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Towering fireworks lit the Friday night sky and dazzled throngs of spectators on River Street for about 20 minutes as well as on the beaches of Tybee Island, drawing the 232nd anniversary of America's independence to a festive close.

A Long County teenager has died of injuries he suffered and a second teen was hospitalized after a single-vehicle wreck Thursday afternoon in Long County.

HINESVILLE - When Harold Hicks was 28 years old, it was 1946, and all he wanted to do after leaving the U.S. Army's battle campaigns during World War II in Europe and Africa was to get on with his life.

ATLANTA - As Georgians celebrate the nation's independence from England and are reminded of their heritage as immigrants, the issue of illegal immigration has fueled differences among the five candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.

GEORGIA POWER

A Savannah man was arrested and charged Thursday in the shooting of two local musicians early Saturday morning, and authorities are searching for a second suspect in the attack.

Ashamir Donshaye Johnson, 19, was tracked down by police after a CrimeStoppers tip led to a home in the 900 block of East 39th Street, Savannah-Chatham Police Chief Michael Berkow said. A search was launched for the other suspect, identified by metro police as Desmond Antonio Hunter, 21.

Hunter remained at large Thursday. He is believed to be armed and dangerous, Berkow said.

Scroll to the bottom or click here for video from Chief Michael Berkow addressing the media concerning Johnson's arrest.

A revised concept design for a World War II monument in Oglethorpe Square was rejected Thursday afternoon by the Savannah-Chatham County Historic Site and Monument Commission.

The 4-1 vote to ambush acceptance of the design leaves the project with an uncertain future.

Scroll to the bottom or click here as monumnet architect Eric Meyerhoff talks about the design.

The vote came on a motion by Gordon B. Smith, the commission's vice chairman, who said the proposed monument was incompatible with the Moravian monument already in Oglethorpe Square and was "completely antagonistic" to surrounding structures such as the Owens-Thomas House and the Marine Hospital.

U.S. Army Sgt. Kyle French didn't want his best friend to arrive from Iraq on Thursday and have no family there to greet him.

That happened to French back in January 2006. And he has never forgotten how that felt.

"I didn't think it would be a big deal," said French - who returned from Iraq himself on Tuesday, this time to family members waiting.

"Everyone ran to their family, and I went to get my bags," he recalled about the 2006 return. "I think I underestimated the emotional impact of the situation."

French and his wife, his sister and her husband waited near the bleachers Thursday on Cottrell Field at Fort Stewart for Sgt. Ruben Morales, whose family lives in California.

Coastal Empire marinas and rescue services expect no fewer boaters this holiday weekend than a year ago, despite fuel prices that have spiked more than a dollar a gallon since the last Fourth of July.

JEKYLL ISLAND - Dylan, the loggerhead sea turtle released into the wild this week, has been exploring the waters off Georgia's Cumberland Island.

Scroll to the bottom to view video footage of Dylan's return to the ocean.

Wildlife specialist Stefanie Ouellette said the turtle is curious about the new world she's been released into after spending her whole life in captivity. Ouellette is the education coordinator at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center at Jekyll Island, where Dylan had been cared for before her release Monday. Ouellette said in the next few days, the turtle will get hungry and likely will swim back to more open water to feed.

The center is able to track the turtle's whereabouts through a satellite transmitter on Dylan's back.

Dylan is the first sea turtle released from the Georgia Aquarium and the 15th of the species to be returned to the wild by the Sea Turtle Center.

Fireworks shows

Anne Johnston will be one of the millions of Georgians who stay home this holiday weekend.

But Johnston, a senior consultant for Morris Travel in Augusta, can't say the same for her customers.

"I have more people traveling this week than any other typical week, and most are going on short cruises," said Johnston, who has been booking vacations for 22 years. "We've also had a lot of requests for Hilton Head and Charleston, so, of course, they will be driving."

About 40.4 million people are expected to leave home this Independence Day weekend, according to a recent survey by AAA. The Southeast will lead the nation in the number of travelers, followed by the West.

Overall, however, the number of people traveling is down by 1.3 percent compared with 2007, when gas was more than a dollar cheaper.

