Officials Expect Residents To Celebrate Close To Home

LITTLE ROCK - More Arkansas residents are expected to stay closer to home for the Independence Day weekend, and tourism officials say there are plenty of fireworks displays and state attractions to keep folks entertained. Billy Dalton, general manager of State Line Fireworks near Texarkana, said he wasn't able to get enough fireworks to meet demand for celebrations of the nation's founding. "The Fourth is on Friday this year, the weather's perfect for fireworks right now. Got a lot of people who used to travel during the holidays are staying home now because of the gas prices," Dalton said. A gallon of regular, self-serve unleaded gasoline had an average price of $3.94 in Arkansas on Thursday. The average price nationally was $4.01 per gallon. Arkansas tourism officials say they expect plenty of patrons at state parks, and a... [read full story]