What We’re Talking About

Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin announced that the tax deadline has been moved from April 15th to July 15th.

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas — again. To help ease your cabin fever, Hallmark Channel is bringing back its marathon of Christmas movies this weekend. You can relive both the holiday spirit and the seeming addiction to these types of gooey story lines as you stay at home to help stop the spread of the coronavirus. Starting at noon ET/PT on Friday and continuing through Sunday at 6 p.m. the network will air 27 of
its “Countdown to Christmas” films.

Allamakee Community School District Waukon, IA- Grab N’ Go Meals for all children 18 and under.  Drive-Thru Pick Up Meal Services at Waukon Middle School.

Breakfast 7:30am-8:30 am

Lunch 11:30 am-12:30 pm

Monday through Friday March 20, 2020 until school reopens

Postville School Distrcit Postville, IA- Grab-n-Go School Lunches from 11:30-12:00 for all K-12 students at the Elementary building.  Please bring your backpack or plastic grocery sack to carry out your meals.

Eastern Allamakee School District Lansing & New Albin, IA- Grab & Go lunch for all children 18 and younger.  Pick up between 11:30-1230 Monday-Friday. Lunch available at Lansing and New Albin Centers.

MFL MAR-MAC School District-  Grab & Go Breakfast and Lunch for children at all communities which will be served by our district. These are FREE meals offered to all children 18 years of age and younger.  Students in need of Grab & Go Meals are invited to pick up at the designated locations listed below at 8 a.m. and noon, Monday – Friday, during the shutdown.

*McGregor

School Lunchroom

In front of McGregor Public Library

Breezy Point Shelter

*Marquette

Marquette Bench Diamond/Park

Marquette Under Bridge Park Parking Lot

*Farmersburg

City Park

St. John’s Lutheran Church Parking Lot

*Luana

St. John’s Lutheran Church Parking Lot

Park by Post Office

*Monona

School Lunchroom

Community Center Parking Lot

*Giard

Church at noon.

Howard-Winneshiek School District Cresco, IA-   Students will continue to receive both their school breakfast and lunch. Complete this form if you want school breakfast and lunch meals during the COVID-19 school closing.  https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/hwcovid19

South Winneshiek School District- Grab and Go” meals will be available beginning Monday, March March 23, and distributed on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 12:00-12:30.  Meals will be distributed throughout the district in Calmar, Festina, Ossian and Spillville.

Calmar  – South Winneshiek High School (southside by the high school office)

Festina  – Festina Community Center

Ossian – East/back door of the St. Teresa of Calcutta School

Spillville – Spillville School parking lot

Register here:  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfx4EWyr9tlVPuG9HhIWDA5P_1ORSfdPpjmQz8PnbHyzwNhCg/viewform?vc=0&c=0&w=1

Turkey Valley Schools- Free meals for children 18 and under.  Carry out breakfast and lunch will be provided. No identification or proof of school enrollment is required.

Curbside pick up at these locations:

Lawler- In front of library- Monday, Wednesday, Friday.  11-11:30AM

Fort Atkinson- Community Center- Monday, Wednesday.  Friday. 11-11:30AM

Protivin- Post Office- Monday, Wednesday, Friday.  11:45-12:15PM

St. Lucas- Church Parking Lot- Monday, Wednesday, Friday.  11-11:30AM

Waucoma- City Park- Monday, Wednesday, Friday.  11:45-12:15PM

New Hampton School District- Drop off/pick up lunches and breakfast will begin on Wednesday, March 18th, at locations throughout the district from 11:30-12:30. Contact the school to sign up your child/children. If you have children who are not in school yet, meals can also be provided.

1. 1. New Hampton-Mikkelson Park and Elementary Playground
   2. Ionia- City Park
   3. Alta Vista- City Parking Lot
   4. North Washington-Immaculate Conception Catholic Church Parking Lot
   5. Jerico- Jerico Jo’s 
   6. Hwy 63/18 Junction- Parking lot next to Ameritec

Caledonia School District- Caledonia Area Public Schools will be providing free bag meals during the mandated COVID-19 school closure. Bag meals will be offered starting Thursday, March 19th thru March 27th.

Caledonia Area Elementary School will be between 11:00-12:30 Monday through Friday

Drive into parking lot off Main Street and wait by the red cone for a staff person to bring the bags to your vehicle, please exit the parking/playground onto Grove Street.

