DECEMBER
The “12 Days of Christmas News” series concludes today on KLFD with a look back at the top local news stories from the month of December. The Meeker County Sheriff’s Office began a homicide investigation on December 28th when a man called from Dassel Township to say that he had shot his wife. 35-year-old Bryan Demarais of rural Dassel was arrested on 2nd degree homicide charges. The victim was identified as 29-year-old Kayla Demarais of rural Dassel.
With Chamber Executive Director Judy Hulterstrum retiring, it was announced that Janaye Prieve would take her place at the Chamber and also with the Litchfield Visitors Bureau. The Litchfield Visitors Bureau held its Light up Litchfield contest last month, and Center Bank took first place, with Meeker Cooperative taking 2nd and the Fieldgate Cheese Store taking 3rd place.
An annual light show held in the neighborhood of South Marshall Avenue and Pacific Street held a special collection the first weekend of December and raised over $5,000 to feed hungry kids in Litchfield. The Litchfield Downtown Council held its 3rd annual Candy Cane parade December 14th which included about 3 dozen colorful, lit-up floats and a large crowd of spectators.
The Meeker Cooperative Operation Round-up Electric Trust program reached the impressive milestone last month of having awarded 1-million-dollars to non-profit organizations over the past 25 years. The Litchfield City Council decided last month that the Litchfield Area Recreation Center would be located next to the Civic Arena.
A 3-vehicle crash on December 22nd on Highway 15 at the Powder Ridge Road – north of Kimball – claimed the life of 80-year-old Elton Keith Hatcher of Watkins. A hit and run accident in Willmar on December 26th claimed the life of a pedestrian – 52-year-old Jason Jarvis of Cokato. A crash on Dec. 27 involving an SUV and a semi at the intersection of Highways 9 and 71, northwest of New London, claimed the lives of two people from Cambridge in the SUV – 80-year-old Myron Eugene Elsberry and 76-year-old Geneva Joann Holland.
Also last month, the Litchfield Area Writers Group released a new book titled “Generations,” and Linda Mickelson was named as the Grove City Area CARE program’s Volunteer of the Year.
NOVEMBER
The “12 Days of Christmas News” series continues today on KLFD with a look back at the top local news stories from the month of November. ACGC Interim Superintendent Kip Lynk was chosen by the school board to be the long-term superintendent. The Board negotiated a 3-year contract with Lynk.
A referendum passed last month in the Eden Valley-Watkins School District by a vote of 729-to-365 to replace an existing referendum of $82.75 per pupil with a new referendum of $460 per pupil for 10-years. Three men were inducted into the Litchfield High School Hall of Fame during a ceremony in the gymnasium on November 10th – David Lindberg from the class of 1956, Andrew Zilch from the class of 1995 and Josh Fenton from the class of 1997. The Litchfield High School Drama Dept. presented “Shrek” in the Bernie Aaker Auditorium last month.
Members of the Minnesota Senate and House Capital Investment Committees visited Litchfield in November to hear from City and First District Association officials about possible funding in the 2024 bonding bill for a wastewater project. The Light Up Litchfield Committee – part of the Litchfield Visitors Bureau hosted a lighting ceremony in Central Park on November 24th to show off new lights including giant candy canes that lined the walkways and a tree and garlands in the band shell.
A 2-vehicle crash on November 29th – south of Willmar at the intersection of County Roads 5 and 3 – resulted in the deaths of two people in one of the vehicles – 83-year-old Ronald Lundquist and 76-year-old Betty Lundquist – both of Blomkest.
Also last month, the annual Peanut Butter & Milk Festival Sister-City exchange trip to Hartford, Alabama took place from November 5th through the 11th. Eight local residents visited Alabama to learn about the peanut and cotton industries – Litchfield High School FFA students William Carlson, Cole Huffman and Ole Rogness, chaperones Jordan & Laura Niece and Sue Christofferson, and Meeker County Dairy Princess Dayna Terning and her mother, Heidi.
