By John RittenhouseMagnolia’s Josh Klay and Adrian’s Mark DeBoer posted two feature wins each during a busy weekend at area speedways.Klay, a hobby stock competitor, and DeBoer, a late model street stock driver, posted their wins on the same nights and same tracks.Both men attended Friday’s races at Rapid Speedway in Rock Rapids, Iowa.Klay won the feature race after placing third in the first heat race. DeBoer placed second in the first heat race in the street stock division before winning the feature.DeBoer and Klay made statements during Sunday’s races at Huset’s Speedway near Brandon, S.D.Klay placed second in the second heat race of the hobby stock competition before winning the feature. DeBoer won the first street stock heat race and the feature title.Luverne’s Jesse Akkerman competed against DeBoer, and Kanaranzi’s Colter Deutsch and Ellsworth’s Mike Deutsch raced against Klay at Huset’s.Akkerman placed third in the first heat and third in the street stock feature.Colter Deutsch won the first hobby stock heat race before placing second in the feature. Mike Deutsch finished third in the second heat race and ninth in the feature.A number of other area drivers mixed it up at Rapid Speedway.Former Rock County resident Darrin Korthals, Luverne’s Scott Overgaard and Adrian’s Brad Klaassen raced in the street stock division at the Iowa track.Korthals won the first heat race and placed second in the feature. Overgaard placed sixth in the first heat and 10th in the feature. Klaassen won the second heat and finished third in the feature.Former Luverne resident Anthony Mann, Kanaranzi’s Deutsch and Ellsworth’s Greg Roemen competed in the sportsmen class at Rapid Speedway.Mann placed fourth in the first heat and fourth in the feature. Roemen finished fourth in the second heat and fifth in the feature. Deutsch placed sixth in the first heat and 13th in the feature.Colter Deutsch, Magnolia’s Larry Kracht and Luverne’s Seth Stegenga raced in the hobby stock class at Rapid Speedway.Kracht won the second heat race before finishing fifth in the feature. Stegenga placed fourth in the third heat and seventh in the feature. Deutsch placed second in the second heat and ninth in the feature.Luverne’s Brett DeJager and Mike Steensma secured places as modified drivers at Minnesota tracks over the weekend.DeJager placed fourth and Steensma fifth in the feature race at Murray County Speedway in Slayton Friday. DeJager placed second in the feature race at Nobles County Speedway in Worthington Saturday.Lake County Speedway, in Madison, S.D., attracted three area drivers Saturday.Adrian’s DeBoer placed second in the first heat and third in the street stock feature. Ellsworth’s Roemen placed third in the second heat and third in the sportsmen feature. Kanaranzi’s Deutsch placed second in the first heat and fourth in the hobby stock feature.Four area drivers raced at I-90 Speedway in Hartford, S.D., Saturday.Luverne’s Chad Overgaard placed second in the second heat and seventh in the feature race of the Wissota late model class.Luverne’s Akkerman, Adrian’s Klaassen and Korthals raced in the street stock division.Klaassen placed third in the third heat and third in the feature. Korthals won the third heat race before placing fourth in the feature. Akkerman took the checkered flag in the second heat race before placing fifth in the feature.

