What We’re Talking About

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.”

Country trio Rascal Flatts–comprised of Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney–revealed they are extending their Rascal Flatts Farewell: Life Is a Highway Tour with 11 new dates.

After announcing an initial run of 25 dates, including stops in Chicago, Dallas, Atlanta and more, Rascal Flatts will make 11 additional stops in Kansas City, New Orleans, Nashville and more. Tickets for the new dates go on sale on Feb. 21 at 10 a.m. local time.

In additional, Rascal Flatts shared that they will be inviting special guests Chris Lane, Chase Rice, Avenue Beat, Caylee Hammack, King Calaway, Matt Stell and Rachel Wammack to join them on select dates across the run.

Rascal Flatts Farewell: Life Is a Highway Tour (new dates ***)

June 11 | Indianapolis, IN | Ruoff Music Center
June 12 | Detroit, MI | DTE Energy Music Theatre
June 13 | Cincinnati, OH | Riverbend Music Center
June 25 | Chicago, IL | Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
June 27 | Pittsburgh, PA | S&T Bank Music Park
July 17 | Rogers, AR | Walmart AMP ***
July 18 | Dallas, TX | Dos Equis Pavilion
July 23 | St. Louis, MO | Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
July 24 | Southaven, MS | BankPlus Amphitheater ***
July 25 | Kansas City, MO | Sprint Center ***
July 31 | Welch, MN | Treasure Island Casino Amphitheater ***
Aug. 1 | Omaha, NE | CHI Health Center ***
Aug. 2 | Dubuque, IA | Q Casino ***
Aug. 20 | New Orleans, LA | Smoothie King Center ***
Aug. 21 | Brandon, MS | Brandon Amp ***
Aug. 22 | Birmingham, AL | Oak Mountain Amphitheatre ***
Sept. 3 | Toronto, ON | Budweiser Stage
Sept. 4 | Cleveland, OH | Blossom Music Center
Sept. 5 | Buffalo, NY | Darien Lake Amphitheater
Sept. 10 | Raleigh, NC | Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek
Sept. 11 | Virginia Beach, VA | Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater at Virginia Beach
Sept. 12 | Washington, DC | Jiffy Lube Live
Sept. 17 | Wantagh, NY | Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
Sept. 18 | Boston, MA | Xfinity Center
Sept. 19 | Holmdel, NJ | PNC Bank Arts Center
Sept. 25 | Columbus, OH | Nationwide Arena ***
Oct. 1 | Mountain View, CA | Shoreline Amphitheatre
Oct. 2 | San Diego, CA | North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Oct. 3 | Irvine, CA | FivePoint Amphitheatre
Oct. 7 | Denver, CO | Red Rocks Amphitheatre
Oct. 9 | Albuquerque, NM | Isleta Amphitheater
Oct. 10 | Phoenix, AZ | Ak|Chin Pavilion
Oct. 15 | Atlanta, GA | Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Oct. 16 | Tampa, FL | MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Oct. 17 | West Palm Beach, FL | Coral Sky Amphitheatre
Oct. 30 | Nashville, TN | Bridgestone Arena ***

It wasn’t an official campaign event, but Donald Trump appeared in front of a friendly crowd at the Daytona 500 on Sunday as Grand Marshal with plenty of pomp and circumstance.

The sold-out stadium of NASCAR fans were treated to a fly-by by Air Force One and Trump’s presidential limo, known as “The Beast,” took a lap on the Daytona track.

As for the race itself, not long after the start, it was postponed due to rain and rescheduled for Monday. (Politico)

Sugarland’s Kristian Bush and Jennifer Nettles will hit the road this summer for the There Goes the Neighborhood Tour.

The 26-date tour kicks off on June 4 in Toronto, Ontario, before making additional stops in Dallas, Phoenix, Milwaukee, Cincinnati and more. Mary Chapin Carpenter, Tenille Townes and Danielle Bradbery will provide support on select dates.

In addition, the duo is releasing a 3-song EP, Bigger, Louder, Live, on Feb. 28 that includes live versions of “On a Roll,” “Bigger” and “Babe.”

