10 years ago (1995)
After 66 years of serving Luverne and area retail customers, the Creeger family will no longer be in the clothing business. Randy Creeger, third generation owner of the family business, made the announcement earlier this week and is already advertising going-out-of-business sales.
The Luverne boys’ basketball team enjoyed a successful start to the 1995-96 season by downing Adrian 67-43 in Luverne Friday.25 years ago (1980)
County employees will receive an average 8.7 percent pay increase for the next year.
Approximately $1,200 was taken in a burglary at Country Kitchen in Luverne early Saturday. Other Country Kitchens were hit just hours earlier in Worthington, Jackson, and Fairmont.
Luverne’s enrollment for 1980-1981 is 1,355 students total. It is projected to be 1,310 in 1982.50 years ago (1955)
For the convenience of Luverne patrons the Luverne Post Office will be open Saturday afternoon, Dec. 10 and Dec. 17. It will help to spread the volume of Christmas outgoing mail and parcel post.
The city of Luverne is buying a new police cruiser from Herman Motor Company for a 200-HP Ford V-8 at a cost of $1,260.
The Luverne City Council set Jan. 10 as the date to open bids for a new x-ray machine at the local hospital, recommended by the hospital board and doctors. Dr. D.M. Odland, appearing on behalf of the medical profession, told the council that because of lack of x-ray facilities, numerous cases are sent out of town each week.75 years ago (1930)
Santa Claus is visiting Luverne this week. There will be a free matinee movie and candy for children.
C.N. Remme, a Battle Plain resident, died this week. He was born in 1851, and was a Rock County pioneer, living here since 1873.100 years ago (1905)
After nearly a year of continual search the efforts of R.B. Hinkly to secure a couple of deer to place on his farm at the Mounds have proved successful and Mr. Hinkly is correspondingly happy. As can well be imagined, it is no small task to secure a live deer. Several months ago a friend of Mr. Hinkly living in Montana secured a fine doe and buck for him, but before arrangements could be completed with the authorities for their shipment, one of the animals died. A friend in Minnesota found two more for Hinkly to have. Mr. Hinkly has decided to keep them at his home on Freeman Avenue during the winter, where they will be permitted to run in a large lot, which he is having fenced with a 10-foot high wire fence.

Law Library 9:00 A.M.Rock County Courthouse November 8, 2005Chair Hoime called the meeting to order with Commissioners Wildung, Bakken and Boyenga present and Commissioner Jarchow absent. Motion by Bakken, seconded by Wildung, to approve the November 8, 2005, County Board agenda, declared carried on a voice vote. Motion by Wildung, seconded Boyenga, to approve the October 18, 2005, County Board minutes, declared carried on a voice vote. Motion by Boyenga, seconded by Wildung, to approve the consent agenda, declared carried on a voice vote.1. Adult Foster Care Relicensing — Habilitative Services Inc., Luverne2. Contract # 116-9030-05 with Hills-Beaver Creek School District to provide Mental Health Social Work services, Contract effective 7-1-05 to 6-30-06.Sheriff Mike Winkels requested authorization to advertise for part-time deputies with a full licensure; motion by Wildung, seconded by Bakken, to authorize the hiring of part-time deputies and require a full time licensure, declared carried on a voice vote. Gloria Rolfs, Auditor/Treasurer, presented the claims and fund balances along with $80.00 in per diems; motion by Wildung, seconded by Boyenga, to pay the claims and per diems, declared carried on a unanimous vote. A complete listing of the claims is available at the Auditor/Treasurer’s office. General Revenue $ 97,556.36Family Services $ 63,815.19Road & Bridge $ 25,793.88Ditch $ 0.00Land Management $ 4,094.20Rural Water $ 0.00TOTAL $191,259.63Motion by Bakken, seconded by Boyenga, to approve the fund balance report, declared carried on a voice vote. The Auditor/Treasurer provided an interest breakdown from Professional Financial Asset Management pertaining to the Capital Improvement Plan. Randy Ehlers, Family Services Agency Director, requested approval of a 2006-07 Adult Mental Health Grant application; motion by Wildung, seconded by Boyenga, to approve the grant application, declared carried on a voice vote.Eric Hartman, Land Management Office Director, presented a Feedlot Officer report for