Upside-Down Independence Day

Neighboring small towns, Coon Creek and Golden Springs, Ohio, enter their own little war, and may never be the same after the coming Fourth of July celebration.

Coon Creek, a conservative, industrial, blue-collar town, has seen better days. Golden Springs is home to Antaeus College, a private institution with a tradition of liberal politics. No love lost between those two.

Mazie Tuttle, a professional dog walker, knows both towns well. Born and raised in Coon Creek, she enrolls in the Antaeus...