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2019 NFL Draft: Two country music stars will be headlining free concerts in Nashville

Posted on by Rick Watts

CBS Sports – In what will probably come as a surprise to no one, the city of Nashville is making plans to embraces its country music roots when the NFL Draft comes to town in April.

Now, that doesn’t mean we’ll be seeing Roger Goodell announce every draft pick while wearing a cowboy hat, but it does mean that there will basically be a country music takeover during the draft, which runs from April 25-27.

The draft will feature multiple free concerts this year, and those concerts will be headlined by country music stars Dierks Bentley and Tim McGraw.

McGraw has close ties to the NFL. Not only did he perform at the league’s official tailgate party before Super Bowl LIII, but he serves on the Nashville Local Organizing Committee, which helped the NFL put together the entertainment plans for the draft. He will perform in a free concert from the draft’s main stage after all picks are announced on Day 2 of the event (April 26). Bentley will perform after all picks have been announced on Day 3 (April 27).

The first round of the NFL draft will also feature some live music with Grammy-winner CeCe Winans singing the national anthem. If you’re going to be Nashville, all concerts are free and open to the public.

NFL Executive Vice President Peter O’Reilly said that putting the draft in Nashville allowed the league to put together a unique experience for fans planning to attend the event.

“Each year, the NFL strives to make the draft weekend a memorable experience for our fans,” O’Reilly said. “The passionate fan base and iconic location will ensure a unique experience that is unlike anything fans have ever seen.”

Besides McGraw and Bentley, the league has also announced that more than 20 Nashville-based acts will provide live music during three-day duration of the draft. With all the music going down in Music City, Nashville mayor David Briley is confident that his city will be hosting the best draft ever.

“Nashville’s NFL Draft is shaping up to be the best ever,” Briley said this week. “Dierks and the other acts announced will only add to the amazing atmosphere we are creating for the event. Nashville’s music scene is truly special, one of the major reasons I believe the NFL wanted to come to our city.”

With the NFL Draft still just over one month away, here’s a friendly reminder that you can pass the time by clicking here and reading each of our mock drafts here at CBSSports.com.

William Penn men eliminated at NAIA basketball nationals

Posted on by Rick Watts

For the second time this month, Lewis-Clark State has knocked William Penn out of the NAIA Division I basketball tournament.  Last week, it was the women; Friday afternoon (3/22), the Warriors men beat the Statesmen 88-86 in the second round of the nationals in Kansas City.  Dana Abe led Lewis-Clark with 32 points, including 20 of 24 at the free throw line.  That’s as many free throw tries as William Penn’s team had!  The Statesmen were also hurt by 15 turnovers.  Abrian Edwards led the Statesmen with 22 points and Omar Sherman added 20.  William Penn ends the season with a 22-12 record.

HAWKEYES WIN NCAA TOURNEY OPENER 79-72

Posted on by Rick Watts

Luka Garza scored 20 points, Jordan Bohannon made a three-point play during Iowa’s closing surge, and the 10th-seeded Hawkeyes kept the Big Ten perfect at 6-0 in the NCAA Tournament by rallying for a 79-72 victory over No. 7 seed Cincinnati on Friday.

The Hawkeyes (23-11) got their first NCAA Tournament win in four years despite what amounted to a home crowd in Columbus, Ohio for the Bearcats, who couldn’t overcome a subpar game by Jarron Cumberland.

Bohannon’s big play with 1:07 left put Iowa up 73-64.

For Cincinnati (28-7), it was another early flameout. The Bearcats haven’t made it past the opening weekend for seven straight years.

Iowa was simply better with everything on the line.

Joe Wieskamp finished with 19 points for Iowa.

The Hawkeyes have improved their win total from last year by nine games.

Iowa faces the winner of the later game between second-seeded Tennessee and Colgate.

Woodstock 50: Brandi Carlile, Sturgill Simpson, Margo Price to Perform

Posted on by Rick Watts

CMT – America’s most iconic music festival Woodstock is back and will commemorate 50 years of peace, love and music with more than 80 acts performing the Aug. 16-18 event in Watkins Glen, N.Y.

Jade Bird, Brandi Carlile, Anderson East, Amy Helm, the Lumineers, Nathanial Rateliff and the Night Sweats, Sturgill Simpson and Margo Price are among the country and Americana acts set to perform the 50th anniversary event along with headliners Santana and Dead & Company, both of whom were part of the original 1969 lineup.

Additional headliners include Robert Plant and the Sensational Space Shifters, David Crosby and Friends, John Fogerty, the Killers, the Black Keys, Miley Cyrus, Jay-Z, Janelle Monáe and the Raconteurs.

Tickets go on sale on Earth Day April 22. Additional ticket information is available via email by signing up through the festival’s website.

 

Midwest flooding costs increasing, with $1.6B damage in Iowa

Posted on by Rick Watts

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds said Friday that recent flooding in the state has caused an estimated $1.6 billion in damage, pushing the total costs from the devastating Midwest flooding to at least $3 billion.

The ongoing flooding along the Missouri River has damaged thousands of homes and inundated vast swaths of agricultural land with water in Nebraska, Iowa and Missouri. The flooding, which followed heavy rains and snowmelt this month, has also been blamed for three deaths.

