- Today in 1962, Flatt & Scruggs perform at New York’s Carnegie Hall. The concert is recorded for later release as an album.
- Today in 1982, Marty Robbins died of a heart attack at the age of 57. Marty had at least one hit on the U.S. country singles chart every year between 1956 and 1982. In fact, he recorded 500 songs in his lifetime – 18 of them went gold – including the first #1 hit of the 60’s, “El Paso.”
- Today in 1983, “The Very Best Of Conway Twitty” album was certified gold.
- Today in 1986, the album “Willie Nelson’s Greatest Hits (& Some That Will Be)” was certified double-platinum.
- Today in 1994, Mark Chesnutt and his wife, Tracie, welcomed their son, Waylon Nelson.
- Today in 1995, Aaron Tippin hit #1 with “That’s As Close As I’ll Get to Loving You.”
- Today in 1997, Trisha Yearwood presented Garth Brooks with the Artist Achievement Award at the “Billboard” LeAnn Rimes also took home four trophies, including Artist of the Year and Country Artist of the Year.
- Today in 2000, Tim McGraw’s “Greatest Hits” CD entered its second week at #1 on “Billboard’s” Top Country Albums chart.
- Today in 2003, Chris Cagle’s self-titled sophomore album went gold.
- Today in 2003, Brad Paisley’s “Mud On The Tires” album rolled to gold certification.
- Today in 2004, “CMT Homecoming: Jimmy Carter In Plains” premiered, which featured a Willie Nelson concert that was taped in the former president’s hometown.
- Today in 2005, Brad Paisley, Gretchen Wilson, and Jerry Douglas each received four Grammy Award nominations.
- Today in 2005, Brad Paisley’s “When I Get Where I’m Going” video, featuring Dolly Parton and Scott Hamilton, premiered on CMT.
- Today in 2012, Keith Urban received the Harmony Award from the Nashville Symphony at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center.
- Today in 2012, Marty Stuart celebrated his 20th anniversary as a Grand Ole Opry member at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. Also appearing on the show? His wife, Connie Smith, as well as Charley Pride, Old Crow Medicine Show and songwriter Brandy Clark.
- Today in 2014, Jason Aldean’s album, “Old Boots, New Dirt,” went platinum.
- Today in 2015, cover girl Miranda Lambert addressed her divorce from Blake Shelton as “Cosmopolitan” magazine hit newsstands. “It’s about living in the moment and feeling every tinge of pain,” she offered. “Then waking up the next day going, ‘All right, I’m going to ride my ponies. I’m going to have a girls’ night.’ That’s where I am.”
- Today in 2017, Luke Bryan’s “What Makes You Country” album was released. The same day? The Walker Hayes album, “boom,” also dropped.
- Today in 2018, Eric Paslay and his wife, Natalie, welcomed their daughter, Piper Lily Paslay, in Nashville.
- Today in 2018, Jake Owen hosted his 12th annual benefit at the Indian River County Fairgrounds in Vero Beach, Florida, joined by Joe Diffie, Chris Lane and Morgan Wallen. Surprise guest Colt Ford teamed with Owen on “Dirt Road Anthem,” and golfer John Daly gets backup help from Owen, Wallen and Diffie on Bob Dylan’s “Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door.”
- Today in 2018, Toby Keith received the Harmony Award from the Nashville Symphony during the Symphony Ball at the Schermerhorn Symphony Center. He performed “Should’ve Been A Cowboy,” “God Love Her,” “American Soldier” and the movie song, “Don’t Let The Old Man In” with the orchestra.
- Today in 2018, Gretchen Wilson performed “Here For The Party” and “Redneck Woman” during Alice Cooper’s Christmas Pudding benefit concert at the Celebrity Theater in Phoenix. Also on the bill? Johnny Depp, Larry The Cable Guy, Sebastian Bach and two members of Blue Oyster Cult.
- Today in 2019, Dolly Parton appeared on screen with Danica McKellar and Niall Matter as the Hallmark Channel debuts “Christmas At Dollywood.” The soundtrack includes Parton’s recordings of “Winter Wonderland,” “Joy To The World” and “Hard Candy Christmas.”
- Today in 2019, Chris Young, Chase Rice, Russell Dickerson and LANCO were among the acts playing the acoustic 10 Man Jam at Billy Bob’s Texas in Fort Worth, with funds marked for a local food bank.