There Goes the Neighborhood 2020 Tour

June 4 | Toronto, ON | Budweiser Stage *^
June 5 | Syracuse, NY | St. Joseph’s Health Amphitheater at Lakeview *^
June 6 | Hartford, CT | Xfinity Theatre *^
June 12 | The Woodlands, TX | Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman *^
June 13 | Dallas, TX | Dos Equis Pavilion *^
June 14 | Austin, TX | Germania Insurance Amphitheater *^
June 18 | Albuquerque, NM | Isleta Amphitheater *^
June 19 | Phoenix, AZ | Ak-Chin Pavilion *^
June 20 | Chula Vista, CA | North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre *^
June 25 | Wheatland, CA | Toyota Amphitheatre *^
June 26 | Mountain View, CA | Shoreline Amphitheatre *^
June 27 | Irvine, CA | FivePoint Amphitheatre *^
July 2 | Aurora, IL | River Edge Park ^
July 3 | Prior Lake, MN | Mystic Lake Casino Amp ^
July 10 | Mansfield, MA | Xfinity Center *^
July 11 | Camden, NJ | BB&T Pavilion *^
July 12 | Wantagh, NY | Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater *^
July 16 | Holmdel, NJ | PNC Bank Arts Center *^
July 18 | Bangor, ME | Darling?s Waterfront Pavilion *^
July 19 | Gilford, NH | Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion *^
July 23 | Burgettstown, PA | S&T Bank Music Park *~
July 24 | Clarkston, MI | DTE Energy Music Theatre *~
July 25 | Milwaukee, WI | American Family Insurance Amphitheater *~
July 30 | Cincinnati, OH | Riverbend Music Center +^
July 31 | Alpharetta, GA | Ameris Bank Amphitheatre *^
Aug. 1 | Charlotte, NC | PNC Music Pavilion +^

* Mary Chapin Carpenter
^ Tenille Townes
~ Danielle Bradbery
+ Special guest to be announced

With Valentines Day closing in fast, Comparitech compiled research from Google Trends to find out each states favorite romantic comedy.  Iowa’s favorite rom-com is “The Philadelphia Story”.  Over in Wisconsin the favorite is “Bringing Up Baby”.  The favorite rom-com in Minnesota is “His Girl Friday”.  Check out more details about their research below.

The majority of these rom-coms are from the past four decades, but there are also a handful of older classics that have made it to the top.

• His Girl Friday – Popular in Michigan, Minnesota, and North Carolina, His Girl Friday was released in 1940. It’s a screwball comedy featuring Rosalind Russell and Cary Grant who play ex-husband and -wife. Grant (a newspaper editor called Walter Burns) tries to stop Russell (an investigative reporter called Hildy Johnson) from settling into domestic life with her new fiancé.
• Roman Holiday – A must-see in Virginia, Roman Holiday is a 1953 classic starring Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck. The movie sees Hepburn, a princess, running away to explore Rome before falling in love with American news reporter, Peck.
• Bringing Up Baby – Loved by those in Wisconsin, Bringing Up Baby is our oldest featured film. Released in 1938, it’s another screwball comedy with Cary Grant. But this one also features Katharine Hepburn as impulsive heiress, Susan Vance, who turns straightlaced scientist Huxley’s (Grant) world upside down.

A few states favored movies that were shot in their own backyard, including:

