Russell Dickerson and his wife, Kailey, are growing their family once again. The couple proudly announced they are expecting their third child together, sharing the exciting news with fans in a sweet social media post on Wednesday (July 30).
The announcement came in the form of a beachside video soundtracked by “Famous Back Home,” Dickerson’s song that celebrates the importance of family and feeling the most pride about the life he’s built at home. The montage opens with Kailey holding her growing baby bump as she watches the waves roll in before showing the couple soaking up quality time with their two sons, Remington, 5, and Radford, 3.
Photos Courtesy of Russell Dickerson, Kailey Dickerson
Dickerson’s voice can be heard delivering the last chorus of the tune, which documents the emotions of finding out some “good news” after taking a Walgreens test and seeing two lines appear.
“Hey baby, I got some good news/ Took a Walgreens test and it’s true”/ Little lines, tears in her eyes, “You’re the best dad that I know,” it’s/ Paper planes and tire swings spinnin’/ A slow dance alone in the kitchen/ One more face in that hallway Hall of Fame framed in gold/ I’m livin’ the dream, yeah, I’m a household name/ I got everything here at Kevin Court 108/ Yeah, I’m famous back home.”
Throughout the video, the family exudes so much happiness as they share hugs, laughs, and memorable moments on the beach as they prepare to become a family of five.
The couple captioned the post, “One more face in that hallway hall of fame. ✨🖼️✨”
They received a tremendous amount of love in the comment section from fans as well as fellow country artists and their wives.
Carly Pearce wrote, “AWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!”
Emily Ann Roberts gushed, “Omg!!!! I’m so thrilled for yall!!!🤍”
Jason Aldean’s wife Brittany said “Eeeeeeeeek❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️” while Luke Combs’ other half commented “YAYAYYY!!!”
Russell and Kailey first met in 2008 while attending Belmont University in Nashville and then tied the knot in 2013. They welcomed their first son Remington Remington Edward Dickerson in September 10, 2020 followed by their second son, Radford Arthur Dickerson, who arrived on October 1, 2023.
Russell Dickerson, Kailey Dickerson; Photo Courtesy of Facebook
In between those joyful moments Kailey opened up about suffering a miscarriage in 2022, sharing a gut-wrenching message about the pain she endured after losing a child at eight weeks.
“It felt like drowning and trying to swim towards sun to find the surface,” she shared. “I didn’t know if I’d ever share this, but something about going into this next year, I needed to leave this news in 2022. The loss; however, is something that will always be written into our story. I know I’ll share more about it when I’m ready, but for now, and for the last several months, I’m holding these two extra close…,” she wrote at the time.
The couple has found so much light in their lives since that time, and with another baby on the way, they have so much to celebrate as a family.
The news arrives just a few months after Russell Dickerson wrapped up his headlining RUSSELLMANIA Tour in May. His schedule has remained packed throughout the summer with performances at fairs and festivals and he will continue with various shows through October.
That’s a little awkward, since this has left her husband to man Live with Kelly and Mark without half of the eponymous hosting team.
Why is Kelly gone? Who is stepping in for her?
And when will she return?
Kelly Ripa attends Let’s Talk Off Camera with Kelly Ripa on July 07, 2026. (Photo Credit: Noam Galai/Getty Images for SiriusXM)
Where is she?
On Thursday, July 30, Pamela Adlon sat with Mark Consuelos as his guest co-host on Live With Kelly and Mark.
Adlon is only one guest host in a rotation.
Meanwhile, Kelly has been absent from the show all week.
Hunky husband Mark has provided periodic updates on her recovery.
Kelly, meanwhile, has only appeared on social media — mostly in reposted content.
Kelly’s absence is due to her gum graft surgery.
Mark explained to the audience that, while she recovers, she simply cannot appear on the show.
There are some surgeries that might allow someone to participate in a show remotely, if only to reassure fans.
But gum graft surgery, which addresses receding gumlines and helps to stave off tooth decay, is not one such procedure.
We hope that Kelly is recovering well and is as comfortable as humanly possible, under the circumstances.
When will she return?
Adlon appeared as a guest last week.
Thursday, she was a guest host on the program.
If you are not familiar Adlon is an actor, writier, and producer.
If you don’t know Adlon for FX’s Better Things, you’ve still likely heard the actor’s voice as Bobby on King of the Hill.
(Seriously, Better Things is pretty well reviewed. FX’s programming tends to be top-notch, as it’s one of the few remaining networks that seems to care more about television than about business numbers.)
Just weeks before he was set to head overseas, Bailey Zimmerman has announced the cancellation of the UK and European leg of his Different Night Same Rodeo Tour.
The country act was originally set to bring his 2026 headline run to the UK on August 27 and continue with stops across Ireland, Netherlands, Germany and Sweden before wrapping up in Oslo, NO on September 12.
Photo Courtesy of Bailey Zimmerman
Zimmerman shared the unfortunate news with fans via social media on Thursday (July 30), revealing that he made the difficult decision to cancel the upcoming shows so he could remain focused on “important family matters.”
