This year in Rock County may best be described as a recovery year following a pandemic-stricken 2020 that forever changed communities.
The Star Herald carried fewer pandemic-related headlines in 2021, but it’s fair to say the virus remained an important factor in nearly all sectors of daily life.
Businesses reopen, vaccines begin, pandemic relief arrives
At the very start of 2021, the January headlines reported bars and restaurants reopening and vaccine clinics offering first-round shots for Covid protection.
Health professionals pivoted efforts “from test clinics to vaccine clinics,” first for the elderly and immune compromised, then for 60-somethings and “frontline workers” and eventually for everyone.
Early 2021 headlines also carried news of pandemic relief dollars arriving in people’s bank accounts and business coffers, and later to local governments to bolster their communities.
In all, government pandemic relief dollars in Rock County totaled millions, and that’s in addition to federal aid to individuals and families and local pandemic relief measures.
Schools become frontlines of pandemic transitions
Meanwhile, as teachers and students mastered distance learning, district leaders deemed “snow days” are no longer needed with e-learning as an option during inclement weather.
In February students began returning to classrooms, and eventually music programs, Snow Week and other school activities resumed — live-streamed for digital audiences.
By March people were getting their second shots and the second round of pandemic relief aid was reaching local governments for distribution.
Case numbers slowed, pandemic restrictions eased and by spring, schools attempted a return to normal traditions, like prom — which included outdoor grand marches.
By the end of summer, school districts began planning for fall classes to resume in-person — with or without a mask requirement.
In August, however, Rock County Covid cases began ticking upward and the CDC advised masking up.
On this advice, the Luverne School Board and administration along with the district’s incident command team issued a message to district families that classes would resume in person and in masks.
As it turned out, decisions “in the best interests of students” meant different things to different families, and some who saw masks as “violating personal freedoms” (and even hazardous to health) lobbied school leaders to end the “mask mandate.”
The board ultimately changed course on mask requirements, “due to lack of community support,” which played a role in Rock County’s low vaccination rates.
Rock County case rates climb, Covid hits Veterans Home
As of Dec. 28, just over half of the county’s eligible population is fully vaccinated and its cases are increasing with high test positivity, suggesting the cases may be undercounted, according to state health officials.
The 14-day change in cases was up 29 percent as of Dec. 27, but health officials are anticipating a post-holiday jump in numbers following recent holiday gatherings.
The Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne managed to stay Covid-free at the height of the pandemic, but in October the facility suffered a deadly outbreak.
There were more than 40 positive cases among staff and residents, and several elderly residents died of Covid. Among them was Luverne World War II veteran Helmer Haakenson, the last surviving member of the local Last Man’s Club.
School building project and state sports
As the Omicron variant of the virus dominated national and global headlines late in the year, Rock County was focused on life after Covid, and the Star Herald had plenty of non-pandemic news to share.
For example, the Luverne School District wrapped up its $30 million building project that included a new performing arts center, new commons, kitchen and media center and updates to the 1956 high school building. (See the school recap story in this edition.)
Also, with school back in session, high school athletes were back in their games and the Star Herald followed the Luverne and Hills-Beaver Creek sports all the way to state competitions. (See the sports year in review story on page 8A)
National Guard breaks ground on $17.5 million Readiness Center
On Dec. 14 the Minnesota National Guard broke ground on a $17.5 million Luverne Readiness Center on 15 acres west of Papik Motors along I-90.
The new 47,902-square-foot facility includes assembly halls, work bays, storage areas, classrooms, a learning center and fitness center with locker rooms.
The Readiness Center received private support from the KAHR Foundation of Luverne native Warren Herreid II and his wife, Jeanne Rivet, who pledged more than $6.2 million toward the project.
Their support accelerated the project timeline, influenced the decision to locate the new armory in Luverne and financed an addition assembly area in the facility.
The facility is expected to be operational in 2023 and is touted as a training and community center.
Lineage announces $50 million construction of cold storage warehouse
In Luverne’s biggest development news of 2021, Lineage Logistics will build a 235,000-square-foot cold storage warehouse on land near Premium Minnesota Pork.
The warehouse, with an estimated construction value of more than $50 million, will be roughly the size of four football fields and built to store food products requiring temperatures ranging from -20 to 45 degrees.
Lineage has indicated it will create up to 75 new “quality paying” jobs in the area to support the operation.
More housing
As local business development picks up in Rock County, so does demand for housing for workers and their families.
In a long-awaited help for local housing shortages, an October ground-breaking set the wheels in motion for two, 27-unit apartment units known as PrairiE Loft I and II.
The $8 million project (on the former Sharkee’s and Mert’s Repair lots) is named with a capital E for “environmental sustainability and smart building practices.”
The two buildings will have one- and two-bedroom market-rate rental units on three floors with elevators and off-street parking. They’ll be ready for occupancy early next spring, weather permitting.
Day care center
While the 54 PrairiE Loft apartments won’t solve local housing shortages, they’re at least a step toward supporting business growth that needs housing for workers.
