Closet Classic ~ Rock Archive
Uriah Heep
Sunrise
Month: March 2013
KHAZ Country Music News: Tim McGraw Takes London by Storm; Scores #1 Country Album on iTunes’ UK Chart
Tim McGraw has been at the top of the country music world for the better part of two decades now, so it’s hard to believe he’d never taken his music to London until last weekend. Tim made multiple media appearances on top of playing the C2C: Country to Country Festival at London’s 02 Arena. All the promotion paid off when Tim’s latest album, Two Lanes of Freedom, bowed at #1 on the iTunes Country Album chart in the U.K. this week.
Tim also took the stage with his pal Ne-Yo at the R&B star’s London show to sing their song “She Is.” Ne-Yo will be one of the special guests on ACM Presents: Tim McGraw’s Superstar Summer Night. That show tapes in Las Vegas April 8 and will air on CBS at a later date.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
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KPERS: Good News for Teachers and State Employees
TOPEKA, Kansas (AP) — A Kansas House committee has voted to authorize $1.5 billion in bonds to bolster the state pension system for teachers and state government workers.
But the Pensions and Benefits Committee vote Thursday was 7-6, reflecting a split over whether the legislation does enough to address a long-term funding gap facing the pension system.
The Kansas Public Employees Retirement System projects a $9.3 billion gap between anticipated revenues and benefits promised to public employees through 2033. The system’s assets would cover about 53 percent of its obligations.
KPERS Executive Director Alan Conroy has said putting the proceeds from the bonds into the pension system would bump up the funding ratio more quickly than it would rise otherwise.
The bill goes next to the full House for debate.
Beechcraft: Our Plane is Cheaper and Better
AP — Beechcraft is contesting the U.S. Air Force’s decision to award a contract for a light air support plane to Sierra Nevada Corp.
The Wichita-based aircraft maker announced Thursday that it had filed a lawsuit in the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington.
The contract for 20 planes for use in Afghanistan is worth more than $427 million. It could be worth as much as $1 billion, depending on future orders.
Beechcraft says its plane is cheaper and better.
The Air Force defended its decision last week, saying it restarted the competition for the contract last May with a new evaluation team as well as internal and external advisers. The statement says the Air Force is confident its decision is well supported and the proposals were fairly evaluated.
Look Closely at That NCAA Ball Boy
As a Kansas Board of Regents member, Robba Moran is pleased that WSU, KU and KSU all made it into the NCAA tournament. For her personally, it gets even better than that.
Her nephew, R.J. Addison, is the ball boy for the NCAA tournament at the Kansas City Sprint Center for the KSU and KU games.
“R.J. is working all the practices today, and will be the cute 11-year-old ball boy working the KSU and KU games the next couple of days,” says the proud aunt.
R.J. is a 5th grader at Harmony Elementary school in Overland Park (Blue Valley district). “He loves sports of all kinds and plays piano and drums,” she says. Robba herself is an accomplished piano player.
R.J’s dad, John Addison, is Robba’s brother, who has his own claim to sports fame.
John was an All-American basketball player, graduating from Pembroke Country Day School in Kansas City in 1979. He started for Colorado in 1979-80 and was an All Big-8 Newcomer (which includes both freshmen and transfers) for that season.
“He is now an assistant basketball coach at William Jewell College in Liberty, Missouri, ” says Moran.
Robba is married to U.S. Senator Jerry Moran. The couple recently moved to Manhattan after living in Hays for many years.
K-State plays Friday at 2 p.m. (CDT) on TruTV. KU plays Friday at 8:45 p.m. (CDT) on TNT.
Kansas Agri-Women
Be Part of America’s Agriculture
You, I and 153 other people ate today because of one American farmer. An increase of 800% over the past 73 years! Where in 1940, each farmer produced enough food to feed 19 people.
