News

The Meeker County Court House and parts of the Law Enforcement Center have been going through a remodeling project the past few months, and the Court House is now known as the Justice Center. There is no public entrance to the building on Sibley Avenue any more as there is now a secure entrance on the west side.

Meeker County Sheriff Brian Cruze says people entering the building will be met by a deputy during the regular hours of 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and will have to go through a metal detector. He says the Jail Administrator and Dispatch have been moved from the Law Enforcement Center (LEC) to the Justice Center, and the dispatch space at the LEC is now the records area, and there is a new conference center.

Sheriff Cruze says the lobby on the west side of the Justice Center will be open after hours, and the LEC door is also open 24/7, but if you arrive after regular business hours, you will speak to someone on a phone. He says the changes will not change the level of service they provide.

Sheriff Cruze says it’s been a challenging time, but they can see the light at the end of the tunnel and there will be an open house scheduled for the public sometime in October. He also wants to remind the public about the new no-wake ordinance in place on several area lakes, and any changes will be posted at the public accesses if and when the water levels recede. Boats must be operated at the lowest possible speed within 300-feet of shore.

First District Association has appointed Glenn Kaping as President and CEO. The Litchfield cooperative made the announcement on July 30th.

Kaping, serving as First District Association’s Chief Financial Officer since April of 2021, succeeds Bob Huffman, who announced his resignation earlier in July.

Kaping says it’s an honor to be selected to lead the cooperative and a privilege to work alongside such a great team serving Upper Midwest dairy farm families. He says he looks forward to building on the successes of past leadership as they strive to keep First District a modern, efficient, and respected dairy manufacturer.

Kaping is a Litchfield native who brings more than 23 years of experience in the dairy industry, working for FDA in a variety of roles including leading its marketing and sales efforts from 2011-to-2021, prior to becoming CFO.

On Thursday morning at 1:31 a.m., the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a fire in the 54900 block of 145th Street in Cosmos Township.  A passerby noticed a glow as he was driving on MN Highway 4.  The passerby was concerned, checked the area and found First Evangelical Lutheran Church of Cosmos engulfed in flames.  Deputies and Fire Departments from Cosmos, Grove City, Litchfield, and Hutchinson all responded to the scene.  The church is a total loss and there were no injuries reported.  The MN Fire Marshall responded to the scene as well.  The cause of the fire is currently under investigation.