On Saturday afternoon at 3:41, the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office took a report of a structure fire in the 61000 block of CSAH 18 in Greenleaf township. Litchfield Fire Department responded along with five other fire departments: Cosmos, Grove City, Dassel, Lake Lillian, and Hutchinson. Deputies arrived to find a shed, containing hay bales, fully engulfed in flames. The fire is believed to be the result of a brush fire that worked its way to the shed. Fire departments were on the scene for nearly 6 hours extinguishing the fire. The shed and its contents, owned by Kaping Farms, are a total loss. No injuries were reported as a result of the fire. Also assisting at the scene were Litchfield Rescue Squad and Mayo Ambulance.
On this day in music, March 24, 1986, Van Halen scored their first No.1 album on the Billboard 200 with 5150. The hard rockers’ seventh studio album marked their first to feature ex-Montrose singer Sammy Hagar, who replaced David Lee Roth as the band’s frontman. Despite Roth’s popularity with fans, Hagar proved his worth – and then some – as the album soared to the top of the charts. Featuring such hits as “Why Can’t This Be Love,” “Love Walks In,” and “Dreams,” 5150 also found success across the globe, landing in the Top 5 in Japan, Canada, and Australia, and peaking in the Top 20 in the UK and across Europe.
In 1977, Fleetwood Mac released “Dreams,” their only chart-topping hit on the Billboard Hot 100. Written by Stevie Nicks, it was plucked from their multi-platinum eleventh album Rumours.
In 1990, Irish singer Sinead O’Connor scored her only No.1 UK album with I Do Not Want What I Haven’t Got, which featured her chart-topping cover of Prince’s “Nothing Compares 2 U.”
In 1966, Simon And Garfunkel debuted on the UK singles chart with “Homeward Bound,” which peaked at No. 9 during a 12-week chart run. The song was taken from the folk-rock duo’s third album, Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme.
In 1997, 57-year-old Harold Melvin, leader of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, died following a stroke. The soul group became a household name in the 1970s under Philadelphia International Records, where their hits included “If You Don’t Know Me By Now,” “The Love I Lost,” and “Wake Up Everybody.”
In 2002, Gareth Gates, the runner-up to Will Young in the first series of the UK TV show, Pop Idol, broke the record for the youngest male solo artist to hit the top of the UK charts with his debut single, “Unchained Melody.” Gates was just seventeen years and 255 days old.
In 1958, Elvis Presley reported to the Memphis draft board to begin his two-year service with the US Army.
BORN ON MARCH 24
1935: Carol Kaye (Wrecking Crew)
1938: Holger Czukay (Can)
1938: Don Covay
1949: Nick Lowe (Brinsley Schwarz and Rockpile)
1960: Nena
1964: Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers)
1970: Pasemaster Mace (De La Soul)
1970: Shannon Corr (The Corrs)
1974: Chad Butler (Switchfoot)
Litchfield Community Theatre will present “Annie Jr” April 10th, 11th and 12th at 7 p.m. and on April 13th at 2 p.m. in the Bernie Aaker Auditorium. Tickets are $10. For the Litchfield Visitors Bureau, this is a great event for attracting people to town.
“Annie Jr” director Heidi Pennertz says there are 34 kids in the cast and they come from four different school districts. She says it’s similar to the adult version of “Annie” – about an orphan in the 1930s who’s rescued by a millionaire – just a little shorter.
Pennertz says “Annie” was produced by Litchfield Community Theatre for its summer production 17 years ago. She says she last directed the Youth Theatre in 2019 for “Beauty and the Beast,” and she says this will be a fun show so people should get tickets which are available at Litchfield Community Education or at litchfieldcommunitytheatre.com.
Janaye Prieve from the Litchfield Visitors Bureau says you can purchase tickets at the door, but if you get your tickets in advance, you can sit where you want to sit. She says the Youth Theatre always puts on a great show.
Prieve says the Litchfield Visitors Bureau is also looking forward to the Parade of Bands on June 17th. For more information on any upcoming events in Litchfield, go to litchfieldmn.com or call the Chamber office at 693-8184.
The Meeker County Gardener’s Gala is coming up this Thursday, starting at 5 p.m., at the Church of St. Philip in Litchfield. The annual event is coordinated by the Master Gardeners and Horticulture Society and admission at the door is $20.
The guest speakers this year will be Laura Irish-Hanson from the University of Minnesota Extension talking about climate-ready gardening and LeAnne Lund, a Meeker County cut flower grower. Lund sells cut flowers from her farm, south of Grove City, all over the nation; and Irish-Hanson is a horticulturist who has an office at the Minnesota Landscape Arboretum and will have tips for growing flexibility to adapt to our changing climate
The Gardener’s Gala will also include a quilt silent auction. There will be several vendors, and door prizes. It will be an evening of education and fellowship. For more information, call the Extension office at 693-5275.
Each day a business will be featured as “Business of the Day” and every time their commercial is aired be the 7th caller and win a chance to receive KLFD Bucks to be spent at our “Business of the Day” locations.
Monday thru Friday, at 4 pm we will draw out a winner to be put into our final drawing to be held sometime later in April. Once your name has been drawn out daily and put into the final drawing, you are no longer qualified to call in. Otherwise, you can keep calling in once a day to qualify.
Our sponsors include: Litchfield Liquors, Central Counties Coop, Litchfield Chrysler, DC Diesel, Farm-Rite Equipment, Davis Motors, Air Pro Heating & A/C, Miller Automotive, El Chilero, Atwater Ford, Stockman’s Greenhouse