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Meeker County Memorial Hospital pours third deck
Meeker County Memorial Hospital expansion project had a 1,000-yard concrete pour last Monday on the third deck of the addition at 612 S. Sibley Avenue, Litchfield, reported the Enterprise Dispatch.
Approximately 100 trucks from Hutchinson, Willmar and New London delivered concrete during the day to the 75,000 square-foot addition. The concrete was pumped up to the third deck, where the patients’ new rooms will be in the $26.5 million project.
One yard of concrete weights 2,800 pounds, so the 1,000 yards of concrete poured last Monday weighed 1,400 tons, according to construction superintendent Brad Hackenmueller.
Litchfield council divided over opera house value
It took some discussion, but the Litchfield City Council decided Monday that the oft-threatened Litchfield Opera House and the land on which it sits should be valued at $100,000, reported the Litchfield Independent Review.
The decision matched a suggestion made by Darlene Kotelnicki, chairwoman of the Greater Litchfield Opera House Association Inc., but was more than some supporters may have hoped it would be. It was considerably less than the initial valuation of $290,800 set by assessor Katy Drange, who admitted there were few options the Opera House could be compared for valuation.
Carver County child care providers honored
The Minnesota Licensed Family Child Care Association recently honored Sonja Ewert of Cologne and Cheryl Hoiosen of Waconia as Providers of the Year for Carver County, reported the Carver County News.
Ewert has been a licensed early childhood professional for the past four years and is the owner of Sonja’s Daycare.
Hoiosen has been a licensed early childhood professional for seven years and is the owner of Colorful Child Care. She incorporates fitness and exercise, including yoga, into her children’s daily routine.
The two providers were nominated through the Carver County Licensed Childcare Association (CCLCCA) established in 1985. It offers monthly training to members and opportunities for further networking with other providers.
Special meeting set for fate of 1922 Annandale building
In a packed room, the Annandale School Board heard a recommendation from the Facilities Task Force to demolish the 1922 building at the middle school April 28, reported the Annandale Advocate.
However, an outpouring of public opinion seems to be in favor of keeping the building.
Others were invited to express their opinions at a special meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 15, to discuss the task force recommendations in greater detail, including the fate of the 1922 building.
Meanwhile, the task force also gave recommendations for facility improvements to all three school buildings, plus the community education center.
Monticello council says farewell to city planner, friend
Monticello’s Community Center Director Kitty Baltos noted the retirement of economic development director Ollie Koropchak May 6. An open house was conducted on that day in her honor.
The council recognized Koropchak for her work May 5, and encouraged the public to attend to wish one of the city’s most tenured employees a fond farewell.
Hardware store in Glencoe sold; NAPA to take over
After 23 years in the Glencoe hardware business, Randy Wilson has decided to try something different. Wilson, 49, will close on the sale of his hardware store May 16, reported the McLeod County Chronicle.
The new owners will be Steve and Paula Windschitl and Tony and Shannon Gulden, who own the Glencoe NAPA store. They own Star Group LLC and will take possession of the NAPA/Do It Best Hardware Store May 17.
Star Group LLC owns seven other NAPA Auto Parts stores in southern Minnesota.
“We’ve been talking to Randy for about six months,” Windschitl said. He added his group has been talking about a better location in Glencoe for about two years.
Windschitl leases the NAPA building, located at the busy Hennepin Avenue-13th Street corner, from Ray Skolberg, and the lease is ending. While the NAPA building and Wilson Hardware are about the same square footage, Windschitl said, “that was not a factor in the decision.”
Hutchinson OKs preliminary wind power study
Hutchinson Utilities decided to move forward with a preliminary study about wind power, reported the Hutchinson Leader.
The Utilities Commission authorized a $26,000 study by Geronimo Wind Energy that will analyze the feasibility of Utilities pursuing construction of a wind turbine development in the Hutchinson area. The work will take about two or three months.
Costs for Henry Hill in Glencoe starting to add up
What some on Glencoe City Council feared most about the Henry Hill property has surfaced – that the city may need to pour money into the former school building to prevent additional damage from occurring as it debates the fate of the facility, reported the McLeod County Chronicle.
At the Glencoe City Council meeting May 5, it was reported that more damage occurred in some rooms from roof leaks.
Dan Ehrke of Glencoe Area Chamber of Commerce said the event center committee studying the project is trying to identify cost savings to trim the project cost from over $9 million to about $7 million.
“It seems we’re getting nowhere fast,” City Administrator Mark Larson said. It could take 18 months to two years for a project to take shape, and the city is still within that range. Council member Glenn Pohland was concerned that repairs for things like roof leaders “will cost $50,000 before we even do anything.”
Young America VFW observes 50th anniversary
Members of the Young America Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 1783 Auxiliary observed its 50th anniversary at the pavilion in Willkommen Memorial Park recently, reported the Norwood America Times.
The auxiliary conducted its first meeting on April 15, 1958. There were 17 charter members in what was originally known as the Auxiliary to the Otto Ochsner VFW (the name was changed to Young America VFW in 1967). Only six of those charter members remain, and all were original officers in the organization. They are: Bertha Jenson (president), Myra Lenzen (junior vice president), Ruth Lehrke and Carol Fahey (trustees), Mae Koerschen (chaplain) and Grace Bachmann (secretary).
Buffalo soldiers prepare to be mobilized in summer
Four years after a 2003-04 deployment in Iraq, planning is underway at the 353rd Transportation Company’s Army Reserve Center in Buffalo for another deployment this summer in late July or early August, reported the Wright County Journal-Press.
The mobilization will be in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, said Capt. Angel R. Wallace, public affairs office with the 103rd Expeditionary Sustainment Command in Des Moines
Approximately 150 personnel will involved when the unit deploys.
Westonka board gets earful from backers of fired coach
A standing-room-only crowd of parents and team members of the Mound Westonka-Holy Family girls’ swim and dive team packed the Westonka School Board chamber at the board’s April 28 meeting, to implore the panel to reconsider the recent dismissal of the team’s coach, reported The Laker.
Close to 50 supporters of Peg Sorenson, the former cooperative girls’ swim team, told school board members that Sorenson’s efforts were unparalleled. Sorenson’s termination earlier this month was cited as performance reasons.
Sorenson, who was out of town during the April 28 meeting, described a series of encounters with the district’s athletic director, Brian Fell, over the recent fall and winter that she said ultimately led to her termination, by e-mail, April 11.
Sorenson was hired as swim/dive team coach in August 2005. Last season, her team posted a 19-3 record.
Explosive device is recovered, detonated in Meeker County
The Minneapolis bomb squad was called for assistance when an explosive device was brought into the Eden Valley Police Department in Meeker County Tuesday, according to the Meeker County Sheriff’s Office.
The device was discovered by an Eden Valley resident who was cleaning out his storage shed. He brought it to the city hall/police department.
Using special equipment, the bomb squad arrived and removed the device. It was secured and then detonated in a remote area.
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