Reynolds said she sent a letter asking President Donald Trump to quickly issue a disaster declaration for 57 counties in Iowa where businesses, homes and levees have been severely impacted by flooding, including along the Missouri River. More counties may be added to the list.

More than 1,200 homes in Iowa have been destroyed or extensively damaged, while another 23,540 have at least minor damage, she said. Cost estimates indicate the flooding has caused more than $480 million in damage to homes, while businesses have suffered $300 million in damage. Agriculture damage is estimated at $214 million.

Flooding in Nebraska has caused an estimated $1.4 billion in damage. The state received Trump’s federal disaster assistance approval on Thursday.

About 70 miles (112.7 kilometers) of levees in Iowa operated by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are damaged or destroyed, and the cost to repair them is estimated at $350 million. About 175 miles (281.6 kilometers) of non-federal agriculture levees also need repair, at an additional cost of $175 million.

“We’re just beginning the season, so this isn’t something we can think about for two years,” Reynolds said. “We need to figure out a way to secure our communities and our farmland and start to repair the agricultural levees and focus on the Corps levees that have been compromised.”

Missouri officials have not yet said how much flooding has likely the cost the state.

The Missouri Department of Transportation said Friday that 120 roads were closed because of flooding, including stretches of Interstate 29 and U.S. 61. The National Weather Service said the Missouri River was expected to crest Friday at levels just short of those reached during historic 1993 flooding in Atchison, Kansas, and St. Joseph, Missouri.

About 1,200 residents of the Kansas town of Elwood were urged to leave, and the governor eased restrictions on large vehicles carrying relief supplies. Across the river, parts of an industrial area in St. Joseph were inundated with water.

But no major flooding is forecast downstream in Kansas City, Missouri.

___

Associated Press reporter Heather Hollingsworth contributed to this report from Kansas City, Missouri.

William Penn basketball

Posted on by Rick Watts

There are not one, but two All-Americans on William Penn’s women’s basketball team.  Senior Vashti Nwagbaraocha was named a first team All-American Thursday, while junior Kate Ylitalo received honorable mention.  For Nwagbaraocha, it’s her second All-American honor.  The senior from Milwaukee, Wisconsin averaged 18.5 points and 8.9 rebounds a game for the Statesmen, as they won the Heart of America Conference regular season and tournament titles.  Ylitalo averaged 16.2 points and 5.2 rebounds, while making 41.4 percent of her three-point shots.  This is the first time since 1981-82 that William Penn has had multiple All-Americans.

In men’s basketball, William Penn takes on Lewis-Clark State of Idaho in round two of the NAIA Division I tournament Friday afternoon (3/22) in Kansas City.  The Statesmen defeated Vanguard of California in their opening game on Wednesday (3/20), while Lewis-Clark got by Campbellsville, Kentucky in their opener.  And here’s a strange coincidence: it was Lewis-Clark State who defeated William Penn in the opening round of the NAIA women’s basketball tournament earlier this month.

Senator Grassley In Sigourney

Posted on by Rick Watts

Iowa US Senator Charles Grassley was in Sigourney Thursday morning (3/21), answering questions from students.  Grassley says he likes this type of event, because it’s a younger crowd than his town hall meetings.

“To some extent, maybe one or two questions are a little bit different that what adults at my open town meetings ask.  But for the most part, these are questions that are pretty much in line with what older people ask me.”

Grassley answered questions about climate change, the border wall, and how he became interested in politics.

Senator Ernst tours No Coast Brewery

Posted on by Rick Watts

Iowa US Senator Joni Ernst was in Oskaloosa Thursday (3/21) for a tour of the No Coast Brewery.  While there, she sampled some of their products and talked about an issue affecting No Coast: the Craft Brewery Modernization Act.

“It lessens the excise taxes for those that are craft brewers.  Part of this was included in the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, but some of those will expire at the end of 2019.”

Ernst says there will be a move to re-introduce the Craft Brewery Modernization Act to help local craft breweries like No Coast throughout the country.

Van Hemert claims “Stand Your Ground” law in murder trial

Posted on by Rick Watts

An Oskaloosa man accused of stabbing a William Penn University basketball player to death now says he should be immune from prosecution because of Iowa’s Stand Your Ground law.  24-year-old Luke Van Hemert is charged with second degree murder in the death of 22-year-old Marquis Todd in March of last year.  According to court documents, Van Hemert claims he wants to be immune from prosecution because of a state law that says a person doesn’t have to retreat before using deadly force if someone believes their life is being threatened.  Van Hemert’s trial is scheduled to start April 9; he is in the Mahaska County Jail on $500,000 cash only bond.

Statesmen win NAIA tournament opener

Posted on by Rick Watts

It’s on to round two.  William Penn University’s men’s basketball team defeated Vanguard of California 69-53 Wednesday night (3/20) in the opening round of the NAIA Division I tournament in Kansas City.  The Statesmen had a rough night shooting, hitting only 35 percent of their shots, but they held Vanguard to just 31 percent shooting.  The Statesmen also dominated the boards, out-rebounding Vanguard 58 to 36.  Senior Abrian Edwards had 16 points, ten rebounds and eight assists for the Statesmen.  William Penn will now face Lewis-Clark State of Idaho in the tournament’s second round Friday afternoon (3/22) in Kansas City.

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