Four Litchfield High School graduates will be inducted into the Litchfield High School Hall of Fame with a ceremony this Friday evening – Marcia Provencher, Jon Lovald, Adam Stern and the late Dr. William Michael O’Fallon. Marcia (Curtis) Provencher from the Class of 1966 was a long-time director of Litchfield Community Education and currently serves on the Litchfield School Board.
Provencher says she was involved in so many activities during her time in high school – Girl Scouts, GAA, FHA, Future Teachers of America, Student Council, Cheerleading, and choir and was editor of the yearbook. She also had perfect attendance. She went to Mankato State, majoring in Recreation & Park Administration, and two days after graduating – in June of 1970 – married her high school classmate, Van Provencher.
Provencher says she worked as a recreational therapist at the Hutchinson Hospital, but then spent 10 years at home raising their 4 daughters. She began working part-time in 1984 as the program coordinator for Litchfield Community Education, and became the director in 1989 and retired from the position in 2011. She says she enjoyed every day working at Litchfield Community Education.
Provencher says she began serving on the Litchfield School Board in 2013 and intended to serve just one term, but when there was a vacancy shortly after her first term, she agreed to serve again and will be on the Board for two more years. She says her philosophy for life is “to affect the quality of the day is the highest art.”
The Litchfield City Council approved of some future street improvement projects last night. Resolutions were approved for the preparation of documents for Johnson Drive and for Swift Avenue.
City Engineer Chuck DeWolf says the City received a $1.5-million grant for continuing Johnson Drive to 260th Street to the west and north of Walmart and that project is slated for 2025-26. He says the improvement project for Swift Avenue will be from Ripley Street to 6th Street in 2026. DeWolf also asked the Council to approve of participating in an intersection control evaluation for the Highway 12/34 intersection for which Meeker County is taking the lead.
The Litchfield City Council authorized the preparation of documents and the advertising for bids for a project to replace the Civic Arena floor. DeWolf says the floor is 50-years old and the estimated project cost is $1.75-million. The Council also approved of a project to fix the roof at an airport hangar for $44,880.
The Council approved of deferring registration and enforcement of a cannabis ordinance to Meeker County. City Attorney Emily Wood says the County’s version of the ordinance is still in draft form, and the City would still need to have a public hearing on the ordinance. The Council also approved of a land use map for viable cannabis sale locations within the city limits.
Also last night, the Litchfield City Council approved of three items from the Heritage Preservation Commission including a certificate of appropriateness for Kim Olson at 309 North Sibley Avenue for a temporary lean-to which will help halt water intrusion on the back wall of the second floor; a certificated of appropriateness for Noah Barka at 202 North Sibley Avenue; and a certificate of appropriateness for Jesse Narr at 229 North Sibley Avenue.
The MN State Patrol responded to a 2-vehicle crash occurred on Monday morning at 11:32 at the intersection of Highways 12 and 24 in Litchfield. A semi was southbound on Highway 24 and another truck was westbound on Highway 12 when they collided.
The 2024 Freightliner 114SD was driven by 43-year-old Jacob Joseph Garding of Kimball. He was not injured. A passenger in that vehicle – 57-year-old Ricky John Kalkbrenner of Litchfield – received non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to Meeker Memorial Hospital.
The 2018 Volvo tractor trailer was driven by 46-year-old Ivan Clay Moehiman of Wellington, Kansas. He received non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to Meeker Memorial Hospital. Also responding to the scene were Litchfield Fire and Police Departments and Mayo Ambulance.
The Litchfield High School Marching Band Indoor Concert will be on Friday, November 8th and Saturday, November 9th at 7 p.m. each evening in the Litchfield High School Gym. Admission is $7 for adults and $5 for students.
Band director Bailey Benoit says the theme this year is Rhythm of the Rainbow. She says the will perform songs with colors in the title or with an artist who has a color in their name.
Benoit says the drumline will do its black light show during the concert which is always very entertaining. She says the Litchfield High School Hall of Fame induction ceremony will take place just before Friday night’s concert.