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne American Legion baseball team racked up 30 runs while disposing of a pair of area teams at Redbird Field in games played since last Thursday.The Cardinals toppled Fulda by six runs Thursday before notching a seven-run win over Edgerton Tuesday.Luverne, 8-2 overall, will play five games at the Brookings, S.D., tournament Friday through Sunday. The Cardinals host Slayton Tuesday.Luverne 13, Edgerton 6The Cardinals scored eight runs in the first two innings and coasted to a seven-run home victory over Edgerton Tuesday.Luverne plated six runs in the home half of the first inning and added two more in the second to take command of the game.Edgerton outscored Luverne 6-5 the rest of the way, but it wasn’t enough to seriously challenge the Cards.Jared Pick doubled and Zach Wysong walked before both runners raced home on an error to open the scoring in the first.Rob Fodness delivered a two-run single, Tim Boen contributed a sacrifice fly and Mark Remme scored on a wild pitch to cap the six-run inning.Adam Reisch doubled in the second inning before scoring on a two-run home run to left-center field by Wysong to make it an 8-0 game in the second.Edgerton trimmed the lead in half at 8-4 before Luverne scored twice in the bottom of the fourth to open a 10-4 cushion.Wysong doubled home one run and scored the second run in the fourth on an error.Edgerton answered with two runs in the top of the fifth, but the Cards scored twice in the bottom of the fifth and once in the sixth to win handily.Taylor Graphenteen was hit by a pitch before scoring the first run in the fifth when Pick grounded out. Fodness singled and scored on a single from Reisch to increase the lead to 12-6 by innings end.Remme was hit by a pitch before scoring the sixth-inning run on an error.Wysong pitched the first inning for the Cards before giving way to Graphenteen, who worked the next two and one-third innings to notch the win. Kelsey Petersen tossed one and one-third innings for Luverne. Fodness twirled the final two and one-third frames.Box score AB R H BIPick 4 1 1 1Reisch 4 2 3 1Wysong 3 3 3 3Kurtz 1 1 0 0Johnson 2 0 0 0Remme 3 2 0 0Boen 2 0 1 1Goembel 1 0 0 0Bruynes 1 1 0 0Petersen 2 0 0 0Graphenteen 2 2 1 0Fodness 3 1 2 2Luverne 17, Fulda 11The Cardinals trounced Fulda for the second time this season when they came out on the winning end of a six-run decision in Luverne Thursday.Luverne’s Remme drove in five runs with two hits and Adam Kurtz picked up three RBIs and emerged as the winning pitcher in the game.Fulda scored three runs in the top half of the fourth inning to take an 11-10 lead in a wild game, but the Cardinals scored the final seven runs to record the victory.Kurtz tied the game with an RBI single in the bottom of the fifth inning before Boen delivered a two-run single to give Luverne a 13-11 edge.Reisch singled home a run, Remme picked up an RBI with a fielder’s choice and Kurtz drew a bases-loaded walk to earn RBIs during a four-run sixth inning that iced the game.Remme gave the Cards a 2-0 lead with a two-run single in the first inning, but Fulda moved in front 5-2 by plating five runs in the top of the second.Luverne regained the lead at 6-5 with a four-run bottom of the second that was highlighted by an RBI single from Graphenteen and Kurtz being hit by a pitch with the bases full.Fulda scored three times in the top of the third to regain the lead at 8-6, but the Cards answered with a four-run surge in the bottom of the inning to take a 10-8 lead.Remme doubled home two runs, Fodness delivered an RBI triple and Graphenteen contributed a sacrifice fly to the third-inning rally.Kurtz pitched three innings of hitless, shutout relief to pick up the win. Fodness and Boen tossed two innings each.Box score AB R H BIGraphenteen 1 2 1 2Goembel 1 1 0 0Pick 0 5 0 0Wysong 2 2 1 0Kurtz 2 2 1 3Remme 4 1 2 5Reisch 4 1 1 1Boen 4 0 1 2Bruynes 4 2 3 0Fodness 3 1 1 1Johnson 1 0 0 0

10 years ago (1994)"The issue of expanding gravel pits near Blue Mounds State Park goes beyond defending the natural beauty of the area, according to local landowners Gene and Carlene Scott. The real issue, they said, centers around private property owners’ rights and government control over those rights.A public hearing on June 20 addressed the question of whether or not the land east of the park should be rezoned to allow Northern Con-Agg to expand its gravel pit west toward the Mounds."25 years ago (1979)"As the independent trucker’s shutdown in protest of rising diesel fuel prices continues, the violence which is present across the states entered the Rock County area.The Rock County Sheriff’s Office reported that there was a shooting incident by Magnolia Thursday night.A four-wheel drive pickup was going west when it met a semi-truck heading east. Three occupants were in the semi, according to officials.The occupants heard shots, but the truck was not hit and no one was injured. The pickup truck is still unidentified according to officials."50 years ago (1954)"St. John’s new church will be dedicated in ceremonies which will be held next Sunday. Three leading churchmen of the Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod, will be featured speakers at morning and afternoon services.… The dedication sermon will be given by the Reverend Professor W. A. Poehler, president of Concordia College."75 years ago (1929)"Luverne is soon to have another exclusive grocery store, which will carry a complete line of staple and fancy groceries. The new concern is a chain organization and does business as a Council Oak store. It is a branch of the well-known wholesale house of the Tollerton-Warfield Co., of Sioux City."100 years ago (1904)"A transfer of Luverne property which involved more money than any similar deal made in a long time, was affected the past week when the LaDue dairy farm was sold to C.W. Grant, of LaPort, Iowa. While the consideration is not stated, it is understood to be more than $20,000. … The LaDue dairy is one of the oldest institutions in the city and has been conducted continuously for over twenty-two years."

