Historic tree to be cut down at the White House over safety concerns

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Sam Parsons

WASHINGTON (AP) — A tree that’s nearly two centuries old will be removed from the White House grounds because it’s deteriorating, President Donald Trump said Sunday.

The southern magnolia stands near the curved portico on the south side of the building. It’s where foreign leaders are often welcomed for ceremonial visits, and where the president departs to board the Marine One helicopter.

According to the National Park Service website, “folklore tells us” that President Andrew Jackson brought the tree’s seeds from his home near Nashville, Tennessee. It was apparently planted in honor of his wife Rachel, who died shortly before he took office in 1829.

“The bad news is that everything must come to an end, and this tree is in terrible condition, a very dangerous safety hazard, at the White House Entrance, no less, and must now be removed,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, his social media platform. “This process will take place next week, and will be replaced by another, very beautiful tree.”

Trump said the wood from the tree “may be used for other high and noble purposes!!!”

The tree was significantly pruned in 2017, during Trump’s first term. It was also damaged in 1994 when a small Cessna plane crashed into the South Lawn and skidded into the White House.

Bill may expand number of physician assistants practicing in Iowa

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Sam Parsons

By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

The Iowa legislature has sent the governor a bill that would likely expand the number of physician assistants practicing in Iowa, by creating a path to a multi-state license.

If the bill becomes law, Iowa will enter a compact next year that would let P.A.s licensed in 14 states practice in any of those states. The neighboring states of Nebraska, Minnesota and Wisconsin will be part of the compact.

Senator Kara Warme of Ames said this kind of a reciprocal licensing arrangement is already available for doctors, nurses and mental health professionals. “We all know the extensive need that we have in our state for medical providers and this licensure compact is one way to meet some of those needs, allowing easier access to telehealth medicine or to practicing across state lines in our border communities,” Warme said during Senate debate of the bill.

Representative Austin Baeth of Des Moines, a physician, spoke during House debate. “This is a good bill,” Baeth said. “We know from experience in other health care licensure compacts that this is typically a net win for Iowa in gaining more health care professionals to help patch in our shortages.”

According to the American Academy of Physician Assistants, there are over 1300 P.A.s licensed to practice medicine in Iowa and over half of them are working in rural areas. Two years ago, Governor Reynolds signed a law that removed the requirement that a P.A. be supervised by a doctor in order to practice medicine in Iowa.

“Creating Buzz: The Joy, Ease, and Challenge of Supporting Pollinators” Presentation at the Environmental Learning Center

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Sam Parsons

OSKALOOSA — The Mahaska County Conservation Board is inviting the public to Join them at the Environmental Learning Center, 2342 Hwy 92, on April 11 for an engaging and inspiring presentation titled “Creating Buzz: The Joy, Ease, and Challenge of Supporting Pollinators” with Jamie Beyer, Lifetime Master Gardener and President of the Central Iowa Beekeepers Association. Beyer is also a recipient of the Spencer Award from the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, recognizing his dedication to conservation and sustainable agriculture.

Pollinators such as butterflies, hummingbirds, native bees, and honey bees play a crucial role in maintaining healthy ecosystems—but they need our help! In this lively and informative presentation, Beyer will explore how everyone can take simple steps to support these vital species. Attendees will learn about the joys of planting nectar-rich flowers, easy ways to reduce the use of sprays, and how embracing natural landscapes can create thriving habitats for pollinators. Whether you’re an experienced gardener, a renter, or simply curious about helping nature, this presentation promises to leave you feeling motivated and empowered to make a difference.

As Beyer often says, “Diversity is the key to stability,” and “the more you know, the less you mow!”

Oskaloosa High School Prom is This Weekend

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Sam Parsons

OSKALOOSA, IOWA — The Oskaloosa Student Council is excited to announce the annual Oskaloosa High School prom, themed “Enchanted Forest,” scheduled for April 5, 2025. The event promises an evening of elegance and entertainment for all attendees.

The promenade, which is open to the public, will commence at 5:30 PM in the large Oskaloosa High School gym. Spectators are asked to enter through the north side gym doors. Promenade student attendees should enter through the south side gym door entrance. If you can’t make it to promenade in person, you can watch it live at indiansnetwork.tv.

Following the promenade, the dinner and dance for high school student participants only will take place at Debbie’s Celebration Barn from 6:30 PM to 11:00 PM, followed by After Prom activities at the Penn Central Mall.

