Luverne to show $6,000 fireworks Saturday, thanks to donation

Since taking over the Walleye Wind Farm project last fall, NextEra Energy officials planned a series of meetings to explain the proposed renewable energy project in western Rock County.
Pandemic social distancing prevented those meetings, but since December, the company has donated more than $16,000 to local organizations in the name of community outreach.
The July 4 fireworks display at The Lake in Luverne received $6,000, meaning local groups didn’t need to seek dozens of donations from businesses and individuals, according to Chamber Director Jane Wildung-Lanphere.
“The fireworks will all be high — no ground fireworks,” she said. “People should be able to see from any place in town.”
The fireworks display begins at 10 p.m. Rain date is July 5.
Walleye Wind project developer Mike Weich said Rock County residents have shown kindness and respect through the pandemic, and his company is proud to give back.
“We have developments in 36 states, but Rock County by far has been the most welcoming,” he said Monday via teleconference.
In addition to sponsoring Luverne’s fireworks display, NextEra also donated to the Luverne High School, Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary, Rock County Food Shelf and the Luverne Area Chamber Stronger Together campaign.
Many of the donations were given without the personal handshake company officials preferred.
“It wasn’t as easy to hop on the plane and be in Rock County,” Weich said. “The goal post moved a little bit … but it did not affect the progress.”
 
Walleye Wind project still set to begin next year
Weich said large group gatherings were put on hold, but talks continued with landowners to identify 40 turbine and 15 alternative sites.
NextEra Energy out of Juno Beach, Florida, is planning a 40-turbine, 111 megawatt wind farm with a footprint that includes Beaver Creek and Martin townships and portions of Rose Dell, Springwater, Luverne and Mound townships.
Application for site and construction permits will be submitted to the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission in early July. This was originally planned for April.
“We respected the fact that the PUC shifted to a totally remote way of doing business,” Weich said.
The result backlogged the usual PUC permitting process.
Since April, however, NextEra moved forward with the environmental review process and engineering assessments necessary for the project.
A public event is planned for August to detail turbine locations and outline the company’s next steps.
Completion of Walleye Wind Farm is scheduled for December 2021.
 
Luverne’s Dave Duffy announced that the three annual events he organizes each July are on for this year.
The July 4 Davis Lake Triathlon will be divided into two races.
The Minnow Race begins at 8:30 a.m. and includes a quarter-mile kayak course, a two-mile bike ride and a 1-mile run.
The Shark Race begins at 9:15 a.m. It includes kayaking for a half mile, biking for nine miles and running for 2.5 miles.
This year’s four-person Wienerman Race is scheduled for Friday, July 17, with a 6 p.m. start at The Lake.
The July 18 Tour de Donut Minnesota bike ride will include options of 10, 17, 33 or 55 miles. The 55-mile race will begin at 7 a.m. and the other races begin at 8 a.m.
For more information or to register, visit allsportcentral.com or call Duffy at 507-920-3345.