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98.1 - Minnesota New Country
Could A.I. Prevent Car vs. Deer Collisions For Minnesotans?
Deer are stupid. Like, REALLY stupid. Can we agree on that? No, we can't. Hopefully, we can at least agree that deer going through your windshield is a bad thing. I've never had a deer go through my windshield, but they've managed to run into the side of my car and poop down the side of it. At least in northern Minnesota, hitting a deer is a right-of-passage for new drivers.
Closing Time In Brainerd As Newspaper Printing Facility To Close Down
It was a sad day for community members in the Brainerd area yesterday. The Brainerd Daily Dispatch newspaper announced it was closing its local printing facility and moving its operations to the Detroit Lakes area by the end of September. In a sign of the times post from the newspaper,...
Award in Philanthropy Recipients Announced by CMCF
ST. CLOUD (WJON News) -- The Central Minnesota Community Foundation has announced the recipients of this year's Awards in Philanthropy. Mark Thelen will be receiving the Alex Didier Award in Philanthropy. It recognizes a person or couple who has significantly contributed to the field of philanthropy in the region. Mark Thelen is the founder of Thelen Advertising.
Do Local Political Candidates Need to Engage Better?
It's easy to see around Central Minnesota that this is an election year. And I’m not even talking about the race for the White House. I’m specifically talking about the races for the local offices. For those that are seeking office on the local level, first let me...
Don’t Miss This Free, Fun Family Event in Central Minnesota
Sundays! Outside of possibly going to church and having lunch with your family, what do you look forward to about Sundays?. It's the last day of the weekend, and some people use the afternoon for a chance to take a nap. We’ll need that extra boost of energy during the weekend at some point, right?
Cody Johnson Effortlessly Delivers National Anthem at MLB All-Star Game [Watch]
Cody Johnson was on hand to sing the National Anthem at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Arlington, Texas on Tuesday (July 16). He kept his version simple, but it was executed flawlessly in his on-brand Southern style. In a video shared on social media, Johnson is introduced in...
Tennessee Cemetery Has a Creepy Mountain Dew Headstone
While Mountain Dew has not met its untimely death, it has still being immortalized on a headstone located in a Tennessee cemetery. It's even got a working bottle opener attached to it, too. Why Is There A Mountain Dew Headstone?. No, it isn't there to mark the grave of the...
Cody Johnson to Perform National Anthem at MLB All-Star Game
Major League Baseball is keeping it country this week. Singer Cody Johnson is set to perform the National Anthem ahead of the All-Star Game on Tuesday night (June 16) in Arlington, Texas. The "Dirt Cheap" singer's performance comes one day after Ingrid Andress' heavily criticized National Anthem ahead of the...
Jon Pardi + Wife Summer’s Second Baby Girl Is Here — See Pictures!
Jon Pardi and his wife Summer are now officially members of the "two under two" club after the arrival of their daughter Sienna Grace Pardi. The happy couple shared the exciting news on social media, noting that the new addition arrived on Tuesday, July 16, at 11:47AM. She weighed in at 6 lbs. and 12 oz.
HGTV Star Christina Hall’s Husband Files for Divorce After Two Years
Christina on the Coast star Christina Hall and husband Josh Hall are calling it quits after two years of marriage. According to People, Josh was the one to file for divorce due to "irreconcilable differences." Christina has also reportedly filed. Josh is asking for spousal support from Christina. Legally, spousal...
Step Right Up: Everything You Need To Know About The 2024 Sherburne County Fair
(ELK RIVER) -- It's fair time in Elk River. The Sherburne County Fair opens Thursday and runs through Sunday (July 18-21) at 18335 Joplin Street Northwest. The fair opens at 8 each morning and closes at midnight Thursday, Friday and Saturday. The fair closes at 5 pm on Sunday, July 21st.
Search Warrants Turn Up Haul of Stolen Property
UNDATED (WJON News) -- Law enforcement agencies in West Central Minnesota released information Tuesday about a number of stolen items that they recovered last month. On June 25th agents with The West Central Minnesota Drug and Violent Crime Task Force gathered information that lead to the execution of two search warrants in Pope County and an additional search warrant in Grant County.
National Pizza Chain Saved From Bankruptcy After Quietly Closing 44 Locations
While some cities now have one less pizza option, others can celebrate one of their favorites that will be sticking around for a little longer. It's been a struggle for several recognizable chain restaurants in 2024. And the list keeps growing. So far, the year has brought us reports of...
Ingrid Andress Admits She Was ‘Drunk’ During National Anthem Performance
Ingrid Andress says she was intoxicated during her rocky performance of the National Anthem at the 2024 MLB Home Run Derby on Monday night (July 15). Andress' off-key performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" has gone viral, with some putting the moment up there with the worst National Anthem performances of all time.
Shannen Doherty Settled Her Divorce Just One Day Before Her Death
In the days before her death, actor Shannen Doherty and her ex-husband Kurt Iswarienko were working to finalize their divorce. Court documents obtained by People show that Doherty agreed to a "default or uncontested dissolution" of the marriage on July 12, the day before she died of breast cancer. The...
Eminem Sampled Jelly Roll’s ‘Save Me’ on New Album
It seems like all music genres are dipping their toes in country music these days including a big surprise: Eminem. Just recently, the legendary rapper sampled Jelly Roll's hit single "Save Me" on the last track of his new album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce). Jelly Roll was unsurprisingly stunned that his "childhood hero" used his chorus. "I can’t believe I’m on Eminem’s album," wrote the "Halfway to Hell" singer on X (formerly Twitter) following the new release.
Stearns History Museum’s John Decker; My Life [AUDIO]
History has been his life. Longtime Stearns History Museum employee and award winning John Decker joined me on WJON for our My Life series. Decker was born in Richmond and grew up with his 3 siblings and parents in Cold Spring. John's father, Wally and many of his uncles worked in the granite industry in Cold Spring. He says his mother, Bernice also worked at Cold Spring Granite as well after his sister, Pat went into grade school. John is the oldest sibling in the family so he was often tasked with taking care of his 2 bothers and 1 sister. He described his family as not the wealthiest in town or the poorest. John says his mother was kind of trail blazer by working at the time he was growing up. He says she sold encyclopedias before taking a job working in the office at the granite company.
Could Minnesota’s Gophers Have A Breakout Year This Year?
July is a popular month for college football fans, for a couple of reasons. It’s the last month without their team doing something that puts them closer to the season, and it’s the month that publication that is considered college football’s bible is released. I’m talking about...
Country Music’s Best, Worst + Most Unusual National Anthem Performances
Ingrid Andress is not the first country singer to struggle with the National Anthem. She's not even the first country singer to draw criticism after performing the National Anthem during MLB's All-Star festivities. A decade ago, one of country music's biggest stars of the 21st century was caught peeking at...
You Can Now Buy Bullets From Vending Machines in Several States
In America, there's no shortage of things that stand to be controversial, and bullet vending machines is the latest hot button issue. Texas-based company American Rounds is installing ammo vending machines in grocery stores in several states, which will provide around-the-clock access to firearm ammunition. This means anyone who is...
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