Last week I had a conversation with Hills resident and American Legionnaire Wendell Erickson.During our conversation, he mentioned that the Legion and Legion Auxiliary were searching for candidates to send to Boys’ and Girls’ State this summer.As a former South Dakota Girls’ Stater, I was sad to hear that students at Hills-Beaver Creek hadn’t expressed interest in the program. In fact, the Legion Auxiliary has not sent a candidate to Girls’ State in years.So, I’m volunteering this space to help promote the programs.Boys’ and Girls’ State are week-long adventures where students participate in a functional practice of democratic activities.Students representing their town’s American Legion spend the week living together in dorms. As a group they become fictional citizens working together to form a government body.They organize and operate their own city, county and state governments. They introduce and argue their own bills in legislature. They establish their own law enforcement agencies, and their courts administer justice.For parents this experience is an outstanding way to get their children interested in college. The opportunity to spend a week in a dorm on a college campus is enough to inspire most seniors in high school to seriously consider college as an option.Suddenly for a week, during a very important summer of a young adult’s life, they are with hundreds of strangers their age. It encourages them to develop and share dreams with these new friends. If they don’t have plans for their future when they arrive, they will by the end of the week.When compared with spending another week of the summer driving around, shopping in Sioux Falls, watching television or working, this experience wins every time.For students, the week is like a mini summer camp, except there aren’t bugs, camp directors or bad camp food.During the days, students choose what level of participation they want in the government. They can decide to run for representative, mayor, governor or just help a winning campaign. From there they can write speeches or laws, make campaign posters and play. That is really all it is. They are playing government.For students who have enjoyed playing lawyers and witnesses in the H-BC Mock Trial program, this is definitely for them.In the evenings and afternoons, students pretty much have the run of a college campus. Meals are served in the cafeteria, people work out in the gym and there is plenty of running amuck in the hallways of the dorms.I used the week to forge some life-long friendships. The girls on my wing of the dorm were amazing. We had so much fun together that we were all in tears when the week was over and we had to go home.A year later when I was packing my car to head for another, more permanent dorm room, I wasn’t scared. I knew from experience that I would be fine. I knew that I would make friends, that I could share a bathroom, and most importantly, that I would have a great time.This year will be the 58th Boys’ State session in Minnesota. The experience will be June 11-17 at St. John’s University campus in Collegeville. Officials expect more than 450 candidates to participate.Girls’ State participants will come together at the same time at Bethel University in St. Paul.All current H-BC juniors are eligible candidates. Interested students can contact David Deragisch or Steve Wiertzema at the high school.Story ideas or comments can be e-mailed to Lexi Moore at lexim@star-herald.com or called in at 962-3561.

The Rev. O. Paul Haugen and his wife, Helen, Decorah, Iowa, visited Friday with Hills friends. They came especially to attend funeral services for Sharon Boeve. They served the Bethlehem parish prior to the Bergs.Wednesday afternoon Betty Elbers met Iva Elbers, Luverne, Cena Tilstra, Steen, and Nelvina Kroese, Hull, Iowa, at the Vintage Brew and Sugar Shack in Rock Rapids, Iowa, for lunch.Brian Kirsch, Valley Springs, S.D., spent Saturday in the home of Bob and Twila Kirsch.Chuck and Rheta DeBoer spent from Wednesday until Saturday in the home of their daughter and husband, the Rev. David and Bonnie Fagrey and family in Rapid City, S.D.Saturday morning Wilmer and Betty Elbers attended their grandson Tony Elbers’ basketball game in Sioux Falls.Jerry and Diane Thorin, Sioux Falls, were Sunday visitors of Dorothy and Arnold Thorin. Bonnie Olson, St. Paul, came Saturday to spend until Sunday in the home of her mother, Luella Schlueter.Saturday afternoon Betty Elbers joined others at the Arnie Veldkamp home in Luverne to celebrate Malena Boeve’s birthday. Vicki Nelson came to spend last weekend with her parents, Ray and Lois Nelson. They took her back to Mankato on Monday. Wendell and Kathryn Erickson drove to the Cities Friday afternoon to spend overnight in the home of Hans and Susan Erickson. Saturday they, along with 30 other relatives, attended the fourth birthday of their granddaughter, Siri Erickson. They returned to Hills Sunday night.Ray and Lois Nelson attended the Dallas Brass Concert Tuesday night at the Performing Arts Center in Brandon, S.D.

