On Dec. 9, 1965, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” premiered on CBS.
1967, police in New Haven, Connecticut, arrested Doors singer Jim Morrison for breach of peace and resisting arrest. Morrison had been sprayed with mace at a concert, and police hauled him off stage.
In 1972, an all-star orchestral stage version of The Who’s “Tommy” was performed in London. Members of the cast included Richie Havens, Peter Sellers and Steve Winwood.
In 1978, actors John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd recorded a version of “Soul Man” and released it under the name The Blues Brothers.
In 1981, singer Sonny Til of The Orioles died of a heart attack in Washington. He was 56.
In 1984, The Jacksons’ “Victory Tour” ended in Los Angeles. It was the last time Michael Jackson toured with his brothers.
In 1995, The Beatles “Anthology One,” with their first new song in 25 years, hit the top of the Billboard 200 album chart.
In 2019, singer Marie Fredriksson of Roxette died after a 17-year battle with cancer. She was 61.
In 2022, SZA released her “SOS” album.
Today’s birthdays: Actor Judi Dench is 90. Actor Beau Bridges is 83. Actor Michael Nouri is 79. Singer Joan Armatrading is 74. Actor Michael Dorn (“Star Trek: The Next Generation”) is 72. Actor John Malkovich is 71. Country singer Sylvia is 68. Singer Donny Osmond is 67. Bassist Nick Seymour of Crowded House is 66. Comedian Mario Cantone (“Sex and the City”) is 65. Actor David Anthony Higgins (“Mike and Molly,” “Malcolm in the Middle”) is 63. Actor Joe Lando (“Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman”) is 63. Actor Felicity Huffman (“Desperate Housewives,” ″Sports Night”) is 62. Keyboardist Jerry Hughes of Yankee Grey is 59. Singer-guitarist Thomas Flowers of Oleander is 57. Guitarist Brian Bell of Weezer is 56. Singer-guitarist Jakob Dylan of The Wallflowers is 55. Businesswoman and TV personality Lori Greiner (“Shark Tank”) is 55. Actor Allison Smith (“The West Wing,” ″Kate and Allie”) is 55. Former “American Idol” judge Kara DioGuardi (dee-oh-GWAHR’-dee) is 54. Country singer David Kersh is 54. Actor Reiko Aylesworth (“24″) is 52. Drummer Tre Cool of Green Day is 52. Rapper Canibus is 50. Singer Imogen Heap is 47. Actor Jesse Metcalfe (“Desperate Housewives”) is 46. Actor Simon Helberg (“The Big Bang Theory”) is 44. Actor Jolene Purdy (“Under the Dome,” ″Donnie Darko”) is 41. Actor Ashleigh Brewer (“The Bold and the Beautiful”) is 34.
Meeker County Sheriff Brian Cruze has determined the 1 p.m. monthly test of the Meeker County outdoor warning sirens will be canceled for all sirens in Meeker County during the winter months. There was no test on December 4th and the tests for January 1st and February 5th are also cancelled to avoid unnecessary strain and damage to the Outdoor Warning System. Monthly siren tests will resume on March 5th of 2025.
Sheriff Cruze says winter tends to bring extreme weather conditions including: extreme cold, freezing rain/drizzle, ice, and snow. He says testing sirens during these weather conditions puts the Outdoor Warning System at risk for unnecessary strain and damage to siren equipment and internal operating systems.
The Meeker County Sheriff’s Office will continue to utilize the CodeRED system to notify the community of important safety alerts and time-sensitive messages, and will activate sirens as determined necessary in emergency weather events. Visit the Sheriff’s Office website and click on the CodeRED logo to register for this free service. Contact Stephanie Johnson at Meeker County Emergency Management at 693-5420 if you have questions or if you need assistance with creating a CodeRED account.
The 2nd annual Santa Comes to Napa event is coming up on December 21st as Santa and his friends will be at the store on East Highway 12 in Litchfield that Saturday from noon-to-3. There will be refreshments, some fun cars to look at, and people are encouraged to bring items for the Meeker Area Food Shelf.
Mitch Simmons says Blaine & Hillary Adams will have some of their decorated cars at the event on December 21st and the Griswold station wagon with the Christmas tree on the roof will also be at Napa. He says they would appreciate it if people would bring Food Shelf donations.
Simmons says there will be photo opportunities with Santa; cookies, cocoa, and coffee. He says Napa will have a float in the Candy Cane Parade this Thursday evening in Litchfield.
The Litchfield Area Writers Group has released a new book titled “Home.” This is the 29th book in a row that the group has released just in time for Christmas. At $10 each, the book makes a great stocking stuffer for reading enthusiasts on your shopping list. The book is available for sale at KLFD, the Natural Food Co-op and at Open Door Gifts at Meeker Memorial Hospital – all in Litchfield and at Grove Bank in Grove City.
This year’s book includes material from Tim Bergstrom, Carole Wendt, Duane Hickler, Dave Hickler, Amy Page Wilde, Pete Heimdahl, Mike McNeil, Cathy Osdoba and Joe Paddock. The book is dedicated this year to Tim Bergstrom who’s been in the Litchfield Area Writers Group since 1991. Joe Paddock mentors the group and has been providing writing ideas for members of the group since 1990.
