Ottumwa School Board Talks Douma Addition, Evans 6th Grade Transition

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

The Ottumwa School Board met on Monday and received a presentation on the final bids for their proposed 3rd to 5th grade learning center addition for Douma Elementary. The original estimate for the complete project was $21.5 million, but a bid received from Bi-State Contracting came in at just under $16.8 million, or $4.7 million lower than estimated. The contract was awarded to Bi-State and it’s expected that ground will be broken toward the end of March, with substantial completion of the project to be done by the end of the 2023-24 school year.

The board also revisited the topic of the transition of the 6th grade class at Evans Middle School to Liberty Elementary. Associate Superintendent Brad McCloskey represented a committee of 25-30 people who researched the proposal, and superintendent Mike McGrory said that the committee unanimously recommended moving forward. A committee representative gave some numbers on what the feedback from parents looked like.

The transition was approved by the board and will go into effect next year.

The full board meeting can be viewed here.

Marion County Board Appoints New County Attorney, Talks Junction 92 Shop Funding

Posted on March 1, 2023 by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

The Marion County Board of Supervisors met this morning and officially appointed Jared Harmon as the new county attorney. Harmon was previously the first assistant county attorney and he replaces former county attorney Ed Bull, who in January announced his resignation from the position in lieu of accepting a new position as Assistant Attorney General and Chief of the Health and Human Services section with the state of Iowa.

The board also approved and established the Marion County EMS Advisory Committee to allow local EMS providers to collaborate and make decisions for EMS in the future. The committee will consist of 15 voting members and 9 non-voting members.

And the board received an update on their Junction 92 Shop funding proposal. County Engineer Tyler Christian said that as of now, the county has set aside a total of $5 million from a combination of Local Option Sales and Services Tax, American Rescue Plan, General Fund, and Secondary Road Fund dollars. This wouldn’t be enough to fund the construction of an office space, but it would cover the main shop. Both Christian and the board agreed that impending uncertainty in state legislation for county funding would impact their decision making, but that the project shouldn’t be delayed for much longer; board member Mark Raymie said that even uncertainty shouldn’t prevent action.

Raymie suggested that Christian return at their next meeting with numbers mapping out different legislative scenarios, and no action was taken.

The next regular Marion County Board of Supervisors meeting will be held on March 14.

Morgan Evans Drops ‘Over For You’ 5-Part Documentary

Posted on March 1, 2023March 1, 2023 by Bob Ballard

Morgan Evans wrote “Over For You” after his high-profile divorce from Kelsea Ballerini last year, which went viral as he was on tour. Now, Evans has a new five-part series “Over For You” documenting the whole experience on YouTube, released last night!

The documentary follows Evans’ tour of Australia and New Zealand, capturing candid moments from his career and family during this drama-filled time for him. Behind the scenes, Evan’s shares that he wrote “Over For You” the week before the festival “needed” to play it on stage during this difficult time in his life.

Evans also shares his hopes that fans get to know him better through the documentary, saying he finds it funny “how little some people know” about him. He also wants to make sure fans know one more important thing about him – many fans don’t even realize he’s Australian!

Check out the five-part documentary below:

Source: CMT

This day in Country Music History

Posted on March 1, 2023March 1, 2023 by Bob Ballard

Today in 1949, Hank Williams recorded several songs: “Mind Your Own Business,” “Honky Tonk Blues,” “You’re Gonna Change (Or I’m Gonna Leave)” and “Lost Highway.”
Today in 1957, The Everly Brothers recorded “I Wonder If I Care As Much” and “Bye Bye Love.”
Today in 1968, Johnny Cash and June Carter were married.
Today in 1980, Waylon Jennings hit the top of the Billboard country chart with “I Ain’t Living Long Like This.”
Today in 1983, Alabama’s album, “The Closer You Get,” was released.
Today in 1986, Dwight Yoakam debuted on the country charts with the single, “Honky Tonk Man.”
Today in 1990, Mark Chesnutt signed a record deal with MCA records.
Today in 1991, the video, “The Real Patsy Cline,” was certified gold.
Today in 1992, Garth Brooks was #1 on the charts with the single, “What She’s Doing Now.”
Today in 1993, Doug Stone’s 1990 self-titled debut album was certified platinum.
Today in 1994, the “Come On, Come On” album by Mary Chapin Carpenter was certified double platinum.
Today in 1994, at the GRAMMYs, “Passionate Kisses” won two awards: Best Country Song for Lucinda Williams (the songwriter) and Best Country Vocal Performance, Female for Mary Chapin Carpenter.
Today in 1996, the Alison Krauss + Union Station album, “Baby Now That I’ve Found You,” was certified double platinum.
Today in 2005, Alan Jackson and Jimmy Buffett’s “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere” was certified gold.
Today in 2007, Jake Owens’ video, “Startin’ With Me,” premiered on CMT.
Today in 2010, Carrie Underwood made a guest appearance on “How I Met Your Mother.”
Today in 2013, Parmalee made their first appearance at the Grand Ole Opry.
Today in 2014, Cole Swindell hit #1 on the Billboard country singles chart for the first time with his debut single, “Chillin’ It.”

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