DISTRICT COURTPROBATE DIVISIONFIFTH JUDICIAL DISTRICTNOTICE AND ORDER OF HEARING ON PETITION FOR PROBATE OF WILL AND APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORSSTATE OF MINNESOTACOUNTY OF ROCKESTATE OF MENNO ANING DECEDENTIt is Ordered and Notice is given that on Monday, April 10, 2006, at 3:30 (p.m.) a hearing will be held in this Court at Rock County Courthouse Luverne, Minnesota, for the formal probate of an instrument purporting to be the will of Decedent, dated February 22, 2006, and codicil (N/A) to the will dated N/A, and separate writing (N/A) under Minn. Stat. 524.2-513 ("Will"), and for the appointment of Eleanor V. Aning whose address is: 749 144th Avenue, Luverne, MN 56156 (2) Gregory Kruger whose address is: 309 S. Mulberry Street, Ellsworth, MN 56129 as personal representatives of the Estate of the Decedent in a SUPERVISED administration. Any objections to the petition must be filed with the Court prior to or raised at the hearing. If proper and if no objections are filed or raised, the personal representatives will be appointed with full power to administer the Estate, including the power to collect all assets, pay all legal debts, claims, taxes and expenses, to sell real and personal property, and do all necessary acts for the Estate. Notice is also given that (subject to Minn. Stat. 524.3-801) all creditors having claims against the Estate are required to present the claims to the personal representatives or to the Court Administrator within four months after the date of this Notice or the claims will be barred. /s/ TIMOTHY K. CONNELLTIMOTHY K. CONNELLJudge Date/s/ SANDRA L. VRTACNIKSANDRA L. VRTACNIKCourt Administrator DateAttorney for Personal RepresentativeBENJAMIN VANDER KOOI, JR.VANDER KOOI LAW OFFICES, P.A.127 E. MainP.O. Box 746Luverne, MN 56156-0746507-283-9546Attorney I.D. No. 112124(3-16, 3-23)

NOTICE TO CONTRACTORSC.S.A.H. NO. 4 — S.A.P. 67-604-24Sealed proposals will be received by the Rock County Highway Department at Luverne, Minnesota until 10:00 A.M. on Friday, April 7, 2006.READ CAREFULLY THE PROVISIONS FOR THE WAGE RATES AS CONTAINED IN THE SPECIAL PROVISIONS, AS THEY WILL AFFECT THIS PROJECT. Proposals will be opened and read publicly in the presence of the Rock County Highway Engineer at the Rock County Highway Building located at 1120 North Blue Mound Avenue in Luverne, Minnesota immediately following the hour set for receiving bids for the following Rock County Highway work. Bids will be awarded on Tuesday, April 18, 2006 at the regular Board of Commissioners Meeting held in the Law Library at the Rock County Courthouse.C.S.A.H. No. 4 (S.A.P. 67-604-24). The major quantities of work are: 12,271 Sq. Yd. Remove Trench Pavement; 49,084 Sq. Yd. Rubblize Concrete Pavement; 4,527 Cu. Yd. Common Excavation; 37,083 Ton Aggregate Base, Class 5; 12,272 Ton Aggregate Shouldering, Class 1; 59,621 Sq. Yd. Mill Bituminous Surface; 5,227 Ton Type LV3 Wearing Course Mixture; 22,209 Ton Type LV3 Non Wearing Course Mixture; 1 Lump Sum Traffic Control. Plans, specifications and proposals may be examined and obtained at the office of the Rock County Highway Engineer, 1120 North Blue Mound Avenue, P.O. Box 808, Luverne, MN 56156-0808.The non-refundable cost for Plans and one proposal will be $25.00.Bids must be accompanied by a certified check or corporate surety bond drawn in favor of the Rock County Treasurer in the amount of at least five percent (5%) of the proposal.Sealed bids shall be clearly marked "PROJECT NO. SAP 67-604-24."The Board of Rock County Commissioners reserves the right to reject any or all bids and to waive any defects therein.Rock County is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.Mark R. Sehr, P.E.Rock County Highway Engineer(3-16, 3-23, 3-30)

