News

The Litchfield Community Theatre production of “Annie Jr.” can be seen this Thursday, Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. in the Bernie Aaker Auditorium. Tickets may be purchased at the door, or in advance at litchfieldcommunitytheatre.com or at Litchfield Community Education.

Director Heidi Pennertz says the kids have been rehearsing for over two month and the production is coming together. She says “Annie Jr.” is similar to “Annie” – just a little shorter.

Pennertz says she last directed “Beauty & the Beast” in 2019 and was in the cast of “Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” last summer with several of her family members. 4th grader June Nicholson is in the role of Annie who she describes as nice.

Nicholson says she’s been in 5 productions including “The Wizard of Oz,” “Cinderella,” “Heidi,” “Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “A Christmas Carol.” 9th grader Maddie Beecroft says she’s in the role of Grace in “Annie Jr.”

Beecroft says she’s been in several productions including “Anastasia,” “Robin Hood and the White Arrow,” “Shrek,” “Spongebob,” “Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat” and “Footloose.” 11th grader Quentin Berube says he’s in the role of Warbucks.

Berube says he’s been in several productions since the 3rd grade for both school and community theatre and a couple of his favorites have been “Shrek” and “Anastasia.”

Center Bank has announced the promotion of Tom Zens to Market President effective April 11. A dedicated banking professional with more than 25 years of experience, Tom has been an 
integral part of Center Bank.   

Tom has been providing expert financial guidance to Center Bank customers for over 11 years. A graduate of the School of Banking in Madison, WI, Tom brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to his new role as Market President – Litchfield.

Tom’s promotion reflects the bank’s ongoing investment in experienced, community-focused 
leadership that prioritizes customer relationships and local economic growth. President and CEO Al Liestman says Tom’s experience, dedication to his customers, and deep understanding of community banking make him a perfect fit for this role. Liestman says his leadership will help the bank continue its mission of delivering personalized service and strengthening the financial well-being of the individuals, families and businesses they serve. For more information about Center Bank, visit centerbankmn.com. 

This week is Severe Weather Awareness Week and Meeker County Sheriff Brian Cruze would like to encourage all Meeker County residents to participate in one of the tornado drills on Thursday. Each day this week is devoted to a specific topic.

Monday is Alerts and Warnings, Tuesday is Severe Weather, Lightning and Hail, Wednesday is Floods, Thursday is Tornadoes and Friday is Extreme Heat. The annual statewide tornado drills are scheduled for Thursday, April 10th, at 1:45 p.m. and 6:45 p.m. During these drills, the county outdoor warning sirens and NOAA Weather Radios will sound in a simulated tornado warning. 

Both drills are intended to give the public the opportunity to practice their tornado sheltering procedures.  The first drill is an opportunity for schools, businesses and those working during the day to practice while the evening drill allows second shift workers and families at home to do the same. 

This week is designed to refresh, remind and educate everyone about the seasonal threats from severe weather and how to avoid them. It is also a great time to make and practice your emergency plan and build or refresh your emergency preparedness kit. In the event of severe weather, the safest place is the basement. If your building has no basement, seek shelter on the lowest level and as close to the center of the building as possible, preferably with no windows.

For more information on Severe Weather Awareness Week, visit dps.mn.gov. The Meeker County Sheriff’s Office uses the CodeRED notification system to send emergency messages directly to residents in the event of severe weather and other emergencies affecting county residents. Notifications can be sent to home phones, cell phones, texts and email addresses.  Register for this free service online at www.co.meeker.mn.us or call 320-693-5420 for more information.