These are exciting times for followers of Minnesota’s two professional sports teams.The Minnesota Twins have dug themselves out of an early grave to put themselves in a position to challenge for a playoff spot in the American League wild card race.At the same time, the Minnesota Vikings recently opened training camp under the guidance of an entirely new coaching staff.I’m cautiously optimistic about the fates both teams will meet in the upcoming months, but that’s better than falling into a category of having no hope at all.Unfortunately for the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Minnesota Wild, they have, in my mind, earned a place in the no-hope category.Since 1989, the Timberwolves have been a constant disappointment. They did have one run that landed them in the Western Conference playoff finals three seasons ago, but that was it.Before that run was a series of six straight first-round playoff losses. After the appearance in the conference finals, the Wolves failed to make the playoffs for two consecutive years.The past two dismal seasons and the previous six playoff failures lead me to believe our basketball franchise has no direction. Kevin McHale was a great basketball player, but the time has come to hold the franchise’s general manager accountable for his inability to give us a competitive team to follow on a yearly basis.The Wild suffer from a different problem.Unlike the Wolves, who have an owner willing to spend money on talent, our hockey franchise is a frugal one.Minnesota has been tabbed the "State of Hockey" by many, and the fans have lived up to that billing by buying every ticket for home games since the Xcel Energy Center opened in St. Paul in 2001.The Wild continue to sell out their home games, but the front office brass have yet to reward their faithful by spending some of the incoming cash on improving the team they have been putting on the ice.I think it was circus great P.T. Barnum who once said, "There’s a sucker born every minute."Considering the team has qualified for the playoffs once in five years, that could be exactly what Wild management is thinking every time their team takes the ice in a sold-out arena.So, when it comes to the Twins and Vikings, at least I hold some hope.It’s probably a stretch, but the Twins seemingly caught fire right about the same time they found out they would be getting a new stadium in late May.With the exception of the Detroit Tigers, I don’t think any team in baseball has surpassed their preseason expectations more than the Twins.They’ve created some great memories for my son and me, as we shared the experience of witnessing some of the Twins’ late-inning comebacks from the comfort of our living room.Now that a new stadium is on the way, we’re hoping Minnesota’s management side toward P.T. Barnum’s line of thinking.General manager Terry Ryan said the franchise now can focus on keeping the players it has developed when the stadium bill passed.We’ll soon find out if he was speaking the truth when the time comes to sign Joe Mauer and Francisco Lirano to long-term contracts, or if he was just offering some lip-service.The picture is not as clear when it comes to the Minnesota Vikings.Like everyone else, I know little about first-year head coach Brad Childress and the rest of the coaching staff.However, since the Vikings only advanced to the playoffs one time in Mike Tice’s five-year tenure, one of the worst runs in the team’s history, it’s hard to imagine we’ll be any worse off than we were before.Childress already impressed me when he shipped Daunte Culpepper off to Miami.The coach appeared to be put off by Culpepper’s greed and his lack of a team concept during their preliminary meetings back in January and decided to deal with the problem accordingly.That was a move I only could condone.Instead of explaining how he could make the Vikings a better team, Culpepper, who threw 12 interceptions and six touchdowns while leading us to a dismal 2-5 start last season, was more concerned with becoming a quarterback that would earn $10,000,000 each year.For that move alone, Childress and the Vikings’ brass proved that they are not suckers.They realize they’ll be better off with a leader that puts the team in front of personal interests.In the case of Culpepper, who led the Vikings to the playoffs twice in seven seasons as the starting quarterback, he was living in a fantasy world with an overestimated sense of self-worth.

Wow! We did it! The temperature reached 100 degrees on Sunday. We really didn’t have anything to do with the temperature getting to 100 degrees, but we like to say we did it anyway. It’s like 99 degrees isn’t hot enough; we have to hit 100 degrees for bragging rights or something. And if 100 degrees doesn’t make you feel really uncomfortable, you can refer to the heat index which is always five to 10 degrees more uncomfortable. The heat index is the opposite of winter’s wind chill factor. As if 20 degrees below zero isn’t cold enough, we throw in the wind chill so it feels like 30 below.Let’s hope the heat stays away for the three-day run of the Rock County Fair. I’ll be working the Star Herald booth tonight, so if it isn’t too hot, stop by and say hi. The Rock Nobles Cattlemen’s Association beef feed is also today at 5:30 p.m., and after that, check out the Rock County Talent Contest at 7 p.m., sponsored by Sioux Valley Energy in the grandstand. On Friday, the Rock County Pork Producers will have their pork feed at 5:30 p.m. Grandstand entertainment for Friday will be the Ranch Rodeo at 6 p.m., sponsored by the Rock County Ag Society and the Rock River Wranglers. Saturday’s main attraction will be the Bio Fuels Enduro Race at 7 p.m. The race is sponsored by the Rock County Corn and Soybean Association and Agri-Energy, LLC.So you know what you say this time of the year? It’s not "See ya later," it’s "See ya at the fair."

