Driving Notes

Brandon Lake, CeCe Winans, and Jelly Roll at the GRAMMY Awards!!

The 68th Annual GRAMMY Awards took place last Sunday, and a couple of your WNZR artists took one home this past weekend!

Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song: Brandon Lake + Jelly Roll – Hard Fought Hallelujah

Brandon Lake had the honor of receiving his sixth GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Christian Music Performance/Song, with his song Hard Fought Hallelujah. Once again, instead of taking the glory for himself, he gives it all back to Jesus, stating, “If it wasn’t for Jesus, I don’t know where I would be, y’all.”

Read more about what Brandon Lake said HERE!

Best Gospel Performance/Song Winner: CeCe Winans featuring Shirley Ceasar – Come Jesus Come

CeCe Winans does it again, taking home her 18th GRAMMY Award for Best Gospel Performance/Song with Come Jesus Come featuring Shirley Ceasar.

Read more about CeCe Winans’ award winnings HERE!

Best Contemporary Country Album: Jelly Roll – Beautifully Broken

Jelly Roll, heard on Brandon Lake’s Hard Fought Hallelujah, took home his third GRAMMY Award for Best Contemporary Country Album, Beautifully Broken.

What’s beautiful is when Jelly Roll accepted this award, he gave ALL the glory to Jesus! You can see his passion during this speech, stating, “Jesus is for EVERYBODY!”

Read more about Jelly Roll at the GRAMMY Awards HERE!

We had a double stumper from last week! These Song Poetry lyrics are worth three $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Here were this week’s lyrics:

And I don’t need to see it to believe it
For my whole life, You’ve been that all I’ve needed
And I, I’ve felt You in the fire and the rain

These Song Poetry lyrics were from Whisper and the Wind by bodie!

Congratulations to Erica from Howard for figuring out this three-week stumper, and correctly guessing the song title and artist, taking home three $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

We’ll see you on Wednesday for a game of Who Am I? and Who Knew? fun facts for Who Knew Wednesday!

Thank you for listening!
– Xander and Ethan

February 3, 2026 0

Find Purpose in Solitude!!

On this Monday Motivation we shared scripture to keep you moving! Plus we had our Mystery Monday, Family Feud question AND we started Spread The Love Giveaway! Here’s what we talked about:

Always remember when you’re lost, God is with you. You are never truly alone and you are actively being sought by God. If you can’t hear his voice speaking with you, find peace in solitude. There is a purpose in solitude and if you have struggles quieting the noise do a five minute prep to get ready for solitude. Always remember there is direction in solitude and God always has a plan for YOU!

Are we listening to God, THE CREATURE’S words or are we listening to false truths? The bible talks about communication many times and there is a war between grace and deceit. We have to look into the words we trust because some words are hallow truths and aren’t God’s truth. Grace wins every time. Words carry a powerful tune and direction. It is vital we fully listen to words so we can hear exactly what is being said. God wants to enlighten us, but the devil wants to deceive us. More importantly are we speaking the truth or are our opinions taking over? Listen to God’s word to get the full story and redirect your focus.

You could win a fabulous prize from February 2nd through 12th! Each day of the contest, our DJs will select Valentine’s gifts to put in the WNZR Valentine’s box. During The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive, the DJs will give a cue to call 740-397-WNZR (9697). Caller #5 gets the chance to answer a Valentine’s question to win a prize. Congratulations to Jeffery of Utica for taking home a $10 gift certificate to Dancing Bee Market and Studio in Mount Vernon and getting registered for our Grand Prize Drawing!

We had a stumper for this week’s Mystery Monday: Name a famous David.

Come back next week for a chance to win Two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in tomorrow for Artist Newsday and Game Time Tuesday with Ethan and Xander!