NOTICE OF MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE SALETHE RIGHT TO VERIFICATION OF THE DEBT AND IDENTITY OF THE ORIGINAL CREDITOR WITHIN THE TIME PROVIDED BY LAW IS NOT AFFECTED BY THIS ACTION.NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that default has occurred in the conditions of the following described mortgage:DATE OF MORTGAGE: September 21, 2001ORIGINAL PRINCIPAL AMOUNT OF MORTGAGE: $76,500.00MORTGAGOR(S): Brian Beaner and Rebecca Beaner, husband and wifeMORTGAGEE: First Federal fsbDATE AND PLACE OF FILING: Filed September 26, 2001, Rock County Recorder, Document No. 151054ASSIGNMENTS OF MORTGAGE: Assigned to: Washington Mutual Home Loans, Inc., n/k/a Washington Mutual Bank, FA Dated: September 26, 2001, filed: September 26, 2001, Document No. 151055.LEGAL DESCRIPTION OF PROPERTY:The West 150 Feet of Outlot A in Kleine’s Addition to the City of Magnolia, Rock County, Minnesota, and A Tract of Land described as follows: Commencing at the Southwest Corner of Outlot A in Kleine’s Addition to the City of Magnolia, Minnesota, thence Easterly along the South Line of said Outlot A a distance of 150 Feet, thence South 67 Feet along a line Parallel with the West Line of said Outlot, thence West Parallel with the South Line of said Outlot A a distance of 150 Feet, thence North 67 Feet more or less to the point of beginning.COUNTY IN WHICH PROPERTY IS LOCATED: RockTHE AMOUNT CLAIMED TO BE DUE ON THE MORTGAGE ON THE DATE OF THE NOTICE: $89,009.21THAT all pre-foreclosure requirements have been complied with; that no action or proceeding has been instituted at law or otherwise to recover the debt secured by said mortgage, or any part thereof:PURSUANT, to the power of sale contained in said mortgage, the above described property will be sold by the Sheriff of said county as follows: DATE AND TIME OF SALE: April 20, 2006, 10:00 A.M.PLACE OF SALE: Sheriff’s Main Office, West Side Sheriff Dept., Front Step, Luverne, MNto pay the debt secured by said mortgage and taxes, if any, on said premises and the costs and disbursements, including attorneys fees allowed by law, subject to redemption within 6 months from the date of said sale by the mortgagor(s) their personal representatives or assigns. "THE TIME ALLOWED BY LAW FOR REDEMPTION BY THE MORTGAGOR, THE MORTGAGOR’S PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVES OR ASSIGNS, MAY BE REDUCED TO FIVE WEEKS IF A JUDICIAL ORDER IS ENTERED UNDER MINNESOTA STATUTES SECTION 582.032 DETERMINING, AMONG OTHER THINGS, THAT THE MORTGAGED PREMISES ARE IMPROVED WITH A RESIDENTIAL DWELLING OF LESS THAN 5 UNITS, ARE NOT PROPERTY USED FOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTION, AND ARE ABANDONED. Dated: February 22, 2006Washington Mutual Bank, F.A.Assignee of MortgageeSHAPIRO, NORDMEYER & ZIELKE, LLPBY /s/ Lawrence P. Zielke Lawrence P. Zielke – 152559Craig M. Barbee – 0302016Diane F. Mach – 273788Attorneys for Mortgagee7300 Metro Blvd., Suite 390Edina, MN 55439-2306(952) 831-4060THIS COMMUNICATION IS FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR ATTEMPTING TO COLLECT A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE.(3-2, 3-9, 3-16, 3-23, 3-30, 4-6)

10 years ago (1996)
Neuman, Monson and Wictor, Sioux City, Iowa, will be the new architects for the proposed new elementary school. Board members visited schools the firm designed in the past.
