10 years ago (1996)
The late buses for athletic practice won’t be running this fall. The Luverne School Board decided the economics of spending $10,000 to transport one or two people to Hardwick, Magnolia and Ash Creek after athletic practice didn’t seem reasonable.
Plum Creek Library System will no longer bring the Roadrunner Bookmobile to rural Rock County communities. In fact, if no other organization steps forward to operate it by next spring, the bookmobile will cease to exist altogether.
The Luverne City Council reviewed the proposed levy for 1997 as well as capital expenditures for 1999. The proposed levy for the city is $429,296, or an increase of 3.22 percent over the previous levy.25 years ago (1981)
Juliet Braa and Arthur Anderson will be honored at the Minnesota State Fair on Thursday as the Outstanding Senior Citizens from Rock County.
Many homes in Luverne have a car or two sitting in front or in the alley, but part of this common practice is about to change. Luverne City Council members passed an ordinance that unlicensed vehicles aren’t allowed to be parked in public view.50 years ago (1956)
The age of retirement has come for a grand old lady in Luverne. She sits impassively with her eyes closed for the first time in 60 years, quietly reminiscing her illustrious past, while everyone is excited and even somewhat confused about getting her more modern successors dressed up for their debut. It might be sentimental to call the old Luverne grade school a grand old lady, but she was all of that to thousands of Luverne students. First, as a high school, the finest and proudest in 1896, and later, after 1925, a grade school. The Luverne School Board is undecided what to do with her and she’ll rest quietly for a while.75 years ago (1931)
A 1930 Ford coach, owned by R.V. Peterson, was stolen shortly after midnight Tuesday while parked on South Freeman Avenue a short distance from the Armory. The automobile was taken for a joy ride while the owner was at a dance.
Ole’s Coffee Shop is now under new ownership, A.J. Murray, and A.J. Hollister purchased the business from Ole Fronsdahl.
The Luverne Golf Club completed arrangements for a new course on the P.A. Arnette farm, in Luverne Township, two miles southeast of this city.Laying out of the course was finished the fore part of this month. It will consist of nine holes, with greens fifty feet in diameter, as compared to the thirty-foot greens on the course west of town.100 years ago (1906)
Numerous new cases of hog cholera have developed during the past week, and the indications are that unless the most stringent quarantine can be established the disease will develop into the worst epidemic of the kind in the history of the county. Too much stress cannot be put upon the necessity of united effort to confine the disease to the section now infected.As a result of the outbreak of the disease, the hog shipments during the past week have been very heavy in all parts of the county. Thirteen cars have been shipped from Luverne — twelve by Herman Fitzer and one by W.H. Jones.

Vince Gacke has opened the doors of his new restaurant business on Highway 75, across from Sharkee’s. Vinnie’s has tentative hours of 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. but that could change, as things are just getting underway. Right now, he and his children are hoping more employees will join them at the business. "The kids have been great," Gacke said. "They just jumped right in."Gacke said he will figure things out as he goes along, but that the response from patrons has been surprising so far. Open just a week, he said lunch hours have already been very busy. People have commented on the attractive design (including the copper-fronted bar Gacke designed and built) and well-rounded menu. The menu has burgers, sandwiches, fried food and breakfast at any hour Vinnie’s is open. Gacke said he will release more information about the new business as it progresses. Vinnie’s is a smoke-free restaurant.

By Lori EhdeFor the second time since 1998, Luverne has been selected to participate in the Blandin Community Leadership Program.The prestigious BCLP is at the core of the Blandin Foundation’s mission to support rural communities. Its philosophy is that rural communities survive – and thrive – when local leaders take responsibility and deal with change effectively.Training community leaders and supporting them is what the BCLP is about.The Blandin Foundation believes so strongly in this concept that it’s willing to pay all expenses involved for training the community leaders.This amounts to roughly $3,700 per participant, totaling $88,000 for its investment in Luverne. The cost to participants is their time away from work and family, plus minimal travel expenses.The program consists of a five-day retreat Feb. 12-17 at Ruttger’s Sugar Lake Lodge in Grand Rapids, plus two follow-up workshops May 1-2 and July 31 in or near Luverne."We feel this is an excellent opportunity for members of the community who desire to become more involved in what is happening in Luverne," said Luverne Area Chamber of Commerce director Dave Smith.Smith is one of 24 Luverne trainees who participated in the 1998 leadership training."This was one of the greatest experiences of my life," he said. "I feel I learned a great deal and I have been able to put that knowledge to work." He and a steering committee of several other BCLP alumni are laying the groundwork to select 24 new participants for Luverne’s February retreat.A selection committee will be formed and a timeline for recruitment will be set.Blandin charges its selection committee with finding a balanced group of Luverne residents for the training who will represent a wide range of the community’s population.For example, they should be both young and old and from various sectors of the community. The group could consist of educators, business owners, elected officials, healthcare professionals, social workers, clergy, volunteers, etc. The one thing they should have in common is a commitment to their community and a willingness to be involved in shaping its future.The BLCP was established by the Blandin Foundation in 1985 and has served more than 4,000 leaders from 250 rural Minnesota communities.Its educational methods focus on hands-on, practical learning styles, which include individual skill development, understanding community dynamics, establishing new and diverse networks and leadership coaching.More information about the program and about the Blandin Foundation is available at www.blandinfoundation.org.