Thanks so much for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

February 2, 2026 0

The NZ Top 10 for 1/30/2026

It’s the last NZ Top 10 countdown for the month of January! Here is this week’s countdown:

10. Leanna Crawford – Honest

09. Anne Wilson – God Story

08. For KING & COUNTRY ft. Taylor Hill – World On Fire

07. Chris Tomlin – How Good It Is

06. Crowder – STILL

05. TobyMac – Heaven On My Mind

04. Seph Schlueter – Won’t Start Now

03. Lauren Daigle – Let It Be A Hallelujah

02. Jeremy Camp – No Survivors (7th week at #2)

01. Jamie MacDonald – Left It In The River (9th week at #1)

New Music This Week:

Matthew West – Good

We The Kingdom – Rescue Me

Don’t forget! Starting this Monday on The Morning Thing, we are starting our Spread the Love Valentine’s Giveaway!

Each day of the contest, our DJs will select Valentine’s gifts to put in the WNZR Valentine’s box.
During The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive, the DJs will give a cue to call 740-397-WNZR (9697).

Caller #5 gets the chance to answer a Valentine’s question to win a prize.

You can learn more about this contest on our website HERE!

Thank you for listening!
– Joe and Ethan

January 30, 2026 0

Be God’s Walking Church!!

Today on Praise Thursday we went through devotionals and gave important updates. Here’s what we talked about:

Having a terrible memory is frustrating, but it is a chance to rely on God’s grace and the Holy Spirit’s help to recall what matters most. While you may forget daily details or past sins, God promises to “remember them no more” (Hebrews 8:12), encouraging you to focus on the present “new thing” He is doing (Isaiah 43:18-19). Use the Holy Spirit as your memory, a “bad memory” can be a blessing, focus on the present, exercise and routine: treat your memory like a muscle, improving it through consistent, daily study of scripture, replacing, not just forgetting.

We often use the word “hope” as wishful thinking—a desire for things to go a certain way, with no guarantee they will. But the hope that Scripture offers is something far greater. As believers, our hope is alive. It’s grounded in the unshakable reality of Jesus Christ, who defeated death and rose from the grave. Living with biblical hope requires shifting our perspective. Instead of hoping for specific outcomes, we trust God’s sovereign wisdom. We know He works all things according to His perfect will. Our hope is grounded in God’s promises, not in possibilities or probabilities

Knox County is NO longer under any snow emergency.

Coshocton is under a level 1 snow emergency

Announcements for Thursday 1/29/26 (updated at 3:30pm on Thursday 1/29/26):

The Weather Vane Women’s Clothing Boutique will reopen on Thursday 2/5. They are currently closed due to a heating issue.

The Community meeting at the Danville Community Center is cancelled for tonight. This public meeting to share ideas for the Village has been rescheduled to February 26.

1 hour delays: Centerburg

2 hour delays:

– Danville

– Fredericktown

– Knox County Community Center

– Mount Vernon

Closed:

– Johnstown Monroe

– Mount Gilead

Our Name That Tune was Danny Gokey with “I Got You!” Congratulations to Ryan of Mount Vernon for taking home TWO $5 to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in Tomorrow with Ethan and Joe for the NZ Top 10!

Thanks so much for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

January 29, 2026 0

Crowder, Jamie MacDonald, and For KING & COUNTRY On This Week’s Artist News Day!

We covered a lot for Artist News Day on The Afternoon Drive today! Here is this week’s artist news:

Crowder announced his LIVE! concert, and he’s bringing his friends Seph Schlueter and Patrick Mayberry along with him!

You can catch them in Akron Ohio this spring on Sunday, May 3!

You can find ticket information here!

Jamie MacDonald debuted her first, self-titled album last Friday!

This record includes your favorite #1 hits from Jamie, including Desperate and Left It In The River, and has many new ones you’re sure to love. With raw honesty, worship, and humble vulnerability, this album is sure to touch your heart in more ways than one!

Learn more about Jamie MacDonald’s new album here!

Last week, the Ohio State Fair announced For KING & Country as a part of their concert lineup this summer!