On this Independence Day weekend, decade-old records are being broken. For the first time in 10 years, according to AAA, the number of travelers will decline. Its data suggest that 40.4 million Americans will take to the road, approximately 600,000 fewer than last year.

CINCINNATI - With people trying to cope with $4-a-gallon gas and higher grocery prices, many are looking to coupons as a viable solution.

When David Hausenfluck finished filling up his tank last week, he was shocked to see that it had cost him $32 - not for his automobile, but for his lawn mower.

COMING SUNDAY: Think gas stations are making a killing on high fuel prices? Guess again.

DETROIT - Faced with soaring gas prices, a sputtering economy and a rapid U.S. market shift away from trucks, the U.S. auto industry's weakest player, Chrysler, may have to file for bankruptcy or sell its storied Jeep and Dodge Ram brands as early as next year, JPMorgan said Thursday.

SALT LAKE CITY - Starting next month, it will be "TGIT" for Utah state employees. As in: "Thank God It's Thursday."

SAN JOSE, Calif. - The need was direct: how to facilitate the exchange of money and goods between a consumer and an online merchant.

Sam Gant considers himself blessed.

"My truck is paid for and my children are grown, so my wife and I are still getting by," said Gant, who's been driving big rigs for more than 25 years.

"I'm one of the lucky ones these days."

Indeed, for many of the area's independent owner-operators, Independence Day 2008 feels like anything but as they struggle to keep their rigs on the road in the face of spiraling diesel fuel costs.

"Some drivers, especially those with truck payments and young families, are really hurting right now," Gant said. "When diesel goes over $5 a gallon, I don't see how anyone is going to make it."

Gant, who pulls containers in and out of the ports, said he's spending an average of $2,200 a week on fuel.

"That's $1,000 more than it was just a year ago, but I'm still making the same rate of pay."

BERLIN - The warnings from politicians and the unions were dire: Raise interest rates and it will hurt the economy and jobs. European Central Bank president Jean-Claude Trichet paid them no heed Thursday as the bank raised its benchmark rate a quarter percentage point.

DALLAS - Many more job cuts, possibly totaling more than 6,000, are likely at American Airlines as the nation's biggest airline hunkers down and tries to survive record high fuel costs.

WASHINGTON - The nation lost jobs for a sixth month in a row in June, a storm of pink slips drenching this year's July Fourth holiday for more than 60,000 Americans and leaving thousands more worried about the future.

Weighed down by energy prices and the housing crisis, employers laid off workers in stores, factories and forsaken building sites.

With more job cuts expected in coming months, there's growing concern that many people will pull back on their spending later this year when the bracing effect of the tax rebates fades, dealing a dangerous setback to the shaky economy. These worries are rekindling recession fears.

"The deteriorating jobs climate will dampen many a barbecue this weekend. It's hard to celebrate when you are out of a job," said Richard Yamarone, economist at Argus Research.

NEW YORK - Oil prices raced above $145 a barrel for the first time Thursday as traders added to their bets on the commodity ahead of the long holiday weekend.

ATLANTA - Jason Perry filled in quite nicely for Jeff Francoeur.

FRIDAY'S SCORE: Savannah Sand Gnats 4, Greenville Drive 3

NEW YORK - Joey Chestnut reclaimed the top spot at the annual hot dog-eating contest in Coney Island on Friday after first tying with archrival Takeru Kobayashi in a 10-minute chow-down and then beating him in a five-dog eat-off.

WIMBLEDON, England - Add up all of Roger Federer's greatness on grass courts, and the numbers are striking: 40 wins in a row at Wimbledon, 65 overall on the surface.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Denny Hamlin held off teammate Kyle Busch to win Friday night at Daytona International Speedway and extend Joe Gibbs Racing's dominance in the Nationwide Series.

Ava Ancrum can't say enough about her Garden City Lady Eagles 14-and-under fastpitch softball team.

WIMBLEDON, England - Nobody can truly imagine what Venus and Serena Williams are going through as they prepare to face each other in their third All-in-the-Family Wimbledon final today. How does one fathom what it feels like to grow up in the same room as your sister, spend your entire life loving and admiring her, and then have to compete against her on your sport's biggest stage with a $1.5 million check on the line?