Eitzen ——- Bus will be there about 11:30 near City Hall

Freeberg ——-Bus will be there about 11:30 near Community Center

Brownsville ——Bus will be there about 11:30 near City Hall/Community Center

Spring Grove Schools- FREE Meals are available for children 18 and under. Parents, if you haven’t already, please complete the survey so that we have a good idea of the number of meals to plan for. https://forms.gle/iQsQ975eJ21AyuaS8

When you pick up meals you might want to bring a reusable bag and a small cooler for cold items.

North Crawford School District- Meal deliveries within the district.  Please put a cooler near your front door for us to leave the food in. Contact Jen Kapinus at jkapinus@ncrawford.k12.wi.us or 608-735-7213.

Mabel-Canton Schools- During the school closure related to the COVID-19 VIRUS, FREE cold sack Breakfast and Lunches are available to ANY child ages 0-18 years old, no matter what school they attend.  Please contact Jane Hall at jhall@mabelcanton.org or TEXT ONLY 507-272-9363

De Soto School District- School buses will be delivering the meals which may also come with homework assignments, and educational materials.  “Go Bags” will also be available at Stoddard Elementary, De Soto Middle/High School, and Prairie View Elementary for parent or student pick-up between 7:30-8:30 a.m. weekday mornings.

Seneca School District-  Click on the link to order meals for your children. It is currently set up through April 3rd. We will add additional dates if the closure continues. Please take advantage of this even if you feel your family does not NEED it. It’s great for our school and will provide some normalcy and familiarity to the children. https://forms.gle/Bwn59JyoyNMLS3ew8

The Academy of Country Music has stepped up in a big way with a safe alternative to this year’s ACM Awards. ACM Presents: Our Country — a television event bringing acoustic concerts and interviews from artist’s homes — will air in place of the award show.

The two hour show, which will also include clips from previous ACM Awards shows, airs on April 5th on CBS. Participating artists will be revealed soon.

Happy birthday to actor Bruce Willis, who turns 65 today (Thursday). He got his big break in the ’80s on TV’s Moonlighting, and then went on to become one of Hollywood’s biggest stars, appearing in more than 60 movies including the Die Hard series, The Sixth Sense, Pulp Fiction and 12 Monkeys. Did you know that before pursuing an acting career, Willis worked as a security guard at a nuclear power plant in New Jersey?

Since we all staying in….A Die Hard marathon sounds like a plan.  -EK

People are battling feelings of dreariness from staying home to social distance by putting up their Christmas lights, and are sharing photos on social media with the hashtag #lightsforlife. One man whose son suggested putting lights on their tree outside tweeted: “Lights are on tonight as a sign of hope and the sweet mind of my 10 year old.” Another said it’s been suggested to “cheer up people in quarantine, in isolation, or just to remind the world there’s still light and hope.”

Count Keith Urban among the country artists who are finding creative ways to keep fans entertained during the COVID-19 quarantine.

Keith treated fans to a 30-minute concert via Instagram on March 16, performing a number of songs from his instrument/gear warehouse, including “Somebody Like You,” “Coming Home,” “Blue Ain’t Your Color,” “God Whispered Your Name” and more.

Keith’s in-person audience included wife Nicole Kidman, who did a bit of dancing, along with a camera operator and sound tech.

“We’re coming to you live from our warehouse, actually,” said Keith, in part, during the video. “I was supposed to be playing tonight and I just thought it would be nice to be able to play anyway, even though we can’t be in front of all you guys [in person] tonight, I wanted to be able to play, and just play some songs and bring a little bit of entertainment into your screens right now.”

-The Family Table  Restaurant is Closed until March 31st

-TBocks in downtown Decorah is closed until April 2nd

-Magpie Cafe & Coffeehouse Decorah is now closed until April 1st

-Barney’s in Burr Oak: open 11am-8pm for carry out food and beer! Call us 563-735-5900

-Tapt out west union. 11 til 7- 563-412-1185

-The Creamery, Rushford
-Burdey’s Cafe, Peterson
-Shawnee’s, Rushford
-Stumpy’s Rushford
-Subway, Pam’s Corner- Rushford
-The Pizza Place, Spring Valley
-Rack’s, Spring Valley

-Diane’s Cafe, Hawkeye 563-427-3315

-Pizza Hut, Decorah – CARRYOUT & DELIVERY. Now offering delivery times 11am-2PM & 4pm-close.