The Australian brother duo will stop by the state fair on August 3rd, and will be seen in the Ohio State Fair’s Celeste Center! You can find more information about For KING & COUNTRY on our website here!

Tickets can be purchased online here!

We had a stumper from last week! These Song Poetry lyrics are worth two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Here were this week’s lyrics:

And I don’t need to see it to believe it
For my whole life, You’ve been that all I’ve needed
And I, I’ve felt You in the fire and the rain

This week’s Song Poetry was, once again, a stumper! If you think you know the song title and artist these lyrics are from, tune in next week for a chance to potentially win three $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

On Wednesday, there will be a shortened version of The Afternoon Drive. The show will end at 4:40 to start the MVNU Cougars Women’s Basketball . We’ll see you here at 4pm for a condensed Who Knew Wednesday!

Thank you for listening!
– Xander and Ethan

January 27, 2026 0

The NZ Top 10 for 1/23/2026

On this week’s top 10 list, we saw songs shift up and down, with a new song entering the chart! Here is this week’s countdown:

10. Phil Wickham – What An Awesome God (former #1 for 12 weeks)

09. For KING & COUNTRY ft. Taylor Hill – World On Fire

08. Chris Tomlin – How Good It Is

07. Josiah Queen & Brandon Lake – Can’t Steal My Joy (former #1 for 4 weeks)

06. Crowder – STILL

05. TobyMac – Heaven On My Mind

04. Seph Schlueter – Won’t Start Now

03. Lauren Daigle – Let It Be A Hallelujah

02. Jeremy Camp – No Survivors (6th week at #2)

01. Jamie MacDonald – Left It In The River (8th week at #1)

New Artist On WNZR:

Peter Burton

Peter Burton is from California, and seeks to write songs to lead people to hope. When overcoming mental illness, Peter would experience the beauty of how blessing and suffering can go hand in hand, and how faith can transcend feelings. The message of hope he brings is solely through Jesus Christ – the foundation of his life and music.

Peter’s solo career may have just begun, but he is well-versed in the industry, having written for and toured with Lincoln Brewster, and joining Matthew West on his Don’t Stop Praying Tour. He also helped start Thrive Worship, contributing to their first album which charted at #1 on Billboard charts.

God’s Word AND Giveaways?!

Most importantly, the Spirit of God lives in each believer, knitting us together so powerfully that the Bible compares us to the interconnected parts of the human body. First Corinthians 12:13 says, “We were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body”—the body of Christ.

God often works in our lives through others who love Him, whether they’re near or far, known or new acquaintances. In our loneliest times, we can ask Him to send His people—even as we offer ourselves to be used by Him to encourage others. Click HERE to read more!

God said, “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing.” These verses were spoken to Israel during their exile in Babylon—a period of deep despair and longing for restoration. God commanded His people to not fixate on their past failures or the pain of captivity but to look forward to the new work He was about to do—a new and more significant exodus—their deliverance from Babylon and return to their homeland. He wasn’t just erasing the past but “making a way” (v. 19) to a future filled with hope and purpose.

Instead of dwelling on failures or regrets, let’s trust that God has “scrubbed” our past sins, regrets, and shame and—through Jesus’ sacrifice (Hebrews 10:10)—“remembers [our] sins no more” (Isaiah 43:25). God propels us toward the future He’s preparing. Click HERE to read more

Congratulations to Wyatt for guessing the WinterJam Trivia correctly and taking home a pair of WinterJam 2026 passes!

Congratulations to Robin of Fredericktown for guessing our Beat The Box Office Giveaway for the Ohio State Fair! For more information go to our website wnzr.fm!

We had a stumper for this week’s Name That Tune, but come back next week for a chance to win TWO $5 to Watts Restaurant in Utica!!

Tune in Tomorrow with Ethan and Joe for the NZ Top 10!

Thanks so much for listening!

