Does every day feel the same? It’s not just you. A new survey found that 62% of respondents said all their days feel the same – which is causing them to have difficulty focusing. 60% said they feel a general lack of energy during the day and more than half of those surveyed said the days are going by so fast that the always feel tired. But there’s a bright side. The survey found that people are making a point to do things to keep their minds active.

Here are the Top 10 Activities People Are Doing to Stay Sharp:

1. Reading — 46%
2. Exercising more regularly — 40%
3. Doing puzzles — 37%
4. Watching documentaries — 36%
5. Playing board games — 33%
6. Taking a new vitamin or supplement — 31%
7. Crosswords — 31%
8. Learning a new skill hobby — 28%
9. Sudoku — 17%
10. Learning a new language — 17%

Thunderstorms are expected across portions of the area Saturday night into Sunday morning. Some of the storms could become severe with large hail. Lightning and brief heavy rain will also be a concern with any thunderstorms that develop. Stay weather aware this weekend especially if you have outdoor plans, such as camping, Saturday night and Sunday morning. Have a plan to seek safe shelter should thunderstorms impact your location.

A harrowing video shows a 3-year-old girl getting lifted over 100 feet into the air after becoming entangled in the tail of a huge kite.

The video was shot during a kite festival in northwestern Taiwan and was posted on social media Sunday (8/30).

According to Reuters, local news reports said the girl had miraculously only suffered minor cuts from the incident, which lasted around 30 seconds.

Luckily, a group of onlookers was able to grab and free the little girl when she flew close enough to the ground.

Government officials told the media that a sudden gust of wind caused the kite’s tail to wrap around the child’s waist, lifting her into the air.

Organizers decided to cut the festival short following the scary incident.

A new survey found that parents spend the equivalent of 9 days a year trying to get their kids to go to bed. Seems parents with kids between the ages of 3 and 10 spend about 34 minutes every night getting their little ones to bed – or nearly four hours every week. And in an effort to delay bedtime, kids will come up with an average of three excuses every night.

Here Are the Top 20 Excuses Kids Give for Not Wanting to Go to Bed:

1. Saying they’re not tired.
2. Saying they’re hungry.
3. They to go to the bathroom.
4. Saying they’re thirsty.
5. Asking for another story.
6. Saying they’re too hot/too cold.
7. Suddenly wanting to tell you EVERYTHING about their day.
8. They want a kiss/cuddle from the other parent.
9. Needing to find a certain toy.
10. Wanting to cuddle longer with you.
11. Saying it’s too light out.
12. Wanting to say goodnight to the other parent.
13. Saying they’re scared of the dark.
14. Saying they can’t sleep without their blanket/toy.
15. Saying it’s too noisy outside.
16. They suddenly have a headache/tummy ache.
17. They are scared of monsters under the bed.
18. They want a story from their other parent.
19. They really want to tell you about a conversation they’ve had with someone.
20. They have to show you a YouTube video they’ve been watching.

A Nebraska man pleaded with his local city council to take a stand where it really matters – the term “boneless chicken wings.” Footage of the meeting shows Ander Christensen making an impassioned plea to the Lincoln lawmakers for more accuracy-in-naming. He claims that fans of the popular appetizer are “living a lie” because “boneless chicken wings are just chicken tenders.” Instead, Christensen proposes that they be renamed “Buffalo-style chicken tenders,” “wet tenders” or “saucy nugs.”

They’ll be no fans at ISU’s home opener on September 12th.  Take a look at the press release below..

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State University has decided to change its decision regarding fans at the Sept. 12 home football game.

The game against Louisiana will kick-off at 11 a.m. and television coverage will be provided by ESPN.

Director of Athletics Jamie Pollard said:

“Our department staff and I have worked very closely with Dr. Wintersteen and her leadership team throughout the summer as we jointly developed plans for this fall’s football season. Over the weekend, Dr. Wintersteen gave our working group the approval to move forward with the plans that were jointly developed. Our department announced those plans on Monday, which included allowing fans, who purchased season tickets, to attend the first game.

President Wintersteen shared with me on Tuesday evening that, after weighing feedback she has received from the community, she has decided to reverse the decision. As a result, we will play the season opener without fans.

