By Lexi MooreA small area of southwest Rock County was pounded by rain and heavy winds late Sunday night and early Monday morning.The slow-moving storm was concentrated on the border between Minnesota and Iowa. Locally, Steen residents were hit the hardest, reportedly receiving five to six inches of rain between the hours of 11:30 p.m. and 1 a.m.Steen Mayor Melvin Van Batavia reported that most residents received at least five inches, but that most rain gauges stop at four. At 12:35 a.m. on Monday morning KDLT reported that Hills had seen a quarter of an inch since midnight, but the total before midnight was nearly three inches.Heavy rainfall in such a short amount of time led to flooding in many homes in the region and in the sewer system of Steen.Basements in at least six homes on the south side of Steen filled with water when the Steen sewer system couldn’t keep up with incoming water.By 12:15 a.m., Van Batavia received a phone call notifying him that an alarm was sounding at the lift station, signaling the pump was unable to keep up with the volume of water going through."The sewer system just couldn’t handle all of the water from the rain and from the drains in basements. It took until noon yesterday to get caught up," said Van Batavia who spent the night helping residents.A culvert in town backed up, causing water to spill into a basement through a window. The basement filled up to the top step. On Monday, the culvert was cleared to avoid the problem in the future.Although the National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning at 11:15 p.m., many residents were already in bed for the night and unaware of the potential for flooding.Residents who were awake began moving boxes off their basement floors. Very few homes stayed dry.Drivers unlucky enough to be on the road during that time faced difficult driving conditions.Hills residents had some flooding but the sewer system did not have any problems."We were lucky, there were no calls or complaints to the city," City Clerk Connie Wiertzema reported on Tuesday.Rauk’s Convenience Store in Beaver Creek reported just over an inch of rain during the night.According to the State Climatology Office, Rock County averages about three and a half inches of total precipitation for the month of July. The storm brought over a month’s worth of rainfall in a very short amount of time."It is extremely unusual for such a small area to receive such a large amount of rainfall in just over an hour," said Pete Bouley of the State Climatology Office Division of Waters.

By Sara QuamThe city of Luverne is exploring yet another option for a new fire hall.The city already looked at using part of the hospital and clinic space in the center of town when they are vacated by Sioux Valley this summer.Luverne leaders also have early-stage drawings of an expansion at the current fire hall that was a favored option.The newest option involves using industrial park land the city owns south of the ice arena.The city has now invited Rock County to include its proposed new Law Enforcement Center in its fire hall plans on Gabrielson Road. County Administrator Kyle Oldre said, "The bulk of the fire calls are south and it’s an industrial area with chemical issues, so it might make sense. It’s just nice to be invited to the table."Commissioner Bob Jarchow said, "This seems like a logical thing, to at least sit down and talk."The Luverne Fire Department’s equipment is scattered and the current fire hall can’t even house the biggest ladder truck, so a new or improved location is seen as necessary by city leaders.The county has a hazardous materials vehicle and a communication trailer that would be a natural addition to a joint "emergency building." If the two were built together, there would be some savings in construction costs and other expenses such as the bidding process and architect fees. However, commissioners have already started negotiations with an architect to complete their Law Enforcement Center in 2006. They don’t want to start over with a new architect when Paulsen Architects has already been paid for preliminary work. Also, putting off their project means inflationary hikes on their construction estimate.The board said that if a contract with Paulsen had been ready for county commissioners Tuesday, the board would have signed it to get the LEC project moving.The county’s current plans have a $2,122,252 LEC being constructed on county land between the Family Services and Highway Department buildings. Commissioners said the telecommunication lines already in use in those county buildings are adequate for an LEC to share. They wondered whether adding those features to the Gabrielson Road option would add extra costs to the project.The board hasn’t formally voted on the LEC project yet, but has laid all the groundwork. County and city representatives met Tuesday to discuss the issue of a shared building for fire hall and law enforcement services.