signature; motion by Bakken, seconded by Boyenga, to approve, declared carried on a voice vote. Dan Cook, Rock County Rural Water Manager, and Don Klosterbuer, County Attorney, presented the final draft of the amendments made to the Lewis & Clark commitment agreement; motion by Bakken, seconded by Wildung, to approve the amendments, declared carried on a voice vote. Motion by Boyenga, seconded Hoime, to adopt Resolution No. 34-05, a resolution to improve and update the National Endangered Species Act, declared carried on a voice vote. The County Board reviewed the LEC building project updates; financial spending plans were distributed and reviewed. The County Board scheduled the City/County Liaison Committee meeting date for November 22nd at 7:30 A.M.The County Board directed that MCIT delegates would be Kyle Oldre and Ron Boyenga to serve as the alternate. The County Board was in receipt of National Guard contact information in the event of severe winter weather. Motion by Bakken, seconded by Wildung, to approve a $500.00 contribution to Pioneer Public TV, declared carried 3-1 vote with Commissioner Boyenga voting nay.The County Board was in receipt of a Biennial transportation project from MnDOT; no action was taken. The County Board was in receipt of a request from the Minnesota Coalition Against Bigger Trucks opposing increased weight limits on county and state roads; the issue was tabled until the next meeting when the Engineer could be present. Commissioner Wildung informed the County Board that Mental Health By-Laws were being acted upon by the Mental Health Board at the November meeting and that they anticipated approval and admission of Jackson County into the Mental Heath Consortium.With no further business to come before the County Board, meeting was declared adjourned. Ken Hoime, Chairman of the BoardATTEST:Kyle J. Oldre, Clerk to the Board(12-8)

STATE OF MINNESOTA IN DISTRICT COURTFIFTH JUDICIAL DISTRICTCOUNTY OF LYON Subject Matter: 14 Other CivilCourt File No.: 17533In the Matter of:LINCOLN-PIPESTONE RURAL WATER DISTRICT, Petitioner.NOTICE OF HEARING ON ASSESSMENTS FOR LINCOLN-PIPESTONERURALWATER DISTRICT EXTENSION AND ENLARGEMENTTO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:Notice is hereby given that the Petition of the Lincoln Pipestone Rural Water District (L.P.R.W.) to assess all individuals, who hooked onto L.P.R.W. in 2004 and 2005, (who have not previously been assessed) will come on for hearing before the Honorable Leland O. Bush, Judge of the District Court, in the Lyon County Courthouse in the City of Marshall on the 28th day of December, 2005, at 3:30 o’clock P.M. At the hearing, Judge Bush will consider objections to the proposed assessment. The proposed assessment roll is on file with the County Auditors of Lincoln County, Lyon County, Nobles County, Pipestone County, Rock County and Yellow Medicine County. The area proposed to be assessed consists of every piece or parcel of land benefited by said improvement and which was previously petitioned for improvement by the owners of said piece or parcel of land; with the exception of those parcels of land, which (at the owner’s request) have been deleted from the improvement by the Board of Commissioners of L.P.R.W. The assessments shall be made upon the parcel of property petitioned by the owner/user. In addition, the assessments shall be made without regard to acreage or frontage on the mains or branches of the water system and no assessment shall be made upon land, which has not been made the subject of a petition or has not been designated and requested to be served by the owner. All assessments shall be made in that area of the aforementioned counties previously designated as part of the Lincoln-Pipestone Rural Water District.Written or oral objections shall be considered at the hearing.Dated this 28th day of November, 2005.Karen BiermanDistrict Court AdministratorBy: /s/ Joan DavisDeputy Court AdministratorThis instrument drafted by:Ronald J. SchramelAtty Reg. No. 254757McDonald, Gudmestad & Schramel, P.L.L.P.Attorneys for Petitioners and LPRW906 Fourth AvenuePO Box 505Windom, MN 56101507-831-1301(12-8)

