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REBA SHOWS UP EARLY TO REPLACE BLAKE SHELTON ON ‘THE VOICE’

Posted on by Bob Ballard

It was made official early this week: Blake Shelton, who was previously announced to be leaving “The Voice” after Season 23 wraps, would be replaced by country legend Reba McEntire. In Monday’s episode, when the show returned from a commercial break, Carson Daly “realized” that Blake’s chair was occupied by Reba – and Blake was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’d Blake go? Who cares!” Carson said, bantering with Reba until Blake did eventually show up.  “You mind? I still have a week left,” Blake said to Reba, but of course the whole thing was set up to promote the changing of the guards – Reba taking over the chair and the judge/coach slot from Blake when the show returns for Season 24.

Source: Yahoo

Pella City Council Approves Pay Increases for Volunteer Firefighters

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

The Pella City Council met last night and changed the city’s volunteer firefighter compensation plan. After discussing the possibility of pay increases at their previous council meeting, the council voted to increase compensation paid for city accidents/fire call outs as well as training and work sessions from $15 to $20 per call or session; the changes also included increased annual stipends for leadership positions, used for out-of-pocket expenses, time spent for non-fire calls, all-day training events, and significant fire events which last longer than two hours. Overall, city staff estimated that the annual cost increase for the city will be about $9,230.

The council also extended the city’s solid waste agreement with Midwest Sanitation by one year, which would implement a cost increase of 4.8%. They also approved the preliminary plat for the Pumpkin Patch Farm subdivision. 

The next regular meeting with the Pella city council will be held on June 6.

This day in Country Music History

Posted on by Bob Ballard
  • Today in 1980, the single, “Bar Room Buddies,” Merle Haggard and actor/director Clint Eastwood debuted on the charts. The song would become Clint’s first and only #1 and Merle’s 25th of 38 #1s.
  • Today in 1991, Diamond Rio hit the top of the charts for the first time with “Meet In The Middle.”
  • Today in 1993, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to reconsider a lower court ruling that granted the illegitimate daughter of Hank Williams Sr. partial rights to his music.
  • Today in 1993, Johnny Cash began four days of recording in producer Rick Rubin’s living room in Los Angeles, backed only by his own guitar. The session marks the start of work on Cash’s album “American Recordings.”
  • Today in 1994, the “Walking Away A Winner” album by Kathy Mattea was released.
  • Today in 1999, Shania Twain showed her loyalty and fondness for her hometown of Timmins, Ontario by setting up an endowment fund, which awards two scholarships a year to Timmins High and Vocational School graduates. The news wasn’t revealed until a year later, when the “Timmins Daily Press” website carried a note marking the one year anniversary of her generosity.
  • Today in 2000, the family special, “Judds Reunion: Power To Change,” debuted on CBS-TV. The show featured performances by the Judds, plus appearances by Ashley Judd and Jo Dee Messina.
  • Today in 2001, the new $37-million Country Music Hall of Fame opened in downtown Nashville. Celebs on hand included Vince Gill, Brad Paisley, George Jones, Emmylou Harris, Diamond Rio, Martina McBride, Bill Anderson and ribbon-cutters Charley Pride, Brenda Lee and Kitty Wells.
  • Today in 2003, Brian Hofeldt guitarist and frontman of the Derailers, became the third member of the group to tie the knot as he exchanged “I do’s” with his longtime sweetheart Tiffany Snyder. The happy couple exchanged vows in the gardens of the Hofeldt Ranch in Oregon, Brian’s childhood home.
  • Today in 2010, The Band Perry’s “If I Die Young” hit the airwaves.
  • Today in 2012, Country Music Hall of Fame announced that Taylor Swift had donated $4-million to fund an education center as the museum expanded its Nashville facility.
  • Today in 2013, the Zac Brown Band’s “Jump Right In” video debuted on CMT.
  • Today in 2013, Jake Owen exposes himself on stage in Charleston, South Carolina, when his pants split. He is, in a move he conceded was a bad idea, as he goes commando.
  • Today in 2014, Pizza Hut ran the first commercial in a campaign starring Blake Shelton to introduce a new product, Blake’s Smokehouse BBQ Pizza.
  • Today in 2015, Hunter Hayes launched a USO tour of American bases in Italy.
  • Today in 2016, Guy Clark died in Nashville. A 2004 inductee in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, he authored Ricky Skaggs’ “Heartbroke,” Rodney Crowell’s “She’s Crazy For Leaving,” Vince Gill’s “Oklahoma Borderline” and Jerry Jeff Walker’s “L.A. Freeway,” among others.
  • Today in 2017, Carrie Underwood made a surprise appearance on stage during a New Kids On The Block concert at Nashville’s Bridgestone Arena to lead the crowd in a round of “Happy Birthday” for group member Jordan Knight. Big & Rich showed up to play “Save A Horse (Ride A Cowboy).”
  • Today in 2019, the Lil Nas X video for “Old Town Road” premiered, with appearances by Billy Ray Cyrus, Chris Rock and Diplo, among others.
  • Today in 2019, Lady A’s “What If I Never Get Over You” hit the airwaves.
  • Today in 2020, Rosanne Cash was announced as the recipient of the Edward MacDowell Medal, recognizing her contributions to American culture.

