20 YEARS AGO: NEWS FROM THE ISSUE OF: JANUARY 28, 1988

Craig Hedberg, an epidemiologist with the State Department of Health, along with two technicians, took blood samples from about 40 area residents at the Civic Arena Monday night.

This followed an incident in which about 20 Litchfield-Dassel-Cokato area residents became ill following a stay at an Albert Lea motel during a youth hockey tournament. Eleven of the 14 members of the LDC Bantam hockey team became ill after returning from the tourney, as did a number of youngsters who were from families of team members.

Hedberg said while the investigation was not complete it seemed that the illness stemmed from water used in the whirlpool-like unit in the motel where the team stayed.