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Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley Join a Big Apple Guitar Pull

You’d think a country music show in New York City would be all bells and whistles and staging and production and what not. But this one? Far from it.

The Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum’s All for the Hall fundraiser — featuring Brad Paisley, Carrie Underwood, Vince Gill and Emmylou Harris — is going to be much more spontaneous and intimate. It’s being billed as a guitar pull, which is when a handful of singers and songwriters take the stage together to take turns singing and telling the stories behind their songs while the others listen or add a little backing music or vocals.

There’s usually no official set list, and it almost always showcases how good these singers are at captivating a crowd. It feels like you’re in someone’s living room, when in fact this particular show is being held at the Best Buy Theater in New York’s Times Square.

Tickets for the Oct. 6 event are on sale now and range from $1,000 for an individual ticket to $10,000 for a table for 10. (It is a fundraiser for the museum, remember?)

The proceeds will support of the museum’s educational programs which teach audiences about the enduring beauty and cultural importance of country music. All very important lessons to share with the next generation.

Garth Brooks announces two nights at the Moda Center

Garth Brooks is back.

The country superstar will play his first shows in Portland in 18 years this spring, with two nights at the Moda Center: April 12 and 13. Wife Trisha Yearwood will open.

Tickets go on sale on Friday, March 6, with an eight-ticket limit -- which seems a bit high, actually, but maybe you know a lot of Garth fans.

Tickets will run $74.89 after fees, and will be available at 10 a.m. at Ticketmaster.com,Ticketmaster.com/garthbrooks or by phone at 1-800-745-3000 or 1-866-448-7849.

Brooks' world tour kicked off in Chicago in September. The musician went into temporary retirement in 2001 to spend more time with his family, including his three daughters. But they've grown up and headed to college, freeing up Brooks for a new album -- "Man Against Machine," out now -- and a full-scale tour.

Justin Moore Talks Unreleased Miranda Lambert Duet

On Friday night in Knoxville, Tennessee, during a stop on her Certified Platinum Tour, Miranda Lambert proved she knows how to pick just the right tourmates. Both The Voice alum RaeLynn, who opened the show, and Arkansas native Justin Moore turned in sets that complemented their hostess in sound and attitude.
 

For Moore, the tour is a reunion with Lambert. The pair hit the road together last summer. "I don't think anyone has toured as much with Miranda as me. We've been on five or six tours together," Moore tells Rolling Stone Country. "We enjoyed doing our own headlining tour last year and had some success with that, and we were gearing up to do that again this year. Then she asked if I wanted to [team up]. She's one of a very small group of people who I'm willing to go out with."

The singers — who each come by their distinctive twangs naturally — have also recorded together. Lambert joined Moore on the weeping duet "Old Habits" on his latest album, 2013's Off the Beaten Path. Alas, the red tape associated with releasing a single to radio by artists on different labels — Moore is part of the Big Machine Label Group family; Lambert resides under the Sony umbrella — has kept the track a deep album cut.

"I'd love nothing more for the opportunity for that song to be a single," says Moore. "But there's backroom stuff that the fans don't really care to hear about that make it at least challenging to do that." As well as the fact that both artists had two other duets released recently: Moore cut the Mötley Crüe power ballad "Home Sweet Home" with Vince Neil for the Nashville Outlaws tribute, and "Small Town Throwdown" with Brantley Gilbert and Thomas Rhett, while Lambert recruited Carrie Underwood for "Somethin' Bad" and appeared on Keith Urban's "We Were Us." Still, Moore remains optimistic. "You never know in this business," he says. "I wouldn't say 100 percent it won't happen."

Nonetheless, Moore — who was named New Artist of the Year at last year's Academy of Country Music Awards —  is busy working his latest single, "This Kind of Town," the third from Off the Beaten Path. Previous Path releases "Point at You" and "Lettin' the Night Roll" both went Number One. "It'd be nice to go three for three," says Moore, comparing the new song to his breakout chart-topper, 2009's "Small Town U.S.A." "It's like vintage us, if you will. This song is at the very core of what it is that I stand for, not only as an artist but as an individual. I love the song and the fans are digging it, and hopefully radio will like it too."

