Trending
The Fourth of July is just a few days a way, and with that, we can expect to see the usual surge in displays of patriotism.
That's a term that certainly has taken on different meanings during the past several years. And,whatever it means to you, it should be reassuring to know that we will be seeing an increasing number of displays featuring red, white and blue as Friday gets closer, and thousands of area residents will be heading to several locations around the Tri-State Area to watch a fireworks display -- or two.
We've also been told that residents of our region are among the most patriotic in the nation. That's why a study that came out earlier in the month offered a reason to reflect.
According to WalletHub's annual breakdown of the most patriotic states in America, the Tri-State Area does not rank very high. In fact, Ohio, West Virginia and Pennsylvania find themselves in the bottom half of the survey compiled by the Washington, D.C.-based personal financial website.
Ohio leads the region, coming in at 36th. Following is Pennsylvania, which comes in at 37th. West Virginia, meanwhile, finished 41st.
There are several metrics that went into the survey -- 13 of them, in fact. They all fell into two broader categories, civic engagement and military engagement.
The Buckeye State finished 26th in civic engagement and 34th in military engagement. Pennsylvania was 25th in civic engagement and 45th in military engagement, and West Virginia was 37th in civic engagement and 32nd in military engagement. West Virginia also finished 48th in Peace Corps volunteers per capita.
Interestingly, not one of the states in our region finished among the leaders when it comes to the percentage of adults who voted in November's presidential election. Minnesota tops that category, followed by Orgeon, Virginia, New Jersey and Michigan. The lowest percentage belongs to Arkansas.
Looking at the overall list, Virginia finished as the most patriotic state, while Arkansas found itself at the bottom of the rankings.
A great thing about surveys is that they can offer information you might not always consider, and this survey is no different. One of its most interesting findings might be just this -- when you crunch all of the numbers, Blue states graded out as being more patriotic than Red states.
••••••••
Independence Day remains one of the most popular holidays -- so popular that 86 percent of Americans say they plan to celebrate our nation's birthday. That's according to a separate WalletHub survey.
Those numbers also show that the Pittsburgh area ranks 27th among the best places to celebrate the Fourth of July. When you break that total down, the area is 55th in terms of affordability and is 30th in attractions and activities. Pittsburgh is 19th when it comes to safety and accessibility and 44th based on the weather the region typically has on that day.
Among the other interesting findings is that the average beer and wine prices in the Pittsburgh area are among the highest in the nation, with only Jersey City, N.J., and Philadelphia having more expensive alcohol. The lowest prices are in Reno, Nev.
Columbus comes in at 24th overall, with Cleveland coming in at 97th.
Part of that low ranking for Cleveland lies in the safety and accessibility list -- it's 83rd. And, the city was tied for 89th in the most DUI-related fatalities per capita. Joining Cleveland were Memphis, Portland, Aurora, Colo., and Birmingham, Ala.
••••••••
Like every holiday, Americans are willing to spend money -- in the case of the Fourth of July, that will include $8.9 billion for food, WalletHub reports.
A lot of that food will be eaten at picnics -- 61 percent of Americans say they will attend a Fourth of July picnic. It's a day when all types of food will be served, but hot dogs will make up a big part of many menus. It will all add up to 150 million hot dogs being eaten on July 4. Chicken also is popular, with 750 million pounds being purchased in the week leading up to the holiday.
Last year, Americans spent $872 million on beef, $422 million on chicken and $182 million on sausages for the holiday. Spending on berries was $240 million, while $167 million was spent on melons, $151 million on bacon and $111 million on tomatoes.
All of that food gets washed down more than $4 billion in alcoholic beverages (most of which are beer) and another $656 million in wine. All of that makes the Fourth of July the top beer-drinking holiday.
Americans will spend $2.8 billion on fireworks.
Travel also is an important part of the holiday -- 72.2 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home during the period which stretches between Saturday and July 6, according to AAA EastCentral, which covers the Tri-State Area.
Sadly, an average of 617 people are killed in car crashes on the holiday, and, in 2023, 233 people died in crashes involving a driver with a blood-alcohol reading of .08 or higher.
It's estimated that 376 lives could be saved if people would just wear their seatbelts.
There are warning signs about the economy, though, as 53 percent of Americans said they planned to spend less on the holiday this year, and nearly 33 percent say they are not willing to pay extra to purchase American-made products.
••••••••
Some things to think about as we prepare to celebrate our nation's 249th birthday.
(Gallabrese, a resident of Steubenville, is executive editor of the Herald-Star and The Weirton Daily Times)