- Today in 1986, Dan Seals’ nostalgic “Bop” goes to #1 on the Billboard country singles chart.
- Today in 2001, inaugural celebrations for President George W. Bush in Washington, D.C., included performances by Lorrie Morgan, Sammy Kershaw, Lee Ann Womack, and Brooks & Dunn, who sang “Only In America.”
- Today in 2006, Keith Urban’s “Be Here” album went triple-platinum.
- Today in 2007, Ricky Skaggs and Bruce Hornsby taped a new edition of “CMT Crossroads” in Nashville. The set list included “Mandolin Rain” and “Don’t Get Above Your Raising.” They were also joined by John Anderson for a surprise rendition of “Super Freak.”
- Today in 2009, Garth Brooks sang “We Shall Be Free” on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial during an inaugural event for Barack Obama. Also appearing: James Taylor, Jennifer Nettles, Bono, Bruce Springsteen, Jon Bon Jovi, and Sheryl Crow.
- Today in 2013, George Strait launched the “Cowboy Rides Away Tour,” his last official concert trek, at the United Spirit Arena in Lubbock, Texas, with opener Martina McBride. Strait’s set included “Here For A Good Time,” “The Chair” and “Folsom Prison Blues.”
- Today in 2014, Jerrod Niemann joined The Oak Ridge Boys on “Elvira” during a benefit concert for the Make-A-Wish Foundation at the Omni Nashville Hotel. Journey keyboard player Jonathan Cain also took part in the event, which raised $200,000.
- Today in 2016, Glenn Frey died in New York with multiple ailments, including colitis. He was 67.
- Today in 2017, Blake Shelton’s album, “If I’m Honest,” became the first country title in history to win Favorite Album in the People’s Choice Awards. Shelton also claimed Favorite Male Country Artist, and “The Voice” was named Favorite Competition TV Show. Carrie Underwood was Favorite Country Female; Little Big Town took Favorite Country Group.
- Today in 2018, Midland’s single, “Drinkin’ Problem,” was certified platinum by the RIAA.
- Today in 2019, with the American government in partial shutdown, John Prine provided lunch at the Nashville Airport for Transportation Safety Administration employees who have been forced to work without receiving paychecks.
- Today in 2019, Cody Johnson’s album, “Ain’t Nothin’ To It,” was released.
- Today in 2021, Kane Brown performed “Stand By Me” for the ribbon-cutting ceremony at the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville.
- Today in 2021, Gabby Barrett and her husband Cade Foehner welcome a daughter, Baylah May Foehner.
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Renner says he’s home from hospital after snow plow accident
Posted on by Sam Parsons
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Actor Jeremy Renner says he is out of the hospital after being treated for serious injuries from a snow plow accident. In response to a Twitter post Monday about his TV series “Mayor of Kingstown,” Renner tweeted that other than the brain fog that remains, he is very excited to watch the next episode with his family at home. Authorities in Nevada say Renner suffered serious chest injuries when he was run over by his own snow plow while helping free a relative’s car on a road near Lake Tahoe on New Year’s Day. The 52-year-old Oscar nominee also plays Hawkeye in Marvel’s “Avengers” movies.
Snow expected to spread across state, heaviest amounts in NW Iowa
Posted on by Sam Parsons
By Pat Powers (Radio Iowa)
Heavy snow is in the forecast for much of Iowa’s northwestern half. A Winter Storm Watch is posted starting Wednesday afternoon that lasts into midday Thursday.
Meteorologist Rod Donavon, at the National Weather Service, says some areas of western Iowa could get nearly a foot of snow. The range for Sheldon is five-to-11 inches of snowfall, while for Sioux City and Storm Lake, it’s six-to-11 inches.
“Right now, we are looking at snow spreading northward across central and northern Iowa, especially late Wednesday morning and through the afternoon hours,” Donavon says. “Right now, it does look like we will have a period of one- to two-inch snowfall rates per hour by late afternoon and through the evening hours, so during that timeframe, travel certainly can be quite hazardous.”
It’s still not certain how much snow will fall and where, but Donavon says some areas could see significant depths. “Snowfall amounts are generally in that five-to-nine inch range and that would certainly include large portions of the Highway 20 corridor and northward, lesser amounts to the south, especially as you get towards the Des Moines metro,” Donavon says. “We could have some mix of rain into the forecast as well. That could lower snowfall amounts with that.”
The wind should not be a big problem in this storm, at least compared to the pre-Christmas blizzard a few weeks ago. “The system will be pulling out on Thursday so some light snow may remain during then, but otherwise generally seasonal conditions as we go into the weekend, as we have temperatures generally in the 20s across the area, maybe some 30s south, but for the most part, little to no precipitation until maybe into the late weekend, and most of that’s probably going to be southern Iowa.”