• Alaska for The Proposal: Starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds, The Proposal sees Margaret (Bullock), a New York editor, trying to convince Andrew (Reynolds) to marry her so he can receive a promotion (and she can fight off her imminent deportation to Canada). However, a trip to Andrew’s hometown (in Alaska), offers up a few surprises.
• California for Clueless: This coming-of-age movie which is loosely based on Jane Austen’s Emma has stood the test of time. Rich high-school girl, Cher (Alicia Silverstone), is coming to terms with adolescence and all it entails while helping a new student gain popularity.
• Illinois for Sixteen Candles: An 80s classic and another coming-of-age movie, Sixteen Candles stars Molly Ringwald who plays Samantha. Samantha’s parents ignore her, and her private quiz answer ends up in the wrong hands, making her “sweet” 16 becomes anything but.
• New York for When Harry Met Sally: Released in 1989, this iconic film features Meg Ryan, Billy Crystal, and that infamous fake orgasm. It’s based on two college friends who try to figure out how they feel about one another when they are reunited several years after graduation.
• Pennsylvania for Silver Linings Playbook: The most modern movie of this bunch, Silver Linings Playbook is adapted from Matthew Quick’s novel. Featuring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence (who won an Academy Award for her role), it follows Pat’s (Cooper) journey as he meets Tiffany (Lawrence) and tries to reconnect with his estranged wife.
• Washington for 10 Things I Hate About You: Based on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, this rom-com from the late 90s stars Julia Stiles and the late Heath Ledger.

Credit:  Comparitech

Thomas Rhett and wife Lauren Akins welcomed their third child on Feb. 10–a baby girl named Lennon Love Akins, who weighed 9 lbs., 2oz.

Lauren shared the news via Instagram, along with a number of pics, saying: “Our early Valentine baby was born yesterday, February 10th and her sisters couldn?t be happier to finally get to kiss her little face Lennon Love Akins 9lbs 2oz of lovveeee with lots of dark hair and blue eyes we could not be more in love.”

TR also shared the news via Instagram, saying: “Lennon Love Akins was born at 8:30 AM on February 10th! It was such a joy to watch this little angel be brought into the world. My wife is just incredible through the entire birth– watching our kids meet Lennon for the first time was probably the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen in my whole life! Ada James and Willa Gray are going to be the best big sisters on the planet. The Lord is so good and I’m so grateful for my beautiful growing family!! Y’all pray for us as we switch from man on man defense to zone”

TR and Lauren, who were married in 2012, are also the parents of girls Willa Gray, 4, and Ada James, 2.

The Minnesota Badgers???? That’s what an article of clothing had on it at a Target store in Minneapolis. Target issued a statement saying they immediately pulled the clothing off the shelves..It’s always good to proof read!

On the “Double Shot’ today…T.G. Sheppard! He had 14 number-one hits on the US country charts between 1974 and 1986, including 8 consecutive number ones between 1980 and 1982. Enjoy some videos below from T.G.

Following in the footsteps of Johnny Cash, Patsy Cline and George Jones, Glen Campbell is the subject of a new museum in downtown Nashville.

The Glen Campbell Museum & Rhinestone Stage, which opened on Feb. 1, honors the life of the “Rhinestone Cowboy” by showcasing different stages of his career and displaying a collection of personal artifacts, including guitars, instruments, golf clubs, family photos, stage clothing and much more.

Located at the corner of Broadway and 2nd Avenue, the 4,000-square-foot museum will transform into The Rhinestone Stage in the evenings, a live music venue that hopes to attract national and local acts.

The Queen of Country Music(in my humble opinion) Sara Evans has a birthday today! She is turning 49 years young. In honor of her birthday, she is today’s “Double Shot” artist. Enjoy some of her music below. -EK

It you grew up in the 90’s, you probably remember the snack Dunk-A-Roos! I remember having them occasional, and they were delicious! If you don’t remember, the cookies are made in a variety of shapes, the most common being a circle with an uppercase “D” in the center. The cookies are meant to be dunked into the icing before eating. According to General Mills, they are coming back this summer sometime. They debuted in 1988, and went away in 2000.

Super Bowl Sunday doesn’t only mean football and an extravagant half-time show — it’s also about commercials. My top two…

Jeep – Groundhog Day (f/ Bill Murray)
Mountain Dew – As Good As the Original (f/ Bryan Cranston & Tracee Ellis Ross)
What was your favorite??? -EK

LORETTA LYNN has declared country music dead. She made the announcement during a recent interview on MARTINA MCBRIDE’s podcast called ‘Vocal Point with Martina McBride.’ According to ‘People.com,’ Loretta said, “They’ve already let it [die]. I think it’s dead. I think it’s a shame. I think it’s a shame to let a type of music die. I don’t care what any kind of music it is, rock, country, whatever. I think it’s a shame to let it die, and I’m here to start feeding it.” The 87-year-old continued, “I’m getting mad about it. . . . I think that every type of music should be saved, and country is one of the greatest. It’s been around, as far as I’m concerned, longer than any of it.”

