By Lori EhdeFor 15 years, attorney Terry Vajgrt has worked to prosecute crime in Rock County District Court.Now, he’s making a career move that will put him on the other side of the courtroom, representing clients accused of crimes."Change is good for everyone," he said about his decision. "I really do enjoy my work here, but I have a real strong desire to experience something new."As of April 6, Vajgrt will become a public defender in Nobles County, working in the jail and courthouse in Worthington.On the outset it appears he’ll be working for the "other side," but he said fair representation is necessary for both prosecution and defense."I do look at both roles as being necessary parts of the criminal justice system," Vajgrt said. "I know there will be times when advocating for a client will present challenges on a personal level, but I bring one party’s interest to the attention of the judge and jury. … There’s equal value in both roles."According to statute, public defenders are assigned to clients who cannot afford to pay for attorneys on their own."I see value in representing that portion of the population that can't otherwise afford an attorney," Vajgrt said. "Everyone accused of a crime should have an advocate in the criminal justice system."He said, unlike television portrayal of criminal defense attorneys, his work won't be about "getting people off Scott free.""Most people charged with committing a crime have done so, and the system holds them accountable when the evidence is sufficient," Vajgrt said. "In most instances, the role of a defense attorney involves educating the client about likely outcomes, the importance of following through with probationary requirements ... and getting the right information to the judge so he or she can make a reasoned decision at sentencing."Doing the right thingHe said his decision was also politically and socially motivated. "As a society, it seems to me we are becoming more indifferent to the needs of the poor," Vajgrt said. "Tax cuts targeted toward those least in need of additional resources take priority over affordable healthcare, day care assistance for single parents and livable wages for people that work as hard or harder than I do."He recognizes he's not able to remedy all social ills, but he said he wants to help where he can."I can do my part to ensure that people without financial resources receive a fair shake in the criminal justice system."Big shoes to fillMeanwhile, the County Attorney's Office of Skewes, Klosterbuer and Vajgrt will make arrangements to fill Vajgrt's shoes."We'll probably have to finally change our name," said Attorney Don Klosterbuer, "since two-thirds of our name will no longer apply."He and attorney Jeff Haubrich will work together to handle what had been Vajgrt's county work: criminal prosecutions, child protection orders, search warrants, etc., until another attorney can be hired at the firm."Obviously Terry did wonderful work. He was very, very good at it. But I want people to know it's not the end of the firm as far as this work is concerned," Klosterbuer said. "That's a real important message. We did all these things before Terry got here, and we'll do these things after he's gone."On a personal note, though, Klosterbuer said he'll miss Vajgrt in the office. "Not only is he my partner, he's also a good friend," he said.Klosterbuer isn't the only one who will miss Vajgrt.Staff in both the Sheriff's Department and Family Services described Terry's announcement as "sad news."‘Rational’ mannerInvestigator Jeff Wieneke has worked with Vajgrt on cases for most of the past 15 years."He’s so easy to work with," Wieneke said. "It’s his demeanor. He never seems to get upset about anything. ... That’s saying something, considering the county prosecuting attorney handles a gamut of sensitive cases, including sexual assaults to children."He said Vajgrt's performance in the courtroom is exceptional. "I’ve sat in on lots of testimonial hearings, and he handles himself so calm and professional in front of the jury," Wieneke said. "He always seems to approach things in a rational manner."He said Rock County is going to feel Vajgrt's absence. "We rely on him to answer questions 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Wieneke said. "We could call him at 3 in the morning and some people would be upset about that, but not Terry. He always handled it well."Committed to childrenNancy Lange, social services supervisor at Rock County Family Services, echoed Wieneke's sentiments."He is truly amazing. We are very fortunate in Rock County to have had the level of legal counsel we've had with regard to the safety and well-being of kids," she said about Vajgrt. "He's totally committed to the children of Rock County, and he's not afraid to go to the extent of terminating parental rights if it's in the interest of the kids."She said Rock County's a better place for children because of Vajgrt's work."I'm very proud to have worked with him," Lange said. "He's a very unique individual."Good people to work withLooking back on 15 years of prosecuting crime in Rock County, Vajgrt agreed this has been a priority for him."I'm most