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!

Today’s sponsor, Lemonade Pet Insurance, helps pet owners manage rising vet costs with affordable plans starting around $10/month and flexible coverage designed to protect both your pet’s health and your budget.

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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