Another thing industry needs in a community: childcare for workers.
As state and national childcare shortages continue to stifle business growth, Luverne leaders announced late in 2021 they’re tackling the issue with a city-subsidized daycare center.
The city paid $515,000 for the former Tri-State Insurance Building (recently Total Card Inc) on Roundwind Avenue to develop a community day care center in it.
The 1974 building (just north of the pool and fitness center) has 30,000 square feet on 4.7 acres of land, which would provide adequate outdoor “green space” required by the state for day care centers.
The city will pay for necessary retrofits and remodeling estimated at $1.5 million as well as furnishings and equipment at roughly $2.5 million. The intent is for the city to own, maintain and insure the building, and a commercial day care business will operate in it.
Pool and Fitness Center project
Construction began in April on the city of Luverne’s $5 million improvement and expansion of the pool and fitness center.
Improvements include an outdoor splash pad, new locker rooms, four family changing rooms, flat space rooms for group aerobic exercise, new office space and staff area, larger rooms for 24-hour weightlifting and aerobic exercise machines and a new mechanical and heat, ventilation and air-conditioning system.
The new building will be open in May 2022.
Trailhead, e-bikes, Loop and Ashby Trail
Meanwhile, fitness members have been working out in the city’s trailhead building at Main Street and Blue Mound Avenue.
The city bought the former Casey’s building as a future trailhead that currently houses new city e-bike rentals, bicycle repair stations, public restrooms and electric car charging stations.
As the pandemic forced people away from crowds, it also encouraged outdoor activities, and local developments were well-timed with those interests.
In June, the Luverne completed Phase 3A of its Loop path between Main Street at Blue Mound Avenue to the Rock River just east of the wastewater treatment plant.
Work in 2022 will continue the trail along the Rock River south and connect with the existing trail behind the Econo Lodge hotel on South Highway 75.
Also in 2021, the 1.95 mile Christopher Martin Ashby Trail was dedicated in memory of Gene and Barb Ashby’s late son. The Ashby’s funded the paved trail that starts near the Rock River and goes through the city park to County Road 9 near the Luverne Country Club.
Communities celebrate ‘return to normal’
The St. Patrick’s Day in Luverne marked the first community celebration since 2019, as the pandemic put a stop to public gatherings in 2020.
Community events continued cautiously with events planned for deliberate social distancing.
For example, Easter eggs were widely sprinkled courthouse lawn, the Palace Theatre opened in April to a 50 percent capacity with ‘Godzilla vs Kong.’
An outdoor ‘Mask-erade’ took LHS prom-goers outside, and H-BC prom grand march was also outdoors.
Parades celebrated LHS graduates in May and later that month, students performed “Grease’ inside the Palace Theatre.
Luverne’s Buffalo Days celebration returned in 2021, live and in person with a Friday night cruise-in downtown and Buffalo Days “expo” at the Courthouse Square.
As large crowds turned out for events like this one (and celebrations in Hills, Hardwick and other local towns) this year, a common theme among participants was that it’s “good to be back.”
Those sentiments continued throughout the year with Fourth of July, Hot Dog Night, the Rock County Fair, the 70th annual Tri-State Band Festival and Trunk N Treat as thousands attended each of them.
By Christmas, everyone was in the mood for a holiday gathering as Luverne hosted “Light the Night” and “Santa Train’ at the park Nov. 28 and Winterfest weekend Dec. 3-5.
Similarly, Santa arrived in person in Hardwick, Beaver Creek and other small towns for traditional lap photos and gift wishes.
News to watch in 2022
•On the heels of a nearly complete $14 million wastewater treatment plant upgrade, the city of Luverne is investing $11 million into the historic power plant on East Main Street at the Rock River.
The project, which includes two new 3,100 kW generators at $5 million each, will ensure Luverne’s backup generators keep the city’s lights on in in the event of a power outage.
The improvements will also allow the city to provide increased back-up power for Missouri River Energy Services, which contracts with Luverne for that energy.
As of this writing, heavy equipment is mobilizing on site, and the Star Herald will follow the project as it unfolds.
•The Walleye Wind project in western Rock County continues to make headlines but hasn’t yet started construction. In September, the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission approved the 109-megawatt project for site construction and certificate of need for the electricity.
Next Era plans to build up to 40 wind turbines on a 49-square-mile (31,000 acres) footprint. Once construction begins — possibly next spring, more than 200 workers are expected on site, creating opportunities for local businesses.
Once operational, the wind farm generate $400,000 to $600,000 in annual tax revenues to Rock County and provide electricity to the Minnesota Municipal Power Agency through a 30-year purchase agreement.
•In other green energy news Rock County reached a development agreement with solar farm officials in September. The 700-acre solar farm will be located between Vienna and Magnolia townships.
National Grid Renewables will build and operate the 80-megawatt Elk Creek Solar Farm near Magolia.
Construction may start in the spring of 2022 and the operation is scheduled to online by early 2023.