proud of our work protecting children," he said. "Both in the child protection context and in prosecuting those accused of crimes against children."For example, he prosecuted one sexual assault involving a child resulting in a 30-year sentence for the defendant.In his early years on the job, Vajgrt took training in Minneapolis to learn how to conduct forensic sexual abuse interviews with children, and Rock County became the first in southwest Minnesota to secure a criminal sexual conduct conviction with DNA evidence."I'll miss the people I work with in law enforcement and child protection," he said. "There's no question these professional relationships have made the work so much more enjoyable and rewarding."Vajgrt attended Tuesday's County Board meeting to announce his plans."I look around at this board and see people I like and have formed friendships with and that is rare," he said.Commissioner Jane Wildung shared sentiments from county employees who said they enjoyed working with Vajgrt. "They appreciated the compassion and care in which you delivered your services," she said.Embracing changeHe said his new work will allow him more time in the courtroom, something he prefers over civil cases. "I love the process of using language to persuade," he said, "and being in court is so challenging and exciting."His public defense work will be three-quarters time, and he’ll continue teaching classes in the criminal justice program of Colorado Technical University, Sioux Falls. In addition, he’ll take on some private legal work, primarily in criminal cases, with an office out of his rural home northeast of Luverne. "This will hopefully allow time for more driveway basketball with the kids," he said. He and his wife, Michele, have three boys, all in Luverne Elementary School. "She's been very supportive," he said about Michele. "She's bright and intelligent, and if it weren't for her, I wouldn't have the opportunity to try this."They'll continue to live in Rock County. "We love Luverne, and we love the schools and we love our church (First Presbyterian)," he said.

By Lori EhdeIn order for teachers to recertify their licenses, the state of Minnesota is requiring training in student mental health."I think the reason this has come as a requirement from the state is that so many of our kids are coming to school carrying so much baggage," said elementary music teacher Beth Capistran.Capistran is on the staff development committee that organized a teacher inservice day for Luverne, Pipestone and Edgerton districts on the topic of student mental health."As teachers we may see those kids for more time out of the day than the parents do," Capistran said. "We need to recognize the signs of different mental health symptoms in order to help children and help parents in giving options for the child."More than 400 people — most of them educators — are expected to attend the "Children's Mental Health" learning day in Luverne Monday. Speakers are from Luverne, Minneapolis, Sioux Falls and Mankato.According to school psychologist Renee Guy, depression is becoming more common among children, and school staff isn’t as likely to recognize that ailment as they are other disorders, like autism, attention deficit or retardation."Research has shown students have been under-diagnosed with child depression," Guy said. "We've been trained to recognize learning disabilities, and we've been trained to recognize academic disabilities. Now we're focusing on social and emotional well-being."She said mental health diagnoses are important in all areas of education. "We know they do interfere with learning, and when they do, we need to intervene."Mental health training will enable teachers to be more for their students."Teachers are not there just to teach anymore," Capistran said. "Teachers wear many different hats. They are educators, counselors, and sometimes parents, caregivers and someone that the students can trust to go to when they have a problem. Sometimes the teacher is the only adult a child may get attention from that day."The bottom line, she said, is that teachers need to better understand their students' emotional needs in order to meet their educational needs. "In order for students to learn, they need to be well — physically and mentally."Middle school and high school guidance counselor Craig Nelson helped organize professional speakers for the day."Educators are in a good position to see kids to know how they act, and if they recognize a need in an individual student, they need to be able to refer a kid who might need help," Nelson said. "Children can have a variety of problems that may affect their school performance. Hopefully we can make their lives better, to help them get a good education, to live the kind of life we'd want for anyone."He said it behooves teachers to recognize potential problems before they undermine performance in the classroom."It takes a whole lot of people working together to try to solve these problems," Nelson said. "I think Luverne has been progressive in trying to meet the needs of students."Anyone can register to attend Monday's event. Call Community Education, 283-4724, for information.

