Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard Raising Healthy Eaters

Posted on July 8, 2021July 8, 2021 by Bob Ballard

While a lot of parents may deal with kids who are picky eaters, Tyler Hubbard isn’t one of them. The Florida Georgia Line singer and wife Hayley have three kids and they are all pretty healthy eaters.

“They eat the same thing we eat every night. That’s kind of our thing,” he shares. “Like, whatever’s on our plate, that’s what’s on the menu tonight. There’s no other options.”

Tyler even planted a garden as a way to encourage his kids to eat healthy, with them helping him maintain it.

“They’re intrigued by it so much and fascinated, and love even just pickin’ it off the vine and eatin’ it,” he says. “It’s definitely not how I grew up but I’m really happy that we are where we’re at, and it’s fun to see the kids happy about eatin’ healthy food.”

Source: Florida Georgia Line

This day in Country Music History

Posted on July 8, 2021July 8, 2021 by Bob Ballard

Today in 1972, when a concert date was cancelled, Barbara Mandrell officially joined the Grand Ole Opry, three weeks earlier than scheduled.
Today in 1992, Garth Brooks and then-wife, Sandy Brooks, welcomed their first child, daughter Taylor Mayne Pearl Brooks, in Nashville.
Today in 1993, the “Merry Christmas To You” album by Reba McEntire was certified gold.
Today in 1994, Travis Tritt scored a #1 hit with his single, “Foolish Pride.”
Today in 1996, Keifer Thompson moved to Nashville from Oklahoma. Shortly after, he meets future wife and fellow Thompson Square partner Shawna McIlwain.
Today in 1997, Marty Stuart married Connie Smith on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. Afterward, they drove out into the wilderness and end up dancing on a cliff to Buck Owens’ “Your Tender Loving Care.”
Today in 1998, Brooks & Dunn’s “If You See Her” album was certified gold and platinum simultaneously.
Today in 1998, the Roy Orbison Estate filed a $12-million royalty suit against Sony Music Entertainment Inc. The suit alleged that Sony, in selling licenses from the artist’s Monument Records master recordings, consistently underpaid Roy in domestic and international royalties.
Today in 2000, Lee Ann Womack’s “I Hope You Dance” began a five-week ride at #1 on the Billboard country chart.
Today in 2002, Brad Paisley was #1 on the country charts with his single, “I’m Gonna Miss Her (The Fishin’ Song).”
Today in 2010, Taylor Swift shot the wedding scene for her “Mine” video at the Christ Church in Kennebunk, Maine, with British actor Toby Hemingway in the role of the groom.
Today in 2013, Darius Rucker’s single, “Radio,” was released.
Today in 2014, Florida Georgia Line’s “Dirt” hit the airwaves.
Today in 2016, Garth Brooks became the first country artist to headline at the new Yankee Stadium in New York. He sang two songs written by New Yorker Billy Joel, “Shameless” and “Piano Man.” Brooks also joined wife Trisha Yearwood on “In Another’s Eyes.”
Today in 2017, Julianne Hough married NHL player Brooks Laich near Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Her brother, Derek Hough, was a member of the wedding party. The couple announced their separation (after months of questions) in May 2020.

Teen on life support after deadly Adventureland ride

Posted on July 7, 2021 by Rick Watts

A teenager injured in an accident on an Iowa amusement ride that killed his younger brother remained on life support Wednesday (7/7) as he turned 16, his family pastor said.

David Jaramillo has been in a medically induced coma at Blank Children’s Hospital since Saturday’s accident on the Raging River at Adventureland Park in Altoona, pastor Christian Shields said.

David has some brain function and has woken up a couple times at the Des Moines hospital, opening his eyes and asking what happened, he said. He remains hooked up to breathing machines, but doctors are hoping to wean him off life support, Shields said.

Shields, the pastor at Christian Life Church in Cedar Rapids, said it’s a miracle that David is alive after being pinned underneath a boat in water for several minutes. The church planned a prayer vigil for the family Wednesday night and is sponsoring a GoFundMe page that has raised $30,000.