NEW YORK - Less than 24 hours after Jaromir Jagr was told that the New York Rangers couldn't wait any longer to try to negotiate a new deal, the 36-year-old Czech right winger signed a lucrative two-year contract with an option to play for Avangard-Omsk, a Russian team that is part of the new Continental Hockey League.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Although Dale Earnhardt Inc. might not be a championship contender, it showed Friday it still can be a force at Daytona International Speedway.

ATLANTA - Ethiopia's Terefe Maregu won the Peachtree Road Race on Friday, with Ethiopian or Kenyan runners sweeping the top 10 spots of the 10-kilometer event.

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Braves decided their hometown favorite needed to get away from home - and away from the major leagues - to work his way through the worst slump of his career.

NEW ORLEANS - Chris Paul and the Hornets reached a contract agreement Thursday that could keep the All-Star point guard with the team for at least the next four seasons.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. - Pennant fever is alive in the oddest of places.

Matt Ryan isn't apologizing for benefiting from a system that allows top NFL draft picks to receive massive contracts. Even so, he appreciates where Roger Goodell was coming from last week when the commissioner questioned paying millions in guaranteed salary to rookies who have yet to play a down in the league.

PARIS - For a second year running, the Tour de France has no defending champion and no star. More than ever, the showcase event desperately needs a clean race following the recent doping scandals that have brought the 105-year institution to its knees.

Whether the battered Tour can get up off the canvas is as uncertain as picking the favorite, given that 2007 champ Alberto Contador, mountain expert Michael Rasmussen and former favorite Ivan Basso are not taking part.

Tour organizers hope an intense cleanup operation will help avoid a major doping scandal during the event, which will begin Saturday and run through July 27.

Australia's Cadel Evans, runner-up last year, and Alejandro Valverde of Spain, winner of the prestigious pre-Tour tune-up at the Dauphine Libere earlier this month, will be eyeing the famed yellow jersey.

"So what are we supposed to do with our light bulbs if they have mercury in them, because I've got a number of them in my home and in my workshop, I've just been throwing them in the trash. What are we supposed to do with them? Somebody needs to inform the public."

Swimming has been a part of Nash McIntosh's life since he was a youngster growing up at Isle of Hope. He swam competitively in college and while serving in the U.S. Navy, and most every day takes the plunge at Tybee Island.

Keep that Fourth of July fashion going through the holiday weekend without going overboard.

Something didn't feel right for Ray and Barbara Rudolph as they looked over the guests at a recent island wedding.

KINGSTON, Jamaica - Plans to translate the Bible into patois - Jamaica's unofficial language - have ignited a fiery debate that stretches beyond the shores of this island nation.

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TODAY

We asked and you responded. Here are your responses to last week's question: "What would you suggest as a solution to curbing fuel usage by the school system?"

For three decades, carpeted walls blocked out natural light in the Telfair Academy Sculpture Gallery.

"All of this whole room was covered up with these carpeted walls they installed in the late '70s," said Telfair buildings curator Greg Jacobs. "It was then very in-fashion. It was hip to have beige carpet walls."

Jacobs is surrounded by the rubble of renovation - piles of debris, stacks of recovered original baseboard and bent old nails in the museum's lower chamber.

The Sculpture Gallery is closed through August, as the Telfair Museum works to renovate the room to its original condition.

Walls must go

The first step was to tear down those carpeted walls. Jacobs' team did that this week, flooding the gallery with light from the high windows.

Everyone knows the right combination of discipline and nurture is key to raising a happy, healthy child. These two often-contradictory factors play a big part in a beautiful, flourishing garden as well. While the nurture of food and water is well-known to most folks, the discipline part is often misunderstood.

Whether you're dealing with vegetables, perennial flowers or annuals, all of these require attention to keep fruit and blooms coming at a fast clip. Mechanisms within the plants tell them when to start flowering in spring and stop producing in late summer or fall. If we can thwart the "stop" mechanism, we can get plants to think it's still spring and continue forming new buds.

The stop mechanism is seed production, which begins with the flower's fading. This can happen in just a few days with fast-growing French marigolds, for example.