On Monday morning at 7:30, the Stearns County Emergency Communications Center received a 911 call reporting a crash with injuries near 19471 County Road 49 in Eden Lake Township – about four miles south of Richmond. Deputies responded to the scene and determined that a 2017 Chevy Express van, driven by 24-year-old Luke Michael Haan of Eden Valley, was traveling eastbound on County Road 49 when it collided with a 2019 International box truck operated by 24-year-old Nayeli Marie Cruz Pabon of Clara City.
The preliminary investigation indicates that Cruz Pabon had stopped on the side of County Road 49 to drop off trash cans at a residence when her vehicle was struck by the van driven by Haan.
The van sustained severe front-end damage, and Haan had to be extricated from the vehicle. He was treated at the scene for minor injuries. The crash remains under investigation by the Stearns County Sheriff’s Office. Alcohol is not believed to be a factor. The Stearns County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Cold Spring Police Department, Eden Valley Rescue, 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)
The Litchfield Rotary Club has its Spring Fling on Monday, April 6th at the Litchfield Eagles Club, beginning at 5:30 p.m. The event coincides each year with the final game of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament.
Tim Swenson says the event is for both men and women. He says they are serving dinner earlier this year – at 6 p.m. – than they have in past years so that they can have the dinner, raffle and live auction done in time for the start of the game.
Swenson says it helps if people get their tickets in advance so that they know how much food to prepare and you can get them from any Litchfield Rotary Club member. He says they will also be available at the door.
Tom Springer says tickets are $50 each. He says this is a big fundraiser each year for the Litchfield Rotary Club to help with all of the projects that they support, which in recent years have included the splash pad, the audio enhancement project at Lake Ripley School and the installation of outdoor AEDs around the community.
Springer says the game on April 6th will be on a big screen TV at the Eagles Club, and there will also be a cash raffle, gift baskets and a live auction. He says the Litchfield Rotary Club meets on Tuesday mornings at 7 a.m. for breakfast and a meeting at the Litchfield Fire/Rescue Hall and new members are welcome to join.
The Litchfield School Board has approved of increases in the rates for driver’s education. Litchfield Community Education Director Grant Solem spoke to the Board last night about the need for increasing the rates.
Driver’s Education instructor pay will increase from $25 per hour to $27.50. The driver’s training classroom fee will increase from $100 to $150. Behind-the-wheel training will increase from $150 to $225; and non-classroom behind-the-wheel will increase from $150 to $275.
Business Manager Jesse Johnson gave the Board a Legislative update last night saying that there’s a proposal to provide a $1,700 tax credit for donations to scholarship-granting organizations for K-12 students; and there’s a proposal to increase to $979 per pupil and indexing future growth to the basic formula starting in fiscal year 2028 – and the bill includes a geographic cost index to account for regional economic differences.
Superintendent Susan Burris spoke to the Board about on-going efforts to address bullying. She says the staff is trained annually on the issue and students are reminded of behavioral expectations and there are policies in place to address bullying so that corrective action can be taken. She says, despite preventive measures, it still happens and it needs to be reported in a timely manner, and matters that have been brought up are being investigated.
The Litchfield School Board approved of a resolution accepting several donations including: $100 from Barb Piepenburg to Litchfield Athletics for Girls Basketball; $1,650 from the Hockey Boosters for Girls Hockey Charter Bus Transportation; $1,300 from ACE Hardware for the LHS Garden Program for 670 packets of flower and vegetable seeds; $3,000 from First District Assn. for the Litchfield Middle School Science Museum Trip; and $5,319.07 from the Track Boosters for the Litchfield Track Team Track team tent, training hurdles and miscellaneous supplies. A plaque (which will hang at Lake Ripley School) was also accepted from the Carol Huhner Estate to honor Carol and all school secretaries who have given their love, care and compassion to the children at the Litchfield Schools.