On this day in 2009, Darius Rucker received a gold single for “Don’t Think I Don’t Think About It”. The song was Rucker’s first single from his album Learn to Live.
The song made Rucker the first individual African-American artist to chart a number one country hit since Charley Pride’s “Night Games” reached the top of the charts in September 1983.
Keith Urban helped Musicians On Call (MOC) celebrate their 10th Anniversary in Nashville on Wednesday (2/1) by making a surprise visit to The Children’s Hospital at TriStar Centennial. During his visit, Urban serenaded patients and their families as part of MOC’s Bedside Performance Program, performing acoustic renditions of some of his biggest hits including “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” “Wasted Time” and “Somebody Like You.”
· Keith says, “The power of music to not only connect people, but to bring comfort into someone’s life is something quite divine. I’m very grateful to Musicians On Call for the good work they do and honored to be a small part of that.”
The Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office would like to make all residents of Mahaska County aware that citizens have been receiving numerous reports in reference to scams within the Mahaska County area. Lately the Sheriff’s Office has been informed that citizens are receiving calls from subjects who claim to be affiliated with Mid-American Energy and are telling people that their power will be disconnected unless a payment is made. The method of payment that has been suggested is by gift card/pre-paid credit card and giving the numbers from the back of the card over the phone. The scammer has also been giving out a phone number of 1-800-490-2177.
The Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office has notified Mid-American Energy about the scam and they advised they were already aware of this scam. Mid-American stated that it has been reported in several other surrounding areas.
The Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office would also like to inform the public about another scam that involves a phone call from a person claiming to be an attorney and that they are representing a family member of yours whom has been arrested and currently in jail. The person on the phone will then instruct you on how to send them money or suggest payment by gift card/pre-paid credit card and then asks the citizen to give them the numbers from the back of the card over the phone. The Sheriff’s Office has also received reports that when subjects call you they will state “can you hear me” and they will record your response. They will use that recording for part of their scam. The Sheriff’s Office is recommending that citizens do not answer any calls if you do not recognize the caller and let them leave a message.
The Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office would like all Mahaska County residents to be extremely cautious when giving any information over the phone. Upon receiving any calls that you believe could possibly be a scam, the Mahaska County Sheriff’s Office suggest calling the Mahaska County E911 Center (641-673-8403) before making any form of payment.
On this day in 1974, Dolly Parton’s “Jolene” hit #1 on the Billboard Country chart. The was released as the first single and title track from her album of the same name song. It became Parton’s second solo number-one single on the country charts.
The song has sold 733,000 digital copies in the US since it became available for digital download.
Willie Nelson has shared the details surrounding his upcoming studio album, God’s Problem Child, out April 28. Hitting shelves just one day before Willie’s 84th birthday on April 29, the album will consist of 13 all-new tracks, including seven songs that he co-wrote. One of the songs Nelson co-wrote is titled “Delete And Fast Forward,” which he has said is a reflection of his views on the 2016 presidential election.
God’s Problem Child track listing is as follows:
1. “Little House On The Hill” (Lyndel Rhodes)
2. “Old Timer” (Donnie Fritz / Lenny LeBlanc)
3. “True Love” (Willie Nelson / Buddy Cannon)
4. “Delete And Fast Forward” (Willie Nelson / Buddy Cannon)
5. “A Woman’s Love” (Mike Reid / Sam Hunter)
6. “Your Memory Has A Mind Of Its Own” (Willie Nelson / Buddy Cannon)
7. “Butterfly” (Sonny Throckmorton / Mark Sherrill)
8. “Still Not Dead” (Willie Nelson / Buddy Cannon)
9. “God’s Problem Child” (Jamey Johnson / Tony Joe White)
10. “It Gets Easier” (Willie Nelson / Buddy Cannon)
11. “Lady Luck” (Willie Nelson / Buddy Cannon)
12. “I Made A Mistake” (Willie Nelson / Buddy Cannon)
13. “He Won’t Ever Be Gone” (Gary Nicholson)
Oskaloosa–Katie Burnett refuses to give up on her dream, and last Saturday morning in The Golden State, she saw the fruits of her labor pay off as she became a race walk national champion with a pair of records to boot.
