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This day in Country Music History

  • Today in 1956, Elvis Presley got a number one Billboard country single with “Heartbreak Hotel.”
  • Today in 1969, Glen Campbell released both the album and the single “Galveston.”
  • Today in 1972, a 13-year-old Tanya Tucker entered a studio to record her first hit, “Delta Dawn.”
  • Today in 1986, the “Lost In The Fifties” album by Ronnie Milsap was released.
  • Today in 1989, Keith Whitley hit number one on the “Radio & Records” country chart with “I’m No Stranger to the Rain.”
  • Today in 1990, “Hard Rock Bottom Of Your Heart” by Randy Travis hit the top of the Billboard country chart, where it would stay for four weeks.
  • Today in 1992, Garth Brooks and Reba McEntire were among the winners at the 18th Annual People’s Choice Awards, taking home trophies in the Favorite Male and Female Country Music Performer categories. They also trumped their pop counterparts in capturing the awards for overall Favorite Male and Female Musical Performer.
  • Today in 1995, Suzy Bogguss and her husband, Doug Crider, became parents to son Ben.
  • Today in 1995, Clay Walker topped the country charts with “This Woman and This Man.”
  • Today in 1998, Shania Twain announced plans for her first world tour.
  • Today in 2000, Shania Twain’s “Come On Over” was certified for sales of 17-million in the U.S., making it the best-selling solo album by a female artist.
  • Today in 2001, quarterback Peyton Manning married Ashley Thompson, and Kenny Chesney sang “Me And You” at the wedding.
  • Today in 2002, Vince Gill was elected president of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum. He succeeded Marty Stuart, who enjoyed six consecutive terms as president.
  • Today in 2003, Dixie Chick Natalie Maines apologized to President George Bush for comments she made a week earlier in London, including saying she was ashamed she and Bush shared Texas as a home state.
  • Today in 2005, Keith Urban began a three-night performance at Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. During his encore, Kenny Chesney joined him onstage to sing Merle Haggard’s “Mama Tried.”
  • Today in 2007, Loretta Lynn received an honorary doctorate from Boston’s Berklee College of Music in recognition of her contributions to contemporary music and for using her songs to tackle real-life situations faced by many women. The presentation was made on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, where Lynn performed that evening.
  • Today in 2008, two former Dallas policemen accused of assaulting Steve Holy and Holy’s friend the previous December were indicted on felony charges. Both were facing a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, while one of the ex-officers was also charged with kidnapping.
  • Today in 2009, Randy Travis was the guest mentor for “American Idol” finalists for the show’s “Grand Ole Opry Week.” In addition, his CD “I Told You So: The Ultimate Hits of Randy Travis” arrived in stores, while Brad Paisley’s single “Then,” Rascal Flatts’ song “Forever,” and Alabama’s Jeff Cook’s solo CD “Ashes Won’t Burn” were released digitally.
  • Today in 2010, Taylor Swift was honored for a number of her career accomplishments at an event in Nashville. Her list of achievements included record sales of more than 13-million units and 25-million digital downloads. In addition, her CD “Fearless” was the best-selling album in the U.S. in both 2008 and 2009, and is the only disc ever to be named Album of the Year by the Country Music Association and the Academy of Country Music, and capture the same honors at the GRAMMY Awards and the American Music Awards.
  • Today in 2011, the Zac Brown Band made their RodeoHouston debut.
  • Today in 2012, during Miranda Lambert’s “On Fire Tour,” she brought out Kelly Clarkson as a surprise to sing her own hit “Stronger.”
  • Today in 2013, George Strait’s appearance at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, which was part of his “Cowboy Rides Away” final tour, drew a record crowd of 80-thousand-28 people.
  • Today in 2013, Trace Adkins impressed fellow contestants on NBC’s “The Celebrity Apprentice” with his acting ability, sweeping Susan Lucci off her feet in a soap-opera skit to promote Crystal Light. His team wins Donald Trump’s assignment in the episode, with Stephen Baldwin serving as project manager.
  • Today in 2014, the Band Perry performed their first USO concert for American troops at Royal Air Force Lakenheath in the United Kingdom.
  • Today in 2017, Jeff Bates spoke to inmates at the Henderson County Detention Center in Henderson, Kentucky, recounting his own incarceration for theft to feed addictions to methadone and alcohol. Bates hoped to inspire the convicts to retool their lives once they’re released.
  • Today in 2017, Loretta Lynn and B.B. King were honored with Governor’s Arts Awards at the Tennessee Governor’s Mansion in Nashville.

