The Meeker County Sheriff’s Office will be utilizing a new emergency alert system in the near future. Residents can sign up free-of-charge to get notifications about emergency situations, and instructions about how to sign up for the new RAVE system will be coming out in the next few weeks through social media and on the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office website.
Meeker County Sheriff Brian Cruze says they had been using Code Red, but that system had a data breach in November which is why they are making the switch at this time. He says if you had a password with Code Red that you use for other applications, you should switch it.
Sheriff Cruze says he attended the annual Minnesota Sheriff’s Conference this week in the Brainerd area and he was honored to be able to hand out a couple of life-saving awards to two Meeker County Deputies. He says they were involved in saving someone last July 29th who had fallen off of a tube in the Crow River and got tangled in fallen tree debris.
Sheriff Cruze says the Minnesota Sheriff’s Association will be announcing scholarship winners early in the new year and as the application deadline ended November 28th, they had over 70 applications. He says that is way up from last year when there were only 18 applicants for 20 scholarships, so it shows that an interest is returning for young people to choose law enforcement as a career.
The 72nd annual Saint Lucia Breakfast will be held at First Lutheran Church in Litchfield on Saturday from 6-to-9 a.m. The suggested donation is $10 for adults, $5 for children 6-to-10, and free for children 5 and under. It’s a traditional Swedish breakfast with white gravy and crumbled eggs on toast, rice pudding, cranberries, sausage and an assortment of cookies, and the option of scrambled eggs. Tickets are available at the church office in advance, or at the door. The church is always lit in candle light for the special breakfast.
The Grove City Area CARE program held its Christmas party yesterday during lunch time. Dennis Brown was named as the CARE Volunteer of the Year.
CARE Program Coordinator Andrea Dallmann and CARE Volunteer Coordinator Rosie Dilley spoke to the large crowd at yesterday’s party and shared some highlights from the past year. Meeker County Commissioner Steve Schmitt, who is also on the CARE board, also spoke about the benefits of the Grove City Area CARE program as he calls it “the best kept secret.”
The Christmas party was to have been held Tuesday evening, but was post-poned to yesterday because of Tuesday’s stormy weather. The next big event for the Grove City Area CARE program will be the Souper Bowl lunch in early February.
The Litchfield Area Mentorship is continuing its mission of matching children with adults who can give them a little extra support. A commitment of just 4-hours a month is required from mentors in the program.
LAMP Program Coordinator Erika Buller says time is valuable, but besides the 4-hours per month, being a mentor is not an expensive endeavor. She says some mentors choose to spend one hour a week with their child while others may do it all in one block such as a Saturday activity, but the main thing is to be a positive presence in their lives.
Buller says the Lunch Buddies is another option for potential mentors and there are 14 each at Lake Ripley Elementary School in Litchfield and at Dassel Elementary School who spend an hour twice a month with a child during their lunch period. She says they recently began the Lunch Buddies program at ACGC Elementary and there are 3 grandmas there who spend time with all of the Kindergarteners.
Buller says if anyone is willing to volunteer with LAMP, they may call her at 320-699-1616 or email coordinator@lampkinship.org. She says the children in the LAMP will have an exclusive shopping event this evening – after the Candy Cane parade – to shop for their parents at the Threads of Hope store.
“Bart and Arnie” will hit the stage of the Ridgewater College Theatre on the Willmar campus this weekend. The performances are at 7 p.m., December 11th, 12th and 13th. Tickets are available at the box office one hour prior to show time.
Written by Adam Szymkowicz, “Bart and Arnie” is the story of two best friends trying to survive in New York City. Bart is the level-headed, pessimistic, yet pragmatic one who worries about rent, dating, making friends and finding a fulfilling career. Arnie is carefree, horrible with money, and doesn’t see the point in worrying about anything, especially toilet paper. Together, they try to navigate life as best they can.
The production is appropriate for all ages, but is targeted at high schoolers and older. Admission is free for Ridgewater students and staff, and $10 for everyone else.