We officially recognize our farmers and all they do to make our lives better during Agriculture Week, March 17-23, 2013. Farmers not only produce food, fiber and fuel, they contribute to a strong economy. In fact, the total impact of agriculture and agribusinesses account for 20 percent of the state’s economy, according to Kansas Inc.
The role of farmers will become even more critical with the exploding world population. We reached 7 billion people in 2011. The United Nations forecasts that world population will reach 9 billion by 2050 – and that farmers will have to produce 70 percent more food than they do today.
Agriculture is this nation’s #1 export and vitally important in sustaining a healthy economy.
And it’s not just the farmer who makes our food possible. The entire agriculture industry, all the way to the grocery store, are vital links in a chain that brings food to every citizen – and millions of people abroad.
Farms of every size are important today, regardless of whether they are feeding just their families or the world. Here’s an interesting fact from USDA numbers released on February 19: 25% of farms have an average of 55 acres and sales of less than $2,500.
Agriculture week is a good time to reflect – and be grateful for – American Agriculture! This marks a nationwide effort to tell the true story of American Agriculture and remind citizens that agriculture is a part of all of us.
Be part of America’s Agriculture, if even just for one day. Take a drive in the country with your family… There’s no prettier green than winter wheat fields waking from winter dormancy. And wave if you see a farmer. I guarantee they’ll wave back.
Happy Agriculture Week!
Lesley Schmidt,
Second Vice President
Kansas Agri-Woman
[email protected]
www.ksagriwomen.org
“Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will in the end contribute most to real wealth, good morals, and happiness.” Letter from Thomas Jefferson to George Washington (1787)
House Cuts Your Taxes
The Kansas House has approved a bill cutting sales and income taxes.
The vote Thursday was 82-39 on a measure mandating small reductions in individual income tax rates each year that overall state revenues grow by more than 2 percent. The bill also allows the state sales tax to drop in July, as scheduled by law.
The measure goes next to the GOP-dominated Senate, but senators approved their own tax plan last week. The final version of tax legislation probably will emerge from talks between the two chambers.
The Senate embraced proposals from Republican Gov. Sam Brownback to guarantee that income tax rates will drop over the next four years — more aggressively than the House proposed. Senators supported Brownback’s proposal to keep the sales tax at its current rate.
KHAZ Country Music News: Thompson Square’s Opening Gig on the Luke Bryan Tour “Just Feels Good”
Thompson Square‘s career is in a sweet spot right now, which is why they named their upcoming sophomore album Just Feels Good. The same can be said for the married duo’s experiences on Luke Bryan‘s Dirt Road Diaries tour too. They’re on that trek all year long with tour mates Florida Georgia Line, and the chemistry between the performers that the fans see on stage isn’t just an act. It turns out they’ve all become fast friends in the last few months
Thompson Square’s Keifer Thompson tells ABC News Radio, “It’s not like, ‘You’re the opener. I’ll see you on stage, and we’ll act like we’re best buddies. And then get the heck off my stage. Don’t come in. Don’t even think about coming and drinking my alcohol.’ That sort of thing, it’s not like that at all.”
Keifer’s wife and duo partner Shawna Thompson adds that they’ve been hanging out and partying with the Florida Georgia Line guys quite a bit. She’s also grateful to Luke, who allows them the tools they need to put on the best show possible for the fans.
Says Shawna, “Luke has just been so sweet and let us use all of the stage, all of his lights. ‘Whatever you need, use it.’ Just good people. Just good people to be out there with.”
Thompson Square has been performing new music on this tour, including their latest single, “If I Didn’t Have You.” Their sophomore album, Just Feels Good, is out this Tuesday.
Copyright 2013 ABC News Radio
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Following Arrest Chamber Looks at Bucks Program
The Hays Chamber of Commerce is taking another look at how their Chamber Cheques program is run after a Newton woman was charged with felony theft for allegedly printing off the Newton Chamber of Commerce Bucks and giving them to family and friends and not paying for them.
