Driving Notes

Who Knew fact checks: Can you smell the rain? Yes! A combination of plant oils and bacteria-produced compounds create an earthy smell. This phenomenon is called petrichor.  

Who Knew fact checks: National Cherries Jubilee Day! Defined by its dramatic table-side presentation and a delicious contrast of flavors and textures. The dessert combines a warm, flamed cherry sauce with cool, creamy vanilla ice cream. It’s a classic dessert where pitted cherries are simmered in a sweet syrup, then flambéed with brandy or kirsch, and served hot over vanilla ice cream. 

Who Knew – See you at the pole! Today is National See You at the Pole Day! In the early 1990s a small group of teenagers in Burleson, Texas, came together at a flagpole and prayed. Over 45,000 teenagers met at school flagpoles in four different states to pray before the start of school. Over 69 countries participate with over one million students in “see you at the pole”. Go to www.wnzr.fm to see several special videos for 2025’s Global Week of Student Prayer and the 2025 See You at the Pole event! The Global Week of Student Prayer is THIS WEEK (September 21^st through 27^th). At WNZR, we are planning two special times of prayer and praise during the week. Tune in at 7:30am on The Morning Thing and 5:25pm on The Afternoon Drive. We will be sharing your prayer requests and praise reports. Go to wnzr.fm and click on the Prayer Request banner. 

To learn more about how to participate in today’s holiday click here.

-Gabriella and Joe 🙂

National swap ideas day- Share creative and helpful ideas and receive ideas in return. TedTalks, bible studies, read books, and brainstorm! Collaboration and teamwork!

Who Knew fact checks: Oscar the Grouch from Sesame Street was orange? He was ordinally orange in the first season then had to switch to green so it would film better, but the storyline in the show was he became covered in swamp moss from a vacation to Swamp Mushy Muddy. 

Who Knew fact checks: Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse voice actors were married? Yes — the longtime voice actors for Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse were married in real life. Wayne Allwine was the official voice of Mickey Mouse from 1977 until his death in 2009. Russi Taylor became the voice of Minnie Mouse in 1986 and continued until her death in 2019. The two met through their work at Disney and married in 1991. So, for nearly two decades, Mickey and Minnie’s voices were also husband and wife off-screen. 

We shared a few quotes to stay motivated through this hard time for America and for Christians.

Isiah 54:10 “Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed, says the lord, who has compassion on you period”

Psalm 147:3 “He heals the wounds of every shattered heart.”

Revelation 21:4 “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

Who Am I?  

1. I was born on September 10, 1929, in Latrobe, Pennsylvania. 

2. My father was the head professional and greenskeeper at the local country club. 

3. I won 62 PGA Tour titles, including seven major championships, including four Masters. 

4. There is an iced tea–lemonade drink named after me! 

5. I received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2004 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2009. I passed away in 2016. 

I am… Arnold Palmer! Congratulations to Denise of Utica for calling in and winning a $5 gift card to Watts restaurant in Utica!

Thank you so much for listening!

– Gabriella and Ethan

Remember that we are On The Road With Big Blue today, tomorrow and Friday at the 48th Fredericktown Tomato Show. Join Marcy and the Big Blue Crew for live updates!

Find out more by clicking here!

Did you know that today is National Skyscraper Day? From DaysoftheYear.com:

It celebrates architects who commit a dream to paper and the construction crews that make it reality.

The day is celebrated on September 3 each year, as this is the anniversary of the birth of Louis H. Sullivan, the American architect who was influential in the world of building tall buildings and was even called the “father of skyscrapers”.

Although the United States was the place where the tallest buildings started in cities like Chicago and New York, others around the world have taken up the design and building of these architectural wonders.

In fact, today’s tallest building in the world, with 163 floors, is called the Burj Khalifa and is located in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

1. I was born on September 3, 1942, in Lima, Ohio, and later moved with my family to California.
2. I co-founded The Beach Boys in 1961 with Brian, Carl, and Dennis Wilson, and Mike Love.
3. I left the band temporarily to attend dental school but soon returned to the group full-time.
4. I often sang lead on songs such as the 1965 #1 hit, “Help Me, Rhonda.”
5. I also released a 2010 solo album, A Postcard from California.

I am… Al Jardine!

Congratulations to Bonnie from Mount Vernon for calling in and correctly guessing who this was, taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Tune in on Thursday for Praise Thursday, and a game of Name That Tune!

Thank you for listening!
– Joe, Gabriella, and Ethan

We got to learn more about National Banana Lovers and National Tug Of War Day for Who Knew Wednesday on The Afternoon Drive!

If you love bananas, today is your day! These yellow, curved berries are loved all around the world, and feature in many meals, snacks, and smoothie drinks as well!

How can you celebrate this day? Well quite simply, you can enjoy one with a friend or with family! Or you could watch a fun movie that’s jungle or banana themed! Curious George would be a great option to watch with kids, and to get them to eat their bananas alongside George!

Read more about National Banana Lovers Day by clicking HERE!

Today, we celebrate a game we grew up playing, Tug Of War!

Did you know Tug Of War was a sport that was professionally played in the Olympics? It was a sport for 20 years (1900-1920), and had teams of six on each side!

How can you celebrate this day? Well, simply grab some friends and/or family and enjoy a friendly, competitive game of tug of war and test your strength!

Learn more about National Tug Of War Day by clicking HERE!

Here are your five biographical hints about our famous mystery person!