Burnett, a 2011 graduate of William Penn with a degree in Biology, became a Statesmen in the spring of 2009 and began her race-walking career shortly thereafter. The competition was only beginning to gain steam at that point, but she quickly fell in love and was committed to being the best she could be.
A collegiate national title did not come while donning the navy and gold, but she left a permanent mark on the institution, earning six NAIA All-America race-walking awards (three each in the 3,000-meter indoor and 5,000-meter outdoor races). A pure athlete, Burnett was also a more-than-competent javelin thrower and placed third in the NAIA in that event as a senior. She still holds school records in both race walk distances and in the javelin.
“When I was at WPU, I didn’t know how far I’d be able to go with race walking,” Burnett said. “I’m thankful to have the coaches and staff I had who fully supported my endeavors. Being in Oskaloosa was fantastic as well because the community was always so positive when I would be out training.”
Her story could have ended there, with a mountain of intercollegiate accomplishments. That is not in the DNA of Katie Burnett however. She desired to do more, to push the limits of her body, and this past Saturday, in Santee, Calif., at the 2017 USATF National Championships, Burnett raced to two American records and became the 50-kilometer national champion in a time of four hours, 26 minutes, and 37 seconds (4:26:37), walking at a pace of eight minutes, 35 seconds per mile. For her efforts, she won a cash prize of $8,000!
Burnett topped U.S. marks for the 40K (3:31:04) and 50K distances, defeating Erin Taylor-Talcott, the previous national record-holder, by nearly three minutes. The previous 50K record was 4:33:23.
“Thinking of those who believe in me keeps me going on days when I have trouble motivating myself,” Burnett said. “To break an American record, you come to realize that every day is important. It’s the accumulation of all those individual efforts, each day of practice, that adds up to make such an achievement possible, especially for a 50k. To perform on race day is paramount and comes from believing fully in yourself, your abilities, and having full faith in the plan. Executing what you practice is when amazing things happen.”
The win qualifies Burnett for this year’s Pan Am Cup in Lima, Peru on May 13-14. Unfortunately, while women’s race-walking grows in popularity throughout the world, the Olympics and World Championships still only offer a 20K competition. The women’s 50K did finally earn eligibility for a world record last November, and Burnett’s staggering performance currently ranks sixth all-time and is the second-fastest time this year.
The race-walking community continues to push for the women’s 50K to be added to meet schedules at track and field’s major showcases, but for now Burnett will push herself at both the 20K and 50K distances in hopes of becoming not just a national champion, but Olympic champion someday.
“I feel that the fitness and mentality I have now is at the highest point that it’s ever been, but I also feel like I’m just beginning to reach new levels of competition and have so much further that I can go,” Burnett said. “Big dreams aren’t easy to achieve, but the journey is what makes it all worth the climb.”
Story provided by Wade Steinlage
On this day in 1977, George Jones and Tammy Wynette topped the Billboard Country Charts with “Near You”. The song was their second consecutive #1 single since their divorce in 1975. The duo had only managed to top the charts once during their six-year marriage with “We’re Gonna Hold On” in 1973.
Garth Brooks’ youngest daughter, Allie, has released a video on Facebook that proves the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. In the video, the 20-year-old sings a stirring rendition of her dad’s 1995 chart-topper, “She’s Every Woman,” which has already been viewed more than 87,000 times. But Allie’s cover of Garth’s hit song isn’t the only music that appears on her Facebook page. She also covers songs by other artists and sings an original song called “I Believe.”
Oskaloosa had a big comeback year in football in 2016 under first year head coach Jake Jenkins, and with that some of the more notable athletes at OHS have decided to stay with football at the next level.
One of the first major dominoes to fall was senior Jack Moore, who formally committed to Northwest Missouri State University on Wednesday morning.
Moore talked about what led to his decision to be a Bearcat.
“I took a visit down there and I saw the campus,” Moore said. “I just thought it was the best decision for me. They’re going to give me everything I need to be successful in academics, such as tutoring help, whatever I need to do. And they’re one of the best football programs in the world.”
