- Today in 1961, Jimmy Dean’s “Big Bad John” became the first country song to go gold.
- Today in 1973, Lorrie Morgan gave her first performance on the Grand Ole Opry, singing “Paper Roses” at Nashville’s Ryman Auditorium.
- Today in 1974, Billy Swan scored the only #1 country single of his career with “I Can Help.”
- Today in 1999, Montgomery Gentry’s Troy Gentry married Angie McClure in Maui.
- Today in 2001, Kid Rock performed with Hank Williams Jr. at a Grand Ole Opry House TV studio in Nashville for the genre-mixing “CMT Crossroads.” The set list included “Midnight Rider,” “Whiskey Bent And Hell Bound” and “Family Tradition.”
- Today in 2002, Toby Keith made his Grand Ole Opry debut.
- Today in 2005, Dierks Bentley married his high school sweetheart, Cassidy Black, in Mexico.
- Today in 2006, Brooks & Dunn’s “Hillbilly Deluxe” video debuted on CMT.
- Today in 2012, Kelly Clarkson got engaged to her manager, Brandon Blackstock.
- Today in 2013, Brad Paisley received the Harmony Award at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. After accepting the trophy, he plays “Southern Comfort Zone” with the orchestra.
- Today in 2015, Cole Swindell’s “You Should Be Here” hit the airwaves.
- Today in 2015, Frankie Ballard’s “Sunshine & Whiskey” went platinum.
- Today in 2016, Gary Allan, Maren Morris, Big & Rich and Trent Harmon raised $59-thousand for a children’s hospital with the Concert for the Kids at the North Charleston Performing Arts Center in South Carolina.
- Today in 2017, Brett Eldredge performed a fundraiser for his foundation at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. John Oates and Florida Georgia Line’s Tyler Hubbard attended the event as well.
- Today in 2017, Kelsea Ballerini, Linda Davis and the wives of her Lady Antebellum band mates joined Hillary Scott at the baby shower in Nashville for her impending twins.
- Today in 2017, Brothers Osborne played a pop-up concert for truck drivers at Whiskey Pete’s in Primm, Nevada. The show includes acoustic versions of “It Ain’t My Fault” and “Stay A Little Longer.”
- Today in 2017, the single, “Craving You,” by Thomas Rhett and featuring Maren Morris, went platinum.
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GWEN STEFANI, BLAKE SHELTON TO GO ITALIAN FOR CHRISTMAS DINNER
Christmas traditions vary from family to family. You’d guess that in the Blake Shelton/Gwen Stefani household, Blake would be the uber-traditional type while Gwen may go in another direction. You’d be half right. Outside a taping of “The Voice” this week, Gwen told “Entertainment Tonight” that she was in fact brought up in a very traditional household, and that informs how she and her husband have developed their own Christmas traditions.
Speaking specifically of Christmas dinner, Gwen said, “We started off by always trying to find something that wasn’t a tradition – like, let’s try something different, try something new,” she recalled of their holiday dinner routine. “We stumbled across this dish called the Timpano Dome… it’s basically like a lasagna but it’s in this dome formed either with bread or a pasta. We started doing that a few years ago and now that’s the thing, yeah.” Gwen went on to say that they put their own spin on the traditional Italian dish.
“Probably some Italians might get mad about this, because typically it would be a pasta wrapped around it, but we started doing a pizza dough because it tastes yummy,” she noted. “Maybe I’ll make the dough myself this year – which would be a lot on Christmas day… But I might actually do it the day before.” An Oklahoma country boy – going Italian for Christmas dinner? As many have said before, marriage changes a person. But we have to admit it sounds delicious.
Source: Entertainment Tonight
This day in Country Music History
- Today in 1980, Waylon Jennings’ “Theme From The Dukes Of Hazzard (Good Ol’ Boys)” peaked at #21 on the pop charts.
- Today in 1988, the album, “Reba,” was certified gold.
- Today in 1991, Brooks & Dunn’s single, “My Next Broken Heart,” topped the charts.
- Today in 1994, Garth Brooks released his “best of” album, “The Hits.” It’s since gone on to sell 10-million copies, making it the best-selling country greatest hits record in history.
- Today in 1994, Mary Chapin Carpenter’s album, “Shooting Straight In The Dark,” was certified platinum, while her “Come On, Come On” album was certified triple-platinum.
- Today in 1995, the soundtrack, “Pure Country,” by George Strait was certified for sales of 5-million. His “Strait Out Of The Box” set was certified double-platinum.
