Your tax dollars at work… I’m sure you’re familiar with Dolly Parton‘s Imagination Library. The incredible program offers free books monthly to children from birth until they turn 5 years old in an effort to improve childhood literacy and get kids reading. It does this by teaming up with local partners like nonprofits, libraries, school districts, or cities to cover the cost of the books, while the Imagination Library administers the program. These local partners get funding through donations and fundraising, but also in many instances through government funding. And in California, quite a bit of that funding has gone missing – to the tune of $1 million that can’t be accounted for. The California State Library created a nonprofit to administer the Imagination Library program. The nonprofit, called Strong Reader Partnership, was initially allocated $19 million, but issues with the Strong Reader Partnership caused state lawmakers to redirect funds directly to the Dollywood Foundation. Despite the state deciding that the money should go directly to Dolly to administer the program, the nonprofit still reported spending around $1.2 million, but could only provide receipts for around $555,000, meaning there was around $650,000 unaccounted for. $325,000 of the $1.1 million went to a company called Sage Strategies for consulting work, with invoices failing to detail what work was actually done beyond describing it as “general consulting.” Oh, and the consulting company’s CEO, Sonya Harris, also served as the Strong Reader Partnership’s executive director. Must have been a pretty sweet gig… There was also $581,708.55 that went to a marketing firm, including $125,000 for a webpage – which lawmakers say doesn’t exist. And then there was a $7,000 monthly fee for bookkeeping services, totaling around $110,000 and including a $40,000 “setup fee” for the organization which had totaled fewer than 100 transactions. Paying a bookkeeper $1,100 per transaction is the kind of inefficiency and waste that could only be accomplished by the government… During a recent hearing, California state senators from both parties blasted the State Librarian (a job that kinda seems like a waste of money itself, but what do I know) and accused the nonprofit of wasting money while trying to take credit for work that was actually done by Dolly’s foundation: “You can’t tell me what students you enrolled. You’re piggybacking and say you get credit for what Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library did.” Despite the issues, the Dollywood Foundation has still managed to reach over 160,000 children and deliver 2.9 million books since launching in June 2023. Which just proves that if you need somebody to do something right, don’t ask the government: Leave it to Dolly. Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library The country music legend first launched the Imagination Library in 1995 for children in her home of Sevier County, Tennessee. Since then, the program has expanded to all 50 states, with nearly half of states providing some kind of government funding for its operation. As of 2022, the program was sending out 2 million books to children every month, and in 2023 Dolly’s Imagination Library sent out its 200 millionth book. By 2024, 1 in 7 children, or nearly 14%, received monthly books from the Imagination Library. Just an absolutely incredible program, which makes it all the more infuriating that the government managed to mishandle – or worse – the money.The post California Can’t Account For $1 Million In Taxpayer Money Meant For Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library first appeared on Whiskey Riff.

Did John Sansone and Ella Langley really date? He gave us a straight answer! Continue reading…

Never know who you’re going to run into. A lot of people come to Nashville and hit up Broadway expecting to see their favorite country artists everywhere they turn. But unfortunately for them, there aren’t many artists who hang out on Broadway these days. Sure, you might run into Kid Rock at his bar, or the occasional artist downtown for an event. But for the most part, locals – artists included – generally avoid Broadway. I mean, could you imagine if Luke Bryan tried to walk into a bar down there and have a drink? It would be madness. But here’s a secret: There are plenty of off-the-beaten-path places where artists DO hang out. And one of those is Skinny Dennis in east Nashville. I almost hate to even tell people about this place, because I don’t want to blow up one of my favorite spots or give away all the hidden gems in Nashville, but Skinny Dennis has quickly become a go-to local hotspot since opening last year. The little honky tonk is a great place for locals to hang out, have some good drinks, and hear great country music. And apparently even Zach Top is a fan. Videos posted to TikTok show the “I Never Lie” popping into Skinny Dennis earlier this week and hopping up on stage for a surprise performance of the Ronnie Milsap classic “Don’t You Ever Get Tired (Of Hurting Me).” @countrydumpty #zachtop graced the stage of skinny dennis in east nashville last night ♬ original sound – countrydumpty It’s not the first time Zach has popped into the popular local bar: Video from last years shows him on stage performing the Keith Whitley hit “I’m Over You.” @countrydumpty Zach Top surprised everyone @ Skinny Dennis in Nashville a couple nights ago! #zachtop #countrymusic ♬ original sound – countrydumpty These are the kind of things that makes it so much fun to live in Nashville. There’s so much talent in this city, and you never really know who could be standing next to you – or who could walk in the door and hop on stage. Lainey Wilson recently even spoke about the difficulty of going incognito and living a normal life – which apparently for her isn’t a problem until it comes time to talk thanks to her recognizable southern drawl: “I could be at Walgreens or Walmart, and as soon as I’m checking out at the counter, the cashier will kind of look at me weird. There’s no hiding the voice.” Luckily in Nashville there’s an unspoken rule among locals to leave celebrities alone when you see them going on about their lives out in public. It’s not exactly uncommon to see country stars at the grocery store, or the mall – or even your local bar. But for the most part people in Nashville are pretty good about just letting them go on about their lives. (Obviously it’s different on Broadway, which is full of tourists who are here on the lookout for country stars). I’ve seen a few major country artists at my favorite dive bar, but for the most part everybody leaves them alone – and lets them take the mic if they want to hop up on stage for a song or two. I just hope this doesn’t mean tourists are going to start posting up at Skinny Dennis and waiting for Zach Top to come in. Don’t ruin it for the artists and everybody else, just enjoy the moment if you happen to be in the right place at the right time. @justinamaker Our good friend @Zach Top made an appearance at Skinny Dennis in East Nashville last night! ♬ original sound – Justin Amaker The post WATCH: Zach Top Stopped By An East Nashville Bar & Delivered A Surprise Performance Of A Ronnie Milsap Classic first appeared on Whiskey Riff.