Celebrating Independence Day with astounding facts about our states

Reader’s Digest recently published surprising facts about each of our 50 states [1].

In the spirit of celebrating our nation’s Independence Day, let’s enjoy some of the highlights (maybe you can share them at your July 4th BBQ tomorrow).

Did you know…

• Oklahoma is the only state with an official state meal.  The meal consists of fried okra, squash, cornbread, barbecue pork, biscuits, sausage and gravy, grits, corn, strawberries, chicken-fried steak, pecan pie, and black-eyed peas.
• “Spec-taters” gather in Boise, Idaho every New Year to observe a 16-foot-tall steel-and-foam potato drop.
• Topographic testing of Kansas and a pancake revealed that Kansas is indeed “flatter than a pancake.”
• Alexandria, Iowa is home to the works largest painted ball.  More than 50 years ago, a baseball was dropped in paint.  Its creator adds more coats of paint to the ball each year.  The baseball now weighs 4000 pounds and is 14 feet in diameter.
• The fastest-talking citizens in our nation reside in Oregon.
• In 1988, Louisiana State University football fans celebrated their team’s victory with so much hysteria that a local seismograph actually detected the celebration as an earthquake.
• The state of Wyoming has two sets of escalators in the entire state.
• “Idiots” are not allowed to vote by New Mexico state law (Note: the law does not define what makes a person an idiot, so this does not appear to be something that can be enforced) [1].

I wish all NPs, PAs, and healthcare workers a happy and safe 4th of July. 

Nikki Rataj Casady, DMSc, PA-C

email@appcolleague.org