After Prom doors open at 11:30 PM, and attendees must arrive before 12:30 AM for entry. Please enter the doors by Love, Inc. The festivities will include activities such as prize giveaways, axe throwing, bumper cars, and many others, concluding at 3:45 AM.

All junior and senior students and their guests are invited to join in the celebration and create lasting memories at the “Enchanted Forest” prom.

April 5, 2025 (public events)

5:00 P.M. Doors open for Promenade Oskaloosa High School Gymnasium, (1816 N 3rd St)

5:30 P.M. Promenade (admission free)

Prom Court:

Back row: (Left to right) Maddux Ashman, Lukas Toubekis, Ty Lorentzen, Deondre Bullock, Xavier Edwards

Front row: (Left to right) Avree Ebelsheiser. Kelsie Hicks, Chloe Mason, Bethany VanDonselaar, Alexis Prather

MORGAN WALLEN RETURNS TO “SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE,” BUT IT’S HIS DEPARTURE THAT RAISES EYEBROWS

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Bob Ballard

For the second time ever (and first since December 2020), Morgan Wallen was the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live.” The singer performed the title track from his upcoming album “I’m The Problem,” following that up with a performance of “Just In Case.” Then, interestingly, he didn’t hang around for the traditional cast farewells, instead walking off the stage after sharing a brief word and a hug with the night’s guest host, Mikey Madison. Immediately after, he posted a shot on his Instagram Stories of his private jet with the caption, “Get me to God’s Country.” A source close to the singer told “TMZ” that his walking off stage was an error, and he meant nothing by it. Reportedly Morgan entered and exited the studio the same way the entire week of rehearsals, so he just headed that way when he thought it was time to go.

This day in Country Music History

Posted on March 31, 2025 by Bob Ballard

Today in 1962, Patsy Cline hit the top of the country charts with “She’s Got You.”
Today in 1973, Johnny Rodriguez charted his first number one song “You Always Come Back To Hurting Me.”
Today in 1981, Dolly Parton performed “9 to 5” at the Oscar awards, delayed for a day after the shooting of President Reagan.
Today in 1986, Alabama’s “Greatest Hits” album was certified Gold and Platinum simultaneously.
Today in 1992, the “Wynonna” album by Wynonna Judd was released.
Today in 1992, Mark Chesnutt’s second album “Longnecks and Short Stories” was released.
Today in 1995, Joe Diffie’s single “So Help Me Girl” topped the charts.
Today in 1998, Alan Jackson’s “The Greatest Hits Collection” went quadruple-platinum.
Today in 1998, Brooks and Dunn shot footage for their “If You See Him, If You See Her” video with Reba McEntire.
Today in 2000, at the historic Ryman Auditorium in Nashville, Riders in the Sky presented their 21st annual benefit concert to aid Hospital Hospitality House. It offers a home away from home for family members of critically ill patients and outpatients receiving medical treatment in Nashville area hospitals.
Today in 2002, Jo Dee Messina was in Atlanta to perform the national anthem for the Atlanta Braves’ season opener.
Today in 2003, the Great American Ball Park opened with the Cincinnati Reds losing to the Pittsburgh Pirates. President W. Bush threw out the first pitch and Clay Walker and Lee Greenwood sang “God Bless The U.S.A.”
Today in 2005, The “Honky Tonk Angels” album — featuring Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and Tammy Wynette — was certified Platinum.
Today in 2006, John Michael Montgomery held his first Hunting & Fishing Show in Bardstown, Kentucky.
Today in 2006, Tim McGraw made a guest appearance on “The Today Show” where he performed “When the Stars Go Blue” and other hits.
Today in 2006, Jake Owen made his Grand Ole Opry debut.
Today in 2006, at the Kennedy Center, Vince Jill, Kris Krostofferson, Lee Ann Womack, and The Judds sang “Will The Circle Be Unbroken,” as part of three weeks of country shows in the capitol.
Today in 2007, Angela Hacker, “Nashville Star’s” season five winner, made her debut on the Grand Ole Opry.
Today in 2007, LeAnn Rimes made an appearance at the Human Rights Campaign’s Equality dinner, an event supporting the gay community.
Today in 2009, Brad Paisley learned he’d won the Academy of Country Music Awards for Video of the Year with his clip “Waitin’ On a Woman,” and that he and Keith Urban got the nod for Vocal Event of the Year for their collaborative hit “Start a Band.” The winners in these categories were announced in advance of the annual ACM Awards ceremony, which took place five days later.
Today in 2009, Craig Morgan hosted his Charity Ride, which included an acoustic concert and silent auction as well as a motocross and four-wheeler ride in Van Leer, Tennessee.
Today in 2009, new CD releases included Keith Urban’s “Defying Gravity,” Rodney Atkins’ “It’s America,” and Dailey and Vincent’s “Brothers From Different Mothers.”
Today in 2011, Mel McDaniel died at his Nashville-area home following a battle with lung cancer. He was 68.
Today in 2011, Scotty McCreery and Lauren Alaina sang “I Told You So,” the Randy Travis/Carrie Underwood duet on “American Idol.”
Today in 2012, Taylor Swift received The Big Help Award at the Kids’ Choice Awards from First Lady Michelle Obama, who presented the award.
Today in 2013, Blake Shelton hosted the NRA Country/ACM Celebrity Shoot in Boulder City, Nevada, which raised money for military related charities while Darius Rucker hosted the ACM Lifting Lives Celebrity Golf Classic charity event in Las Vegas. Both fundraisers were held in conjunction with the annual Academy of Country Music awards.
Today in 2013, a second visitation day was held for the late Earl Scruggs at a Nashville funeral home. The bluegrass legend died a few days earlier at the age of 88.