Moore says he is already working on the follow-up to Off the Beaten Path, having written about a third of the project. "I wrote more last year than I ever have in my career. I haven't yet decided what the new album will be or what I want it to be, but I want to do different stuff every time out," he says, going on to pledge his allegiance to a classic country sound. "I don't want to give up on traditional country music at all, but at the same time, I have to continue to stay relevant."

Even if he admits he doesn't listen to anything that came after Don Williams, Vern Gosdin and Hank Williams Jr.

"My wife and I took a trip with Thomas Rhett and his wife to Hawaii this year over New Year's. He [was talking about this] one guy who was like the biggest artist in the world and I never even heard of him," Moore shrugs. "I feel like I'm an old soul."



Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/justin-moore-talks-unreleased-miranda-lambert-duet-20150126#ixzz3Q3g0N1wg 
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Eye On Bend

The project will reconstruct the Colorado Dam to create three river channels – one for safe passage for floaters and fish passage, one for active recreation such as whitewater kayakers and one for wildlife habitat. The project also includes construction of a new bicycle and pedestrian bridge and new park amenities at McKay Park on the river’s west side. The general contractor is Hamilton Construction and the principal engineer is Otak, Inc. Please click on tiles above for more information about each sponsor.

 

see live video & more here 

Seattle Approves $15 Minimum Wage, Setting a New Standard for Big Cities

 

SEATTLE — The City Council here went where no big-city lawmakers have gone before on Monday, raising the local minimum wage to $15 an hour, more than double the federal minimum, and pushing Seattle to the forefront of urban efforts to address income inequality.

The unanimous vote of the nine-member Council, after months of discussion by a committee of business and labor leaders convened by Mayor Ed Murray, will give low-wage workers here — in incremental stages, with different tracks for different sizes of business — the highest big-city minimum in the nation.

“Even before the Great Recession a lot of us have started to have doubt and concern about the basic economic promise that underpins economic life in the United States,” said Sally J. Clark, a Council member. “Today Seattle answers that challenge,” she added. “We go into uncharted, unevaluated territory.”

But some business owners who have questioned the proposal say that the city’s booming economy is creating an illusion of permanence. The fat times and the ability to pay higher wages, they warn, will not go on forever.

“We’re living in this bubble of Amazon, but that’s not going to go on,” said Tom Douglas, a prominent restaurateur in Seattle, referring to the local boom in jobs and economic growth from hiring at Amazon, the online retailer, which has its headquarters here. Mr. Douglas said the new law will inevitably result in costs being passed on to consumers. “There’s going to be some terrific price inflation,” he said.

The measure has the support of Mr. Murray, who ran last year on a pledge to raise the wage to $15 and made it one of his first priorities in office.

Cheers and jeers repeatedly erupted in the City Hall meeting room, which was packed with supporters of the plan, who often interrupted speakers in the 90-minute debate before the vote with chants.

“We did it — workers did this,” said Kshama Sawant, a socialist who campaigned for a $15 minimum wage when she was elected to the Council last year. Ms. Sawant sought to accelerate the carrying out of the measure and to strip out a lower youth wage training rate, but the council rejected her proposals.

The vote, economists and labor experts said, accentuates the patchwork in wages around the country, with places like Seattle — and other cities considering sharply higher minimum pay, including San Diego, Chicago and San Francisco — having economic outlooks increasingly distinct from those in other parts of the nation. Through much of the South, especially, the federal minimum of $7.25 holds fast.

Eight states plus the District of Columbia have already increased their minimum wages this year, the most to have done so in a single year since 2006, and at least eight other states and municipalities could put minimum wage ballot measures before voters by November. But it is the scale of ambition that is catching the attention of economists, labor leaders and business owners.

“In past rounds of minimum wage increases, proposals sought chiefly to restore the value of the minimum wage lost to inflation over the decades,” said Paul Sonn, the general counsel and program director at the National Employment Law Project, a New York-based group that supports raising the minimum wage. The increases in places like Seattle, Mr. Sonn said, go beyond playing catch-up. “The $15 proposals make real gains,” he said.