“To my fans, I wanted to let you all know personally that I unfortunately have to cancel my UK/Europe shows. This was not an easy decision, and it kills me to have to cancel because I know how excited everyone is… but right now I need to take this time to focus on important family matters,” Zimmerman explained.
He assured his fans that “everything is okay” but he feels that he needs to prioritize his loved ones at this time.
In addition to canceling the UK and European leg of the tour, the “Chevy Silverado” singer said he plans to finish his remaining North American dates through August before stepping away again to “focus on me, my family and new music.”
Zimmerman apologized to all his fans who are disappointed by this news, but thanked everyone who has shown him support during this time.
“Once again I’m so sorry to everybody that has waited so long… I hope y’all can understand that my family has to come first. Thank you for having my back on this crazy ride we call life,” he added in conclusion.
Despite the unfortunate news, fans still flooded his comment section expressing understanding for his decision to support his family.
“Love to see the priorities ❤️ Family first xx”
“Take your time BZ!! Family over anything ❤️❤️”
“we love you bro. family comes first always❤️”
“🥹 family first BEFORE your job ALWAYS🥹”
“Take time Bailey!!! We love you❤️”
According to the country star’s tour schedule, he has four remaining North American Dates before taking a break from the road. Zimmerman is next set to perform in Bethlehem, PA on August 6 before heading to the Wisconsin State Fair on August 8, the Missouri State Fair on August 13 and the Illinois State Fair on August 14.
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The infamous Mackenzie Shirilla appears in this mugshot. (Photo Credit: Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction)
A new trial?
On Tuesday, July 28, Shirilla’s news attorneys filed a writ of habeas corpus in federal court, Us Weekly reports.
The federal petition is based around the belief that key exculpatory evidence was wrongfully excluded during her original trial.
This new legal challenge also asserts that there was insufficient evidence leading to Shirilla’s conviction.
In both cases (and beyond), her new legal team says that she had ineffective counsel at trial.
As far as the excluded evidence goes, there’s an explanation for Shirilla driving where she was on the night of July 31, 2022 — one that doesn’t include her alleged intention to murder boyfriend Dominic Russo and friend Davion Flanagan.
“The prosecution theorized that the location was intended to be private in order for Shirilla to crash the vehicle without immediate attention,” her new legal team argues.
“But the defense had evidence that a local grocer had left a package of produce for Shirilla at a 24-hour pickup spot,” their filing notes.
This pickup spot was “at a store located in the vicinity of the crash scene.”
Shirilla’s attorneys wrote: “This would have provided a benign explanation for why Shirilla was driving in this particular area that morning.”
They note that this was “evidence not presented by the defendant even though the grocer testified about other matters.”
Should a minor’s case be tried in adult court?
Additionally, Shirilla’s new legal team argue that her rights were violated on a more broad level during the trial.
Specifically, she was a minor at the time of the tragic deaths of her two companions.
Her trial, they argue, was improperly transferred from juvenile court to adult court. Improper because she was still a minor and belonged in juvenile court.
If the prosecution’s theory was that an emotional teenager tried to kill herself and her companions by driving at high speed into a wall, would that not belong in a different legal venue than it would if, say, a 30-year-old had done the same?
That is, essentially, her attorneys’ argument. And, whatever we may think of Shirilla and her culpability, that seems sound.
The bit about the potentially exculpatory evidence does seem like something that a courtroom should hear.
Imagine yourself as a juror (Shirilla had a bench trial, but bear with us) and you vote to convict someone who seemingly had no possible reason for being in an area except to commit a crime.
If you later learned that they were on their way to the grocery store, but were not permitted to explain this in court, you might think that it could have influenced your verdict.
That said, we have not seen this alleged evidence. We don’t know if Shirilla was actually on her way to pick up a parcel.
Two young men died in a horrific crash that could have claimed Shirilla’s life, too. It seems likely that she has at least some culpability. Whether it’s worth two concurrent sentences of 15 years … that may be up to a new trial to determine. Or not, as the case may be.
Palmer Head Start teacher Moriah Morris sits with children. (Photo courtesy of Mark Lackey)
In Alaska, the gap between the need for childcare and the availability of services is growing, according to providers and national data. Some sources estimate it’s costing the state millions each year.
An estimated 55% of Alaska children lack reasonable access to child care, according to data compiled by the national non-profit advocacy group First Five Years Fund. Alaska childcare providers say state and federal funding to support programs is insufficient — and that rising costs mean they are able to offer less and less.
In Alaska, 60% of children have all available parents in the workforce. The cost of center-based childcare is an estimated $12,425 and over $11,000 for home-based childcare each year.
Federal and state programs provide funding for childcare and early education, but there is only enough funding to serve a fraction of eligible families in Alaska — and cost and availability of providers range widely across rural and urban regions of the state.
In the Matanuska-Susitna Borough region, Head Start programs that serve children from infancy to age five have had to decrease the number of children served by 38% in the last five years due to insufficient funding, said Mark Lackey, executive director of CSS Early Learning, which operates four sites in Palmer, Wasilla and Fairview.
