Thursday 19th March 2026

November Pack the Backpack winner!

What a great event we have with Pack the Backpack, presented by Central Office Supply, a division of Minuteman and Kix 101.1! Each month during the school year, we will be awarding $101 to a Kix Country classroom to help out with supplies. We will award the prize on the last Wednesday of the month. You can listen to each new winner at 8:30a on the Morning Kix Start.

Our November winner is the ELL Teacher at South Tama County Elementary, Mr. Matt Beatty. Matt was nominated by his girlfriend, Kirstyn Vest who is certainly proud of his accomplishments in the classroom. Here is the letter nominating Mr. Beatty:

Hey kix my name is Kirstyn and my funny caring goofy boyfriend Matt Beatty is the ELL teacher at south tama county elementary. He graduated from Upperiowa and moved two hours away from hometown to teach in this district. His passion for his job is endless any where we go in town and see students all of them are “Hey Mr Beatty” sometimes I feel like I’m with a hometown celebrity. It’s very hard for outside people to understand what all the job of teaching entails but I see it first hand between late-night projects and material preparation i honestly don’t know how some people do it. He does that and then some including coaching football and track through out the year. Every time we go to Walmart or target he always getting little organizal items for his classroom/students and recently got his own laminator so he didn’t have to spend late nights at the school laminating learning tools. He is one of few male teachers at the elementary so he is a great role model for many students because he connects with them on their level is very real with them. I think he would be a good pick for pack the backpack because his students learning and well being is always at the top of his list even if he has to use his own money to achieve that so this would just be the little extra help he needs to keep achieving all those goals with his students.

Below you can listen into my interview with Matt and watch his reaction here!

Nominate your Kix Country class by submitting a letter to us at backpack@kixweb.com.

 

More Episodes

the-list-2025-2
Jonathan Knight

The List for Wednesday, March 18th 2026

Welcome to The List,

Today we start with Wedding bells or preseason whistles. That’s the Taylor Swift Travis Kelce dilemma today. A source claims the couple may marry before NFL preseason kicks off. Apparently, they’re confident babies and blitz packages can peacefully coexist.

Because nothing screams romance like scheduling vows around training camp.

Love finds a way. Even through football drills.

-----

Hollywood’s favorite Spider couple might be spinning a new web. Sources say Zendaya and Tom Holland want a baby in 2026. They reportedly care more about family life than blockbuster fame. Meanwhile fans are just hoping their kid gets both accents. Tiny superhero incoming. Diapers with dramatic flair.

-----

Luke Combs just crushed every stylist’s wildest country fantasy. He told GQ you’ll never see him wearing a unitard on stage. He says he’ll stay himself. Hat, boots, and relatable dad vibes. How or WHY that question got brought up is a mystery…Then he pitched country stars for the Super Bowl halftime show. No spandex. Yes steel guitars. America wins.

-----

Country music meets coconut water survival tactics tonight. Zac Brown appears on Survivor for the reward challenge. He’s bringing legit spearfishing skills to impress hungry contestants. Because if you’re a country star you should be able to catch dinner barefoot. Vote him off? That seems deeply unwise.

You can catch The List, weekday afternoons with Jonathan Knight. Only on Iowa’s BEST Country KIX 101.1

 
Listen Now »