Fears of a global energy crisis rise as Iran keeps stranglehold on shipping and hits Dubai airport

BEIRUT, Lebanon (AP) — Fears of a global energy crisis rose Monday as the war in the Middle East raged on, with more U.S.-Israeli strikes on the Iranian capital and Israel’s bombardment of Lebanon. An Iranian drone strike temporarily shut Dubai’s airport, a crucial global travel hub, underscoring the threats to the world economy.

Since the United States and Israel attacked Iran more than two weeks ago, Tehran has regularly fired on Israel, American bases in the region, and Gulf Arab countries’ energy infrastructure with drones and missiles.

It has also effectively stopped shipping traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world’s oil is transported, dramatically increasing the price of oil and putting pressure on Washington to do something to ease the pain consumers are feeling.

Brent crude, the international standard, remained stubbornly over $100 a barrel on Monday. It was at $104 in early trading, up nearly 45% since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28. It has spiked as high as about $120 during the conflict.

U.S. President Donald Trump said he has demanded that about seven countries to send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, but his appeals have brought no commitments.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called claims that his country may be seeking a negotiated end to the war “delusional,” saying in a social media post early Monday that Iran was seeking neither “truce nor talks.”

Iran hits Dubai airport, forcing temporary closure

As morning broke Monday, a drone hit a fuel tank near Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest for international passenger traffic, causing a large fire.

Firefighters contained the blaze and there were no injuries reported, but the airport suspended all flights before resuming them a few hours later.

Later, a person was killed in the capital of the United Arab Emirates when an Iranian missile hit a vehicle, the Abu Dhabi media office said. Fire also broke out at an oil facility in Fujairah, one of the UAE’s seven emirates, following a drone attack.

Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, said it intercepted a wave of 35 Iranian drones sent to its eastern region, home to major oil installations.

Iran has fired hundreds of missiles and drones toward countries in the region hosting U.S. military assets since the war began. Emirati authorities say most have been intercepted by air defenses, though debris and some drones have fallen inside the country.

Israel’s military said early Monday that Iran launched missiles toward Israel as well.

The conflict is battering the world economy, driving up energy and fertilizer prices; threatening food shortages in poor countries; destabilizing fragile states; and complicating efforts by central banks to drive down prices for consumers. Much of the difficulty stems from the virtual shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump threatens to ‘remember’ which allies do not help

Trump said Sunday he wants to police the strait to make it safe for shipping, with his party increasingly concerned that rising prices for American consumers will hurt the Republicans in elections this fall.

He did not identify the countries he said he asked to help with those efforts, but he said he won’t forget the countries that decline. He has previously appealed to China, France, Japan, South Korea and Britain.

“Whether we get support or not, but I can say this, and I said to them: We will remember,” Trump said.

Ahead of a meeting in Brussels, the European Union’s foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the bloc’s foreign ministers would discuss possibly extending a naval mission that protects ships in the Red Sea to the Strait of Hormuz, without giving any details.

Europeans have been critical of the U.S. and Israel for failing to provide clarity on their objectives in the war, and German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul on Sunday questioned EU involvement, saying security for the strait can only come “if there is a negotiated solution.”

