Welcome Back! Here's What You Missed

Welcome back! Whether you were up north and didn't have Internet or simply logged off for the weekend, don't worry – Patch is here to catch you up on everything you missed in Oakland Township.

Happy 235th birthday, America!

We asked shoppers at The Village of Rochester Hills and the several questions – including "How old will the United States be on Monday?" and "When was the Declaration of Independence adopted by Congress?" – and they gave us some .

Feelin' hot, hot, hot

Not that we need to tell you (unless you went waaaaay out of town), but it was a hot weekend here in Oakland Township.

Of course, there was the Saturday when temperatures soared into the mid-90s, and the hot and humid weather also prompted an .

In addition to the heat, a short-lived but rather rolled through town Saturday evening, knocking out power to almost 500 customers in northwestern Oakland Township. One resident reported that the storm had knocked down a very large tree in their backyard.

This guy deserves a raise

On Friday, we reported the story of an Oakland Township man who with his 40-caliber Smith & Wesson handgun. Luckily, the worker – who was there to repossess the resident's 2010 Ford truck – was not injured. The resident may face charges from the incident.

Yummy in your tummy

If you love berries and are looking for a delicious summer dessert your children can help you make, our mom columnist shared her in her Sunday column.

If you're more of a chocolate person, 5-year-old Rochester Hills resident Ethan Williams will be happy to show you in his instructional cooking video.

If you have your own recipe that you've tweaked to be more healthful, you can . The contest challenges foodies and home cooks to cut the fat, calories and/or salt from favorite family recipes without compromising taste or ease of preparation.

Back on the treadmill

For those of you returning to your exercise routines after pigging out on barbecued chicken, grilled corn, hot dogs and other traditional Fourth of July foods over the holiday weekend, our health and fitness blogger has a few suggestions for how to stay hydrated.

In the first of three blog posts about hydration and exercise, he tackles the topic of water vs. sports drinks. Which is better for you? When do you drink one and not the other? Read his most recent to find out.

For a look ahead at what's happening this week, check out our .