At 07:11 Monday evening, the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report of a crash near the intersection of CSAH 17 and 360th Street in Forest Prairie Township. A pickup truck driven by 77-year-old Jerome Kuechle of rural Watkins was located off the roadway having sustained heavy damage believed to be from the vehicle rolling over. The driver and sole occupant was transported to CentraCare Paynesville Hospital by ambulance with non-life-threatening injuries. Alcohol is believed to be a factor and the incident remains under investigation. Watkins Ambulance assisted at the scene.
On Monday morning at 1:31, the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a house fire in the 39000 block of MN Highway 4 in Union Grove Township. Meeker County Deputies, Paynesville Fire Department, Eden Valley Fire Department, Grove City Fire Department, and CentraCare Ambulance all responded to the scene. Upon arriving, deputies saw that the house was fully engulfed in flames. Deputies learned the house was owned by 67-year-old Denise Nohner and 54-year-old Brian Nohner of Paynesville. Both Denise and Brian were in the house when they noticed the fire; however, both were able to get out of the house safely. It is believed that a cigarette that was outside of the house caused the outside of the house to start on fire and then spread to the inside. Both homeowners were checked over by CentraCare ambulance and were cleared with no injuries. The Red Cross was contacted to assist the home owners.
On Friday morning at 10:55, the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a house fire. Meeker County Deputies, Eden Valley Police, Eden Valley Fire Department, Watkins Fire Department and Litchfield Fire Department responded to the 60000 block of 380 Street in Manannah Township. Upon arrival, the house was found fully engulfed in flames. The homeowners are 23-year-old Emma Frovarp and 31-year-old Jorge Gomez. No one was in the residence at the time of the fire. The cause of the fire is unknown at this time and is under investigation with the State Fire Marshal.
Meeker Cooperative Light & Power Association is celebrating its 90th anniversary this year. The co-op will have an appreciation event next Wednesday, May 21st, following the annual meeting for its electric customers and the Vibrant Broadband subscribers from 12:30-to-6 p.m.
Meeker Cooperative CEO Luke Johnson says local farmers and area leaders formed the co-op back in 1935. He says cities had electricity, but not the rural residents and it was quite an effort with all of the labor done by hand and with money being in short supply.
Johnson says Meeker Cooperative has evolved over the years with the latest big development being the installation of Vibrant Broadband fiber optic infrastructure beginning in 2018 to provide internet to rural areas and other under-served areas just like the electricity installation 90 years ago. He says Meeker Cooperative has 8,000 electric customers and over 6,600 Vibrant subscribers, and they will have exhibits and demonstrations for them to see next Wednesday – along with door prizes.
Meeker Cooperative Executive Coordinator Mary Alice Holm says next Wednesday’s event from 12:30-to-6 will include Wattenhofer pork chops, beans, potato salad, chips, cookie and water – served at the warehouse at 1725 East Highway 12 in Litchfield. She says they will have their safety demonstration trailer there and other interesting displays.
Holm says one of the programs started at Meeker Cooperative in the 1990s was Operation Round-up in which customers may round up their bills and employees may round down their paychecks with the money going into a fund which is then distributed in grants to various non-profit groups and school scholarships around the area. She says over $1.1-million has been given out over the years, and the application deadline for the latest round of grants is approaching July 3rd.
Summer weather has arrived and summer recreation activities through Litchfield Community Education are ready to go. A majority of the activities for youth will begin the week of June 9th.
Litchfield Community Education Director Grant Solem says there will be gymnastics, baseball, softball, swimming, weight training, basketball camp and more. He says there are also some activities for adults such as a dance cardio class and country line dancing.
Solem says they had to cancel the Green Lake boat cruise for later this month, but there’s a trip planned for the “Church Basement Ladies” on August 22nd and to “Grease” at the Chanhassen Dinner Theater in September. He says there are sign up deadlines, so make sure both adults and youth get signed up for the various summer activities.
Solem says auditions for “Guys & Dolls” will be held on May 21st and 22nd from 6:30-to-8:30 p.m. at the Bernie Aaker Auditorium. Call 693-2354 for more details. He says the show will be performed July 24th, 25th and 26th at 7 p.m. and July 27th at 2 p.m., and there will be a mini “Guys & Dolls” included so that children can be involved in the summer production. You can find a link to the Litchfield Community Education summer program guide on the Litchfield School District website.