By Lori EhdeWith gas prices over the $2 mark, ethanol supporters remind consumers E-85 fuel is 52 cents cheaper in Luverne than regular gasoline."It’s always a good idea to use E-85, because 85 percent of the money stays in America, and 85 percent of the fuel is made in America," said Stan Gyberg, one of the farmer investors in local ethanol projects."But when the price spread is 52 cents, E-85 makes a lot of sense," he said.On a 15-gallon tank, that comes to roughly $8 per fill at the pumps, and that savings will only increase if gas prices continue to rise as predicted. On a 35-gallon pickup tank, the savings is upwards of $18 per fill.Gyberg is a member of CornerStone Co-op, the farmer board that operates the Agri-Energy Ethanol Plant in Luverne, and he's also invested in the Pump 'N Pack on South Highway 75 in Luverne."Maybe Åmerica’s gotta wake up and ask, ‘Why are we spending money on foreign oil when we can circulate that money here in the United States?’" Gyberg said.The convenience store was started five years ago by investors in CornerStone Co-op, in addition to those in Southwest Minnesota Farmers Co-op Elevator and New Vision, which owns elevators in Hills, Beaver Creek and surrounding counties.The station offers standard 10-percent ethanol blend fuel in addition to diesel fuel (soy diesel?) and E-85, which is a gasoline blend of 85-percent ethanol.E-85 is intended for use in vehicles specifically designed for 85-percent ethanol, but Gyberg said he's been using E-85 fuel in his pickup."I haven't noticed a difference," Gyberg said about the way his engine reacts. "When I'm at the pump, I put in mostly gasoline and then a little E-85. It's probably about a 35-percent blend."He said he wouldn't go on the record advising people to do this with their vehicles, but he does say the E-85 is worth looking into, now that gas prices are so high."People are driving E-85 vehicles and don't even know it," Gyberg said. "The car manufacturers don't do a very good job marketing that option."New car owners can check their owner’s manuals to see if their vehicles are designed for E-85 fuel.According to Pat Connell at Papik Motors, Luverne, several manufacturers are making vehicles with flex fuel engines, which means they can use standard gasoline or 85-percent ethanol blends.He said Chevy Suburbans and Chevy Tahoes have come standard with flex-fuel engines for the past couple years.Dodge Caravans and Chrysler Town and Country vans have available flex-fuel engines, but that option generally costs $200 to $250 more.Until now, it's an option that hasn't been a big seller, Connell said."We do say a flex-fuel engine is available, and we say here's the charge for it," Connell said. "And when they hear what it costs, most people say, 'No, thanks.' But today, they might look at the pump and wish they took the flex fuel engine."Leroy Fick paid for the option on a 2005 Chevy half-ton pickup he bought this year at Papik Motors."With gas prices the way they are now, he'll have that paid for in no time," Connell said.Fick, a local corn producer and ethanol plant investor, said he opted for the flex-fuel engine for a number of reasons."E-85 is a cheaper fuel, and it's our own, home-grown fuel," Fick said Monday.He said more people should consider the flex-fuel option. "Right now is when people should pay attention to it because of the price spread (between E-85 and gasoline)."

