What We’re Talking About

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!

Sweethearts(or know also as conversation hearts), the pastel candy hearts with romantic messages that have become synonymous with Valentine’s Day, are back after the beloved candy was absent last year after it changed ownership to Spangler Candy. But there will be a few changes. The printer that gave Sweethearts their trademark romantic quips wasn’t working consistently and the new printer was damaged, which means that this year’s crop of hearts will have less to say than usual. The candy may also taste a little different after Spangler found the original recipe for Sweethearts in old paperwork. Necco had modified the formula and flavors over Sweethearts’ 118-year history, and Spangler is excited to bring back the Original flavors, including banana and wintergreen.

Just in!  The Iowa State Fair has just announced another act coming to the grandstand this summer.  That would be country star Keith Urban!  Urban will take the stage at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 15.  Russell Dickerson will be opening the show that night.

All the details here!

Enjoy some tunes from Mr. Nicole Kidman!

The Kansas City Chiefs are going to the Super Bowl! The crowd at Arrowhead Stadium was into game, and into singing a Garth Brooks classic! Check out the video below as the crowd in Kansas City sings along to “Friends In Low Places!

The Gatlin Brothers will celebrate their 65th Anniversary Tour in 2020, marked by the first time Larry, Steve and Rudy began singing together as children in Abilene, Texas, in 1955 when they were six, four and two years old, respectively.

The Gatlin Brothers will perform more than 60 lives dates in 2020. The first leg of the tour includes stops in Kansas City, St. Louis, Deadwood and more. Additional dates will be announced in the coming weeks.

“The man who loves his job is always on vacation,” says Larry. “Well, I’ve been on vacation with my two best friends, brother Steve and brother Rudy, for 65 years, singing our music for millions of wonderful people. I am greatly blessed!”

Gatlin Brothers 65th Anniversary Tour

Jan. 17 | Green Bay, WI | Meyer Theatre
Jan. 18 | Kansas City, MO | Muriel Kauffman Theatre
Jan. 19 | St. Charles, IL | Arcada Theatre
Jan. 21 | The Villages, FL | Savannah Center
Jan. 25|28 | The Country Music Cruise
Feb. 4 | Palmetto, FL | Bradenton Area Convention Center
Feb. 13/14 | Wickenburg, AZ | Del E. Webb Center for the Performing Arts
Feb. 15 | Bellingham, WA | Mount Baker Theatre
Feb. 21 | Arlington, TX | Arlington Music Hall
Feb. 22 | McPherson, KS | McPherson Opera House
Feb. 27 | Deadwood, SD | Deadwood Mountain Grand Event Center
Feb. 29 | Wausau, WI | Grand Theater
March 14 | Chandler, AZ | Chandler Center for the Arts
March 20 | St. Louis, MO | River City Casino
March 27 | Lubbock, TX | Cactus Theater
March 28 | Dalhart, TX | La Rita Performing Arts Theatre
March 29 | Lubbock, TX | Cactus Theater
April 4 | Bremen, GA | Mill Town Music Hall
April 7 | Indian Wells, CA | Toscana Country Club
April 28 | Warren, OH | Packard Music Hall
May 8 | Fort Wayne, IN | The Clyde Theatre
May 9 | Sandusky, OH | Sandusky State Theatre
June 5 | Marion, IL | Marion Cultural and Civic Center
July 25|31 | The Gaither Cruise
Aug. 20 | Waco, TX | Waco Hippodrome Theatre
Aug. 21 | Midland, TX | Wagner Noël Performing Arts Center
Aug. 22 | Greenville, TX | Greenville Municipal Auditorium
Sept. 18 | Poway, CA | Poway Center for the Performing Arts
Sept. 19 | Rancho Cucamonga, CA | Lewis Family Playhouse
Oct. 4 | Irvine, CA | Irvine Barclay Theatre
Oct. 24 | Branson, MO | The Mansion Theatre
Nov. 5 | Mayetta, KS | Prairie Band Casino & Resort
Nov. 6 | Council Bluffs, IA | The Arts Center at Iowa Western
Nov. 7 | Mason City, IA | North Iowa Community Auditorium
Dec. 3 | Newberry, SC | Newberry Opera House

Super Bowl LIV (54) on Feb. 2 will feature a halftime performance by Jennifer Lopez and Shakira, with Demi Lovato singing the national anthem during the pre-game festivities.