– Joe and Gabriella 🙂

January 22, 2026 0

Get a hug in your cheesy socks!

Today is one of those wacky celebration days on two fronts:

1- National Hugging Day! (from DaysofTheYear.com)
The best way you can celebrate this holiday is by hugging people! Hug your mom, your dad, your grandparents, your kids – hug everyone you know. You also might want to raise awareness of why National Hugging Day is so important. It is an opportunity to push back against fear and isolation and join together as communities. Everyone agrees that there’s a need for more love and compassion in the world.

Hugging helps to break down both physical and emotional barriers between people.

2 – National Cheesy Socks Day!
It wasn’t that long ago that socks were simply a utilitarian accessory that had no other purpose than keeping those feet warm. But in this modern day, socks have become a fashionable way for people to express themselves. And the more outrageous the better.

For King & Country was announced as The Ohio State Fair’s Christian artist in their concert lineup! You can see them at the Celeste Center on August 3rd at this summer’s fair!

This week, we have been giving away Beat The Box Office tickets by playing for King & Country Name That Tune!

Anna from Mount Vernon was today’s winner for our giveaway on The Afternoon Drive. Keep listening on The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive on Thursday for your chance to win!

For King & Country will be seen at the Ohio State Fair, in the Celeste Center, so don’t forget this date: This summer, August 3rd! Regular ticket sales go live on Friday!

For more information, go to our Facebook post HERE!

I was born January 21, 1940 in Columbus, Ohio.
I played football and golf at Ohio State, eventually settling on golf.
I was AP’s Athlete of the Decade for the 1970’s.
I won 18 major championships, including 6 Masters tournaments!
I now stay involved hosting the Memorial Tournament and designing courses.

I am… Jack Nicklaus!

Congratulations to Keryn from Mount Vernon for calling in and correctly guessing correctly, taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

If you tune in from 4-6pm on Thursday, you’ll have one more chance to win a pair of WinterJam 2026 passes and a pair of Beat The Box Office tickets to see for King & Country at the Ohio State Fair! And of course, we will be singing worship music and sharing devotionals throughout the show.

We’ll see you here tomorrow!
– Joe and Ethan

January 21, 2026 0

Chris Tomlin Talks About WinterJam 2026!

WinterJam 2026 is finally arriving in Ohio this Saturday! We’ve been anticipating their arrival to Columbus, Ohio by talking with the WNZR artists that are a part of this year’s lineup! We wrapped up our conversations with Chris Tomlin! You can listen to our conversation here:

WinterJam isn’t the only big concert we’re excited to cover! This morning, the Ohio State Fair announced their Christian artist taking part in their concert series this Summer 2026! This year’s artist is none other than for King & Country!

We’re celebrating this announcement by giving away “Win It Before You Can Buy Them” tickets by playing for King & Country Name That Tune!

Linda from Utica was our first winner for our giveaway on The Afternoon Drive. Keep listening on The Morning Thing and The Afternoon Drive Wednesday and Thursday for your chance to win!

For King & Country will be seen at the Ohio State Fair, in the Celeste Center, this summer on August 3rd! Regular ticket sales go live on Friday!

For more information, go to our Facebook post HERE!

On top of our two ticket giveaways, we also played a game of Song Poetry for our $5 Watts Restaurant gift card giveaway!

Here were this week’s lyrics:

And I don’t need to see it to believe it
For my whole life, You’ve been that all I’ve needed
And I, I’ve felt You in the fire and the rain

This week’s Song Poetry was a stumper! If you think you know the song title and artist these lyrics are from, tune in next week for a chance to win two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica!

Tune in on Wednesday for another chance to win a pair of WinterJam 2026 passes and a chance to win “Win It Before You Can Buy Them” tickets to see for King & Country at the Ohio State Fair! You’ll also hear some fun facts for Who Knew Wednesday!

Thank you for listening!
– Xander and Ethan

January 20, 2026 0

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