By Lori EhdeMost Luverne boys basketball fans left town Wednesday night and Thursday morning just in time to miss the storm, and they returned home to piles of snow on streets and driveways.More than a foot of snow fell in southwest Minnesota communities for the biggest weather event of winter — only two days before the first official day of spring.Sheriff Mike Winkels said his office didn’t respond to serious accident reports, and that’s due in part to the interstate being closed."Trucks from the interstate pulled into Luverne, but there’s not a lot of places they can park," Winkels said. "They pulled into the Pump ‘N Pack and Sharkee’s, I know."I-90 closed between Luverne and Albert Lea from the hours of 3 p.m. Friday to 8 a.m. Saturday.That meant increased business for Luverne hotels and other businesses.Frank Dowie of the Sunrise Motel, for example, said all 11 of his rooms were full, and he ended up turning others away."I had a room I was working on, and I finished up painting and they took it," he said. "They said they were going to sleep in their truck if they couldn’t have it."He said his Friday night customers were truckers and travelers alike.Restaurants like Country Kitchen and McDonald's say a closed interstate isn't necessarily good news for them. Manager Mary Lou Gonnerman said Country Kitchen closed at 7 p.m. because crowds were sparse. "If they’d been out driving and went to the motel, they’re not going to head out again for supper," Gonnerman said. McDonald’s closed early, too."We closed the store at 9 p.m. instead of midnight," said assistant manager Diana Reisdorfer. "We were really slow for the whole day because of the weather."According to reports by some travelers, eastbound motorists were notified as early as Sioux Falls exits that I-90 was closed in Luverne, so not all travelers got off in Luverne."When they close the interstate, we close our business, because a lot of our business comes from the interstate," Reisdorfer said.Because so many Luverne residents were out of town for the state basketball tournament, a snow emergency for plowing streets was delayed somewhat.Sheriff Winkels worked with the Luverne Public Works Department to discuss the issue."With the state tournament going on, a lot of vehicles were left on the street," Winkels said."A lot of people were calling friends and family members to get cars off the street."Snow removal started early Friday, but on Saturday morning a snow emergency was declared, and most of Luverne’s streets were finished that day.By the end of the day Saturday, all major streets and side streets were cleared.Luverne schools were already closed Friday because of the state basketball tournament, but many businesses and some government offices closed early that day.

By Sara QuamThe city of Luverne is planning for an airport runway expansion that will change the area’s landscape, but the city hopes it will also alter the business climate for the better. While the city waits for the state to approve the Airport Justification Report, it is sure the next step, the environmental assessment, will get approval, too. The city purchased 80 acres, and the cost to the city for that will actually be $31,000 after grants are spent for it. Those 80 acres will be rented as farmland at $8,000 a year, so the city is out even less money. The airport is also getting two new hangars, one to replace a hangar lost to the August windstorm and another to accommodate larger aircraft that are planning to use the airport more frequently.Covering the actual cost of the new $2-million runway will be 95 percent federal and state grants. Changes from 2004 Last June, the city was putting off runway plans for up to seven years because a survey of airport users didn’t show enough traffic or larger planes to justify a longer runway. Since then, local businesses have come forward stating their intentions to use the runway more than calculated before. An anonymous business said it would use the runway 200 times a year for its Piper Cheyenne plane. Others reporting more uses with larger aircraft are: oFirst Farmers Bank with a King Air 200, 96 times oSkydive Adventures with a King Air 90, 150 times oTom Lien with a King Air 200, 48 times oAgri-Energy with a King Air, 48 times oVets Home Advantage with a King Air, eight times oLife Flight with a King Air, eight times oMark Jacobson Inc. With a King Air, eight times oWR Berkley with a Gulfstream, two times oWR Berkley clients with various large multi-engine aircraft, six times The total uses and types of planes mean the runway will likely become a higher priority. A survey of airport users got some favorable comments. Others said they land in Pipestone or Larchwood, Iowa, in order to have a longer runway for landing. Some comments were: oA longer runway "would allow us to land at Luverne instead of Pipestone or Sioux Falls in bad weather." o"There are many times over the years when I had to land at Sioux Falls or Worthington because of weather." The runway expansion has gotten mixed reviews locally. Most who didn’t favor the new runway said they didn’t think it was necessary, that it wouldn’t make much of a difference to enough people. Also, a township road just to the south of the airport (running east and west) will be closed for the project. Other township roads nearby may be reinforced or widened to accommodate more traffic because of that road closure. Zoning for the new airport was already approved, and flight patterns allow room for development near the interstate. The airport was first built in 1959.

By Sara QuamThe Luverne City Council settled the issue of the animal impound Tuesday night. The city will continue to require dog owners to license them and will continue to provide the pound for dogs and cats found loose in the city limits. The impound costs about $4,000 a year. Licensing offsets the cost, but it’s not a moneymaking venture for the city. While dogs are required to be licensed under city ordinance, the city is encouraging people to license their cats as well. Licensed dogs and cats won’t be subject to impound fees of $75 per day and $50 each subsequent day. City Administrator Greg La Fond said, "If your animal is licensed and it is in the pound, you’re going to get it back for free , and I think that’s an important incentive." Council member Maynard Lafrenz voted against the ordinance because he said it is unfair to require dogs, but not cats, to be licensed. Council member Esther Frakes said, "My plea to dog and cat owners is to come forward for their protection and their pets’ protection." License fees are $7 per year per animal for neutered or spayed pets and $10 for non-neutered and non-spayed. Frakes said the license fee is a guarantee a lost animal won’t get put to sleep after being held in the pound. Council member Pat Baustian said the minor license fee is an "insurance policy" for pet owners. Baustian also suggested the city re-bid the pound care contract, which the council agreed to. Pet owners who license their animals but continue to have problems with the animals turning up at the pound may be issued citations through the Sheriff’s Department. City attorney The Council Tuesday tabled action on continuing a contract with the County Attorney’s Office to handle city prosecutions. La Fond estimated an average of 15 to 20 cases per month go through the office. Baustian made the motion to table action on the contract citing "other issues" with County Attorney Don Klosterbuer he felt needed addressing first.

