Meetings
Maplewood Cemetery Association annual lot owners meeting will be at 12:30 p.m. Monday, April 15, at American Reformed Church, 304 N. Fairview Drive, Luverne. The Maplewood board of directors will meet following the lot owners meeting.
Parkinson’s Support Group will meet at 2 p.m. Monday, April 22, at Mary Jane Brown Chapel. All are invited. Call 507-935-8173 for questions.
Palisade Lutheran Church celebrates 150 years
Palisade Lutheran Church will celebrate their 150th anniversary with a worship service at 10 a.m. Sunday, April 14, with Bishop Rev. Constanze Hagmaier. A catered meal will follow the service. RSVP with number attending the meal to 605-757-6662 or palisadechurch@alliancecom.net.
Blue Mounds State Park offers events
Join the naturalist for a two-mile Spring Birding Hike along the Mound Creek Trail from 9-11 a.m. Saturday, April 20. Meet at the picnic shelter. Dress for the weather including good walking shoes. Bring your binoculars if you have them (some will be available to borrow). All ages and experience levels welcome!
Learn about America’s largest rodent for Beavers: Nature’s Engineer from 1-2 p.m. Saturday, April 27. Meet at the picnic shelter to discover how these persistent critters use their unique adaptations to impact the landscape. Program will conclude with a short walk (about 3/4 mile) down to the creek to look for beaver activity. *Come prepared for the weather.
If you need an accommodation, please contact park staff at bluemound.statepark@state.mn.us or 507-283-6051, two weeks prior to the event.
Game Plan 4 Hope free event
A free speaking event, “Faith, Friendship & Community in Confronting Adversity,” will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 22, in the Hills-Beaver Creek High School gymnasium in Hills.
Gym doors open at 6:15 p.m.
Trenton Bass will speak publicly for the first time in his home community since his tragic injury back in 2017.
Sponsored by Game Plan 4 Hope, the event features a presentation and conversation by Bass, who will be joined in a panel with his family, football coach Rex Metzger and friends Luke LaRock and Easton Harnack.
A freewill offering will be accepted for Game Plan 4 Hope.
Rock the Edge is looking for Service Over Self projects
Rock the Edge will once again be hosting Service Over Self, Rock County’s local mission week, this summer June 24-27. Looking for projects (to have a project considered, call 507-227-1978), youth (for youth registrations call 507-283-2316), and adult volunteers (to volunteer call 401-500-3427). Youth who have completed grades 8-12 may participate. Join us as we serve our community this summer!
Community Ed
Register for the following classes and activities by calling the Community Education office at 507-283-4724.
Taking Defensive Driving Classes allows adults 55 years of age and older to save on insurance premiums. After the beginning 8 hour class, every 3 years drivers take a 4-hour refresher class. The schedule for Luverne classes follows: Refresher 4-Hour Classes –May 13.
Cooking with herbs and spices is a great way to add flavor to your meals. Join the Master Gardeners and Registered Dietician, Mary Aukes, at Spice Up Your Kitchen on April 15 to learn how to grow your own
herbs and make your own spice mixes. Fee is $15.
Students (grades K – 3) can join a Blue Mound State Park Naturalist at Who Gives a Hoot on April 16 to learn more about what sets owls apart from other birds in Minnesota. Fee is $5.
Kids in the Kitchen (grades K-6) will make Springtime Treats on April 18. Fee is $26.
Students (grades 1-5) will follow along with the instructor step by step to create a painting at Paint & Snack class on April 22. Fee is $35.
Register by May 22 for students (grades K-6) interested in learning to decorate coolies like a professional at B’s Bakehouse on May 29. Fee is $35.
Library Happenings
For more information about library happenings, call 507-449-5040 or email rockcountystaff@gmail.com.
Story Time with Bronwyn is Friday mornings from 10:15 to 10:45 now through April 26. Story Time, complete with a story, songs and a craft, is conducted in the library basement.
Author visit: Candance Simar, an award-winning Minnesota author, will be at the library at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 12.
Fourth-graders can receive a free one-year National Parks pass. The pass is good from Sept. 1-Aug. 31 of the fourth-grade year. Visit the website http://everykidoutdoors.gov/index.htm
Trivia Night is at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of every month at Take 16 in Luverne. Team registration is at 6 p.m.
Veterans banners applications open
Applications for the 2024 Main Street Veterans Banner Project are being received now through May 1. There are 82 spots available.
Cost is $125. One side of the banner will have the photo of the veterans and the other side states, “Thank you for your service.”
The 2024 banners will be hung on Main Street prior to July 4 and remain until early fall.
The project is coordinated by the LIFT committee in partnership with the city of Luverne and Luverne Area Chamber. The application form is available online at www.LuverneChamber.com. Call 507-283-4061 for more information.
Nominations sought for
Alumni Hall of Fame
The Luverne Alumni Hall of Fame committee is currently accepting applications for the Class of 2024 until April 30.
Nomination forms and more information can be received from Hall of Fame secretary Jane Lanphere at 507-920-5197.
The induction ceremony takes place annually on the day of the LHS football homecoming game.
Census info needed for preschoolers
Families new to the community are encouraged to call Luverne Community Education at 507-283-4724 with information on children ages 0 up to kindergarten.
The district uses the information for planning purposes and to alert families about school opportunities. Families with 4-year-olds not yet screened for preschool should call to schedule a screening prior to kindergarten.
A.C.E. respite care available, volunteers needed
A.C.E. of SW Minnesota (A.C.E.) offers respite care services in Rock County for those needing a break from caring for a loved one.
The respite program offers short-term (1-3 hours), temporary care for families and caregivers by providing a brief period of reprieve from the daily cares they provide to their loved one.
Volunteers provide non-professional supportive services to caregivers to give them time for themselves, relieve their stress and help them remain healthy.
Respite care volunteers are also needed. Trained A.C.E. volunteers provide respite care to family caregivers of adults age 60 and older who are suffering from long-term health conditions.
Contact Linda Wenzel at 507-283-5064 or ace.rock@co.rock.mn.us.
CoffeeBreak Storyhour meets Tuesdays
CoffeeBreak meets at 9:30 a.m. each Tuesday to study the Bible, starting with Mark 9-16. StoryHour is for children 3 years old through kindergarten. Nursery is available for the littlest ones. There is no charge or no prior Bible knowledge is necessary. All faiths and all ages are welcome. Call Kristi Stroeh at 507-227-5102 with questions, or email kristi.stroeh@hotmail.com
Food Shelf evening hours
The Rock County Food Shelf is open for an additional evening shift from 5 to 6 p.m. the first and third Thursdays of the month. Call Mary at 507-227-5548 or Katie at 507-227-3531.