“We’ll be praying for life for David, that his brain function would miraculously be undamaged and unhindered and have no long-term lasting effects on him,” he said. “He’s still in very serious condition, but there’s some good signs.”

Friends have brought balloons to the hospital for David’s birthday, but “there won’t be a lot of celebrating.”

The Jaramillo family, of Marion, Iowa, went to Adventureland to celebrate David’s upcoming birthday on Saturday. David, a junior at Linn-Mar High School, had been excited about getting his driver’s license as a step toward freedom and adulthood, Shields said.

David, his younger brothers Gus, 14, and Michael, 11; their 18-year-old cousin Nyla Pettie; and parents Sabrina and David Jaramillo boarded a boat for the ride on Saturday night. A family-friendly staple of the park since 1983, the ride uses a conveyor belt to push circular boats through rapids.

The family’s boat flipped over within 20 seconds of the ride beginning, Shields said, causing all six to hit their heads on the surface below and trapping them in their seatbelts underneath the water.

What caused the raft to flip remains under investigation, but at least one of its eight bladders was deflated, according to a mandatory “major breakdown” report filed by Adventureland with the state and released to The Associated Press.

Adventureland attorney Guy Cook said the bladder could have deflated upon overturning, and it’s premature to draw any conclusions. He said it was the first time one of the boats had flipped out of tens of thousands of launches in the ride’s 38-year history.

Nyla managed to unbuckle herself and Gus and the two got out with minor injuries, Shields said.

The boat was crushing the shoulder of 43-year-old David, and he could hear his bones crunching as he ripped his shoulder out from underneath to break free, Shields said. He and Sabrina got out and could see their sons face down in the river, but could not move the boat because of David’s arm injuries.

They screamed for help as other rafts passed by, and believe that at least 10 minutes passed before workers shut off water to the ride and the boys were freed from the water, he said. Emergency responders on site began with life-saving measures and CPR very quickly, but several minutes passed before an ambulance could reach them and take the four most seriously injured to the hospital.

Cook said the timeline of the accident remains under investigation.

Doctors decided to remove Michael, who was going into sixth grade at Boulder Peak Intermediate School, from life support Sunday after he showed no brain function and his organs had failed. Shields said he and other pastors held the boy’s hand and sang as doctors disconnected the machine.

Shields had gotten to know Michael this summer because the boy had volunteered for a church fundraiser cleaning a local minor league baseball stadium after games. He promised he would show up for all 12 nights and he did, joyfully picking up trash and beer bottles.

Shields said Michael was “full of smiles and laughter and jokes,” loved small dogs, playing video games and hanging with friends.

“The potential that has been robbed from this world is incalculable with a young man like Michael,” he said. “He is a gem.”

The Polk County Medical Examiner’s Office said Wednesday an autopsy on Michael has been completed but the cause and manner of death remain under investigation.

New law bans city, county licenses or fees for temp businesses run by kids

Posted on July 7, 2021July 7, 2021 by Rick Watts

BY O. KAY HENDERSON

Under a new state law, kids who mow lawns, walk dogs or launch other temporary businesses don’t have to pay any business-related fees to cities or counties. Representative Jon Jacobsen of Council Bluffs calls it the Youth Entrepreneurship Act.

“Encourages problem solving, the desire to earn money is fostered, how to sell is inculcated, customer service, tenacity, creativity, leadership and networking,” Jacobson said during House debate, “all virtues in expanding free market enterprise among our youth in the state of Iowa.”

Under the new law, cities and counties cannot require permits, licenses or any fees for businesses run by Iowans under the age of 18, as long as the business operates for no more than 89 days every year. The Iowa Senate gave the proposal unanimous support.

“(It) encourages good working habits, life skills and other opportunities for youth to help their local community,” Senator Roby Smith of Davenport said during Senate debate.

The proposal got the support of 79 Iowa House members, but a dozen voted against it. Representative Mary Wolfe of Clinton said the law is unnecessary because cities and counties aren’t imposing fees or requiring kids to get licenses or permits for their temporary businesses.

“One could just say, ‘Well it doesn’t hurt anything to vote yes’…but again this is arguably yet another attempt to micromanage local control and/or to suggest our local governments are artificially restricting entrepreneurship,” Wolfe said, “which I haven’t heard a single example of where that’s happening.”