-Dairy Queen, West Union 563-422-6284

-the Mint in Protivin

-In Lansing: Safe House Saloon: 563-538-4288, Shep’s Riverside Bar & Grill: 563-538-2009, Milty’s: 563-538-4585, NutMeg’s Cafe and Bakery: 563-538-9214, Main Channel Grill & Lodging: 563-538-4955, Fajitas Grill: 563-538-3000

-The Zipper in Festina: 563-534-7181 ,Monday-Saturday: 11-1:30 ,Wednesday Night: 5:30-8:30, Fish Fry Fridays 4:30-8:30

–South Side Bar and Grill in Cresco (563)547-4242

-Jets MEATS AND CAFE 563-568-2620

-Buzzards In New Albin IA 544-4422

-Luana Tap. 563-539-4380

-Green Valley Getaway -Update on hours! 430-730 pm Tue-thurs take out only! Friday 11-1 take out only! Fri-sunday 4-8 take out and delivery available!

-Ktown tap, Kendallville 563-547-3256

-Oneota Coop: ONLINE ORDERING IS LIVE! http://oneotacoop.com/covid-19-and-the-co-op/?fbclid=IwAR0AA7iO8dxaCE02WD2PDsdMyPUiQrI_MauM9jY_eYwI7geHZMnw9NEbET8

– Riverside, Waucoma Takeout only: 563-776-4971

–Stone Hearth has To -Go and Carry outs available 563-382-4614 Hours are 11-2 and 5-7

-The Fort in Ft Atkinson is open for carry outs from 11 am to 2 pm and then from 4 to 8 pm every day 563-358-9006!

–Alpha Tap, Alpha: 563-429-3051

-Farr Side, Spillville. 563 562 3114

–Buzzards, New Albin 563-544-4422

-The Barrel Drive in in West Union IS Open

-Little Miami, Freeburg- We will be open for carry outs and off sales ONLY, no dine in Wednesday – Sunday 11-7 p.m.
Our full menu is available.

-NutMeg’s Cafe & Bakery, Lansing- NutMeg’s will be doing carry-outs only and have a limited number of baked good and donuts on hand for the foreseeable future. We will still be taking bakery orders so just give us a call.

-Gus and Tony’s in West Union dine-in closed. Carry-outs and deliveries still availiable! Call: 563-422-9500

-Culver’s of Decorah dine-in is closed. Drive-thru will remain open! Call ahead orders are also accepted: 563-382-5120

-Mabes Pizza Decorah plans to be open 11am-9pm for carry-out and delivery only. Find their menu at www.mabespizza.com!

-Don Jose Decorah- will now temporarily deliver within the 4 mile radius of our restaurant as of Thursday, March 19 from 10-2 and, 5-8! We ask if you plan to pay with a credit or debit card, for deliveries, that you pay over the phone. We will still be accepting cash at this time. We thank you guys for being patient with us as this will be something new we are trying. We hope everyone is doing alright during these tough times and we miss everyone dining with us. ALSO, for your convenience, we will temporarily start opening 1 hour earlier. So our hours will be from 10-8!!! **Please mind that there will be a $5 delivery fee.**

-Pizza Ranch Decorah- Pizza Ranch in Decorah is not doing buffets or dine ins until further notice. We will still do carry outs and deliveries until further notice. Please spread the news.

-Ede’s Angry Pickle Decorah is open Tuesday through Saturday 10:30am to 2pm for Curbside pickup. Call to order at 382-9600 and Ede will deliver out to the curb.

-Elsie’s in Caledonia has a window available for food pick up. Open 7 days a week from 9am to 7pm. Call 507-725-3313 to order.

-Jet’s Meat & Cafe Waukon open for carry outs from 9-2 Monday -Sunday and meat counter open Monday – Friday 8-5.  563-568-2620

-Two Tree’s Pizza of Ossian will be offering take out Pizza’s along with offering delivery to all places within 5 miles of Ossian.

-Milty’s of Lansing will be open for pick up orders.  Call them and they will get it ready for you.

-Ivy Grove Cafe in Spring Grove will be providing carry out orders only until further notice. Please call 507-498-5450.

-Toppling Goliath Decorah. Curbside Pick-Up AND Carry-Out services. Their full menu PLUS To-Go Beer, including cans and NEW growler fills, are all available for easy, safe pick-up.  Check out TG’s full menu online at tgbrews.com then call 563-387-6700 to place your order.

-Fireman’s Inn Ridgeway-  Will be switching gears to curbside/carryout food and beverage. We ask that you call when you arrive outside. Please pay by card over the phone, check or exact cash. We will deliver the food to you in either parking lot. We will be open normal business hours – Wednesday through Sunday 11:00am to 9:00pm. Thank you for your patience. Stay healthy and safe! The Fireman’s Inn Team.

Waukon Country Club is taking orders for Cod, Walleye, or order off the menu. Fridays from 5 to 830 call (563) 568-9939 and leave your order.

Happy Birthday to country singer and song writer Paul Overstreet!  He’s turning 65 today.  He had run of hits in the late 80’s/early 90’s, but check his song writing credits….a ton of hits!