Continue reading the main story
AdvertisementEconomists who study the minimum wage are not sure of the effect of having sharply different levels — in some places, it is twice that of others. Though records are a bit uncertain, people who track minimum wage law say the range of mandated minimums, lowest to highest, is the largest it has been since a national minimum was established by Congress in 1938.

“Nobody has studied a doubling of the minimum wage — that’s outside our experience,” said Dale Belman, a professor of labor and industrial relations at Michigan State University and co-author of a coming book about the minimum wage.

Individual workers and business owners in and around Seattle are unsure of the implications. Washington State already has the highest state minimum wage in the nation, $9.32, but more than 24 percent of Seattle residents earn hourly wages of $15 or less, according to the city, and approximately 13.6 percent of Seattle residents live below the federal poverty level.

Under the plan approved on Monday, the hourly wage will rise to $15 by 2017 for employers with more than 500 workers that do not provide health insurance, and by 2018 for those large employers who do. The minimum will be phased in through 2021 for smaller employers.

In its early years, the law allows employers to include tips as part of a workers’ compensation in reaching the minimum, but that provision is phased out over time.

“The short-term side of it says it’s attractive,” said Mickey Adame, a bartender who works in Bellevue, Washington’s fifth-largest city, which is just outside Seattle, and the new $15 wage boundary. “But I think people in Seattle aren’t going to tip as much, knowing the servers are getting paid $15,” added Mr. Adame, who lives in Seattle and is trying to start a music record label called Sounder Music, for which his tip jar, he said, is crucial. “If I had to pick an answer, I would say I think I’ll make more in Bellevue.”

Ms. Sawant, in her comments to the Council and the crowd, did not take the tone of someone who was savoring a victory. The fight for workers’ rights and economic fairness, she said, is not over.

“We have fought to the last day, the last hour, against all the loopholes demanded by business,” she said. “The attempts of business to undermine $15 will continue,” she said, as would the battle to “turn the tide against corporate politics.”

She added: “$15 in Seattle is just a beginning. We have an entire world to win.”

 

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/03/us/seattle-approves-15-minimum-wage-setting-a-new-standard-for-big-cities.html?_r=0

$75,000 Buys Happiness; More Money Does Not

A huge survey of 450,000 individuals found that money only buys happiness to a limited extent. Princeton researchers Daniel Kahneman and Angus Deaton analyzed data collected in 2008 and 2009 for the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index and concluded:

(We) find that the effects of income on the emotional dimension of well-being satiate fully at an annual income of ∼$75,000.

In other words, when it comes to money, there is a glass ceiling for its ability to bring you happiness. This makes intuitive sense; if you can't afford a decent place to live or enough food to feed your family, more money substantively improves your situation. But few would agree with the statement that the happiest moments of their life was when they had the most money.

The researchers take pains to distinguish between two metrics that are often confused: emotional well-being versus what's called "life evaluation".

Emotional well-being is what they equate with happiness. It involves the emotional experiences you have on a day-to-day basis... being delighted, sad, frustrated, excited, lonely or fascinated.

In contrast, life evaluation is how you think about your life. So if a survey asks you how satisfied you are with your life, it is not measuring happiness, but rather life evaluation.

Here's why this distinction is important: incomes over $75,000 increase life evaluation scores, but do not have the same impact on happiness. Kahneman and Deaton observe:

We conclude that lack of money brings both emotional
misery and low life evaluation; similar results were found for
anger. Beyond ∼$75,000 in the contemporary United States, however, higher income is neither the road to experienced happiness nor the road to the relief of unhappiness or stress.

So where does this leave you?

Well, if you make $30,000 and live in the United States, go for the money. It will help you on both fronts. In other countries the same is true, but the actual number will vary.

If you are lucky enough to earn more than this amount already, you need to ask yourself another question:

Do you want to feel good about your life, or actually feel good?

If you double your salary, say to $150,000, you will probably increase your intellectual assessment of your life. "I've done pretty good for myself," you might think.

But doubling your salary won't necessarily give you more joy, day-to-day. It won't make you more excited by your work or help you feel closer to your friends and family. I recently watched a documentary that featured Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, in which he talked about how the band's rise to stardom caused them to lose most of their friends and their peer group.