JUNE 3, 2004MINUTES OF THE SPECIAL SCHOOL BOARD MEETING OF INDEPENDENT SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 2184, ROCK COUNTY, LUVERNE, MINNESOTA. A special meeting of the Board of Education, ISD #2184, was held in the District Office on Thursday, June 3, 2004, at 12:00 p.m.The following members were present: Don Bryan, Colleen Deutsch, Cary Radisewitz, Bill Stegemann, Steve Tofteland, and Becky Walgrave. Absent: Dan Kopp. Also present: Superintendent Vince Schaefer, Marlene Mann, Don Klosterbuer, and Larry Roos.The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Becky Walgrave. School Attorney Don Klosterbuer reviewed the options the School Board has in regard to the track bids received on May 26, 2004. There are four options: 1) award the two low bids for the asphalt and track surfacing (McLaughlin & Schulz, Inc and Fisher Tracks, Inc); 2) accept bid specifications and accept the All Surface Specialist, Inc., bid for surfacing; 3) reject all surfacing bids and delay action on the asphalt bid for one week to allow for negotiation of two quotes for the surfacing; or 4) reject all asphalt and surfacing bids. Motion by Tofteland, second by Radisewitz, to reject all bids and to request an explanation from Neil Tessier, CEI Associates, as to why the bid from Fisher Tracks, Inc., did not comply with bid specifications. Motion unanimously carried.Motion by Radisewitz, second by Stegemann, to adjourn the meeting. Motion unanimously carried. Dated: June 3, 2004Colleen Deutsch, Clerk(7-1)

REQUEST FOR BIDSLUVERNE PUBLIC SCHOOLSNotice is hereby given that bids will be received until 11:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 20, 2004, at the Office of the Superintendent, Luverne High School, Luverne, Minnesota, for the furnishing of the following products:A. Gasoline and Fuel ProductsB. Fuel OilC. Bakery ProductsD. Milk ProductsDetailed specifications and information are available at the Office of the Superintendent of Schools.The School Board reserves the right to reject any and all bids and to waive any technicalities. Colleen DeutschClerk(7-1, 7-8)

I have a couple days off this week, so I’m probably lounging on the deck with the birds and wasps, sipping a summer beverage while you're slaving away at the workplace. Fear not, I would never forget you. Before I took today off, I cataloged my little heart out so you could check out some brand new books for the 4th of July weekend. First and foremost on the list is, "Second Chance" by Danielle Steel. As editor-in-chief of New York’s leading fashion magazine, Fiona Monaghan lived a life as hectic and high-toned as the fashion world itself, jetting back and forth between her stylish Manhattan brownstone and the couture shows of Europe. With closets stuffed with Fendi and a snoring bulldog named Sir Winston sharing her bed, Fiona was utterly content with her life. Until the sweltering June day John Anderson strolled into her office. After a dinner date left them both wanting more, Fiona impulsively invited John to the Paris couture shows. In the most romantic city in the world, Fiona let this man into her heart. A widower with two daughters, John Anderson was nearly Fiona’s opposite in every way. John was both amused and appalled by Fiona’s world of high-strung designers and anorexic models. But within weeks of their return to New York, John was making friends with Sir Winston and Fiona was making room in her closets. It didn’t take long for the dominoes to start falling. First, John introduced Fiona to his daughters, their bloodthirsty Pekingese, and a snarling housekeeper. It was hate at first sight. Fiona and John’s relationship began to unravel with alarming speed. What happens next will set Fiona on a journey filled with pain and revelation. When she returns to Paris alone and takes an amazing risk, an extraordinary series of events begins to unfold and Fiona is about to get the surprise of her life. Also new on the shelf is "Sam’s Letters to Jennifer," by James Patterson. Jennifer returns to the resort village where she grew up to help a beloved relative — and ends up experiencing not one, but two of the most amazing love stories she's ever known. The first is completely unexpected. In a series of letters that Jennifer finds, her relative reveals that she has concealed a huge secret for decades: Her great love is not the man she was married to for all those years. As Jennifer reads about this passionate partnership, she learns more about love's imperatives and secrets than she ever dreamed possible. And then comes the biggest surprise of all. At a time when she thought she could never love again, Jennifer lets her guard down for a moment — and is suddenly caught up in the greatest flight of exhilaration she's ever known. But, just as suddenly, she learns that this new love comes with an unbearable cost. Jennifer doesn't think she can survive the pain — but the letters she's been reading make her think that love may help her find a way. For those who prefer to listen to books, we have the unabridged version of "Ten Big Ones," by Janet Evanovich and "Hidden Prey," by John Sandford on cassette. Special Notice: The library will be closed on Monday, July 5, in observance of Independence Day.

