5 Things: A Great Day to Leaf Peep in Bedford

1. A beautiful fall day. Mother Nature has some great autumn weather to offer today as the forecasted high today is 64 degrees with sunny skies and a zero-percent chance of rain.

2. Get out there. Be sure to take advantage of the season while you can. If you haven't been apple or pumpkin picking yet, there's still time. Here's a list of some great local fall activities. And while you're at it, check out these amazing leaf-peeping hot spots in Bedford.

3. All clear. Bedford Police phone lines are back to normal today, after the department upgraded its phone system yesterday causing some delays to those who called dispatch.

4. Don't have time to read the paper? No worries. Get the top news in your inbox each morning by signing up for our FREE daily newsletter!

5. Alaska! On this day, in 1867, the United States purchased what would later become its 49th state from Russia for $7.2 million, which translated to 2 cents for each of the state's 586,412 acres. According to History.com:

Public opinion of the purchase turned more favorable when gold was discovered in a tributary of Alaska's Klondike River in 1896, sparking a gold rush. Alaska became the 49th state on January 3, 1959, and is now recognized for its vast natural resources. Today, 25 percent of America's oil and over 50 percent of its seafood come from Alaska. It is also the largest state in area, about one-fifth the size of the lower 48 states combined, though it remains sparsely populated.

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