News

The Meeker County American Dairy Association will have its annual Princess Banquet on Sunday in the Church of Our Lady Social Hall in Manannah. The social time begins at 1 p.m., followed by a soup & sandwich lunch at 1:30, and the coronation around 2 o’clock.

Heather Thyen says the Farmers & Merchants State Bank of Eden Valley and Pierz is sponsoring the lunch. She says the princess candidates are interviewed on Sunday; have to give a 3-minute speech, and are also judged on an application that they submit.

Thyen says the princesses, junior princesses and ambassadors promote the dairy industry – mostly during the summer months – by reading to children in libraries, helping during Cheeseburger Days, riding in parades, serving milkshakes and ice cream in the malt booth at the Meeker County Fair and attending other events. She says the 3 princesses will be able to compete in the Princess Kay preliminary event in St. Cloud in May. For more information about the Meeker County ADA or Sunday’s banquet, check out their Facebook page or look for MeekerMNADA on Instagram.

The Litchfield City Council has approved of a site plan review and variance request for First District Association at 101 South Swift Avenue. Mayor Ron Dingmann attended last week’s Planning Commission meeting and says First District will be adding 15 additional silos with increased building height and a setback is required for the west property line.

The Council has approved of a bid from Modern Mechanical Ice Systems of Burnsville for $1,346,625 for the Civic Arena floor and dasher board project. Construction is expected to take place from March through August.

The Council approved of a bid from Upper Midwest Athletic Construction of Andover for rehabilitation of the tennis courts across from the Armory. The Litchfield City Council also approved of repealing and replacing two resolutions related to the Litchfield Area Recreation Center at the request of the Department of Employment and Economic Development; approved of spending $38,000 for tree replacement on boulevards and in parks and at the golf course this summer; and approved of golf course rates on a 5-to-1 vote. Darlene Kotelnicki voted against the golf course rates as she wanted to table the matter for two weeks and get more information.

On Sunday afternoon at 4:11, the Stearns County Emergency Communications Center received a report of a building fire at 18975 66th Avenue in Maine Prairie Township. The caller, 88-year-old Dennis Carlson, who lives on the property, reported that a 12-by-20-foot detached shed on the property was smoking and flames could be seen coming from the building.

The building was fully engulfed in flames when a Stearns County Deputy and Kimball Fire Dept. arrived on the scene. The fire was suppressed by the Kimball Fire Department, and no injuries were caused by the fire. The fire is believed to have started by a wood burning stove located in the shed. The Kimball Fire Department, Stearns County Sheriff’s Office, and Mayo Ambulance responded to the scene.

The Meeker County Board of Commissioners received a project update on the Xcel Energy transmission line from Randy Fordice and Matthew Langan. The new line will be constructed from Lyon County to the Sherco Plant at Becker and will travel through western and northern portions of Meeker County – following roadways, field lines and section lines.

Langan says they looked for a route for the approximately 175-foot line that would have the least impact, and a final decision on approval of the route will come from the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission in April. He says Xcel will then negotiate easements with each individual landowner, and then construction is expected to take place from 2026 to 2028.

The Meeker County Commissioners approved of an interim use permit for the mining, washing and processing of gravel in Section 4 of Dassel Township on 278th Street for Warren Lindberg of Cokato. County Administrator Andrew Letson presented a letter that the County will send to the Governor regarding concerns with his budget for the next biennium which will create cost shifts in state-mandated programs. The cost shifts would result in an $860,000 increase in costs for the county and require a 5% increase in the tax levy, along with a $113,000 reduction in funding for aquatic invasive species prevention.

The Meeker County Board also received annual reports from Feedlot Officer Ann Steinhaus, Public Health Supervisor Chukuma Ijioma, and Human Resources Director Mikkell Johnson – and a year-end report on taxes collected/uncollected from Property Records, Taxation and Elections Manager Barb Loch.