Clearwater and the surrounding area saw a lot of activity in 2022; these are some of the highlights:

Clearwater Fire Chief Ryan Pridgeon retired at the end of 2021. On January 1, fellow firefighter Mike Keller stepped into the position. One of his goals is to bring back the fire auxiliary, making the department more of a family thing everyone can get together for. 

The Clearwater Lions spent the year following their mission to support the community. The fire department was the recipient of a $25,000 check from them to put toward new SCBA (Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus) equipment for the firefighters. The department also purchased life-saving tools with another check gifted to them by the Lions two years ago. 

The Clearwater Lions presented a check for $37,000 to the Clearwater-Clear Lake Food Shelf to put toward the purchase of a one-acre parcel of land that will be used for a new, separate food shelf building. A $12,000 gift to the Lions by the late Robert Watson of Clearwater made up part of the donation. The food shelf was able to purchase the land this past fall.

The Lions kept awarding donations throughout the year, donating to the DNR Youth Hunter Education and Firearm Safety Course so a larger variety of firearms could be purchased for students to become acquainted with, and purchasing and installing an outdoor AED (automated external defibrillator) outside the Lions Building at Clearwater Lions Park. 

The Clearwater Legion, Legion Riders, Sons of the American Legion (SAL), and Auxiliary also had a productive year raising funds for veterans causes and giving back to the community. The fun started with the Legion Riders’ annual chili cook-off fundraiser early in the year and the Fishing at Mill Pond youth event held by SAL in June. The Auxiliary held their annual kids Christmas Party in December.

A little rain at the start of the day didn’t stop the Legion Riders’ annual Homeless Vets Run fundraiser in August. Along with the bike run the event featured a dinner, auctions, a gun drawing, and the band Radio Nation. In October, SAL hosted a car/bike run fundraiser for the Fire Relief Assoc. to raise additional funds for the fire department’s new SCBA gear.

The nonprofit Three of a Kind held their annual motorcycle run and fundraiser in July, once again breaking fundraising efforts. Another area nonprofit, Jessie’s Wish, held their annual fundraiser & BBQ cook-off in September and also raised a record amount to help battered women, with over $25,000 donated to Anna Marie’s Alliance. 

The Clearwater City Council spent time investigating the pros and cons of spraying for mosquitos using Permethrin, which is what has been applied in the past, an organic Merus product, or not spraying at all. Residents on both sides of the issue attended council meetings to provide their input. In June a motion carried to restart spraying but this time using Merus. 

The proposed Central Minnesota Cold Storage project also brought controversy to the council, with numerous residents sharing their concerns at council meetings.

In July Clearwater was once again the scene of chaos as the Silver Bullet Saddle Club (SBSC) brought ‘Chaos in Clearwater Demolition Derby’ back to their rodeo grounds. The following month they hosted the always popular Clearwater Rodeo, with packed stands during all three shows. 

Due to a clerical error the federal tax-exempt status for Clearwater Heritage Days was revoked. Although steps to correct the error were immediately put into place once the issue was discovered, the city’s annual celebration had to be canceled. The event has historically taken place during the first weekend in August.

In August, American Heritage Bank in Clearwater was held up and robbed of an undisclosed amount of cash. The suspect has not been found. He is described as a thin black man with longer hair wearing all black clothing.

Clearwater’s first full Music in the Park season ended on a high note after hosting concerts all summer long. The event was created as a way for local businesses to give back to the community as well as getting the community together outside. 

Local churches had an active year as well, with St. Luke’s and Rejoice holding their annual Fall Festivals and Christmas Sales.