“During his songwriting career, primarily in the Country genre, Overstreet has written or co-written 27 Top Ten songs. During this time, he has won two Grammy Awards and also won ACM and CMA Song of the Year Awards (1987 and 1988). Overstreet was named the BMI Songwriter of the Year five straight years, from 1987 to 1991, an achievement on music row that has not been achieved before or since. He co-wrote “A Long Line of Love”, “Love Can Build a Bridge”, and “Forever and Ever, Amen”. Other well-known hits of recent years he is known for are “She Thinks My Tractor’s Sexy” by Kenny Chesney and “Some Beach” by Blake Shelton, which was a Number One hit in 2004.”

Credit:  Wikipedia

Verizon is experiencing outages all over the Midwest.

We asked Veterans Memorial Hospital Administrator Mike Myers to come in and talk about COVID-19 and what they are doing in Waukon and Allamakee County.  Take a listen to our conversation below!

Reba McEntire’s mother, Jacqueline, 93, died on March 14.

Reba shared the news via Instagram, which you can read below.

Our Mother, Jacqueline McEntire, made that wonderful cross over into Heaven today. She had a wonderful, full, healthy life and was absolutely ready to go. The cancer might think it won the battle but we?re giving God all the credit on selecting the time for her to go home to Him. She was ready to see our Daddy, her mama and daddy and all her family and friends.

Down here, Alice, Pake, Susie and I, grandkids and great grandkids all got to visit with her either in person or over the phone. She left knowing how much she is loved and we all know how much she loved us.
We are very thankful for all the prayers, cards, calls, visits, the care-givers with their huge hearts, and the time God gave us with Mama.

Jackie, Jac, Ms McEntire, Mama, Mama Jac, Momo Jac, Grandma, Grandma Jac, whatever the title was at the time – she gave you her undivided attention. We’re all going to miss her but we have so many wonderful memories.
Thank you Lord for that.
In lieu of flowers, the family lovingly asks that memorials be sent to the Reba McEntire Fund to benefit the Jacqueline McEntire Library Fund.

Donations can be made online at https://www.texomagivingpartners.org/donate or mailed to:
The Reba McEntire Fund
5036 Reba Drive
Denison, Texas, 75020

In the memo line please write J”acqueline McEntire”
Phone: THF – Texoma Giving Partners at 903.337.0755

“NASCAR has decided to postpone the race events at Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend and Homestead-Miami Speedway next weekend. We believe this decision is in the best interest of the safety and well-being of our fans, competitors, officials and everyone associated with our sport. We will continue to monitor this dynamic situation as we assess future race events.”

In addition to hosting the 55th ACM Awards on April 5 in Las Vegas, Keith Urban will also take the stage to perform. The Academy of Country Music made the announcement via Twitter on March 11.

The Academy also revealed that Miranda Lambert will perform twice. In addition to a solo effort, Miranda will perform “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” with Elle King, Ashley McBryde, Lindsay Ell, Tenille Townes and Caylee Hammack. The tune is nominated for Musical Event of the Year.

The ACM Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 5 (live 8-11 p.m. ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network and be available to stream live and on-demand across digital platforms on the CBS All Access subscription service.

STEVENS POINT, Wis. The Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association determined all remaining games of the State Girls Basketball Tournament, and the boys basketball sectional finals and the State Tournament will be canceled in response to the evolving concerns over the spread of COVID-19.

The WIAA regrets the lost opportunity for teams and players that have worked to achieve their goals and the communities that have supported them throughout the year.

“I want the student-athletes and their coaches to know that your school leaders, the WIAA Executive Staff, all our committees and the Board of Control have done everything imaginable to try to provide and preserve these opportunities for you,” Executive Director Dave Anderson said. “However, we want and need to be responsible in helping the global and state efforts to stem the tide and spread of this virus.”

Earlier today, the WIAA was informed the Kohl Center would not be available for the State Boys Basketball Tournament scheduled for March 19-21. Many professional, collegiate and high school associations have postponed or canceled scheduled events as a result of the pandemic.

Tickets for the WIAA Girls and Boys State Basketball tournaments will be refunded in full. Please allow staff time to make these refunds and contact the WIAA office only if you do not see a refund to your account within two weeks of the tournament.

Any tickets purchased at school will be refunded by your school and not the Resch Center or the WIAA.

NASCAR issued the following statement Thursday, March 12:

“At this time, NASCAR will hold its race events at Atlanta Motor Speedway and Homestead-Miami Speedway without fans in attendance. These events will be restricted to competitors, crews, officials and other necessary personnel to conduct the race. We will work with public health officials as we determine future scheduling beyond these events.”

