A new pastor joined the staff of First Lutheran Church in Litchfield this past summer. Pastor Michael Buller joined Pastor Tom Evenson in the ministry at First Lutheran Church in June.
Pastor Evenson says First Lutheran had multiple pastors in the past, but he has been the lone pastor at the church for the last 8 years. He says it’s great to have Michael on the staff.
Pastor Evenson says he actually got to take a weekend off recently which was nice. He says missions – local and worldwide – are very important to the congregation at First Lutheran, and Michael will be working closely with the Mission Study Tour group which will have trips to Nebraska and to Costa Rica next year.
Pastor Michael Buller says he became familiar with MST when he worked at the burger stand last month at the Meeker County Fair.
Pastor Buller says he was originally from St. James, MN, went to seminary in St. Paul and he and his wife, Erika, spent 8 years in the Wahpeton area of North Dakota, then the Willmar and Kerkhoven area before coming to Litchfield. They have 3 young children. Worship services at First Lutheran Church in Litchfield begin at 9 a.m. on Sunday mornings.
Lots of activities have taken place already during the first month of school in the Litchfield School District. Enrollment is also up some compared to last year.
Superintendent Susan Burris says they were up about 10 students at the beginning of September. She says the year is off to a great start – the new tennis courts are already being used, bus safety training has been completed with Hicks Bus, and she’d like to thank everyone who attended the welcome conferences, and the open house at Litchfield High School.
Burris says the Character Counts program has begun at Lake Ripley Elementary and the students there are ending their fundraiser this Friday, so if they reach a certain amount, they will get to pour blue slime over Principal Olson. She says Dragon Week, formerly known as homecoming, is coming up next week in the Litchfield School District.
Burris says 75 people attended the showing of “Screen Agers” last week in the Litchfield High School Commons. She says the Litchfield High School fall musical, “Footloose,” can be seen in the Bernie Aaker Auditorium October 31st, November 1st and 2nd at 7 p.m. and on November 3rd at 2 p.m.
The Litchfield School Board met last night and approved of two new positions. The District will be hiring an additional Lake Ripley Elementary School Special Education paraprofessional, and a Dragons Kids Club Enrichment Coordinator.
Litchfield Community Education Director Grant Solem says the Dragons Kids Club position will be 30-hours per week and the person will need to be available in the summer months. The School Board also approved of the Athletic Trainer contract for 2024-25 with Meeker Memorial Hospital.
The Litchfield School Board has certified the preliminary fiscal year 2026 – payable 2025 – levy of nearly 6.7-million-dollars ($6,680,892.20). Business Manager Jesse Johnson says it’s an increase of $358,023.74 or 5.66%, and it can be lowered during the December 9th truth-in-taxation hearing.
The Litchfield School Board approved of a resolution last night accepting donations including $1,000 from Meeker County Farm Bureau for Litchfield High School for the FFA Nationals, and $200 from the Litchfield Kiwanis Club for Litchfield Middle School for Special Education Books.
The Board welcomed Student Council President Allie Kargas and Vice President Addie Zens to their table last night. Kargas presented information about Dragon Week next week and told about the various dress-up days for each day of homecoming. Zens spoke specifically about the October 4th events which will include a pep fest, powder puff game, coronation and football game. The Litchfield School Board will meet next on Tuesday, October 15th. The Board has a transition meeting that evening with a member of the Minnesota School Board Association.