Carlene and Larry Boll have purchased the former Blom Cleaners building on West Main to relocate their Palace Video business.
Collection of a lodging tax, which was added to Luverne in April 1995, has brought in more than $15,000 through the end of 1995.25 years ago (1981)
County commissioners will spend $100,000 on several repairs on highways this summer.
A county worker uncovered a dead body while cleaning out a culvert. The skull had bullet holes in the sides. Some personal information was found on the body and may identify the man.50 years ago (1956)
Paul Schewitz filed for mayor of Luverne after Warren Schoon announced he would not seek re-election.
Cardinal team captains Larry Engel and Judd Cooney received a trophy for their team as District Eight champions.
Three men in Luverne had heart attacks while shoveling snow after 19 inches fell in a storm.75 years ago (1931)
Nelson Brothers Department Store this week announced a unique method of combining a good merchandising effort with a worthy charity. The Luverne store will participate in a relief mission to collect used, but wearable stockings in payment for new ones from Nelson Bros.
Rock County purchased a four-wheel drive motor patrol truck, an elevating grader, and a spring blade attachable to the patrol truck. The truck cost $6,155, the spring blade an additional $535, and the elevating grader $3,192.42.
More than 2,500 people attended the 6th Annual Luverne Auto Show at the Armory.100 years ago (1906)
The total tax collections made by Treasurer Skyberg for the six months beginning Nov. 1 were $25,331.
R.H. Holcombe, who last week purchased the Luverne Cooperative Creamery, returned Friday from Chicago, where he had been to attend the annual convention of the national Buttermakers’ association and the Chicago Dairy Show.
The village of Beaver Creek has made rapid gain during the past few years and in all probability can show a better record of substantial improvements in proportion to its population than any other town in the county. Several new residences have been erected, and especially notable among the improvements is the splendid new school.

By Lori EhdeSince Loren Forrest first pitched his idea for producing fuel from corn stalks, he’s found it challenging to stay ahead of the rumors.Would rats infest the large piles of corn silage needed to feed the fuel production? Will the plant stink and harm the environment? How much will it cost and will local tax dollars support it?On Tuesday night, he and his son, Russell Forrest, hosted a community meeting to answer questions and put fears to rest — they hoped.Rural Energy Marketing, LLC, as they’re called, is proposing a $40 to $50 million ethanol plant that would produce fuel, not from corn kernels, but from corn waste."It’s the stalks, the cobs, the leaves — all the junk that flies out of the back of the combine," Russell explained.Many area corn producers bale this corn stover, as it’s called, after harvest into large round bales and feed it to livestock.It’s these round bales — about 800 per day — that will feed the ethanol plant the Forrests are proposing.There would be no large stockpiles to attract rats (as some have worried). "We’ll replenish our inventory every 10 days," Loren said.They said based on the amount of corn produced in and around Rock County, there should be more than enough round baled corn stover to supply the plant.In talking with area farmers, the Forrests say their idea has been well-received among local corn producers, and a meeting is scheduled for March 28 for corn producers to sign contracts.The contracts will commit them to providing a certain tonnage to the plant at a price higher than they’re currently getting for the stover as livestock feed."This means about $100 per acre to the farmer, and we’ll need about 70,000 acres of corn committed," Loren said. "So this will put roughly $7 million back into the local economy."Those contracts will be contingent on the plant actually materializing, and they will give these corn producers an option to invest in the process when the time comes.The meeting is at 7:30 p.m. in the Blue Mound Banquet and Meeting Center, Luverne.More efficient than ethanol production from fermentationBut the corn product isn’t the only thing different from current ethanol plants. They said the process is much cleaner."There won’t be any emissions," Russell said. "There won’t be a smell; there won’t be a mess."They plan to use an Australian-patented dryer that uses the steam in the process so that no steam escapes from the plant."The (current) ethanol plant uses a fermentation process," Russell said. "We’ll use a thermal process with heat and pressure."The only thing left over when the stover’s done cooking is a pile of ashes, and even that isn’t waste. It can be spread on local crop soil to replenish minerals.The Forrests claim their process will produce double the amount of ethanol as a standard ethanol plant — up to 291 gallons