Our department has always taken great pride in working hand-in-hand with the university and this situation is no different. We are in this together and will do everything we can to support Dr. Wintersteen and her leadership team in their efforts to lead our institution during very challenging times.

Although it is disappointing there won’t be fans at the opener, our institution’s leadership team is still committed to having spectators at future games, if it can done safely. Weighing how our campus community responds to the recent surge in positive COVID cases will be a significant factor as to whether we can have fans at future games. We will continue to monitor the situation closely and make a decision regarding fans for the Oklahoma game (Oct. 3) at a later date.”

Season ticket holders who wish to opt-out of their 2020 football season tickets can login to their account at this link. Once logged in, follow the opt-out instructions displayed on the screen.

Happy Birthday to Terry Bradshaw, the NFL turns 72 today.  Quick little fun fact, the four time Super Bowl champ actually had a country hit back in 1976.  His version of “I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry” peaked at #17 on the charts.  Happy Birthday to the “The Blond Bomber”!

The nominees for the 2020 CMA Awards were announced Tuesday (Sept. 1) morning.

Luke Combs received his first nomination for the night’s highest honor, Entertainer of the Year, along with Eric Church, Miranda Lambert, Carrie Underwood, and Keith Urban.

Miranda Lambert leads the nominees with seven nominations. Combs follows with six, and Maren Morris has five.

Entertainer Of The Year
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Miranda Lambert
Carrie Underwood
Keith Urban

Single Of The Year
“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber)
Producer: Dan Smyers
Mix Engineer: Jeff Juliano

“Beer Never Broke My Heart” – Luke Combs
Producer: Scott Moffatt
Mix Engineer: Jim Cooley

“Bluebird” – Miranda Lambert
Producer: Jay Joyce
Mix Engineers: Jason Hall, Jay Joyce

“The Bones” – Maren Morris
Producer: Greg Kurstin
Mix Engineer: Greg Kurstin

“I Hope” – Gabby Barrett
Producers: Ross Copperman, Zach Kale
Mix Engineer: Buckley Miller

Album Of The Year
Heartache Medication – Jon Pardi
Producers: Bart Butler, Ryan Gore, Jon Pardi

Never Will – Ashley McBryde
Producers: Jay Joyce, John Peets

Old Dominion – Old Dominion
Producers: Shane McAnally, Old Dominion

What You See Is What You Get – Luke Combs
Producer: Scott Moffatt

Wildcard – Miranda Lambert
Producer: Jay Joyce

Song Of The Year
“Bluebird” – Written by Luke Dick, Natalie Hemby, Miranda Lambert, recorded by Miranda Lambert

“The Bones” – Written by Maren Morris, Jimmy Robbins, Laura Veltz, recorded by Maren Morris

“Even Though I’m Leaving” – Written by Luke Combs, Wyatt B. Durrette III, Ray Fulcher, recorded by Luke Combs

“I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Written by Luke Combs, Randy Montana, Carly Pearce, Jonathan Singleton, recorded by Carly Pearce and Lee Brice

“More Hearts Than Mine” – Written by Ingrid Andress, Sam Ellis, Derrick Southerland, recorded by Ingrid Andress

Female Vocalist Of The Year
Miranda Lambert
Ashley McBryde
Maren Morris
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood

Male Vocalist Of The Year
Eric Church
Luke Combs
Thomas Rhett
Chris Stapleton
Keith Urban

Vocal Group Of The Year
Lady A
Little Big Town
Midland
Old Dominion
Rascal Flatts

Vocal Duo Of The Year
Brooks & Dunn
Brothers Osborne
Dan + Shay
Florida Georgia Line
Maddie & Tae

Musical Event Of The Year
“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber)
Producer: Dan Smyers

“Be A Light” – Thomas Rhett featuring Reba McEntire, Hillary Scott, Chris Tomlin, Keith Urban
Producer: Dann Huff

“The Bones” – Maren Morris with Hozier
Producer: Greg Kurstin

“Fooled Around And Fell In Love” – Miranda Lambert (feat. Maren Morris, Elle King, Ashley
McBryde, Tenille Townes & Caylee Hammack)
Producer: Jay Joyce

“I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Carly Pearce and Lee Brice
Producer: busbee