OCTOBER
The “12 Days of Christmas News” series continues today on KLFD with a look back at the top local news stories from the month of October. The Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza – also known as the bird flu – was detected on a turkey farm in rural Grove City in Meeker County.
On October 4th the CEE-VI Drug & Gang Task Force executed a search warrant in the 500 block of Litchfield Avenue Southeast in Willmar. A 56-year-old Willmar man was arrested when agents located over a quarter pound of methamphetamine, along with cocaine in the residence.
The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office received a 911 call on October 9th and couldn’t understand the caller, but were able to track the call to a location west of Melrose. Deputies discovered that 38-year-old Katie Llewellyn of Melrose went off the roadway in a 2004 Chevy Malibu and struck a tree. She died at the scene from her injuries.
On October 15th, 59-year-old Matthew Mathies of Watkins was killed in Luxemburg Township – north of Watkins – when he was run over by his tractor. He was attempting to hook up a wagon to the tractor which had a corn picker attached to it, and when Mathies saw the tractor rolling away toward a shed, he attempted to stop it, but got run over.
A double-fatal crash occurred on October 21st in Renville County as two vehicle collided at the intersection of County Roads 4 and 5 – six miles south of Bird Island. 62-year-old Dean Schroeder of Renville was driving a Mack tractor truck and 22-year-old Emily Didier of Lanesboro was driving a Nissan Altima. They were both killed.
Also in October, a ribbon-cutting ceremony took place at Grove City Area CARE on South Third Street in Grove City to celebrate the new Pathway to Fitness, and the 34th annual Pumpkin Patch Festival concluded at the Nelson Farm – south of Litchfield.
SEPTEMBER
The “12 Days of Christmas News” series continues today on KLFD with a look back at the top local news stories from the month of September. Long-time Litchfield High School business teacher and coach Jeff Wollin was inducted into the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame on September 16th during a ceremony in St. Cloud. Other inductees included Jeff Neutzling from the Dassel-Cokato area.
The 2nd annual Fallin’ into Fun Fest – coordinated by the Chamber Serving the Meeker County Area – was held on September 23rd in downtown Litchfield and drew large crowds with a craft fair in Central Park and many other activities. The 34th annual Pumpkin Patch Festival opened on September 23rd for its first of 6 weekends at the Nelson Farm, south of Litchfield. The Atwater Threshing Show was held Sept. 9th and 10th with Case as the featured equipment.
Meeker County deputies had a busy time the morning of September 10th as motor vehicle thefts were reported – beginning in Ellsworth Township and continuing in Darwin Township. Other related reports of suspicious activity and burglaries were reported that morning and the suspects fled in a stolen vehicle. A pursuit was initiated and the vehicle ended up in Acton Township, but the suspects were not located.
Local law enforcement personnel assisted in apprehending an armed robber on September 7th as a search warrant was conducted – in coordination with police from Eden Prairie and Maple Grove – in the 400 block of East Ripley Street in Litchfield. A 29-year-old Litchfield man was arrested and was then transported to Hennepin County.
The CEE-VI Drug & Gang Task Force conducted two search warrants on September 20th while investigating methamphetamine trafficking at a Darwin residence and at a rural Darwin residence. Two and a half pounds of methamphetamine were seized and a 64-year-old Darwin man was arrested along with a 54-year-old Litchfield man.
A vehicle fire was reported on September 11th in the 72900 block of 240th Street in Dassel Township. Meeker County deputies determined that it was the result of arson. The vehicle and a portion of the nearby garage were damaged. Kandiyohi County authorities also responded to an arson fire near Willmar on September 21st in the 3000 block of 8th Street Northeast. A juvenile male who lived at the residence started the fire and was apprehended a short time later.
A Meeker County Deputy attempted to stop a speeding motorcycle in Darwin on September 25th and a chase pursued north of town with speeds reaching over 100 mph. The motorcycle went through a fence and into a pasture and 23-year-old Brady Lietzau of Darwin was arrested.
Also last September, 45-year-old Matthew John Strauss of Hutchinson was killed when his vehicle collided with a semi on Highway 212 in Collins Township in McLeod County on September 22nd.