A busy month at the PalaceDecember at the Palace Theatre started with big crowds this past weekend with the American Reformed Church’s performance of "A Christmas Carol."More than 700 people attended the performance, which ran over the weekend in conjunction with Winterfest.But that is just the beginning of what will be almost non-stop Palace events.One of the biggest movies ever released, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," will start its run at the Palace Dec. 9 through 15 and again Dec. 17 and 18.The break on Dec. 16 is for the annual Christmas at the Palace, an event used to raise money for the Palace Theatre and the Rock County Food Shelf.The talents include local individuals as well as a variety of church groups.When the Harry Potter movie ends its run, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" will begin a ten-day run from Dec. 23 to Jan. 1.Parade of Homes is successful fund-raiser for hockeyThe Parade of Homes has once again proved to be a successful attraction for the Luverne Hockey Association.This year 200-plus people toured the five homes, putting over $1,000 in the coffers of the Luverne Hockey Association.The five hosts included Keith and Lois Hebig, Ned and Shelley Sandbulte, Jim and Diane Ouverson, Vivian Holtz and Tom and Bev Martius.The money raised by the Hockey Association is used to buy new hockey equipment.Wal-Mart, the movie, coming to Luverne?Chamber director Dave Smith hopes so.Smith recently ordered the movie, "Wal-Mart, The High Cost of Low Prices."Rob Reiner describes the documentary as "a real story of the corrosive effects that Wal-Mart wreaks upon the communities in which it operates and the men and women it employs."According to Smith, showings of the film in Sioux Falls have been filled, and from a critical point of view, the movie reviewers Roger Ebert and Richard Roeper gave the movie two thumbs up.Smith said how to show the film will be discussed at the next Chamber meeting.The dates from Dec. 19 to 22 between Harry Potter and Narnia are the only dates open at the Palace.If the Palace isn’t used, Smith said he might just let businesses or individuals use the CD for private showings.‘The War’ continues to generate buzzIt was recently pointed out that the St. Paul Pioneer Press ran a half-page teaser on the front of their Sunday Life section with a two-page spread on the inside about Ken Burns’ upcoming documentary, "The War."The Pioneer Press article featured Luverne people along with a summarization of what life was like during World War II in Luverne and why Ken Burns chose Luverne as one of the four towns to be featured in the documentary.Eileen Kopp, Warren Herreid, Margaret Vegge and Arna Gabrielson were among Luverne’s current residents who were featured.Words from Al McIntosh’s column, "More or Less Personal Chaff," were also featured, as well as a section on Quentin Aanenson’s "A Fighter Pilot’s Story."The movie is scheduled to be shown on PBS in 2007.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com

The Messiah, born in BethlehemYou, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for Me one who will be ruler over Israel. Micah 5:2It is an honor to serve as the pastor of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Hills. Often I tell people that I serve as a shepherd in the Hills of Bethlehem.In 1868 Phillips Brooks wrote "O Little Town of Bethlehem" for a Sunday School Christmas festival. Three years before, he had stood on the Judean hills and viewed the Bethlehem below. His impressions stayed with him and were expressed in the hymn.Brooks called Bethlehem "little," which is also how the prophet Micah described it — "Small among the clans of Judah." Although small, Bethlehem would not only yield David as king of all Israel but, above all, the Messiah.Jesus, born in Bethlehem, is truly the Messiah of whom Micah prophesied. All statements of fact converge on Him. A shepherd? Indeed, for Jesus said, "I am the Good Shepherd" (John 10:11). His birthplace? When the Wise Men inquired where the Messiah was to be born, the biblical scholars answered, "In Bethlehem of Judea" (Matthew 2:5), citing Micah’s prophecy to support their statement. Led by a star, the Magi went to Bethlehem where they found Jesus. Peace with God through Him? Micah said, "He will be their peace" (Micah 5:5), and Isaiah called Him the Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6). Paul wrote: "He came and preached peace to you" (Ephesians 2: 17). The peace He proclaimed was our reconciliation with God which He effected, as the apostle stated, "through the cross" Ephesians 2:16).The name Bethlehem means "house of bread." It is the birthplace of Jesus, who is Himself the Bread of Life. All who in faith receive Him as their Savior are nourished with spiritual food to sustain them.