Over $75,000, you face the risk of living your life in the abstract. It can become something you feel good about, instead of something that makes you feel alive, vibrant, and excited.

In truth, I know affluent people who generally fall into two camps. Some people genuinely love what they do, or at the very least find fulfillment in their work. But others take more satisfaction from their standing, power, and money. Members of the latter group often strike me as people who are trying to convince themselves that they are happy, when the sad truth is that happiness escapes them, because more money won't buy them happiness.

Here's the research paper. What do you think? Do you agree or disagree with the researcher's conclusions (or mine)?

P.S. In case you still want more money, here are a few suggestions...

Bruce Kasanoff is a ghostwriter for entrepreneurs, executives and social innovators. Learn more at Kasanoff.comHe is the author of How to Self-Promote without Being a Jerk.

Top: Dooder / shutterstock

Image: I made this, inspired by Rob McCready/Flickr, who was inspired by Juhan Sonin.

 

 

https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140520164920-36792--75-000-buys-happiness-more-money-does-not?trk=tod-home-art-list-small_1

Memorial Day 2014

 

Memorial Day Ceremony
Please join us in honoring our men and women in the military and the memory of all our loved ones who have sacrificed their lives for their country.

Central Oregon’s largest annual Memorial Day ceremony will be held at 1:00 pm on Monday, May 26, 2014 at Deschutes Memorial Gardens, 63875 N. Hwy. 97, Bend, Oregon. The speaker of the day will be World War II Veteran Robert McHaney, followed by a program sponsored by VFW Post #1643. 

Community members are further invited to visit with friends and family members of VFW Post #1643 and their Auxiliary at the VFW Hall on the corner of 4th and Olney, after the ceremonies. All are welcome.


Contact Information:
Deschutes Memorial Chapel & Gardens
63875 N. Hwy 97
Bend, OR 97701
541-382-5592
Kellie Allen: kallen@deschutesmemorialchapel.com

 

Phone: (541) 382-5592 

 

Dozens of same-sex couples marry after federal judge strikes down Oregon ban

Dozens of same-sex couples were officially married Monday after a federal judge ruled that Oregon's voter-approved ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional.

U.S. District Judge Michael McShane said the ban discriminates against gay couples and ordered Oregon not to enforce it. Oregon officials earlier refused to defend the ban in court.

Jubilant couples began applying for marriage licenses immediately after McShane issued his ruling, and many were married hours later. In Portland, Multnomah County issued more than 70 licenses, according to the gay-rights group Oregon United for Marriage.

"I believe that if we can look for a moment past gender and sexuality, we can see in these plaintiffs nothing more or less than our own families," McShane wrote. "Families who we would expect our constitution to protect, if not exalt, in equal measure."

KTVU reported that two of the plaintiffs in the case, Deanna Geiger and Janine Nelson, were the first couple to be married in Multnomah County, Oregon after the decision was announced. 

In Portland, some couples lined up for their licenses more than four hours before McShane released his opinion in Eugene.

Kelly and Patty Reagan took the day off work to get married, their kids along with them. Kelly Reagan says Monday's ruling is the final validation -- "the official stamp."

McShane joined judges in seven other states who have struck down gay marriage bans, though appeals are underway. 

Four gay and lesbian couples brought the Oregon cases, arguing the state's marriage laws unconstitutionally discriminate against them and exclude them from a fundamental right to marriage.

Democratic Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum refused to defend the ban, saying there are no legal arguments that could support it in light of decisions last year by the U.S. Supreme Court.

The judge denied a request by the National Organization for Marriage to defend the law on behalf of its Oregon members. A panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday refused the group's request for an emergency stay of that decision, allowing same-sex marriages to proceed.

Gay rights groups previously said they've collected enough signatures to force a statewide vote on gay marriage in November. However, they said they would discard the signatures and drop their campaign if the court ruled in their favor by May 23.

The U.S. Supreme Court last year struck down the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act, which barred the federal government from recognizing same-sex marriage. It determined the law improperly deprived gay couples of due process.

