Local News

On Thursday afternoon at 12:48, the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office received a call regarding a man who had suffered significant burns. Meeker County Deputies, Dassel Fire & Rescue, Mayo Ambulance and Lifelink III responded to the scene at a residence in the 27500 block of 742nd Avenue in Dassel Township. 

Deputies learned that 53-year-old Jeremy Hirsch of Winsted was assisting family with yard clean up. Hirsch was attempting to burn a brush pile using an accelerant.  The fire started and came back on the victim causing severe burns over a significant portion of his body.  Hirsch was flown by LifeLink III from the scene to Hennepin County Medical Center where he is being treated for his burns.  The full extent of his injuries was not determined at the scene.  This incident was determined to be accidental.
 

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On Thursday evening at 6:45, the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office received a call of a man who was injured on a job site.  Meeker County Deputies, Hutchinson Fire & Rescue, Alina Ambulance and Lifelink III responded to the scene in the 67000 block of CSAH 18 in Ellsworth Township.  Deputies learned that 37-year-old Peter Mollema of Slayton was conducting fiber optic work, when he fell into a pit, landing on a grounding rod, which impaled his leg.  Mollema was flown by LifeLink III from the scene to the St. Cloud Hospital where he’s being treated for his injuries. 

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The 17th annual Meeker Memorial Hospital Foundation Golf Tournament is coming up on August 9th at 11 a.m. at the Litchfield Golf Club. The funds raised this year will be designated for a safe room in the hospital’s emergency room.

Meeker Memorial CEO Mary Ellen Wells people may register for the golf tournament on the hospital’s website which is meekermemorial.org. She says there is an area in the ER right now for some of their patients that is considered a safe room, but it needs updates.

Wells says they would also like to develop a triage room in the ER, and there are other building plans being considered at Meeker Memorial with more information being released later this year. She says they just inked a deal on Tuesday for St. Cloud Orthopedics to provide joint replacement surgeries at Meeker Memorial Hospital 4 days a week as Dr. Walker has gone back to Hutchinson.

Wells says Meeker Memorial is also excited to welcome a new family physician – Dr. Leif Olson – who will start in October. She says October will mark one year since she began at Meeker Memorial as interim CEO. She was named CEO earlier this year. Wells says she came out of retirement after 40 years in health care and says Litchfield is such a wonderful community and Meeker Memorial is a phenomenal hospital with so much potential.

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“Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” opens tonight at 7 p.m. and continues Friday and Saturday nights at 7 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 2 o’clock in the Bernie Aaker Auditorium. If you’ve never attended a Litchfield Community Theatre production or if you’re a faithful attendee of their productions, you won’t want to miss this show.

Director Tim Nelson and his cast and crew have been working hard all summer on this production and are ready to perform. “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” uses songs – often in a comedic way – to tell the story of Joseph and his brothers from the final chapters of the book of Genesis as Joseph’s jealous brothers sell him into slavery and he ends up as a powerful leader in Egypt – second only to Pharaoh – and saves many people, including his brothers and their families, from a future famine. Nelson says a huge pyramid is affixed in the middle of the Bernie Aaker Auditorium stage where much of the show is performed.

Adam Stern has returned to his hometown of Litchfield this summer to perform in the lead role of Joseph and is supported by a very talented cast. The singing, choreography and costumes in “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” have propelled Litchfield Community Theatre to a new level of professionalism. Tickets will be available at the door or call Litchfield Community Education at 693-2354 or go to litchfieldcommunitytheatre.com.

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