ALABAMA ANNOUNCES TOUR DATES FOR 2025

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Bob Ballard

While their “Alabama Jam” was called off this year, that doesn’t mean the boys in Alabama won’t be out there playing the hits. The band announced their 2025 tour itinerary yesterday. The first leg of the tour consists of 14 shows; Lorrie Morgan, Pat Green, Eddie Montgomery, Lee Greenwood, Jamey Johnson, Ned LeDoux, BlackHawk and Alex Miller have all been tapped to open, depending on the date. See the band’s website for complete tour and ticket information, and check out the first ten scheduled dates below:

Apr 17 – Phoenix, AZ @ Footprint Center with Lorrie Morgan
Apr 19 – Lincoln, CA @ Thunder Valley Casino Resort with Lorrie Morgan
Apr 27 – Wichita, KS @ Intrust Arena with Eddie Montgomery
May 23 – Bonner Springs, KS @ Azura Amphitheater with Lee Greenwood
May 25 – Ridgedale, MO @ Thunder Ridge Nature’s Arena with Pat Green
June 5 – Windsor, Ontario, Canada @ The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor
June 7 – Bradley, IL @ Bradley 316 Festival with Eddie Montgomery
June 14 – Creighton, PA @ Iron City Stage at Pittsburgh Brewing Company with Jamey Johnson
June 18 – Redding, CA @ Redding Civic Auditorium with Eddie Montgomery
June 20 – Sparks, NV @ Nugget Event Center with Ned LeDoux

This day in Country Music History

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Bob Ballard

Today in 1981, Hank Williams Jr.’s “Texas Women” hit #1 on the Billboard country chart.
Today in 1992, Reba McEntire hit the top of the Billboard charts with “Is There Life Out There.”
Today in 2001, the “O Brother, Where Art Thou?” soundtrack went platinum. It featured Emmylou Harris, Ralph Stanley, the Soggy Bottom Boys, Alison Krauss, Harry McClintock, Gillian Welch, John Hartford and The Cox Family, it was produced by T Bone Burnett.
Today in 2003, CMT placed Johnny Cash in the number 1 spot when it listed “The 40 Greatest Men Of Country Music.”
Today in 2009, Love and Theft performed “Runaway” in its Grand Ole Opry debut.
Today in 2013, Black Shelton sung The Lumineers’ “Ho Hey” dressed like a chicken with three cast members from NBC’s “Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.” He also performed “Sure Be Cool If You Did.”
Today in 2017, Eric Paslay announced a long-term partnership with Habitat For Humanity.
Today in 2018, Cam teamed with Smokey Robinson as a new edition of “CMT Crossroads” premiered. Among the performances: “Burning House,” “The Tears Of A Clown” and “I Second That Emotion.”
Today in 2018, Bebe Rexha’s pop single, “Meant To Be,” which features Florida Georgia Line, was certified platinum and double-platinum by the RIAA.
Today in 2020, Jan Howard died in Gallatin, Tennessee, a day after her 49th anniversary as a member of the Grand Ole Opry. A former wife of songwriter Harlan Howard and duet partner of Bill Anderson, she earned a Top 5 country hit with the 1966 single “Evil On Your Mind” and a Top 15 hit with “My Son,” written about her boy, who died in Vietnam. That evening, Vince Gill, Amy Grant, Jenny Gill and Corinna Grant Gill performed “How Great Thou Art” to honor Jan as the Opry was held in front of an empty house while much of the nation was on COVID-19 quarantine.