Super Bowl Sunday is more than the Big Game. It means Big Food!

How big? The health insights platform LetsGetChecked polled 1,000 Americans who plan to watch the game. The average fan said that on game day, they plan to eat:

• 2.7 portions of hot wings
• 3.2 slices of pizza
• 2.1 portions of fries
• 3.4 bags of chips
• 1.9 portions of chilli
• 2.4 burgers
• 1.7 sliders
• 2 hot dogs
• 2.7 portions of nachos
• 3 pieces of fried chicken
• 1.8 ribs
• 1.7 sausages
• 1.6 slices of cake
• 1.8 brownies
• 1.8 bowls of ice cream
• 2.3 portions of salad
• 2.1 subs
• 1.7 bags of sweets
• 1.9 bars of chocolate

Add up the damage and we’re talking almost 11,000 calories — more than five times what the average American should consume in a day. And they’re not good calories, either. This binge packs 180 grams of saturated fat. (PRNewswire)

For weeks, we’ve been hearing about the coronavirus in China. And, it seems, many people are confusing the virus with the beer. According to some number-crunchers at Google, there has been an increase in Internet searches with the terms “Corona beer virus” and “beer virus.” To be clear … The coronavirus has nothing to do with Corona beer. Which is really, really good news. (USA Today)

Walking to the station this morning it was a little cold…..not as cold as last year at this time. Not even close! The National Weather Service looks back at the dangerous cold at the end of January 2019.

“A dangerously cold arctic air mass settled across the Upper Mississippi River Valley for the end of January 2019, in the wake of a winter storm that brought several inches of snow a day earlier.

The record-breaking cold (coldest since 1996) moved in Monday afternoon (the 28th), with the temperatures dropping below zero by early evening. Temperatures would not climb above zero (0 deg F) until later Friday morning (Feb 1st) – one of the longest stretches of sub-zero temperatures on record.

What made this air more dangerous, to deadly, was the addition of strong, gusty winds. Northwest winds were on the increase by early morning on the 29th (Tuesday), blowing from 15 to 25 mph with gusts upwards of 40 through that day. Wind chills from -30 to -60 F resulted. Winds would diminish a bit Wednesday (30th), eventually becoming light that night.

Low temperatures bottomed out around 30 below for most Wednesday morning. Even colder readings were observed Thursday morning as clear skies and light winds allowed temperatures to fall to -40 or colder in some areas.

Most schools closed through the week, first for the snow storm on Monday, then for the dangerous cold Tuesday through Thursday. A state of emergency was declared for Wednesday, Jan.30th by the Wisconsin Governor resulting in many businesses being closed and suspension of postal services. Tragically, the cold also resulted in some loss of life.”

Take a look at the dangerous wind chills from a year ago.

Credit: National Weather Service

The “Winona in Winona”, Minnesota Super Bowl commercial has been released! Check it out below. Also posted is the 3 minute “Welcome to Winona” video!

On this day (January 28th) in 1986, the space shuttle Challenger exploded 73 seconds into its mission. The first such disaster in the history of the U.S. space program inspired one of the most moving speeches ever made by President Ronald Reagan, who addressed the nation just hours after the craft and crew were lost.

With the Super Bowl around the corner, a 16 year old named Frankie Ruggeri is making waves online with a petition to move the Super Bowl to Saturday.  As of today, his online petition had more than 55,000 signatures.   He believes that more people would tune in and watch the game, and more fans would be willing to travel to whichever city is hosting the Big Game.  If you wan to sign his petition, click here.