Submitted storyThe Exchange Bank of Hills Town softball team spilt four recent games.Hills went 2-1 and place dsecond in the Lester, Iowa, tournament.Lester nipped Hills 3-0 in Border League play before the tournament.Ellsworth toppled Hills 14-9 in the title game of the Lester Tournament.Hills, which pounded out 18 hits in the contest, made a bid to erase an 8-0 deficit by scoring six runs in the fifth inning.Ellsworth, however, outscored Hills Town 6-3 the rest of the way to win by five.Tyson Metzger and Greg Van Wyhe registered three hits each and scored two runs each for Hills. B.J. Boom, Matt Metzger, Matt Boeve, Blake Wysong and Kurt Bly added two hits each for Hills, which stranded nine runners on base during the contest.Chuck Hoffman, the first of three pitchers to log some innings in the game, received the pitching loss.Hills advanced to the title game by besting Steen 12-3.After falling behind 3-0, Hills scored 13 unanswered runs to win the contest by 11.Van Wyhe led the charge by delivering two home runs during a three-hit, five-RBI effort.Wysong, who drove in three runs, and Rex Metzger also belted homers for Hills. Boom slapped three hits and scored twice.Boom delivered a two-run homer to highlight a four-run first inning during a 12-2 win over Hardwick in the tournament’s first round.Rex Metzger belted two home runs for the winners, while Matt and Cory Metzger added solo shots to the effort.Hoffman twirled a two-hitter to get the win against Hardwick.Lester blanked Hills 3-0 in league play.Dan Huisman pitched eight innings of eight-hit ball during a losing effort.Hills, which had six hits and drew three walks in the contest, stranded seven runners in scoring position during the game.Hills plays in Beaver Creek Friday.Who’s hot?Boom went 7-9, scored five runs and drove in four counters during the Lester Tournament.Van Wyhe went 8-9 with two homers, eight RBIs and scored four runs.Bly was 5-10 at the plate during last week’s four games.Who’s not hot?Hoffman was saddled with his first pitching loss of the season against Ellsworth, when he allowed six hits in two-plus innings. A three-run homer in the first inning was the key blow. Hoffman scored up first-inning runs in all three tournament games.

By John RittenhouseZach Wysong played four games with Luverne’s American Legion and amateur baseball teams last week.Wysong and the Cardinals bowed out of the Sub-District American Legion Playoffs with losses on Friday and Saturday in Luverne.Adrian nipped the Cardinals 7-5 during Friday’s tournament opener.Wysong went hitless during three trips to the plate in the game.He went 0-3 at the dish during a 2-0 loss to Edgerton Saturday morning, which ended Luverne’s 10-9 campaign.Wysong played road games with the Luverne Redbirds on Wednesday, July 13 and Sunday.The Luverne amateurs posted a 15-6 win in Worthington July 13.Wysong scored three runs and drove in a counter while going 1-4 at the plate.He was hit by a pitch and scored in the fifth inning. Wysong slapped an RBI single and scored in the eighth, and he walked and scored in the ninth.The Redbirds capped a 10-11 regular season by dropping a 4-3 decision in Wilmont Sunday.Wysong went 1-3 at the plate and scored a run in the game against the Cardinals.He drew a third-inning walk before scoring the first run of the contest.Wysong singled later in the game.The Redbirds opened the Gopher League Playoffs with a home game against Worthington last night (Wednesday). A win would send Luverne to Hadley Friday. A loss would set up a Sunday game at a site to be determined.