By Sara QuamLuverne’s airport runway expansion project might not be as far away as expected.In 2004, the number of uses per year wasn’t high enough for federal and state funding to come through, and the project was delayed until about 2008.Now, however, a new count estimate has large planes using the runway 576 times annually. (Past estimates were about 120.)With the new flight and landing projections, the Department of Aeronautics is expected to approve the plan, and the next step is an environmental assessment. The appropriate zoning is already in place.An anonymous business came forward to say it would use the runway 200 times.City Councilman and Airport Board Member Pat Baustian said, "Five hundred is the magic number to get a 4,200 foot runway."Luverne’s runway is currently the shortest in the state at 2,500 feet. Baustian said, "We’ve gotten a lot of good letters of support from businesses that carry a lot of weight."The following verified how many times they expected to use larger aircraft that require a longer runway: First Farmers and Merchants Bank, Skydive Adventures, Ton Lien, Agri-Energy, Vets Home Advantage, Life Flight, Mark Jacobson Inc., WR Berkley and WR Berkley clients. "The people of Luverne need to understand that 95 percent of the funding for this is federal. A very minute share comes directly from the citizens of Luverne," Baustian said.There are also state funding options.Baustian said, "The new runway is a piece of infrastructure that a thriving community needs."In other city business Tuesday, the Luverne City Council:oApproved an additional $20,000 payment to the Rock County Pool and Fitness Center, contingent on Rock County contributing the same amount.Both government bodies discussed the payment as a one-time coverage of "bad debt." Previous accounting practices recorded income as members signed up, not as they paid. That meant that some people joined and didn’t pay in full and the accounting was inaccurate over a number of years. City Administrator Greg La Fond said accounting will be handled differently now. "We would like to present a fair and meaningful representation of the finances," he said.In fact, it may be a requirement that all members pay in full, either by cash, check or credit card, rather than allowing a monthly pay option.oReceived a report on the efforts of the Public Works Department to finish tree trimming. The Aug. 3 windstorm damaged many trees that didn’t have to be completely removed, and the department has been able to work on trimming city trees through the winter.Workers will probably be finished with it within three weeks.oApproved a permit for the Luverne Area Community Foundation to have a raffle at the Blue Mound Banquet Center April 22 in conjunction with the annual Hospice Charity Dinner and Auction.

By John RittenhouseHills-Beaver Creek High School senior Tyler Bush joined an elite group of athletes during the course of the South Section 3A Boys Basketball Tournament title game in Marshall Saturday.Bush, who scored 19 points in the contest to help the Patriots beat Adrian, recorded his 1,000th career point during the contest.The H-BC guard hit a shot on the run in the second quarter to join a list of nine Patriots basketball players who have scored 1,000-plus points during their careers.Kale Wiertzema, Bush’s current teammate, became the sixth H-BC boy to join the 1,000-point club during a home game against Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster Dec. 14.Steve Esselink, a 1999 H-BC graduate, is the school’s all-time leading scorer with 1,650 points.Chad Koel and Terry Arends, respective 1990 and 1964 graduates, scored 1,414 and 1,395 points during their H-BC playing days.Like Bush and Wiertzema, Aric Leenderts and Matt Metzger reached the 1,000-point plateau in the same season (1996). Leenderts scored 1,121 points, and Metzger 1,092.Erin Boeve and LeAnne Goehle scored 1,000-plus points as members of the H-BC girls basketball program.Boeve, the school’s all-time leading rebounder with 1,155 caroms, scored 1,556 points before graduating in 2004. Goehle, a 1979 graduate, netted 1,131 points.