Jonathon Terpstra 2nd in District, Individually Qualifies for State

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

The Oskaloosa Indians boys golf team played in their district tournament yesterday and the day was highlighted by junior Jonathon Terpstra.

A jam-packed field of competition consisting of 40 players at Bos Landen saw Terpstra finish 2nd individually after shooting 77 (+5). That was enough to earn him individual qualifier status for the state tournament next week. It’s the second straight year for Terpstra qualifying for state as an individual and will be the third trip he will take to the tournament as a junior.

As a team, the Indians placed 6th. They graduate one senior from the team in Tucker DeJong.

Terpstra will play at Veenker Memorial Golf Course in Ames next Monday and Tuesday, May 22-23.

Vice Media files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, the latest in a string of digital media setbacks

Posted on by Sam Parsons

NEW YORK (AP) — Vice Media on Monday filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, the most recent digital media company to falter after a meteoric rise.

A consortium of lenders — Fortress Investment Group, Soros Fund Management and Monroe Capital — is buying Vice for about $225 million, in addition to taking on a significant amount of the company’s debt. Other parties will be able to submit bids as well.

Vice said it expects the sale to be wrapped up in the next two to three months. It said that during the process its media brands will continue to produce content and the company will keep paying its employees and vendors.

In a prepared statement, Vice co-CEOs Bruce Dixon and Hozefa Lokhandwala said the “accelerated court-supervised sale process” will strengthen the company and position it for long-term growth, “thereby safeguarding the kind of authentic journalism and content creation that makes VICE such a trusted brand for young people and such a valued partner to brands, agencies and platforms.”

Vice assets and liabilities are worth between $500 million and $1 billion, according to Monday’s filing.

The bankruptcy filing arrives just weeks after the company announced it would cancel its flagship “Vice News Tonight” program amid a wave of layoffs expected to impact more than 100 of the company’s 1,500-person workforce, the Wall Street Journal reported. The company also said it would end its Vice World News brand.

There has been a wider surge of media layoffs and closures, including job cuts at Gannett, NPR, the Washington Post and other organizations. In April, BuzzFeed Inc. announced that its Pulitzer Prize winning digital media outlet BuzzFeed News was being shut down as part of a cost-cutting drive by its corporate parent.

Digital advertising has plummeted this year, cutting into the profitability of major tech companies from Google to Facebook.

“Advertising is down across the board, so it’s a test for a lot of the digital publications,” Megan Duncan, assistant professor at Virginia Tech’s School of Communication, told The Associated Press.

Duncan and others also noted the changing landscape of social media — a space where outlets like Vice once thrived in terms of reaching audiences.

“One of the things that I think really hurt Vice, and in turn BuzzFeed as well, is social media networks like Facebook changing their algorithms,” Jason Mollica, professor at American University’s School of Communication, said. “When you’re not pulling in the numbers that you would expect advertising-wise, you’re losing money.”

Beyond advertising and the shifting digital landscape, Mollica and Duncan also pointed to the changing habits of news consumers today — and challenges media companies across the industry face as they try to reach audiences.