What could be handier than a machine that seals papers permanently in plastic for all eternity?My love of gadgets took over my body, and I purchased a sheet heat laminator for preschool purposes, pictures and such.The first couple of weeks I laminated everything in sight.In July, the new car insurance papers came, and I decided that a laminated proof of insurance card would be just what every vehicle that we owned needed.Practically a master laminator by this time, I inserted the first paper in the plastic film flappy-thing and started it through the machine. I somehow got distracted, something got stuck and the result was my Bonneville paper incased in plastic with perfect stiff quarter inch accordion pleats.I, being who I am, found this quite hilarious. It was still readable if you stretched it out. "Besides," I giggled to my husband, "What officer could give a ticket to a person with a sense of humor so acute as to have an accidentally accordion-pleated, laminated proof of insurance?" Sometimes men have trouble seeing the funny side of things. But, alas, the new proofs came in January and so I figured the uproarious pleated verification would retire to the burn barrel never to make me laugh again. However….A while ago, I went to see my talented husband perform with the River Valley Players in Rock Rapids. Afterward we headed home, Doug in his truck and me in my trustworthy Bonneville. Doug had a bit of a head start and took the turn toward Luverne. Since everything is a race to me, my competitive nature kicked in and I decided to try to beat him home by taking Iowa 9 through Larchwood and on to the farm. Oops. Bad idea.I soon had the chance to meet a Lyon County Deputy. I, in my South Dakota raised and conditioned mind, assumed that a nice highway such as Iowa 9 would have a speed limit of at least 65, but I was mistaken. In all honesty, I didn’t give the speed limit much thought, for I was on a quest for winning the coveted ‘I beat you home’ prize, which really only exists in my mind.I have great respect for the law officer profession. It is what I wanted to be when I was young. Next to being a farmer and raising food for the people, what nobler job could there be than to protect and serve?Flashing trooper lights … pull over on the shoulder … spotlight … and soon an official with a flashlight walked toward me. I kept my hands in plain sight out of tribute for every cop show I’ve ever seen on television. Driver’s license, please. (sure thing) Where you headed? (trying to beat my husband home) Where you been? (My husband is in the play at the high school in Rocky) You were going a bit fast. (oh, was I? I suppose I was) Registration and proof of insurance, please. (no problem)Then I opened up the glove box, and what greeted my hand but the registration and the expired accordion insurance paper. Seems the new proof never found its way from the desk to the garage. It was then that mild panic set in. Not a rule breaker by nature, I was now faced with not only mild speeding but a true and blatant law broken because of my pure laziness of not picking up a piece of paper and taking it out to my car. How much of my precious time could that have taken? I was sure it was a lot shorter than the jail sentence was going to be. This was IOWA! Bits and pieces of stories I have heard about their strictness of the law jumped into my mind like Mexican jumping beans on a hot sidewalk. I was doomed to life in a black-and-white-striped suit behind bars. Thank goodness, I wear my seatbelt or it would be the death penalty for sure. I was already missing my family and daycare kids.I handed over the registration. (Proof of insurance?) I then commenced babbling extensively about how I really had current proof but that it had not found its way to the car (like it was the paper’s fault) but here was the expired one… and I handed over the perfectly pleated, enduringly laminated document. The look on the officer’s face was one of annoyed amusement. "Laminating accident", I meekly offered. Lengthy dialogue followed. I watched as he struggled to stretch it out enough to read it with one hand while the other held the flashlight. I guess he figured it was futile to fight with it there and headed back to his car. I was then engulfed in nervous amusement, and I roared at the entire situation. My giggles finally subsided and what seemed like an eternity later he returned with the paperwork and a ticket for speeding. (I guess babbling does not warrant a fine.) I was then overtaken with good manners and I apologized for the inconvenience, thanked him for the ticket and was on my way home.I had seen a fine show, lost a non-existent race, gibbered like an idiot to a deputy, nearly wet my pants in a fit of laughter, and thanked an officer for giving me a fine and not the electric chair… all in less than three hours time. The day had been less than great and so, slowly and within the limits of the law, I closed the gate.Story ideas or comments can be e-mailed to Nancy at Nancy861@msn.com or please call me at 962-3411.