1. I was born today, August 27th in 1908, and lived until January 22nd, 1973 to be 64 years of age.
2. I was a politician, but before that, I worked as a teacher at a Mexican-American school in Texas.
3. I was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1937 and later served as a U.S. Senator from Texas, where I became Senate Majority Leader in the late 50s.
4. I became U.S. president in 1963 after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
5. My presidency was known for landmark legislation, including the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and the Great Society programs aimed at reducing poverty.

I am… President Lyndon B. Johnson!

Congratulations to Ester from Mount Vernon for calling in and guessing him, taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Tune in tomorrow as we take some time to slow down, breathe, listen to worship music, and read some devotionals on Praise Thursday!

Thank you so much for listening!
– Ethan Hershberger

Today on Who Knew Wednesday, we talk about some fun facts, but also some practical facts, such as August 1^st through August 12^th being a time where your expenses are tax free!

Originally meant for strictly back-to-school shopping, the state of Ohio holds a tax-free season where “almost all tangible personal property priced at $500 of less is tax-free.” This year, the news is that the state of Ohio is making more than just school supplies tax-exempt, making items like electronics, clothing, home goods, sporting goods, food & beverages, and so many more things tax-free until August 14th!

Enjoy some time where your personal purchases are tax-free until August 14th! If you want to learn more information on what is tax-free and how these sales are handled, click the Ohio Department of Taxation article HERE!

We also were On The Road With Big Blue during the show at the Hartford Fair, and we got to talk with Eric Brown from the Big Blue Crew about all that was going on! There was an exciting Monster Truck show that went on and we got to hear all about the history of the Hartford Fair! You can recap the schedule from the Hartford Fair by clicking HERE!

Today we played a game of Who Am I?. Here were the five clues to our mystery person today!

1. I was born today, August 6^th, in 1965; I’m married to my wife Valarie and we have two children!
2. I am a follower of Jesus, as well as a philanthropist! I founded the Carver Academy, which is a private school in San Antonio, which was later turned into a charter school network.
3. I was selected as the #1 pick in the 1987 NBA Draft.
4. I didn’t join the Spurs until 1989 due to my commitment to serve in the U.S. Navy for two years, where I got nicknamed “The Admiral”.
5. I was a member of the iconic 1992 “Dream Team”, which was the first U.S. Olympic basketball team to feature active NBA players.

Who Am I?

Today was a stumper! That means next week we’ll be giving away two $5 gift cards to Watts Restaurant in Utica if you can be the first person to call in and give us the correct answer next Wednesday on The Afternoon Drive! Tune in tomorrow for Praise Thursday, where we take time to slow down, listen to worship music and read some devotionals! We’ll also play a game of Name That Tune.

Thank you so much for listening!
– Ethan Hershberger

For your Who Knew Wednesday today, we talked about National Cheesecake and National Share A Hug Day!

Today is a day where you’re encouraged to share a hug with your friends, family, or whoever may need one! How did this day start? It was by a man named Mike Brundritt. This is his story:

I am Mike Brundritt, I once lived a wonderful life. I was married to the woman of my dreams with plans to be married forever, and had spent 19yrs together. We both had successful jobs, were positive members of the community, and our church. We were raising two great sons; our oldest son was involved with every sport he could play, while our youngest enjoyed video games. As a family, friends and other family members have always surrounded us and have been a part of our lives. I would have said I was pretty fortunate.

On the afternoon of July 30, 2017, everything changed, we were returning home from a family vacation, camping. During our drive we were involved in a motor vehicle collision in which we were hit from behind by a transport truck. This collision, in the blink of an eye changed my whole world. My wife and oldest son passed away immediately. My youngest son and I both survived the accident but we both have mental issues since, and I am also recovering from back injuries. It has been a long road to make a recovery, and it still is.

Fast forward to the first anniversary of the accident. A few days before the anniversary I was thinking of ways that I could honour and remember my wife and son. I was remembering how much of a loving family we were, always sharing hugs, both as a greeting, or a goodbye. It was also a way to say I love you. A hug was also shared between many friends after the accident. A hug is a special connection between people that lets each other know they are cared about. The idea came to me that I could start a hug day to honour the lives of my family.

I woke up on July 30, 2018 with the idea that I wanted to start a special day, the problem was that I did not know how to start it. I started with a post on my facebook profile, and it was shared with friends. Friends and family then shared my message further, and the message magically took off. Within days it was shared across Canada, to various parts of the United States, to England, Lebanon, and Australia. I was contacted by the local news and my message was spread even more. I was amazed how fast and far my message has travelled.

You can find the full article talking about National Share A Hug Day on daysoftheyear.com by clicking HERE!

Today is also National Cheesecake Day!

You can celebrate by enjoying your favorite cheesecake, either by making it yourself or by going out to your favorite cheesecake bakery and enjoying some!

Who knew cheesecake dates back all the way with the Ancient Greeks around 200 AD! This sweet dessert is believed to be one of the first made in the world.

You can read more of the full article talking about National Cheesecake Day by clicking HERE!

We played a game of Who Am I? today! Here were the five biographical hints about our mystery famous person:

1. I was born today, July 30, 1863 in Dearborn, Michigan.
2. I was married to Clara Bryant in 1888, and we had one son named Edsel, who later took over my company.
3. In 1908, I created the first car that was affordable for middle-class Americans, and that car was called the Model T.
4. In 1903, I introduced the moving assembly line, which assisted in reducing production time and cost of the Model T.
5. I was best friends with Thomas Edison, and I credit him often for encouraging me to pursue my automobile ideas.

I am… Henry Ford!

Congratulations to Kari from Newark for calling in and guessing him correctly, taking home a $5 gift card to Watts Restaurant in Utica! Tune in tomorrow for some devotions and worship music during Praise Thursday!

Thank you so much for listening!
– Joe and Ethan