“Europe always gives constructive support when it comes to securing sea routes, but I see neither an immediate necessity nor above all Germany participating,” he said on ARD television.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told parliament Monday that her government “has not heard anything” from Washington about Trump’s call for help protecting the strait. Still, she said there had been discussions about what could be done to protect Japanese ships, but Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said he has no plans to send warships to the strait under current conditions.

Japan, which imports more than 90% of its crude oil from the Middle East, began releasing its oil reserves Monday to address supply shortages and rising prices.

Israel hits Beirut and launches new attacks on Tehran

Massive explosions were heard in Beirut as Israel launched new attacks on the Lebanese capital before dawn, saying it was striking infrastructure related to the Iran-linked Hezbollah militia group.

The Israeli army has issued evacuation orders for many neighborhoods in Beirut as well as southern Lebanon. To date, more than 800,000 people have been displaced by Israel’s campaign in Lebanon.

In southern Lebanon, one person was killed in an Israeli airstrike early Monday and then two paramedics were killed as they arrived at the scene, Lebanon’s state-run National News Agency

At least 850 people have been killed by Israeli strikes so far.

Not long after Israel’s military announced it had launched new strikes on Tehran targeting infrastructure, explosions were heard in the Iranian capital and outlying areas.

More than 1,300 people have been killed in Iran so far, according to the Iranian Red Crescent.

Israel has carried out some 7,600 strikes on Iran so far, knocking out 85% of its air defenses, military spokesman Lt. Col. Nadav Shoshani told reporters Monday. It has also destroyed 70% of Iran’s missile launchers, but Shoshani said Israel still has thousands of targets to hit and would continue attacks “for as long as needed.”

In Israel, 12 people have been killed by Iranian missile fire. At least 13 U.S. military members have been killed.

New Iowa cancer study shows rates of diagnosis, death still rising

By Matt Kelley (Radio Iowa)

Iowa’s cancer rate is the second worst in the nation for three years running, and a comprehensive study being released today offers little optimism.

The 2026 Cancer in Iowa Report predicts some 21,700 Iowans will be diagnosed with invasive cancers this year, and 6,400 Iowans will die from cancer. Both figures are up from last year’s report.

Mary Charlton is an epidemiology professor at the University of Iowa and director of the Iowa Cancer Registry. While many states are seeing cancer rates fall, Charlton couldn’t pinpoint why Iowa’s numbers are rising.

“It’s hard to say because the risk factors that are causing the cancers now are things that could have happened 10, 15, 20 years ago,” Charlton says. “So it’s going to take a while to really turn things around and it’ll probably take some really strong new policies and new approaches in Iowa to turn things around.”

A symposium on cancer prevention and treatment this week at Drake University featured an expert on nitrate poisoning in waterways, which has been a years-long battle in Iowa. Charlton says nitrates may be one cancer culprit.

“It certainly could be a contributing factor. I think there’s a lot of things at play. Cancer is really complicated. It’s just a complex interplay of genetic, lifestyle, and environmental risk factors working all together,” Charlton says. “There’s not one thing causing it, but there’s probably lots of things contributing to it. Nitrate could certainly be one of those things.”

One bright spot in the report deals with farm families. Iowa farmers in a recent study had 13-percent fewer cancers overall than expected compared to Iowa’s general population, and their spouses had ten-percent fewer.

“The farmers in the Agricultural Health Study had lower smoking and drinking rates compared to the rest of the general population in Iowa,” Charlton says. “They also talk about something called the healthy worker effect. So to be in their study, to be a farmer that was enrolled in the Agricultural Health Study, you have to be healthy enough to be a farmer — so those are a couple of things.”

The report found the rate of new cancers in young adults in Iowa for 2018-2022 is higher than the rate for 2008-2012, and is the second highest in the nation. Also, compared to the 2025 edition of the report, Charlton says Iowa’s most common types of cancer haven’t changed.

