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Hills local news

Baccalaureate service for the Hills-Beaver Creek seniors was Sunday afternoon at the Hugo Goehle Gym in Hills with Michael Blank of Beaver Creek as the speaker. Commencement exercises will be Friday, May 25.Daryl and Jane Schubert, Clare and Isaac, arrived in Hills Saturday after completing a six-year term as missionaries in Shinyanga, Tansanzia. They will spend some time in the area before moving on to other commitments. Tuesday noon dinner guests in the Wilmer Elbers home were Ron and Faith Talsma of Artesia, Calif., Ed and Iva Elbers, Luverne, Alvina Kroese, Hull, Iowa, and Ruth Verbrugge, Worthington. Wendell and Kathryn Erickson and Evangeline Opheim attended the dinner and program last Wednesday, May 17, Syttende Mai Day at the Ramkota Hotel in Sioux Falls. The speaker for the evening was Dr. Kathleen Stokker from Decorah, Iowa. The Sioux Valley Singers sang. Also on the program was the opera singer, Emily Lodine. Tuesday evening Betty Elbers attended the Middle School band concert at Brandon, S.D., where her grandson, Mitchell Elbers, was a trumpet player. She also attended the choir concert at Washington High School in Sioux Falls in which her granddaughter Kelsi, daughter of Darwin and Kim Elbers, was a participant. Dean and Peggy Goettsch, joined by her mother, Helen Schoen, Albert Lea, attended the wedding of a friend of the family on Sunday at New Richland. Anna Schoenberg, Henrietta Schouwenburg, and Lucille Schouwenburg attended the 3:30 p.m. wedding of Ashley Gacke and Anthony Bartholomaus at the First Presbyterian Church in Luverne Saturday. The bride is the daughter of Kurt and Joni Gacke, Luverne.Wednesday noon Betty Elbers joined others at the Luverne Pizza Ranch to celebrate the birthday of Betty Boeve, of Luverne. Friday, Betty accompanied the Valley Springs Elementary School on their field trip to the zoo in Omaha, Neb. Don Schouwenburg is at his home in Luverne recuperating from surgery last week.

A week in the life of Steen

Here we are once again. What a beautiful weekend we had in Steen. Temperatures in the 70s, kids out and about riding on their bikes, the softball team playing ball late into the evening, the smell of neighbors grilling; it just doesn’t get any better than that.Many in Steen are looking forward to this upcoming Memorial Day weekend. This is the last week of school for Hills-Beaver Creek students. Many area families are looking forward to the first time out on the lakes. It’s hard to believe that summer is knocking on our doorstep already.As we anticipate Memorial Day, I had this cute little story come across my desk about a week ago. I hope you enjoy it. "One Sunday morning, the Pastor noticed little Alex standing in the foyer of the church staring up at a large plaque. It was covered with names with small American flags mounted on either side of it."The seven-year-old had been staring at the plaque for some time, so the pastor walked up, stood beside the little boy and said quietly, ‘Good morning Alex.’ "‘Good morning Pastor,’ he replied, still focused on the plaque. ‘Pastor, what is this?’ he asked. "The pastor said, ‘Well, son, it’s a memorial to all the young men and women who died in the service.’"Soberly, they just stood together, staring at the large plaque. Finally, little Alex’s voice, barely audible and trembling with fear, asked, ‘Which service, the 9 a.m. or the 10:45 service?"In Steen News:Last Sunday dinner guests at the Bill and Bertha Bosch home were Linda and Les Hengeveld and their son Derek and friend Julie from Indiana. They had a wonderful time celebrating Mother’s Day.This past Sunday afternoon Henrietta Huenink hosted a few guests, Jo Nuffer and son Alex of Hills, along with Norma Van Whye of Lester. They had a wonderful visit.On Saturday evening Gert Rozeboom of rural Steen celebrated her birthday with many family and friends. Happy Birthday, Gert.Monday morning Steen residents were without water for two hours after a water main broke just west of Steen by the curves. The problem was quickly attended to and water was restored.In Sports:The Steen Softball team had their first official game of the season this past Friday night against Carmel. It was a nail bitter. Steen was down by two runs in the bottom of the seventh to come back and win it seven to six. Tuesday night they will play the Rock Rapids Merchants at Steen. And this Memorial Day weekend they will participate in the Luverne Tournament on Saturday and Monday.In Hospital News:Terry and Glenda Sandstede of rural Steen became grandparents once again to a little baby girl. Their daughter Laressa and son-in-law Justin Birger of Sioux Falls gave birth last Tuesday night to a healthy little girl, Taryn Lee, weighing 7 pounds, 10 ounces.Also celebrating the birth of a baby girl, Chad and Tami Rauk of Beaver Creek had a little girl, Brynn Olivia. Congratulation to both families!In Church News:On Sunday the Steen Reformed Church honored their senior graduates in a special service. Jason Hup, Derek Spykerboer, John Sandbulte, Kari Roozenboom and Jessie Leenderts were this year’s senior class. Commencement services will be held at the H-BC gym in Hills Friday night at 7 p.m. This Thursday there will be Ascension Day services at 7:30 p.m. All are invited to attend. Following the service the building and visions committee will hold a short meeting.This past Friday and Saturday Melody and Brian Dengler had the opportunity to bring a few of the Steen seniors on a senior get-away to the Twin Cities. They stayed at the Grand Rios hotel and water park. Friday evening they took in a special show in downtown Minneapolis called "Triple Espresso." It was a great time for all in attendance, and it was a great send-off for the seniors.That’s all for this week, have a great week.If you have anything that you would like to have placed in the Steen News, contact Brian Dengler @ 855-2232 or by e-mail @ knowgrowshow@hotmail.com