- Today in 2019, Blake Shelton and his mother, Dorothy Shackleford, were the executive producers as the Hallmark Channel debuted a new special, “Time For You To Come Home For Christmas,” starring Alison Sweeney and Lucas Bryant.
- Today in 2019, Linda Ronstadt received a Kennedy Center Honor in Washington, D.C., hailed by Emmylou Harris and Don Henley. Carrie Underwood covered “Blue Bayou” and “When Will I Be Loved,” and Trisha Yearwood performed “You’re No Good.” Other honorees include Earth, Wind & Fire, Sally Field and “Sesame Street,” who was saluted by Thomas Rhett.
- Today in 2020, Darius Rucker was officially welcomed as an investor in the Nashville Stars, a group of athletes and businessmen attempting to bring major baseball to Music City.
TAG SEARCH RESULTS FOR: ""
Oskaloosa Schools Accept Book Donations from Book Vault, Community Members
Posted on by Sam Parsons
OSKALOOSA, IOWA — The Oskaloosa Community Schools would like to express its gratitude to Book Vault and the community members who participated in the “Christmas Around the World” event in November.
The initiative aimed to spread the joy of reading and cultural diversity by encouraging individuals and families to donate books to school libraries.
The event, titled “Jolabokaflod” (translating to “Yule Book Flood” in Icelandic), took place on Saturday, November 18. Book Vault, a community-minded bookstore, spearheaded the effort by inviting individuals to purchase books for both personal enjoyment and donation to Oskaloosa Schools libraries.
“We are very grateful to Book Vault for including us in their Christmas Around the World event, and we are so thankful to community members who donated books to our libraries. We are incredibly lucky to live in such a generous community with so much support for our schools,” said Rebecca Bock, 6-12 Teacher Librarian.
The community response was overwhelming, with Book Vault presenting a number of books to the schools. The middle school was gifted an impressive 22 books, while the high school gratefully accepted seven.
“This initiative not only enriches our libraries, but also fosters a love for reading and learning among our students,” Bock said. “The support from Book Vault and the community is truly uplifting.”
The commitment to education and literacy showcased by the participants is a testament to the community’s dedication to supporting the growth and development of its students.
For more information, please contact Rebecca Bock at bockr@oskycsd.org.
Taylor Swift is named Time magazine’s person of the year
Posted on by Sam Parsons
NEW YORK (AP) — Is the year of Taylor Swift over now? Not yet.
Time magazine named Swift its person of the year on Wednesday, a week after Spotify announced she was the most-played artist on the streaming platform.
Swift was picked from a group of nine finalists that included Barbie, King Charles III, and OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, among others.
“While her popularity has grown across the decades, this is the year that Swift, 33, achieved a kind of nuclear fusion: shooting art and commerce together to release an energy of historic force,” Time said about her selection.
Her year included the wildly popular Eras Tour and concert movie, the release of her reimagined ‘1989’ album, and her closely watched relationship with Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce. She’s even the subject of college courses.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was Time’s 2022 person of the year.
Dreaming of a white Christmas? New Iowa map shows your chances
Posted on by Sam Parsons
By Matt Kelley (Radio Iowa)
To some Iowans, it just isn’t the holiday season if there isn’t snow on the ground. If a white Christmas is on your wish list, you’ll have the best shot of finding flakes across Iowa’s northern-most counties.
National Weather Service meteorologist Brad Small says they’ve studied the data spanning back decades and have compiled a map showing the probabilities of having snow on the ground on December 25th.
“Iowa can probably be generally weighted into four different tiers actually, with about a 60-plus-percent chance toward the Minnesota border, and then it steps down, Highway 20 corridor 50-percent, then 40, and then it gets down into the 30s as you get closer to the Missouri border,” Small says. “So it kind of behaves as you’d expect, with better chances the farther north you go.”
Since Christmas is still 19 days away, Small says it’s difficult to predict whether we’ll have a significant snowfall in Iowa by then.
“It’s a little too far out to put too much on the end of the month,” Small says. “Probably the historical probabilities work better than anything else, at this point. There are some snow chances this weekend. Confidence in where that occurs and how much is pretty low, and it doesn’t look like to be a major system, so it’s potential, even if we do get snow this weekend, it could melt before Christmas.”
Iowa Finance Authority Awards more than $11 million to Local Housing Trust Funds to Advance Housing Opportunities
Posted on by Sam Parsons
(DES MOINES) – The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) Board of Directors today announced the award of a total of more than $11.2 million in grants to 26 Local Housing Trust Funds to support local housing initiatives. The grant awards are made available through the Local Housing Trust Fund program and are expected to assist 2,824 families.