By Sara QuamTerry Hoffman pleaded guilty last week to two of 12 counts of possession of stolen property in Minnesota.He had previously pleaded not guilty but changed his plea on two of those counts Thursday, Aug. 24, in Rock County court.Hoffman is already serving part of an eight-year sentence in South Dakota, where he pleaded guilty to two counts of grand theft in April.The two Minnesota counts are for a boat from Marshall and a Chevrolet Silverado from Papik Motors, Luverne. As a part of the plea, Hoffman will have to pay restitution to all of the victims in Minnesota, including the two to which he pleaded guilty.Assistant Rock County Attorney Jeff Haubrich is handling the prosecution. He said, "Sentencing will likely be in September and his time will probably be concurrent with South Dakota."The sentence guidelines in Minnesota are 15 months for the boat and 21 months for the pickup, but Hoffman’s time in South Dakota probably will be considered as time in Minnesota.Restitution in South Dakota totaled $122,000.The total amount for restitution in Minnesota will be handed down at sentencing.Although Hoffman was sentenced to eight years in South Dakota, the judge there said paying restitution early would help him get out earlier.Hoffman operated Foxy’s Restoration out of his shop in Luverne. He restored vehicles and worked on snowmobiles, for example. He also ran the Vintage Snowmobile Club of America and its quarterly magazine.The arrest was prompted by a tip about a Chevy Tahoe of Hoffman’s that was being stored at his brother and sister-in-law’s home in Brandon.The vehicle identification number from the black 2002 Chevy Tahoe was researched, and the Tahoe was found to be stolen. The license plate on the Tahoe was actually from a white 1994 Chevrolet Camaro registered to an insurance company in Woodbury, Minn.After that, personnel from the Rock County Sheriff’s Office, Brandon (S.D.) Police Department, Minnesota State Patrol and National Insurance Crime Bureau became involved in the investigation. Three search warrants in December 2004 uncovered the stolen property, and Hoffman was arrested for reusing or reselling the vehicles or parts of vehicles.