By Sara QuamWhen the current hospital is vacated this summer for the new site, it could present development opportunities for the city of Luverne.While City Administrator Greg La Fond is just speculating at this time, he said, "There are a number of players who could benefit, but how do you know until you try?"The City Council voted Tuesday to hire an architect to study the feasibility of turning the hospital half of the medical complex into a public use building, which would include a Luverne Fire Hall and City Hall. The Council approved spending $13,500.The new hospital and clinic on the north edge of town will be finished and ready for business this summer, opening the current buildings for development.Dingmann Funeral Home has committed to occupying the clinic, or Medical Center, portion of the current complex.The hospital side, with about 26,000 useable square feet, is unspoken for, however.LaFond has also invited Rock County to consider the concept of using additional space for a new sheriff’s office and other county operations such as Land Management or Extension Service.The existing Fire Hall might be a fit for Heartland Express, which is using office space in Family Services now.The new concept could also involve closing McKenzie Street in order to construct more space for the Fire Hall to the west.City Hall, with offices moved to the old hospital, would be empty and could serve as a Chamber of Commerce site and office space for new businesses.Council member Pat Baustian said, "It would be good to get the two bodies together to find the feasibility of it. You see joint public and safety buildings all over, and we could have that."Luverne Fire Chief Don Deutsch said, "I do like the idea of keeping the central location for the Fire Hall."This new idea will also affect Holy Trinity Episcopal Church’s plans to add on to the back of its property. Those plans are on hold until everything else is in line.Holy Trinity wants to add a new parish center, using a connecting link between it and the sanctuary and the lower-level spaces. For this project, the church was requesting 20 feet of property from the land to the south of the church.The city owns that land, which is also west of the current Fire Hall. If the church expands there, it limits use of the land for future Fire Hall expansion if the hospital ends up not being an option.County has already studied feasibility of using hospital for LECAt the same time as this new potential is coming to light, Rock County has just started the process of hiring its own architect, at $2,500, to research costs of remodeling the current Law Enforcement Center.Rock County Commissioners voted Tuesday to spend the initial assessment fee with Paulson Architects, Mankato.The county met with four firms last week for about an hour and one-half each.County Administrator Kyle Oldre said, "They understand the scope of our project, and they could see if they wanted to work with us on our issues."The issues are space, safe storage, and officer and dispatcher safety with no holding cells for prisoners.Speaking to the city’s invitation to join the potential hospital project, "We don’t want to close the door, but we’re not sure if we want to go to the extent that’s been thrown out here," Oldre said.Commissioners wondered whether they would be asked to be a part of the renovation in planning and costs or whether the county would lease space from the city after completion."And it wouldn’t address the building that we have here," Commissioner Richard Bakken said of the current Sheriff’s Office.Commissioner Ron Boyenga made a motion that the county stand by the initial architectural study done two years ago and have the county proceed with renovating the current location or research building new.That motion passed unanimously, but board members indicated they might be interested in the Fire Hall for Heartland Express if it becomes available.In 2003, Rock County had an architect study the feasibility of using the existing hospital for a Law Enforcement Center, Heartland Express, Mental Health Center, Extension Service, Land Management, Farm Service Agency and NRCS offices. That cost the county $11,000.At that time, Vetter Johnson Architects, Minneapolis, estimated that a remodeling project in 2005 would cost $3.8 million.The architects in 2003 pointed out the following problems: oair exchange units that will require more ductwork, oinadequate height for ductwork, recessed lights, wiring, etc., oa heating and cooling system on the roof’s exterior, and oload-bearing walls that minimize flexibility in arranging spaces.The current hospital was built in 1955, with renovations and remodeling in 1962, 1982 and 1990.