All those little sign ornaments that say "Let It snow" … well, I’ll let you finish that sentence depending on how excited snow makes you! Winter is here and since we can’t do anything about it, we should determine to enjoy the beauty of it. Really, I’m just trying to convince myself of that! We have some beautiful blooming plants to brighten up our short winter days and add festive color to our environment. The poinsettia is the most common and colorful. I told you about the requirements for the poinsettia to initiate flowers earlier in the fall. Nature got the job done right on schedule and they are glorious! You receive one as a gift, or buy one for yourself, and you get the job of keeping it looking "glorious". The poinsettia demands bright light and a warm, draft-free area to be happy. Keep the growing medium moist as you would consider a cake to be moist. The pot will be real lightweight when the soil is dry. If you allow the plant to actually wilt between waterings, expect it to complain by dropping leaves … the drier it gets, and the longer it stays that way will determine how severely it will complain, but complain it will! And yes, once the leaves are gone, they’re gone. Plant breeders have done a wonderful job of producing varieties that are much more durable than we had years ago. With proper conditions and care, that plant can maintain it’s colorful bracts for three to five months. So, there is your challenge … if you can keep it going until Easter, you deserve a lily! Christmas cactus are another plant that give a great display … now … and again in late winter. They like a cool but bright window. Cyclamen are another blooming plant with a very long blooming season if you give them the attention they require. Again, a cool, bright window will keep them happy. Cyclamen grow from a corm that sits on the surface of the soil, and that corm keeps getting larger as the plant gets older. An east window is great because the light is bright all year, and it stays cooler later in the season than do south or west exposures. When the individual flower stems have finished blooming, "tug" the stem off the corm rather than cutting it off. That way you will not leave a "stub" on the corm that could rot and destroy the whole plant. Last time, I told you about amaryllis, another great blooming plant for this time of year. Azaleas are another great cool season bloomer. All of these plants like uniform moisture. Over or underwatering will not give the performance you expect. Think of yourself … underwatering puts you in the hospital for dehydration … overwatering puts you in the … you get it! If you’re trying to think of gifts for your gardener friends, don’t forget about the Felco pruners I told you about earlier in the season. Also, we have some beautiful wind chimes and rain gauges that would make a gardener think of you as a thoughtful Santa … and we all appreciate a thoughtful Santa!

Last week the baking bug bit me hard … or should I say the baking spirit boiled over on me or caramelized my Christmas excitement?Maybe I got so excited for Christmas baking because I haven’t done much of it for a couple of years. I’ll get to see if my apron from Renfro Variety still fits.I decided to go through some favorite family recipes (and, no, they don’t ALL include squirrel just because I’m from the hills of northern North Dakota.)It was fun to pore over ingredient lists for things like Russian taffy, nut goodies, Tiny Tim fruitcakes (which are better than the name implies), peanut blossoms, sugar cookies, caramel snack mix, and Kahlua balls, to name some. I don’t know if I’ll get to make all of them, but I’ll certainly try.And I’d better try hard, considering that I spent about $150 on baking supplies like nuts, dates, chocolate chips, peanut butter and enough corn syrup to glaze a city block. I consider the big sprees at Glen’s Food Center a part of my Christmas shopping because a lot of people will receive them … whether they’re on diets or not.Here’s a cookie recipe I haven’t tried, but it won a contest through about.com, so I don’t feel scared to endorse it.Grandma’s Tea Cakes2 cups sugar3 eggs1 stick butter, room temp.1/2 cup Crisco3 tablespoons milk3 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon baking powder2 teaspoons vanilla Cream sugar, butter, and shortening together very well. Beat in eggs, one at a time; then add milk. Sift together flour and baking powder; add in two parts, mixing well. Add vanilla and mix well. Chill dough for two hours. On floured board, and with stockinet cover on rolling pin, roll to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut with cookie cutters. Place cookies on greased cookie sheet and bake at 350 degrees F. for 10-15 minutes, or until cookies are golden brown. Remove to cooling racks and when completely cool, frost with: Tea Cake Icing1 large bag powdered sugar2 teaspoons vanilla2 tablespoons softened butterEnough milk to bring to right consistency for frosting Paste food colors Mix all ingredients in mixer except for paste food colors. When icing can be easily spread with a knife, transfer to small bowls or teacups, dividing evenly. Be sure to leave some plain white icing for accent purposes. Color rest of icing with paste food colors in the desired amounts/hues, stirring with toothpick. Also, it's good to have on hand the following: Tiny nonpareilsCinnamon red-hotsMelted semisweet chocolate for veins, bark, teddy bear fur, etc.Mini chocolate chips for eyes, etc.Colored sugars These are used for additional decoration for the tea cakes. When iced, store tea cakes between pieces of waxed paper in tightly covered containers. YIELD: Five to six dozen, depending upon size cut.For those of you who don’t feel like baking, I made these no-bake cookies for a party this weekend and they were a hit.Saucepan cookies1 cup corn syrup1 cup sugar1 1/2 cups peanut butter4 cups corn flakesMix syrup and sugar in saucepan. Bring to a full boil. Remove from heat and stir in peanut butter. Add corn flakes. Mix well. Drop by teaspoon onto waxed paper until set.