Close the gate

After living and growing up in the city for more than three decades, moving to the country took some adjusting. One of the things that I had to get used to was the variety of smells.We have a few head of cattle in a yard about a hundred yards from the back door of the house and when the wind is just right (or wrong)….Well, you know what I mean.My spouse, Doug, forever the farmer, has been known to step out the back door, inhale deeply and comment, "Smells like money!" I am sitting here telling you that money does not smell like that where I come from. It seems, however, that my senses have adjusted and lately I hardly notice an ill breeze.Manure. That is the word used in the agricultural community. I do not dispute its existence (who could?) or its usefulness as fertilizer. God, in His infinite wisdom, certainly thought of everything. What I object to is the word itself. Manure. We have used the stuffing out of that word and I propose a change. I am starting my campaign here but plan to take it on the road. I predict that one day my new word will catch on and the utterance of ‘manure’ will be a thing of the past. It will join words and phrases like horse haimes, singletree, shocking grain, wire check planting and milking stool. Obsolete.Once I decided that a new term was needed, my task then became the search for the perfect word. I searched high and low (considering the topic, it was mostly low) and finally found what I was looking for on the Public Broadcasting Station.One day my little daycare chickadees and I were watching the travels of "Buster Bunny" on PBS. Buster wanted to see a wild moose on his trip to Canada. Some local children were helping him track when they came upon some moose droppings. They referred it as ‘sqat’.Sqat, what a perfect word! Short and eloquent, yet distinct and unusual. It rolls off the tongue like water off a duck’s back.Sqat, a word that could have no other meaning except for its sister word, scat with a ‘c’, which is used to tell a cat to go away.Sqat. I could not find it anywhere in a dictionary with this particular meaning with any spelling so I decided to spell it with a Q. I feel the seldom-used letter makes it more unique.Doug, besides doing a little farming on the side for the sheer joy of it, is a territory manager for a company that sells agricultural equipment. One of the products he represents for his dealers is a brand of spreaders. Doug is a serious agent of his goods and he certainly knows his sqat. He is a natural at representing these implements.Sqat spreaders come with different brand names: Slinger, Scavenger, Pro Push, Hydro Push, Hydro Spread, Honey Wagon, etc. During my research I discovered there are also many slang names that are not suitable for print.I predict, once the word ‘sqat’ catches on, it won’t be long before one sees the name ‘Sqatter’ or, even better ‘Sqatterer’ on the side of a massive distribution machine.I close the gate on the word ‘manure’. ‘Sqat’ is much better; you’ll agree I’m sure.I’ll need your help and now that you’ve heard, put down your paper and go spread the word.Story ideas or comments can be e-mailed to Nancy at Nancy861@msn.com or please

Sheriff clears up rules on scooters, etc.