By John RittenhouseThe Hills-Beaver Creek boys turned a bevy of three-point shots into the school’s second post-season tournament championship at Southwest State University in Marshall Saturday.Playing Adrian in the South Section 3A Boys Basketball Tournament championship game, the Patriots buried 10 shots from beyond the three-point arch to lead H-BC to a 67-59 win over the Dragons.The win, which was H-BC’s 19th straight, gives the Patriots a berth in today’s Section 3A championship game at SSU. The 27-2 Patriots square off against defending state champion Russell-Tyler-Ruthton (24-3) in a 5 p.m. title tilt.If the Patriots continue to shoot the ball from the outside like they did against Adrian, the R-T-R Knights could be in trouble.H-BC made seven three-pointers in the first half to build a 42-29 lead at the intermission, and added three more in the second half to help thwart a rally offered by the pesky Dragons.Zach Wysong nailed five three-point shots and scored 17 points against the Dragons. Kale Wiertzema, who recorded eight assists, six rebounds and five steals, buried four treys to highlight a 25-point performance."We haven’t made that many threes forever," said Patriot coach Steve Wiertzema, who guided H-BC to a Sub-Section 2 of Section 3A championship during his first year as the head coach of the boys’ program in 1993."It was nice to see Zach hit some threes early," he continued. "We run some set plays to get him shots. When he hits them, we get going."Wysong connected for three long-range shots and scored 11 points in the first quarter, which was highlighted by a 13-0 run for H-BC. Adrian sported 2-0 and 4-3 leads when Brad Brake converted field goals early in the contest, but H-BC countered with a 13-0 run capped by a three from Wysong at 3:16 to give the Patriots a 16-4 lead.The 13-0 spurt was a part of a 20-3 run that ended with the Patriots owning a 23-7 lead when Kale Wiertzema scored at the 1:13 mark of the opening period. Adrian, however, received a pair of field goals from Brett Block in the final 33 seconds of the quarter to cap a 7-0 surge that made it a 23-14 difference at period’s end.Wiertzema hit three three-point shots and scored 11 points in the second quarter, giving the Patriots a 16-point lead (34-18) with his final three of the stanza with 5:54 left to play in the half.H-BC seemed to run out of steam at that point as Adrian managed to outscore the Patriots 11-8 the rest of the quarter to trail 42-29 at the break."We got tired," coach Wiertzema admitted. "We expended a lot of energy early when we were trying to wear them down. We ended up wearing ourselves down. Give Adrian some credit because I thought they played very well in the second half."The Dragons deserve credit for clawing their way back into the game in the second half.A layup from Adrian’s Nick Weidert drew the Dragons within seven points (45-38) of the Patriots at the 2:59 mark of the third quarter. H-BC’s Wysong hit a three with 50 seconds remaining in the period to build H-BC’s lead up to 12 points (52-50) before the Patriots settled with a 54-43 advantage at period’s end.Adrian closed the margin to six points twice (54-48 and 57-51) in the fourth quarter. H-BC responded with a 7-0 run that ended with Tyler Bush, who scored his 1,000th career point earlier in the contest, draining a pair of free throws with 3:01 left to play to give the Patriots a 64-51 lead.Weidert hit a jumper from the baseline at 1:56 to bring the Dragons within seven points at 64-57, but that was as close as AHS would come to catching H-BC the rest of the way."Our kids kept battling back," said AHS coach Chris Rozell, who guided the Dragons to a 14-12 record this season. "We were within six points and had a couple of chances to get closer in the second half. We just ran out of time.""Hills played a good game," Rozell continued. "They shot the ball well. For the most part, we had hands in their faces. They just got hot and kept on shooting. They hit their shots, took care of the basketball when they needed to and made their free throws."Bush, who scored 10 points in the second half, added 19 points and six assists to the winning cause. Tom LeBoutillier led the Patriots with seven rebounds. Brake led the Dragons with 20 points and three steals. Block scored 12 points and passed for six assists. Casey Knips netted 10 points and collected nine rebounds for AHS.Box scoreAdrianLonneman 0 0 0-0 0, Klaassen 1 0 0-0 2, Block 3 2 0-0 12, Weidert 2 1 0-0 7, Stover 1 1 3-4 8, Brake 8 0 4-6 20, Knips 4 0 2-3 10.H-BCWysong 1 5 0-0 17, Rozeboom 1 0 0-0 2, Bush 5 1 6-8 19, Wiertzema 4 4 5-9 25, Baker 0 0 0-0 0, Broesder 0 0 0-0 0, LeBoutillier 2 0 0-1 4.Team statisticsAdrian: 23 of 48 field goals (48 percent), nine of 13 free throws (69 percent), 22 rebounds, 15 turnovers.H-BC: 23 of 53 field goals (43 percent), 11 of 17 free throws (65 percent), 28 rebounds, nine turnovers.

