J.D. McMahan, the executive director of Insight Schools of Oregon, joins Steve Wohlers to discuss the alternative that Insight offers to traditional brick and mortar high schools. Insight Schools of Oregon provides an Internet based path to obtaining a high school diploma and has recently been approved in Lebanon.

John “Tre” Kennedy, the chair of “C.A.R.E.S.”, joins Steve Wohlers on this week’s Community Forum. John will discuss the attempt at recalling Lebanon School Board members Rick Alexander & Josh Wineteer.

Jessica Simpson’s country debut album is due out tomorrow! It includes her single “Come On Over” as well as the recently released “Remember That”, a song about getting out of an abusive relationship.

Join Steve Wohlers as he interviews Bob McNitt, chair of the Linn County Republican Party. They will discuss the GOP Convention and John McCain’s and Sarah Palin’s nomination as the party’s presidential and vice presidential nominees. As well they will highlight the Linn County Party’s plans for the election.

Loyd Henion will join Steve Wohlers to discuss the Democratic National Convention in Denver. Henion is the chair of the Linn County Democratic Party and a delegate to the National Convention.

Bob Bowers, an Oregon native, has lived with HIV for 25 years. He now heads the group “HIVictorious” in Madison, Wisconson and speaks to young people about lifestyle choices.

Kristen Hall is suing her former bandmates in Sugarland, Jennifer Nettles and Kristian Bush, for $1.5 million. Hall’s suit claims that she entered into an equal partnership with Nettles and Bush with the intent to equally share all profits and losses. Hall was involved with the writing of the songs on Twice the Speed of Life, Sugarland’s first album.

Full details can be found here.

Guest speaker Rodney Hightower joins Steve Wohlers to talk about the grass seed industry of Oregon. Topics to be covered include this year’s harvest and an ever controversial topic–field burning.

Brooks & Dunn were honored this Monday, August 4th, with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Their star is located near the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel, specifically at 7021 Hollywood Blvd. near stars such as Walt Disney and Morgan Freeman.

Kenny Chesney‘s new single, “Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven”, will be arriving on the 10th of August.  The single promises to bring to the surface the emotions we all have about Heaven.

“I don’t know anyone who doesn’t want to go to heaven, but nobody wants to go today,” says Chesney, speaking of his new single. “If you could pick, you wouldn’t pick right now…you’d want to live, to do more things, to have more fun.”

Kellie Pickler‘s self-titled second album will be released soon; September 30th to be exact.  The first single “Don’t You Know You’re Beautiful” is currently climbing the charts.  Also featured on the album will be “Best Days Of Your Life” which she co-wrote with her friend Taylor Swift.

For an upcoming album of remixed Johnny Cash songs, none other than Snoop Dogg has lent his unique talent to add to the sound of the album.  Snoop Dogg has assisted in the remix of “I Walk the Line”.

John Carter Cash is the executive producer for the album and had this to say of his father, “He would have loved this remix record. While it stays true to the original recordings, this CD touches on undiscovered ground. This is what my father was about: staying true to tradition while creating groundbreaking new music.”

For more details, check out this article over at NME.

Keith Urban and wife Nicole Kidman have posted a message to Urban’s website welcoming their baby girl into the world.  Urban says, “We want to thank everybody that has kept us in their thoughts and prayers. We feel very blessed and grateful that we can share this joy with all of you today.”

So, congratulations to the parents and welcome to the world Ms. Sunday Rose Kidman Urban!

Sugarland has posted to their website a video telling their fans they are giving away five “Platinum Tickets”.  These tickets entitle the winners to go to the 2008 Country Music Awards in Nashville, Tennessee.  This includes airfare for two people, tickets to the CMAs, two nights hotel stay, a Meet & Greet with Sugarland including a private performance and a Sugarland fan pack.  The five tickets are hidden in the Deluxe Fan Edition of their new CD, Love on the Inside, which will be released on 7/22.

Check out their site for more details: sugarlandmusic.com

This Independence Day the Weyerhaeuser Star Spangle Celebration is taking place at Cheadle Lake in Lebanon, OR.  Head on out and have some fun and stay to watch the Fire In the Sky fireworks display after dusk.

More details can be found at starspangledcelebration.org.

Be sure to join us at the Willamette Country Music Festival from July 18th to the 20th in Brownsville, Oregon.  This year the festival is hosting big names like John Michael Montgomery, Jamie O’Neal and Josh Gracin.  You may purchase tickets via their website, willamettecountrymusicfest.com.

And make sure to keep it tuned to KFIR 720 AM for your chance to WIN tickets to the festival!

Taylor Swift and Rascal Flatts topped the list of platinum certifications for the month of May, the RIAA announced Thursday (June 19). Swift’s self-titled debut album was certified triple platinum for shipments of more than 3 million since its 2006 release. Swift also achieved gold mastertone certification for more than 500,000 ringtone downloads of her single, “Our Song”.

Rascal Flatts’ Still Feels Good was certified double platinum for 2 million shipments, and Kid Rock’s Rock and Roll Jesus hit platinum for shipments of 1 million. George Strait’s Troubadour was certified gold for 500,000 shipments. Rodney Atkins scored two gold singles—”Watching You” and “If You’re Going Through Hell”—and Bon Jovi received a gold single for “(You Want To) Make a Memory”.

More detailed information can be found on CMT’s site.