AUGUST
The “12 Days of Christmas News” series continues today on KLFD with a look back at the top local news stories from the month of August. Litchfield helped to host the State Amateur Baseball Tournament for 3 weekends which brought large crowds of people to Optimist Park.
The Minnesota Trappers Convention was held at the Meeker County Fairgrounds August 10th through the 12th, and the Songs of Summer Festival took place at the Litchfield Civic Arena on August 18th featuring the music of the Fabulous Armadillos. The Meeker County Fair took place the first weekend in August with a concert by country recording artist Frankie Ballard on August 4th. Linda Hamm won the $5,000 first prize in the Fair Frenzy raffle.
The Litchfield Golden Fleece Lodge #89 and its charitable foundation made a donation in August of 7 life-saving fire suppression devices to the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office and Litchfield Police Department.
Also last August, Meeker Memorial Hospital CEO Kurt Waldbillig announced that he would be resigning as of October 1st; Aliza VanDuinen was crowned as Miss Grove City by her sister – outgoing Miss Grove City Willa VanDuinen; and State Representative Dean Urdahl was named as one of 35 legislators as a 2023 Legislator of Distinction by the League of Minnesota Cities.
JULY
The “12 Days of Christmas News” series continues today on KLFD with a look back at the top local news stories from the month of July. The Fieldgate Cheese store opened in Litchfield.
A new Miss Litchfield – Ayda Granlund – was crowned at the conclusion of the 67th annual Watercade celebration last July. The princesses crowned were Abby Stoffer and Kylie Guggemos and the Junior Ambassadors were Brynley McGraw and Lexi Bischof. Judy Hulterstrum received the Minneapolis Aquatennial Honorary Commodore award, and Aliza Hulstein found the Watercade medallion at Memorial Park by Lake Ripley.
The House Ways and Means Committee, hosted by Committee Member – 7th District Congresswoman Michelle Fischbach of Paynesville – met at the Schiefelbein Farm by Kimball on July 10th.
Also last July, the McCarney Family of Harvey Township was named by the University of Minnesota Extension Service as Meeker County’s Farm Family of the Year; the Minnesota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame Board announced that Jeff Wollin of Litchfield would be inducted during a September banquet in St. Cloud; and Litchfield Community Theatre presented the musical “Robin Hood and the White Arrow.”
JUNE
The “12 Days of Christmas News” series continues today on KLFD with a look at the top local news stories from the month of June. The Litchfield Visitor’s Bureau hosted the annual Parade of Bands on June 13th as 11 marching bands and the Litchfield High School Marching Band entertained spectators.
The Litchfield High School Marching Band had a successful parade season performing its “Desert Winds” show last June with at least 3 grand champion awards – in Benson, Hutchinson and Roseville. The Band headed to the Wisconsin Dells at the end of the month.
Several hundred people visited Ru-Be Dairy, south of Grove City, on June 16th during Dinner on the Dairy. Former WCCO-TV reporter Liz Collin drew a huge crowd at the Litchfield Opera House on June 20th as she spoke about her book “They’re Lying.” The Litchfield Baseball Association hosted the Town Ball Tour event at Optimist Park as the crew from Fox-9 TV broadcast a game between the Blues and Maple Lake.
The month proved tragic in many ways as the body of 39-year-old Donald Worden of St. Cloud – formerly of Litchfield – was found in the Mississippi River in St. Cloud on June 2nd. Worden had been reported missing while kayaking on May 31st. 57-year-old Douglas Pomplun of Burtrum was killed in a farm accident on June 7th as he received a head injury while working on panels in a hog barn near Fairfax in Renville County.
61-year-old Kevin Blonigan of Paynesville was killed when his semi rolled over on Highway 40 near Kerkhoven. A fiery head-on crash occurred on June 18th on Highway 2, northeast of Hawick, in Kandiyohi County. 51-year-old Jill Ellingson-Hegstrom of Hawick, and 72-year-old Douglas Franks and 69-year-old Diana Farm-Franks of Monticello were killed.