“Same story, different year,” she says. “We still have breast, prostate, lung and colorectal cancers, followed by melanoma. They make up over half of our cancer cases in Iowa. Unfortunately, lung cancer continues to be the most common cause of cancer deaths, accounting for nearly one out of every four cancer deaths in Iowa, followed by colorectal and pancreatic cancers.”

The report says the state’s number of cancer survivors is increasing, with an estimated 175,290 survivors now living in Iowa.

William Penn University to Host Disability Awareness & Resource Fair Next Week

OSKALOOSA — Join William Penn University and the WPU Education Department for the 2026 Disability Awareness & Resource Fair! On March 26, 2026 from 1:00 to 2:30 PM at the Penn Activity Center Courts, 1802 N E Street in Oskaloosa.

This free community event is open to parents, teachers, college students, community members, and professionals who work with individuals with disabilities. Come connect with organizations that specialize in accessibility, adaptive technology, educational support, employment services, independent living resources, and community inclusion programs.

Meet incredible individuals from organizations like UI REACH, ASK Resource Center, Respite Connection, Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services, Iowa Department for the Blind, Lindsay ChatterBox, and the Learning Disabilities Association of Iowa—plus many more!

There’s no cost to attend. Visit the www.wmpenn.edu/event/disability-awareness-and-resource-fair to register to attend.

One Dead, Two Injured in Head-On Crash in Davis County

WEST GROVE – A 2-vehicle crash in rural Davis County last night left one person dead and two people injured.

According to traffic records, the accident occurred at around 9:27pm last night near the 17000 block of Highway 2 in West Grove. A driver in a Jeep Grand Cherokee was traveling eastbound on Highway 2 while another driver in a Buick Enclave was traveling westbound. The Enclave was traveling in the eastbound lane when it collided with the Grand Cherokee head-on.

The accident report states that both drivers, as well as a passenger in the Enclave, were transported to the Davis County Hospital. The driver of the Enclave, who was not wearing a seatbelt during the crash, was pronounced deceased at the hospital. The other two individuals involved in the accident were injured, though their exact condition is not known at this time.

The identities of those involved in this accident are currently being withheld by authorities, pending notification of family.

Dolly Parton Offers Health Update

Fans of Dolly Parton can breathe a huge sigh of relief. For the first time since last summer, the singer has made a public appearance, and while doing so, gave an update on the health issues that have kept her on the sidelines. While Parton has issued occasional videos reassuring fans that she was OK, this was the first time she showed up in person in almost a year. On Friday, Dolly delivered a keynote address on opening day for Dollywood, celebrating the park’s 41st anniversary. “I’ve not been touring, as you know; I’ve had a few little health issues, and we’re taking good care of them,” she said. “I just kind of got worn down and worn out, grieving over (late husband) Carl and a lot of other little things going on. I just got myself kind of where I needed to build myself back up spiritually, emotionally, and physically. But, all is good. It didn’t slow me down.”