By Sara QuamRock County Commissioners voted to take the next step toward building a new Law Enforcement Center Friday.Through a unanimous vote, commissioners directed County Attorney Don Klosterbuer and County Administrator Kyle Oldre to negotiate a contract with Paulsen Architects, Mankato, to develop plans for a new LEC.Commissioners haven’t voted on the actual project or how to fund it yet.The new LEC will probably go on county-owned land between the Family Services and Highway Department buildings on Blue Mound Avenue.The project is estimated to cost $2,122,252 with about half of it coming from bonding, the other half from reserves. Commissioner Jane Wildung said she is still against a new building project, favoring a remodeling of the current 1900 structure instead."I’m going to vote against a new construction project, but it’s my obligation to support researching the board’s options," Wildung said."I think the board needs to know what they’re getting into. If they want to do it, they’d better do it right."She said she will still be involved in a new building process as a member of the Building Committee. Also, she said, she wants to make sure the building is high quality and corners aren’t cut to save money in the short term.She uses the Rock County Family Services building (built in the 1980s) as an example."We put more money into the Human Services since it was built than we did in 100 years for the Law Enforcement Center," Wildung said.The county has plans to replace windows and doors in the Human Services Building within a few years.Commissioners still maintain that they don’t want to tear down the existing Law Enforcement Center and are trying to find an appropriate use for it.The preliminary plans give a new LEC 9,280 square feet.The space would include interview rooms, a secure entrance and exit, more office space and additional storage. It also has space for a training and community room and holding cells for prisoners.It has more windows and a single floor plan, so work space would be brighter and more efficient there.The surface of a new building would be stucco and brick. The roof would be pitched, so all mechanical systems would be inside.

By Lexi MooreThe Hills-Beaver Creek School Board approved the following items during their regular monthly meeting on Monday.Preliminary BudgetA preliminary 2005-06 budget of $3,140,850 was approved. Superintendent David Deragisch warned the board that the figures provided are the same used in the 2004-05 school year’s budget, without any adjustments."Due to state budget problems, I had to roll over last year’s figures," he said. "We had to do this so we could start paying bills."Deragisch expects to have a finalized version of the budget for board members to approve in August or September.He presented the board with projected state aids as posted on the Department of Education Web site."We can take this and start making an actual budget based on these numbers," he said.A new education bill was signed into law Wednesday, July 13, but state financiers are still working out the details.State projections estimate H-BC would receive $2,128,618 in state aid for the 2005-06 school year. This figure would give the school a 1.28-percent increase compared to the $2,102,366 in state aid received in 2004-05.The new law projects the school would receive $2,236,362 in state aid for the 2006-07 school year, a 5.1-percent increase."We fare much better the second year than the first. The state is making some strides for improvements," Deragisch said.Board members were pleased to see any increase in the dollar amount of state funding after four years without an increase.MSBA MembershipBoard members approved the renewal of their Minnesota School Board Association membership.The MSBA supports, promotes and enhances the work of local school boards. Dues are determined by the "average daily membership of students served for the fiscal year ended on June 30, 2004."H-BC’s dues totaled $1,765 for the 2005-06 school year. An additional $395 is due for policy renewal."They do a great job and provide us with invaluable resources," Deragisch said. "I call about once a week, if I have a question, I call them. I would push to approve our renewal."The board agreed and approved their renewal with MSBA for the 2005-06 school year.Parent-Student HandbooksThe board voted to approve revised parent-student handbooks for the upcoming school year.Elementary Principal Todd Holthaus explained the few changes to the elementary handbook. The changes were minimal and approved by the board.The board approved the following changes to the high school handbook:
The Department of Education now requires students to pass three science and three math credits prior to graduation.In the past, students were required to pass two math and two science credits. They were then given the option to choose which discipline, math or science, they wanted to take a third credit.
The administration can adjust the credits of transfer students.
The procedure for dropping a class changed to state, "You may not drop or add classes after the first week of either semester."In the past, students only had the option to drop a class during the first week of the school year. The new procedure gives the students that right at the beginning of the new semester.
