The Meeker County Fair is only ten days away from its opening day. The fair in Litchfield will be open July 30th and 31st and August 1st and 2nd, and entry day is July 29th.
Fair board secretary Jill Traut says grandstand attractions this year include a tractor pull Thursday evening, July 30th, at 7 p.m.; country music star Terri Clark Friday night, July 31st; a demolition derby at 5:30 on August 1st; and a truck pull on August 2nd at noon. She says the Terri Clark tickets must be purchased in advance and there are still VIP and general admission tickets available.
Traut says fair goers can expect the usual exhibits, foods, free entertainment in the bandstand and many other fun activities, and there are some new things this year such as a ninja warrior course, a trout fishing pond, rooster crowing contest and a donut eating contest. She says one of the more obvious things people will notice is the resurfacing of the streets.
Traut says if you wear your company apparel or show a business card on July 30th and 31st from 11-to-1, you will be admitted to the fair free of charge. She says admission is $8, but it’s free for children 4 and under and for seniors 70 and older, and you can purchase a season pass for $25.
Traut says there is a special theme each day with July 30th being Veterans Day so active duty and veterans will be admitted free by showing their military ID; July 31st is Senior Citizen Day; August 1st is Kid’s Day; and August 2nd is Sparkle Day so royalty will be admitted free of charge. She says you can find more information at meekerfair.com or on the Meeker County Fair Facebook page.
On Saturday afternoon at 3:14, the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office was notified of a motorcycle crash with injuries in the 16000 block of County Road 9 NE in New London Township. Deputies determined that a 2021 Suzuki motorcycle, driven by 75-year-old Michael McLaughlin of Benson, was traveling southbound on County Road 9 NE and was following a 2008 Hyundai SUV, driven by 65-year-old Jeffrey Wersal of New London.
The Hyundai slowed to turn into a driveway and the motorcycle rear-ended it. McLaughlin was treated at the scene, then airlifted to the St. Cloud Hospital by Life Link III with life-threatening injuries. Wersal was not injured. Assisting the Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s Office with the crash were New London Ambulance, CentraCare Ambulance, New London Fire Dept., Kandiyohi County Rescue Squad, Lakes Area Rural Responders, Life Link III, MN DNR and the MN State Patrol. The crash remains under investigation.
On Saturday morning at 2:12, a Kandiyohi County Sheriff’s deputy observed two sport motorcycles leaving Spicer at an extremely high rate of speed. The deputy activated emergency lights and siren in an attempt to stop the motorcycles. The motorcycles were traveling in excess of 107 mph, then passed a passenger vehicle and reached speeds in excess of 134 mph.
Due to the high speeds and increased risk associated with the pursuit, the deputy terminated the pursuit. A short time later, deputies located two sport motorcycles, matching the description of those involved in the pursuit, inside a garage in Kandiyohi. The suspects were identified as two men from Willmar – a 31-year-old and a 27-year-old. They refused to answer the door, so a search warrant was obtained and the two men were taken into custody and booked into the Kandiyohi County Jail on felony charges of fleeing a peace officer in a motor vehicle, and other charges. Willmar Police assisted and the case remains under investigation.
