The Parade of Bands will be held in Litchfield on June 16th and it will feature 13 high school marching bands this year. This is the 7th year of the event.
Shane Zeppelin says the bands this year will include Fergus Falls, St. Michael-Albertville, Foley, Benson, Owatonna, Sartell, Richfield, Milaca, Albany, Sauk Rapids-Rice, KMS, Alexandria and host band – Litchfield. He says it would be nice to have more bands in the Watercade parade in July, but the parade season is over for the bands by then which is why they started the Parade of Bands.
Zeppelin says the parade route will start at 10th Street and Armstrong Avenue, then south to 5th Street, then east to Gilman Avenue, and then north on Gilman to Litchfield High School and there will be 3 performance areas – in front of Wagner School, midway on 5th Street and on Gilman Avenue near the softball field where the judges sit. He says 6th Street will be closed that day between Armstrong and Gilman Avenues as about a dozen food vendors will be set up.
Zeppelin says the Parade of Bands will be live-streamed for anyone to watch who can’t make it in person. He says any donations to help fund the event are greatly welcome and may be dropped off at the Chamber office in downtown Litchfield.
The Chamber Serving Meeker County Area held it’s Annual Meeting and Luncheon on Thursday at the Litchfield Opera House with lunch catered by Any Thyme Catering of Litchfield.
Board of Directors Chairman, Tim Erickson welcomed everyone. Deana Wheeler, Executive Director introduced Ellen Wolter, U of M Extension Leadership and Civic Engagement Expert gave a presentation on navigating complex change – tools for your community transformation.
Awards were then given out by Tim and Deana. The Small Business award went to Miller Automotive. And the Large Business award went to Meeker Memorial Hospital. The Presidential Award went to Jeff Woods, our very own Woody! He’s been a community supporter for 48 years, working with the youth hockey program, being a business owner and an employee of KLFD Radio. Congratulations to all the winners. There was one other award given away – the first person to RSVP for meeting. That award went to Brent Brekke.
The Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities has named Cheryl Norman to serve as president of Ridgewater College. The appointment becomes effective July 1, 2026.
“Dr. Norman brings a proven track record in enrollment management, developing data-driven strategies that strengthen student recruitment, retention, and completion,” said Scott Olson, Minnesota State chancellor. “Her ability to lead initiatives that drive equitable student success and post-completion outcomes will serve Ridgewater College and the Willmar and Hutchinson communities well.”
Dr. Norman has dedicated her career to higher education at Minnesota State colleges and beyond. She currently serves as the vice president of academic and student affairs at Central Lakes College in Brainerd and Staples, a position she has held since 2023. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Concordia University, St. Paul, a master’s from Shenandoah University in Virginia, and a doctorate from St. Cloud State University.
Dr. Norman succeeds Craig Johnson, who has served as president of Ridgewater College since 2018 and has announced his intention to retire.
A 50-year-old woman and a 46-year-old man from Clara City are in custody in the Kandiyohi County Jail facing 1st Degree Controlled Substance charges and firearms related charges stemming from search warrants executed on their vehicle and residence by the CCC-VI Drug and Gang Task Force during the afternoon and evening of April 22nd.
During the search warrant execution on the vehicle, the parties were driving in Kandiyohi County and agents located over a quarter pound of methamphetamine. An additional search warrant was executed on their residence which is in the 400 Block of 3rd Ave NE in Clara City where agents located additional methamphetamine as well as a firearm and ammunition inside that residence. An additional occupant of the residence, a 21-year-old Willmar woman, was also arrested on controlled substance charges and is being held in the Yellow Medicine County jail.
The CEE-VI Task Force was assisted on this case by the Kandiyohi County sheriff’s Office, the Chippewa County Sheriff’s Office and the WEST Central SWAT Team.