Evonne Young Fix from the Class of 1990 is one of the 4 inductees into the Litchfield High School Hall of Fame this year. The induction ceremony is coming up this Friday at 7 p.m. in the Litchfield High School Commons.
Evonne is the daughter of Ethel, and the late Glenn Young and played softball, tennis and hockey and was in the band and National Honor Society at Litchfield High School, but since there was no girls hockey at that time, she was part of a women’s hockey team in Buffalo. She says she spent much of her time at the Litchfield Civic Arena as a child due to her parents involvement in the hockey program, and even though hockey was not considered a girl’s sport at that time, her parents did not discourage her interest in the sport.
Evonne went to St. Cloud State University where she majored in accounting and now lives in Maplewood and works for CHS. She has been a hockey referee ever since she was 11-years-old and refereed her first international tournament in 1994 at Lake Placid, refereed the Minnesota State High School tournament in 1995, the first women’s hockey games at the 1998 Olympic games in Nagano, Japan, the first women’s NCAA Frozen Four tournament in 2001, and the World Para Ice Hockey championship in 2025.
Evonne says she and her husband, Bob, began working with the Litchfield Watercade tennis tournament in 2014 and have added a youth division. She says she feels that one of her greatest contributions to society has been paving the way for female hockey officials and helping to contribute to the growth of women’s hockey and women’s para ice hockey.
The Litchfield City Council approved of several items on Monday evening from the Heritage Preservation Commission on North Sibley Avenue. Some of the Certificate of Appropriateness projects are part of the on-going façade grant program.
Mayor Ron Dingmann says a lighting project for the Hollywood Theater at 210 North Sibley Avenue was approved, and crack repairs and brick work was approved for the Again & Again and Mason’s building at 242 North Sibley Avenue. He says a project was also approved at 241 North Sibley Avenue for some repointing and brick repair and this building is in the façade grant program, but this part of it will be done with private funds. A sign project was also approved at 207 North Sibley Avenue, along with a rear sign for 236 North Sibley Avenue, and graffiti removal at 226 North Sibley Avenue.
Mayor Dingmann says the State of Minnesota was not happy with the City’s agreement with the Litchfield School District regarding the Litchfield Area Recreation Center, so some language has been changed in that agreement, and after the School Board approves of it, it will go back to the state so that Litchfield can receive it’s $6-million for the LARC. He says the Council approved of the transfer of two parcels of land to the Southern Minnesota Municipal Power Agency for their future upgrades to incoming power.
Mayor Dingmann says the Council also approved of a 1-year agreement with LDC Youth Hockey to operate the concession stand at the Civic Arena, but groups using the LARC will be able to sell concessions in the community room. He says the Council hired Evan Schumacher as an IT support technician and contracted with Dan Carlson for training and mentoring of Evan; and approved of the purchase of two pieces of equipment for the sewer system totaling $580,000.
The Minnesota State Patrol responded to a 2-vehicle accident on Tuesday afternoon at 4:05 at the intersection of Minnesota Highway 15 and county road 27 in Kingston. The Meeker County Sheriff’s Office, Mayo Ambulance, Kingston Fire Dept., and Dassel Fire & Rescue responded.
A 2018 Toyota Sienna, driven by 60-year-old Geraldine Ann Burg of St. Cloud, was eastbound on county road 27 and a 2013 Chevy Silverado, driven by 35-year-old Joseph Allan Novak of Dalbo, MN, was northbound on highway 15 when the vehicles made contact at the intersection. Burg received non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to Meeker Memorial Hospital.
Meeker County Administrator Andrew Letson will be leaving his position with Meeker County on October 16th to become Stearns County’s Administrator. To ensure that the duties of the County Administrator are effectively addressed during the period between October 16th and when the new County Administrator starts, an Interim County Administrator will fill in.
The Personnel Committee has recommended that Human Resources Director Mikkell Johnson be appointed as the Interim County Administrator. The County Board approved of Johnson serving in this role.
The Meeker County Board of Commissioners has moved to approve of the purchase of a new 2027 Mack Granite from Nuss Equipment of St. Cloud for a not to exceed price of $170,000 and snow & ice body equipment from Towmaster of Litchfield for a not to exceed price of $205,000 before taxes and licensing.
The Meeker County Board also moved to appoint Commissioner Darren Sombke, Kay Winterfeldt, Jeremy Evans, Rachel Nelson, and Angie Dietel to serve on the Meeker Area Partners in Prevention Community Response to Opioids Program Subcommittee; appointed Commissioners Steve Schmitt and Cheryl Van Ort to serve on the negotiations committee for the County Attorney and Sheriff contracts; approved of the 2027-2028 City of Grove City law enforcement contract; and moved to approve of the Office of Traffic Safety 2027 Enforcement Grant Resolution for $11,900 which will be used to help cover overtime costs under the grant program.