In addition to Oregon, federal or state judges in Idaho, Oklahoma, Virginia, Michigan, Texas, Utah and Arkansas recently have found state same-sex marriage bans to be unconstitutional. Judges also have ordered Kentucky, Ohio and Tennessee to recognize same-sex marriages from other states.

But opposition remains stiff in many places. Critics note most states still do not allow gay marriage and that in most of those that do, it was the work of courts or legislatures, not the will of the people.

Oregon law has long prohibited same-sex marriage, and voters added the ban to the state constitution in 2004. The decision, approved by 57 percent of voters, came months after Multnomah County briefly issued marriage licenses to same-sex couples. Multnomah is the state's largest county and includes Portland.

About 3,000 gay couples were allowed to marry before a judge halted the practice. The Oregon Supreme Court later invalidated the marriages.

The Associated Press contributed to this report 

Country Music Hall of Fame Names 2014 Inductees

The Country Music Association announced that this year’s inductees into the Country Music Hall of Fame are Ronnie Milsap, Hank Cochran and Mac Wiseman.

Guests were welcomed to the Hall of Fame rotunda by CMA CEO Sarah Trahern, who brought Kix Brooks out to emcee the morning’s announcements.

2013 inductee Bobby Bare announced Hank Cochran as the representative in the “Songwriter” category, joking, “He fell in love at least once a month. And he married them.” But it was Hank’s wife of nearly 30 years, Sue, who accepted the honor on her late husband’s behalf while Jamey Johnson, who released a tribute album to the songwriting great—Living for a Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran—looked on. Among Hank’s numerous hits were Patsy Cline’s “She’s Got You” and “I Fall to Pieces,” co-written with Harlan Howard, George Strait’s “The Chair,” written with Dean Dillon, and “Ocean Front Property,” written with Dillon and Royce Porter.

Industry veteran Jo Walker Meador announced bluegrass great Mac Wiseman as the honoree in the “Veteran Era Artist” category. The humble singer regaled the crowd with a story of meeting fellow inductee Hank Cochran, who asked him about his Thermos. Mac explained that it “keeps hot things hot and cold things cold.” At their next meeting he discovered Hank had his own Thermos, so he asked what was in it. The legendary songwriter replied, “A cup of coffee and a popsicle.” Witty and charming, Mac also explained that while he suffered from post-Polio syndrome, he was still healthy and sharp and could recall events from the age of 4, but couldn’t remember what he had for breakfast.

Young country hitmaker Hunter Hayes was emotional as he announced Ronnie Milsap as the Hall of Fame’s new “Modern Era Artist” inductee and cited him as a great influence in his career. Hunter stated that the gifted pianist set the bar high for performers in country music and that he often tried to replicate Ronnie’s effortless vocals. The jubilant and youthful Ronnie stepped up to the microphone and proclaimed, “Let the celebration begin!” With a career that boasts nearly three dozen No. 1 singles and numerous awards, including six Grammys and eight CMAs, Ronnie was also quick to thank his wife for supporting him throughout his career.

Ronnie, Mac and Hank will be officially inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame later this year at the annual medallion ceremony. Congratulations to the new members!

George Strait, Miranda Lambert Win Big At ACM Awards

George Strait, Miranda Lambert Win Big At ACM Awards 

George Strait is once again the Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year.  The country great captured the event's highest honor for the first time in more than 20 years at the 49th annual ACM Awards, which aired Sunday on CBS.  In accepting his prize, Strait gave credit to his loyal followers. 

It was also a big night for Miranda Lambert.  She captured a few awards at the event, including her record-setting fifth consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year title.  Other winners included Justin Moore, who became emotional while accepting his New Artist of the Year trophy.  The Band Perry expressed their appreciation for their Vocal Group of the Year recognition, and Jason Aldean scored his second straight Male Vocalist title. 

The star-packed ceremony also included plenty of performances.  Brad Paisley debuted his new single, "River Bank," while Blake Shelton teamed up with Shakira on their new collaboration, "Medicine."  Faith Hill got a big hand when she joined husband Tim McGraw for his performance.  Lady Antebellum performed twice -- once with Stevie Nicks and later with Darius Rucker.  The Band Perry launched the ceremony, while Eric Church and Keith Urban were among the many other performers.  Merle Haggard was also honored with a tribute from Strait and Lambert.  But presenter Garth Brooks didn't forget Hag also was turning 77 on Sunday, and had the crowd sing "Happy Birthday" in Merle's honor.  The 49th annual ACM Awards were presented in Las Vegas, and aired on CBS Sunday night. 

