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Why the Sunshine Skyway Bridge Will Be Lit Purple Tonight

If you’re doing that heart-racing drive over the Sunshine Skyway tonight, you’ll notice a unique color pattern on those new bridge lights. Families will gather at sunset for a lighting…

Sunshine Skyway Bridge
Knight/BBGI

If you're doing that heart-racing drive over the Sunshine Skyway tonight, you'll notice a unique color pattern on those new bridge lights. Families will gather at sunset for a lighting ceremony as the Skyway will be lit up in purple. You might even see some today wearing a silver badge. Why purple? What's the occasion?


The bridge lighting and badges are to bring awareness to the drug overdose problem. International Drug Overdose Awareness Day commemorates those who lost their lives to drug overdose, according to the Edward M. Kennedy Community Health Center. 600 a month die in the Tampa area alone, according to a mother who lost a child to an overdose in the above tweet from Bay News 9 reporter Fadia Patterson.


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8 Of The Most Shocking Breakups In Country Music

Country music is very much a family affair to fans, and many superstars refer to their fans as "friends," so when a friend is hurting and going through a tough breakup, it's a big deal to the fans.

Being in the music business is not easy on a marriage, and sometimes when a country star and their significant other break up, it is a shock, like this week when Kelsea Ballerini announced that she and husband Morgan Evans were divorcing after nearly five years together as man and wife.

Here, we look at ten of the most shocking country music breakups and divorces in recent years.

Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert - Divorced in 2015

GettyImages-458409420.jpgRick Diamond/Getty Images

This one hit fans hard and was quite the shock when it was announced. It seemed both superstars were doing so well in their lives as their careers skyrocketed. Today both superstars seem very happily married to others.


Reba McEntire and Narvel Blackstock - Divorced in 2015

GettyImages-454714070.jpgAndrew Goodman/Getty Images

These two had been married for 26 years when they announced their divorce. Narvel was Reba's manager for years, and he maintained that role for a few months after their split. The rumor mill said from many sources that they split because Narvel was having an affair with one of his wife's friends.


Kelsea Ballerini and Morgan Evans - To divorce in 2022

GettyImages-913989464.jpgMike Coppola/Getty Images

These two lovebirds seemed so happy together and so loving when they posed on red carpets. But you never really know what's going on in people's lives.


Carly Pearce and Michael Ray - Divorced in 2020

GettyImages-1141068495.jpgEthan Miller/Getty Images

These two were married for only a handful of months before they split. While we don't know what really happened, Carly left many clues in her '29' album, which sings of heartache and a man doing her wrong. Her song "What he Didn't Do" starts with the lines, "Everybody's asking what the hell happened / Wondering why it all went wrong / Mama always said, 'if you can't say something nice /Then don't say anything at all.'"


Shania Twain and Mutt Lange - Divorced in 2010

GettyImages-2019814.jpgRobert Mora/Getty Images

Everyone knows what happened in this divorce because Shania told the media just what occurred. Mutt had an affair with a close friend of hers, and that was the end. In a twist, Twain ended up marrying the husband of her friend, Frédéric Thiébaud, and they married in 2011 and are still together.


Kelly Clarkson and Brandon Blackstock - Divorced in 2020

GettyImages-159826380.jpgWin McNamee/Getty Images

No one knows precisely what happened to these two, but it was contentious as Clarkson and Blackstock battled in the courts for property. The couple both reside part-time in Montana, separately, but close enough so the kids can see both parents. At least that's what Kelly told GMA recently after returning from taking the summer off to be with the kids in Montana.


Garth Brooks and Sandy Mahl - Divorced in 2001

GettyImages-1393780333.jpgMichael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Although Garth and Trisha Yearwood were destined to be together, fans were still shocked when he divorced his first wife and mother of his three daughters. Brooks and Yearwood just recently celebrated their 16th wedding anniversary.


Kenny Chesney and Renee Zellweger - Marriage annulled in 2005

Blank-1556-x-1176-184.jpgFrederick Brown, Amanda Edwards/Getty Images

These two stars were married just for a few months before they called it quits. No one really knows why.

GenoEditor
Hear Geno on the air weekday afternoons. Geno's passions include fat guy food, concerts, sports, travel to Europe and South America. He loves 80s and 90s music, from MTV hairbands to old school freestyle, alternative rock to TRL era jams. Geno's radio career began in his hometown of Portland, Maine. Since then he's been on the air coast to coast from Boston to Las Vegas, Tampa to California.