Minnesota has long been a national leader when it comes to education.Yet if we are going to continue that success, it is essential that we address some of the challenges that will face our state in the near future. For example, in the next 10 years, jobs in scientific and technical fields are forecasted to increase in Minnesota by 20 to 33 percent. Unfortunately, far too few Minnesota students are expressing interest in exploring those fields. Recent data from the ACT Educational Planning and Assessment System (EPAS) showed that only 10 percent of Minnesota eighth-graders and about 21 percent of Minnesota tenth-graders expressed interest in pursuing careers in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields. Through several initiatives proposed by Gov. Tim Pawlenty, the Minnesota Department of Education is working with education, business and community leaders to encourage more students to participate in the STEM fields. For example, as part of a partnership established by the governor, Massachusetts-based global PTC Software Company is donating millions of dollars worth of software to Minnesota schools in the form of their Pro/ENGINEER Schools Edition software. I encourage teachers and school districts who are interested in participating in the program to contact PTC at 781-370-5528, or they can visit the Minnesota Technology Education Association Web site at www.mtea.net for a current training schedule and cost information.Through these kinds of initiatives, we can prepare Minnesota students for the global economy and carry forward Minnesota’s standing as a national leader in education.Commissioner Alice Seagren, Minnesota Department of Education

By Lori EhdeRock County and several area counties received much needed rain this week, but the big question is, "Did the moisture come in time to help drought-stricken crops?"According to SWMN Farmers Co-op crop consultant Shawn Vis, corn was starting to suffer under the stress of the recent heat wave."We’ve had corn pollinating under extreme heat," Vis said. "When that happens — even under normal rainfall — 90- to 100-degree heat when corn is shedding pollen is not ideal."He said the weather is changing just in time."These rains, and especially the 10-degree drop in temperature, will really help to relieve stress on the corn," Vis said, "especially since it’s in blister stage and starting to set an ear."Recent rainfall totals in Rock County vary widely depending where the reports come from.The northern part of the county, such as the Kenneth and Hardwick areas, received an inch to 1 1/2 inches last week Monday. That same day, Luverne had only a few tenths, and south of Luverne, in the Kanaranzi and Ash Creek areas, reports were only trace levels.As of Tuesday afternoon, those areas were still quite dry and some fields there were starting to show wear. "It’s pretty bone dry there," Vis said Tuesday.Wednesday morning totals in Luverne at 1.19 inches, and in Hills 1.85 inches. But north of Beaver Creek, farmers were reporting nearly 5 1/2 inches of rain."That’ll pretty much make those guys for the year," Vis said.As varied as Rock County’s rainfall has been, so is its soil quality from one area to the next.The Steen and Hills areas haven’t received much rain (only six tenths Tuesday morning compared with nearly an inch by Hardwick) but the soil there is richer, and crops are still in good condition."We have to remember we had an abnormally wet spring," he said. "And our soil can hold moisture fairly well, so there’s still some moisture down there."Vis said the hot, dry spell hit at a bad time for corn development, but he still predicts a relatively decent yield this fall."It won’t be a record setter like last year, but it will still be good," he said.As far as soybeans are concerned, Vis said they should be relatively unaffected by the heat wave."It’s still early to tell, but the story will be told in August. We make soybeans in August," he said. "So I have a lot of optimism for soybeans. Even after a drought you can get some really nice beans in August."He said the story with soybeans this year is again the destructive soybean aphid. "It’s a big problem, but we know how to manage it," Vis said. He said this week and next, most soybean producers will spray their fields with pesticides, either by ground application or by air with crop dusting planes."It’s not just a Rock County problem," Vis said. "It’s a regional problem."