Consistency is a word I hear quite often from area coaches on the local sports scene.Baseball coaches won’t complain when umpires rule pitches that are a couple of inches off the plate a strike, as long as the call is made on a consistent basis to both teams.When a volleyball team struggles receiving serves, or has trouble completing serves during the course of a match, coaches usually tell me their teams need to be more consistent in order to be successful.Consistency, however, doesn’t appear to be a word that concerns ESPN, especially considering how its brass handled two different analysts on its "NFL Countdown" show on Sunday mornings.Personally, I never get the chance to watch the pre-game show at our house. My daughter, Melanie, controls the remote from the time she gets up until the noon kickoffs. That’s fine with me because the girl doesn’t complain when I change the channel to the Vikings’ game at noon.With that said, I don’t consider myself an expert on the show that runs from 10 a.m. to noon on Sundays. At the same time, I couldn’t help but notice ESPN’s inconsistency when it came to doling out punishments of former employee Rush Limbaugh and current analyst Michael Irvin.In an attempt to boost ratings for the program, ESPN hired Limbaugh, a right-wing radio talk show host, a couple of years back. Although he was no more of a football expert than any fan who watches the sport on Sundays, ESPN thought Limbaugh would draw new viewers to "NFL Countdown."Before long, ESPN’s publicity stunt backfired.From what I understand, Limbaugh described Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNaab as being a being a media darling based on the color of his skin. On the field, Limbaugh hinted, McNaab was nothing more than an average quarterback.When outraged fans overwhelmed ESPN’s phone lines with calls later that day, a decision had to be made. In the end, Limbaugh resigned from his analyst position (I’m sure it was a resign-or-else type of proposition he was facing) a couple of days after sticking his foot in his mouth in front of a national cable television audience.I’m not surprised the powers-that-be at ESPN dealt with the Limbaugh situation in a speedy manner. At the same time, I was stunned to hear Irvin will be allowed to stay on board at ESPN after what transpired in Texas earlier this month.Irvin, who pled no contest to a felony cocaine possession charge in 1996, made the news again by being arrested for a warrant on an unpaid speeding ticket and was charged for possessing drug paraphernalia in Plano Dec. 11.Apparently the former Dallas Cowboy wide receiver drew attention to himself by driving 78 mph in a 60-mph zone. A search of Irvin’s car resulted in police discovering a pipe containing marijuana residue stashed in a case for sunglasses in the glove compartment.Irvin says the pipe wasn’t his. It belonged to a friend of his.Yeah, right.I wonder how many times local judge Tim Connell has heard that same excuse over the years?As for the brass at ESPN, they must believe Irvin. After a one-week suspension, he will return to "NFL Countdown" this coming Sunday.The way I see it, ESPN is a cable station that lacks consistency when it comes to dealing with in-house problems.One man speaks his mind, and he’s ushered out the door because his comments were labeled as "laced with racism" and "politically incorrect."Another man breaks the law at least three times, and he’s invited back to the set after a one-week layoff.Now that I think about it, I’m glad Melanie will be in charge of our remote this coming Sunday. Whatever show she has us viewing from 10 to noon, it has to be better than listening to Michael Irvin explain how he’s misunderstood on ESPN.

Holidays are for families … by any definition, no matter how strange It certainly is true that at this time of the year spending more time with the family is on everyone’s agenda. It is also true that the traditional family structure has changed and can be confusing at times. My daughter sent me this e-mail the other day, and while it’s a stretch, it does put things into perspective. So read and enjoy the holiday season with your family:Many, many years ago when I was 23, I got married to a widow who was pretty as could be. This widow had a grown-up daughter who had hair of red. My father fell in love with her, and soon the two were wed. This made my dad my son-in-law and changed my very life. My daughter was my mother, for she was my father's wife. To complicate the matters worse, although it brought me joy, I soon became the father of a bouncing baby boy. My little baby then became a brother-in-law to dad. And so became my uncle, though it made me very sad. For if he was my uncle, then that also made him brother to the widow's grown-up daughter who, of course, was my stepmother. Father's wife then had a son, who kept them on the run. And he became my grandson, for he was my daughter's son. My wife is now my mother's mother and it makes me blue. Because, although she is my wife, she's my grandma too. If my wife is my grandmother, then I am her grandchild. And every time I think of it, it simply drives me wild. For now I have become the strangest case you ever saw. As the husband of my grandmother, I am my own grandpa.