Bonneville County treasurer leads public 250th‑anniversary reading of the Declaration of Independence
February 14, 2026 | Bonneville County, Idaho
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Bonneville County Treasurer Craig Tibbets hosted a public ceremony to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, opening with a prayer, the Pledge of Allegiance and a public reading of the Declaration followed by a musical closing.
Tibbets told the assembled audience he was grateful to lead the event and said, "I love America. I love The United States Of America." He introduced a short program that included an opening prayer by Chaplain Kathy Carroll, the pledge led by Commissioner Jonathan Walker, and a performance by Blakely Caspersen.
The program included a staged reading of the Declaration of Independence performed in multiple voices. Organizers said the document would be read "exactly as how it was written in 1776," and readers recited passages including the well‑known line, "We hold these truths to be self‑evident, that all men are created equal." The reading proceeded despite a brief interruption when a reader said, "I can't read that," and the recital then resumed to its conclusion.
After the reading, Tibbets invited attendees to sign a commemorative scroll that he said will be handed to the State of Idaho. He also described "service cards" available at the event for people who want to log acts of civic service toward a stated goal of 250,000 acts of service between the present date and July 4.
Tibbets recognized elected officials and civic leaders in attendance, including county commissioners, the prosecuting attorney, sheriff, newly elected mayors from Idaho Falls and Ammon, and mayors from nearby towns. He also noted members of the Old Fort Hall chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution were present and providing refreshments.
The event closed with a performance of "God Bless America" by Carl Caspersen and his daughter Blakely Caspersen; Tibbets thanked performers and attendees and invited guests to remain for refreshments.
The ceremony was broadcast on YouTube, and organizers asked the audience to keep outside noise to a minimum during the livestream.
Tibbets told the assembled audience he was grateful to lead the event and said, "I love America. I love The United States Of America." He introduced a short program that included an opening prayer by Chaplain Kathy Carroll, the pledge led by Commissioner Jonathan Walker, and a performance by Blakely Caspersen.
The program included a staged reading of the Declaration of Independence performed in multiple voices. Organizers said the document would be read "exactly as how it was written in 1776," and readers recited passages including the well‑known line, "We hold these truths to be self‑evident, that all men are created equal." The reading proceeded despite a brief interruption when a reader said, "I can't read that," and the recital then resumed to its conclusion.
After the reading, Tibbets invited attendees to sign a commemorative scroll that he said will be handed to the State of Idaho. He also described "service cards" available at the event for people who want to log acts of civic service toward a stated goal of 250,000 acts of service between the present date and July 4.
Tibbets recognized elected officials and civic leaders in attendance, including county commissioners, the prosecuting attorney, sheriff, newly elected mayors from Idaho Falls and Ammon, and mayors from nearby towns. He also noted members of the Old Fort Hall chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution were present and providing refreshments.
The event closed with a performance of "God Bless America" by Carl Caspersen and his daughter Blakely Caspersen; Tibbets thanked performers and attendees and invited guests to remain for refreshments.
The ceremony was broadcast on YouTube, and organizers asked the audience to keep outside noise to a minimum during the livestream.
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