Local News

The Light Up Litchfield Committee from the Litchfield Visitors Bureau has announced the winners in the annual holiday business lighting contest. It’s Not Hair/Radiant Glow Spa/Kristi Isaacson Accounting took first place.

Litchfield Visitors Bureau Board member and Light Up Litchfield Committee member Monica Schreiber says second place went to Ecumen of Litchfield and 3rd place went to the Chamber Serving Meeker County. She says other participants in the contest included St. Philip’s School, Threads of Hope and Meeker Energy/Vibrant Broadband.

Schreiber says the Committee had a lighting ceremony planned for November 29th, but it had to be cancelled due to the weather. She says the Christmas tree in the Central Park Bandstand blew over the Wednesday before Thanksgiving so they had to work to get it back in place.

Schreiber says they would like to thank all of the sponsors and donors who help make the holiday lights possible in Litchfield. She says they are trying to add to the decorations in Central Park each year and they need more people to volunteer to be part of the Light Up Litchfield Committee. Anyone willing to join the Committee, should contact the Chamber in downtown Litchfield – call 693-8184.

---

---

---

---

The Salvation Army Red Kettle campaign is getting into its final days as the last day of the collection will be Christmas Eve – and donations are down this year. The kettles are located at Family Fare, Runnings and Walmart in Litchfield and the money collected helps local people.

Heather Jeseritz says the Salvation Army is a great organization and if you make donations to them through the mail or on-line, it goes to help with their statewide, national and international mission efforts, which is great, but when you put money in the local red kettles, it helps people in Meeker County who are facing some type of emergency situation. She says you can drop coins, cash or checks in the red kettles, and this year, for the 9th time, they received a gold coin.

Jeseritz says if you do not have cash, they no longer have a QR code on the kettles, but you can contact her to get information about how to donate at 320-699-0461, and donations may be dropped off at the UCAP office at 409 North Sibley Avenue in Litchfield and mention that it’s for the Red Kettle campaign. She says if anyone is willing to take a shift to ring the bell at a red kettle, go to registertoring.com or call her as donations are more likely to be made when people are ringing the bell.

Jeseritz says they have a goal of collecting $20,000, and they aren’t even half-way to that point yet. She’s asking people to open their hearts and their pocket books during the final days of the campaign and make donations in the red kettles.

---

---

The Minnesota State Patrol responded to a 4-vehicle crash yesterday afternoon on Highway 23 near Willmar.  It occurred at mile post 143 in Willmar Township.  A Freightliner semi was eastbound on Highway 23 while two Dodge Grand Caravans and a Chevrolet Equinox were westbound on Highway 23 and they all collided.

The 2013 Freightliner was driven by 66-year-old Carl Nolan Rains of Little Falls.  He was not injured.  A 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan was driven by 47-year-old Christopher Peter Padin of Clara City.  He received non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to Rice Hospital.  A passenger in his vehicle – 47-year-old Roxanne Lozano of Clara City – received non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to Rice Hospital in Willmar.

A 2010 Dodge Grand Caravan was driven by 63-year-old Sherri Renae Olson of Raymond.  She received non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to Rice Hospital.  A 2020 Chevy Equinox was driven by 77-year-old Hal Fredrick Miller of Raymond.  He received non-life-threatening injuries and was also taken to Rice Hospital in Willmar.  Also responding to the scene were Raymond Ambulance, CentraCare Ambulance, and Willmar Fire Dept.

---

---

---

---