- Today in 1995, Vince Gill’s album, “When Love Finds You,” was certified triple-platinum.
- Today in 1995, the “Thinkin’ About You” album by Trisha Yearwood was certified platinum.
- Today in 1996, LeAnn Rimes hit #1 with the single, “One Way Ticket (Because I Can).”
- Today in 2001, for the fourth consecutive week, Garth Brooks’ latest album, “Scarecrow,” held on to the #1 position on “Billboard’s” Top Country Albums chart. At the same time, his holiday project, “Garth Brooks & The Magic of Christmas: Songs from Call Me Claus,” was #8 on the Top Country Albums chart.
- Today in 2005, the Johnny Cash biopic “Walk The Line” earned multiple nominations in the Golden Globe Awards. Dolly Parton got a nomination for Best Song for “Travelin’ Thru” from “Transamerica,” and Bernie Taupin scored for a “Brokeback Mountain” song performed by Emmylou Harris.
- Today in 2006, Heidi Newfield gave her final performances as a member of Trick Pony as the band held three concerts at Nashville’s Wildhorse Saloon.
- Today in 2010, Josh and Jennifer Turner had their third son, Crawford Marion Turner.
- Today in 2012, Golden Globe nominations for Best Original Song were announced for “For You,” written by Keith Urban and Monty Powell; and “Safe & Sound,” by Taylor Swift, John Paul White, Joy Williams, and T Bone Burnett. Connie Britton and Hayden Panettiere received acting nominations for their roles on ABC’s “Nashville.”
- Today in 2014, Tim McGraw and Faith Hill received the Nashville Symphony’s Harmony Award at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
- Today in 2016, Dolly Parton’s “Smoky Mountains Rise: A Benefit For The My People Fund” raised $9-million for fire victims in East Tennessee. The lineup includes Big & Rich Jamey Johson, LoCash, Reba McEntire, Chris Stapleton, Chris Janson and Chris Young. As an added bonus, Dolly performed “Islands In The Stream” with Kenny Rogers.
Coming home, staying home: ‘Apollo 13’ and ‘Home Alone’ among 25 films picked for national registry
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Houston, we have a problem: Where’s Kevin?
Perhaps the ultimate coming-home movie, “Apollo 13,” and the ultimate staying-home one, “Home Alone,” are both being honored this year, selected for preservation in the National Film Registry They’re part of an annual group of 25 that this year spans more than 90 years of filmmaking.
The 2023 collection includes the sci-fi sequel “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” the Disney animated classic “Lady and the Tramp,” and the searing, Oscar-winning drama “12 Years a Slave.” Just in time for the holidays, “The Nightmare Before Christmas” is included.
The oldest film is from 1921: “A Movie Trip Through Filmland,” a very early look at the impact of movies. The newest are both from 2013: “12 Years a Slave” and the Oscar-winning documentary “20 Feet From Stardom,” about backup singers.
The registry is housed at the Library of Congress, which since 1988 has selected movies for preservation based on their cultural and historic importance. The current picks bring the registry to 875 films — some, but not all, among the 2 million items in the library’s collection. Turner Classic Movies will host a TV special on Thursday, screening a selection of this year’s movies.
A look at some of the films entering the registry
”The Wedding Banquet” (1993): Ang Lee’s romantic comedy about a gay man from Taiwan trying to hide his orientation from his family, featuring an over-the-top wedding banquet.
”Bamboozled” (2000): Spike Lee’s stinging satire about race in entertainment, with Damon Wayans as a program executive at a cable network.
”Maya Lin: A Strong, Clear Vision” (1994): Freida Lee Mock’s Oscar-winning documentary about the artist who created two famous memorials.
“Apollo 13” (1995): Ron Howard’s impeccably told chronicle of the near-tragedy involving U.S astronauts trying to get back to Earth, featuring Tom Hanks and the famous (and slightly altered) quote: “Houston, we have a problem.”
“Desperately Seeking Susan” (1985): Susan Seidelman’s uniquely New York saga featuring Rosanna Arquette and none other than Madonna as the elusive Susan.
“Matewan” (1987): John Sayles’ tale of efforts in 1920 to unionize a company town in West Virginia.
“Home Alone” (1990): Chris Columbus’ holiday classic about, let’s face it, deeply questionable parenting that made wide-eyed Macaulay Culkin — aka Kevin — a star.
“Alambrista” (1977): Robert M. Young’s story of a Mexican migrant laborer in the United States.
“Fame” (1980): A story of students seeking fame at the High School of Performing Arts in New York City, and known for Irene Cara’s version of the title song.