$427,863 will go to the AHEAD Regional Housing Trust Fund which serves Davis, Jefferson, Keokuk, Mahaska, Van Buren and Wapello Counties. $516,604 has been awarded to the Central Iowa Housing Trust Fund, which serves Boone, Jasper, Marion and Warren Counties.
“The 2024 Local Housing Trust Fund awards represent the largest annual amount with the largest projected impact allocated through the program since inception,” said IFA Director Debi Durham. “Today’s awards will support housing initiatives that will ensure that nearly 3,000 families have the ability to live, work and thrive in our communities.”
“The State Housing Trust Fund is a crucial financial resource which enables us to advance local housing priorities,” said Polk County Housing Trust Fund Executive Director Toby O’Berry. “These funds enable us to provide more than just homes; they ignite the ripple effects of affordable housing, positively impacting lives and fostering strong communities.”
The grant funds will support a range of initiatives aimed at developing or preserving housing for low-income households across the spectrum of housing needs. This includes the development and preservation of housing, infrastructure development, transitional housing, assistance for homeless individuals, rental assistance, homeownership support, bolstering the capacity of local housing organizations and other efforts that directly address local housing needs.
The State Housing Trust Fund was created by the Iowa Legislature in 2003. The awards announced today will leverage an additional $3.3 million in other financing or $.30 for every dollar of Local Housing Trust Fund program funding. Since its inception, the State Housing Trust Fund has provided $123.6 million in affordable housing assistance to benefit nearly 38,000 Iowa families, leveraging more than $180 million in other funding resources.
The State Housing Trust Fund helps ensure decent, safe and affordable housing for Iowans through two programs. The Local Housing Trust Fund Program receives at least 60 percent of the SHTF allocation to provide grants for organizations certified by the Iowa Finance Authority as a Local Housing Trust Fund.
The remaining funding goes to the Project-Based Housing Program, which aids in the development of affordable single-family and multifamily housing. The Iowa Finance Authority administers both programs and provides technical assistance to housing-related organizations.
The award list can be found here.
HOW KENNY CHESNEY’S ONE MOVE PROPELLED TAYLOR SWIFT’S CAREER
Posted on by Bob Ballard
By now everyone knows that Taylor Swift has been named “TIME” magazine’s “Person Of The Year” for 2023. But there’s a chance she never would have reached the heights she’s reached if it hadn’t been for a gesture from Kenny Chesney that is just now coming to light more than fifteen years after the fact.
In her interview with “TIME” alongside her receiving the prestigious honor, Taylor revealed for the first time just how instrumental Chesney was in the early stages of her career – and it came because she was dumped from the opening slot of his tour. When Taylor was seventeen and just starting out, Chesney named her as the opening act for his tour that year. Huge honor, and as Taylor tells it, “This was going to change my career. I was so excited.” That excitement would be short lived, however. One day Taylor came home to find her mother crying on the front steps. The bad news: Taylor was being removed from the tour because a beer company was sponsoring it – and Taylor was underage. “I was devastated,” Swift says.
Fast-forward to her 18th birthday party. Taylor sees Chesney’s promoter, who handed her a card from Chesney that read, “I’m sorry that you couldn’t come on the tour, so I wanted to make it up to you.” With the note was a check. “It was for more money than I’d ever seen in my life,” Swift says. “I was able to pay my band bonuses. I was able to pay for my tour buses. I was able to fuel my dreams.” Kenny Chesney – good guy.
Source: TIME
Secretary Naig Announces Expansion of Southeast Iowa Water Quality Project
Posted on by Sam Parsons
DES MOINES — Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig announced that a successful Water Quality Initiative (WQI) project in Wapello, Mahaska, Keokuk, and Jefferson Counties is expanding in territory while beginning a new phase that includes an added focus on edge-of-field conservation practices.
Since the Cedar Creek Partnership Project started in 2014, nearly 45,000 acres of cover crops have been seeded in the project area and more than 367,000 feet of terraces have been built. The next stage of this project will continue to emphasize the use of these traditional conservation practices and expand to now include a larger focus on the installation of edge-of-field practices such as saturated buffers and bioreactors as well as nutrient reducing grade stabilization structures. These proven structural practices filter water as it leaves fields, helping to keep nutrients from entering our waterways. To date, five saturated buffers, three bioreactors, and two nutrient grade stabilization structures have been built in the project area and the goal is to greatly increase these numbers.