Thinking spring is easy to do when the snow is all gone and the skies turn a bright blue. The lawns are turning green — oh, what a beautiful scene. It won’t be long before we’re using our window screens. My garden is bare, which gives me some despair, but as soon as my wife will let me, I’ll be out of her hair. And then, she’ll be a spring widow or at least it will seem so, as I’ll be out trimming and mowing the beautiful green.March is here and I don’t believe the old adage is true this time around. Besides the wind, it sure felt like March came strolling in like a little lamb with temperatures reaching the 40’s and 50’s. Some visiting might want to winter in Steen rather than in Florida. I guess I would anyway. In news this week, excitement stirs over the news of a new family moving into town and just at the right time. Marlin and Linda Elbers have sold their home to Ryan Boltjes of Ellsworth and the closing will be on Friday. Ryan and his two children plan to move in this weekend. Welcome to Steen! Marlin and Linda are in the process of moving and have the job pretty close to finished. They just built a new home in the Scholten Drive Addition on the west end of Steen. Friends and family have been aiding with the moving process and on Wednesday night Jo Aykens had them over for supper to say goodbye and to help out. Roger Bosch, son of Bill and Bertha Bosch, traveled from Bellview, Neb., this past Friday to spend some time with his dad at the Mary Jane Brown home. Due to the flu the Dutch hymn sing was cancelled at the Tuff Home. More news on that next week.On Saturday Malena Boeve celebrated her birthday. Many friends and family members aided in her celebration through phone calls, cards and a lunch at her house Sunday afternoon. Happy birthday, Malena!Beth (Bonnema) Sakurai will return to Japan on Friday after a week-and-a-half stay at the Steen bed and breakfast (AKA the Denglers). She has been spending time with her brother Don, who is recovering from surgery at the Veterans Hospital in Sioux Falls. Don is doing much better and gaining strength. Visitors are welcome.This past Friday former Steen resident Laura Mae Bosch underwent angioplasty surgery to clean out some blocked arteries. She is doing well. Also, last Friday the Steen Reformed Church held its Women’s Day of Prayer services with approximately 70 women in attendance. Ranee Hagen spoke on prayer, and I was told she did an absolutely wonderful job!Congratulations to the H-BC boys’ basketball team as they wrapped up their season this past week. Thank you, gentlemen, for a great season!News from the Steen City Council: they have lowered the price of the City Hall to $29,000 in hopes someone will buy it. They wish to sell it as soon as possible so they can get underway with construction on a new city hall on Main Street.In church news, there was an open house bridal shower for Jennifer Saarloos on Saturday. Many women from the community attended. This past week the church installed a new phone system with voice mail and implemented a prayer ministry.If you or anyone you know has any prayer concerns, they may call the church, request the prayer line and leave a prayer concern or praise. You can also call this prayer line to hear the latest prayer concerns! The number for this prayer line is 855-2336.The Jr. RCYF youth group would like to invite the community to their soup supper on March 15 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. That’s all for this week. If you have any news you would like placed in the Steen news, please contact Brian at 855-2232 or at knowgrowshow@hotmail.com. Blessings!

Jackson Bond to appear on ‘CSI’Bill and Janet Preuss will be making sure they don’t miss next Monday’s episode of "CSI Miami."Bill’s great-nephew, Jackson Bond, age 9, will be one of the featured performers in the CBS series.Not a lot is known about the story line, so that will have to be a surprise, but how Jackson got to where he is, is not.Jackson was originally discovered two years ago at age 7 by a talent agent while performing a skit for a Twin Cities Lions Club.The talent agent must have had a good eye, because of 700 boys trying out for the part, Jackson was chosen to play the son of Nicole Kidman in this fall’s movie release of "The Visiting," a remake of "Invasion of the Body Snatchers," released in 1956 and again in 1978.From October to December 2005, Jackson spent his time with Nicole shooting scenes in the Baltimore and Washington D.C. areas, and he has very nice things to say about her.Since working on "CSI Miami," which was shot about two weeks ago, he has done commercials for "Build-A-Bear", a voice-over for U.S. Swim and Fitness, and this week is doing a shoot for Target.Next week Jackson is scheduled to fly to California to audition for 6 to 8 episodes of a pilot where the character