The 49th annual ACM Awards winners list follows 

Entertainer of the Year 
George Strait 

Male Vocalist of the Year 
Jason Aldean 

Female Vocalist of the Year 
Miranda Lambert 

Vocal Duo of the Year 
Florida Georgia Line 

Vocal Group of the Year 
The Band Perry 

New Artist of the Year 
Justin Moore 

Album of the Year 
Kacey Musgraves, "Same Trailer Different Park" 

Single Record of the Year 
Miranda Lambert, "Mama's Broken Heart" 

Song of the Year 
Lee Brice, "I Drive Your Truck" 
Songwriters: Jessi Alexander, Connie Harrington, Jimmy Yeary 

Video of the Year 
Tim McGraw featuring Taylor Swift and Keith Urban, "Highway Don't Care" 

Vocal Event of the Year 
Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert, "We Were Us" 

Crystal Milestone Award 
Merle Haggard 

Eric Church Outsiders

Eric Church says he still believes many of the things he was taught as a kid.  The country star adds that those values are reflected in his songs. 

Eric says "at a young age he learned that hard works important and a man's word is important, family's important, God's important and community's important. All that stuff you can hear on the album" 
Church adds that those values provide his "foundation" when he's on the road, and they're part of what he brings "to the stage every night."  Eric will be hitting the stage overseas later this month.  The singer will launch a 12-date European tour with a show in Dublin, Ireland on February 24th.  He'll also visit the UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and Sweden before wrapping up the trek in Oslo, Norway on March 12th.  Once back in the U.S. Church will launch a run of spring festival dates with an appearance at the iHeartRadio Country Festival in Austin, Texas on March 29th.  Eric is touring behind his new album, "The Outsiders." 

Oregon Winterfest in the Old Mill

OnPoint Community Credit Union is proud to announce our title sponsorship of the 15th annual OnPoint Oregon WinterFest. The festival takes place in Bend, Oregon, February 14-16, 2014, and spotlights the best of Central Oregon and the world-class winter activities the area has to offer.


The official Oregon WinterFest pass serves as your ticket into all WinterFest activities. A portion of this year’s WinterFest pass sales will be donated to Bend-area nonprofit, Saving Grace, an organization that provides services to those that have experienced domestic violence. Stop by any OnPoint branch to learn how to get your WinterFest pass.


Visit the event website at www.oregonwinterfest.com for complete event details including:

• live music • rail jam (ski and snowboard big air competition) • Metal Mulisha high-flying motocrossexhibition • Snow Warrior Dash • activities for kids • and much more!

Central Oregon One Day Homeless Count

For the ninth straight year, the Central Oregon Homeless Leadership Coalition is conducting a one-day count of people who are homeless or in transitional housing in Deschutes, Crook, and Jefferson counties. This count is a part of a national effort to identify the number of people struggling to find appropriate and adequate housing. 
 
Throughout the day on Thursday, January 30th, 2014, volunteers will be conducting confidential and anonymous surveys in Bend, LaPine, Sisters, Redmond, Prineville and Madras. This one-day count will provide the most up-to-date information about the number of individuals in Central Oregon who are struggling to find adequate housing. Through this data, local agencies and programs are able to qualify for increased funding, better target support services, and develop comprehensive plans to address poverty and homelessness in Central Oregon. 
 