Road conditions may quickly deteriorate during the storm. The commutes on Wednesday evening and Thursday morning will likely be impacted. Check road conditions at 511ia.org.
Nathan Wood Named Chief Administrator of Great Prairie Area Education Agency
Posted on by Sam Parsons
OTTUMWA — The Great Prairie Area Education Agency Board of Directors has announced that Nathan Wood, the agency’s current associate administrator and director of human resources, will serve as the next chief administrator for Great Prairie AEA. Wood will succeed Dr. Cindy Yelick, who has been named the new chief administrator at Heartland Area Education Agency.
“We’re fortunate to have a high quality internal candidate like Nathan for this position,” commented Joy Prothero, Great Prairie AEA Board President. “”Nathan’s demonstrated passion for the AEA, coupled with his vision for an equitable educational system and his ability to lead through complex challenges, will ensure our agency continues to be led by a collaborative leader who is ready and eager to move us forward to meet the needs our students, families and partnering school districts.”
As the chief administrator of Great Prairie AEA, Wood will oversee 270 full and part-time staff members who provide special education services, instructional services, professional learning, library and digital resources, technology support and more to over 36,000 students and 2,700 educators throughout the 14 southeast Iowa counties in the Great Prairie AEA service area.
Wood, a Sigourney native, has progressively advanced through leadership positions in education since 2009 when he first served as PK-6 assistant principal in the Sigourney Community School District. He also has worked as a middle/high school principal and special education director for the Pekin Community School District. Wood has worked at Great Prairie AEA since July, 2013 and has served in a variety of leadership roles including regional director of special education services, administrator of systems planning and improvement, and as the associate administrator and director of human resources. For a two year period, while managing leadership roles at Great Prairie AEA, he also served in a shared position with Montezuma Community Schools as the district’s superintendent of schools.
“My passion for this work is rooted in ensuring that all students are provided quality services,” Wood said. “The AEA’s work with our school leaders parallels my own professional values, and I believe my work in the AEA and in our partnering districts will ensure we continue to advance programs and services in the Great Prairie AEA service area and across the state.”
“I’m proud of Great Prairie AEA’s reputation for collaboration,” he added, “and am eager to continue serving with our staff as a trusted partner in serving our districts and families.”
Wood will assume the responsibilities of chief administrator on July 1, 2023.
Ottumwa Council Holds Public Hearings, Approves Purchases for PD
Posted on by Sam Parsons
By Sam Parsons
The Ottumwa City Council met last night and held a total of four public hearings for plans, specs, and form of contract for four different projects.
The first project discussed was the Albia Road North Quincy Avenue Roundabout Project, which stemmed from the city having received a $500,000 Traffic Safety Improvement Program Grant to address intersections with a high number of accidents. The project would implement a roundabout at the intersection between Albia Road and Quincy Avenue, an intersection which met the requirements for the grant. A representative from Shive Hattery gave a presentation on the safety benefits of roundabouts and the plan for one at that intersection. The plans, specs, and form of contract were approved unanimously by the council with bids to be received in late February and construction to begin in May.
One of the other public hearings pertained to the Greater Ottumwa Park Tennis Phase One Project. This project would entail the construction of either 8 or 12 post tension concrete tennis courts as part of the Greater Ottumwa Park Master Plan. Community Development Director Zach Simonson said that this was in response to complaints about the state of the current courts and that the fully completed project would allow for the high school to host more tournaments than they can at this time. The plans, specs, and form of contract were approved by the council with the understanding that from here, the Friends of the Ottumwa Park will begin fundraising efforts for amenities such as bathrooms and concession stands.
Also at the meeting, the Ottumwa Police Department requested the purchase of two K-9s, supported by donations raised by the department which currently total $38,000, as well as additional police emergency vehicle equipment. The purchases were approved unanimously.
The Ottumwa City Council will hold their next regular meeting on February 7.
Oskaloosa High School Names Caitlin Woods Head Softball Coach
Posted on by Sam Parsons
OSKALOOSA, IA — Oskaloosa High School has named Caitlin Woods as its next head softball coach.
Woods comes to Oskaloosa from Lexington, Tennessee, where she attended Lexington High School until graduating in 2014. During her high school career, she was a starting catcher for the softball team for four years and was named to the all-state team three times. Her team won four district championships and were the 2013 Tennessee state champions.
After high school, Woods continued playing softball at Jackson State Community College and Martin Methodist College. At JSCC, Woods was part of the 2017 team that set the school record in all sport programs for most wins in a season, with 41.
Woods later suffered an injury that ended her softball career, prompting her to begin coaching at Lexington High School and Henderson County North Middle School. She helped lead the Lexington High School softball team to three regular-season district championship wins, three regional championship wins, and three sub-state champion wins. The team won the 2022 state championship with a record of 49-1.