By Lori EhdeSpring weather has local streets crawling with mo-peds, go-peds and motorized skateboards. Sheriff Mike Winkels wants to clarify rules and laws governing who gets to drive them and where."It’s been a controversial issue," Winkels said. "And a lot of people are confused about the laws."At issue, he said are three different types of scooters, each with their own set of rules.Gas-powered scootersMost problematic, Winkels said, are the gas-powered, 49 cc scooters.The "Twist ’N Go," for example, looks like a mo-ped and drives like a mo-ped, but it doesn’t have pedals and reaches speeds upwards of 30 mph (mopeds go 15 mph).It used to be classified as a motorcycle, which meant a driver’s license was necessary, but it’s been recently reclassified as a moped.To drive one, operators need to be 15 or older with a motorized bicycle endorsement on their driver’s permits.Winkels said some local 13- and 14-year-olds are driving the gas scooters — a violation that could earn them a $163 fine, and possibly delayed driving privileges until 18 years old.He also added that licensed drivers younger than 18 are required to wear a helmet (a bicycle helmet will do) and eye protection while operating a scooter. Those 18 and older are required to wear only eye protection.Motorized skateboardsThe motorized skateboards with handlebars, Winkels said, can be driven only on private property.Operators can push them manually from one location to another on a public sidewalk, but the motors can be engaged only on private property.The "go-peds" can reach speeds of 15 mph and have no age requirement by law.Winkels reminds all skateboarders and in-line skaters that the downtown area is restricted from skating of any kind. Sidewalks are marked accordingly.Electric scootersElectric-powered scooters are creating fewer problems for law enforcement, but Winkels said the laws governing their use are most confusing.He said state legislators are still debating the merits of allowing electric scooters on sidewalks, because they were originally designed to aid pedestrians with disabilities."The speed on these is minimal (15 mph), and so far, we haven’t had too many complaints about them," Winkels said.So far, he’s telling people to ride electric scooters on sidewalks, and there’s no minimum age for operating them.Further questions can be directed to Winkels at the Rock County Law Enforcement Center, 283-5000.

Sheriff clears up rules on scooters, etc.

By Lori EhdeSpring weather has local streets crawling with mo-peds, go-peds and motorized skateboards. Sheriff Mike Winkels wants to clarify rules and laws governing who gets to drive them and where."It’s been a controversial issue," Winkels said. "And a lot of people are confused about the laws."At issue, he said are three different types of scooters, each with their own set of rules.Gas-powered scootersMost problematic, Winkels said, are the gas-powered, 49 cc scooters.The "Twist ’N Go," for example, looks like a mo-ped and drives like a mo-ped, but it doesn’t have pedals and reaches speeds upwards of 30 mph (mopeds go 15 mph).It used to be classified as a motorcycle, which meant a driver’s license was necessary, but it’s been recently reclassified as a moped.To drive one, operators need to be 15 or older with a motorized bicycle endorsement on their driver’s permits.Winkels said some local 13- and 14-year-olds are driving the gas scooters — a violation that could earn them a $163 fine, and possibly delayed driving privileges until 18 years old.He also added that licensed drivers younger than 18 are required to wear a helmet (a bicycle helmet will do) and eye protection while operating a scooter. Those 18 and older are required to wear only eye protection.Motorized skateboardsThe motorized skateboards with handlebars, Winkels said, can be driven only on private property.Operators can push them manually from one location to another on a public sidewalk, but the motors can be engaged only on private property.The "go-peds" can reach speeds of 15 mph and have no age requirement by law.Winkels reminds all skateboarders and in-line skaters that the downtown area is restricted from skating of any kind. Sidewalks are marked accordingly.Electric scootersElectric-powered scooters are creating fewer problems for law enforcement, but Winkels said the laws governing their use are most confusing.He said state legislators are still debating the merits of allowing electric scooters on sidewalks, because they were originally designed to aid pedestrians with disabilities."The speed on these is minimal (15 mph), and so far, we haven’t had too many complaints about them," Winkels said.So far, he’s telling people to ride electric scooters on sidewalks, and there’s no minimum age for operating them.Further questions can be directed to Winkels at the Rock County Law Enforcement Center, 283-5000.