“Because funding was not sufficient to cover inflation, from federal and state, and so our only option has been to ask the feds permission to serve fewer children while keeping our same amount of dollars,” he said.
“We are in the fastest-growing area of Alaska,” he added. “And we have been for many, many years. We have had waiting lists that entire time.”
Lackey estimates 40% to 50% of children in his Head Start programs are in foster care or unhoused. Those children are bumped to the top of the waitlist, followed by children with disabilities and from low income families. He said it’s well-known that the need for childcare in the region far outweighs the combined 230 slots they have available.
Statewide, an estimated 21% of eligible Alaska children from infancy to age three are served by Early Head Start, and 52% of eligible children from ages three to five are served by Head Start statewide in 2025, according to data from the national Office of Head Start.
Alaska’s 17 Head Start programs are funded through various state and federal funding sources. Lackey said Head Start received a 1% cost of living increase in federal funding this year. Federal funds for Head Start totalled $68.6 million this year, plus $13 million in state grants provided through the Alaska Department of Education and Early Development.
Lackey said federal and state funding have remained flat while costs have increased, including prices for food, utilities, fuel, employee salaries and health insurance.
“The cost of health insurance is just staggering,” he said. “So we’ve had to slowly give our employees less quality health insurance, you know, higher deductibles. Just like every business in Alaska, we have to make those same sacrifices, which makes recruiting and retaining our workforce even harder.”
This fiscal year, Gov. Mike Dunleavy vetoed $6.4 million for childcare provider recruitment and retention grants that was approved by the Legislature. He approved a total of $20.4 million for child care assistance. He also vetoed $3.7 million in additional funding for Head Start programs, retaining $16.75 million this year.
In his veto summary, the governor cited the need to preserve funds to support long-term fiscal stability. A spokesperson for Dunleavy’s office said on Wednesday that a bill the governor introduced, but that failed to advance in the Senate would have boosted the unemployment insurance trust fund, which supports grants for training and workforce development.
“The bill could have easily funded childcare services using surplus UI trust funds but for some reason the Legislature passed on this opportunity,” said Jeff Turner, communications director for Dunleavy, by email.
“That funding was crucial,” Lackey said of the vetoed money. “We can’t charge parents any more because they have all of these same inflationary pressures, and childcare already is expensive just to make the bottom lines work out.”
On the Kenai Peninsula, Laurie Mead has been working in early childcare for over 40 years and operates a licensed home-based child care business, Kyrie N’ Friends, serving 12 children.
“Right now, it’s just gotten harder and harder to find anyone that wants to work in the field of early childhood. It can be very rewarding, but at the same time, it’s high stress, low pay,” she said.
Mead said on average children are in her care for 10 hours a day, and while she wants to keep employees long term to maintain consistency for the children and families she has to compete with other employers who can offer higher wages and better benefits.
“It’s just a hard, hard thing to navigate. And you know, unfortunately, I would love to do it just because I love the kids, but I also need to make a wage as well,” she said.
Mead said she has a long waitlist, particularly for infants and toddlers, and some families have signed on to her waitlist as soon as they get pregnant. She said the cost of her daycare — $1,100 for an infant per month — is above what families receive in childcare assistance.
Mead said she wants to see more state investment because childcare is essential for families.
“It’s huge for them because they couldn’t put food on their table if they had one income. They just can’t do it,” she said. “It’s unfortunate, with inflation and things the way they are in America, not just Alaska. It takes two working parents now.”
Lost wages, tax revenue
The economic burden of the childcare gap is felt by households in lost wages, lost revenue for businesses and lost tax revenue.
According to a 2025 analysis from the non-profit advocacy group Child Care Trust, the earnings loss for households in Alaska over ten years is an estimated $1.1 billion.
For Joanne Glaves, a 29-year old single mother based in Wasilla, state childcare assistance and enrolling her two-year-old at Meadow Lakes Head Start operated by CSS Early Learning was crucial for her to be able to work and support her family. But she is one of a diminishing number of parents who have access to care.
“My mom had been caring for him while I was going to work, and she got sick suddenly and had to go to the hospital. And so, I lost childcare, and I ended up losing my job. And I had no idea that Head Start even existed until I started doing my own research, and I found them, and reached out,” she said.
Glaves said with state assistance, she pays $71 per month, and works full time as a peer support specialist for homeless youth at MY House in Wasilla.
“It meant the world to me, and you can’t really put a number on it when you’re under such high stress,” she said. “And just knowing he was in a safe place and really getting, I think, the best care there is at Head Start because they have developmental check-ins and things like that, and they also connect you to community resources. So they really changed my life.”
Glaves said she was inspired to get involved with Head Start and now volunteers on several parent advisory boards and this year traveled to Juneau and to Washington D.C. to advocate for more support for Head Start programs.
“It’s the foundation of our society and our communities,” she said. “If we don’t take care of the children, then what does that future look like?”
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Cardi B likes her body like that. 
Tom Holland can’t help but marvel at his favorite actress.