“With such a focus on youth, it can be really difficult to keep being youth-oriented — and change your brand and your appeal for the next generation,” Duncan said.

Duncan also noted that Vice has relied on different rounds of funding and investors throughout the company’s history and “never really found the business model in its most recent, modern digital age that was going to sustain it.” Beyond all of this, the company has its own “complicated history” with troubles in leadership and employment, she added.

Vice Media’s roots date back to 1994, with the launch of Vice’s original punk magazine in Montreal. Vice soon moved to New York and built itself into a global media company.

Over the years, Vice developed a reputation for in-your-face journalism that covered daring stories around the world that particularly resonated with new, young audiences across digital platforms. The media company’s assets also include film and TV production, an in-house marketing agency, and brands such as Refinery 29 and Unbothered.

The media company has struggled to turn around profits in recent years. Monday’s filings show that Vice has total outstanding debt of $834 million.

In 2017, Vice was valued at $5.7 billion. Now, however, most experts estimate the company is worth just a fraction of that, The New York Times reported earlier this month.

Monday’s bankruptcy filing arrives just months after Nancy Dubuc announced that she would be stepping down as CEO of the company. Vice named longtime Vice executives Dixon and Lokhandwala as co-CEOs.

Dubuc replaced Vice co-founder Shane Smith in 2018, a turbulent time at Vice after a 2017 Times investigation uncovered rampant sexual harrassment and misconduct at the company.

Coal mine ruled out as cause of Marion County sinkhole

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Dar Danielson (Radio Iowa)

Marion County has learned more about the large sinkhole that has become an attraction after opening up in the county.

County Public Information officer Emily Feagins says borings from the Department of Agriculture have confirmed a coal mine is not to blame.
“There was a very minimal amount of coal in the layers. So right now, we have noted out that it is not coal related,” Feagins says. She says the sinkhole could be related to limestone mining — as there is a mine north of the area, but the maps don’t give a clear picture of what’s going on.

“Mining maps just aren’t simple anyways, when it comes to locating on the top of the surface where they are below the surface. So that’s another thing that we’re kind of working on, where does it match up on top of the surface to where they are below the surface,” she says. Feagins says they want to do some more work to try and determine if a limestone mine could be the culprit.

For now, they are not going to try and fill in the hole. “Because there is the potential that this sinkhole could keep expanding that you know, it could get bigger. So it doesn’t really do us any good yet to start filling it in if we don’t know still, what’s causing it,” she explains. She says they want to be sure they have a solution that will work.

“If we fill it in and we haven’t gotten to the bottom of what’s caused it, then it could continue to sink and then at that point in time, we’re just wasting dollars, manpower, equipment on filling something and that is going to possibly concave again,” Feagins says. The sinkhole is in a field, but expanded and there is a void under a nearby road, which could collapse unless they take the right action.

The sinkhole was first reported April 14th.

Mahaska Chamber Announces Grant Opportunity for Restaurants and Brew Pubs

Posted on by Sam Parsons

OSKALOOSA — The Mahaska Chamber & Development Group is offering a grant opportunity for individuals  looking to open a new restaurant or brew pub in Mahaska County.  

“This is a one-time grant in the amount of $15,000,” said Deann De Groot, Executive Director of  the Chamber. “Current data shows Mahaska County is losing 60% of restaurant and bar sales to areas  outside the county to boost this sector of our economy.” 

The grant is open to individuals who are opening a new restaurant or bar, or existing restaurants  who are looking to expand their services to help fulfill needs in the Mahaska community. Eligible  projects include full-service restaurants, limited-service restaurants, grill buffets, brew pubs, or similar  concepts. 

Applications will be accepted until June 30, 2023, and will be reviewed by the Mahaska County Ag & Rural Development (MCARD) loan review committee who are providing funds from the existing  Mahaska County Revolving Loan Fund. 

Applications will be scored based on overall planning, need, partnerships, sustainability, impact,  and goals of the business. 

“We expect this grant opportunity will be competitive, so encourage applicants to be thorough  in preparing their proposal,” said De Groot. 