By Sara QuamThe Rock County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to pay for half the cost of bringing the Pool and Fitness Center’s accounting to an even starting point.The Board will pay $20,000 more than budgeted due to this expense, as will the city of Luverne.The negative accounts come mostly from recording memberships as dollars received, even though people who signed up didn’t always pay in full, amounting to more than $19,000 through the years.Commissioner Richard Bakken said, "That’s like counting a dead cow in your cattle inventory."Commissioner Bob Jarchow said, "I’d like to know how this got by the auditors over the years. … I would like some assurance that this is not going to happen again."Jarchow and Commissioner Ron Boyenga voted against the contribution.City staff said it has corrected the problem and it won’t happen again.Commissioner Jane Wildung suggested the Pool Commission become more of a management body that is more powerful and has more of input on operating the facility.The city manages the finances of the Pool and Fitness Center and also hadn’t provided funds for accrued sick leave and vacation liabilities over time. Now there is a fund set up for that.The County Board also voted in favor of paying a $400 fee for the facility to become part of a state association that will allow members to use the new Blue Cross Blue Shield rebate program.The program allows insurance customers up to $20 a month in membership rebates if they go to a fitness center at least eight times a month.Selling seized vehiclesThe board approved the Sheriff’s request to sell seized vehicles from drug and alcohol arrests. A 2004 Dodge Dakota, 1999 Ford Mustang and a 1977 Subaru wagon will be available to the public. Sheriff Mike Winkels said he would probably sell them through local dealers, who will do the selling for commission. In the case of DWIs, Law Enforcement can seize vehicles as the result of gross misdemeanors or felonies.The proceeds are split among state, local attorney and special local drug and alcohol funds. The Dakota alone will bring an estimated $14,000.Road and bridge work scheduled for 2005Commissioners reviewed a road and bridge construction plan. A full five-year plan will be presented at a meeting April 5. Plans for 2005 include:oCounty State Aid Highway 37, from Highway 75 to CSAH 18, grade and surface workoHighway 75 and CSAH 37 from Veterans Drive in the city of Luverne to CSAH 37, grade and turn lanes and surface workoCSAH 4 (Luverne Main Street) from Highway 75 to CSAH 18 (Blue Mound Avenue), mill and overlay and patching. (This project includes laying utility conduit for new streetlights as well.)oCSAH 20 (west of the state park) from Highway 23 to Highway 75, mill and overlayoCSAH 11 (Steen blacktop) from Highway 270 to CSAH 4, mill and overlayoCSAH 18 (Blue Mound Avenue) from Luverne’s Main Street to northern city limits of Luverne, mill and overlayoCSAH 20, replacement of bridge L2153 3 1/2 miles west of Highway 75oSouth River Road Bridge L2258, 1 mile west of CSAH 9, replacementTotal cost for the projects is estimated at $4.2 million, with bonding and federal, state and municipal state aids offsetting the cost. Total local cost this year will be about $52,000.Land Management Office positionThe board voted to create a job description and start the hiring process for a 75 percent grant-funded position in the Land Management Office. The county will pick up the other 25 percent of the position’s cost. The position would exist as long as the grant is available.The position would help educate producers and promote conservation practices in Rock County, as the amount of work in that area has increased. The position’s duties could also expand.LMO Director Eric Hartman said in a letter to the board, "The three- to four-year time frame for this position would be a key factor in providing assistance in staffing needs during the next five years when those livestock producers with Open Lot Agreements will be making corrections to their existing lots."