Congratulations to psychic Sylvia Browne, who predicted the coronavirus pandemic.

A page from her book has been shared on social media. Kim Kardashian tweeted it last night to her 64 million followers.

Brown wrote the book End of Days, which was published in 2008. She wrote that in the year “2020 a severe pneumonia-like illness will spread throughout the globe, attacking the lungs and the bronchial tubes and resisting all known treatments.”

In her crystal ball, Sylvia Browne also saw that this disease would miraculously “vanish as quickly as it arrived” only to return years later.

Today’s “Early Morning Double Shot” artist is Shenandoah!  They will be hitting the road this year on a new tour…read more below!

Shenandoah announced a slate of tour stops that will keep the band on the road for more than 30 dates over the next seven months.

In addition to their headlining 2020 Every Road Tour, the boys will join Restless Heart on their co-headlining Country Throwback Tour.

“It’s not ‘Here we go again,’ it’s ‘We can’t wait,'” says Shenandoah frontman Marty Raybon. “Knowing everything we have in store for 2020 and all the work we’ve put in over the last four years, it’s an overwhelming but incredible feeling to see everything coming to fruition.”

Shenandoah 2020 Every Road Tour & Country Throwback Tour

March 13 | Milwaukee, WI | Northern Lights Theatre
March 22 | Vero Beach, FL | Firefighters Indian River
March 27 | Uncasville, CT | Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun
March 28 | Annapolis, MD | Rams Head Live
April 3 | Granger, TX | Cotton Club
April 4 | Lampasas, TX | Putters & Gutters
April 18 | Greenville, TX | Hunt County Fair
May 2 | Dunlap, TN | Valley Festival
May 9 | Ft. Myers, FL | The Ranch
May 16 | Sevierville, TN | Bloomin’ BBQ Bluegrass
May 22 | Monticello, MS | Atwood Music Fest
May 23 | Stateline, NV | Harrah’s Lake Tahoe
May 30 | Fulton, MO | Callaway County 20th
June 12 | Shipshewana, IN | Blue Gate Theatre*
June 13 | Winsted, MN | Winstock Country Music Festival
July 2 | Hayes, KS | Wild West Festival*
July 11 | Gail, TX | Country Store
July 16 | Houston, TX | Arena Theatre*
July 17 | Norman, OK | Riverwind Casino*
July 18 | Fort Worth, TX | Billy Bob’s Texas*
July 23 | Warren, MN | Marshall County Fair
July 25 | Wayne, NE | Wayne County Fair*
Aug. 1 | Sutton, WV | Braxton Fair
Aug. 8 | Cambridge, OH | Deerassic Park*
Aug. 15 | Bremen, GA | Milltown Music Hall
Aug. 21 | Miles City, MT | Eastern Montana Fair
Sept. 12 | Louisville, KY | Hometown Rising
Sept. 26 | Rockwall, TX | Southern Junction
Oct. 6 | Eminence, MO | Cross Country Trail Ride
Oct. 9 | Prescott, AZ | Watson Lake*
Oct. 24 | Bryan, TX | Brazos Valley Fair & Rodeo

*Country Throwback Tour with Restless Heart

Enjoy some classic Shenandoah videos!

Natalie Maines, Emily Robison and Martie Maguire of the Dixie Chicks dropped their first single in 13 years with the release of “Gaslighter” on March 4. The new tune serves as the title track to the Dixie Chicks’ upcoming eighth studio album, which is slated to drop on May 1.

Co-produced by the band and Jack Antonoff, Gaslighter will follow the Dixie Chicks’ 2006 album, Taking the Long Way.

The trio also released a new video for “Gaslighter,” which was directed by Seanne Farmer. Check out the new clip below.

Alex Trebek delivered an update on his fight against stage 4 pancreatic cancer in a video tweeted out today.

The Jeopardy host has reached the first anniversary of his diagnosis, which he said only 18 percent of stage 4 patients achieve. And while he looks great and sounds positive, he admits that he hasn’t always been over the past year. He says, “There were moments of great pain. Moments when certain bodily functions no longer functioned and some massive attacks of great depression that made me wonder if it was really worth fighting on.”

Trebek says he keeps fighting and trying to stay positive for his wife Jean his fans and the millions of other cancer fighters who look to him for inspiration. He adds that the two-year survival rate is only 7 percent, but he plans to be around next year.

In a video posted on Instagram Tuesday (3/3), Dolly Parton sent her love and support to the Nashville community after a devastating tornado struck there in the early morning hours…take a look below.

