On Saturday afternoon at 2:29, the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office received a report of a snowmobile accident on Lake Willie in Ellsworth Township. The driver, 65-year-old Bruce Sunsdahl of Dassel, rolled his snowmobile while driving in circles. Sunsdahl was transported to Meeker Memorial Hospital by Mayo ambulance with non-life-threatening injuries. Litchfield Fire Department and Litchfield Rescue Squad also assisted at the scene.
On this day in music, February 24, 1968, Fleetwood Mac (popularly known then as Peter Green’s Fleetwood Mac) released their eponymous debut. At the time, the band (Peter Green, Mick Fleetwood, Jeremy Spencer, and John McVie) was a blues-rock outfit. That style was reflected in the album’s tracklist, which included covers of blues standards by Howlin’ Wolf, Robert Johnson, and Elmore James, plus original material. Despite the lack of a hit single, Fleetwood Mac peaked at No.4 in the UK. The album also marks the only Fleetwood Mac LP to not include keyboardist and vocalist Christine McVie (wife of John), who joined the group in 1970.
In 1969, The Jimi Hendrix Experience played their final UK show together. Held at London’s Royal Albert Hall, the set included covers of Cream’s “Sunshine of Your Love” and Elmore James’ “Bleeding Heart,” plus an extended jam of “Room Full of Mirrors,” all of which appeared on the 1971 live album, Experience. The band would break up shortly after an appearance at the Denver Pop Festival that June.
In 1976, The Eagles’ Their Greatest Hits compilation became the first album to receive Platinum certification by the RIAA, marking the sale of one million copies. Released just one week earlier, the album contained favorites from the rock band’s first four albums – all of which were Top 40 US hits (except “Tequila Sunrise”).
In 2020, guitarist David Roback, a founding member of Mazzy Star, died from metastatic cancer at age 61. Before forming the dream pop band in 1989 with singer Hope Sandoval, Roback was an active member of Los Angeles’ Paisley Underground scene, with bands like Rain Parade and Opal (which morphed into Mazzy Star).
In 1982, the first annual BRIT Awards were held in London, four years after an inaugural event took place around the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. British broadcaster David Jacobs hosted the ceremony, as Adam and the Ants won British Album of the Year (for Kings of the Wild Frontier) and Soft Cell’s “Tainted Love” earned British Single of the Year.
In 2004, 85-year-old Estelle Axton, who co-founded Stax Records, died in Memphis. Axton established the pioneering soul label with her brother, Jim Stewart, in the late 50s.
BORN ON FEBRUARY 24
1942: Paul Jones (Manfred Mann)
1947: Lonnie Turner (Steve Miller Band)
1947: Rupert Holmes
1950: George Thorogood
1959: Colin Farley (Cutting Crew)
1973: Chris Fehn (Slipknot)
1974: Chad Hugo (The Neptunes)
The Litchfield Downtown Council, Litchfield Golf and Community Partners and Prospects presents “An Evening in Front of the Radio” – a dinner reader’s theater production about the golden age of radio. It’s coming up on Saturday, March 14th at Prospects in Litchfield.
Betty Allen says doors will open at 5:30 p.m., with a 2-meat buffet at 6 p.m. and the show at 7. She says tickets are $35 and it should be an entertaining show.
Allen says there are 70 seats available, so get your tickets soon. Carl Minton from the Litchfield Golf and Community Partners Board says they are providing the materials for a stage at Prospects along with the labor. He says this is a new venture at the golf club.
Darlene Kotelnicki says tickets are available at the Fieldgate Cheese Store, DeAnn’s Country Village Shoppe, Farm Bureau or by calling her at 320-535-0034; and it’s cash or check only. She says the cast includes Art Elson, Erika & Michael Buller, Paul White, Beckie Simenson, Karter Cunningham, Jeff Woods, Scott Nelson, Betty Allen and herself and they’ll be portraying news and other events that people would have heard on the radio back in the 30s, 40s and 50s.
Kotelnicki says they are raising funds to help with this summer’s musical line-up in Central Park. She says it’s a family-friendly show – with sound effects, and if it goes well, they’ll try it again.
The Litchfield School Board has approved of an adaptive bowling activity for special needs students. The inclusive activity will give the students a sense of competition.
Assistant High School Principal/Activities Director Justin Brown says that adaptive PE teacher Tyler Storm will instruct the class as the students will go to the Litchfield Bowling Center and compete electronically with students in other communities. He says it will be added to the school’s Minnesota State High School League activities.
Brown also presented to the Litchfield School Board last night a summary of the winter activities including the numbers of students involved in each activity. He says the pool renovation project which was recently completed at the High School turned out better than he could have imagined.
Business Manager Jesse Johnson told the Board about an issue that has come up with the surface at the tennis courts and the corrective measures that are planned in June to address the problem. Superintendent Susan Burris told the Board that the community survey deadline is approaching this Friday. She says formal proposals on budget reductions will be presented to the Board at the March 9th meeting; and conversations are continuing on the bullying issue. A parent spoke to the Board last night about a bullying issue last year that targeted her family.
Also last night, the Litchfield School Board approved of a resolution accepting donations including $250 from Perennial Bank for the Litchfield High School FFA, and $2,500 from the Litchfield Marching Band Boosters for the Litchfield High School Marching Band to pay for summer drill designer.