By John RittenhouseLuverne’s bid to reach the championship game of the Minnesota State Class AA Boys Basketball Tournament championship game was derailed by the Crookston Pirates Friday at the Target Center in Minneapolis.The Cardinals, who were playing for a berth in a state title game for the first time since 1983, were unable to overcome a slow start and inconsistent shooting in what ended as a 46-35 loss to eventual state runner-up Crookston.The Cards shot a cool 24 percent (six of 25) from the floor while falling behind 32-17 in the first half.Luverne put together a spirited rally in the fourth quarter to trim Crookston’s lead to seven points (40-33) with 2:50 left to play, but the Pirates fought off the late challenge to prevail by 11 points."We were flat," said LHS senior John Tofteland, after Friday’s game."We just didn’t come out and play with the energy we should have. We dug a hole we couldn’t climb out of."Crookston took a 4-0 lead with a pair of field goals in the game’s first minute, but the Cardinals received a boost when junior Nick Heronimus was fouled while converting a three-point shot. Heronimus canned the ensuing free throw, knotting the score at four with 4:48 remaining in the first quarter.The Cardinals were unable to sustain the momentum they appeared to gain when Heronimus tied the game at four. Crookston closed the quarter with a 14-4 run and led 18-8 when Andy Hughes converted a reverse layup with 43 seconds left in the stanza.The Pirates outscored the Cards 7-2 in the first three minutes of the second quarter to lead 25-10, and Crookston led by 17 points (30-13) when Grant Willhite drained a three-point shot with 2:25 left to play in the first half. The quarter ended with the Pirates sporting a 32-17 lead.According to LHS coach Tom Rops, a number of factors plagued the Cardinals in the first half.Playing a game one day after posting a big win over Moose Lake-Willow River stole some of team’s energy, and taking on the Pirates in a big venue like the Target Center proved a bit overwhelming for the players.The biggest difference was the way each team shot the ball. While the Cards struggled in the first half, Crookston cashed in on 59 percent (13 of 22) of its fields."I think it was a combination of (tired) legs and nerves that hurt us in the first half," Rops said. "We missed some easy baskets. We’ve had slow starts before and were able to come back. But, when you get down by 15 points at halftime, you’re going to have trouble in state tournament games."The Cardinals continued to struggle in the third quarter as they were unable to cut into Crookston’s 15-point halftime advantage. The Pirates led by as many as 19 points (38-19) before settling with a 40-22 advantage at period’s end.In an attempt to get back into the game, Luverne implemented full-court defensive pressure to test the Pirates in the final eight minutes of play.The change in strategy paid off as the Cards outscored Crookston 11-0 in the first 5:10 of the period, trailing 40-33 when Jake Hendricks sank a pair of free throws with 2:50 left to play.Crookston, however, scored the next four points to extend its lead to 11 (44-33) with 1:06 left to play before winning by 11 at game’s end."It really got us going," Tofteland said about the Cardinals’ full-court pressure in the fourth quarter."We just dug ourselves too deep of a hole early in the game. The plan was to play them straight up defensively and try to get some turnovers. We just missed a lot of bunnies in the first half."Rops agreed that the Cardinals’ defense got them back in the game."We went with pressure in the fourth quarter, because we knew we needed to get a few more possessions to get back into the game," Rops said. "Give our kids credit for not hanging their heads and giving up on the game."Brandon Deragisch led the Cards with 10 points and charted three steals along with Heronimus. Brad Herman led LHS with six rebounds.Box scorePick 1 0 4-4 6, Herman 2 0 0-2 4, Deragisch 2 2 0-0 10, Tofteland 1 0 2-2 4, Heronimus 1 1 1-1 6, Haakenson 0 0 0-0 0, Hendricks 0 1 2-2 5, Antoine 0 0 0-0 0, Boelman 0 0 0-0 0.Team statisticsLuverne: 11 of 53 fieldgoals (21 percent), nine of 11 free throws (82 percent), 23 rebounds, 10 turnovers.Crookston: 18 of 33 field goals (55 percent), seven of 11 free throws (57 percent), 33 rebounds, 20 turnovers.

By John RittenhouseTwo Luverne High School players were selected to the Minnesota State Class AA All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of the state basketball tournament Saturday.Guard Brandon Deragisch and forward Jared Pick made the team for the Cardinals, who went 2-1 and placed third during the school’s first state tournament appearance since 1983.Pick scored 35 points, pulled down eight rebounds, charted four steals and distributed two assists in three tournament games.Deragisch scored 28 points, nabbed 18 rebounds, passed for six assists and recorded four steals during the tournament.Braham’s Isaiah and Noah Dahlman and Josh Vaughn, Crookston’s Jake Coauette, Andy Hughes and Grant Willhite, and Rockford’s Kyle Seiler and Jeremy Ungerecht round out the all-tournament team.