A country artist has not headlined the Super Bowl halftime show since Shania Twain pumped “Up!” the crowd in 2003 with Sting and No Doubt. That’s 17 years of twang-less performances for the more than 100 millions U.S. viewers that tune in each year.

If you go back to 1994, the halftime show–which was themed Rockin’ Country Sunday–featured Clint Black, Tanya Tucker, Travis Tritt and the Judds.

If you want a really fun fact, Doug Kershaw was one of the performers during the 1990 Super Bowl. Doug had a handful of Top 20 hits on the country charts in the 1950s and 60s with his brother Rusty as the duo Rusty & Doug.

Luke Bryan performed the national anthem at Super Bowl LI in 2017. In case you were wondering, past anthem performers with a country connection include Charley Pride (1974), Garth Brooks (1993), Faith Hill (2000), Dixie Chicks (2003) and Carrie Underwood (2010).

Attention beer drinkers!  More specific, attention Busch beer drinkers!

Anheuser-Busch is offering a $1 rebate for every inch of snow that falls in select cities between Jan. 1 and March 20, 2020. The rebates apply to Busch, Busch Light, Busch Ice and Busch NA.

They are calling it the “Busch Snow Day”.  The rebate is being offered in Minnesota, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan, North Dakota, Nebraska and New York.  The maximum rebate is $30.

The rebate in Iowa is determined by snowfall in Des Moines, in Wisconsin, Green Bay is the location.  For the folks up north, Minneapolis is the location for Minnesota.  Only one rebate is
offered per person, and customers must be 21 or older, of course.  All the details here.

Photo Credit: Busch

On this day 21 years ago, Varsity Blues staring James Van Der Beek, Jon Voight, Paul Walker, and Amy Smart hit the big screen. I would rank it in my top 10 sports movies! -EK

News out of Iowa City, Hawkeye junior A.J. Epenesa announced Tuesday morning on Instagram that he’ll forgo his senior season and enter this spring’s NFL Draft. See he’s post below.

Here is the story Kathy read this morning, just in case you missed it.

There was a young woman who had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and had been given three months to live. So as she was getting her things in order, she contacted her Pastor and had him come to her house to discuss certain aspects of her final wishes.

She told him which songs she wanted sung at the service, what scriptures she would like read, and what outfit she wanted to be buried in. Everything was in order and the Pastor was preparing to leave when the young woman suddenly remembered something very important to her.

“There’s one more thing,” she said excitedly.

“What’s that?” came the Pastor’s reply.

“This is very important,” the young woman continued. “I want to be buried with a fork in my right hand.”

The Pastor stood looking at the young woman, not knowing quite what to say.

“That surprises you, doesn’t it?” the young woman asked.

“Well, to be honest, I’m puzzled by the request,” said the Pastor.

The young woman explained. “My grandmother once told me this story, and from that time on I have always tried to pass along its message to those I love and those who are in need of encouragement. In all my years of attending socials and dinners, I always remember that when the dishes of the main course were being cleared, someone would inevitably lean over and say, ‘Keep your fork.’ It was my favorite part because I knew that something better was coming…like velvety chocolate cake or deep-dish apple pie. Something wonderful, and with substance!”

So, I just want people to see me there in that casket with a fork in my hand and I want them to wonder “What’s with the fork?” Then I want you to tell them: “Keep your fork ..the best is yet to come.”

The Pastor’s eyes welled up with tears of joy as he hugged the young woman goodbye. He knew this would be one of the last times he would see her before her death. But he also knew that the young woman had a better grasp of heaven than he did. She had a better grasp of what heaven would be like than many people twice her age, with twice as much experience and knowledge. She knew that something better was coming.

