A woman is dead after apparently being assaulted by a co-worker in Cokato on Tuesday. The Wright County Sheriff’s Office says at around 6 a.m. Tuesday they responded to a 9-1-1 call from Advanced Process Technologies in Cokato regarding a woman being found at her workstation with significant head trauma.
Deputies arrived on the scene along with Cokato Ambulance and attempted life saving measures, but the woman was pronounced deceased at the scene. The initial investigation indicated that her death was due to an assault by an adult male coworker with a blunt force object. He’s identified as 40-year-old David Bruce Delong of Watkins. He was taken into custody at the scene without incident by deputies. The Wright County Sheriff’s Office continues to actively investigate the incident and Delong remains in custody.
The Cokato Museum is announcing the opening of its latest exhibit which features the work of acclaimed local artist Lavona Keskey. The exhibit is currently available for viewing at the Cokato Museum and runs through January 31st of 2026.
Titled “Artistry of Lavona Keskey” the exhibit showcases a wide selection of Keskey’s original paintings, drawings, and mixed-media pieces that span her decades-long career. Known for her evocative interpretations of rural Minnesota landscapes, floral subjects, and cake decorating, Keskey’s work captures both the visible beauty and the quiet essence of her surroundings.
Keskey, a lifelong resident of the region, has exhibited across Minnesota, and continues to inspire emerging artists with her dedication and artistic voice. A “Meet the Artist” opportunity will occur during the museum’s Annual New Year’s Open House event on Sunday, January 11, 2026 from 1-to-4 p.m. That event is free and open to the public. Visit the Cokato Museum’s website at www.cokatomuseum.org for more information or call 320-286-2427.
St. Philip’s School students walked around Litchfield on October 3rd with their annual marathon fundraiser. The students reached their goal this year and will be treated with a field trip to the aquarium at the Mall of America on November 18th.
Principal Andrea Dietrich says the students started their marathon at the Church of St. Philip and then made a loop through the town. She says she’d like to thank the community for all of the generous donations.
Dietrich says additional donations are always welcome to the St. Philip’s Catholic School. She says the school is collecting food this month for the Food Shelf and they will have a bin for collecting donations at the Light Up Litchfield event later this month.
The St. Philip’s students will celebrate St. Nick Night with an event on Friday, December 5th from 4-to-6 p.m. at their school. Fifth grader Henning says there will be lots of fun activities to enjoy that evening.
Henning says he has been enrolled at St. Philip’s School since Kindergarten so this is his last year. He says they would like to thank all of the veterans for their service as this is Veterans Day.
The St. Philip’s School students will have a Christmas concert at the church on December 18th at 1 p.m., and again at 6 p.m. The Seeds of Faith fundraiser has been scheduled for January 31st with a dinner and the Dueling Guitars doing an 80s theme. Tickets will go on sale soon. For more information about events at St. Philip’s School or about enrollment, call 693-6283.
The Litchfield School Board received the annual audit report last night from Crystal Vossen Seiffert of Conway, Deuth & Schiesing. The Board approved of the report. Seiffert says no compliance issues were noted and no difficulties were encountered. She thanked Business Manager Jesse Johnson and the staff for their assistance in the auditing process.
The Board also received the Triennial Wellness Assessment report from staff members Amy Kotzer, Kathy Grabow and Andrea Michels. Kotzer says they evaluated how the District’s wellness policies and practices align with federal requirements. She says they focused on 6 key areas – nutrition education, school meals, physical education and activity, nutrition standards for snacks and beverages, staff wellness, and community involvement. Grabow says they found out that they have good goals and are in compliance. Michels says the District is collaborating with the local community – such as the farm to school food program, having the FFA students speak to Middle School students about how to produce food, staff role modeling, and promoting walking and biking to school.
Superintendent Susan Burris told the Litchfield School Board that next week is American Education Week and efforts are being made to thank the staff. She also told the Board that the Litchfield High School Hall of Fame ceremony went well last Friday evening with about 100 people attending; and there was good news as no asbestos or lead were detected in tiles in the pool area as the renovation project there is ready to begin.
Also last night, student council representative Kelsey Palmer told the Litchfield School Board that they will be hosting a blood drive on Thursday in the new Litchfield Area Recreation Center.