Borrowed the county’s cashThe following was printed in the Rose History in 1911:"In the early days of Rock County’s history incidents sometimes occurred which may be classed as remarkable in the light of present conditions. Should the county treasurer of this day loan the county’s funds to a private individual without authority from anyone, one can imagine that such action would be considered highly improper. Yet an event of this kind occurred in the early days without causing a ripple of excitement. The man who negotiated the loan — still a resident of Rock County — told me the story. It was during the terrible grasshopper scourge that the wife of the settler in question was taken ill and it was decided to have her go to her old home in Iowa. In common with nearly all the residents of Rock County of that day, the family were without means, but the desire to give his wife the benefits of the more congenial surroundings of their old home led this homesteader to make an effort to raise the money among the neighbors. He spent a day canvassing the country in a futile attempt to borrow enough money to pay the railroad fare, but not a cent did he obtain. Disheartened, he proceeded on his way home, but on the way stopped to chat with a neighbor who was also the treasurer of Rock County. The county official sympathized with his friend, but was likewise without means. He stated that he had in his possession the funds of Rock County, which reached a total of just about enough to meet the necessary expense of the journey, and remarked that it was a shame this money could not be put at his disposal. "What security could you give if I should loan you this money?" asked the county treasurer. The settler replied that he had 14 sacks of seed wheat, and then and there the loan was made. The wheat was hauled to the county treasurer’s home with the understanding that it was to be sold in case there was a call for any of the county’s funds; otherwise it was to be returned when the loan was paid. Within a short time money was secured from Iowa and the county treasurer of Rock County was again in possession of funds. The credit of the settler who made the loan is as good today as when he borrowed the county funds, and he could today give security to the extent of several choice quarter sections of Rock County land."Donations to the Rock County Historical Endowment Fund can be sent to the Rock County Historical Society, P.O. Box 741, Luverne, MN 56156.Mann welcomes correspondence sent to mannmade@iw.net.

Rock County deputies to zero in on speedersStepped-up enforcement runs July 1-18Speeding motorists on Rock County roads will be tagged by Rock County Deputies during an enhanced speeding enforcement and education campaign, July 1-18. The Safe & Sober crackdown includes participation from hundreds of law enforcement agencies statewide, including local police departments, county sheriff's offices and Minnesota State Patrol. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety will coordinate the effort.Speeding is usually the most commonly reported factor in fatal crashes. In 2002, nearly 13,000 speed-related crashes resulted in 184 deaths and more than 7,000 personal injuries — costing the state an estimated $486 million. "If you're driving at unsafe or illegal speeds, you are a danger on the road and will be stopped," said Deputy Nick Schafer. "It's important to remember — the faster you go, the harder you crash."DPS reports that more than twice as many speed-related fatal crashes occuron rural roads than major urban roads."No matter how many times you've driven on a given road, it doesn't make it safe to speed," said Deputy Schafer. And time isn't on the speeder's side: traveling at 65 mph versus 55 mph over 10 miles only shaves one minute and 41 seconds off the trip time. In Rock County the minimum fine for speeding is $105.The Safe & Sober education and enforcement campaign is funded by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and designed to reduce the number of traffic crashes and injuries.Slow Down. Or Pay the Price.2002 Minnesota speeding facts
Illegal or unsafe speed was a contributing factor in nearly 13,000 crashes resulting in 184 fatalities and more than 7,000 personal injuries.oInjuries and fatalities resulting from speed-related crashes cost Minnesota an estimated $486 million.