By John RittenhouseLuverne senior Jared Pick drew a tough assignment for Thursday’s quarterfinal-round game of the State Class AA Basketball Tournament in the University of Minnesota Sports Pavilion in Minneapolis.Pick was asked to defend 6-5 Moose Lake-Willow River senior guard Geoff Probst, the leading scorer in the history of ML-WR boys basketball.Pick was up to the challenge in more ways than one.With help from his team, Pick limited Probst to 12 points (five in the first half) on four of 15 shooting from the floor to help the Cardinals post a 54-42 victory over the Rebels.Pick also shined on the offensive end of the court, scoring 15 points (nine in the second half) and converting on five of six field goal attempts to propel the Cardinals into the semifinal round.Although his offensive production was helpful, Luverne said it was Pick’s effort on defense that benefited his team the most."Jared Pick was man-up on their best player (Probst)," said Luverne coach Tom Rops. "He did a good job of denying Probst the ball. Jared had to be aggressive and stay in front of him, and everyone else had to help out. It worked out for us."Pick said he used a mental approach to make the strategy work."I tried to get into his head," Pick said after the game."We tried to be physical with him. He’s a little bit bigger than I am, but I didn’t let that bother me. I just tried to keep him from getting inside and made him shoot from the outside."With Probst contained on the offensive end of the court, all the Cardinals needed to do was produce on offense to advance to the semifinals. Luverne did that and more as it outscored ML-WR in all four quarters of the 12-point victory.The Rebels sported 2-0 and 4-3 leads early in the game, but the Cards moved in front 7-4 when Pick converted a field goal at the 4:18 mark of the opening period. The score was 8-5 when Pick drained a free throw at 3:04, which proved to be the decisive point of a first quarter that ended with the Cards sporting an 8-7 edge.ML-WR tied the game at eight early in the second quarter before Luverne’s Brad Herman sparked a 6-0 run with a tip-in at the 7:23 mark of the stanza. The run, which ended with Pick sinking a free throw at 6:03, gave the Cards a 14-8 lead.Luverne never led by more than six points or by less than four points during the remainder of the first half, which ended with the Cards owning a 22-18 cushion.LHS outscored the Rebels 14-7 in the third quarter to settle the issue.A 9-5 scoring spurt capped by two free throws from Brandon Deragisch gave the Cards a 33-23 lead at the 3:16 mark of the third quarter. Deragisch, who scored 13 points in the game, hit a three-point shot at 1:35 to cap the third-quarter scoring and gave LHS a 36-25 lead.ML-WR scored the first four points of the fourth quarter to trail 36-29, but the Cards countered with an 8-0 run capped by a reverse layup from Pick that expanded Luverne’s lead to 15 points (44-29) with 3:07 left to play.The Rebels trimmed the difference to 11 points on three different occasions and trailed by 10 when Probst hit a three-point shot with less than 20 seconds remaining. Luverne’s Jake Hendricks drained two free throws with 12 seconds left to ice the 12-point win.Although he led the Cardinals in scoring as a result of his slashing drives to the basket, Pick downplayed his offensive role when the game was over."I just try to shoot layups," he said. "I leave the outside shooting to the other guys."Along with limiting Probst to 12 points, Luverne kept ML-WR post Darrin Coil under control. The tallest player on the floor at 6-7, Coil was limited to 13 points in the contest."We knew which two kids were their scorers, and everyone helped out in holding them down," Rops said. "We didn’t shut Probst and Coil down, but I think we did slow them down."John Tofteland and Nick Heronimus made key contributions to Luverne’s effort. Tofteland charted five assists. Heronimus pulled down a team-high 12 rebounds, with 10 coming on the defensive end of the court. Pick led the Cards with two steals.Box scorePick 5 0 5-8 15, Herman 4 0 0-0 8, Deragisch 1 3 2-4 13, Tofteland 1 1 3-4 8, Heronimus 2 0 2-2 6, Haakenson 0 0 0-0 0, Hendricks 1 0 2-2 4, Antoine 0 0 0-0 0, Boelman 0 0 0-0 0, Clark 0 0 0-0 0.Team statisticsLuverne: 18of 36 field goals (50 percent), 14 of 20 free throws (70 percent), 29 rebounds, 11 turnovers.ML-WR: 18 of 50 field goals (36 percent), four of 10 free throws (40 percent), 27 rebounds, nine turnovers.