At the funeral people were walking by the young woman’s casket and they saw the cloak she was wearing and the fork placed in her right hand. Over and over, the Pastor heard the question, “What’s with the fork?” And over and over he smiled.

During his message, the Pastor told the people of the conversation he had with the young woman shortly before she died. He also told them about the fork and about what it symbolized to her. He told the people how he could not stop thinking about the fork and told them that they probably would not be able to stop thinking about it either.

He was right. So the next time you reach down for your fork let it remind you, ever so gently, that the best is yet to come.

Martina McBride’s mother, Jeanne Schiff, 84, passed away on Jan. 10 in Andover, Kan., after emergency heart surgery.

Martina shared the news in a heartfelt Facebook post:

“My mom passed away this morning. She was a complex and amazing woman. Strong. Chic. No-nonsense. Hilarious. Witty. She had the prettiest hair and skin and hands…I loved her hands. She took good care of us. Our house was always the house where all the aunts, uncles, and cousins gathered, and she was really the reason for that. She made her 4 kids self sufficient, told us to go outside and play, gave us chores to do and taught us how to work. She wasn’t one to smother you with affection, do your homework for you, or attend every ballgame, but we always knew she was there for us. As we all got older we had many conversations about life, faith, morals, health, and the importance of getting your beauty sleep. She’d start every phone call or message with ‘Martina. This is your mother.’ She loved to laugh and to tell stories to get a laugh. And even though she told me in the hospital that she wasn’t an enthusiastic cook she made the best fried chicken I’ve ever tasted. I spent the last week with her in ICU, with my dad, my brothers, and my sister, and a fantastic and caring team of doctors who went above and beyond to try and get her to a place where her heart would sustain her. During that week I held her hand, rubbed her shoulders, stroked her face, told her I loved her and she told me she loved me. Even though I wish it had ended differently I wouldn’t have traded that time with her for anything. So now we try and move forward without our matriarch. And somehow, in time, we will. Because she taught us how to be strong. I love you Mom. 1/10/20

Jeanne is survived by her husband of 54 years, Daryl Martin Schiff, three siblings, four children, 16 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

Funeral services will be held on Jan. 15, 2020 in Medicine Lodge, Kan. Memorials may be made to St. Joseph’s Indian School in care of the funeral home.

A contestant on Family Feud Canada provided the most epic fail in the show’s short history Thursday night. The Face-Off question was, “Name Popeye’s favorite food.” The Dubois family sent up their best representative who bombed it.

Check your closet, attic, and cupboards!  The reason why??  You could have a goldmine in your house!

Online collectors are paying thousands of dollars for…..Corning Ware.

It all depends on the pattern……. “More rare patterns, like Wildflower – made from 1977 to 1984 – and Floral Bouquet – made from 1971 to 1975 – can fetch up to $10,000 online”, according to the website That’s Life.

Corning Ware was first introduced in 1958.

I went to E-Bay to check out some of the prices, and yeah some of the bidding is getting up there!  -EK

A California family is feeling pretty batter-ed after opening a Christmas package that promised a brand new waffle maker — but delivered a nasty old appliance with a previous owner’s leftovers inside.

Brian McCarthy, a Los Angeles-based photographer, hit up Twitter the day after Christmas to express his dismay about the situation, saying, “Wow, my mom sent my daughter a new waffle maker from @amazon and they sent us a used one with the FOOD STILL IN IT. Disgusting!”

McCarthy accepted apologies from both Amazon and the waffle maker’s manufacturer, and said he plans to buy the same item, but this time he’ll purchase it from a brick-and-mortar store. (New York Post)

Take a look at this! Elliot Day from Erwin, North Carolina, records himself telling his chicken one of the oldest jokes in the book. “Why did the chicken cross the road?” the farmer asks the chicken, who is named Amelia Egghart. You’ll crack up after watching this hilarious hen!

As promised, two new Oreo flavors have officially arrived. Oreo posted an Instagram photo confirming the release of Caramel Coconut Oreo Cookies, and Chocolate Marshmallow Oreo Cookies. They are limited edition batches, so get them while you can.