Music Video Of The Year
“10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay (with Justin Bieber)
Director: Patrick Tracy

“Bluebird” – Miranda Lambert
Director: Trey Fanjoy

“Homemade” – Jake Owen
Director: Justin Clough

“I Hope You’re Happy Now” – Carly Pearce and Lee Brice
Director: Sam Siske

“Second One To Know” – Chris Stapleton
Director: David Coleman

New Artist Of The Year
Jimmie Allen
Ingrid Andress
Gabby Barrett
Carly Pearce
Morgan Wallen

If you don’t want to be a superhero this Halloween, be a “Karen” instead!  Artist Jason Adcock came up with the “Karen” mask and posted pics of it on his Instagram page.  The mask has bloodshot eyes and a angry facial expression!  Not sure of the cost of the “Karen” mask….

Traffic on I-70 in Jefferson County, Colorado was shut down Thursday morning when a tractor trailer blew a tire, rolled over and spilled quite a load — 40,000 pounds of chicken manure. Firefighters arrived on the scene to help with the cleanup and said, “pictures don’t do the smell justice.” Luckily no one was hurt in the wreck and traffic opened up about three hours later.

Two rounds of severe weather will be possible today. The first round will roll across the area this morning and could produce some damaging wind gusts along with locally heavy rain for flash flooding. These threats are mainly for locations along and north of Interstate 90. The second round is possible this afternoon for locations south of Interstate 90. If these severe storms develop, they will have the potential to produce large hail, possible up to 2 inches in diameter and damaging wind gusts to 70 mph. An isolated tornado cannot be ruled out. Remain weather aware! Have multiple ways to receive warnings and know where to seek shelter if warnings are issued.

Have a brew … with your favorite furry friend. This week, Busch announced that they have launched a line of non-alcoholic beers for dogs called Dog Brews. The 1- ounce cans, which are sold in 4 packs, have a bone broth base and are flavored with healthy pup ingredients like celery, basil, mint, turmeric, and ginger. And as an added incentive, for every case of Dog Brew sold, Busch will donate $1 to Best Friends Animal Society, up to $50,000. It’s only available online — and for a limited time — so get your pup his very own brew before they’re sold out!

A lightning bolt appeared to strike right on cue as a Massachusetts couple was exchanging vows during their outdoor wedding ceremony over the weekend.

A video that was captured during the vow exchange shows the groom, Aaron Sawitsky, saying, “Let’s face it, 2020 has not been the best year,” just seconds before a bolt lightning struck dangerously close behind them.

Aaron tells WHDH-TV of the lightning strike, “The timing was pretty epic. And it so perfectly captures the experience of 2020 so far. So, I think the only thing you can do is look at it and be like, ‘Yup. Yea that’s 2020.’ And kind of laugh.”

Sawitsky shared the video on Instagram along with the caption, “Mother nature has one wry sense of humor. Thankfully no one got electrocuted and we finished our vows before the rain started!”

Take a look at this kid who’s 4, and he hit “Hole in One” at a West Virginia course.  He made the shot from 55 yards out!  According to Wikipedia, the odds of making a “Hole in One” are 12,500 to 1.

Afternoon and evening heat indices of 95 to 105 are expected along and south of Interstate 94 today. The highest heat indices will be found in the river valleys. Due to these heat indices, a Heat Advisory has been issued from 1 PM this afternoon to 7 PM this evening. Be sure to take frequent breaks and stay hydrated if you have outdoor plans. Also, check the back seat for children and pets.

Justin Moore scored his ninth No. 1 single as “Why We Drink” ascended to the top spot on both the Billboard Country Airplay chart and Mediabase chart this week.

Penned by Justin, Casey Beathard, David Lee Murphy and Jeremy Stover, “Why We Drink” is featured on Justin’s 2019 album, Late Nights and Longnecks, which also spawned No. 1 hit, “The Ones That Didn’t Make It Back Home.”

Afternoon and evening heat indices of 100 to 105 are expected along and south of Interstate 94. Due to these, heat indices a Heat Advisory has been issued from 1 PM this afternoon to 7 PM this evening. Be sure to take frequent breaks and stay hydrated if you have outdoor plans. Also, check the back seat for children and pets.

