The National Weather Service has issued a Winter Storm Watch that will start at 6am Saturday, New Year’s Day, through midnight that evening. 3 to 5 inches of snow is forecast, with up to 8 inches possible near the Missouri state line. Strong winds are also predicted with this storm, which will result in blowing snow and wind chills as low as -20. Again, this Winter Storm Watch will start at 6am Saturday and last until midnight.
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Kenny Chesney pays tribute to friend John Madden
Posted on by Bob Ballard
NFL Hall of Famer John Madden died Tuesday at the age of 85. Well, Kenny Chesney, who considered Madden a friend, took to social media to pay tribute to him. “So long to my good friend John Madden. He was such a big part of the “Boys of Fall” film,” he wrote, referring to the 2011 high school football doc Kenny produced. “We became friends after his interview, and he’ll be missed by everyone that loves the game of football.” He added, “Thank you, John, for your time and for listening to my song and bringing so many people together on a Sunday afternoon. Rest In Peace, my friend.”
Check it out here.
This day in Country Music History
Posted on by Bob Ballard
- Today in 1944, Bob Willis & The Texas Playboys appeared on the Grand Ole Opry, which caused a stir when Monte Mountjoy’s drum set was moved onto the stage last minute. Drums were previously not allowed.
- Today in 1950, Lefty Frizzell made his first appearance on the Grand Ole Opry when he sang, “If You’ve Got The Money I’ve Got The Time” and “I Love You A Thousand Ways.”
- Today in 1956, Suzy Bogguss was born in Aledo, Illinois.
- Today in 1962, Brenda Lee suffered from a minor eye injury and had her hair singed when she unsuccessfully tried to rescue her poodle form a house fire in Nashville.
- Today in 1984, Gary Morris’ run in a New York production of the opera “La Boheme” concluded at the Anspacher Theater after 2 ½ months.
- Today in 2001, Neal McCoy joined Wayne Newton and comedian Drew Carey to entertain American troops at the Kandahar Airport in Afghanistan as a part of the USO’s Deliver America Tour.
- Today in 2010, Trace Adkins sang the national anthem and Ashton Shepherd performed “God Bless America” at the Music City Bowl at Nashville’s LP Field.
WHO: global COVID cases up 11% last week, omicron risk high
Posted on by Rick Watts
By: The Associated Press
BERLIN (AP) — The World Health Organization says the number of COVID-19 cases recorded worldwide increased by 11% last week compared with the previous week, with the biggest increase in the Americas. The gain followed a gradual increase since October.
The U.N. health agency said in its weekly epidemiological report released late Tuesday that there were nearly 4.99 million newly reported cases around the world from Dec. 20-26.
Europe accounted for more than half the total, with 2.84 million, though that amounted to only a 3% increase over the previous week. It also had the highest infection rate of any region, with 304.6 new cases per 100,000 residents.
WHO said that new cases in the Americas were up 39% to nearly 1.48 million, and the region had the second-highest infection rate with 144.4 new cases per 100,000 residents. The U.S. alone saw more than 1.18 million cases, a 34% increase.
Reported new cases in Africa were up 7% to nearly 275,000.
The agency said that “the overall risk related to the new variant … omicron remains very high.” It cited “consistent evidence” that it has a growth advantage over the delta variant, which remains dominant in parts of the world.
It noted that a decline in case incidence has been seen in South Africa, and that early data from that country, the U.K. and Denmark suggest a reduced risk of hospitalization with omicron. But it said that more data is needed “to understand the clinical markers of severity including the use of oxygen, mechanical ventilation and death, and how severity may be impacted by vaccination and/or prior … infection.”
WHO said that the number of newly reported deaths worldwide last week was down 4% to 44,680.
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Follow all AP stories on the pandemic at https://apnews.com/hub/coronavirus-pandemic
Do your research before rushing to make year-end donations to charity
Posted on by Rick Watts
BY MATT KELLEY
With just a few days left in 2021, many Iowans are making year-end donations to charities, but they’re warned to look closely before writing the check.
Teresa Fritz, with the Better Business Bureau, says to do some research before donating a dime. Fritz says the bureau evaluates many hundreds of charities at the website Give.org based on 20 different factors, with one of the biggest being accountability.
