The Meeker County Sheriff’s Office has 3 drones which can be utilized for various situations. The community came forward generously last year to help with funding for the new technology.
Meeker County Sheriff Brian Cruze says several businesses and individuals made donations as more than $31,000 was raised. He says there are restrictions on how the drones may be used.
Sheriff Cruze says the drones will not be used to invade peoples’ privacy. He says one of the main uses is for locating missing persons, and in the first week of having a drone, the Sheriff’s Office was able to use it to recover a stolen vehicle.
Deputy Ryan Schutz says search and rescue is the primary use for the drones and two of them have thermal capabilities. He says he used one of the drones last winter to find a suspect who had fled on foot, got stuck in a swamp and needed to be rescued. Deputy Schutz says there are three people at the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office who are licensed to use the drones and they go through training every 3 months.
Meeker Memorial Hospital is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with St. Cloud Orthopedics, enhancing the hospital’s orthopedic care services for patients in Litchfield and surrounding communities. This collaboration brings together a team of highly skilled orthopedic surgeons specializing in joint replacement, spine surgery, and general orthopedics to deliver top-tier care.
Siegfried (Sig) Feierabend, M.D. brings a wealth of experience in adult reconstruction and general orthopedics. Dr. Feierabend earned his master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from North Dakota State University in Fargo, ND, in 2007 and his medical degree from the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, ND, in 2011. He completed his orthopedic residency at Wayne State University in Michigan in 2016 and has since dedicated his practice to providing exceptional care in joint replacement, particularly in the hip, knee, hand, and wrist. Dr. Feierabend is a Board-Certified Orthopedic Surgeon and a member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons and the American Medical Association.
Joel Shobe, M.D. brings over two decades of expertise in spinal surgery to the partnership. Dr. Shobe received his medical training from Northwestern University Medical School, the Medical College of Wisconsin, Kansas University Medical Center, and Buffalo General Hospital. Since joining St. Cloud Orthopedics in 1997, Dr. Shobe has specialized in cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spinal surgery for both adult and pediatric patients.
Christopher Reynolds, D.O. holds a medical degree from Des Moines University College of Osteopathic Medicine and has extensive expertise in microdiscectomy, decompression, fusion, motion-preservation, revision spine surgery, and complex spine reconstruction. He had advanced training in Spine Surgery at the New England Baptist Hospital in Boston, MA. Dr. Reynolds’ special interest lies in motion-preserving (non-fusion) techniques, which offer patients innovative solutions for spine disorders using the latest open and minimally invasive techniques.
Meeker Memorial CEO Mary Ellen Wells says this partnership underscores Meeker Memorial Hospital’s commitment to providing high-quality care and expanding access to specialized treatments in our community. She says patients will benefit from the combined knowledge and expertise of St. Cloud Orthopedics’ distinguished surgeons, ensuring they receive the most advanced and personalized care available.
For more information about the services available through this partnership, or to schedule an appointment, contact Meeker Memorial Hospital at 320-693-4590.
The Litchfield Area Mentorship Program is continuing to seek mentors as there are about a dozen children on a waiting list waiting to be matched. The organization will be visible at a couple of upcoming events in Litchfield.
Judy Hulterstrum says LAMP will have a booth at the Chamber’s Fallin’ into Fun Fest in downtown Litchfield on September 21st. She says they will serve dirty sodas and will be giving away children’s books.
Hulterstrum says LAMP will also be part of a Back-to-School Carnival on October 5th from 10-to-1 at Litchfield Middle School. She says it’s a free event, but there will be a fee for the various games and concessions. She says if anyone would like more information about LAMP, they may call her at 320-699-1616 or go to lampkinship.org.
On a related matter, members of the community have an opportunity to participate in Welcoming Week with an event this Saturday, September 14th, from 2-to-5 at Memorial Park on Lake Ripley in Litchfield. Chukuma Ijioma says it’s a way for people from other cultures to feel like they are part of the community and there will be fun activities for people to enjoy.
Ijioma says there will also be a special story time at the Litchfield Public Library at 10 a.m. on Friday.