“Lady and the Tramp” (1955): The classic Disney canine love story, featuring surely the most famous spaghetti kiss in animated film.
The Full List
“A Movie Trip Through Filmland” (1921); “Dinner at Eight” (1933); “Bohulano Family Film Collection” (1950s-1970s); “Helen Keller: In Her Story” (1954); “Lady and the Tramp” (1955); “Edge of the City: (1957); “We’re Alive” (1974); “Cruisin’ J-Town” (1975); “Alambrista” (1977); “Passing Through” (1977); “Fame” (1980); “Desperately Seeking Susan” (1985); “The Lighted Field” (1987); “Matewan” (1987); “Home Alone” (1990); “Queen of Diamonds” (1991); “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” (1991); “The Nightmare Before Christmas” (1993); “The Wedding Banquet” (1993); “Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision” (1994); “Apollo 13” (1995); “Bamboozled” (2000); “Love & Basketball” (2000); “12 Years a Slave” (2013); “20 Feet From Stardom” (2013).
Governor calls Satanic Temple display in Iowa Capitol objectionable
By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)
Governor Kim Reynolds says a display from the Satanic Temple of Iowa will stay in the Capitol in Des Moines this month, but she’s asking Iowans to join her in prayers focused on the nativity scene nearby.
The Satanic Temple display features a statue with a ram’s head surrounded by electronic candles. The group got a permit to put up the display in December. A Republican lawmaker called on the governor to have it removed. Reynolds, in a written statement issues yesterday morning, said she finds the display “objectionable,” but the governor said “in a free society the best response to objectionable speech is more speech.”
Reynolds encouraged Iowans to join her today in “praying over the Capitol,” where a nativity scene is also on display. Reynolds said the nativity “represents the true reason for the season.”
Reynolds joined a large crowd in the Capitol for a midday prayer service. The crowd gathered around a Christmas tree and nativity scene that are in the center of the Capitol’s first floor rotunda.
Hunters encouraged to discuss hunting plan, safety after weekend hunting incidents
DES MOINES — The opening weekend of Iowa’s second gun deer season saw another 50,000-plus hunters’ enjoying time in the timber in pursuit of legendary whitetails. Unfortunately, there were three hunting incidents that serve as a reminder for hunters to review safety measures before heading out.
Two separate incidents involved the same issue – shooting at running deer – where deer were running between two hunters and one hunter was struck by a wayward shot from another in their party. The other incident involved a self-inflicted injury due to carelessly handling a firearm and lack of muzzle control.
All three required medical attention and all three were preventable, said Jamie Cook, hunter education coordinator for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
“We continue to stress that hunters should avoid shooting at running deer and to be sure of what is in front of and behind the deer before pulling the trigger,” Cook said. “If there is any question about taking a shot, don’t pull the trigger because once you pull the trigger, you can’t call the shot back and no deer is worth taking an unsafe shot. Another will come along.”
As a reminder, Cook said it is important to develop, review and follow a hunting plan that outlines how the hunt will unfold and the role and location for every member of the group while in the field.
“The hunting plan should also include reminders on not shooting at running deer, and safety basics of treating every gun as if it were loaded and always pointing the gun in a safe direction,” Cook said.
With almost 77,000 deer reported to date through the harvest reporting system, nearly all of the 2023 deer hunts have occurred without incident.
“We hunt with those who we are closest to – our friends and our family. This is just a reminder that things can happen in a split second,” Cook said. “At the end of the day, we all want to get home safely.”
There have been 12 hunting incidents and two fatalities across all hunting seasons this fall.
Ottumwa’s Citizen Police Academy Accepting Applications
OTTUMWA — The Ottumwa Police Department will be holding their Annual Citizens Police Academy. The Academy gives citizens an opportunity to learn first-hand about local law enforcement. The curriculum covers patrol operations, crime investigation, use of force, animal control, drug investigation, and more. The 2024 Academy will meet every Monday at 6 PM (with an exception of Monday February 19th as it is a city holiday) beginning Monday, February 5, with the final session on Monday, April 1.
Registration is now open for the 2024 Citizens Police Academy. Application forms are available online at ottumwa.us or at the Police Chief’s Office at the Ottumwa Police Department. All completed applications must be turned in to the Police Chief’s Office or email to opd@ottumwa.us by Friday, January 12 before 3:00 PM. The program is available free of charge. Class size is limited. Participants are accepted pending a basic criminal background check.
Persons with questions about the Academy can contact Ottumwa Police Chief Chad Farrington at 683-0629.