“We are able to accelerate our water quality work because of strong local partnerships and highly engaged farmers and landowners. By working together, we can install proven conservation practices that improve our water and soil all across Iowa,” said Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig. “As the Cedar Creek Partnership Project expands into more territory with even more practices, we welcome all farmers, landowners and partners to join with us to keep the water quality momentum building.”
The Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, through the Water Quality Initiative, is allocating $417,490 for the next phase of this expanded project. Additional partners include the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRSC), Pathfinders Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D), Kayser Soil Services, Son Risk Management, Wapello County Farm Bureau, Jefferson County Farm Bureau, Iowa Corn Growers Association, Iowa Soybean Association, Iowa State University Extension and Outreach, Wapello County Soil and Water Conservation District, Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District and Keokuk County Soil and Water Conservation District.
About the Water Quality Initiative
The Iowa Water Quality Initiative was established in 2013 to help implement the Nutrient Reduction Strategy, which is a science and technology-based approach to protecting and improving our water quality. The strategy brings together both point sources, such as municipal wastewater treatment plants and industrial facilities, and nonpoint sources, including farm fields and urban stormwater runoff, to address these issues. The Initiative seeks to harness the collective ability of both private and public resources and organizations to deliver a clear and consistent message to stakeholders to reduce nutrient loss and improve water quality.
This day in Country Music History
Posted on by Bob Ballard
- Today in 1983, Kenny Rogers and Dolly Parton earned a platinum single for “Islands In The Stream.”
- Today in 1991, Reba McEntire’s “For My Broken Heart” topped the Billboard country singles chart.
- Today in 1992, Mary Chapin Carpenter’s “Passionate Kisses” album was released.
- Today in 1998, Kenny Chesney’s “How Forever Feels” arrived in stores.
- Today in 2003, Loretta Lynn was recognized during the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., by President George W. Bush.
- Today in 2004, Loretta Lynn received five Grammy nominations in recognition of her album “Van Lear Rose.” Gretchen Wilson claimed four nominations, including Best New Artist, while “Live Like You Were Dying” was a finalist for all-genre Song of the Year.
- Today in 2006, the Dixie Chicks registered five Grammy nominations, leading all country acts in the 49th annual show. Alan Jackson received three and Carrie Underwood collects two, including one for Best New Artist.
- Today in 2007, an installment of “CMT Crossroads” pairing LeAnn Rimes and Joss Stone had its first showing on TV. The two singers joined voices on “Nothin’ Better To Do.”
- Today in 2008, George Jones was celebrated during the Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C., along with Barbra Streisand, Morgan Freeman and two members of The Who.
- Today in 2015, Chris Stapleton was the leading country candidate, receiving four nominations in the GRAMMY Awards. His solo debut, “Traveller,” was up for Album of the Year and Best Country Album, while the title track was tapped in the Best Country Solo Performance and Best Country Song categories.
- Today in 2016, the Joey+Rory album, “Hymns That Are Important To Us,” went gold. Joey Feek had lost her battle with cancer in March of that year.
- Today in 2018, Maren Morris led country finalists with five nods as the slate for the 61st annual GRAMMY Awards is announced. Her entries include three pop nominations for her work on Zedd’s single, “The Middle,” plus as well as “Dear Hate” and her cover of Elton John’s “Mona Lisas And Mad Hatters.”
- Today in 2018, Brett Young’s album, “Ticket To LA,” was released.
- Today in 2018, Brothers Osborne were totally responsible as the RIAA certified their single, “It Ain’t My Fault,” platinum.
- Today in 2019, Jason Aldean’s “9” album hit the top spot on the Billboard country albums chart.
- Today in 2019, Jimmy Wayne served as grand marshal in the Kings Mountain Home For Christmas Parade in North Carolina.
- Today in 2019, Zac Brown was the guest picker during ESPN’s “College GameDay.”
- Today in 2020, “Famous Friends,” by Chris Young & Kane Brown, hit the airwaves.
IS REBA MCENTIRE ENGAGED?
Posted on by Bob Ballard
Reba McEntire and boyfriend Rex Linn have been dating for almost four years – and have known each other a lot longer than that. So naturally the question has arisen about the possibility of wedding bells for the couple. Reba has brushed them off, but this week there was a new wrinkle in the narrative.