By Lori EhdeThe Rock County Highway Department recently participated in an audit that studied the overall safety of local roads and intersections.Road Safety Audits, as they’re called, were conducted in counties throughout Minnesota this summer, with the primary objective to improve safety."I think it was worthwhile," Sehr said following the community meeting Aug. 15 at the library. "They came up with a lot of good information."Specifically, he said the goal of the audit is to reduce the number of fatal and personal injury accidents through low-cost engineering improvements at sites identified as problematic.Three problem sites were identified in Rock County: oThe intersection of West Dodge Street (County Road 5) and Highway 75 by the school campusoThe intersection of County Road 9 (golf course road) and County Road 4 (East Main Street) east of LuverneoThe intersection of County Road 4 (Old Highway 16) and County Road 17 near Manley Tire and Service Station.The audit report provided a crash history summary for each site and suggestions for specific safety improvements the county can consider.Crash data at the Dodge Street and Highway 75 intersection include the following:oThere were two personal injury crashes in the past six years.oA high percentage of all crashes there were due to drivers failing to yield the right of way.oMost of the crashes involved eastbound to northbound left turn vehicles colliding with northbound and southbound through vehicles.oA high occurrence of the crashes was on Monday and Friday.o40 percent of crashes occurred between 3 and 4 p.m.General observations about the intersection included:oAdequate sight distance on all approaches,oObserved speeds were 5 to 10 mph over posted limits, but as high as 50 mph.oDrivers tend to increase speed on the section of Highway 75 near the school because they top hills on both ends of the road segment.Among other suggestions, the following are the ones consultants most highly recommended to improve the site:oIncrease law enforcement and enforce the 30 mph speed or consider increasing it to a higher speed.oEmploy a traffic control officer during the afternoon peak hour at the intersection to control vehicles and pedestrians crossing there."Vehicle and pedestrian traffic at this intersection is high in the afternoon after school is let out due to parents picking up students, staff and students leaving the school and students walking home," consultants wrote in their summary.Crash data at the County Road 9 and 4 intersection east of Luverne included the following:oThere have been no fatal or injury accidents recorded in six years.o75 percent of the crashes were collisions with deer and 25 percent were run-off-the-road crashes.oCrashes usually involved vehicles traveling westboundo50 percent of the crashes usually involved wet or slippery pavementoMost of the crash-involved drivers were younger than 25.General observations about the intersection include:oObserved speed on County Road 4 is at or near the posted limit.oThe intersection is very difficult to identify under low light conditionsoMultiple access points (driveways) are present along County Road 4 to the east.oDrivers on County Road 4 use a narrow paved shoulder to the north of the intersection as a by-pass laneoMature pine trees in the southwest quadrant makes for poor sight distance to the west.Among other suggestions consultants most highly recommended removing the pine trees blocking vision and improving signage on County Road 4 indicated the County Road 9 approach.At the Manley Service Station intersection, crash data included the following:oThere were four personal injury crashes and one fatal accident recorded at the site in six years.oMost involved vehicles were traveling westboundo45 percent of the crashes were vehicles that ran off the road west of County Road 17.o70 percent of the crashes occurred under low light conditions.oAbout 65 percent of the crashes occurred on a Saturday or Sunday.Consultants made the following observations about the intersection:oPoor sight distance exists for southbound drivers looking east due to parked semi-trailers and other vehicles at the service station.oObserved speeds are at or near posted limits.oThere are horizontal alignment and vertical curve issues to the west of County Road 17.oRailroad pavement markings are degraded, their size and placement need review.oRailroad crossing is located 75 feet south of the intersection.Among other suggestions, the following are the ones consultants most highly recommended to improve the site:oInstall 48-inch stop signs on the right and 36-inch stop signs on the left of both northbound and southbound approaches. "The railroad crossing signs and gates on CSAH 17, south of CSAH 4 are very large and distract drivers’ attention away from the stop signs," the summary read. "The railroad is parallel and very close to CSAH 4, which makes it hard to see the road and may cause drivers to miss the stop sign."oAdd intersection lighting.oRequest semi-trailers and other vehicles park in areas that don’t block sight distance for southbound vehicles at the intersection.oRelocate the 40 mph speed advisory sign from the "Curve Ahead" warning sign to the "Intersection Ahead" warning sign. "Per county staff, this speed advisory is meant for the intersection, not the curve, and is currently posted in the wrong place," consultants said.COULD PULL THIS:In addition to studying safety at the problematic intersections, the assessment considered crash data specific to Rock County.For example:oIn 2005, Rock County experienced 151 total crashes resulting in one fatality, 45 injuries, 105 property damage only.oIn 2004, Rock County had two fatalities and 199 total crashes.oOver the past six years, 70 percent of drivers involved in fatal crashes were maleo28 percent of drivers involved in fatal or injury crashes in that time were 15 to 24 years old (that age group comprises 16 percent of Rock County’s population)oIn the past six years, 29 percent of Rock County’s fatal crashes were alcohol related (compared with a statewide average of 35 percent)oDriver inattention and illegal or unsafe speeds are the most often cited reasons for crashes on every roadway system.The study, conducted by SRF Consulting Group Inc., Minneapolis, was funded through an $18,000 grant Rock County applied for through the Minnesota Department of Transportation.

By Lori EhdeLuverne Elementary School students and parents will have a new start to the school year next week with parent-teacher conferences on the first day.School starts Tuesday, Sept. 5, but it won’t be a regular school day for students. Instead, students and their parents will meet with elementary teachers at scheduled times during the First Day Program implemented for the first time this year in Luverne. They also have scheduled times set to meet with specialty teachers, such as music, art and physical education."We’ll still have our open house on Sept. 14, but that’s more of a social event, and they don’t actually sit down with teachers until conferences in November," said second-grade teacher Jane Cote."It gives parents and students the opportunity to hear the same information at the same time from teachers, and hopefully that will get communication off on the right foot for the school year."Information will include schedules, setting up communication and expectations of the students for the year."We’re looking at this as another way to enhance and increase school-to-home communication," Cote said."It gives teachers, paretns and students the opportunity to start developing those releationships that will be in place for the rest of the year — starting at Day 1."Cote has been working with a team on Luverne Elementary School’s First Day Committee since last year. She said other districts such as Pipestone have seen advantages to the First Day Program."They have been doing it for a number of years in Pipestone, and they have seen an increase in getting in contact with more families and parents," Cote said."We decided to try it and see how it works here."Letters about the First Day Program were mailed to families earlier this month, and the district has accommodated families in rescheduling slots, if need be.Letters were also mailed to employers in the area about the First Day Program, asking them to allow parents the time off to participate in the conferences. Parents need to set aside about 1 1/2 hours out of their day for each elementary student in their family. Activities are planned in the elementary library throughout the day for school-age children to participate in while their parents are seeing teachers with their siblings.Families must make other arrangements for sibling care of preschool-age children.The first regular school day for Luverne Elementary will be Wednesday, Sept. 6.