Individuals and families counted through this effort include people living in: 
ï‚· Weekly motels 
ï‚· Shelters 
ï‚· Transitional housing 
ï‚· "Doubled up" with other families 
ï‚· Camping or sleeping in cars 
ï‚· Other places not designed for long-term human habitation 
 
The Homeless Leadership Coalition often relies on friends and families to aid in identifying people who should be included as a part of this One Night Homeless Count. If you or someone you know should be included in the count, visit the nearest Command Center site on January 30, to complete a confidential and anonymous survey. To be counted as a part of this effort, it has to occur on Thursday, January 30th, 2014.
Please do not try and be counted before that day. A limited supply of blankets, sleeping bags, pet food, propane, and other items will be available at various Command Center sites throughout Central Oregon, while supplies last. 
Tri-County Command Center Sites: 
Bend: Trinity Episcopal Church/Family Kitchen, 231 NW Idaho Light snacks starting at 10am and dinner served from 5pm to 6:30pm 
LaPine: LaPine Community Kitchen, 16480 Finley Butte Road 
Lunch served 12noon to 2pm 
Redmond: Redmond Senior Center, 325 NW Dogwood 
Lunch served between 12-1 PM and dinner served from 5pm to 6pm 
Sisters: Kiwanis Food Bank, 225 N Oak Street, 9am to 5pm 
Prineville: St. Vincent DePaul, 298 SE 1st St., 9am to 5pm 
Prineville: 422 NW Beaver, 9 am to 5 pm 
Madras: Madras Christian Church, 115 SE C St., 7 am to 7 PM, 
Lunch served from 10 am-2 PM 
 

Is Kacey Musgraves The New Taylor Swift?

25-year-old Kacey Musgraves is officially giving Taylor Swift a run for her money! The now two-time Grammy Award winner seemingly came out of nowhere to steal the nation’s hearts during the Jan. 26 show, and we couldn’t be more obsessed!

 

Kacey Musgraves: The New Taylor Swift

Kacey is definitely having the year of her life — the gorgeous brunette’s first major studio album (she self-released three others before appearing on the USA Network’s Nashville Star in 2007) Same Trailer Different Park was a massive hit in the country world; earning her four Grammy Award nods. 

Kacey tied Taylor and Lorde for the most nominations received by a woman in 2014, and she totally stunned us when she won the two biggest country awards of the night!Same Trailer Different Park earned the Country Album of the Year album, while its hit single ”Merry Go ‘Round” won Best Country Song. Pretty impressive for a relative unknown, no?

Kacey also performed her hit “Follow Your Arrow” during the Jan. 26 show — in front of an audience filled with music’s biggest celebs, not to mention the millions of viewers at home — and she totally wowed the audience with her smooth vocals and light-up cowboy boots.

Needless to say America was smitten, and even celebs like Katy Perry are starting to take notice! Katy invited Kacey to open up her 2014 US tour, which will expose Kacey to thousands upon thousands of adoring Katy fans from New York to California! This will be a huge opportunity for Kacey, and we certainly think that the gorgeous young star will start showing up on magazine covers and the top of the iTunes chart in no times!

Thanks to Hollywood life by Bonnie Fuller for sharing the story

Oregon Country Music Festivals in 2014

It may be cold and stormy in Central Oregon right now, but summer will be here before you know it, and Oregon's Country Music Festivals are beginning to fill-out some of their already stellar lineups. 

 

The Willamette Valley Country Music Fest has just added Thompson Square to go with Gary Allan, Eric Church, and Black Shelton. 

 

Tim McGraw, Miranda Lambert, and Jake Owen will headline the Oregon Jamboree in August.

 

And there's a new event this year--The Cape Blanco Country Music Festival on the southern Oregon Coast that will feature Dierks Bentley, Brad Paisley, and Eric Church.

 

Look for us to be giving tickets away to all the HOT Country Concerts this summer, and be sure to keep checking back on our 99-7 The Bull Facebook page and at www.997thebull.com for concert updates!

ICE & WIND

The Roads are very icy this morning, please give yourself extra time to get to work & school this morning. And tomorrow a wind storm is moving in so make sure you remove the rest of your holiday decorations from the outside of your homes or they could be blown away. 

 

Strong winds are possible late Friday night and into the weekend... 

A strong storm system will track across the Pacific northwest
Friday night and Saturday and will tighten pressure gradients across 
the area. Surface winds are expected to increase Friday night and 
strong and damaging winds are possible this weekend with sustained 
winds between 35 to 45 mph with gusts around 60 mph.

 

check trip check

weather

 

Will You Marry Me?