By Lori EhdeTollefson Publishing’s new general manager went to college on a football scholarship, but he’s succeeding in life on a solid degree in common sense and people skills."It’s not rocket science," Rick Peterson said about his 20-year publishing career. "No matter where you work, you learn people skills."Peterson comes to Luverne from Redwood Falls, where he was publisher of the Redwood Gazette and regional director for Liberty Group Publishing, overseeing the operations of seven publications in southwest Minnesota.Along with heading up daily operations of the Rock County Star Herald, Luverne Announcer and Hills Crescent, Peterson will become Roger Tollefson’s partner in business."I’m thrilled to have someone with his background and abilities to work with," Tollefson said.Peterson first tested his common-sense approach to business in the early 1980s when he left college to manage the Country Kitchen in Worthington.He learned that quality workers produce quality products and he learned how to work with customers to sell that product.The same theory applies to the newspaper business."The front page is our showroom, and our news is our product," Peterson said. "And every week, it’s something new. That’s what I find the most interesting about this business. We put out a new, fresh product week in and week out."Another rewarding aspect of the news business, he said, is community involvement."Newspapers should be pillars in their communities," he said. "By nature of what we do, we know the mayor, city council members, county commissioners, school board members, superintendent … and we know them by first name. Not everyone can say that."This, he said, perfectly positions news organizations for community leadership.In Redwood Falls, Peterson and the Redwood Gazette spearheaded several community projects, including a downtown business development program, baseball field improvement and fund-raisers for various causes.This involvement will also be a goal for Peterson at Tollefson Publishing. "I think that’s a role a newspaper should play in every community," he said. "You have to be able to recognize when there’s a need for something, and we do have the ability to take that lead role."Peterson came to Luverne’s news market, he said, for a chance at ownership."Roger has given me a unique opportunity to be a partner in this newspaper, and I am very grateful for that."At the same time, Petersen looks forward to the challenge of ownership."It’s a commitment to the community to keep the paper part of the community," he said. Peterson said he’ll also work to connect the community to the paper."There’s a quality product produced here already, and my goal is to enhance that," he said. "I want people to rely on the Star Herald for their news and information. … We don’t run AP stories in our pages. What you get in this publication, you can’t get anywhere else."He said the newspaper’s success in a community hinges on the success of the businesses it works with, so he looks forward to promoting and supporting the town. "It goes hand-in-hand," he said.Peterson found his niche in the publishing industry with an advertising job at the Worthington Daily Globe, and shortly thereafter launching his own shopper, the Nobles County PioneerIn 1989, he filled the position of editor and publisher at the Redwood Gazette, Redwood Falls, where he worked for 16 years.Peterson is renting an apartment in Luverne until his wife, Mary, can join him after the school year ends this spring. She’s a paraprofessional at Reede Gray School in Redwood Falls.They have three grown children and one grandchild.

By Lexi MooreSteen Mayor Melvin Van Batavia swore in Mark Richards during their regular council meeting on Monday.Richards, a Steen resident since 1997, accepted the appointment at the Feb. 7 meeting.A seat on the council was created after seven-year councilman Rodney Scholten resigned at the Jan. 3 meeting. Scholten resigned because his family was relocating to a home in Hills.Five residents showed an interest in filling the open seat on the council. During the Feb. 7 meeting the council nominated two candidates, Thomas Ruger and Mark Richards.Richards was appointed to the position after receiving three votes from the council, while Ruger had one.Richards and his wife Teri moved to Steen from Sioux Falls in 1997 in search of a quieter community to raise their children.They found what they were looking for.Richards said, "I love how quiet it is at night. I can see the stars, which you can’t do in Sioux Falls, and let the kids run around without worrying about them getting hit by a car."Richards works in Sioux Falls for the Department of Transportation as a traffic data technician and Teri is the government teacher at Hills-Beaver Creek High School.Richards admits he was surprised when Mayor Van Batavia asked him if he would be interested in joining the council but figured he was old enough to show some civic responsibility.His first goal as a council member is to encourage better maintenance in an effort to entice small businesses to the area."It all starts with cleaning up the town."Prior to taking his oath of office at the meeting, Mayor Van Batavia discussed responsibilities of being a council member."You must vote on all business, attend meetings and know what you represent. Thank you for accepting this offer."Mayor Van Batavia was very pleased with the response of the community to the ad announcing that the council would be looking to fill the vacant seat. "Having five residents interested in a town with only 62 homes is a great sign of the civic commitment in our community."In other city business:The council voted to accept a bid for gutter removal and replacement on the Town Hall. The bid from Northland Siding and Window, Larchwood, was for $957. Replacing the gutters should prevent flooding in the Town Hall basement.