plays a gifted athlete who also happens to be a genius.The production company hopes the episode will impress one of the networks and get picked for next year’s season.But for now, you can catch Jackson Bond on "CSI Miami" at 9 p.m. Monday, March 6.Bell Museum to honor BrandenburgLuverne native Jim Brandenburg will be the featured artist and special guest at "Drawn to Nature," a public benefit and art sale for the University of Minnesota’s Bell Museum of Natural History.Brandenburg will be honored with a multi-media presentation and an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, from the university for his contributions to environmental awareness and preservation.In addition to Brandenburg, nationally known artists include contemporary artist Daniel Wheeler, painter Cole Johnson, photographer Chris Faust, botanical painters Tim Trost and Wendy Brockman, landscape painter Scott Lloyd Anderson, naturalist Jim Rataczak and environmental sculptor Alis Olsen.The sale will feature more than 150 original pieces of art by Brandenburg and the guest artists.The event will be at 6 p.m. Friday, March 31, at the McNamara Alumni Center in Minneapolis. All proceeds will go toward the Bell Museum’s exhibit and educational programs.’05 deer harvest third largest on recordEven though the number of deer harvested by firearms was down 6 percent, an 11 percent increase in archery and a 50 percent increase by muzzleloaders pushed the 2005 deer harvest above 255,555, the third largest in state history. A total of 59,000 hunters purchased an all-season license. Firearm hunters harvested 216,000 deer, while archery and muzzleloaders harvested 23,200 and 14,000 respectively.Hunters who participated in the early antlerless season on Oct. 15 and 16 harvested 1600 deer, according to the Minnesota DNR.The past three years have been good to Minnesota deer hunters, providing hunters with the top three harvest years ever on record.According to Lou Cornicelli, DNR big game coordinator, the interest in muzzleloader hunting is a primary reason for the increase."I think people are really grabbing on to the fact they can extend their time in the field by getting into muzzleloader hunting, which overall isn’t very expensive," Cornicelli said.Because of our mild winter, Cornicelli expects next fall to be another bountiful harvest.The antlerless season will continue to be used as a management tool as long as a large deer population exists. For the 2006 season, the deadline for the "either sex" permit application is Sept. 7. Archery deer hunting begins Sept. 16. Statewide firearms deer hunting season opens Nov. 4, and the muzzleloader season opens Nov. 25.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com

REQUEST FOR PROPOSALSNobles-Rock Community Health Services is soliciting proposals for agency management services.Proposals may be obtained from the Nobles-Rock Community Health Services, 315 10th Street, P.O. Box 757, Worthington, MN 56187. Proposal due date is March 31, 2006. The Nobles-Rock Community Health Board reserves the right to reject any or all proposals and to waive any and all informalities therein and to accept any proposal deemed to be in the best interest of the agency. Dated: February 15, 2006Melvin J Ruppert, Nobles County, Co-Interim DirectorKyle Oldre, Rock County, Co-Interim Director(2-23, 3-2)

Public NoticeClose Proximity Property Owners and Local Officials of the Rock County Planning & Zoning CommissionNotice is hereby given that the Rock County Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on Monday, March 6th, 2006, at the Rock County Family Services Building located at 2 Roundwind Road in Luverne, MN at 7:45 P.M. to act on the following conditional use permit application:Conditional use: Expansion of an existing feedlot located within 1/4 mile of a neighboring residence. Property Owner: Jeff & Larry SwensonLegal Description: SE 1/4 of the SE 1/4 of section 18 in Mound Township, Rock County, Minnesota. The conditional use permit is for the expansion of an existing feedlot on the property described above. The existing feedlot has a 60’ x 210’ open lot and a 75’ x 110’ open lot, both with runoff controls to house 60 Stock Cows and 60 feeder cattle equaling 102 animal units. The proposed facility consists of a 101’ x 161’ total confinement barn to house 2000 head of swine between 55 and 300 pounds. Using 0.3 animal units per head, total animal units are 600. The building shall have a 101’ x 161’ x 8’ poured reinforced concrete pit for manure storage. The total animal unit capacity will be 702.The described property is zoned as A-2, General Agriculture. All persons interested may appear and be heard at said time and place, or submit views in writing or by representative. Dated: February 23rd, 2006By Order of the Rock County Planning & Zoning CommissionEric Hartman, Zoning Administrator311 W. Gabrielson RoadLuverne, MN 56156507-283-8862(2-23, 3-2)