Luke Bryan and his wife Caroline are co-staring in a new underwear commercial for Jockey.  The two love to tease each other, and that comes through in the ad.  Take a look!

Afternoon and evening heat indices of 95 to 105 are expected for most of the region. A Heat Advisory is in effect from Noon to 9 PM for areas along and south of Interstate 94. Be sure to take frequent breaks and stay hydrated if you have outdoor plans. Also, check the back seat for children and pets.

Wearing a mask is now the law in Decorah…Darin Svenson has the latest.

It’s a sad time in , South Dakota. Residents in the state’s largest city are mourning an urban cornstalk that had been growing up through a crack in the concrete at the intersection of 57th Street and Minnesota Avenue. Dubbed the 57th Street Corn, the plant even had its own Twitter account, and was treated as a symbol of resiliency and hope as the pandemic continues. Residents reported Wednesday morning that someone had ripped out the lone stalk, prompting an outcry on social media. Someone even attached a sign to a traffic post where the stalk grew that reads, “CORN RIP.”

The Grand Ole Opry will tally its 4,941st consecutive Saturday night broadcast on Sept. 5 with a showcase featuring a pair of country music’s biggest stars: Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood.

The longtime CMA Awards co-hosts will kick off their one-hour show live on Circle Television at 7 p.m. CT. The show will also stream live on Circle’s YouTube platform.

The Grand Ole Opry has aired without an audience present since March 19 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It’s official . . . Luke Bryan will be returning as a judge on Season 4 of ABC’s American Idol. ABC confirmed the news in a press release.

In addition, Katy Perry and Lionel Richie will once again join Luke at the judging table, while Ryan Seacrest returns as host.

The search for the next singing sensation is currently underway with Idol Across America remote virtual auditions taking place across all 50 states. Idol Across America will give hopefuls the chance to showcase their talents from anywhere in America, across any official audition date and face-to-face with an American Idol producer.

American Idol became the first reality competition series to air remotely earlier this year.

No official air date for Season 4 on ABC has been announced.

Maddie & Tae are back on top of the singles charts for the first time since 2014’s “Girl in a Country Song.”

The duo’s “Die From a Broken Heart” reached No. 1 on both the Billboard Country Airplay chart and Mediabase chart this week. Penned by Maddie Marlow, Tae Dye, Jonathan Singleton and Deric Ruttan, “Die From a Broken Heart” is featured on Maddie & Tae’s 2020 sophomore album, The Way It Feels.

“Ain’t no broken hearts up in here!” said the duo via Instagram. “Thank you to our AMAZING team, country radio & our beautiful fans for making this possible. Thank you to our co-writers @jonathansingletonmusic & @derricruttan for helping us tell our story. This is a story we will tell for the rest of our careers. Thank you God for this wonderful journey to #1 and all the trials that came with it. CHEERS! OMG WE HAVE OUR SECOND #1 AND PLATINUM SONG BABY!!”

What will winter bring???  The Old Farmer’s Almanac has their forecast out…

The 2021 Old Farmer’s Almanac is calling for a warmer than usual winter throughout the majority of the U.S. with uncommonly chilly temperatures (mostly) limited to the western states and Maine.

“Wet” will be a wintertime constant with rains or average-to-below-average snowfall throughout most of the country. Significant, above average snowfall is being predicted for Wisconsin and parts of Michigan and Alaska, as well as the High Plain and northeastern states.

Credit:  The 2021 Old Farmer’s Almanac

A public library in Walla Walla, Washington, said they recently discovered a real-life mystery in the mystery section of the library.

The Walla Walla Public Library said that as one of the staff members was moving the library’s mystery collection to a more accessible place, he removed a corner panel on some shelving and discovered five unopened cans of beer and several packs of gum.

After doing a little bit of digging to date the unexpected treasure, the library deduced that the beer and gum had likely been sitting on the library shelf for over 30 years.

So, what did the library end up doing with the 30-year-old “artifacts”?

The library wrote on Facebook, “After chewing on the question for a while, library staff decided to transfer them to another City facility. The abandoned relics now reside in the Sudbury Landfill. It’s probably not the outcome the trove owner expected; unfortunately, not every story has a happy ending.”