10 years ago (1995)
In the past few months, the Rock County Sheriff’s office has received reports of more than 20 damaged or ruined mailboxes all over rural Rock County.
Mike Cox started his own new business, Mike D. Cox Financial Services.
Luverne will have 87 students open enrolled for the 1995-96 school year. Luverne also has students enrolled in other districts: three in Hills-Beaver Creek, one in Edgerton, one in Adrian and two in Ellsworth.
Joan Heeren, Millie Lais and Mary Donth have all worked more than 30 years at the Magnolia Steakhouse.25 years ago (1980)
The Blue Mound Area Theatre Corporation has signed a purchase agreement for the Palace on Luverne’s Main Street. The group applied for a grant, with Tom Brakke leading the effort.
Roger Jackson was named Hills-Beaver Creek teacher of the year.
Sheila Siebenahler and Kathy Murphy won places in the gymnastics region tournament.50 years ago (1955)
A flip of the coin yesterday morning decided who would be assessor in Martin Township for the next two years. In the election, Art Rogness received four write-in votes, and so did Herman Paulson. Neither had filed. County Attorney Skewes looked up the statute and found that the board could use any method they preferred to determine the winner by lot. A disinterested party flipped a coin, and Paulson was declared elected.
Plans are underway for the mass polio vaccination of all Rock County first and second grade children. The vaccination will be free, after an evaluation report from the University of Michigan confirms its safety. The university studied the Salk vaccine field trial, which involved 1,830,000 children last year.
Orlie Davis, Luverne, purchased the service station property known as Noll’s Corner Station, a half mile east of Beaver Creek.75 years ago (1930)
Geo. E. Holliday & Son will open their new implement house with a complete new stock of farm implements tomorrow in the Hinkly building on East Main Street. Vernon Holliday will manage it.
John B. Mann, of Mound Township, received a Hereford summer boar pig Wednesday from John C. Schulte, of Norway, Iowa, the originator of this new variety of swine.100 years ago (1905)
Nelson Brothers have completed arrangements for building two large safety deposit vaults in their store building for the preservation of their books, accounts and jewelry in case of fire.
A deal was completed Saturday whereby J.H. Thiel traded his building and saloon stock and fixtures on Main Street, to the Minneapolis Trust company.

DISTRICT COURTPROBATE DIVISIONFIFTH JUDICIAL DISTRICTNOTICE AND ORDER OF HEARING ON PETITION FOR PROBATE OF WILL AND APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND NOTICE TO CREDITORSSTATE OF MINNESOTACOUNTY OF ROCKESTATE OFOPAL I. NELSON, AKA OPAL NELSONDECEDENTIt is Ordered and Notice is given that on April 4, 2005, at 9:00 (a.m.) a hearing will be held in this Court at Rock County Courthouse Luverne, Minnesota, for the formal probate of an instrument purporting to be the will of Decedent, dated April 7, 1999, and codicil (N/A) to the will dated N/A, and separate writing (N/A) under Minn. Sat. 524.2-513 ("Will"), and for the appointment of Arthur Ehde whose address is: 1410 150th Ave. Luverne, MN 56156 as personal representative of the Estate of the Decedent in a SUPERVISED administration. Any objections to the petition must be filed with the Court prior to or raised at the hearing. If proper and if no objections are filed or raised, the personal representative will be appointed with full power to administer the Estate, including the power to collect all assets, pay all legal debts, claims, taxes and expenses, to sell real and personal property, and do all necessary acts for the Estate. Notice is also given that (subject to Minn. Stat. 524.3-801) all creditors having claims against the Estate are required to present the claims to the personal representative or to the Court Administrator within four months after the date of this Notice or the claims will be barred. /s/ TIMOTHY K. CONNELLTIMOTHY K. CONNELLJudge Date/s/ SANDRA L. VRTACNIKSANDRA L. VRTACNIKCourt Administrator DateAttorney For Personal RepresentativeBENJAMIN VANDER KOOI, JR.VANDER KOOI LAW OFFICES, P.A.127 E. MainPO. Box 746Luverne, MN 56156-0746507-283-9546Attorney I.D. No. 112124(3-10, 3-17)