An AI-based drone that speeds up the detection and monitoring of wildfires is presented in Germany

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Sam Parsons

EBERSWALDE, Germany (AP) — A company that specializes in early wildfire detection has developed a new, AI-based drone it says will help speed up the detection, location and monitoring of fires.

The Silvaguard drone by Dryard Networks was presented Thursday in Eberswalde outside of Berlin as wildfires driven by extreme heat and climate change are becoming a more common, often deadly phenomenon around the globe.

The drone will deliver infrared images, among other things, and works in combination with a fire detection system that the company developed earlier and that’s already being used in several countries. The fire detection system, called Silvanet, is designed to detect wildfires at the smoldering stage using solar-powered gas sensors connected via a wireless network.

Each gas sensor can protect an area the size of a football field and be attached to a tree. The plan is that once Silvanet detects a fire, it will trigger a nearby Silvaguard drone to fly to the location and provide detailed images.

“Today we saw a combination of Silvanet — the solar powered gas sensors that detected the fire within minutes — with Silvaguard, the first prototype of an autonomous, an AI enabled drone that we dispatched in response to a fire,” said Carsten Brinkschulte, the CEO and co-founder, Dryad Networks.

The drone “flew autonomously to the location of the sensor, detecting the fire, and delivered overhead infrared and optical video from the point of fire,” he said of the newly developed drone.

The company is still waiting to get the go-ahead for the commercial use of Silvaguard drone from authorities.

The information about the fire, including geographic coordinates, video and infrared images, will then be sent to the firefighters who will then know where the fire is spreading and how big it is, which will help them know how many firefighters need to be deployed.

“When it comes to wildfires, time is of the essence, you cannot be fast enough,” Brinkschulte said.

Iowans can vote for the state’s next education license plate design

Posted on March 28, 2025 by Sam Parsons

DES MOINES — The Iowa Department of Education today announced statewide voting is now open for Iowans to help select the state’s next education license plate design. Replacing the current decades-old design, these new license plate designs feature original artwork from 16 student semifinalists from across the state.

“Earlier this school year, the Department asked students to help us reimagine Iowa’s education license plate, and now it’s time for you to pick your favorite submissions,” said Iowa Department of Education Director McKenzie Snow. “This first-of-its-kind design challenge is helping us celebrate education across Iowa while recognizing the incredible artistic talent of our students.”

A committee representing art teachers from across the state reviewed and selected the 16 semifinalists from over 100 qualified designs submitted by Iowa K-12 art classes. Each entry was reviewed for creativity, originality, artistic skill and its representation of celebrating Iowa education. Iowans can access the online voting form to select their top three overall favorite designs in each of the following grade bands: 3-5, 6-8, 9-10 and 11-12. They can also select their top three overall favorite designs.

From the results of the public voting, three or four finalists will be selected for final consideration. The winning design will be announced at the end of the school year, replacing the current design that has been in place since 1997. The redesigned license plates will tentatively go into production this summer and all semifinalist and finalist art designs will be permanently displayed at the Department’s Grimes State Office Building.

The Iowa Education License Plate Contest was introduced last fall to redesign the state’s current education license plate. Iowa K-12 students were invited to create original designs for the education license plates that will be featured on the vehicles of drivers supporting Iowa education across the state. Iowa K-12 art teachers could select up to 10 student designs to submit for the contest this spring.

Specialized education license plates are a great way for Iowa drivers to show their support of education across the state. All education license plates are purchased through the Iowa Department of Transportation. The fees collected from the purchase of specialized education license plates support school districts with the highest per pupil transportation costs, including schools serving rural communities.

The contest voting period is open through April 15. The voting form can be accessed on the Iowa Department of Education’s website.

More information on the contest can be found on the Iowa Education License Plate Contest webpage. Iowa Education License Plate Contest

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