I’m so glad the heat wave is over.

As you may have heard, Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce got married over the weekend. And, in a surprise twist, Granite Stater Adam Sandler officiated the ceremony. 

Sandler has long been a Swift fan thanks to his daughters, often talking publicly about how much they love her music. And Kelce appeared in Sandler’s “Happy Gilmore 2.”

That friendship apparently led to him standing at the altar. After the wedding, Sandler appeared to return to his home state. He was spotted stopping for ice cream and taking selfies with the staff at Sawyer’s Dairy Bar in Gilford on July 4.

The ice cream shop posted on Facebook July 5: “A Fourth of July we will never forget — look who stopped by Sawyer’s for some ice cream last night! Big thank you to Adam Sandler for the visit!!!!!” See the pics of Sandler in NH. 

Here’e some other news to know this evening:

Here’s what’s inside today’s newsletter:

📸 A pic of a peony 

📰 What we’re reading, like Ayotte’s veto of a bill that would have helped wrongfully convicted people prove their innocence.

📢 Question of the week: What does patriotism mean to you today?

P.S. Consider this a good-use-of-your-inbox moment. Know someone who’d appreciate it? Send it their way.

(Courtesy of Lisa Silbert)

Shoutout to Lisa Silbert of Hanover for sharing this beautiful photo of a peony that somehow survived all the rain!

Have a favorite New Hampshire photo you’d like to share? Just reply to this email with your picture—it could be featured in an upcoming newsletter.

Related: 10 places to see & smell wildflowers in New Hampshire

🏫 New Hampshire voters will get a direct say on school administrator budgets …

Starting next year, voters will be able to approve or reject separate budgets for their local school administration under a new state law. If voters reject the budget, administrator pay raises, new positions and new programs would be frozen at the previous year’s funding level. New Hampshire Bulletin

💼 Transparency is also at the center of another issue in Concord. New Hampshire’s right-to-know ombudsman has been vacant for a year …

The state’s right-to-know ombudsman position has sat empty since July 2025 after lawmakers cut its budget. The role was created to help resolve disputes over public records requests without going to court, but Gov. Kelly Ayotte has not appointed a replacement. New Hampshire Bulletin

❌ Meanwhile, another decision from the governor is drawing criticism. Ayotte vetoed a bill aimed at helping wrongfully convicted people prove their innocence …

The legislation would have eliminated New Hampshire’s three-year deadline for requesting a new trial based on newly discovered evidence. Supporters, including the New England Innocence Project, argued the change was needed to prevent innocent people from remaining behind bars. New Hampshire Bulletin

As America celebrated its 250th birthday this past weekend, many people took time to reflect on what it means to be an American. That got us wondering.

So this week’s question is…

What does patriotism mean to you today?

Here’s what you’re saying:

“In today’s reality, this nation has a lot about it that no rational human being should love. Robert De Niro has outlined that eloquently enough. So, in my view, patriotism has changed from loving your country somewhat blindly to a more basic meaning of the word. Having lived abroad for work for 11 years, we became very aware of the label expatriate. It simply means a person living outside their country of citizenship, but in our idealized use of the term, there is often an implication that someone loves their country less. To the point, I propose that being a patriot today simply means tolerating the deterioration of our country to the extent that we still choose to live here. Simply put, an expatriate lives abroad, while a patriot is a citizen who lives in their home country.”  — Tom Chew

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Katy Savage. It was edited by Crystal NIforos.

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