Time to think summer with  RAGBRAI 2020!  The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa will pedal through the north-central part of the state July 19th to July 25th.  The 48th edition of RAGBRAI will travel a total of 420.3 miles, the sixth shortest in it’s history.  The ride will start in Le Mars, other overnight stops include Storm Lake, Fort Dodge, Iowa Falls, Waterloo, Anamosa, Maquoketa, and ending in Clinton.

The full route, including pass-through towns and vehicle directions, is expected to be released in March.  More details here!

Dolly Parton made a post on social media earlier this week that has sparked a new online trend.

On Tuesday (1/21), Dolly shared four different photos of herself on social media, labeling each separate one “LinkedIn,” “Facebook,” “Instagram” and “Tinder.”

Each photo shows a different side of Dolly, which she says corresponds to that particular social media site.

For example, Parton’s “LinkedIn” photo shows her dressed up in business attire, while the “Tinder” picture shows her dressed up as a Playboy bunny.

Dolly’s caption for the photo collage said, “Get you a woman who can do it all.”

Dolly’s post has inspired other people to share similar pictures of themselves online, and even celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres and Jennifer Garner have taken part in the trend.

Over the past month, rumors have swirling that Winona Ryder has been filming a commercial in….Winona, MN! The rumors are true! The commercial is for Squarespace, a website company. They haven’t leaked the commercial, but yesterday they released a video that features locals talking about Winona Ryder being in Winona….also Winona(The Person) is in the video too! Check it out below!

The Grand Ole Opry House in Nashville will host a Roger Miller tribute concert, King of the Road: Celebrating The Music of Roger Miller, on March 22.

The all-star lineup includes Willie Nelson, Kris Kristofferson, Toby Keith, Trisha Yearwood, Jamey Johnson, Wynonna, Rodney Crowell, Chris Janson, Lee Ann Womack, Larry Gatlin, Cake and The War and Treaty. Buddy Miller will serve as bandleader.

“I’m thrilled to see all these great artists coming out to celebrate my ol pal Roger Miller,” said Willie Nelson. “He was certainly one of a kind, his songs will live forever.”

Tickets go on sale on Jan. 24 at 10 a.m. CT. A portion of ticket proceeds will benefit Thistle Farms, a nonprofit that aids female survivors of trafficking, prostitution and addiction.

Over the course of his 30-plus-year career, Roger Miller earned 11 Grammys and scored No. 1 hits with “Dang Me” and “King of the Road. Miller, who died in 1992 at age 56, was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame in 1995.

It’s that time of year when some companies leak their Super Bowl commercials. Planters released one of their ads and guess what????? Mr. Peanut has..died! “It is with heavy hearts that we confirm that Mr. Peanut has died at 104,” according to their Twitter post. According to a press release, the ad will play during the Super Bowl pre-game show. Then, during the third quarter of the game, the brand’s official commercial will air, broadcasting Mr. Peanut’s funeral. See the ad and more below!

Blake Shelton released a tender new video for his duet with Gwen Stefani, “Nobody But You.”

Penned by Ross Copperman, Shane McAnally, Josh Osborne and Tommy Lee James, “Nobody But You” is one of four new tracks on Blake’s recently released album, Fully Loaded: God’s Country.

Blake and Gwen will perform together at the 62nd Grammy Awards on Jan. 26.

Watch Blake and Gwen’s new video below.

The best state to drive in…Iowa????  Wisconsin????  Minnesota???  If you guessed Iowa you are correct!  That’s according to the site WalletHub.

They compared the 50 states across 31 key metrics….Here’s how Iowa got the #1 ranking.

Driving in Iowa (1=Best; 25=Avg.):

• 4^th – Share of Rush-Hour Traffic Congestion
• 19^th – Traffic Fatality Rate
• 14^th – Car Theft Rate
• 20^th – Auto-Repair Shops per Capita
• 13^th – Avg. Gas Prices
• 29^th – Auto-Maintenance Costs
• 7^th – Road Quality
• 14^th – Car Dealerships per Capita

Check out the full report here!