St. John Church considering all day kindergarten option

By Lori EhdeFor nearly 25 years, St. John Lutheran Church has been teaching young students in its Little Lambs Preschool program.Now, after requests from congregation members and from Little Lambs families, the church may offer a kindergarten curriculum as well."I think it’s the result of the public school going to half-day kindergarten," said St. John Pastor Gary Klatt."We agreed to have a meeting and see what kind of response we get from the community and find out what interest there is."A meeting will be at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 24, in the basement assembly hall of St. John Lutheran Church. Klatt said the church has looked into what it would take to be licensed as a kindergarten."The facility is conducive to kindergarten," he said. "We have the space and means available for operating a kindergarten."He said years ago the church explored the possibility of offering a full parochial school, but it never materialized.The Little Lambs Preschool program currently has 68 students enrolled, and 67 are signed up for the next school year."We have a good history in this town with our preschool, and people know we have good staff here," Klatt said.He said it’s unclear how many kindergarten students the church would accommodate, but he said 20 would be needed initially to make the program go."That’s the number it would take to pay a teacher," he said.The St. John kindergarten would be in session all day every day, and would be funded by tuition.Luverne Elementary School cut its all day every day program during budget reductions last year and now offers half-day classes with parents paying tuition for the optional afternoon session.Klatt said Wednesday’s meeting is open to the public, and babysitting will be available at the church. Questions can be directed to the church office at 283-2316."All in the community who are interested are encouraged to attend," Klatt said.

Luverne may have downtown clock

By Sara QuamThe Luverne City Council wants to know if the community would support installing an old-fashioned-looking city clock.Mayor Andy Steensma found a clock that will cost about $2,000. It is about 20 feet tall and fairly ornate. The city would have some additional costs in the installation of the clock.Steensma and the Luverne City Council discussed purchasing and installing a clock at their Tuesday meeting."Some people have said we should have a clock that resembles the older-looking streetlights," Steensma said.Steensma said people should contact a council member or Administrator John Call at 449-2388 if they have an opinion on a town clock, and whether they would be willing to donate to the purchase of it.Steensma said people with whom he’s discussed the clock have said a fund-raising campaign might work.The clock is lit and has faces on two sides.People may remember a clock on the outside of a former downtown jewelry store in Luverne that has been gone for years.Council members said they didn’t have a clear opinion about where the clock should be located — whether on Main Street by the traffic signals at Cedar Street, or at the corner of Main and Highway 75 where a downtown sign is already located.The council will wait for some additional feedback from the public and will discuss the clock at a later meeting.Goals for city’s futureThe Luverne City Council and city department management staff recently tallied their votes for what the city’s goals should be for the next five years or so.Tuesday, Administrator John Call said, "It’s great to have staff input but the council is the boss, if you will."Councilman Pat Baustian said, "It’s ultimately the City Council who should be setting goals."The council added two more goals to the final tally of council and staff votes, leaving these seven priorities for the city of Luverne:
Develop more campgrounds and connecting bike paths.
Development of land along Interstate 90.
Encourage development of more attractive manufactured housing. They have permanent foundations, on land that is owned by the occupants and are affordable to more incomes than traditional housing.
Develop use of old hospital and clinic.
Encourage new residential development in the new hospital area.
Expand the airport.
Encourage small business development.

Carrie Nelson Memorial Garden is 'comforting place'

By Lori EhdeStan Nelson is pictured in the Carrie Nelson Memorial Garden, which was established in 2003 near the Blue Mounds State Park Interpretive Center."It’s a comforting place to be," he said.Situated atop the Blue Mounds State Park, the garden serves as a fitting reminder of a girl who once loved the park and the community."The garden is a wonderful place for family and friends to go and meditate and think about Carrie and remember her," said Carrie’s mother, Nan Karr Kaufenberg."It’s overlooking the town she loved. She really loved Luverne, even though she only lived there a few years of her life."The garden includes more than a dozen different species of prairie wildflowers native specifically to Rock County and the Blue Mounds.The list includes purple cone flower, compass plant (a small sunflower), prairie sage and button blazing star. Carrie Nelson’s favorite color was orange, so wood lilies and butterfly milkweed — with orange blooms — are also among them.In addition to finding comfort in the garden, Karr Kaufenberg said the community has been supportive since Carrie’s death."The kindness of the people in Luverne when we went through that is something we’re really thankful for," she said."People in the town really came out for us. They are kind-hearted people."