for each ton of corn stover.They said this thermal process of producing alternative fuel isn’t new. Europe and Africa are doing it and, "It was used to fuel the German war machine," Loren said.What’s new about the Forrests’ proposal — and a few others being researched across the country — is that the old methods have used coal, which isn’t as clean."It leaves behind a lot of tar in the ashes," Russell said.Loren himself has spent the past five years personally researching the process, right down to the complicated chemistry and how the plant would be physically set up.It costs money to get moneyHe has asked for local government help, but money is hard to come by for such new — and expensive — ideas. The LEDA denied the Forrests’ request in January of 2004 for a $250,000 loan, and they denied a request in September of 2005 for a $300,000 that would be forgiven over five years with the addition of 30 employees.The Forrests are convinced their plant will be successful, and Loren even said he feels God is telling him to do it. "He dumps these things on my lap and I have no idea where they came from," he said.The problem for the Forrests — regardless of how successful their plant may or not become – is that it costs a fortune to turn the dream into reality.They’re attracting financial support in the form of local investments, but they still have big hurdles to clear before any ground can be broken on construction.There is federal money available for projects such as the Forrests’ that can produce fuel from sources other than oil. But before they can qualify for those dollars, they need to present a viable plan, and that alone can be costly.An engineering firm is currently working on the physical layout and viability of the plant. That job alone costs roughly $1 million.

By Lori EhdeSunday’s snowstorm wouldn’t have been such a blow to the area had it not followed such a mild week of exceptionally warm weather."February and March are typically our snowiest months," said local weather recorder Troy Thone.According to his measurements, Sunday’s blizzard dropped more than 6 inches of snow in Luverne that amounted to .59 inches of moisture.He said exact snowfall totals were difficult to gauge because the wind moved it around so much.Thone measured wind gusts up to 44 mph during the storm and sustained wind speeds at nearly 30 mph.It started snowing in Luverne late Sunday morning and came down heavy early in the afternoon. The winds started picking up between 4 and 5 p.m."It stayed really windy all through the night," Thone said. "Visibility was poor – below a half mile and at times zero visibility."Initial snowfall melted on roadways before accumulating, leaving dangerous, slippery patches.With poor visibility and icy roads, numerous vehicles found their way into ditches, but no personal injury accidents were reported during the storm, according to the Rock County Sheriff’s Department.Thone said temperatures during the storm stayed right around the freezing mark, "which is normal for March," he said.But area residents got a rude reminder of winter when they awoke to a 7 degree Tuesday morning.The sharp contrast in temperatures, however, caused a foggy morning and decorative frost and trees, fence lines and structures.The scenery didn’t last long, though, once the sun came out and hiked the mercury to nearly 30 degrees.More snowfall was in the forecast for Wednesday and for the coming weekend.Tuesday, March 20, is the first official day of spring.

By Sara QuamThe city of Luverne took another step Tuesday to get the Fire Hall expansion underway. The council members voted Tuesday to purchase Holy Trinity Episcopal Church property east of the church for $21,000, the appraised value.People at the Southwest Mental Health Center can still park there during the day.Buffalo Days changesThe Luverne Chamber of Commerce Director Dave Smith requested the City Council allow a portion of Main Street to be closed the Friday of Buffalo Days for the Friday night cruise-in, June 2. In the past the cruise-in was at private businesses, but to allow more vehicles to participate and to not inconvenience any business customers, Smith said the Main Street option makes sense. He said, "What it is, is a great evening to show off Main Street. It’s a move to get more things into the downtown community."He said businesses are encouraged to have longer store hours, and the Chamber is making arrangements for food, music and seating to accommodate the crowd.He said he would like to organize a poker "walk" among the downtown businesses to encourage shopping as people are looking at the collector cars.In other business Tuesday the council:
Passed fire protection contracts with county townships.The total expense paid by townships is based on the number of sections served. The 2006 amount per section is $406.96, changed from $374.23 last year.The total amount townships contribute is 25 percent of the fire protection budget annually.