Fritz says, “We look to see if they are using their money wisely and that it’s going to actually run the organization and not just paying for the administration.” Many charities receive one-third of their annual donations during the holiday season, so these year-end gifts are important. Fritz says sometimes the names of organizations will sound alike, but their support is very different.
“Before you give, be sure you have the exact name of the charity to avoid a case of mistaken identity,” Fritz says. “Sometimes, charities that do not use their money wisely will try to have a similar name.” If you get a phone call from a charity you’re not familiar with, don’t give, especially if someone is pressuring you.
When you’re making a gift, she suggests plastic may have advantages over cash or a check. “We encourage people to use their credit cards, because you do have some assistance and safety with using your credit card,” she says. “If you would find out the organization is a scam, you can stop the donation on your credit card or stop a check, if you can talk to your bank right away.”
Anyone can access the Better Business Bureau’s Give.org website for free. It’s part of the Wise Giving Alliance.
House GOP members trying to develop policy on trans athletes
Posted on by Rick Watts
Seven states have passed laws in 2021 that restrict transgender athletes from participating in girls sports activities in schools.
House Speaker Pat Grassley says “a lot of” House Republicans have an interest in passing similar legislation here, but he says the key is ensuring what’s passed could be enforced by the Iowa Girls High School Athletic Union and the Iowa High School Athletic Association.
“We shouldn’t just pass something so we can go home and say: ‘We passed something.’ If we’re going to pass policy, it has to be a policy that they can implement,” Grassley says. “…We’re trying to come up with a way that gives the clarity that’s needed because, ultimately, they’re the ones that are going to have to make sure who’s participating in what.”
Grassley says while there’s no bill ready on day one of the 2022 legislative session, that does mean one won’t emerge before the end of the 2022 legislative session.
“I spend about four days a week of mine in a gymnasium, watching my two daughters play a lot of extracurricular activities,” Grassley says. “This is an issue that I hear a lot about.”
Grassley says he’s also hearing from school board members who’re asking for a statewide policy on books in schools that some parents complain have pornographic content. Grassley says ensuring parents get input in their child’s education is a huge topic nationally right now.
“A bill that goes in and says: ‘You’re going to ban X, Y, Z book’ — a very hard piece of policy to craft, obviously,” Grassley says, “but the conversation itself will continue.”
House Minority Leader Jennifer Konfrst, a Democrat from Windsor Heights, says these types of conversations are not helpful to resolving the state’s workforce shortage.
“In the last session, Iowa had the most LGBTQ bills of any state in the country introduced and none passed. Even the introduction of those bills sends a hateful message to people who are looking to live here or stay here after they graduate from college,” Konfrst says. “We need to be doing things to make Iowa more inclusive, not less.”
The 2022 Iowa legislative session starts on Monday, January 10.
Senator Grassley: talk to your doctor for best COVID advice
Posted on by Rick Watts
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley says if you are confused by all the talk about COVID — there’s one thing to do.
“Listen to their own doctor — particularly on vaccinations — be as cautious as you can. Don’t listen to the politicians,” Grassley says. The Republican from New Hartford says Democrats have politicized the issue, and cites President Joe Biden’s recent statement that there is no federal solution to the pandemic.
“If Trump had said that same thing, he would be lambasted. And that’s what Democrats were saying, that we’ve got to have a federal solution to it. Now their president comes along and says it’s up to the individual states,” he says.
Grassley says he agrees that the solution should be left to the states. “Because we have such a geographically vast country. New York is so different from Des Moines Iowa that you shouldn’t pour this country into one mold and expect everything to be done in Washington D.C. is going to fit all parts of the country the same way,” according to Grassley.
He says Biden’s statement wasn’t criticized even though it was the opposite of what his party has been pushing. “It’s completely different from the message he gave during his campaign that it’s all Trump’s fault and the federal government is going to solve all these problems,” Grassley says.
Grassley says Iowa — and fellow Republican — Governor Kim Reynolds has done a good job of handling the pandemic.
Dierks Bentley Excited For Nashville New Year’s Eve
Posted on by Bob Ballard
Dierks Bentley is headlining CBS’ big New Year’s Eve special from Nashville, and it will be a very different New Year’s Eve than he’s used to.
“I haven’t played a New Year’s Eve show in a really long time,” he shares. “Somewhere along the way, I just decided I wanted to be a regular fan of New Year’s Eve and just be doing the stuff with my kids and watching the ball, the countdown in New York or in Colorado, I think we had a pair of skis that came down instead of a ball.”