To help curb the rising costs of getting students prepared for the start of a new school year, the Steen Reformed Outreach Committee has organized a Back-to-School Yard Sale.The sale will feature new and used clothing, school supplies and toys that have been donated by the community. Each item, regardless of value, will sell for only 25 cents.The group is keeping the price low to prevent any family from being excluded. They saw a need to reach out to the community and help young families with tight budgets."Gas prices are high, rent and mortgages are climbing, clothes are extremely expensive and most families can’t afford to buy their kids all new clothing and school supplies," said youth pastor Brian Dengler, a member of the group. "This hopefully with help them out."Items will be for sale in the Steen City Hall at the corner of Steen Street and Sanford Avenue in the evenings, Monday through Friday, Aug. 14-18.The group encourages families from the outlying areas to participate in the sale, both with donations and as buyers. They are looking for donations of gently used or new clothing, toys for young children and school supplies. Donations can be dropped of at the Steen Reformed Church prior to the sale. The sale is being geared toward school-age children, so donations should reflect those sizes."We would like to see people from northwest Iowa, Luverne, Beaver Creek, Hills and wherever come to Steen and take advantage of this opportunity," Dengler said.Free pop and popcorn will be offered to shoppers.This is the first time the Outreach Committee has organized an event of this kind, and Dengler said it might be the first in Rock County. Community donations are going to make the event a success. They anticipate they will have plenty of families stopping in Steen that week and want to ensure they have plenty of quality items on the sale."We are really unsure as to what the response will be from the community, but we have high hopes that this will make a positive impact on young families’ lives," Dengler said.He said the group does not intend to make any money at the event; they just want to help local families. If at the end of the week they still have clothing that didn’t sell, they will donate it to the Worthington Thrift Store.Steen Back-to-School Yard Sale6 p.m. – 8 p.m. August 14-18Steen City Hall

The grandstand lineup for the 2006 Rock County Fair includes two nights sporting activities.The fair’s first Ranch Rodeo is set for Friday night. Saturday night features the annual Bio Fuels Enduro Race.The Ranch Rodeo, sponsored by the Rock River Wranglers, will make its fair debut at 6 p.m. tomorrow.Those who love horses and like to watch local riders compete in some unique events will not want to miss this show."It’s a good event for the entire family to watch," said Marty Bonnett, one of the event organizers."The whole family can sit down and watch a Ranch Rodeo pretty easily. It can turn into a pretty comical event. We’re working with horses, so you can expect to see some entertaining things, including some of the riders rolling in the dirt."Bonnett and the Rock River Wranglers introduced Rock County to Ranch Rodeo competition last summer when they staged an event in Luverne Aug. 20 to raise funds for the fairgrounds.Bonnett said Friday’s event, which runs from 6 to 10 p.m., is similar to last year’s attraction."We’ll have 25 four-person teams competing in four different events. Two of the events were a part of our Ranch Rodeo last year, and the other two are slightly modified events that should be more entertaining for the crowd," Bonnett said.The four different events making up Friday’s show will be Trailer Loading, Doctoring, Add’em Up and Pinning.All 25 teams will participate in the four events, competing for event prizes and the overall championship during the evening.Bonnett said having local talent competing in the Ranch Rodeo should generate more interest to the public."I would say over one-half of the teams competing will be local teams, including one 4-H team. A lot of the riders, including myself, jump from team to team during a rodeo."The Enduro Race long has been one of the fair’s top attractions and should be again on Saturday.The 2006 version of the event, which is sponsored by the Rock County Corn and Soybean Association and Agri-Energy, LLC, is set to begin at 7 p.m.As usual, the Enduro Race is a 200-lap or a two-hour event, whichever comes first.A majority of the field consists of local drivers."As of Sunday, we have 40 cars entered," said Burdette Braun, one of the event organizers."I’m hoping to get 50 cars on the track Saturday night. We’ve had 60 or more cars the last couple of years."Braun said 16 of the 40 cars entered in the race on Sunday were from Luverne. The field also has drawn 12 drivers from the Adrian, Rushmore, Hardwick and Kenneth areas.Perry Schneekloth, the 2005 champion, will return to defend his title. Tracy’s Mike Bents and Luverne’s Ryan Walker, who placed second and third respectively at the race last year, will be some of the drivers trying to knock off Schneekloth.Tom Walker, who won the Pre-Fair Enduro Race three weeks ago, will not race on Saturday night.In order to make the race safer for the drivers, Braun said each car is required to have a fuel cell and racing seat installed this year.Those requirements are not expected to influence an event that has been a fan favorite for fairgoers in the past."We could use a little rain on the track prior to Saturday’s race so we don’t have to dump so much on it on Saturday," Braun said. "Other than that, I’m hoping to get 50 cars on the track and another big crowd into the grandstands on Saturday."

The 2006 amateur baseball season came to an end for Zach Wysong and the Luverne Redbirds last week.The Redbirds needed to win two elimination games to remain alive in the Gopher League playoffs.Luverne did best Hadley by a 4-2 tally in Luverne Wednesday, July 26.The Redbirds’ 13-13 season ended on Friday with a 4-2 loss in Wilmont.Wysong, a Hills-Beaver Creek High School graduate who plays shortstop and pitches for the Redbirds, appeared in both games.Wysong went 3-for-7 at the plate and drove in one run during the contests.Wysong slapped two hits in four plate appearances during the two-run win over Hadley.One of his hits, a second-inning single, plated Luverne’s fourth run of the contest.Wysong went 1-for-3 during the season-ending loss in Wilmont.

