. [More]