Investigators offer new $50,000 reward and hope for a call

By Lori EhdeIt’s been five years since 20-year-old Carrie Nelson was murdered while working in the office of the Blue Mounds State Park.Since then, authorities have tested DNA of more than 400 possible suspects — more than any other case in Minnesota — but her killer remains at large.Now investigators are releasing more details about her death, and they and her family hope a new reward will lead them to a murder suspect.They’re offering $50,000 for any information that leads to an arrest."I’m glad they’re trying again," said Carrie’s mother, Nan Karr Kaufenberg. "It’s good that they’re trying to get leads. … She deserves this — to find out what happened and to find the person who did this so they can pay the penalty and we can put this to rest."Carrie Nelson was working alone behind the counter in the park office on May 20, 2001, when she was beaten to death.Investigators are now being more specific about how she died and the evidence they found that might link them to a suspect.For one thing, she was beaten with a rock that was on display in the office. It’s a distinctive rock that a DNR officer spotted a week later in a nearby stream. "We determined it is the rock, because there were rock chips left behind at the scene," Rock County Investigator Jeff Wieneke said.The killer also left behind fingerprints, but they don’t match any in the national criminal database of those who have been or are currently incarcerated.Investigators also say the killer left behind DNA evidence on a watch found in the park office.With the release of this evidence and the reward, investigators say they're just a phone call away from solving the case."We do have some suspects, but most of them have been cleared," Wieneke said."We’re hoping new information will bring someone forward who hasn’t come forward before, if not for the money, but to clear their conscience."Individuals with information about the case are encouraged to call the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension's Cold Case Unit at 651-793-7000 or contact the Rock County Sheriff's Office at 507-283-5000. Wieneke said the reward was officially offered Friday, and already information is coming in."The case is also being reviewed by two new BCA agents to make sure we’re not missing anything in our investigation," Wieneke said. "I hope it works out for us."The $50,000 is being offer through a program with the BCA that accepts donations from Minnesota corporations. That amount had been offered in the first year after Nelson was murdered.The current offer is valid only for the next 90 days. Carrie’s father Stan Nelson said he’s glad the case has been resurrected."I think it’s a positive thing that we’re shining a little light on it again and bringing it back to people’s awareness," he said."We’re hoping that some leads turn up. We would like to see whoever is responsible caught and held accountable."He said his daughter’s brutal murder has pointed to a need for people to refocus their attention away from violence on more positive, peaceful things."People keep saying we need to catch the killer so we can have closure, but I spend very little time thinking about that. I spend more time thinking about what I can do," he said."I appreciate the efforts of all those who are trying to catch Carrie’s killer, but I would encourage people to focus on what they can do get at the roots of violence. … We need to be mindful of what we hold in our hearts as human beings."

Fransman delivers three hits during LHS softball setback

By John RittenhouseKerri Fransman and the Luverne High School softball players found themselves on the short end of scores during a three-game week.The Cardinals dropped both ends of a Southwest Conference twin bill against Pipestone Thursday in Luverne.Edgerton toppled LHS in Edgerton Monday.Fransman went 2-for-4 at the plate during Thursday’s set against the Arrows in Luverne.The LHS shortstop was hitless in two at-bats during a 9-5 loss to PHS in the opener.Fransman did draw two walks and scored one run in the game.She was 2-for-2 at the dish during a 17-1 loss in the finale.Fransman, who led the Luverne squad with two hits in the contest, recorded a pair of singles during the contest.The Hills-Beaver Creek junior put together another productive offensive game during a 10-7 loss in Edgerton Monday.Fransman singled once in two official plate appearances. She scored two runs.The 6-11 Cardinals end the regular season by playing an SWC double-header in Worthington today. Section 3AA Tournament play begins Tuesday, with the site and first-round opponent yet to be determined.

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