The National Weather Service says there’s a possibility of Severe Weather late tomorrow afternoon and evening especially if conditions become more unstable tomorrow with temperatures expected to be in the mid to upper 60′s.

As always keep your radio on 92.5 WBKR we will keep you up to date with the very latest weather and on top of Severe Weather coverage also from our media partners at Eyewitness News.

Michael Loccisano, Getty Images

Sugarland have long been embroiled in a lawsuit surrounding the August 13, 2011 stage collapse at their show at the Indiana State Fair. Now, responding to lawsuits coming at them, they’re claiming one last time that the incident, which left seven dead and more than 40 injured, was not their fault.

As Taste of Country previously reported, the stage collapsed after Sara Bareilles’ performance and just before Sugarland was about to take the stage. Since then, Indiana State Fair Commission executive director Cindy Hoye claimed in an affidavit that she sent the show’s promoter twice to the band and was told twice that they wanted to carry on with the show, making them responsible for negligence in the situation.

In response to the negligence claims, the duo are asserting that the fatal accident was just that – “a true accident, or an act of God,” according to CNN. In a court document, the band responded by saying that they “had nothing to do with the construction of the venue” and that the scaffolding collapse was due to a “gust of wind of unprecedented intensity.”

Responding to the civil lawsuit filed by several victims Nov. 22, the band maintained that they had nothing to do with the construction of the venue itself and that the claims were the result of “an open and obvious danger,” and that some of the plaintiff’s injuries “resulted from their own fault.” When all fingers started pointing at them, Sugarland began pointing at others, suggesting that they shouldn’t be the only ones held accountable for the horrific event. They say others played a part as well, including Indiana State Fair officials, Indiana State Police, member of the labor union who constructed the stage and the entire state of Indiana.

Their claim does seem to be backed by some empirical evidence, as a Feb. 8 report by the Indiana Occupational Safety and Health Administration revealed that the stage scaffolding was not constructed properly nor properly inspected after it was erected on the site. With all the finger pointing, Sugarland and their fans are left to wait and see where the lines fall in the end.

Source: TasteofCountry.com

YUMMY!!!! The Chick-Fil-A classic!

This afternoon, I will be filling in for Dave Spencer and taking The Drive Home on the road.  Join me from 2pm to 7 at Owensboro’s Chick-Fil-A for our St. Jude Radiothon kick-off broadcast.  We’ll be serving up the Chick-Fil-A and portions of the proceeds will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis.  And, be sure to tune in to our 9th Annual WBKR St. Jude Radiothon presented by Poole’s Pharmacy Care this Thursday and Friday.  Everyone who becomes a St. Jude Partner-In-Hope or renews their partnership with the hospital will get some FREE Chick-Fil-A product!  Thank you, Chick-Fil-A for supporting the St. Jude mission!

As Kizzy would say . . . "Angels for Ashley is cooking the chickren!"

Trust me on this.  You haven’t lived until you’ve eaten food from Jerry Morris’ cooking team.  And his team, Angels for Ashley, will be cooking this Thursday and Friday in front of Shoe Stop at Towne Square North!  Make sure you stop by and pick up some of Jerry’s famous Boston butt, ribs and barbecued chickens.  Angels for Ashley will be on hand bright and early in the morning through the early evening . . . and they’ll be serving  up the good eatin’ until it’s gone.  And here’s the extra special cool thing . . . ALL proceeds benefit the 9th Annual WBKR St. Jude Radiothon going on February 23rd and 24th. 

We smell a potluck! Stop by and pick up food for the family. Or, feed your employees or your business!

So, a big “THANK YOU” to Jerry Morris, the Angels for Ashley cooking team, and Shoe Stop!  Thanks for helping WBKR fight the fight to ensure that “No child should die in the dawn of life!”

Danica is of course a beautiful woman, athelete and businesswoman. This is the former Indy Car driver’s first year for the Sprint Cup Series although she did race part time two seasons in the Nationwide Series.

Here’s Danica in some favorite shots I found that are viewable on a family site. (But, if you want to see MORE of Danica, go here.)

Next time you go to Chuck E. Cheese be sure to tell him “Happy 35th Birthday” because most mice only live a few months.

1980′s CHUCK E. CHEESE COMMERCIAL

This morning, Steve and I chatted about the highlights from last night’s show . . . and some of the folks that jus didn’t make the cut.  Take a listen!

From Steve Thompson:

• A wide variety of talent tonight, some good and some not so great.  While there was no one who made me cheer as loud as the reappearance of Jordis Unga from Rock Star:INXS last week, there were definitely some interesting folks…

• Ducky. You know, if I was named for a character in a John Hughes movie, I don’t know if I’d try to sing as a career choice.  I guess AFLAC was taken.  He sang Tighten Up by The Black Keys.  No one seemed to care.