Tammy Wellbrock, Executive of the Hays Area Chamber of Commerce, told Hays Post that she is extremely confident that what appears to be happening in Newton cannot happen in Hays. But she also said that she is using the situation as a way to review their internal process.
The Hays Chamber Cheques are an actual check that is printed and is reconciled through the bank and Wellbrock said that they have implemented financial oversights to avoid incidents like the one in Newton.
Some Chambers will actually print a type of coupon that they use as their chamber bucks.
In 2009 when the company the Chamber used to work with, on the Chamber Cheques, went bankrupt Wellbrook said their Board of Directors chose to reissue new Cheques to replace the ones that were part of the old bankrupt system. Although by law they were not required to do so.
Wellbrook added that she has “the absolute belief that our Chamber Board will do what is needed to make things right.”
Live NCAA Tournament Action on 1400 KAYS
Tune into live coverage of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament on 1400 KAYS
Saturday, 3/23
KAYS: NCAA MBB – Third Round, 11am
KAYS: NCAA MBB – Third Round, 1:30pm
KAYS: NCAA MBB – Third Round, 5pm
KAYS: NCAA MBB – Third Round, 7:30pm
Sunday, 3/24
KAYS: NCAA MBB – Third Round, 11am (JIP following FUMC service)
KAYS: NCAA MBB – Third Round, 1:30pm
KAYS: Kansas MBB (if win 3/22) vs. North Carolina/Villanova, 4:15 p.m. Crimson and Blue Show @ 2:45 p.m.
KAYS: NCAA MBB – Third Round, 5pm
KAYS: NCAA MBB – Third Round, 7:30pm
Kansas Wheat Helps Celebrate Ag Week
Kansas Wheat played a major role in the celebration of Kansas Ag Week, March 12-19 throughout the state, as the agriculture industry received its due from
consumers and industry.
On Agriculture Day, March 19, KAWG joined the Kansas Sorghum Association, Kansas Soybean Association and Kansas Corn Growers Association for the annual
“Wake Up to Kansas Agriculture” pancake breakfast for the state legislature. The breakfast enabled grower-leaders to show appreciation to lawmakers for their service to the state. Radio interviews with members from each association were aired live on 580 WIBW’s Ag Issues program.
Also on Kansas Agriculture Day, Kansas Wheat Commissioner Jay Armstrong, Muscotah, joined other thought-leaders in agriculture to participate in a “Dialogue on Kansas Agriculture” at the Kansas State Capitol. Topics brought up during the session included nutrition, animal care, food safety, environmental stewardship, serving the world, the economy and education and technology. The panel was asked several topical questions, including challenges facing agriculture and what could be done about them. Armstrong mentioned the importance of research in overcoming environmental challenges.
“It means research and it means the right kind of research. Research dollars are a very limited resource. We need to decide what it is we want to invest in and put the limited amount of money towards that.”
Armstrong added that research can help overcome a myriad of challenges facing the wheat industry, including the current drought, gluten sensitivity, yield increases and disease stress.
“We’ve got to add value to whatever we are producing and the thing that adds value is technology…..That’s the future and the future is bright,” he said.
Emotional Immigration Hearing
An emotional crowd gathered for a House committee hearing on a measure that seeks to repeal a statute allowing in-state tuition for Kansas students without legal
residency.
The measure would repeal a statute that allows students who graduate from Kansas high schools and have lived in Kansas for at least three years to pay in-state tuition at state universities and community colleges, regardless of residency status.
Secretary of State Kris Kobach told the committee Wednesday that natives of foreign countries who seek student visas to attend Kansas universities pay out-of-state tuition.
The biggest response from the crowded gallery, however, came when Rep. Ponka-We Victors, the lone American Indian in the Legislature, told Kobach when he thinks of illegal immigrant, “I think of all of you.”
Alergy- Proof Your Home!
It’s that time of year!
What’s the worse thing about allergies?
While I can’t make cleaning fun, I can help you allergy-proof your home.