JOHN CARLSON
2003 Litchfield High School graduate John Carlson will be playing his first NFL game as a Seattle Seahawks during a pre-season game against the Minnesota Vikings on August 8^th in the Metrodome. A special ticket package is available from the Vikings which will help benefit the football program in Litchfield.

Litchfield High School Football Coach Jon Johnson says the Vikings are handling all of the details on their end, but there’s a link on the website: www.litchfieldfootball.org:

Johnson says there’s a deadline of August 4^th to mail or fax in your form for tickets to the August 8^th game. He says if there’s enough interest, a fan bus could maybe be coordinated. Johnson says he suspects that John Carlson will get to play a lot during the August 8^th game in the Metrodome and it would be neat to have a large group there from his home town.

"ANNIE" SHOW
The Litchfield Community Theatre production of "Annie" opened last weekend in the Litchfield High School Little Theatre. There are 3 more shows later this week – tomorrow night, Friday night and Saturday night at 7:30 p.m. each evening.

Brian Wilson shaved his head as he’s in the role of Daddy Warbucks. He says his character is a billionaire bachelor who has only been interested in making money until an orphan enters his life. Wilson says the show teaches a lesson about what’s really important in life.

Wilson says his first time in a Litchfield Community Theatre production was last summer with "Forum" and he was in the Willmar Barn Theatre’s production of "My Fair Lady" this past April.

Natalie Davis says she’s marking her 5^th production in Litchfield Community Theatre with her role in Annie.

Davis says her character does a lot of singing. She says the production went well last weekend, and she encourages more people to see "Annie" this weekend. The show can be seen Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights at 7:30 in the Litchfield High School Little Theatre.

Entry Day at the Meeker County Fair is just one week from today – July 30^th. The fair will open July 31^st and will continue through August 3^rd.

MEEKER COUNTY FAUR
Meeker County Fair Board President Loree Schultz says there are many new things planned this year – including numerous events for children. She says Rock ‘n’ Recess will be on Friday, August 1^st from 7-to-9 in the Meeker County Fair Bandshell for children from pre-Kindergarten to 7^th grade.

Schultz says it will include music, dancing, contests and prizes. She says numerous events will be held on Saturday for children including the pedal pull, stick horse contest, Born to Read, the Scholastic Book Fair and more.

Schultz says there will be several musical acts in the bandshell and in the beer garden, and the 4-H Art-In performances throughout the weekend of the Meeker County Fair. She says there will be trolley rides again on Sunday afternoon.

Schultz says 4-Plus-1 will be performing during the church service on Sunday morning at the Meeker County Fair. She says the talent show will be Sunday afternoon – August 3^rd – with 3 divisions again – teen, pre-teen and open – and the winners who go on to the State Fair do not have to be Meeker County residents.

Schultz is also looking for contestants to play the Family Feud game Friday night, August 1^st. She can be contacted at Center Bank or next week – at the Meeker County Fair office. The Meeker County Fair is coming up July 31^st to August 3^rd.

CITY COUNCIL MEETING
A presentation on the Litchfield area transportation study dominated last night’s Litchfield City Council meeting. The study was coordinated by Mn/DOT, the City of Litchfield, Meeker County and Mid-Minnesota Development Commission.

Scott McBride from Mn/DOT says the purpose of the study was to anticipate future transportation needs in the Litchfield area, identify issues and concerns and develop solutions. He says the study shows that 91-percent of the passenger traffic begins or ends with a stop in Litchfield, while 60-percent of the truck traffic passes through without stopping, suggesting that a truck route should be part of the long-range plan.

McBride says congestion downtown is an issue and will only get worse, and the Highway 12 and 22 intersection continues to be a difficult spot for trucks to make turns. He says East Highway 12 from Sibley to Gorman Avenues has multiple access points and that some of those should probably be closed with access to properties to minor streets.

