Virginia State Police responded to 562 highway crashes over the July Fourth weekend that left a total of 10 people dead. One of the fatalities was in Henrico County and involved a bicyclist. A fatality in Chesterfield County involved a motorcycle, in which the rider was wearing a helmet, police said. The 10 deaths for the Friday-to-Sunday reporting period match the same number of deaths as last year’s four-day holiday weekend.

Death toll rises to 4 after Outer Banks fireworks explosion B3 OCRACOKE, N.C.—Two more workers who had been preparing for an Independence Day celebration died of injuries suffered when a truckload of fireworks exploded on a dock, authorities said. One of the workers died at the scene Saturday, and three others died later at area hospitals, including one who died yesterday, said Hyde County spokeswoman Jamie Tunnell.

The first visitors allowed into the Statue of Liberty’s crown in nearly eight years made the arduous climb yesterday on an Independence Day journey laden with symbolism of freedom - and for one couple, romance. Aaron Weisinger got down on one knee on the crown’s small floor, pulled out a diamond ring and proposed to his girlfriend, Erica Breder. Stunned, Breder squeezed her eyes shut as tears rolled down her cheeks and whispered an immediate yes.

Over the years, Susan Brown spent many Independence Days with family and friends, tailgating in a parking lot behind the Department of Motor Vehicles on West Broad Street in Richmond. It was the perfect place to watch the fireworks show taking place at The Diamond. But with no baseball and no show, the gang needed to find a new place to watch the night sky yesterday.

Fourth of July celebrations in Richmond culminate in spectacular fireworks.

All are today unless otherwise noted.

Tomorrow’s the biggest picnic day of the year—and you have nothing patriotic to jazz up your Fourth of July table. Not to worry. Chris Nease can help you dazzle your guests. Not the pricey, impossibly obscure-materials kind of help. The quick, dollar-store kind of help. Nease, a Chester wife and mother of two, can take a few sheets of paper, some twine, a couple of pillar candles, plain white cups and a shower caddy and turn it into a party table worthy of an upscale home magazine.

Planning to display your American flag for the Fourth? Do it right. Basic respect is the key, according to Mike Darlington, commander of American Legion Post 354 in Bon Air. “The flag should be serviceable,“ Darlington said. “It shouldn’t be faded, torn or tattered. If it’s worn out, go ahead and replace it.“ If you leave the flag flying at night, it should be illuminated, Darlington said. If not, it should be taken indoors.

Three families reflect on their new freedoms. Abdul Karim Dumbuya, who has been reunited with wife and son after the strife of Sierra Leone, considers himself “blesed and lucky.“

ROSS MACKENZIE Times-Dispatch Columnist A4th of July conversation between Dude—a teenager—and his Uncle Sam . . . Yo, Uncle. Wasup? Good morning, Dude. What am I doing? I’m getting into my suit for the parade. What’re you gonna be in a parade for? They gonna have a lot of hot chicks and cool floats? I don’t know about that, Dude. But I do know there will be many military people and ordinary citizens—and brass bands playing Sousa marches and songs about America. It’s our annual celebration of independence and liberty.

As we head into a star-spangled weekend, these annual events are guaranteed to put some red, white and blue into your July Fourth outings. Check our weekly calendar, on Page D5, for more things to do. And don’t miss The Times-Dispatch and TimesDispatch.com tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday for your neighbors’ thoughts about what freedom means and coverage of Fourth festivities.

The Founders anticipated that their countrymen and their descendants could commemorate the signing of the Declaration of Independence with reverence and enthusiasm. The Fourth of July stands as the nation’s most important, and beloved, secular holiday. From time to time good citizens fear the Fourth might be losing its luster. In 1950, the secretary of the Treasury ordered that replicas of the Liberty Bell be cast and distributed to the states. The bell designated for Virginia followed a circuitous path before ending up at a Charlottesville firehouse, where it remains, a noble symbol of self-evident truths.