A link to the application can be found on the Mahaska Chamber & Development Group’s website at https://www.mahaskachamber.org/resources/grants/. For more information call the  Chamber at 641-672-2591.

Oskaloosa City Council Discusses 3-Lane Conversion Data, Vacant Buildings

Posted on by Sam Parsons

By Sam Parsons

The Oskaloosa City Council met last night and received a presentation on the status of the city’s 3-lane conversion on A Avenue and Market Street, as well as the traffic signal installation on the intersection of North Market and C Avenue. The presentation showed that in the first four months of 2023, there were 11 accidents on A Ave, down from 20 in the first four months of 2022. Meanwhile, the C Ave traffic signal has not led to a major shift in data yet, but city officials say that the intersection has seen a 13% increase in traffic without seeing an increase in collisions.

The council also awarded the contract for the Edmundson Park Playground Improvement Project to Caliber Concrete for approximately $560,000, or about 7% lower than the previously estimated cost. Work on the project will begin immediately and is expected to be completed no later than September 1st of this year.

And the council passed the 1st reading of a new ordinance for vacant buildings, implementing a vacant building registration and inspection program. The program would require registration, payment (including a registration fee of $100), and an annual inspection to ensure a building is secure and compliant. City staff estimated that less than 200 buildings would need to be registered with the program.

The next regular meeting with the Oskaloosa city council will be held on June 5.

McCollam Selected as North Mahaska Principal

Posted on by Sam Parsons

NEW SHARON – North Mahaska’s administrative team for the 2023-24 school year is complete with the hiring of Josh McCollam as junior-senior high principal. McCollam has spent the past 10 years in the Pella School District as teacher, instructional coach and girl’s tennis coach.

McCollam has been an educator for 15 years after receiving his degree in secondary mathematics from Central College in 2008. He received his Master in Educational Administration from Dordt College in 2020.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve as the principal for North Mahaska Junior/Senior High,” said McCollam. “North Mahaska has a great reputation, and I am honored to be a part of continuing that tradition. I am eager to begin working alongside the staff and partnering with parents and community members to help the students of North Mahaska achieve their goals and reach their potential.”

The Cherokee native began his teaching career at Chariton as high school math teacher and boys tennis coach. He spent one year at Knoxville before moving to Pella, where he taught 7-12 math and computer science. He taught the Project Lead the Way (Design and Modeling, Robotics, Computer Science). 

He also served Pella as instructional coach, technology content advisor and coaching girl’s tennis.

He is married to Nathalie since 2013 and has two boys, Jasper (6 years old) and Owen (4 years old).

Outdoor activities are a mainstay for the McCollams.

“My interests include golfing, cheering on the Iowa Hawkeyes and Minnesota Vikings, and spending time with my family,” said McCollam. “As a family we spend a lot of time at the soccer and baseball fields, going to the pool, building with LEGOs, and playing games.”

McCollam will begin his tenure on July 1.

BLAKE SHELTON GETS HIS STAR ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME

Posted on by Bob Ballard

Country superstar and long time “The Voice” judge Blake Shelton was honored with the 2,755th star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. His star comes in the category of Recording for “his outstanding achievements in the music industry” – though it didn’t hurt that he just retired from being the longest-running judge in the history of TV’s “The Voice.”

Family and friends – and plenty of fans – turned up for the unveiling of the star, including Blake’s mother Dorothy Shelton, wife Gwen Stefani and their kids, Kit Hoover, Adam Levine and Carson Daly. Gwen gave a speech praising Blake, saying “Blake has always stayed true to himself. There is nobody like him. He is a one-of-a-kind guy, and the audience has all fallen in love with him. He’s humble, he’s genuine, and trust me, wherever we go, everybody feels like they know Blake Shelton.” Gwen closed out her statement by saying, “The reason Blake Shelton is here today on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is because you are part of the country dream, the Hollywood dream, and you are part of the American dream, and everybody knows you are my dream come true.”

Blake took the podium and said, “This is shocking to me that this even happened. It was just never on my radar. I had a dream of being a country singer and hearing myself on the radio one day, and I never, ever thought that that path would lead me here.” He dedicated his star to his late brother Richie Shelton, who passed away in 1990.

Source: CountryNow

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