Meeker Area Ministries (MAM) is continuing its mission of helping the homeless find permanent housing and to get into a productive routine. Homelessness looks different in rural areas – with people living in their vehicles or moving from couch to couch with people they know.
Rochelle Brummond from UCAP says her office moved this past year to 409 North Sibley Avenue in Litchfield and MAM was able to set up a couple of apartments there with transitional housing. She says the homeless face many barriers as they try to find housing and MAM mentors them and helps them become productive citizens.
Brummond says members of MAM are available to speak to groups about what they do and how others can help with the ministry. She says if anyone has questions, they may call her at 693-7911 – extension 1401, and donations may be sent to Post Office Box 192 in Litchfield.
Pastor Tom Evenson says there’s never a shortage of people in need and they could use more temporary housing units. He says MAM helps the homeless to learn to live life as society expects.
Pastor Evenson says they appreciate monetary donations, but they can also use people to get involved in other ways, and any willing volunteers may contact Rochelle or one of the MAM board members.
Meeker County Dairy Princess Paige Frenchick of Manannah was one of the ten finalists for Princess Kay of the Milky Way during last night’s pageant at the Minnesota State Fair, but by the end of the night, the crown went to a dairy princess from a neighboring county. Wright County Dairy Princess Malorie Thorson is the 72nd Princess Kay of the Milky Way.
Malorie is the daughter of Andrew & Colette Thorson of Waverly and is studying dairy production at South Dakota State University. She plans to return to her family’s farm after graduating from college to become the 6th generation to operate the farm. In the meantime, Malorie will travel around Minnesota in the coming year, representing the nearly 1800 dairy farmers and promoting dairy products.
During last night’s coronation, Meeker County Dairy Princess Paige Frenchick answered questions from emcee Rod Johnson about how she incorporates dairy ingredients into her recipes with her favorite being macaroni & cheese, and she mentioned how milking cows is her favorite chore on the farm. Paige Frenchick is the daughter of Melissa Tessmer and Josh Frenchick. She’s a Biology major at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. Paige hopes to continue dairy farming and go into dairy reproductive services upon graduation. Paige will get a likeness of her head carved out of butter on Monday by Litchfield artist Gerry Kulzer.
Midwest Dairy presented 3 scholarships of $1,000 each last night and they went to Natalie Clemenson of Goodhue County, Nicole Hauschildt of Wabasha County and Alexis Hoefs of LeSueur County. The 3 finalists for Princess Kay of the Milky Way were Alexis Hoefs of LeSueur County, April Klaphake of Stearns County, and Malorie Thorson of Wright County.
A Meeker County Jury has found 26-year-old Tre Ertl of Litchfield guilty of Attempted 2nd Degree Murder, 1st Degree Aggravated Robbery and Assault. Ertl will be sentenced on November 3rd.
Ertl’s trial began August 11th on charges stemming from the robbery and assault on an Olivia man in June of 2024. Ertl and two co-defendants, David and Arriyana Pillatzki, were accused of bringing the victim to a rural area on the pre-tense of showing him a camper for sale, then stealing his money, hitting him with a car, beating and stabbing him. The victim survived the attack which occurred at a boat landing south of Litchfield. The jury on Wednesday found Ertl guilty of all three counts against him, and found that the Pillatzkis participated in all three crimes.
Ertl also faces attempted murder charges for allegedly beating a man with a baseball bat during a robbery attempt in Litchfield on March 15th of 2024, and assault charges for allegedly attacking another inmate in the Meeker County Jail in February of this year. His next court appearance in October.
