Meeker County wrapped up some major remodeling projects this past year, and held two open houses – at the Government Center and at the Justice Center/Law Enforcement Center – in 2025. The Meeker County Board will hold a couple of public hearings next month that are likely to be well-attended.
County Administrator Andrew Letson says the Legislature eliminated a law regarding shotgun zones to open up deer hunting to rifle use, but Meeker County is in a shotgun zone – so it could remain that way or it could open up, so they want to hear what the public thinks. He says the Board has also set a public hearing on February 4th regarding a possible local option sales tax to help fund transportation projects.
Letson says most counties in the state have a local option sales tax or a wheelage tax to help fund transportation, and all of the neighboring counties have a local tax. He says costs for road and bridge projects are exceeding what the county gets from the state and federal governments, and in 2026, there will be two major bridge projects – on County-State-Aid-Highways 2 (in Forest City) and 26 (in Cedar Mills Township).
Letson says putting together the 2026 budget was challenging as there are forces – state and federal mandates – beyond the county’s control that have added $1.6-million in new costs. He says they are trying to prepare ahead to 2027 and 2028 with the adjustments in the 2026 budget and had to make some cuts to the funding they normally provide for some local organizations.
The Litchfield City Council received an update last night from Jesse Turck of 4594 Design Group regarding the state historic building façade grant. Turck says they are in the schematic design and development phase and he’s met with 25 of the 28 property owners who have applied for grants.
Turck recommended that the Litchfield City Council hire a construction manager, so the Council approved of a motion to develop a request for proposal for a construction manager. He says he anticipates the selection process for the grants to begin in February.
The Litchfield City Council made some annual appointments last evening. The Litchfield Rail will be the official newspaper; Emily Wood and Rebecca Rue are the City Attorneys; Chuck DeWolf from Bolton & Menk is the City Engineer; and Mario Provencher is the Weed Inspector.
The Council approved of their committee assignments on a 4-to-2 vote with Bob Powers and Darlene Kotelnicki opposed. Both of them expressed an interest in serving on the personnel committee, but that committee was already filled. The Council also approved of the purchase of a mud duck, which Mario Provencher explained is like a super-sized shop vacuum that they use for things like water main breaks, with a trade-in, for a total cost of $134,132.27.
Also last night, the Litchfield City Council approved of motions to have the Finance Committee meet with the Police Chief to discuss squad car usage and to review the law enforcement lease with Meeker County; approved of Council Members John Carlson and Bob Powers to be part of the Golf Course Working Group; and approved of future work sessions – on January 20th to discuss personnel needs, and on January 26th and February 2nd to discuss the façade grants.
The G.A.R. Hall and Meeker County Museum will be hosting its monthly Civil War Roundtable meeting on Thursday (January 8) at 1 p.m. at 308 North Marshall Avenue in Litchfield. This month’s topic will be prisons during the Civil War.
Museum Executive Director Danelle Erickson says there will be a virtual speaker from the American Civil War Museum in Richmond, Virginia and people may watch right at the museum in Litchfield or get a link to watch at home. She says the topic in February will be hospital ships.
Erickson says the museum in Litchfield has resources available for people who are doing family history. She says donations to the museum would be greatly appreciated as some of their funding sources are being cut this year.
Erickson says checks may be mailed to 308 North Marshall Avenue and there is also information available on their website at meekercomuseum.org. She says they do a monthly e-newsletter, and they also publish a quarterly newsletter which will be coming out soon and there will be information in the next one about some of the letters they have in their collection. The museum is open Tuesdays through Fridays from 10-to-4 and on Saturdays from noon-to-4.
The Minnesota State Patrol responded to a double fatal crash in Stearns County on Friday afternoon at 5:13 p.m. The accident occurred on Highway 71 at 265th Street in Lake George Township.
A 2018 Dodge Durango, driven by 55-year-old Paul Joseph Matthys of Osakis, was travelling northbound on Highway 71. A 2015 Kia Sportage, driven by 63-year-old Linda Shirleen Erickson of Sauk Centre, was travelling southbound on Highway 71. The vehicles collided near the intersection resulting in a head-on crash. Both Erickson and Matthys died. Also responding were the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office, Sauk Centre Ambulance, Elrosa Fire Dept. and the Minnesota Dept. of Transportation.