‘Barbie’ leads Golden Globe nominations with 9, followed closely by ‘Oppenheimer’
LOS ANGELES — Greta Gerwig’s “Barbie” dominated the Golden Globe Awards nominations with nine nods for the blockbuster film, including best picture musical or comedy as well as acting nominations for Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling and three of its original songs.
It was closely followed by its release date and meme companion Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” which scored eight nominations, including best picture drama and for actors Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr. and Emily Blunt.
In a statement, Gerwig said she, “can’t wait to bring the Barbie party to the Globes.”
The revamped group, now a for-profit endeavor with a larger and more diverse voting body, announced nominations Monday for its January awards show, after scandal and several troubled years, including one without a broadcast. Cedric the Entertainer and Wilmer Valderrama presided over the announcements from the Beverly Hilton Hotel, where the show will also take place on Jan. 7.
Films nominated for best motion picture drama included “Oppenheimer,” Martin Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon,” Bradley Cooper’s “Maestro,” Celine Song’s “Past Lives,” Justine Triet’s “Anatomy of a Fall” and Jonathan Glazer’s “The Zone of Interest.”
In the best motion picture musical or comedy category, “Barbie” was joined by “Air,” “American Fiction” “The Holdovers,” “May December” and “Poor Things.”
Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Poor Things” and Scorsese’s “Killers of the Flower Moon” both received seven nominations each. “Poor Things” saw nominations for Lanthimos, its actors Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, Willem Dafoe, and Tony McNamara for screenplay. “Killers of the Flower Moon” got nods for Scorsese, for direction and co-writing the screenplay with Eric Roth, and stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Lily Gladstone and Robert De Niro.
Stone, who was also nominated for the Showtime series “The Curse,” said in a statement that she was “Feeling extremely bewildered and thankful for it all.” She also said her “Poor Things” character Bella Baxter is her favorite.
DiCaprio praised Gladstone in his statement: “She is the soul of our film and helped to bring this sinister and painful part of our nation’s history to life,” he wrote. The film is about the murders of wealthy Osage individuals in Oklahoma in the early 20th century.
“Barbie” tied for second-most nominations in Globes history with “Cabaret,” from 1972. Robert Altman’s “Nashville” remains the record-holder with 11 nominations. It went into the morning as a favorite and got a big boost from its three original song nominations, including “I’m Just Ken,” and one of the year’s new categories, recognizing cinematic and box office achievement. One person who was not nominated was America Ferrera, who delivered the movie’s most memorable monologue.
“Succession” was the top-nominated television program, with nine nods including for series stars Brian Cox, Jeremy Strong, Sarah Snook and Kieran Culkin, followed by Hulu’s “The Bear.”
As always there were some big surprises, like Jennifer Lawrence getting nominated for her bawdy R-rated comedy “No Hard Feelings” for best performance by a female actor in a musical or comedy. She was nominated alongside Robbie, Stone and Fantasia Barrino (“The Color Purple”), Natalie Portman (“May December”) and Alma Pöysti (“Fallen Leaves”).
Barrino heard the news from her husband who she immediately called back to make sure she wasn’t dreaming.
“My voice is shot because I’ve been screaming, crying and just telling God, ‘Thank you.’ I almost allowed fear to hinder me from this role, to keep me from this role,” she told the AP through tears. She’s been on the road for work and said she’s excited to go home and experience it with her children.
“The Color Purple” was expected to do better. The adaption of the stage musical got only two nominations total, both for actors, for Barrino and Danielle Brooks for her supporting performance. Left out was Colman Domingo, who was nominated for best drama actor for “Rustin.”
Cord Jefferson’s comedy “American Fiction” also came up with only two nods, best musical or comedy and for lead actor Jeffrey Wright, who plays a frustrated writer.
“I don’t think it’s totally healthy to think about these things too much, but they’re there, so one does,” Wright told the AP Monday. “I’m really pleased that the film is being recognized more so than my own personal recognition.”
Sofia Coppola’s widely acclaimed “Priscilla” got only one nomination, for actor Cailee Spaeny’s portrayal of Priscilla Presley. Her category mates in best female performance in a drama include Gladstone, Annette Bening for “Nyad,” Sandra Hüller for “Anatomy of a Fall,” Greta Lee for “Past Lives” and Carey Mulligan for “Maestro.”
The Globes won’t have to worry about anyone criticizing its “all male” directors this year, however. Gerwig was nominated as was Celine Song, for her romantic debut “Past Lives,” alongside Nolan, Scorsese, Cooper and Lanthimos.