Also last June, Grove City native Julianne Johnson released a book titled “Food, Feathers & Fur,” the Litchfield Lions Club held its raffle drawing and Tim Klimstra won the top prize of $2,000, and smoke from Canadian wild fires created air quality alerts for much of the United States throughout the month.
MAY
The “12 Days of Christmas News” series continues today on KLFD with a look back at the top local news stories from the month of May. A referendum on May 9th for the Litchfield School District failed. The measure would have helped to fund the school’s portion of the Litchfield Area Recreation Center.
There were 1,301 “no” votes and 1,035 “yes” votes. One of the main components in the referendum question was a new pool. The City’s part of the project received a green light when voters approved of a local sales tax in November of 2022 which would help to generate part of the City’s cost for the project. The ACGC School Board approved of the resignation of their Superintendent John Regan last May as he was nearing the end of his first year on the job.
The Chamber Serving the Meeker County Area presented its annual President’s Award to Keith Johnson in May and named Edina Realty – Kim Dolan & Dennis Gartner as the Small Business of the Year, and IRD Glass as the Large Business of the Year. The Litchfield Lions Club took over coordination of the City of Litchfield’s annual clean-up day which was held on May 20th.
The body of 40-year-old Jason Dimler of Spicer was found in Ringo Lake – west of Spicer – on May 1st. He was reported missing on April 27th. 79-year-old Vernon Read of Atwater died in a 2-vehicle crash west of Spicer on May 8th. 64-year-old Timothy J. Hennen of Morton was killed in a horse-riding accident on May 14th one mile north of Morton in Renville County. A motorcycle accident near Paynesville on May 21st claimed the lives of 53-year-old William James Clough and 49-year-old Melissa Anne Clough – both of Mora.
Also last May, the Litchfield Area Mentorship Program has a cash raffle drawing and Randy Quitney won the top prize of $2500; the play “Anne of Green Gables” was presented at the Litchfield Opera House; and the movie “Uprising” – based on Dean Urdahl’s book of the same name had its premiere at the Litchfield Opera House and was also shown at the Hollywood Theater in downtown Litchfield several times to sold-out audiences.
APRIL
The “12 Days of Christmas News” series continues today on KLFD with a look back at the top local news stories from the month of April. After lengthy terms in law enforcement, two local officers retired in April.
Long-time Litchfield Police officer Gary Gruenke retired in April, and Meeker County Chief Deputy Becky Howell also retired in April.
A Dassel man – 46-year-old Toby Birr – was killed on April 4th in a car-truck collision by Howard Lake.
On April 29th, Howard Lake Police began pursuing a Minneapolis man who was driving erratically on Highway 12, and the pursuit entered Meeker County. Deputies with the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office and Litchfield Police Department pursued the man – finally stopping him using a PIT maneuver south of Litchfield on Highway 22. 27-year-old Khalid Mohamed Jama was arrested without incident.
Also last April, Luke A. Johnson was named as CEO/General Manager of Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association to replace the retiring Tim Mergen; the Litchfield High School FFA Chapter’s Parliamentary Procedures Team took first place at the state FFA convention, and Litchfield Community Youth Theatre presented the musical “Junie B. Jones Jr.”
MARCH
The “12 Days of Christmas News” series continues today on KLFD with a look back at the top local news stories from the month of March. It was a month that included brutal weather, a murder and a train derailment.
Just after one a.m. on March 30th, 22 cars of a Burlington Northern Santa Fe train derailed on the western edge of Raymond in Kandiyohi County. Four of the cars containing corn syrup and a form of ethanol caught fire. Residents had to evacuate their homes, but were able to return a few hours later, and Highway 23 had to close for a couple of days.
A murder occurred in Howard Lake on March 20th in the parking lot of Dura Supreme Cabinetry. 23-year-old Kevin Zelaya Asencio of Glencoe shot and killed his coworker – 20-year-old Adrian Montano Medina of Lester Prairie – as Medina sat in his car during the noon hour with Asencio’s wife.