This day in Country Music History

  • Today in 1922, WSB radio in Atlanta was the first radio station to feature country music.
  • Today in 1951, Hank Williams recorded “Hey, Good Lookin’,” “I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still In Love With You),” “Howlin’ At The Moon,” and “My Heart Would Know.”
  • Today in 1955, “The Ballad of Davy Crockett” by Bill Hayes reached the #1 spot on the pop music charts and stayed for five weeks. The hit song sold more than 7,000,000 records on more than 20 different labels. Coonskin caps started sprouting up everywhere as the Crockett craze spread like a frontier fire. “Davy Crockett” was a big TV show in the 1950s that starred Fess Parker in the memorable Walt Disney production.
  • Today in 1974, the first performance from the new Grand Ole Opry House at Opryland in Nashville, Tennessee, took place. President Richard Nixon helped open the new facility by playing three songs on the piano. He also played with a yo-yo on stage like Opry star Roy Acuff.
  • Today in 1987, George Strait earned a gold record for “Ocean Front Property.”
  • Today in 1991, seven members of Reba McEntire’s road band, as well as her tour manager, were killed when their plane crashed near San Diego. Singer/songwriter Chris Austin was also on the plane. Ironically, Reba would’ve been on the plane too, had she not decided to stay behind and get a good night’s sleep. Reba has described the incident as “the worst time in my life,” and her grief inspired her album, “For My Broken Heart.”
  • Today in 1995, David Ball’s album, “Thinkin’ Problem,” was certified platinum.
  • Today in 1996, Garth Brooks hit the top of the chart with “The Beaches of Cheyenne.”
  • Today in 1998, LeAnn Rimes single “Blue” went gold.
  • Today in 1999, Pam Tillis made her Broadway debut in “Smokey’s Joe Café.”
  • Today in 1999, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) presented the first Diamond Awards to a slew of artists including Garth Brooks and the Beatles. The awards are given in recognition of albums and singles that have sold 10-million copies or more.
  • Today in 2001, a Nashville judge refused to let LeAnn Rimes out of a recording contract with Curb Records that was approved at the request of her parents when she was 12. The following November, LeAnn and Curb came to an agreement and she re-signed with the label.
  • Today in 2002, Tim McGraw’s “The Cowboy In Me” hit the top of the country charts.
  • Today in 2005, at the CMT Music Awards, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw, and Big & Rich each earned three nominations and Keith Urban and Gretchen Wilson snagged three apiece.
  • Today in 2006, CMT aired Carrie Underwood’s video for “Don’t Forget To Remember Me.”
  • Today in 2011, Sara Evans earned a gold single for “A Little Bit Stronger.”
  • Today in 2020, in compliance with a request from Nashville mayor John Cooper, Dierks Bentley shut down his Whiskey Row bar to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus. Bentley also gifts each of his 90 hourly employees $1,000 to help them get through the next few weeks.
  • Today in 2021, Clint Black Cowboy Coffee launched.

H & S FEED & COUNTRY STORE PET OF THE WEEK: FOXY

This week’s H&S Feed and Country Store Pet of the Week is “Foxy”, 6 month old female Whippet mix pooch. Foxy was surrendered by her previous owner who could no longer take care of her for health reasons. Foxy does great with other dogs, but is a little timid when it comes to cats. Foxy loves kids and would be a great family dog. Foxy is an affectionate and friendly girl who would love to meet you!

Foxy is fully vetted, spayed, vaccinated and microchipped and ready to for her ‘fur-ever’ home!

And because Foxy is the H&S Feed & Country Store Pet of the Week, her adoption fee is only $50 this week!

If you’d like to set up an appointment to meet Foxy or any of the pets at Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter, visit https://www.stephenmemorial.org/ and fill out an adoption application.

Check out our visit about Foxy with Izzy from Stephen Memorial Animal Shelter here:

Investigators work to determine exact reason for attack at Michigan synagogue

WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. (AP) — Investigators worked Friday to determine the exact reason a man with a rifle crashed into a large Michigan synagogue in what federal officials are saying was an attack carried out by a 41-year-old naturalized U.S. citizen born in Lebanon.

Ayman Mohamad Ghazali was killed by security after ramming into Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township near Detroit, Michigan, and driving down a hallway in a vehicle that then caught fire, according to authorities.

The FBI, which is leading the investigation, described the attack on one of the nation’s largest Reform synagogues as an act of violence targeting the Jewish community.

The synagogue’s staff, teachers and 140 children at its early childhood center were not injured, according to Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard.

Ghazali came to the U.S. in 2011 on an immediate relative visa as the spouse of a U.S. citizen and was granted U.S. citizenship in 2016, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

In the minutes after the attack, smoke billowed from the synagogue. One security officer was hit by the vehicle and knocked unconscious but did not suffer life-threatening injuries, Bouchard said. And 30 law enforcement officers were treated for smoke inhalation.