Some of you may remember a couple of years ago I broke a very long relationship and then vowed to find my husband. Now single dating some very nice men here and there, hung out with a couple of them a little longer than I should have lol! Learned a lot, and I am now engaged to a lovely human named Tim! He asked me to marry him on Christmas Eve (insert girly squeal here); I was floored when he got down on one knee. My dream came true, not only am I engaged before my specified date but also I’m engaged to a man that truly is perfect for me. We love the same things yes but there’s much more to it. There is more honesty, love and compassion in this relationship than I’ve ever experienced. My search has ended and I am complete…winning the lottery would still be nice but I feel like I already have won. 

 

(Picture above is of my shiny engagement ring acting as a star above my Nativity Scene.)

Best New Country Songs of 2013

As the year draws to a close, we are reminded of all the great new country songs that came out over the course of 2013. Mama's Broken Heart from Miranda Lambert, Stay from Florida Georgia Line, and Helluva Life from Frankie Ballard are just a few of the new country songs that graced our airwaves over the past year.

 

New artists also moved to the forefront like Cassadee Pope, Florida Georgia Line, and Parmalee, while country veterans like Blake Shelton, Brad Paisley, and Carrie Underwood continued to produce quality hits and albums (am I showing my age).

 

What was your favorite New Song of 2013? Be sure to comment below! And remember we play all of your favorite New Country music 24hrs a day at 99-7 the Bull!

 

click here for a list of Taste of Country's Top 10 Songs of 2013.

 

Pet Mayhem

The things our pets will get into! First part of the week Raven (the bad dog) pulled the giant costco size coffee creamer from the counter, brought it to her bed and then drank most of it! Yesterday she opened a present that wasn't for her! That all may seem bad but it was once worse, we now have a pet behaviorist helping us with positive training and she's much better! Join us on Your Morning Rodeo and share your crazy pet disaster stories. #petmayem 

Staying Warm

Remember as days get colder animals are attracted to the warmth of cars so check wheel arches or other hiding places...you know how cats and cows love your car...lol!! Crazy!

Always Find The Silver Lining

Hi Friends!  Callie here.

 

I was sick yesterday and missed out on being on the air.  Instead of sharing the mid-day with you, I was quarantined in my bed, living on 7-Up and Saltine crackers and sweating out my fever.

 

The only good news: I think I lost a couple of pounds and now I fit back into my skinny Miss Me jeans! 

 

There is always a silver lining!

 

Happy to be back on The Bull –

Callielaugh

Your Morning Rodeo Team

He will be in the studio the first week of December and I can't wait to sit across from Dave each morning here on 997!  Dave has been in Wyoming for almost 10 years and he's ready for a more "normal" winter here in Central Oregon. Join me in making him feel welcome :)

Best Friends?

My boyfriend told me last night that I am his best friend. What is a girl to do but say it back...ah babe you're my best friend too. Now I must say I had to look over my shoulder to see if my dog was in the room because for the past 7 years he has been my best friend. It's true but now Tim is my human best friend but I also have a best girlfriend too...ahhh, it' was so simple when it was just Warley and me.  Now read this story about an unusual best friend...

 

MAN CALLS PET BISON "BEST FRIEND"

It's an 18 hundred-pound bison and it may seem like an odd choice for a pet, but this guy says his bison is his "best friend". In fact, he said it is actually a fairly low-maintenance companion. He says Bailey, who is named after his first pet bison, Bailey, Sr. was even able to come into his old house to watch a little TV and get a drink of water. 

The bison generally behave like a dog. But Bailey isn't allowed in his new house, although he still calls him his "best friend", adding, quote, "He's my buffalo". Ahhhh now see me saying Warley is my best friend isn't so weird after all. "He's my dog"! 

 

 

Sabrina 

Who Are The Real Parents?

Hi Friends -

 

Are we sure these folks aren't the real parents of these young country artists?

 

Hunter Hayes = Jake Owen + Kelly Clarkson

 

Cassadee Pope = Keith Urban + Miranda Lambert

(Maybe this is what We Were Us is really all about?)

 

Taylor Swift = George Strait + Faith Hill

 

Think about it!  Got any other country artists you think might have mated?  Let us know!

 

Callielaugh

 

 

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