Illegal or unsafe speed was cited in 8,114 property damage crashes.
Illegal or unsafe speed was cited in 27 percent of all alcohol-related crashes. Nationally about 42 percent of impaired drivers were speeding.
There were twice as many speed-related fatal crashes in rural areas (less than 5,000 population) as there were in urban areas.
More than 60 percent of rural fatal crashes occurred on state trunk and county state aid highways.
Illegal or unsafe speed was the most frequently cited contributing factor in single-vehicle crashes — accounting for more than 20 percent of all factors cited in such crashes.
Younger drivers especially speed — illegal or unsafe speed accounted for about one-quarter of the factors cited for drivers under age 30, compared to only about 10 percent of the factors cited for drivers age 65 and older.
Two-thirds of all drivers report they at least occasionally exceed what they consider to be the maximum safe speed on roads they regularly travel.
Nearly 60 percent of all drivers report seeing speeding vehicles all or most of the time when they drive on residential streets as well as highways.
NHTSA research shows motorists wrongly believe speeding is not a great risk to safety or as serious as other traffic violations. In reality, the consequences of excessive speeding include:
Greater potential for loss of vehicle control;
Increased stopping distance;
Increased crash severity leading to more numerous and severe injuries.Sources: Minnesota Motor Vehicle Crash Facts 2002 National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

You can’t take it with you — at least from certain hospitals. A good example of this truism is a 53-year-old British man who "harassed and abused medical staff more than 40 times since January in his quest" for free medical items, such as surgical gowns and masks. He didn’t wish to leave any medical facility empty-handed. As a result of his fetish, according to Reuters, the man "has become the first person to be banned from every hospital in England and Wales." If he should ever require medical treatment in the future, his visits to hospitals or doctors will be strictly controlled and will require prior written consent from the government. The man’s story sounds very familiar. In fact, he could have been raised by my own mother. In her personal quest to pack "everything she paid for" whenever she checked out of a hospital, she often brought home many souvenirs. The main difference between the man in England and my mother, and why he might deserve some respect, is that he bothered to ask for the items in the first place. My mother’s consumer advice while I was growing up dealt primarily with two subjects — "Never pay full price for furniture" and, "Always take home the free stuff after a hospital stay." Specifically, she noted, "Anything they won’t use for the next patient." As a result of her hospital souvenir attitude, our bathroom shelves were filled to overflowing with open boxes of tissue, fever thermometers, toilet paper roll leftovers, lotion bottles and hospital-issued toothbrushes and toothpaste. We had substantial stacks of those little, plastic dishes, often used by the bedridden for brushing teeth, rinsing and spitting. To her credit, my mother did stop short of taking home bed linens, pillows, window coverings, floor tiles, room doors, gurneys and fluorescent light fixtures. She definitely had her limits. The following telltale signs might indicate if someone’s close friend, roommate or family member has taken hospital souvenir hunting to new heights: Upon closer examination, you realize the beautifully designed, stainless steel bowl holding brightly colored, fresh fruits on the kitchen counter is actually a hospital bedpan. When you can’t find a scissors and you really need one, someone taps you on the shoulder and hands you a scalpel. What appear to be gastric tubes, with their working ends removed, serve as bendable, plastic drinking straws on hot summer days. Blue or green surgical scrubs tend to be the uniform of the day — everyday. The blinding, bright lights over the kitchen table appear to belong to one of those fixtures often seen on the TV medical show, "ER." Many of the towels and washcloths in the house are stamped with hospitals’ names or initials. (Creative couples can actually have "His" and "Hers" towels by arranging separate medical stays at the Health Institute of Schenectady and Houston Emergency Room Services.) The final indicator would be the countless fever thermometers scattered throughout the house. Although they can’t be used for noting the higher temperatures of a beef roast or a batch of chocolate fudge, they do function perfectly as glass beverage stirrers.