Deirks says that while he’s enjoyed being off on NYE, he couldn’t sit home this year.
“When I found out that this big CBS special is happening in my adopted hometown of Nashville where I’ve lived for almost 30 years, I really wanted to be a part of it,” he says, “because it’s a special moment for the city, it’s a special moment for country music.” He adds, “I’m really excited to showcase our city on CBS.”
CBS’ NYE special “New Years LIVE: Nashville’s Big Bash” kicks off 8 pm.
Source: Dierks Bentley
This day in Country Music History
Posted on by Bob Ballard
- Today in 1962, “The Roy Rogers and Dale Evans Show” last aired on ABC-TV.
- Today in 1969, Merle Haggard’s live “Okie From Muskogee” album was released.
- Today in 1983, George Jones’ album, “I Am What I Am,” was certified platinum. It was the first platinum album of his career.
- Today in 1990, Clint Black met his wife, Lisa Hartman Black.
- Today in 1993, Trisha Yearwood earned a gold album for “The Song Remembers When.”
- Today in 1998, Lorrie Morgan, Steve Winwood and Michael English performed at halftime during the first Music City Bowl at Dudley Field in Nashville, while guitarist Larry Carlton was booed for a jazz version of the national anthem. Virginia Tech defeated Alabama, 38-7.
- Today in 2000, John Michael Montgomery suffered a compound fracture above the ankle his leg on his Kentucky farm. Months later, at Nashville’s annual Country Radio Seminar, John Michael was still hobbling on crutches.
- Today in 2001, Alan Jackson’s “Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)” spent the first of five weeks at #1 in Billboard.
- Today in 2010, Alan Jackson surprised Zac Brown at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena with a 1966 Cadillac El Dorado convertible. The automobile was a gift of thanks for including Jackson on “As She’s Walking Away.”
- Today in 2013, Nashville’s morning newspaper, “The Tennessean,” named Taylor Swift the Tennessean of the Year.
- Today in 2020, ABC looks back at a difficult 12 months with a two-hour special, “The Year 2020.” It includes screen time for Brad Paisley, John Legend, P!nk and Lionel Richie, and recognizes the deaths of Charley Pride, Kenny Rogers, Little Richard and Charlie Daniels.
Flu is making a comeback in US after an unusual year off
Posted on by Rick Watts
By CARLA K. JOHNSON
AP – The U.S. flu season has arrived on schedule after taking a year off, with flu hospitalizations rising and two child deaths reported.
Last year’s flu season was the lowest on record, likely because COVID-19 measures — school closures, distancing, masks and canceled travel — prevented the spread of influenza, or because the coronavirus somehow pushed aside other viruses.
“This is setting itself up to be more of a normal flu season,” said Lynnette Brammer, who tracks flu-like illnesses for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The childhood deaths, Brammer said, are “unfortunately what we would expect when flu activity picks up. It’s a sad reminder of how severe flu can be.”
During last year’s unusually light flu season, one child died. In contrast, 199 children died from flu two years ago, and 144 the year before that.
In the newest data, the most intense flu activity was in the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C., and the number of states with high flu activity rose from three to seven. In CDC figures released Monday, states with high flu activity are New Mexico, Kansas, Indiana, New Jersey, Tennessee, Georgia and North Dakota.
The type of virus circulating this year tends to cause the largest amount of severe disease, especially in the elderly and the very young, Brammer said.
Last year’s break from the flu made it more challenging to plan for this year’s flu vaccine. So far, it looks like what’s circulating is in a slightly different subgroup from what the vaccine targets, but it’s “really too early to know” whether that will blunt the vaccine’s effectiveness, Brammer said.
“We’ll have to see what the impact of these little changes” will be, Brammer said. “Flu vaccine is your best way to protect yourself against flu.”
There are early signs that fewer people are getting flu shots compared with last year. With hospitals already stretched by COVID-19, it’s more important than ever to get a flu shot and take other precautions, Brammer said.
“Cover your cough. Wash your hands. Stay home if you’re sick,” Brammer said. “If you do get flu, there are antivirals you can talk to your doctor about that can prevent severe illness and help you stay out of the hospital.”
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The Associated Press Health & Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
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