98.1 - Minnesota New Country

Ahead of his just-announced upcoming album, Same Truck, Scotty McCreery has released a brand-new song called "Why You Gotta Be Like That." The playful tune was written by McCreery, James McNair, and Jordan Schmidt, a trio with great writing chemistry. “Writing with James and Jordan is always so much fun, and I think that genuine feeling comes through in the song as well.”

TOYKO -- St. Cloud native Alise Willoughby will be making another run for a gold medal this week a the Olympics in Tokyo. The BMX racing events for men and women start Wednesday at 8:00 p.m. with the quarterfinal runs. The semi-finals and finals will be run on Thursday at 8:00 p.m.

It's been so hot and dry in central Minnesota, it's hard to think that colder months are in our future. But, they definitely are. I was doing my weekly grocery shopping on Saturday and had to make sure I had my 'keep cold' bags in the trunk with me to keep my groceries from melting like a snow cone.

Country band Parmalee has announced the release date for their newest album, For You. It's scheduled to drop July 30. “We wanted these songs to speak directly to the fans, the listener, to you," explains lead singer Matt Thomas. "That’s why we named the album For You.”. To celebrate the...

With highs in the 90s again this week, many Minnesotans are ready for the cooler days of fall (and even the cold of winter). Many of us are just not wired for day after day of ninety degree heat. Winter gets a bad rap. Sure it's a bit too long,...

Summers are hot in Minnesota. Why not make the most of them with your own backyard pool? If you've been on the hunt for a pool home, look no further. St. Cloud's newest pool home, located at 35 Pandolfo Pl, was just listed for $299,999. And, a big backyard pool isn't the only awesome feature about this home.

Mickey Guyton's five-month-old baby boy, Grayson, just might be a musical superstar in the making -- and Carrie Underwood sent the singer's family a sweet, musical baby gift to help him hone his talents. On Friday ( July 23), Guyton shared adorable video footage of Grayson's newest toy on Twitter:...

COLD SPRING -- Cold Spring's Hometown Pride Days are coming up later this week. The city celebration starts on Thursday and runs through Saturday. On Thursday there is a Friends of the Library book sale from noon until 7:00 p.m. along with community-wide garage sales. Friday's events include a craft...

When you're a kid one of the fun things to do is to go to the zoo and see some of the animals that you wouldn't normally get to see in person. And usually each zoo has a favorite that all the visitors of the zoo like to see. When I was a kid, the favorite at the COMO zoo was the gorilla exhibit.

The St. Cloud area hockey community is mourning the death of former Cathedral Crusader Mack Motzko. Motzko, 20, died in a car accident in Orono on Saturday night. "We are devastated for Bob, Shelley, their family and all involved," Gophers Athletic Director Mark Coyle said in a statement on Sunday. "This is an unimaginable tragedy, and we will do everything we can to support those affected. We ask for privacy for the families as they mourn the loss of loved ones."

The National Weather Service says there's a risk of severe weather across central and eastern Minnesota this evening. Thunderstorms are expected to develop late this afternoon and evening mainly over north central Minnesota, and move across central Minnesota into eastern Minnesota in the evening into the overnight. The most likely...

If you have been glued to the Artistic Gymnastics competition at the Tokyo Olympics, you're not going to want to miss this event at the Target Center in Minneapolis. Simone Biles is bringing the Gold Over America Tour to the Target Center on Wednesday, October 13th. The Gold Over America...

This unassuming barn in Sauk Centre is actually filled with the coolest fall and holiday shopping experience you will ever have. Berg’s Country Barn started seven years ago when owners Bill and Anita moved to the family farm. Their daughter wanted to use the barn for her wedding reception, and with a lot of hard work, and a few twinkling light strands, they had it in tip-top shape. Word got out about the wedding, and inquiries started coming in from other couples wanting to use it for their own, but Anita had other plans.

ST. CLOUD -- A new brood of freshly hatched monarch butterflies was released beside the Mississippi River this weekend. Quiet Oaks Hospice House and the Munsinger Clemens Botanical Society teamed up for the 10th annual Memorial Release of the Butterflies on Sunday. The butterflies symbolize hope and rebirth and honor the lives of loved ones who have passed on.

ST. CLOUD -- Following the success of last month’s event, a local car club hosted another autocross event to put drivers' skills to the test in central Minnesota. Morgan’s Motorplex and the St. Cloud Eagles Club hosted a Grudge Match Autocross event on Saturday. Drivers broken down into street stock, super street, and street unlimited classes took the course navigating cones as quickly as possible in an attempt to finish with one of the top three times.

The president of the Nashville branch of the NAACP is speaking out against Morgan Wallen's Good Morning America interview on Friday morning (July 23), saying the country singer's reasoning for using the N-word in a video that surfaced in February is faulty. Nashville NAACP President Sheryl Guinn tells TMZ that...

A radar indicated severe thunderstorm warning was issued by the National Weather Service at 1:37 a.m. for southeastern Todd County, Northern Stearns and southwestern Morrison Counties in central Minnesota until 2:15 a.m. The storm brought heavy rain, up to 60 mile per hour winds and hail to parts of central...

Minnesota Vikings offensive line coach Rick Dennison is no longer with the team after refusing to get the COVID-19 vaccine, according to ESPN. Dennison was considered Tier 1 according to the NFL's protocols. Tier 1 employees, which includes all coaches, executives, locker room personnel and scouts, are required to get vaccinated per league policy.

I remember when this building was an Italian (I think) restaurant. And if I'm not mistaken, it was called Davanni's. But, it also wasn't open all that long. I did a little bit of research and found out that there are a few other Davanni's restaurants located in the metro area, and they seem to be doing alright. Why didn't this one make it?

The world has watched Blake Shelton and Gwen Stefani grow from coworkers, to lovers to, now, husband and wife. While it may have been clear to everyone on the outside where that road was headed, Stefani admits she was not expecting to be a bride again. The No Doubt star...