Locals travel to path of totality to view 2024 eclipse
The highly anticipated 2024 total eclipse of the sun occurred Monday, April 8, across North America, and several groups of Rock County residents traveled to experience the once-in-a-lifetime ev
Student perform 'Legally Blonde The Musical'
When the LHS production of “Legally Blonde, the Musical” opens next week for six evening performances, audiences will be surprised at what they see.
Roeman retires from 38-plus years with county FSA
Stacey Roemen celebrated her retirement from 38 years with the Rock County Farm Service Agency Saturday night at Take 16, which was crowded with family, friends and well-wishers.
Thone wins spelling bee C-H-A-M-P-I-O-N-S-H-I-P
Twenty-three of the best spellers in southwest Minnesota participated Saturday morning in the 2024 SW MN Spelling Bee hosted at the Luverne Middle School.
History Center to host April 18 celebration
The Rock County History Center’s construction project is complete, and staff and volunteers are hosting a celebration from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 18.
Palisade Lutheran Church celebrates 150 years of worship
Palisade Lutheran Church will celebrate its 150th anniversary Sunday, April 14, at the corner of Minnesota Highway 23 and 121st Street (County Road 5).
News
- By Lori SorensonJuly 11, 2016Luverne City Council members took action at their June 21 meeting to remove two more blighted properties in town. They approved a $51,000 amendment to the 2016 budget to cover the purchase of a house on South McKenzie Street and an abandoned house on North Spring Street. The city bought the McKenzie Street house from Mike Rogers for $35,000 on June 9. According to city staff, the lot (directly…
- By Jason BerghorstJuly 11, 2016Five Luverne High School German students experienced the trip of a lifetime June 20-29. The group, along with LHS German teacher Angie Swenson, traveled to six countries and used three different currencies while in central Europe. “We stepped out of our comfort zone to use our German language skills,” Swenson said. “Our tour was packed full of great things to see,” she added. The LHS group’s trip…
- July 11, 2016Luverne’s 54th annual Hot Dog Night celebration is set for Thursday night, July 14, with roughly 15,000 free hot dogs to be served by Luverne Area Chamber members. “This is a great small town event that just keeps getting better every year,” said Chamber Director Jane Wildung Lanphere. Hot dogs will be served from 5:30 until supplies are gone, and the rest of the evening promises all the…
- By Mavis FodnessJuly 11, 2016An extra $10 will be charged to Rock County vehicle owners during their annual license renewals beginning in 2017. Rock County Commissioners voted unanimously July 5 to implement the wheelage tax as an annual funding source to maintain the county’s roads and bridges. The tax is a local revenue source allowed by state statute and is estimated to generate about $100,000 a year for the local highway…
- By Mavis FodnessJuly 11, 2016Luverne Public School’s special education program underwent a financial and programming review during the 2015-16 school year. Recently the school received the results from the compliance check: No corrective actions. “Clean. Compliant. Everything was rock solid and we were real happy about that,” reported Superintendent Craig Oftedahl at the June 28 board meeting. “Hats off to our staff.” In…
- By Jason BerghorstJuly 11, 2016One of the things Blue Mounds State Park is known for is the “Stone Fence”, a mysterious rock formation aligned perfectly in an east-west line. Each year on the first day of spring and fall, the sun sets directly in line with the rocks. No one knows the origin of the rock formation for sure and the mystery is part of the legend. Bud Johnson, from the Keepers of the Sacred Tradition of Pipemakers…
- July 11, 2016A.C.E. of Southwest Minnesota was recently awarded a $250 grant from the Shopko Foundation to help fund the organization’s 2016 volunteer appreciation meal. Pictured above is Jeanne Vande Hoef from the Luverne Shopko store presenting the check to Norma Brands, Rock County Coordinator for A.C.E.
- July 11, 2016Rock County 4-H conducted their annual Presentation Night on Thursday, July 7, with members participating in performing arts, demonstrations, foods review and club banner judging. This year performances included piano, clarinet solos, a clarinet and guitar duet and a drum solo piece. Participants receiving red ribbons were Krista Burkman with her performance on the piano and Michaela Abels’…
- By Lori SorensonJuly 05, 2016The Fourth of July celebration at The Lake in Luverne was everything everyone had hoped for and more. “It was an amazing day,” was one comment on the Star Herald’s Facebook post about the event. “We appreciate it a lot for everyone that made it possible.” Another said, “The fire works were wonderful; Luverne can be so proud of you.” According to Luverne Area Chamber Director Jane Wildung Lanphere…
- By Lori SorensonJuly 05, 2016The city-owned Luverne Area Aquatics and Fitness, built in 1978, is about to get some updates and improvements. It could be a matter of new carpet and cardio equipment or as extensive as an outdoor splash park and indoor walking track. The extent of those plans depends on the outcome of public forums planned for Wednesday, July 13, and Wednesday, July 20. Also, an open house to tour the facility…
- By Jason BerghorstJuly 05, 2016A 2009 Luverne High School graduate is spending 27 months in China serving as a Peace Corps volunteer and immersing himself in traditional Chinese culture. Matt Christensen, 25, is teaching English at Longnan University of Science and Technology in the city of Chengxuan. Chengxuan is located in Gansu province, which is in north central China. Christensen, son of Tim and Pam Christensen of Luverne…
- By Mavis FodnessJuly 05, 2016Rock County may rejoin the Buffalo Ridge Drug Task Force. However, membership costs have more than tripled to join the agency that prevents and deters drug and violent crimes in southwest Minnesota. Information about BRDTF and associated costs was presented at the Rock County Board’s June 21 meeting. Rock County dropped out of the per-capita membership several years ago due to budget constraints…
- By Lori SorensonJuly 05, 2016Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota announced last week that it will drop health insurance plans for individuals and families starting next year. The insurer said medical claims far exceeded premium revenue for individual plans, resulting in a loss of more than $500,000 over a three-year period in the individual area. According to local insurance agents, that decision will have far-reaching…
- July 05, 2016Workers from FLR Sanders of Princeton began sanding decades of sealer layers off the floor of the Luverne Middle/High School gymnasium Monday, June 22, in a $40,000 refinishing project. More than three dozen large plastic garage bags were filled with sawdust from the weeklong project. Sanding was stopped once all the material layered on the floorboards (about an eighth of an inch) was removed.…
- By Mavis FodnessJuly 05, 2016Before the city of Hardwick invests a possible $100,000 in street improvements, council members want to know what residents think of the planned project. A public input meeting is scheduled Thursday, July 14, during the council’s regular monthly meeting. The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Hardwick City Hall. Cost estimates and a timeline were discussed at the city’s June 9 council meeting. “If…
- By Mavis FodnessJuly 05, 2016Standing firm in its practice of not abating tax penalties, the Rock County Commissioners denied a Luverne resident’s request at their June 21 meeting. Patti Overgaard explained at the meeting that she wrote two personal checks and placed two payment stubs in an envelope May 15. No payment was recorded at the auditor-treasurer’s office nor have the checks cleared the bank. She has since written…
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