Kenny Chesney will release his 19th studio album, Here and Now, on May 1. Longtime collaborator Buddy Cannon co-produced the album, with additional production assistance from Ross Copperman.

“When you’re this far into a career, I think artists need to keep pushing themselves and the music without losing sight of who they are, or forgetting the people you make music for,” says Kenny. “No Shoes Nation is a very passionate place without borders. I get inspired every time I see and hear them. These are passionate people who work really hard. They make a difference in their community in all kinds of ways, giving back not so people think they’re good, but because that’s who they are and what they do. When they listen to music, they’re all in–and when they hear something they like, you can feel it in how they respond.”

Much of the album was written and recorded over the last 18 months, including the title track, which is currently No. 23 on Billboard?s Country Airplay chart after two weeks. Penned by Craig Wiseman, David Garcia and David Lee Murphy at a writing retreat Kenny set up in Malibu, the new tune beckons listeners to live in the present with a chorus that proclaims: “You and me, ain’t it good to be alive / Ain’t no better place, ain’t no better time / Than here and now.”

“You know, [the album is] going to have a high fun factor,” says Kenny. “People work hard, and need music that makes them smile, that kicks them into a happy place. There are also songs here that look at very specific people, that tell one person’s story, but it could be any of us. That’s the mark of a good song: let one person’s specific life say so much about a lot of people’s lives. And one of the things I really wanted (for Here and Now) was to bring a lot of my favorite writers together, not to do ‘writing camp,’ but just hang out and talk, remember when it was the stories and laughs that sparked songs, not sitting down to churn out something to cut.”

The Ohio man who drank only beer during the Lent season last year says he’s doing it again this year.

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, 44-year-old Del Hall started his beer-only fast on Ash Wednesday (2/26) last week, with hopes that he’ll make all the way until the end of Lent in April.

While Hall lost 44 pounds during his 46-day beer fast last year, he might lose more this year because he plans on going for 50 days.

Del plans on doing 50 days because he says he’s going for the “all-time world record,” even if Guinness Book of World Records doesn’t officially count it.

The highest-paid daytime star is quitting TV – for just one year.

On Monday, Judy Sheindlin will tell Ellen DeGeneres her plans. The Judge Judy courtroom TV show will end after 25 years of in syndication.

Judy said to Ellen in a pre-taped interview, (quote) “CBS sort of felt they wanted to optimally utilize the repeats of my program. You should get all the reruns that CBS has sold to stations currently carrying Judge Judy.”

According to Forbes magazine, Judy Sheindlin’s syndication deal paid her nearly $150 million annually.

Judge Judy wraps production in exactly one year. Then Sheindlin intends to launch a new program called Judy Justice. (The Wrap)

Carrie Underwood launched a new fitness app, fit52, in conjunction with the release of her new book, Find Your Path: Honor Your Body, Fuel Your Soul and Get Strong With the Fit52 Life, which goes on sale on March 3.

According to a press release, the new app is a “holistic wellness platform designed to encourage and support you on your personal wellness journey and make it easier for you to find your path to a stronger, healthier you.”

“Fitness is a true passion for me,” says Carrie. “The fit52 app incorporates what I’ve been doing myself for years, and we’ve made it easy and totally accessible for anyone that wants help to work in working out. We worked really hard to create a high-quality, user-friendly app that is designed for busy people and their busy lives. fit52 meets you wherever you are on your health journey, and I’m so proud of it.”

In the upcoming book, which goes on sale on March 3, Carrie “share secrets for fitting diet and exercise into a packed routine, which is based on her own active lifestyle, diet and workouts.”

“I want to be healthy and fit 52 weeks of the year, but that doesn’t mean I have to be perfect every day,” says Carrie. “This philosophy is a year-round, common-sense approach to health and fitness that involves doing your best most of the time–and by that I don’t mean being naughty for three days and good for four. I mean doing your absolute best most of the time during every week, 52 weeks of the year.”

With it feeling like spring on the first day of March, we decided to take a little road trip after church. Where did the road lead us??? Harmony Minnesota!

I’ve always enjoyed visiting Harmony…..Here are a few pics from the day.

We grabbed lunch at a restaurant downtown.

We stopped by a local antique store….Lucy thought the Elvis phone was pretty cool…

Neat to see some local towns on these vintage butter and ice cream cartons…

After we had lunch, we saw a statue downtown. We thought it was pretty cool and Lucy wanted to get her picture by it. She called it “The Guy”. So after we got done at the antique shop, we swung back to downtown and Lucy got her pic with “The Guy”. Hope you enjoyed the spring like weather too!!! -EK

If you suffer from seasonal allergies, you might want to start stockpiling your meds. Accuweather meteorologists say those who live in the eastern U.S. are going to have a long and severe allergy season this spring due to predicted above-normal rainfall and near-average temperatures. Those who react to grass pollen are predicted to have the worst time. The rest of the country won’t be hit as hard, but those in the eastern Rockies and cities on the West Coast can expect above-average tree pollen levels.