ORDINANCE NO. 285, THIRD SERIESAN ORDINANCE RELATING TO HUNTING IN SPECIFIED AREA, AMENDING CITY CODE SECTION 10.10, SUBD. 3A, AND ADOPTING BY REFERENCE CITY CODE CHAPTER 10 AND SECTION 10.99 WHICH, AMONG OTHER THINGS, CONTAIN PENALTY PROVISIONSTHE CITY OF LUVERNE DOES HEREBY ORDAIN:SECTION 1. That City Code, Section 10.10, Subd. 3A, be amended in its entire to read as follows: Subd. 3A. Hunting Within City Limits. It shall be unlawful to hunt in any manner within the corporate limits of the City of Luverne. For purposes of this subdivision, the term "hunting" shall mean the taking of birds or mammals by any means including, but not limited to firearms, bow and arrow, snare, or trap, except the use of archery is allowed on the 34.5 acres located in Outlot 31 of the SE 1/4, Section 11-T102N-R45W (minus a small parcel described by metes and bounds according to the survey on file in City Hall) owned and managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, Division of Fish and Wildlife.SEC. 2. This ordinance takes full force and effect seven (7) days after its publication.(8-31)

MINUTES OF THE REGULAR SCHOOL BOARD MEETING OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2184, ROCK COUNTY, LUVERNE, MINNESOTA. A regular meeting of the Board of Education, ISD #2184, was held in the District Office on Thursday, August 10, 2006, at 7:30 p.m.The following members were present: Vicki Baartman, Colleen Deutsch, Dan Kopp and Becky Walgrave. Absent: Laura Herman, Cary Radisewitz, and Bill Stegemann. Also present: Gary Fisher, Marlene Mann, Stacy Gillette, Carol Morgan, and Lori Ehde – Rock County Star Herald.The meeting was called to order by Vice-Chairperson Colleen Deutsch. Motion by Walgrave, second by Kopp, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion unanimously carried. Administrative reports were given.Motion by Baartman, second by Walgrave, to approve the school board minutes of July 17 and July 20, 2006. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Kopp, second by Baartman, to set the Truth-in-Taxation Hearing for November 30 at 7:00 p.m. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Kopp, second by Baartman, to accept the resignation of Keith Erickson, Alternative School mathematics teacher, effective August 28, 2006. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Walgrave, second by Baartman, to accept the resignation of Tom Lanoue as 7th grade boys basketball coach. Motion unanimously carried.Motion by Kopp, second by Walgrave, to accept the resignation of Barb Spartz, Title I paraprofessional, effective August 2, 2006. Motion unanimously carried.Motion by Baartman, second by Walgrave, to approve the hiring of Kristin Schomacker as Head Volleyball coach. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Kopp, second by Walgrave, to approve the hiring of Sarah DeBeer as assistant Volleyball coach. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Baartman, second by Walgrave, to approve Dr. Josh Crabtree as volunteer Football coach. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Walgrave, second by Kopp, to approve Stacey Thone as long-term substitute for Amy Dulaney, Speech Therapist, for September. Motion unanimously carried.Motion by Walgrave, second by Kopp, to approve Kristin Schomacker as long-term substitute for Michelle Brunk, MS/HS Special Ed. Teacher, for September and as long-term substitute for Lori Oechsle, Second Grade teacher, beginning approximately October 1 for eight weeks. Motion unanimously carried. Motion by Baartman, second by Walgrave, to approve Cory Ziegler as long-term substitute for Angie Janiszeski, Discovery Time teacher, beginning September 6 for approximately 12 weeks. Motion unanimously carried. The upcoming meeting dates were reviewed. It was noted that the August 24 school board meeting will begin at 7:00 p.m. Motion by Kopp, second by Walgrave, to adjourn the meeting. Motion unanimously carried. Dated: August 10, 2006Cary Radisewitz, Clerk(8-31)

NOTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS Minnesota Rule 7020.2000, subp. 4NOTICE OF APPLICATION FOR LIVESTOCK FEEDLOT PERMITNotice is hereby given per Minnesota Statutes, Chapter 215, that Greg Kracht has made application to the County of Rock, for a permit to construct a feedlot with a capacity of 500 animal units or more. The proposed feedlot will be located in the NE 1/4 of the NE 1/4 of section 31 in Magnolia Township, Rock County, Minnesota. The existing facility consists of a 100’x240’ total confinement barn to house 600 head of finishing cattle and an open lot to house 150 head. The existing open lot will be closed and the expansion will be a 44’x300’ total confinement barn to house 390 head of finishing cattle for a total site capacity of 990 head. The total animal unit capacity will be 990.This publication shall constitute as notice to each resident and each owner of real property within 5,000 feet of the perimeter of the proposed feedlot as required by Minnesota State Law.(8-31)