Amended the contract between the city and Short Elliott Hendrickson Inc., the engineering firm working on the Luverne runway project.The amended amount is for $39,800 for additional work on the Environmental Assessment for a new 3,500-foot runway.
The Federal Aviation Administration will pay for 95 percent of the city’s cost of the environmental assessment work, which will leave the city paying $1,900.Once the assessment is complete, the new runway could be completed in three to five years.

By Sara QuamRock County received a statewide report on county finances last week.County Administrator Kyle Oldre said, "I think we look healthy."Much of the report from State Auditor Pat Anderson focuses on fund balances that counties carry, sometimes to hold for a "rainy day" and sometimes for designated planned expenditures.Rock County’s fund balance at the time of the report was $6.5 million, or 79 percent, which is considered high. Oldre said, "Some of our reserve funds are undesignated, but some of them will go to the new Law Enforcement Center and toward Heartland Express, if that building project goes through."Blue Earth County showed the highest fund balance in the state, with almost 200 percent of their annual budget sitting in reserves.The state prefers counties to have between 35 and 50 percent of their expenditures in reserves. With more than that in reserves, raising taxes would seem unnecessary.Oldre pointed out that Blue Earth is building a new law enforcement center and jail and in one year will have a normal fund balance, so it’s not as if the county was hoarding money."Sometimes looking at a fund balance doesn’t tell the whole story," Oldre said.The auditor’s report says that counties should have relatively large fund balances at the end of the year in order to meet expenditures occurring in the first five months of operations, before the first property tax and state aid payments arrive.The unreserved fund balances of counties’ general and special revenue funds totaled $1.77 billion in 2004. The report covers counties’ audited financial data for the year ended 2004. The details of the report show that county finances remained essentially flat from the previous year, meaning there was very little change in revenues received and tax dollars spent."Overall revenues and expenditures were flat for Minnesota counties when compared with the previous year," Anderson said in a press release. "The revenues have declined mostly due to reduction in state and federal aid. Counties have seemingly adjusted their spending to reflect the decrease in revenue. It appears that counties were much more affected by aid cuts than cities, which continued to see strong growth in revenues and expenditures in spite of cuts."The two largest sources of revenues for counties continue to be taxes and state intergovernmental revenues, which accounted for 39.8 and 31.7 percent of total revenues, respectively.

By Lexi MooreHills-Beaver Creek School Board approved the formation of a Wellness Committee during their Tuesday night meeting.The district formed the committee to develop a wellness plan that meets federal and state guidelines for school lunch programs.Federal laws state that the plan must be drafted by the committee and approved by the board before June 30.Committee members are food service workers Cindy McGowan, Cheryl Hup and Deb Fransman, Superintendent David Deragisch, Elementary Principal Todd Holthaus, board member Ann Boeve, H-BC nurse Lois Leenderts, Tom Goehle, Glenda Kuehl and H-BC students Brittany Helgeson, Tom Leuthold and Andrew Scholten.The committee will review the guidelines set by government agencies and determine what changes need to be made to meet the guidelines.Programs that will receive considerable review are the lunch a la carte items, vending machines and sweets served in the lunch room.Deragisch said that the programs will remain in place but need to be altered to meet the guidelines.Patriot Pride:
Students at H-BC raised over $1,000 for the Leukemia/Lymphoma Society by collecting pennies.The elementary school raised approximately $630.
Board members congratulated junior high music students who were selected to perform in a Celebration of Music Festival in Luverne.Ashley Abbott, Tanya Ackerman, Brittany Buss, Heather Esselink, Eric Fick, Samantha McGaffee, Natalie Stueven, Brittany Teunissen and Whitney Wilgenburg attended a six-hour practice session with students from three states before performing a 20-minute concert.