• Jonathas sang U Got It Bad by Usher.  Personally, I wasn’t all that impressed– but compared to Ducky, he may have been the second coming of Marvin Gaye.  He chooses Christina over Cee Lo.

• Monique Benabou sang Mr. Know It All by Kelly Clarkson.  Now Idol #1 has absolutely nothing to worry about, but she sang the song with a pleasant tone.  She winds up with Christina.

• Naia Kete sang The Lazy Song by  Bruno Mars.   I’ll be honest here– my granddaughter ran into the room because she was familiar with the original song.  I, however, was not that familiar since I tend to stick with country and classic rock.  She sounded somewhat unique, so she wound up with Blake’s team.

• Eric Macek covered Free Fallin’ by Tom Petty.  This proved yet another point.  Unless your name is Cash, Ronstadt, or Dia Frampton, you don’t need to be covering Tom Petty.  No one turned around– and with good reason.

• Charlotte Sometimes sang Apologize by One Republic.  This song was done to death a few seasons ago on Idol, but I thought this was a very good rendition.  Frankly, I had a hard time with her name.  She’s Charlotte sometimes, wonder what she is the rest of the time?  Anyway, she’s with Blake.

• Tony Vincent sang We Are the Champions by Queen.  You know, for all the build-up they gave this guy I expected someone who would take the stage by storm.  I couldn’t even get the sense that the audience was ready to rush the stage.  I read where everyone who seems to know these things claim his wife is the better singer.  Just our luck.  He’s with Cee Lo.

• Anthony Evans Jr. sang What’s Going On by Marvin Gaye.  As the son of a preacher man, you’d expect him to be able to move somebody.  I suspect many may have wanted to move toward the exits.  I can’t say I was impressed, but he’s in Christina’s hands now.  (Get that image out of ya head!)

• Jamie Lono sang Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash.   This was an unexpected surprise.  One of the better auditions of this episode and the hope that someone could be more than just another white guy with a guitar.  He’s on Cee Lo’s team.

• There were several examples of people who didn’t get an offer tonight.  Eric Tipton looks like a bouncer in a cowboy bar and sings blue eyed soul.  No one turns around for him.  Dylan Chambers had the same luck– if you can call a basic inability to sing luck.

• Justin Hopkins sang Babylon by David Gray.  Not impressed here at all.  This sounded a lot like the actual song as oposed to some of the other selections tonight that didn’t sound like carbon copies.  The backstory was interesting.  Used to play guitar in the band on Carson’s show.  Reminded me of some of the usual cannon fodder we see on Idol.  He’s on Cee Lo’s team.

• Nicole Galyon sang You Save Me. I guess it has been a while since we had a piano player singing country music.  (Frankly, I’m trying to recall the last country female who played piano and sang and have been coming up empty.)  She goes to Adam’s team.

• Mathai doesn’t want to go into the family business, even though medicine is a lot more steady than the music business.  She sings Rumor Has It by Adele.  Not nearly as good as the original, but different enough to catch Adam’s ear.

• Next week we have the final blind audition.  Then it will be off to the battle rounds…

@February 20, 2012  Stephen W Thompson

Jaclyn and I plunged last year after putting a bounty on our heads.  We said that if, in 2011, we could get 150 plungers that we would jump too!  And we did!  We got over 170.  So, this year . . . we decided to build a team and encourage other first-timers to jump on board (or in that chilly-a@$ lake!) with us.  Among them . . . Dave Spencer, who jumped with WBKR listeners Bruce, Kim and Melanie!  WATCH!

I wish the camera had a boom mic on it, because Dave Spencer’s grunts and groans were HILARIOUS!!  You got a little sample when he ran past the camera saying, “COLD!”

Thanks to EVERYONE who came out and supported the 2012 Polar Bear Plunge.  We are SO proud that this event is growing every single year and we really encourage you to join us in 2013 to make it even bigger and more special.  And, YES, that means WBKR will again be taking the Plunge.

So, Jaclyn, quit your whining.  Quit sending me text messages that say “I hate you” and “I am so mad at you right now” and “I know where your dogs live.”  You are jumping again and you are gonna like it!!!!!!  Yep!  You’re gonna, once again, be “freezin’ for a reason!”

Bill Miller – a longtime friend of Cash, as well as the founder of the Johnny Cash website, Miller said that the museum will be a three-dimensional journey through Cash’s life, thanks to innovative interactions via Nashville-based company Griffin Technologies. Miller told Billboard that the Johnny Cash Museum is something that comes from the heart.