Cassi Cohen, director of strategic development at Temple Israel, was in the hallway where the crash happened. She described hearing a loud bang and said she grabbed a few staff members, ran into her office and locked the door.

“When I heard the crash, I knew it was bad,” Cohen said.

She said the crash happened near a classroom and, in addition to the children, there were also more than 30 staff members in the synagogue.

Rabbi Arianna Gordon, from Temple Israel, thanked the security team, law enforcement and early childhood teachers for getting the children out safely and reunited with their parents.

About a dozen parents sprinted to get their children soon after authorities cleared the building. Other families were reunited at a nearby Jewish Community Center.

Allison Jacobs, whose 18-month-old daughter is enrolled in Temple Israel’s day care, said she got a message from a teacher saying the children were OK even before she knew what happened.

“There are no words. I was in complete and utter shock,” she said.

Synagogues around the world have been on edge and ramping up security since the U.S. and Israel launched a war with Iran with missile strikes on Feb. 28.

The FBI has warned that Iranian operatives may be planning drone attacks on targets in California. Two men brought explosives to a far-right protest outside the New York mayoral mansion on Saturday. Investigators allege they were inspired by the Islamic State extremist group.

And an assailant drove a car into people outside an Orthodox synagogue in Manchester, England, on Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. He stabbed two people to death before officers shot and killed him.

President Donald Trump said he had been fully briefed on the attack, calling it a “terrible thing.”

Steven Ingber, the CEO of the Jewish Federation of Detroit, said Thursday: “I’d love to say that I’m shocked, that I’m surprised, but I’m not.”

The attack was the second at a house of worship in Michigan within the past year. Last September, a former Marine fatally shot four people at a church north of Detroit and set it ablaze. The FBI later said he was motivated by “anti-religious beliefs” against The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Oakland County is Michigan’s second-largest county with roughly 1.3 million people. The majority of Detroit-area Jewish residents live there. Temple Israel has 12,000 members, according to its website.

Iowa panel pares prediction of state tax revenue

By O. Kay Henderson (Radio Iowa)

State officials have reduced their prediction of state tax revenue for the current budgeting year by 46 MILLION dollars, but the governor’s budget direcor says there is no need to cut state spending plans for the next three months.

Iowa Department of Management Director Kraig Paulsen said officials have reserves to cover the gap. “The money’s there to meet those needs,” Paulsen a member of the State Revenue Estimating Conference, told reporters after today’s meeting.

Since July 1, there’s been a more than 8$ decline in the amount of taxes paid to the State of Iowa. The drop is due to the state income tax cut Republican lawmakers approved in 2024, along with federal tax cuts for corporations and for individuals who earn tips and overtime pay.Those changes were automatically triggered in Iowa’s tax code. “The state has $5.6 billion cash on hand,” Paulsen said during this morning’s meeeting, “…The reserve funds are full and the Taxpayer Relief Fund has a balance of $4 billion.”

House Democratic Leader Brian Meyer said it’s wrong for Republicans to cover that deficit by making withdrawals from the Taxpayer Relief Fund.”That fund should be used to lower property taxes in the state and other taxes in the state,” Meyer told reporters at his weekly news conference, “but they’re just raiding it to cover their budget mess.”

The State Revenue Estimating Conference has reduced its overall prediction for tax collections for the next state budgeting year. Jennifer Acton is direcctor of the Fiscal Services Division in the Legislative Services Agency and is a member of the panel that makes that tax prediction. She said most economic indicators in Iowa are positive, but gas prices are up considerably due to what’s happening in the Middle East and tariffs continue to be drag on the manufacturing and ag sectors. “We believe it is prudent to be cautious as we look to the future,” Acton said.

In January, Governor Reynolds proposed a nearly $9.67 billion budget for the next state fiscal year, a nearly 2% increase and $1.2 billion more than the state is expected to collect in taxes next year.

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