Netflix got the most nominations overall, with 13 total for a slate which included “Maestro,” “May December” and “Rustin,” followed by Warner Bros., which made “Barbie” and “The Color Purple” with 12.
Ridley Scott’s “Napoleon” was not nominated at all. Instead, its star Joaquin Phoenix was recognized for “Beau is Afraid” in the lead actor comedy/musical category, with Wright, Matt Damon (“Air”), Nicolas Cage “Dream Scenario,” Timothée Chalamet (“Wonka”) and Paul Giamatti (“The Holdovers”). Michael Mann’s “Ferrari,” with Adam Driver, and Wes Anderson’s starry “Asteroid City” also got zero nominations.
The voting body has now grown to 300 members, following backlash to a 2021 report in the Los Angeles Times that found that there were zero Black members in the group that was then composed of only 87 foreign journalists.
Perhaps as a result, there were more international films and actors nominated in prominent categories including the Finnish comedy “Fallen Leaves,” the courtroom thriller “Anatomy of a Fall” and the harrowing Auschwitz drama “The Zone of Interest.”
The 81st Golden Globes will be the first major broadcast of awards season, with a new home on CBS, but no word yet on a host. It’s been tumultuous few years behind the scenes in the aftermath of the L.A. Times report, which also exposed ethical lapses like its members accepting lavish gifts and travel from awards publicists and studios.
The Globes had long been one of the highest-profile awards season broadcasts, second only to the Oscars. Before the pandemic, it was still pulling in around 19 million viewers. The show was touted as a boozy, A-list party, whose hosts often took a more irreverent tone than their academy counterparts.
Some years, the HFPA were pilloried for nominating poorly reviewed films with big name talent with hopes of getting them to the show, the most infamous being “The Tourist,” with Angelina Jolie and Johnny Depp. In the past decade, they’ve more often overlapped with the Oscars.
This year, NBC’s Tuesday night broadcast got its smallest audience ever for the ceremony, with 6.3 million viewers.
Christmas expected to keep up trend of record holiday travel numbers
By Dar Danielson (Radio Iowa)
The final holiday of the year is projected to follow the pattern of others when it comes to the number of people expected to hit the roadways and airports. AAA Iowa spokesman, Brian Ortner, says holiday travel from the region including Iowa is projected to be the fourth highest on record.
“A fun way to describe it, I guess is wash, rinse, repeat when we look at how 2023 has been, you know, even despite inflationary pressures, and Americans and Iowans are still willing to get out, then travel for those holidays,” he says. “We’ve seen it over Thanksgiving, we saw it over Independence Day. And now we’re seeing it for Christmas and New Year’s coming up.”
Ortner says the travel surge continues to be driven by the pandemic, which kept everyone from traveling. “And I say that based on a survey done back in August by AAA, that we’re asking people, you know, what are your reasons for traveling?,” Ortner says. “And the mindset has changed from bucket list items to man, I want to see family and friends.” Nearly nine million people in what’s called the north-central region are expected to head out for the holidays.
“About eight-point-one million of those are going to be hitting the roads. And the biggest thing was that is sometimes it’s just easier to drive and sometimes more cost effective than hitting the air, you know, we are seeing higher numbers in air travel in our region,” he says. “The number that’s surprising, that’s exceeding pre pandemic levels is what’s classified as the other modes of transportation. And that’s like your cruises or your destinations, you know, your resorts and those sorts of things. But living in Iowa, we don’t have the sun in the beaches. So that makes a lot of sense”.
There’s now about two weeks to go before Christmas, and Ortner says you need to make reservations as soon as possible.”Whether it’s winter or summer, the advice remains the same for your air travel. Plan ahead, get to the airport early, and monitor your flights using your airline’s app or the airport’s apps to make sure your flights not delayed or canceled,” Ortner says. “And consider travel insurance, you know if there’s a cancellation or a delay. Travel insurance is a nice comfort feature.”
The other states in the north-central along with Iowa are Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, Nebraska, and South Dakota.
Additional Road Closures over Red Rock Dam this month
KNOXVILLE, Iowa – The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Rock Island District, announces full road closures to Highway T15 across the Red Rock Dam Dec. 13-15 and 18-20. The road may be opened to traffic from 5 p.m. to 7 a.m. during the Dec. 18-20 closure. There will be no detour during the closure periods. The closures are necessary for contractors to continue refurbishing gates on the dam.
Additional partial and full road closures may be needed throughout 2024. For more information, contact the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers at Lake Red Rock at 641-828-7522 or email: lakeredrock@usace.army.mil.
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