Song of the Year (Awarded to Songwriter/Publisher/Artist)

• “10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay feat. Justin Bieber, written by Justin Bieber, Jason “Poo Bear” Boyd, Jessie Jo Dillon, Shay Mooney, Jordan Reynolds, Dan Smyers
• “Girl Goin’ Nowhere” – Ashley McBryde, written by Jeremy Bussey, Ashley McBryde
• “God’s Country” – Blake Shelton, written by Devin Dawson, Michael Hardy, Jordan Schmidt
• “One Man Band” – Old Dominion, written by Josh Osborne, Matthew Ramsey, Trevor Rosen, Brad Tursi
• “Some of It” – Erich Church, written by Eric Church, Clint Daniels, Jeff Hyde, Bobby Pinson

Songwriter of the Year

• Ashley Gorley
• Michael Hardy
• Hillary Lindsey
• Shane McAnally
• Josh Osborne

Duo of the Year

• Brooks & Dunn
• Brothers Osborne
• Dan + Shay
• Florida Georgia Line
• Maddie & Tae

Group of the Year

• Lady Antebellum
• Little Big Town
• Midland
• Old Dominion
• The Highwomen

Male Artist of the Year

• Dierks Bentley
• Luke Combs
• Thomas Rhett
• Chris Stapleton
• Keith Urban

Female Artist of the Year

• Kelsea Ballerini
• Miranda Lambert
• Maren Morris
• Kacey Musgraves
• Carrie Underwood

Entertainer of the Year

• Luke Bryan
• Eric Church
• Luke Combs
• Thomas Rhett
• Carrie Underwood

New Female Artist of the Year

• Ingrid Andress
• Gabby Barrett
• Lindsay Ell
• Caylee Hammack
• Tenille Townes

New Male Artist of the Year

• Jordan Davis
• Russell Dickerson
• Riley Green
• Cody Johnson
• Morgan Wallen

Album of the Year [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company-Label(s)]

• Center Point Road – Thomas Rhett
• Girl – Maren Morris
• Heartache Medication – Jon Pardi
• What You See Is What You Get – Luke Combs
• Wildcard – Miranda Lambert

Single of the Year [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company-Label(s)]

• “God’s Country” – Blake Shelton
• “One Man Band” Old Dominion
• “Rainbow” – Kacey Musgraves
• “Rumor” – Lee Brice
• “What If I Never Get Over You” – Lady Antebellum

Video of the Year [Awarded to Producer(s)/Director(s)/Artist(s)]

• “10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay featuring Justin Bieber
• “God’s Country” – Blake Shelton
• “One Man Band” – Old Dominion
• “Remember You Young” – Thomas Rhett
• “Sugarcoat” – Little Big Town

Music Event of the Year [Awarded to Artist(s)/Producer(s)/Record Company-Label(s)]

• “10,000 Hours” – Dan + Shay featuring Justin Bieber
• “Dive Bar” – Garth Brooks featuring Blake Shelton
• “Fooled Around and Fell in Love” – Miranda Lambert featuring Maren Morris, Elle King, Tenille Townes, Ashley McBryde and Caylee Hammack.
• Old Town Road” – Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus
• “What Happens in a Small Town” – Brantley Gilbert featuring Lindsay Ell

The Academy of Country Music also announced that Keith Urban will host the 55th ACM Awards on April 5 in Las Vegas.

This will be Keith’s first time hosting the ACM Awards.

The ACM Awards will air live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Sunday, April 5 (live 8-11 p.m. ET/delayed PT) on the CBS Television Network and be available to stream live and on-demand across digital platforms on the CBS All Access subscription service.

A country music icon would of celebrated a birthday today…Johnny Cash! He was born on this date in 1932. Enjoy some classic clips below from the “Man in Black”!

The McDonald’s Shamrock Shake turns 50 this year, and in celebration the brand is auctioning off a gold Shamrock Shake cup for charity. The Golden Shamrock Shake cup, appraised at $90,000, is make of 18-karat gold and adorned with 50 green emeralds and white diamonds, and 50 yellow diamonds that make up the Golden Arches logo. The cup is listed on eBay, you can check out the bidding here. The best part, all proceeds from the winning bid will go to the Ronald McDonald House Charities.

