LHS competes in world robotics
The Luverne High School robotics team earned a Judges Choice Award at last week’s FIRST Robotic Competition World.
Sled hockey comes to Blue Mound Ice Arena
The Siouxland Sled Hockey Association brought on-ice practice to the Blue Mound Ice Arena in Luverne for the first time April 7 in honor of their newest member.
For the love of running: Locals excel in marathons
Blake Ziegler, a 2014 Luverne High School grad, ran the prestigious Boston Marathon on April 15, finishing in 2:43:47.
4-Her's try to pick up where volunteer George Bonnema left off
Members of the Magnolia Juniors 4-H Club spent time Thursday night, April 18, raking leaves, picking up branches and remembering community volunteer George Bonnema.
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
Students 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.
News
By Lori SorensonJanuary 24, 2024Rock County’s School Resource Officer Jeff Stratton updated Luverne City Council members on his role with local students during their meeting Tuesday night, Jan. 23. “I’m building relationships with kids,” he told council members. That’s specifically what he was hired to do when the program started with the 2022-23 school year. The goal was to have a liaison between the Sheriff’s Office and…
By Mavis FodnessJanuary 24, 2024Luverne High School engineering technology students combined a history lesson with three- dimensional printing to build a model of the war plane flown by the late Quentin Aanenson, a recent Luverne Alumni Hall of Fame inductee. Teacher Bill Thompson wanted students to wrap up his engineering class by building replicas of the P-47 Thunderbolt plane flown by Aanenson when he was a fighter pilot in…
By Lori SorensonJanuary 24, 2024Luverne’s future Kids Rock! Child Care Center is currently a gutted office building awaiting renovation this spring. Meanwhile, the Kids Rock! non-profit organization that will operate the center took some major steps in the past week with strategic planning of its board. At a Jan. 16 retreat, the group decided on the organization’s function and priorities as it moves into its next phase of…- By Mavis FodnessJanuary 24, 2024Commissioners scheduled a public hearing for Tuesday, Feb. 6, to consider possible changes to the county’s tobacco sales and use ordinance. The hearing begins at 9 a.m. in the commissioners’ room at the Rock County Courthouse. A committee appointed by commissioners at their Jan. 2 meeting recommended four changes to the current ordinance and presented them at the Jan. 16 County Board meeting…
By Lori SorensonJanuary 24, 2024A good way to measure growth over time is to track the number of building permits issued for construction. Luverne building official Chad McClure compiled numbers for 2023 when he issued 177 permits valued at $10,105,595. Of those, seven were for single-family home construction valued at $1,369,625 and comprised 13.5 percent of permit valuations last year. McClure points out that these…- By Lori SorensonJanuary 24, 2024Phone numbers with the 507 area code are running out, so new numbers assigned in southern Minnesota will begin with a 924 area code. The area code won’t be assigned for new phone numbers until Aug. 30, but the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is telling callers in the region to begin using the prefix 507 when dialing starting Jan. 30. For example, Luverne City Hall at 449-2388 has been…
- January 24, 2024Snowshoeing is the perfect way to beat cabin fever, bringing people outside for fresh air and providing a connection with nature that is beneficial for physical and mental health. Snow came late to Minnesota this year, and although there are still areas of the state with little snow cover, there are also many locations in northern and southwest Minnesota with enough snow for snowshoeing. There…
By Mavis FodnessJanuary 17, 2024Sparks flew last week during Chris Louwagie’s Power Mechanics class at Hills-Beaver Creek High School. A $60,000 grant from the Frank Boon Trust allowed the school to upgrade the electrical infrastructure in the shop area and double the number of welding stations available for students’ use to 12. An iron-working machine was also purchased, allowing the students to easily pinch, cut, drill and…
By Lori SorensonJanuary 17, 2024Longtime Luverne educator and community member Elmer Menage died last week, prompting former students and athletes to reminisce about their beloved teacher, coach and mentor. “He was one of the best coaches I ever had,” said Luverne’s Burdell Braa who played football under Coach Menage in 1972, ’73 and ’74. “He was one of those guys who always had a smile on his face and a one-liner ready. He’d…
By Lori SorensonJanuary 17, 2024Construction is due to start in April on the new elementary school in Beaver Creek, and city and school officials are still discussing water options for the facility. Blayne Parkos is director of mechanical engineering for ATSR, the Minneapolis firm handling construction for the Hills-Beaver Creek School District. He addressed Beaver Creek City Council members at their Jan. 10 meeting to…
By Mavis FodnessJanuary 17, 2024An important lesson comes to life during the Hills-Beaver Creek High School students’ one act play, “Complaint Department and Lemonade,” according to director Amy Comp. “You’ll have to stop by and see to hear it,” said Comp. “It’s a fast-paced comedy with some laughs for everyone.” The 40-minute performance is scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, Jan. 19, and 2 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21, at the high school…
By Mavis FodnessJanuary 17, 2024For the past 18 weeks, Luverne teenager Thaddeus Ginn has calmly leaned into the K101 radio studio microphone and explained why he chose certain National Football League teams to win those weeks’ games. “I’m very passionate about radio and speaking my opinions to people,” the 13-year-old said. “It’s just a very fun experience for me to be able to come and talk about something I love very much…- By Mavis FodnessJanuary 17, 2024Luverne High School ag instructor Matt Fodness is offering a basic welding class through Luverne Community Education for ages 14 and older. The four-session class is offered on Tuesdays beginning Feb. 6. Fodness said he’s returning the favor for skills he learned over the years. “I am ever grateful for the people that have been willing to share these things with me,” said Fodness, now in his…
January 17, 2024Art Ehde, Luverne, and his son, the late Scott Ehde, were honored as Outstanding Conservationists of the Year at the annual meeting of the Minnesota Association of Soil and Water Conservation Districts last month in Bloomington. They were selected by the Rock Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) for the award, which recognizes individuals and organizations for outstanding accomplishments…- January 17, 2024Minnesota has had a net gain of roughly 43,000 acres of wetland from 2006 to 2020, according to the Minnesota DNR in its Wetland Status and Trends Monitoring Report. The report, released Monday, also shows that most of the wetland gain was realized in the last six years of that 15-year monitoring period. Most of the gains are in emergent wetlands in agricultural areas that tend to occur after…
By Lori SorensonJanuary 10, 2024A two-day winter storm dumped nearly a foot of snow on parts of Rock County and the tri-state area Monday and Tuesday. The weather event prompted schools to close in-person classes and pivot to e-learning days. Meanwhile events and activities came to a grinding halt as rural roads became impassable. According to the Minnesota State Patrol, officers responded to more than 200 weather-related…
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