McBride says East Highway 12 to Walmart has a lack of supporting roads and there could possibly be more frontage and backage roads, and that Highway 34 could perhaps continue to the south – across the railroad tracks – connecting to Litchfield’s industrial park. He says the same presentation was given to the Chamber of Commerce yesterday and will be given in the near future to Meeker County, and the final report will be completed after August.

City Council member Connie Lies says a by-pass around Litchfield would alleviate all of the issues brought up by McBride.

Patrick Weidemann from Mn/DOT reminded the city council that a by-pass around Litchfield was rejected by Litchfield City officials back in the early 1990s and is a dead issue as finances for such a project wouldn’t be available for about 20 years. He says, in the meantime, the community is growing and the congestion issues on Highway 12 through Litchfield need to be addressed.

Also last night, the Litchfield City Council heard a report from Fire Chief Greg Gilbertson about the need for a new pumper truck which will cost about a half million dollars. The council accepted a bid from Delta Star for an electric project transformer for just a little over one-million dollars. The council approved closing down one block of Donnelly Avenue between 3^rd and 4^th Streets during the electric project. A ground-breaking ceremony for the project took place yesterday afternoon. The Litchfield City Council also approved the purchase of the VFW property for 446-thousand dollars, and heard a presentation from representatives of Ehlers and Associates.

PRESCRIPTION DRUG PROGRAM
Meeker County residents will soon have access to a prescription drug program through the Caremark Pharmacy Network. Cards for the program will be available August 4^th.

Meeker County Commissioner Amy Wilde says people can get more information about it at the Public Health booth during the Meeker County Fair. She says the National Association of Counties initiated the idea, and Meeker County is part of the Association.

Wilde says there’s a growing number of people without health insurance, or with little or no coverage for prescriptions. She says there are people who may have too many assets or a fluctuating income who could be helped by this program.

Wilde says if you have health insurance or Medicare Part D, you can see if those will cover your prescriptions first. She says 5 pharmacies in Meeker County will accept the program: Peterson’s in Dassel, and Econofoods, Medicine Shoppe, Pamida and Walmart – all in Litchfield.

Wilde says the program won’t cost the county or consumers anything. She says the average savings on prescriptions with Caremark should be around 20-percent, and there is pet medication coverage too.

Meeker County Social Services Director Clark Gustafson says he’s been on the Meeker County Emergency Food Shelf Board for over 20 years. He says he’s aware of the increasing number of people who have to choose between prescriptions and food.

Gustafson says the prescription drug program is for everyone, not just for people on assistance. He says the Caremark cards will be available at Social Services, Public Health, the Courthouse, various clinics, Meeker County Memorial Hospital, and Dassel Lakeside Home beginning August 4^th, and people can learn more at the Public Health booth during the Meeker County Fair.

WILLMAR STABBING
Two 17-year-old boys are accused in a weekend stabbing death in Willmar.  One of the teens is in custody at the Prairie Lakes Detention Center in Willmar on a charge of second-degree murder. The other teen faces a misdemeanor charge of obstructing the legal process. Police say the stabbing happened early Sunday after a fight.  Authorities found 21-year-old Adam Milton of Willmar lying on a lawn with stab wounds to his chest. Police Sergeant Jim Felt says Milton was taken by ambulance to Rice Memorial Hospital, where he later died. Felt says the initial investigation indicates the victim and suspects knew each other.    
    
Information from: West Central Tribune, http://www.wctrib.com    
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)

POPULATION
The State Demographer’s Office released 2007 population estimates last week. Meeker County Auditor Barb Loch included the information in the Meeker County Commissioners’ board packets.

Meeker County’s estimated total population as of April 1^st, 2007 is 23,371.

Litchfield’s population is now estimated to be 6,871, with Dassel at 1,333, Watkins at 947, Grove City at 621, Cosmos at 533, Darwin at 302, Kingston at 158 and Cedar Mills at 46.

Eden Valley is in both Meeker and Stearns Counties. The Meeker portion of Eden Valley is estimated at 544.