Miller Lite is offering a free 24-pack of beer to everyone on Leap Day — February 29th. Supposedly, Miller Lite will be posting a QR code to its Instagram and Twitter accounts. You just have to scan the code, which will lead you to a site where you can submit a receipt for a 24-pack of Miller Lite purchased on Leap Day. The cost of your case will be refunded to your Paypal account. Not a bad deal. (Thrillist)

If have kids that are under the age of eight like myself, you are probably familiar with crew from Adventure Bay….Paw Patrol! Kids just love the show, they can’t get enough(like the toddler in my house). If the shows aren’t enough, well the Paw Patrol the movie will be hitting theaters in August of 2021! Kids will be excited to see their favorite pups: Chase, Marshall, Rocky, Skye, Rubble and Zuma on a full length adventure. -EK

Tenille Townes is kicking-off National FFA Week with a new campaign that celebrates 50 Years of Women in FFA. Joining forces with the Ram Truck Brand to honor the anniversary, Tenille wrote the original track called, “In My Blood,” which is available now. The video was released yesterday to help kick off National FFA Week. The clip spotlights the daily moments of females in agriculture.

George Strait announced he will perform a concert at Notre Dame Stadium in South Bend, Ind., on Aug. 15.

The upcoming show, which is dubbed Strait to South Bend, will feature special guests Chris Stapleton and Brothers Osborne.

Tickets for the new show go on sale on March 6 at 10 a.m. ET, with pre-sale for American Express Card Members beginning on Feb. 28 at 10 a.m. local time.

George’s previously announced concert dates include shows at the U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Minn., on Aug. 22 with Little Big Town and Chris Stapleton, followed by two dates in Las Vegas with Caitlyn Smith as part of his 5-year Strait to Vegas residency.

George Strait 2020 Tour Dates

Aug. 15 | Notre Dame Stadium | South Bend, Ind.
Aug. 22 | U.S. Bank Stadium | Minneapolis, Minn.
Aug. 28 | T-Mobile Arena | Las Vegas
Aug. 29 | T-Mobile Arena | Las Vegas

File this under: I’ve Seen It All. A Twitter user recently posted a video clip of herself soaking in a tub full of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos, holding a glass of what we can only assume is … Cheeto juice. Why? Who knows? But what we do know is that after putting more than $150 worth of Flamin’ Hot Cheetos into the tub, she only soaked in there long enough to get the shots, causing no discomfort from Cheeto dust where Cheeto dust shouldn’t be. (Delish)

The tiny town of Hell, Michigan, is looking for couples from across the U.S. to come to Hell on Leap Day, February 29th, to be married at 2:29 p.m. The Reverend Vonn will marry 29 couples for free in a mass ceremony outside the chapel. He says, “Imagine having only to remember your wedding anniversary every four years.” Couples can register for the leap year mass wedding by texting Revered Vonn at 810-623-1129, with the first 29 couples to be accepted. Each couple will receive a marriage license from the town that reads: “married in Hell.”

Want to know more about “Hell”, Michigan…take a look at the video below.

Luke Bryan has teamed with Constellation Brands to develop and produce his own beer: Two Lane Americana Golden Lager.

The new brew, which features American barley and water sourced from the Blue Ridge Mountains, will hitting the shelves in Tennessee, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia on March 2. Two Lane takes its name from the kinds of places you might find at the end of a two-lane road, including fishing holes, camping spots, dive bars and more.

“Between my songs, Instagram posts and onstage toasts to my audience, it’s no secret that I like beer,” says Luke. “For a long time, I’ve dreamed of creating a beer to enjoy no matter if you are hanging out at one of my shows or at home with friends and family, and I was so grateful to find a partner in Constellation to make that dream a reality.”

More than 300 Texas school students came together on Tuesday (2/18) for a very important reason: flushing toilets at the brand new Globe Life Field baseball stadium in Arlington.

The purpose of the so-called “Super Flush 2020” was to check the functionality of the yet-to-be-opened stadium, and the students were happy to lend a flush.

The students helped to flush every toilet in the 1.8 million square foot stadium, which will soon become home to the Texas Rangers.

Being addicted to your smartphone can physically change your brain. German researchers looked at brain images and found that those with smartphone addiction have less grey matter volume in some key parts of the brain, similar to changes seen in drug addicts’ brains. The data also showed that smartphone addicts had decreased activity in their brains compared to those who weren’t addicted to their phones.

Maren Morris continues her run on top of the Country Airplay chart with her single, “The Bones.” With that two week run on top, she becomes the first solo country female artist in 8 years to do that! Carrie Underwood was the last female to have a multi-week No.1 in 2012 with the song “Blown Away.”