(Photo from Celebrity Apprentice official website)

 

Celebrity Apprentice is my FAVORITE show on television.  And I will admit that I was secretly hoping that Donald Trump would give up his run for the presidency just because I didn’t want him to quit doing this show.  I know that sounds ridiculous and isn’t exactly civic-minded of me . . . but Celebrity Apprentice is GREAT!  And here’s why.  You take celebrities with giant egos, throw them onto opposing teams, make them work together with other giant egos to accomplish tasks in order to make money for the charities of their choice and you have . . . drum roll, please . . . disasters waiting to happen!  Histoically, this show has given us some CRAZY and highly entertaining throwdowns.   Take a look!

Before we see what this year’s cast has to offer in the fireworks department, I want to take you back to some of the highlights of the last few seasons.  This way, in the event you aren’t truly familiar with what can happen on this show when titans clash, you’ll have an idea of what to expect.  Ladies and gents . . . THE greatest Celebrity Apprentice smackdown of all-time:  NeNe Leakes versus Star Jones!!   

But, before we had NeNe and Star, we had Joan Rivers and poker player Annie Duke.  Watch what happens when Annie and former Playboy model Brande Roderick team up to get Joan’s daughter, Melissa, fired.  If Joan’s skin wasn’t pulled so tightly, her head would have exploded!

And don’t think it’s just the ladies who lose their cool.  Sure, they have some epic catfights . . . but the alpha dogs go at it too.  Watch Meat Loaf nearly chew Gary Busey’s face off.  Talk about epic!!

And, sometimes, yes sometimes, the boys and girls will turn on each other.   Take, for instance, everyone’s favorite Celebrity Apprentice sweethearts, Piers Morgan and Omarosa.  This fight was so bad even Lennox Lewis wanted away from it!

The brand new season of Celebrity Apprentice begins tonight on NBC.  And I am hopeful that this year’s collection of celebs will give us some fireworks too!  Will insult comic Lisa Lampanelli lose her cool and throw Cheryl Tiegs across the room?  Will Dee Snider turn Debbie Gibson into a “twisted sister?”  Will Victoria Gotti have someone taken out?  Will Lou Ferrigno go all “Incredible Hulk” someone?  Will Clay Aiken get mad and kick Penn Jillette right in the ‘teller?’  Golly, I hope!

The new Celebrity Apprentice cast suits up! (Photo from Celebrity Apprentice official website)

For a complete sneak peak at this year’s cast of Celebrity Apprentice, CLICK HERE!!  And be sure to tune in tonight as ”18 Wild Cards” meet one “Trump card!”  I’ll be watching . . . and just waiting for a juicy old throwdown in the boardroom!

Monday and Tuesday make sure you tune in for your chance to win two FREE smoothies from Smoothie King. Plus, you can get qualified to win the Remember Romance prize package from Gaylord Opryland Resort. We’ll announce the winner Wednesday morning on the Waking Crew Show.

All photos taken by Danny Beeler www.heartofthecitydesign.com

This year, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital celebrates its 50th anniversary.  It was 1962 that Danny Thomas’ dream of creating an institution to battle catastrophic childhood illnesses came true.  And, this week on The Country Station, we are continuing our pledge to help raise money for St. Jude so that “no child may die in the dawn of life.”  And, we are raising money in a variety of ways above and beyond our 26-hour radiothon!  In fact, last night, at our 2nd annual ‘Denim and Diamonds’ concert fundraiser, local artist Aaron Kizer joined us to unveil an exciting piece of artwork we are auctioning for the hospital!  It’s currently on Ebay and we want you (and everyone) to check it out!

To view our Ebay auction of this one-of-a-kind artwork, CLICK HERE!

And, if you wanna see something REALLY cool, watch the YouTube link below.  It’s a time-lapse video of Aaron Kizer painting Danny Thomas!  This is AMAZING!!!

This exclusive auction ends at 5pm (CST) on Friday, February 24th, 2012!  PLEASE, spread the word and the link to the Ebay auction site.   Facebook it!  Tweet it!  Shout it through a megaphone!  We want to make BIG bucks off this painting and give every single penny of the proceeds to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital!  Finding cures.  Saving children!

youtube.com

Okay, so I’m a huge fan of Youtube. It’s a quick fix for boredom. When, or if, I run out of things to do, watch, listen to, whatever, there’s always Youtube. So, the other day while Youtubing, I just searched “Owensboro” and hit the jackpot. And then I thought, “I have a forum. Why not spotlight the occasional Owensboro-related Youtube video?” Answer: no reason. So let’s begin with a recap of the River City Festival of Films. The event, conceptualized and brought forth by PJ and Katrina Sparks and their good friend, Rodney Newton, was a huge success in October of 2011. I’ve seen PJ’s films and he’s constantly either working on or envisioning the “next project.” A film festival in Owensboro is right up this writer’s alley. I certainly can’t wait for further festivals or further opportunities, like this one, to share with you any and all of what PJ and company are working on. It’s Owensboro on Youtube; check out this festival recap posted February 7th.