Credit:  City of Walla Walla Government via Facebook

Get this..The high temperature yesterday for Death Valley, CA was 130! If it’s verified, this will be the hottest temperature recorded on Earth since 1913. Today 131 is in the forecast…the heat sticks around the rest of the week.

Dolly Parton will release a new holiday album, A Holly Dolly Christmas, on Oct. 2.

The 12-song collection features several holiday standards, such as “Mary, Did You Know,” “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” “Holly Jolly Christmas” and more, as well as six original tunes that Dolly penned. The album also features duets with some of Dolly’s friends, including Michael Bublé, Billy Ray Cyrus, Miley Cyrus, Jimmy Fallon and Willie Nelson, plus a special song with her brother, Randy Parton.

The new release will be Dolly’s first holiday album since 1990’s Home for Christmas.

A Holly Dolly Christmas

1. “Holly Jolly Christmas”
2. “Christmas Is” feat. Miley Cyrus
3. “Cuddle Up, Cozy Down Christmas” with Michael Bublé
4. “Christmas On The Square”
5. “Circle Of Love”
6. “All I Want For Christmas Is You” with Jimmy Fallon
7. “Comin? Home For Christmas”
8. “Christmas Where We Are” feat. Billy Ray Cyrus
9. “Pretty Paper” with Willie Nelson
10. “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus”
11. “You Are My Christmas” feat. Randy Parton
12. “Mary, Did You Know?”

Here are some fun facts about lefties:

• 15% of the population is left-handed.
• Some famous lefties: Leonardo da Vinci, Mozart, Presidents Obama, Clinton, George H.W. Bush, and Reagan; The Queen of England, Prince Charles and Prince William; Oprah, Ruth Bade Ginsburg, Babe Ruth, Jimi Hendrix, Neil Armstrong, Paul McCartney, Bill Gates, Angelina Jolie, Keanu Reeves, Lady Gaga, Tina Fey, Justin Bieber.
•  50% of dogs are left pawed: Research has found that half of dogs favor their left paw over their right.
• Lefties are thought to be more creative: While there’s no scientific proof, many left-handed people follow careers in the arts.
• It’s not genetic … at least not entirely: Scientists think that your dominant hand is completely random because studies have shown that many twins have opposite- handedness.
• Mothers over 40 are more likely to have left-handed babies: A study found that babies of moms over 40 are twice as likely to be lefties.
• Lefties like to drink more than righties: Cheers to the left-handed, because according to an international survey, they drink more than their right-handed peers.
• Left-handed people make better athletes: It has everything to do with right-handed people being unable to effectively react and anticipate your movements.
• Most left-handed people learn to be ambidextrous: Not because they want to, but because they have to. It’s a right-handed world.

The Springfield, Illinois Public School District has updated its dress code policy for remote learning, saying students can’t wear pajama pants or slippers while on camera when classes start later this month.

The district says in its school manual that students should also be sitting up and out of bed, preferably while at a desk or table.

District officials say kids should approach online classes at home the same as they would going to school in person.

However, a few parents say the district doesn’t have the right to say how kids should dress at home.

The storm that brought devastating winds to a good portion of Iowa on Monday was actually called a “Derecho”.

“Widespread, destructive straight line winds blew across central Iowa during the day on August 10, 2020. The highest official wind gusts measured was 99 mph at the Marshalltown Airport with an unofficial wind gust of 106 mph at Le Grand (east of Marshalltown). The strongest winds were between the Highway 30 and Interstate 80 corridor (including, but not limited to the Des Moines metro, Ames, Newton, Marshalltown, Tama/Toledo, Carroll) from central Iowa eastward into east central Iowa and northern Illinois.”

What is a “Derecho”??

“A derecho (pronounced similar to “deh-REY-cho”) is a widespread, long-lived wind storm that is associated with a band of rapidly moving showers or thunderstorms. Although a derecho can produce destruction similar to the strength of tornadoes, the damage typically is directed in one direction along a relatively straight swath. As a result, the term “straight-line wind damage” sometimes is used to describe derecho damage. By definition, if the wind damage swath extends more than 240 miles (about 400 kilometers) and includes wind gusts of at least 58 mph (93 km/h) or greater along most of its length, then the event may be classified as a derecho.”