Currently, Woods is pursuing a degree in history, anticipated in October 2023.
“I am excited to bring my coaching style and the knowledge and experience that I have developed over the years as a player and a coach to Oskaloosa,” said Woods. “My goals for this program is to continue growing it to new heights and create a team culture that reflects this community’s core values. Together, we will strive for success on and off the field.”
Woods will begin leading the Osky girls’ softball team in preparation for the upcoming spring season.
Memorial for Lisa Marie Presley to be held at Graceland
Posted on by Sam Parsons
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A public memorial service for Lisa Marie Presley will be held next weekend at Graceland, the famed Memphis home of her father, Elvis Presley. A family representative says the memorial for Lisa Marie Presley will be held on the front lawn of the mansion at 9 a.m. on Jan. 22. The 54-year-old Presley died Thursday, hours after being hospitalized for a medical emergency. It was previously announced that Presley will be buried at Graceland next to her son, Benjamin Keough, who died in 2020. Elvis and other members of the Presley family are also buried at Graceland.
New leader announced for Iowa State Fair
Posted on by Sam Parsons
By Dar Danielson (Radio Iowa)
The leader of the Clay County Fair in Spencer is the next leader of the Iowa State Fair.
Jeremy Parsons will take over in early March to replace Gary Slater, who announced in October that he was retiring after leading the State Fair since 2001. Parsons is familiar with the Iowa State Fair after working there as a seasonal employee early in his career.
He was also a volunteer at his home county fair in Leon. Parsons was a teacher and coach before taking over as the executive director of the Missouri State Fair Foundation. He has been the CEO of the Clay County Fair in Spencer since 2011.
Oskaloosa Police Department Releases Urban Deer Management Report
Posted on by Sam Parsons
OSKALOOSA –The City of Oskaloosa has concluded the 2022-2023 urban bow deer hunt within city limits. The Oskaloosa Police Department was assisted with the administration of this hunting program by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. Preparation for this hunting season began on August 8th, 2022, with the release of an informational news release. This news release outlined the program’s rules/regulations, season dates, and proficiency testing date. The dates set for the urban hunt were September 18th, 2022, through January 10th, 2023.
Hunters wishing to participate in this hunting season were required to attend, and pass, a bow-and-arrow proficiency test administered by the Oskaloosa Police Department. The Police Department held one testing date at The Gateway Church of the Nazarene located at 140 Gateway Drive, Oskaloosa, IA 52577. The testing date was Saturday, August 27th, 2022, from 8:00 am to 10:00 am. Seventeen hunters qualified to hunt during the 2022/2023 Oskaloosa Urban Deer Hunt.
This year, the Iowa Department of Natural Resources made 100 antlerless deer tags available to hunters for this program. During the 2022-2023 season, hunters harvested 11 deer. Of those 11 deer taken during this year’s hunting season, 0 were taken in Zone A, 3 were taken in Zone B, 0 were taken in Zone C, 8 were taken in Zone D, and 0 were taken in Zone E.
One investigation during the City Urban Deer Hunt revealed that a deer harvested in Mahaska County was tagged with an urban deer doe tag and reported to be harvested within the City of Oskaloosa. The claim was investigated by Officers of the Oskaloosa Police Department with the assistance of the Iowa DNR. The hunter was later cited for violations by the Iowa DNR. This hunter’s privilege to hunt deer within the City of Oskaloosa has been revoked. The rules and regulations of the Urban Deer Hunt Management program are clear and mandatory.
During the 2022-2023 Urban Deer Hunting season, the Oskaloosa Police Department received no complaints from citizens or hunters regarding this program. Anyone with questions regarding this program is encouraged to contact Officer Alexander Sirovy of the Oskaloosa Police Department by calling (641) 672-2559 or by emailing at alex.sirovy@oskaloosaiowa.org.
Knoxville City Council Discusses LOSST, Hotel/Motel Tax, Fire Dept. Budget
Posted on by Sam Parsons
By Sam Parsons
The Knoxville city council met last night and discussed their local option sales and services tax (LOSST) as well as their hotel/motel tax.
For the LOSST, a target of $1.3 million in revenue was set with expenditures set to total roughly $1.28 million. Two options were discussed for the hotel/motel tax; both proposals would use revenues to support downtown vitality efforts as well as communication and marketing efforts, but option 1 would use remaining dollars for economic development and tourism support through the chamber, whereas option 2 would use those dollars directly to fund the hire of a new chamber director. Option 2 was chosen with the council citing the city’s struggle to find a new chamber director.
The council also received a presentation from Knoxville Fire and EMS on their proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year. Proposed expenditures total a 17.83% increase over last year, largely due to the addition of 3 part-time positions and equipment purchases.
The Knoxville City Council will hold their next regular meeting on February 6.
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