By John RittenhouseLed by guard Chelsi Fink, the Hills-Beaver Creek girls’ basketball team pulled off an upset by knocking off Ellsworth in the opening round of the South Section 3A Tournament in Edgerton Thursday.Fink, who scored a game-high 26 points, cast the most important stones in what developed into an 82-18 double-overtime victory for the Patriots.The H-BC junior drained three consecutive free throws at the end of regulation play to force overtime. Fink then hit what turned out to be the game-winning shot with 12 seconds left in the second overtime session.H-BC, the tournament’s 10th seed, surprised the seventh-seeded Panthers by opening a 37-30 halftime advantage.Ellsworth tied the game at 38 when Amy Tiesler hit a free throw at the 15:19 mark of the second half, and the score was tied at 51 when Ellsworth went on a 10-2 spurt capped by Brooke Kramer’s three-point play to give the Panthers a 61-53 lead with 5:42 left in regulation play.H-BC crept to within one point of EHS before Panther senior Rachel Kvaale sank a pair of free throws with 16.3 seconds left to give her team a 67-64 advantage. Fink, however, was fouled in the act of shooting a three-point shot with 1.1 seconds left. She hit all three free throws, sending the contest to overtime.Both teams sported two-point leads in the first overtime, with Ellsworth’s coming with 23.8 seconds left, when Kvaale hit two free throws to give EHS a 74-72 edge. H-BC’s Ashley Hoyme returned the favor with 13 seconds remaining, tying the game at 74 after burying a pair of free throws to force a second overtime.Each team sported one-point leads during the second overtime before Ellsworth’s Rosie Lewis converted a free throw with 23.1 seconds remaining to give the Panthers an 81-79 cushion.Fink answered the challenge for H-BC by drilling a three-point shot from the top of the key with 12 seconds remaining, giving the Patriots their one-point win.The win sent the 6-20 Patriots to Saturday’s quarterfinals in Worthington. The loss ended Ellsworth’s 10-12 campaign.Along with leading the Patriots in scoring, Fink collected a team-high 13 rebounds. Kari Roozenboom pulled down 12 rebounds and scored 11 points. Stacy Bush added 14 points, five assists and four steals to the winning cause. Hoyme chipped in 11 points.Tiesler (24 points and 11 rebounds), Lewis (10 points and 14 rebounds) and Kramer (13 points and 11 rebounds) registered double-doubles for the Panthers. Kvaale netted 19 points and charted five assists.Box scoreH-BCJ.Bucher 0 0 0-0 0, Fransman 1 1 2-4 7, Bush 5 1 1-2 14, Tilstra 2 0 0-1 4, Fink 3 4 8-19 26, Helgeson 3 0 3-5 9, Roozneboom 3 0 5-6 11, Hoyme 4 0 3-4 11.EllsworthTiesler 6 1 9-12 24, Connors 1 1 0-0 5, Kramer 4 1 2-2 13, Mann 1 0 1-2 3, Kvaale 1 3 8-8 19, Kix 2 1 0-0 7, Lewis 4 0 2-5 10.Team statisticsH-BC: 27 of 73 field goals (37 percent), 22 of 41 free throws (54 percent), 48 rebounds, 17 turnovers.Ellsworth: 26 of 72 field goals (36 percent), 22 of 32 free throws (69 percent), 48 rebounds, 36 turnovers.

By John RittenhouseThe Hills-Beaver Creek boys finished the regular season with a 3-23 record after dropping their home finale to Lincoln HI Monday.The game appeared to be up for grabs when the score was knotted at 33 after the first half was complete. The Rebels, however, outscored the Patriots 41-32 in the second half to win 74-65.LH settled the issue with a strong start in the second half.The Rebels went on a 31-15 run in the first 9:34 of the second half to open a 64-48 lead with 8:26 left to play.The Patriots trimmed the difference to nine points three different times in the final 4:24, but that proved to be as close as they could come to catching the Rebels.Both teams had their moments in the first half.LH scored the first six points of the game before falling behind 26-21 when Jason Hup converted a field goal for H-BC with 2:16 remaining.The Patriots led 33-31 when Adam Finke finished a rare four-point play with 37 seconds left. LH tied the game with a pair of free throws late in the half.Hup finished the game with 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Aaron Esselink poured in 27 points. Halden Van Wyhe registered seven assists.H-BC opens the South Section 3A Tournament at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Edgerton Public School. The 11th-seeded Patriots take on No. 6 Fulda.Box scoreVan Wyhe 0 0 4-4 4, Rozeboom 1 0 2-2 4, Finke 1 1 2-3 7, Leuthold 0 0 0-0 0, Scholten 0 1 0-0 3, Van Batavia 0 0 0-0 0, DeBoer 0 0 0-0 0, Hup 7 0 4-6 18, Sandbulte 1 0 0-0 2, Esselink 10 0 7-9 27.Team statisticsH-BC: 22 of 63 field goals (35 percent), 19 of 24 free throws (79 percent), 37 rebounds, 18 turnovers.LH: 24 of 61 field goals (39 percent), 19 of 30 free throws (63 percent),