Members of the Litchfield Area Mentorship Program will be especially busy the next two evenings – serving food during tonight’s Thriving Thursdays music event in Litchfield’s Central Park and selling dirty sodas during the Songs of Summer Festival Friday night at Memorial Park.
Program Coordinator Jenna Haynie says the events are not just good for raising funds, but also to get exposure for the organization and to try to recruit more mentors. She says there is a long waiting list of children right now who need mentors.
Haynie says they are also looking for Lunch Buddies and there will be orientation for that on September 9th. She says people currently involved in LAMP and volunteers who’ve been involved the past 4 years are invited to a back-to-school BBQ on August 27th which will be a farewell for her as she is resigning from her position. For more information about LAMP, call Jenna at 320-582-5267.
On Tuesday afternoon at 12:28, the Renville County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a residential fire in the 800 block of Oak Avenue in Bird Island. Emergency crews found the residence fully engulfed in flames. Emergency crews were able to contain the fire, but the residence was deemed a total loss.
The Bird Island Fire Department was assisted on the scene by the Renville County Sheriff’s Office, Olivia Fire Department, Bird Island MRU, and the Minnesota State Fire Marshall’s Office. The Minnesota State Fire Marshall’s Office, Bird Island Fire Department, and the Renville County Sheriff’s Office are continuing the investigation into the cause of the fire.
The turn-out for Tuesday’s primary election in Meeker County was fairly low with just 1,876 votes cast. The lowest turn-out in recent years was 1,191 in 2016 and one of the better-attended primaries in recent years was in 2014 when 4,054 people turned out to vote in Meeker County.
The filing period for school district and city offices ended on Tuesday as well. In the Litchfield School District, the seats of Alex Carlson, Julie Pennertz and Michelle Falling will be up this year, and 5 people have filed for those 3 seats on the November 5th ballot – Stephanie Danielson, Alex Carlson, Tim Oster, Adam Boerma and Mick Spillane.
In the City of Litchfield, 3 seats are up on the Council. Malinda Larson and Carl Minton will be on the ballot for the Council Person at Large seat, Darlene Kotelnicki and Ian McGuire will face each other in Ward 2, and John Carlson was the lone person to file in Ward 4.
The Mission BBQ at Trinity Lutheran Church in Grove City will be on Tuesday, August 20th, from 5:30-to-7:30 p.m. The menu includes BBQ pulled pork sandwiches, sweet corn, homemade baked beans, chips, bars and beverages.
Richard Larson says the cost is $12 for adults, $6 for children, free for kids under 5, with a $30 family maximum, and the proceeds will benefit the Grove City Rescue Squad and Fire Dept. He says they appreciate all of the people who attend this event each year.
Larson says the Mission BBQ will also include meat and basket raffles and a silent auction. He says take-out meals will be available.