Last year the legislature passed a law that forbids local city or county policies that require kids who run food stands to get permits or licenses. In 2011, Coralville police shut down three child-operated lemonade stands as thousands of bicyclists on RAGBRAI came through town because the kids didn’t have city permits to operate.

Official: Haiti President Jovenel Moïse assassinated at home

Posted on July 7, 2021 by Rick Watts

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — Gunmen assassinated Haitian President Jovenel Moïse and wounded his wife in their home early Wednesday, inflicting more chaos on the unstable Caribbean country that was already enduring an escalation of gang violence, anti-government protests and a recent surge in coronavirus infections.

Claude Joseph, the interim prime minister, confirmed the killing and said the police and military were in control of security in Haiti, where a history of dictatorship and political upheaval have long stymied the consolidation of democratic rule.

While the streets of the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, were quiet Wednesday morning, some people ransacked businesses in one area. The country appeared to be heading for fresh uncertainty ahead of planned general elections later this year. Moïse, 53, had been ruling by decree for more than a year after the country failed to hold elections and the opposition demanded he step down in recent months.

Former President Michel Martelly, whom Moïse succeeded, said he was praying for first lady Martine Moïse, calling the assassination “a hard blow for our country and for Haitian democracy, which is struggling to find its way.”

Joseph said Martine Moïse, 47, was shot and in a hospital. He condemned the president’s killing as a “hateful, inhumane and barbaric act.”

“The country’s security situation is under the control of the National Police of Haiti and the Armed Forces of Haiti,” Joseph said in a statement from his office. “Democracy and the republic will win.”

Missing Ottumwa Man

Posted on July 7, 2021 by Rick Watts

Ottumwa Police are asking for your help in finding a man who has been missing for almost three years. In August 2019, Timothy William-Michal Fortney was reported missing to Ottumwa Police. At that time, Fortney had not been seen for over a year. If you know where Timothy Fortney might be, contact Ottumwa Police at 641-683-0661. We’ll have his picture online at KBOE Radio dot com and Radio KMZN dot com.

Thomas Rhett Shares His Advice For Parents

Posted on July 7, 2021July 7, 2021 by Bob Ballard

With three daughters and a fourth one on the way, you’d think Thomas Rhett is an expert at parenting by now, but he wouldn’t necessarily agree.

When asked what advice he’d offer new parents, he says it’s that they need to “understand that you will never get to a point where you say, I figured it out, or I’ve gotten it all right.”

Thomas says it’s common for parents to “mess up” and it’s not always easy to have patience. “Take it day by day,” he says, “and even in your deepest frustration, always realize that you have kids that look up to you, and you get one chance to be their hero.”

