Brandon Lewis
February 18, 2026
Wednesday 18th February 2026
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 Mr. Zac Ceresa, 5th Grade Social Studies Teacher at Grinnell Middle School. He was nominated by his co-woker, Brenna Vogel. Here is what Brenna wrote to Kix 101.1.:
I would like to nominate Zac Ceresa for the Pack the Backpack award. He is a first year teacher at Grinnell Middle School teaching 5th grade Social Studies. He has so much enthusiasm for his subject AND for his students! I can hear him teaching because we share a wall and there is so much engagement from the kids because there is so much energy coming from Zac. He addresses them by name in the halls, remembers their birthdays with a note on their locker, and even spontaneously bursts into song! Knowing he is nearby brings a smile to our faces.
Thank you,
Brenna Vogel
Take a listen to our surprise interview with Mr. Ceresa below!
Nominate your Kix Country class by submitting a letter to us at backpack@kixweb.com.
Welcome to The List,
Keith Urban is reportedly planning a Bahamas getaway with Nicole Kidman and their daughters to reconnect as a family. Because nothing fixes family tension like sunshine, ocean views, and drinks with tiny umbrellas. Sources say the Bahamas is neutral territory, not tied to Nashville, LA, or lawyers.
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AJ McLean says it’s time for a ‘90s pop Super Bowl halftime show featuring Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, NSYNC, and 98 Degrees. Basically, he wants the halftime show to look like your middle school dance playlist. And honestly, I’m not mad. One “Bye Bye Bye” dance break and half of America is throwing out a knee.
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Megan Moroney is doing something shocking in 2026…charging affordable ticket prices. Her new “Cloud 9” pop-up tour is nine shows in nine cities for just nine bucks a ticket. Nine dollars. That’s less than a beer, less than parking, and definitely less than your emotional support concert hoodie.
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Hollywood legend Robert Duvall has passed at 95, and Tim McGraw paid tribute to his Tender Mercies co-star and friend. Tim said they even texted each other over the years about movies and memories. Which is wild, because somewhere out there was Robert Duvall…just casually texting Tim McGraw like, “Hey man, Tender Mercies is on again.”
You can catch The List weekday afternoons at 4:20 with Jonathan Knight. Only on Iowa’s BEST Country KIX 101.1
