The Minnesota State Patrol responded to a 2-vehicle accident at 7:29 Tuesday morning on Highway 4 north of Grove City in Swede Grove Township. The crash occurred by the County-State-Aid-Highway 16 intersection. A 2000 Honda Accord – driven by 37-year-old John Walter Lang of Paynesville – was traveling southbound on Highway 4. A 2023 Kia Sorento – driven by 80-year-old Judith Ann Jones of Litchfield – was traveling northbound on Highway 4 and the vehicles collided. Lang and Jones both received non-life-threatening injuries and were transported to Meeker Memorial Hospital. Also responding to the scene were the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office and Grove City Fire Department.
Two men are dead and another in critical condition after a shooting in Willmar last night. Willmar Police have issued a news release, saying at 8 p.m. Monday night they were dispatched to the area of Rau Park, located at the 1000 block of 7th St. NW for a report of gunshots. Officers were told two or three people were injured.
Police and emergency medical personnel arrived on scene and began providing life saving measures to two men…one was a 19-year-old, the other was 20 and both were from Willmar. They were transported to CentraCare Rice Hospital by ambulance. One of the victims was pronounced deceased at the hospital, and the other party was flown by helicopter to the St. Cloud Hospital and is in critical condition. A third man, a 19-year-old from Willmar, was was transported to Rice Hospital by a personal vehicle and was pronounced deceased at the hospital.
Police secured the scene, began investigating and taking witness statements. The Bureau of Criminal Apprehension’s crime lab was contacted to assist with the investigation. At the time of this press release, they are still on scene, processing the crime scene, and vehicle traffic is currently blocked off from The Kandiyohi County Fairgrounds to 15th Avenue Northwest.
Police say they believe this is an isolated incident and was not a random act of violence, and do not believe there is a current public threat. Names have been withheld to allow time for family notifications. More information will be released in the future as the case evolves and additional facts become available. They say the case is very fluid and remains an active investigation.
Center National Bank in Litchfield has its annual Burgers for a Cause fundraiser on Wednesday from 11-to-1 and from 4:30-to-5:30. This year’s event will raise funds for the Litchfield Rotary Club’s Beds-for-Kids project.
Center Bank Market President Tom Zens is also a member of the Litchfield Rotary Club and says the Rotary members started this project several years ago to help provide beds for children around the area who don’t have a bed of their own. He says they’ve donated over 300 beds and it’s always a thrill to see the excitement of the children when they are presented with a bed.
Loree Schultz says the children not only receive a bed, but also a mattress, quilt, sheets and a stuffed toy. She says Center Bank’s fundraising event each September coincides with the Minnesota Bankers Association Community Impact Month, and since 2018, they’ve raised funds for numerous community projects.
Schultz says during the Burgers for a Cause, you can get a hamburger or cheeseburger, chips, cookie and a drink for $7 and it’s $3 for an additional burger, and you can sit there or drive through. She says she recently retired from Center Bank after 47 years, but will be helping with this important fundraiser.
The Litchfield City Council has approved of the sale of general obligation bonds with a principal amount of $3,180,000. Northland Securities of Minneapolis had the low true interest rate of 4.0131%. Ehlers Public Finance Advisors received 8 bids for the bond sale.
The Council held a public hearing to consider the repealing and replacing of land usage codes to allow building official – Rum River – to do plumbing inspections in lieu of the State of Minnesota. The Council approved a first reading of an ordinance regarding the inspection issue.
Jesse Turck of 4594 Design gave the Council an update on the downtown façade project. The Council then approved of 4 more certificates of appropriateness from the Heritage Preservation Commission related to the project – at 219, 225, 227 and 237 North Sibley Avenue.
The Council approved of 3 rental rates for the 6 new hangars at the Litchfield Municipal Airport of $190, $200 and $210 per month. City Administrator Dave Czoik says there are 3 styles of hangars and there are 20 people on a waiting list who want to rent hangars.
The Council approved of replacing flag poles with a quote from Coil’s Flags of St. Cloud for $38,350 on a 5-to-1 vote with Bob Powers opposed. Powers had brought up the flagpole issue a while back when he noticed that the City’s flags were not at half-staff during times of national mourning. Powers felt that a more inexpensive option of retrofitting the existing poles should be pursued.
Also last night, the Litchfield City Council heard a reminder from representatives of the Meeker County Historical Society about the need for window replacements at the G.A.R. Hall. Administrator Czoik says that the wheels are in motion for the window replacement request.
On Sunday morning at 9:25 a.m., the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a stabbing in the 800 block of Maple Lane in Grove City. A 44-year-old woman was stabbed in the chest. Family members in the residence rendered aid until EMS arrived. Family members also detained the suspect until law enforcement arrived. The victim was transported to Meeker Memorial Hospital, then airlifted to HCMC with non-life-threatening injuries. The suspect, 23-year-old Mitchell Lokken of Grove City, was arrested at the scene without incident. The victim is known to Lokken and the stabbing was the result of a disagreement between the two. A search warrant was executed at the residence. Lokken is being held at the Meeker County Jail pending an initial court appearance. The Meeker County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by Grove City Rescue, Mayo Ambulance and Litchfield Police.