Source: Thomas Rhett

This day in Country Music History

Posted on July 7, 2021July 7, 2021 by Bob Ballard

Today in 1954, Memphis disc jockey Dewey Phillips played Elvis Presley’s debut single, “That’s All Right,” on his radio show. It was the first time an Elvis record had ever been played on the radio.
Today in 1992, “Achy Breaky Heart” single by Billy Ray Cyrus was certified gold and platinum. “Weird Al” Yankovic later parodied it into “Achy Breaky Song.”
Today in 1993, the Recording Industry Association of America announced that Garth Brooks was the leading recording artist of the decade, with sales of 24 million records.
Today in 1995, Shania Twain topped the country charts with “Any Man of Mine.”
Today in 1995, Collin Raye’s album, “In This Life,” went platinum.
Today in 1998, LeAnn Rimes’ “Sittin’ On Top Of The World” album was certified gold and platinum.
Today in 1998, beloved singing cowboy Roy Rogers died of heart failure at the age of 86.
Today in 2002, the Dixie Chicks album, “Fly,” was certified with the coveted Diamond Award from the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which commemorates sales of 10-million units.
Today in 2004, Jimmy Buffett’s “Hey, Good Lookin'” video – featuring appearances by George Strait, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Clint Black and Alan Jackson – debuted on CMT.
Today in 2004, Big & Rich’s debut album, “Horse Of A Different Color,” was certified gold.
Today in 2007, Montgomery Gentry rolled straight sevens by topping the Billboard chart with “Lucky Man” on 7-7-07.
Today in 2007, Garth Brooks and Trisha Yearwood performed “We Shall Be Free” from the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington, D.C., for the Al Gore-sponsored Live Earth charity concerts.
Today in 2008, Keith Urban and Nicole Kidman welcomed their daughter, Sunday Rose Kidman Urban, at Baptist Hospital in Nashville.
Today in 2011, Blake Shelton’s “God Gave Me You” was released.
Today in 2012, Eric Church wrote his 2014 single, “Talladega,” with Luke Laird at the Times Union Center in Albany, New York.
Today in 2014, Luke Bryan’s “Roller Coaster,” which was written by Cole Swindell, hit the airwaves.
Today in 2017, Craig Morgan filed a $40-million suit against Kent Sporting Goods and a subsidiary that manufactured the live vest his son was wearing when he drowned in July 2016, indicating the vest was not certified for water sports, but had the appearance of vests that have been approved.
Today in 2017, Florida Georgia Line played the first of three summer stadium shows at Boston’s Fenway Park, joined by The Backstreet Boys, Nelly and Chris Lane. FGL and BSB team on “God, Your Mama, And Me,” Nelly covers “Die A Happy Man,” and the whole crew closed the concert with a mass version of “Cruise.”
Today in 2017, the film “Hickok” debuted with Trace Adkins and Kris Kristofferson having starring roles.

Mahaska County Board supports broadband internet study

Posted on July 6, 2021July 7, 2021 by Rick Watts

The Mahaska County Board voted Tuesday (7/6) to support a broadband internet study in the county. According to the agreement, MCG will hire someone to make the study…then the County will reimburse MCG. Mahaska County Economic Development Director Tom Flaherty compares the effort to bring broadband to the entire county to the effort in the 1930s to bring electricity to rural America.

“From my perspective, we have done the same thing with broadband. Broadband has simply become a basic utility. You probably wouldn’t build a new home in a lot that does not have access to electricity. And I don’t believe you’d build a new home nowadays without having access to broadband. And this is going to provide broadband to every household in the county.”

Flaherty says two-thirds of Mahaska County is underserved when it comes to broadband. The State of Iowa will give counties a grant to cover 75 percent of the cost of installing broadband, with the remainder to come from $4.3 million of funding Mahaska County is scheduled to receive through the American Recovery Act.

Many options now available for kayaking and canoes

Posted on July 6, 2021July 6, 2021 by Rick Watts

BY DAR DANIELSON

More and more people are trying out kayaks, canoes, and paddleboards as we hit summer.

DNR instructor, Todd Robertson, says you can have a lot of fun, but you need to learn a little before heading out. He says it’s best to practice first on a lake or pond. “The problem is, if you head straight to the river and you don’t have any paddling experience, you are going to run into trouble if you don’t know how to control that boat or that board. So, it is always advisable to hit flat water first,” Robertson says.

He says there’s no current to deal with and you can learn some techniques. “Learn what it is like to dump the boat. What are you going to do when that happens,” he says. “Know all that stuff before you go out on a river,” Robertson says.

He says the type of craft you select depends on what you want to do — if you want speed and to track straight, the longer the boat or board the better. The shorter they are, the easier they turn and maneuver on the water.

Robertson says Iowa also now has more advanced options for those who want more of a challenge. He says you can buy a whitewater boat and take lessons and go to one of the whitewater areas now available. “But you just have to use common sense, if we do that, we are going to be safe. It’s when we go out and we don’t have a life jacket, or we go on a river we are not ready for — that’s when we can end up in trouble,” he says.

Robertson says you can take kids along with you kayaking and canoeing. Robertson says as long as parents are experienced and you go out in a group, it can be safe. “Especially on a lake. That changes when you get out on moving water,” he says. “So you don’t want to be a new family with kids and have never been on a river before and just take the whole family out.”

Robertson says there are plenty of training courses available so you are ready when you decide to hit the water.

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