Monday Reba was sporting a sparkly diamond ring on that finger as she posed for photos and gave press interviews ahead of the season’s first live taping of “The Voice.” When asked about the ring by “ET’s” Cassie DiLaura, Reba calmed the waters. “I just found it,” McEntire said of the jewelry. “I told Leslie,” she continued, seemingly referencing her brand manager, Leslie Matthews Duggar, “Imma put something over here, just let everybody talk about it.”
DiLaura continued, “You know I’m planning a wedding, am I still the only one planning a wedding?” “Yes, you are,” McEntire clarified. So, no big announcement – yet.
Source: ETOnline
This day in Country Music History
Posted on by Bob Ballard
- Today in 1968, aides to President Richard Nixon send out 66,000 letters signed by Nixon, to potential administrative office holders. Among those receiving one was Elvis Presley.
- Today in 1980, the single, “I Love A Rainy Night,” by Eddie Rabbitt entered the Top 40 chart.
- Today in 1988, Roy Orbison died of a heart attack while on a visit to his mother near Nashville. He was 52. His biggest hit is the million-selling #1 song “Oh, Pretty Woman.” He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.
- Today in 1991, Ricky Van Shelton’s “Backroads” album was certified platinum.
- Today in 1991, Lorrie Morgan’s album, “Something In Red,” went gold.
- Today in 1991, the “White Limozeen” album by Dolly Parton was certified gold.
- Today in 1993, the Eagles shot a video for with Travis Tritt’s for his version of their classic, “Take it Easy.”
- Today in 1994, Mary Chapin Carpenter’s album, “Stones in the Road,” was certified gold and platinum simultaneously.
- Today in 1996, Little Texas’ “Greatest Hits” album was certified gold.
- Today in 1998, Faith Hill was #1 on the singles charts with “Let Me Let Go.”
- Today in 2001, Audrey Caroline McGraw was born at 4:39pm to her parents, Faith Hill and Tim McGraw. While she arrived a month earlier than expected, and suffered some complications initially, the good news is that the littlest McGraw is just fine.
- Today in 2002, Travis Tritt and Ray Charles are paired for an hour of music as a new episode of “CMT Crossroads” debuted.
- Today in 2003, Brad Paisley performed two songs at the Palm Springs wedding reception of Trista Rehn and Ryan Sutter, who met on ABC’s “The Bachelorette.”
- Today in 2005, Dierks Bentley net a platinum album for “Modern Day Drifter.”
- Today in 2008, a “CMT Giants” installment celebrating Alan Jackson premiered with performances by Dierks Bentley, George Strait, Lee Ann Womack, Miranda Lambert and Brad Paisley.
- Today in 2012, Sugarland’s Jennifer Nettles and her husband, Justin Miller, welcomed a son, Magnus Hamilton Miller.
- Today in 2013, Kacey Musgraves and Taylor Swift received four nominations apiece, making them the top country finalists in the 56th annual GRAMMY awards.
- Today in 2016, both Maren Morris and Kelsea Ballerini were nominated for Best New Artist in the GRAMMY Awards. Why was this so special? It was the first time in history that two artists being actively marketed to country were finalists for that trophy in the same year. The trophy ultimately went to Chance The Rapper.
- Today in 2018, Sam Hunt’s single, “Body Like A Back Road,” was certified six-times platinum. The Dierks Bentley single, “Drunk On A Plane,” was certified double- and triple-platinum
- Today in 2018, Chris Stapleton’s single, “Millionaire,” was certified gold.
- Today in 2019, Jason Aldean performed a Las Vegas concert for the first time since a shooting ended his 2017 appearance at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival. He included “When She Says Baby,” the song he was playing when the gunfire erupted two years prior.
- Today in 2019, Maddie & Tae’s single, “Die From A Broken Heart,” went gold. On the same day, Eric Church collected a gold single for “Carolina” and Jon Pardi’s single, “Dirt On My Boots,” went triple-platinum.
- Today in 2019, Morgan Wallen’s “Whiskey Glasses” was framed as a double-platinum single by the RIAA.
- Today in 2019, Jason Aldean’s album, “They Don’t Know,” went gold.
- Today in 2020, the Dolly Parton holiday special, “A Holly Dolly Christmas,” aired on CBS. Parton performs “A Holly Jolly Christmas,” “Coat Of Many Colors” and “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.”
NEWSLETTER
Stay updated, sign up for our newsletter.
Thanks for signing up!