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Remember When Jan. 17, 2019

10 years ago (2009)
•The swimming pool at the Rock County Community Pool and Fitness Center is open again after staff tackled an unusual water quality problem last week.
The pool was forced to close Jan. 2-5 after facility managers noticed discoloration along the walls of the pool.
“It’s something the public wouldn’t notice, but as pool operators we were able to recognize there was a problem,” said one of the pool supervisors, Robyn Wessels.
She said the problem started late in December, but when customary water treatments weren’t working, they turned to more dramatic treatment that required pool closure.
A water analysis at MC&R Pools in Sioux Falls recommended super chlorinating the pool, or shock treating it, in case the problem was algae related.
 
25 years ago (1994)
•Ordering coffee used to mean deciding whether you wanted regular or decaffeinated.
But the days of brown-colored, tasteless hot water are disappearing.
Coffee has suddenly become more sophisticated. Even rural Midwesterners find themselves floundering in the uncharted waters of roasts, blends, flavors, grinds, grinders, filters, espresso machines and other terminology used by discriminating coffee drinkers.
Michelle Olari, Hills, is doing her part to help people in Rock County learn what Europeans and coastal Americans discovered some time ago: Coffee drinking can be an adventure.
Doing business as The Coffee Explorer, she’s been selling specialty coffees for her rural home during the past year or so. During the holiday season, she gave samples at the Hills grocery store and at the Rocking Horse in Luverne.
 
50 years ago (1969)
•No flu epidemic has hit Luverne but the Community Hospital was at 110 per cent occupancy as of Tuesday night.
“People of all ages, with all types of illness, are hospitalized,” Joe McFadden, hospital administrator, stated.
The Luverne hospital was constructed for 42 beds. Tuesday night 27 patients were in the hospital, Not one was a baby.
“We converted the west waiting room to a hospital room with beds loaned from the V.F.W.,” the administrator stated.
The 47 patients at the local hospital is a record. The hospital has reported all 42 beds full before but never over 100 per cent.
 
75 years ago (1944)
•Announcement that there would be another fox hunt this coming Sunday was made this week, following numerous requests by sportsmen for a duplication of the sporting event conducted here two weeks go. At that time, two fox were shot.
All those interested in participating are asked to meet at the Connell Chevrolet garage at 10 a.m. Only shotguns may be used, as hunting with rifles is barred. Proceeds from any fox shot will go to the club. Hunters may shoot rabbits for their own if they wish.
Those who take part are urged to bring lunch with them as the hunt will continue into the afternoon, with no “time out” given to go home to eat.
 
100 years ago (1919)
•After having spent days in laboriously traversing many, many miles of extremely rough and scantily snow-covered country roads with a three-box sleigh filled with booze, Edward J. Gerber and William Passer, of Sioux Falls, came to grief Thursday of last week after having safely passed through Rock county and arrived at Sherman.
The men had purchased contraband goods at Springfield, this state, and were on their return to Sioux Falls. When they left their South Dakota homes for Minnesota’s most popular “wet” town, a sleigh unquestionably offered the most expedient method of travel, but while they lingered to bask in the artificial good fellowship for which Springfield is notorious, the sun’s warm rays continued to devour what little snow there had been, and it was in painful recognition of this fact that the men decided to stop at Sherman until one of the party could go to Sioux Falls and obtain an auto truck with which to complete the journey.  …
While Gerber left for Sioux Falls for the auto truck, Passer maintained a vigil over the booze laden sleigh, until his conduct aroused the suspicion of Marshal Harold Hanson. …
When the sleigh was unpacked at the sheriff’s residence, it was found to contain 160 quarts of whiskey, 20 gallons of alcohol, not to mention a quantity of beer in quart bottles. Based on South Dakota bootlegger prices the seizure is said to represent a value of approximately $2,500 and is considered the most important haul that South Dakota authorities have made since the state went bone-dry.

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