By Lexi MooreAs my pregnant belly has really started to extend beyond the normal confines of a waistline, I have noticed that I have unofficially been welcomed into a new club. It’s one I didn’t even know existed.This club doesn’t have annual fees, meetings or even a name, but it is easy to tell when you are a member.I have been suspicious about a possible membership for sometime now, but it was solidified during several recent experiences.Club membership depends on one thing and one thing alone: being pregnant. Social class, appearance or education have no bearing on getting into the club. Simply going about your daily life with a larger-than-normal-looking basketball in your belly gives you the right to participate in the rituals and conversations of members.It seems everywhere I go, members approach me to talk the membership talk. They want to know when the baby is due, what the gender is, where I shop, how I am feeling, am I hating all the heat, are my feet swollen, am I taking vitamins, who is my doctor and on and on and on.I don’t mind interacting with strangers. There are times when I even enjoy a random chat while in line at the store, but this new club is starting to wear me out. Some of the questions, which I was kind enough not to include in the above list, haven’t even been asked by my doctor. In fact, I probably won’t even discuss them with him if he did ask.In addition to questions, my new club friends seem to think I might be interested in their stories. They offer tales of childbirth, none of which make for good conversation while ordering food at a fast food counter.I have several reference books offering advice for this life-changing event, but none of them include strategies for how to politely exit uncomfortable conversations with women I do not know.Last weekend at my 10-year high school reunion (a horrifying experience in and of itself), a woman I hadn’t seen in 11 years asked to feel my belly. I obliged, expecting the usual tap or quick rub. After all, I get about three of those a day. But this woman all but molested my unborn child. She was telling me where a foot was, how the head was turned and so on.I stood there, trying not to look annoyed, but honestly, I was. My little unborn baby has been camping inside my midsection for over six months, so I am pretty aware by this point where the feet are at any given time. Especially since they are often jabbing me in my ribs or bouncing on my bladder.I guess the three children she has given birth to give her a high status within the club and permission to make all us first timers feel weird.Just this past weekend I had my biggest taste of how large this club has become. I ventured to Denver to watch a rock-and-roll show at the Red Rock Amphitheater in Golden, Colo. The theater holds thousands of people, many of whom are members of the club.As one of a handful of pregnant ladies in attendance, I got plenty of attention from the crowd and I received a big perk for being a new member.As I approached a rather long line in the ladies’ bathroom, heads began to turn. At first I thought they were all going to lecture me on the dangers of being out on the side of a mountain while seven months pregnant in near 100-degree heat at a rock show. But I was wrong. As club members they recognized how I might really need to use a bathroom, so they quickly let me move to the front of the line.Throughout the show I happily answered the questions, was given plenty of room to dance by those around (apparently people do not want to crowd a big bouncing belly) and received a heaping helping of respect from members of the club. After all, it was very hot, I was on the side of a mountain, the music was loud, my back did feel a bit like it might break into three separate pieces, and yet I had a giant smile on my face and was having the time of my life.Story ideas or comments can be e-mailed to Lexi Moore at lexim@star-herald.com or called in at 962-3561.

10 years ago (1996)"Firefighters were called to the Hoyme farm last Thursday, when an old barn caught fire. The Hoymes were working with a controlled fire nearby when hot ashes carried over and ignited the barn. Firefighters had the fire contained in a matter of minutes."25 years ago (1981)"At the second regular meeting held last Monday, the board of education decided to stay with their contract offer made last June 22.The offer raises the BA base from $10,000 to $11,700 for the first year of the contract and to $13,300 the second year."50 years ago (1956)"The Fikse Produce Co. will hold an open house next Saturday, as they show their newly added egg cooler and other equipment, along with an observation of their 15th year in business in Hills. …The Fikse Produce, as it is known, has a sort of true American history in a small way and has steadily grown to one of our larger businesses in Hills over the 15-year period, boasting buildings that are very modern and well kept in every respect." 75 years ago (1931)"Miss Cynthia Sundal was honor guest at a luncheon last Thursday afternoon, given by Miss Carola Nash at her home. The afternoon was spent in hemming and embroidering dish towels which were later presented to Miss Cynthia.Little pink and white place cards told of the engagement of Miss Cynthia Sundal to Ralph Dickman, formerly of this place, but now living in Minneapolis."100 years ago (1906)"Hills is still receiving compliments on her recent 4th of July celebration. Next year we will help Beaver Creek pull the eagle’s tail and in two years we will be on hand again with a celebration larger and grander than ever. In case that Luverne celebrates in 1908 and our people feel that she has anything coming, our next celebration may be put off until 1909."