Kahler Terrace coming back together
Workers from Kehm Contractors, masonry specialists from Omaha, Nebraska, began last week to piece together the Sioux Quartzite brick veneer on the Kahler Terrace a
Construction begins on child care center
The $7.2 million construction project is underway to renovate the former Total Card building into a community child care center in Luverne.
Jack's Basket reaches 10-year milestone
Ten years ago Kenneth native Carissa (Nieuwboer) Carroll started Jack’s Basket to make sure all babies born with Down syndrome are welcomed and celebrated.
Senior student council members serve breakfast as thank you to teachers
Seniors from the Luverne High School student council organized and prepared a hot breakfast for elementary and secondary teachers and support staff Tuesday morning.
Taubert debuts Sip of Joy CEO business
Prior to joining the Southwest MN Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities (CEO) program last fall, Joy Taubert quietly made British pastries and hosted tea parties for her family.
Much need moisture delays spring planting, clears local drought threat
Spring fieldwork took off in Rock County and across the region in mid-April, but conditions changed in late April and early May after more than 3½ inches of rain fell over a two-week period.
News
By Mavis FodnessJanuary 10, 2024Dennis and Marcia Hartman opened the Green Rail Food and Spirits in Hills Monday after purchasing the former Hills Cafe and Hideaway Tavern last summer. “It’s exciting and scary,” Dennis told Hills City Council in August. “I’m definitely ambitious. I want to see something develop.” The Hartmans will continue operating their rural Hills Cabinetworks business, from their 41st Street acreage, and…- By Mavis FodnessJanuary 10, 2024Rock County collected nearly $200,000 in gravel taxes in 2023, making it the highest amount collected since the tax was implemented in 2003. In total, $195,419 was paid in 2023 from seven businesses who are required to self-report the yards of material removed from aggregate pits located in Rock County. The businesses are taxed 15 cents per ton of material removed. The collected taxes are…
- By Mavis FodnessJanuary 10, 2024Rock County Commissioners approved pay increases for elected employees at the last meeting of 2023 on Dec. 26. The increases took effect Jan. 1. Salaries for elected commissioners Sherri Thompson, Gary Overgaard, Jody Reisch, Greg Burger and Stan Williamson increase 5 percent from the current $21,733 to $22,820. Commissioners also approved three-year employment contracts for county…
- By Lori SorensonJanuary 10, 2024City of Luverne union employees are in their second year of a three-year contract, which calls for a 3.5-percent increase in 2024 and a 3.5-percent increase in 2025. At their year-end meeting in December, council members acted on finance resolutions that included other wage adjustments for 2024. The city’s non-union, administrative and department heads will also receive 3.5-percent salary…
- January 10, 2024Minnesota state parks will host candlelight events across the state this winter, including one at Blue Mounds State Park on Saturday, Jan. 27. Drop by any time between 5:30 and 8 p.m. for hiking among candles in the snow as stars twinkle overhead. “Candlelight events are a magical way to experience parks and trails,” said Ann Pierce, director of Minnesota state parks and trails. “On a cold…
- January 10, 2024The Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne joins the Fergus Falls veterans home to be honored as “Best Nursing Homes” for 2024, according to U.S. News and World Report magazine. U.S. News evaluated over 15,000 nursing homes nationwide for the research, and only 19 percent of U.S. skilled nursing facilities earned the “Best Nursing Home” designation this year. U.S. News long-term care ratings…
January 10, 2024Little Arabella Brown arrived on Jan. 3 as Sanford Luverne’s New Year Baby 2024. She was delivered by Dr. Nicole Woodley to parents Zoey Logan and Cody Brown, Slayton, weighing in at 8 pounds, 2 ounces, and measuring 19.5 inches long.- January 10, 2024A friendly competition of the Luverne EMS, the Luverne Fire Department and the Rock County Sheriff’s Office will bolster the blood supply at Sanford Luverne. Donors are encouraged to designate their blood donation in honor of the department of their choice. The department with the most donations will receive the traveling trophy and bragging rights for the year. The blood drive event hours will…
- January 10, 2024The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is waiving vehicle permit fees at all 75 state parks and recreation areas on Monday, Jan. 15. With this year’s unusual weather, it’s good to know there are many winter park activities that don't require snow or ice, such as birding, winter hiking, nature photography, and having a campfire with hot chocolate and s’mores. And, if sufficient snow…
January 10, 2024The Luverne High School mock trial team put in a little practice Thursday night, Jan. 4, in the school’s media center. Team members’ family and friends were invited to view the prosecution and defense teams take on one another in a practice prior to this week’s opening of the mock trial season. Coach Zoe DeBates explained busy schedules prevented a full team practice and she organized family…
January 03, 2024Nearly 60 people hiked along with Blue Mounds State Park naturalist Tiffany Mueller for the First Day Hike hosted in part by Friends of the Blue Mounds State Park Monday afternoon, Jan. 1. Mueller pointed out unique park features such as the Sioux quartzite boulders and the fact that the ancient red rocks somehow give the park a bluish hue from a distance. She also said science has proven that…
By Lori SorensonJanuary 03, 2024Meeting with a children’s counselor can be more like a play date than a therapy session with Maria Aguirre, who recently joined Luverne Counseling. Aguirre, the only registered play therapist and bilingual counselor in Rock County, brings a new combination of skills to the local practice, according to Luverne Counseling director Erica Hough. “Having a counselor with Maria’s diverse skillset is…
By Lori SorensonJanuary 03, 2024Community members are mourning the loss of longtime businessman and volunteer George A. Bonnema, who died at age 74 on Dec. 26. His obituary (see page 7) lists personal and professional landmarks, but he will be best remembered for his untold, unpaid contributions to the community. George and Corrine came to Luverne in 1974 when they purchased Luverne Flowers and turned it into a thriving…
By Mavis FodnessJanuary 03, 2024Barb Verhey looked away from the book shelves Friday afternoon, shaking her head, resisting the urge to straighten the crooked spines. Instead, she took the advice printed on the cookies served at her retirement party: “Retired – It’s your problem now.” Verhey, the assistant librarian at the Rock County Community Library in Luverne, officially retired Dec. 29, after assisting local children and…
By Mavis FodnessJanuary 03, 2024The newest deputy at the Rock County Sheriff’s Office is embarking on a career path he started 25 years ago. Troy Wenzel was sworn in by Sheriff Evan Verbrugge on Dec. 26 in front of Rock County commissioners. Wenzel is the fourth deputy hired by Verbrugge in the past year. “I finally came upon someone who’s actually close to my age to hire, not someone just out of high school or college,”…- By Mavis FodnessJanuary 03, 2024The Rock County Board will conduct a public hearing to change the county’s tobacco sales and use ordinance involving setback requirements between permitted businesses. Kwik Trip is set to open on South Highway 75 in Luverne next month and is requesting a change in the county’s 2,000-foot setback requirement. Chief Operating Officer Thomas Reinhart emailed County Administrator Kyle Oldre Dec. 22…
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