A fatal crash occurred on Highway 23 in Munson Township in Stearns County on March 30th. A vehicle was rear-ended by another vehicle, and an unbelted passenger in the first vehicle – 22-year-old Luke Andrew Jacobs of Little Falls – was killed.
A quitting-business sale occurred at Mary’s Jewelry in downtown Litchfield last March. Mary Piepenburg – who started working at Stewart’s Jewelry when she was 16-years-old and eventually bought the jewelry business in 2008 and named it Mary’s Jewelry – decided it was time for her to retire after 49 years in the business.
Long-time Eden Valley dentist Dr. Richard Swenson passed away on March 8th. He had his practice in downtown Eden Valley for 50 years – from 1953 to 2003.
Dayna Terning of Dassel was selected as Meeker County Dairy Princess for 2023 during a banquet on March 25th.
Also last March, stormy weather in the middle of the month resulted in icy roads and numerous vehicles flipped upside down in road ditches along area roads, and a blizzard during the evening of March 31st resulted in several inches of snow by the morning of April Fool’s Day!
FEBRUARY
The “12 Days of Christmas News” series continues today on KLFD with a look back at the top local news stories from the month of February. A new Council Member at Large – Malinda Larson – was chosen to join the Litchfield City Council. Larson took the place of Ron Dingmann who was elected Mayor.
Litchfield Superintendent of Schools Beckie Simenson announced to the Litchfield School Board last February that she intended to retire on June 30th of 2024. Eden Valley-Watkins junior Megan Blonigan won the American Legion’s state oratorical contest last February for the second year in a row during a competition in Anoka. She won first place earlier in the month at the District 7 contest in Willmar. The first place winner of the Litchfield contest – Litchfield High School senior Travis Crusoe – took second place at the District 7 contest in Willmar.
67-year-old Ronald Dilley of Pennock was found dead next to his snowmobile on February 1st in Lake Andrew Township in Kandiyohi County. In less than a week, two people died in single vehicle traffic crashes in the same area of Highway 7 in Hale Township in McLeod County. 39-year-old Heather Johnson of Silver Lake died on February 20th when her Chevy Silverado left the roadway and rolled; and 54-year-old Dean Christopherson of Silver Lake died on February 26th when his Jeep Liberty went off the road and rolled. Both drivers were not wearing seatbelts.
Also in February, Litchfield Community Theatre produced the hilarious play “Clue,” the 51st annual Peanut Butter & Milk Festival took place with 9 guests from Litchfield’s sister city of Hartford, Alabama visiting Meeker County the week of February 4th, and the 13th annual Wintercade Ice Fishing contest was held in the Litchfield Fire Dept. parking lot due to poor ice conditions on Lake Ripley. Dianne Barka of Litchfield won the grand prize Bobcat UV34 gas utility vehicle, and Brenda Schulte of Litchfield won the top cash prize of $2,000.
JANUARY
The “12 Days of Christmas News” series begins today on KLFD with a look back at the top local news stories from the month of January. New leaders took over at various local government bodies – with Ron Dingmann sworn-in as the new Mayor of Litchfield, Alex Carlson chosen as the Litchfield School Board Chair, and Steve Schmitt selected as Chair of the Meeker County Board of Commissioners.
A motorist – 36-year-old Scott Joseph Hollencamp of Maple Lake – went off of the roadway during a blizzard on January 3rd and while standing on the side of Highway 24 in Clearwater Township in Wright County, was struck and killed by another vehicle. A fatal crash occurred on January 7th west of Clara City as 19-year-old Hailey Ann Berghuis of Clara City was killed in a crash on Highway 7. A fatal crash also occurred on January 21st on Highway 23 by Roscoe as 50-year-old Lana Tibodeau of Windom was killed.
A fire on January 10th destroyed the home of Cooper Barrick on 225th Street in Darwin Township. A stand-off occurred in Winsted on January 23rd after two deputies were shot while attempting to serve an arrest warrant. They were treated and released from the hospital. Drones and a robot discovered the suspect dead in the home about 6 hours later of an apparent suicide. Also last January, Meeker Cooperative CEO Tim Mergen announced that he would be retiring in March after 25 years at the helm.