Hello Newman, happy birthday. Actor Wayne Knight, who played Newman, Jerry’s neighbor and nemesis on Seinfeld, turns 65 today.

AMES, Iowa – Iowa State and UNLV have mutually agreed to delay their football game scheduled for Sept. 19, 2020 to Sept. 14, 2030 as a result of scheduling modifications by the Big 12 and Mountain West related to COVID-19.

The Cyclones will continue to play at UNLV’s Allegiant Stadium, also home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, on Sept. 18, 2021 as initially contracted.

“We are pleased we were able to resolve this scheduling modification so quickly”, Pollard said. “We wanted to make sure our student-athletes and fans knew we are still planning to make the trip to Las Vegas next fall to play a football game in a brand new NFL stadium.”

Iowa State last played in Las Vegas in 2008.

“Playing in Las Vegas is like a regular season bowl game for our fan base,” Pollard said. “Amid all of our current challenges and uncertainties, it is exciting to have next year’s trip to look forward to. I am sure thousands of Cyclone fans will make the trip to Las Vegas.”

The schools have met five times previously on the gridiron and the Cyclones hold a 4-1 advantage.

“Coach Campbell feels that giving his players a chance to compete in an NFL stadium is a great opportunity for his team and I know he feels that Cyclone Nation will respond enthusiastically to provide a great environment for the game,” Pollard said.

Iowa State will announced future edits to its 2020 schedule as it is finalized.

Our sports guy Darin Svenson had a chance to talk with Caledonia Football Coach Carl Fruechte about the Minnesota fall football season being postponed to the spring.

A good chunk of Iowa and the Midwest is in need of some rain.  Check out the drought summary from the National Drought Mitigation Center.

“Temperatures were cooler than normal over the northern and western portions of the region and near normal to slightly above in the eastern portions. Departure from normal temperatures were 2-4 degrees below normal in Missouri, Illinois, and portions of southern Iowa. Wet conditions dominated the region from Missouri to southern Ohio where 200+ percent of normal precipitation was recorded for the week. Improvements were made to the abnormally dry and moderate drought conditions in southern Missouri. Abnormally dry and moderate drought conditions were improved in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and into portions of Ohio in response to the greatest rains. Portions of the upper Midwest continue to remain dry, with new areas of abnormally dry conditions introduced into northern Minnesota, western Wisconsin, southeast Minnesota and northeast Iowa. In western Iowa, the areas of moderate and severe drought were expanded with a new area of extreme drought introduced this week.”

Source: National Drought Mitigation Center.

When amusement parks in Japan reopened, there was a “no screaming” rule when riding rollercoasters. Riders were told to “scream inside your heart.” Well, there’s still no screaming allowed – but one park came up with a fun way to at least show your fright. The Greenland theme park in Arao, Japan, is giving guests stickers they can put on their face masks to look like they are screaming. There are several different styles guests can choose from when they arrive at the park.

Happy birthday to country star Terri Clark!  She turns 52 today.  A couple years ago Terri was at the Allamakee County Fair, and myself and Josh Blake had a chance to talk with Terri before the show.  She is super nice and has a great sense of humor.  We did “Ten Questions” with her and it was a lot of fun.  You can check out that video below.  Remember, you can  catch Terri every Saturday night beginning at 7 PM with Country Gold.  Happy Birthday Terri Clark!  -EK

You shouldn’t be reaching out and touching anyone right now. Murphy’s Irish Bar in Corralejo, Spain, has banned the NEIL DIAMOND song “Sweet Caroline” in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19. The issue is they don’t want anyone scream-singing along to the classic song, as doing so could spread coronavirus droplets that could get others sick. The bar posted a sign, which has since gone viral on social media, that references the popular song’s lyrics, and reads, “Due to COVID-19 ‘Sweet Caroline’ is banned. There will be no: touching hands, reaching out, touching me, touching you.”

I found this video yesterday.  Focus on one of the words in the video, and you will only hear the word your are reading.  Crazy stuff!!  -EK

According to baseball insider Ken Rosenthal, the Field of Dreams game for next week in Dyersville won’t be happening this year.  Check out Rosenthal’s tweet bellow….