The Dan Emmett Music and Arts Festival kicks off today! The Big Blue Crew is excited to bring you updates and live coverage of the 30th annual festival in downtown Mount Vernon.

We had a chance to talk with the many of committee members planning the event to find out all the details for the 2017 Dan Emmett Music and Arts festival. Click HERE to hear our full conversations!

We hope that you will join us in downtown Mount Vernon as we “Celebrate the Legacy” at the Dan Emmett Festival.

You can find the Big Blue Crew in front of the fountain on the public square. Make sure to stop by and register for a prize. We have prize baskets for everyone in the family. You can register at the Dan Emmett festival or online at wnzr.fm.

Adults, 18 and older, can register to win a basket
Employees and immediate family members of Southside Diner and WNZR are NOT permitted to participate in this giveaway. Immediate family members are mother, father, spouse, child, brother or sister.
– $80 dollars in gift certificates to Southside Diner.
– $20 dollar gas gift card courtesy of Southside Diner– 2 On The Road with Big Blue T-Shirts
– a Bible (New International Version)
– Lifeline 2017 Car Sunshade- Lifeline 2016 Blanket
– 2 Lifeline 2016 Travel Coffee Mugs
– plus WNZR goodies including a 3 Frisbees, guitar flyswatter, chip clips, magnets, cup, hand fan, jar opener and a WNZR LED glow bracelet.
Each adult prize is valued at approximately $150 dollars
**Winners must be present or listening to WNZR, 90.9 FM to win. For a complete list of rules visit our website, HERE!

KIDS of EVERY age can WIN at the Dan Emmett Music & Arts Festival!
We’ll have a Kid’s ultimate summer fun prize basket to give away Thursday through Sunday –that’s FOUR incredible baskets. Kids (10 and under) can register at the festival or online. The basket includes:
*sidewalk chalk
*bubbles
*Frisbees
*water balloons
*beach ball
*water shooter
* light-up bouncy ball
*Each basket winner will also receive a Children’s Bible Story Book, the VeggieTales DVD “Larry Boy and the Bad Apple”, the 2017 On The Road with Big Blue t-shirt and lots of WNZR goodies.
**Kid’s Prize baskets are for kids 10 and under. Each basket is valued at $40.
**We will give away a kid’s prize basket every day of the festival.
**Winners will be drawn at random on the following days and times:

We also have an AWESOME student prize backpack for ages 11 – 17 courtesy of WNZR and the Office of Admissions at MVNU.
* An MVNU Cougar drawstring backpack that is stuffed full of goodies!
* 3 T-Shirts
* 4 frisbees * 3 keychains
* beach ball  * mini-basketball
* water bottle
* sunglasses
* a light-up bouncy ball
* WNZR LED glow bracelet
* WNZR drawstring backpack
* WNZR guitar flyswatter
* NIV Student Bible
* “To Save a Life” DVD and devotional (that dares you to make a difference in your school)
* ONE ticket to Sonfest 2017 at MVNU.

For more information about the Dan Emmett Music and Arts Festival, visit their website HERE!

For the complete schedule of events and performers, click HERE!

Its International Cat Day!

Did you know that an estimated 500 million cats are thought to be frolicking in neighbours’ gardens across the world! Even if you claim to be a dog person, give our lovable furry friends a few extra minutes of love and affection today! You won’t regret it! According to healthfitnessrevolution.com there are health benefits to owning and petting a cat. Studies have shown that our relationships with cats can improve mental health, relieve stress, anxiety, depression and so much more!