When students are removed from class, they will be sent home for the remainder of the day. In the past, the removed student would have be sent to the office until the end of the period.Title I Parent Involvement PolicyThe board approved a Title I Parent Involvement Policy mandated by state and federal governments for schools to receive Title I funds.The policy pushes to get parents of Title I students more involved with the process by holding an annual meeting, implementing a school-parent compact, encouraging parent involvement at home and creating an advisory committee to maintain the school district’s Parental Involvement Policy.Policy Changes
Changes to the Public and Personnel Data Policy, Policy number 406, were accepted and approved. The policy provides guidance to school district employees as to the data the school district collects and maintains regarding its personnel.One change eliminated city and county of residence from the list of public data. Officials added an additional item to the list of private personnel data."The school district shall release to a requesting school district or charter school private personnel data on a current or former employee related to acts of violence toward or sexual contact with a student in an investigation conducted by or on behalf of the school district or law enforcement."A complete list of the data considered public and private is available at the high school.
A policy dealing with drug and alcohol testing, policy number 416, was also approved at the meeting.The policy deals with the testing of service employees and paraprofessionals.Attachment 99 – OSHA RecommendationsAttachment 99 outlined assessments made during a mock OSHA walk-through on Dec. 14, 2004.Although the violations were minor, school officials have a detailed plan of action to fix each of the violations.Dates to Remember
August 8 and August 22 will be the dates for upcoming school board meetings.
August 29-30 Hills-Beaver Creek teachers will meet for teacher workshops.
August 30 the schools will hold their open houses for local residents interested in learning about the programs offered.

By John RittenhouseLuverne’s Redbird Field will be a busy place the next two weekends.As the site of the 2005 Second District American Legion Baseball Tournament, at least 14 games will be played at the venue between Friday and July 30.Play begins Friday with the first four games of the eight-team, double-elimination tournament.Worthington meets Mankato at 10 a.m., Fairmont and Sleepy Eye square off at 1 p.m., Wabasso and New Ulm Gold take the field at 4:30, and New Ulm Blue and Eagle Lake play the first-day finale at 7:30.Elimination games will be staged at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. on Saturday, followed by games in the winner’s bracket at 4:30 and 7:30.Sunday’s schedule includes elimination games at noon and 3:30, with the tournament’s undefeated teams playing at 7 p.m.Play resumes Friday, July 29, with elimination games slated for 1 p.m. and 4:30.The championship round is set for 1 p.m. Saturday, July 30. A second game, if necessary, will follow at 4:30.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne VFW baseball team locked up the No. 2 seed for the District 3 Southern Division Playoffs by sweeping a double-header from Fulda at home Thursday.Luverne bested Fulda by 10 runs in a six-inning game to start the set. The Cardinals coasted to a 19-run, four-inning win in the finale.The Cardinals end the regular season with a 25-6 record. Luverne opens the postseason with a home game tonight against Marshall Orange or Slayton.Luverne 12, Fulda 2The Cardinals put together a pair of big innings to best the Raiders in Game 1.Luverne opened the scoring with a five-run second inning and ended the game by scoring six times in the sixth to win by the 10-run rule.The Cards scored four runs on wild pitches and received an RBI double from Tyler Reisch during the five-run second.Jake Clark slapped a two-run single, Tanner Skattum singled home one run and Caleb Bruynes and Chris Den Hoed drew bases-loaded walks to highlight the six-run sixth.Fulda trimmed Luverne’s lead to three runs (5-2) with single runs in the third and fifth frames.A sacrifice fly by Den Hoed in the bottom of the