Moore was a great two-way player for the Indians and also served as a punter at times in special teams. But one position stuck out as Jack made his school choice.
“Hopefully I’ll play linebacker for them,” Moore explained. “I would like to eventually work up to a starting position but I know that’s going to take a couple years due to all the competition and things like that.”
Moore was a star defensively for the Indians, leading the team with 88 total tackles, 31 of which were solo. He also made or assisted on 14 tackles for loss and had 2.5 sacks.
Although his offensive days seem to be behind him, Moore was one of the more prolific receivers for Osky, catching a team-high 7 touchdowns on 16 receptions. He was second on the team with 439 receiving yards and led the team with 27.4 yards per catch as a big play threat.
Northwest Missouri State is a perennial powerhouse in NCAA Division II football, having won six national titles the last 20 years, including three of the last four years.
Leading the way for the Indians in receiving yards was Bennett Spry with 615. Spry committed to Iowa Western Community College to play football this week as well.
Osky football went 7-3 under first year head coach Jake Jenkins, qualifying for the playoffs before losing in the first round to eventual state champion Pella.
Moore is currently a major player for the Oskaloosa Boys’ Basketball team as well, while Spry figures to be a key cog for the Osky baseball team in the summer.
OSKALOOSA — Who doesn’t enjoy taking a walk in the woods on a sunny day? One group is working hard to make sure that a walk in the woods will stay pleasant.
The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation is committed to cleaning up waterways and keeping rural land well preserved. The INHF presented a slideshow during the Oskaloosa Kiwanis’ meeting Monday afternoon at the student union on the William Penn campus.
Following lunch and the meeting being called to order, Brooks Vander Beek, the Mark Akleson Fellowship holder in the INHF, delivered a presentation and slideshow regarding water quality and conservation efforts across Iowa.
Vander Beek, a graduate of Oskaloosa High School and Iowa State University, is one of the creators of the INHF. He believes that there is not just one need, but several needs that Iowa has when it comes to conservation.
“I don’t think that there is any one thing that sticks out more than others, but this is truly a quality of life initiative in the state of Iowa,” he said. “That needs to be the number one thing on our radar. Water quality, recreational places outdoors, and more opportunities for folks to get out and spend time outdoors.”
Vander Beek says that, with Iowa being a part of the Midwest, people will go outside for activities and they want everything to be in good shape.
“I think that we have done some great things in the past, and our water quality has probably gotten better,” he said. “But, we still have a long way to go, and there is a lot of research that backs us up. We just don’t have the funding to put these programs to put them into use.”
The Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation has been a major proponent of Iowa’s Water and Land Legacy (IWILL). In 2010, more than half of Iowans voted for a constitutional amendment to create the Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund, which is a permanent and protected funding source dedicated to clean water, productive agricultural soils and thriving wildlife habitats.
Vander Beek explains that the initiative is a state-wide effort, and requires a 3/8ths of a cent sales tax in the whole state to enact this.
“Who doesn’t like the scenic value of this, having scenic prairies, clean water and having opportunities to get out and about,” he said. “Part of Iowa is going out and seeing the scenery, and this is another reason to push this and the value of it.”
Eric Palmer, an attorney in Oskaloosa and member of the Kiwanis, feels that the INHF will bring out the best in each community that it has contact with.
“What the Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation is trying to promote is the IWILL program, which the majority of Mahaska County was in support of,” he said. “The whole point behind this is to not only improve water quality, but to enhance recreation and improve quality of life in the state.”
Palmer says that all that is needed is for the legislature to approve the new sales tax hike.
“What we need is for the legislature to pass the 3/8ths of a cent increase of the sales tax to fund this program,” he said. “It’s there waiting for funding, and it will improve the quality of life in the state. What they have been doing has been working, but that is just with the limited funding they have. If this is passed, it will generate around $180 million a year, and it will provide funding to help the agriculture situation. I hope people will contact their legislators and tell them they want to see this program funded.”
Story in the Oskaloosa Herald, January 31. Story written by Chris Rhea.