• Reduces stress and anxiety: Owning a cat can can be soothing and trigger calming chemicals in the body, decreasing stress and anxiety levels. Cats are known for being low-maintenance, so a simple petting session is often enough to relax owners and distract them from other worries.
• Decreases risk of stroke: Studies show that cat owners are less likely to be at risk for having a stroke than any other pet owner. Scientists speculate this is also because of a cat’s low-maintenance ownership.
• Therapeutic benefits: The calming effect of owning a cat triggers the release of oxytocin, the hormone known for inducing feelings of love and trust. People going through difficult times of grief or mourning report that talking to their pet helps work out their feelings, since it is often easier to talk to something that won’t respond and can’t judge than to another human being. In addition, a study found that children with autism were more likely to be less anxious and calm while petting a cat.
• Boosts immunity: Exposure to pet dander and fur in the house results in increased resistance to allergens, decreasing risk for allergies and asthma.
• Lowers blood pressure: Cat owners are known to have lower blood pressure than non-cat owners due to the calming presence cats provide. One study was conducted with a room full of cat owners. In the study, the owners would speak aloud, which naturally elevated blood pressure levels, but when the owners were observed speaking with their cats, their blood pressure remained constant.
• Decreases risk of heart disease and heart attacks: A study conducted by the University of Minnesota’s Stroke Institute in Minneapolis have shown that those who do not own cats are 30-40% more likely to die of heart attacks than their cat-owning counterparts.
• Lowers triglycerides and cholesterol levels: High triglyceride and cholesterol levels contribute to heart disease and are symptomatic of type 2 diabetes as well as strokes, liver and kidney disease. Naturally, reductions in these levels lead to a decreased risk in these diseases.
• Increase sociability: Cat ownership provides a natural conversation starter and can enhance the owner’s ability to socialize. One study revealed that women were more attracted to men who owned cats because cat ownership often suggests sensitivity and intelligence.
• Provide companionship: Owning a cat reduces feelings of loneliness. Though cats are often known for their independence, the bond between a cat and its owner reinforces companionship. A Swiss study conducted in 2003 revealed that owning a cat is similar to having a romantic partner.
• Reduces your carbon footprint:  A 2009 study found that over its lifetime, the resources needed to feed a dog make the same eco-footprint as that of a Hummer. Meanwhile, cats—which eat less in general and are more likely to eat fish than corn or beef flavored products—only have the approximate carbon footprint of a Volkswagen Golf.

We also found a list of 82 crazy and astounding facts about cats! Did you know that cats sleep 70% of life? Even with that statistic hanging over their heads, two cats have risen above the rest!

• A cat has been mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska, for 15 years. His name is Stubbs.
• And another cat, Morris, one ran for mayor of Mexico City in 2013.

For more fun and interesting facts about our feline friends, check out the list of 82 Astounding Facts about Cats, HERE!

For our Meet the Team feature this week, WNZR’s Eddie Dilts talked with Lane Balanga, Chief Operating Officer of the Clinic. The Knox County Community Health Center is officially open.

The Health Center is located inside the Knox County Health Department at the corner of Upper Gilchrist and Coshocton Roads in Mount Vernon. Presently, the Center’s hours are the same as the health department: Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. – Noon and 1 – 4:30 p.m. The Center is open until 6 p.m. on the third Tuesday of the month and plans to add additional evening hours as well as hours on Saturday.

For more information, go to www.knoxhealth.com/

Listen to our full conversation with Lane Balanga, HERE!

Its the first day of National Sandwich Month!

Sandwiches as we know them today are similar to what the fourth Earl of Sandwich, John Montague (1718-1792) invented. He invented sandwiches to be a convenience food. So, whether your sandwich is in a sack lunch, at a barbecue, in a fancy restaurant or at a picnic, summertime provides many opportunities for this on-the-go meal.

This morning we discovered that the most popular sandwich is a plain ham sandwich followed by the BLT in second place! Surprised? We were too!

Here are few recipes from rosebakes.com to help you and your family celebrate National Sandwich Month this August!

For the full list of recipes, click HERE!

The Knox County Fair Sale of Champions and overall Sale day brought in great numbers for Knox County 4H and FFA. The 2017 Knox County Junior Fair Sales brought in a total of $687,956.65 (includes Dairy Product).

• That is an increase of $41,327.15 from 2016.

• Dairy Product brought in $3,500

• Sale of Champions (including the Dairy Product) total was $74,279.50

WNZR was excited to broadcast the Sale of Champions live on 90.9fm. We talked with the Grand and Reserve champions at the sale and brought you live coverage of the auction. To listen to our complete archive, click HERE!

Check out our website for photos of the Grand and Reserve Champions HERE!

You can also find the complete break down of the Knox County Fair’s Sale Day and the Sale of Champions on our website HERE!