fifth made it a 6-2 game before the Cards settled the issue in the sixth.Andrew DeBoer tossed four innings of one-run ball to pick up the win. Adam Ossefoort pitched two innings of one-run relief.Box score AB R HClark 2 1 1Boomgaarden 2 1 0Reisch 3 0 1Arndt 0 1 0DeBoer 4 0 0Olson 4 3 2Hoff 3 1 0Bruynes 1 2 1Den Hoed 2 1 0Skattum 2 2 1Luverne 19, Fulda 0The Cardinals completed their sweep of the Raiders with a 19-run victory in the finale.After the teams played to a scoreless draw through two innings, Luverne exploded for 12 runs in the top of the third inning before adding seven more in the fourth.Jacob Arndt tripled and Clark and Ossefoort contributed one double each to Luverne’s 12-run rally in the third.Tyler Reisch and Jeremy Hoff registered inside the park home runs during Luverne’s seven-run fourth inning.Bruynes tossed all four innings to get the win. He fanned nine batters, walked two and surrendered one hit during his shutout.Box score AB R HClark 2 1 1Hoff 2 2 1Boomgaarden 3 1 1Den Hoed 1 1 0Reisch 1 3 1Arndt 4 3 2DeBoer 3 1 2Olson 3 1 2Richters 4 1 1Skattum 2 2 0Ossefoort 4 0 3

By John RittenhousePlaying in familiar surroundings didn’t provide an advantage to the Luverne American Legion baseball team late last week.Luverne, the host of the Sub-District Playoffs, dropped a pair of games at Redbird Field to bow out of the double-elimination event.Adrian, which placed third at tournament’s end, topped the Cardinals 7-4 Friday. Edgerton handed Luverne a 2-0 setback in an elimination game played Saturday morning.Tournament champion Pipestone, second-place Okabena and Adrian will represent the Sub-District and the Second District Division 2 American Legion Baseball Tournament that will be played in Pipestone the next two weekends.Luverne ends the year with a 10-9 record.Edgerton 2, Luverne 0The Cardinals were unable to generate any offense during Saturday’s elimination game at Redbird Field.Edgerton blanked Luverne through seven innings, limiting the Cardinals to three hits in the contest.Luverne’s Brett Lundgren and Craig Oeding singled and advanced to second base in the third and sixth innings respectively. Both runners were stranded on second.Nathan Boler singled and gained third base in the fifth inning but was was unable to reach home plate.J.T. Bruynes pitched a complete game during the losing effort.Bruynes, who yielded single runs in the sixth and seventh innings, tossed seven innings of four-hit, four-walk, five-strikeout ball.Box score AB R H BIPick 2 0 0 0Bruynes 3 0 0 0Oeding 3 0 1 0Wysong 3 0 0 0Nath 3 0 0 0Schepel 3 0 0 0Petersen 3 0 0 0Boler 3 0 1 0Lundgren 3 0 1 0Adrian 7, Luverne 5The Cardinals opened the playoffs by dropping a two-run decision to Adrian at Redbird Field Friday.Adrian snapped a scoreless draw by scoring six runs in the top half of the third inning and never lost control of the contest.Adrian’s second-inning rally featured a two-run double from Will Lutmer, who went the distance on the hill to pick up the win.Luverne did outscore the Dragons 5-1 after the top of the second, but it wasn’t enough to keep the Cards from losing their first game in the double-elimination event.The Cards plated their first run in the bottom of the third when Boler reached base after being hit by a pitch. Boler scored when Jared Pick doubled.Adrian plated a single run in the top of the sixth to make it a 7-1 game before Luverne capped the scoring by producing one run in the bottom of the sixth and three counters in the seventh.Pick walked and scored in the sixth when Oeding singled.Ben Nath singled and Boler walked to give the Cards life in the seventh. Seth Goembel doubled home two runs, and Pick chased Goembel home with a double before Adrian recorded the final out of the game.Lutmer limited Luverne to six hits during his complete game on the mound. Cody Kontz led Adrian at the plate with two hits.Pick surrendered six runs, two hits and four walks during a two and one-third inning stint as Luverne’s starting pitcher. He took the loss. Boler worked the final four and two-third innings. He allowed one run, three hits and two walks.Box score AB R H BIPick 3 1 1 1Bruynes 4 0 0 0Oeding 3 0 1 1Wysong 3 0 0 0Lundgren 3 0 0 0Schepel 1 0 0 0Nath 2 1 1 0Boler 2 2 1 0Goembel 3 1 1 2Petersen 3 0 1 1