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Remember When Jan. 23, 2020

10 years ago (2010)
•The Luverne National Guard Armory was home to roughly 50 stranded motorists Monday night. And that number seemed to be climbing as of 8:30 p.m.
The group included travelers from as far away as Duluth and the Twin Cities and as near as Worthington.
They all found themselves in Luverne when they were unable to drive farther, or they had gotten stuck or were in an accident on nearby roadways.
 
25 years ago (1995)
•The Rock County Board of Commissioners took a step closer to making a secure detention center in Magnolia a reality.
At their meeting Tuesday, they joined Nobles County Commissioners in approving a resolution which would seek money from the State of Minnesota Department of Corrections to build a secure detention and treatment facility at the Magnolia school location.
Maurice Crowley, owner of Pinnacle Programs Inc., is currently transforming the existing building into a non-secure long-term residential treatment facility for troubled youth. It’s his goal to build a secure, short-term detention center on the premises but he is waiting to see how recent legislation on the construction of juvenile detention centers will affect the southwest Minnesota Fifth Judicial District.
 
50 years ago (1970)
•Sioux Falls Weather Bureau called Monday the coldest day of the century.
And Luverne’s official temperature was one degree colder than that recorded in Sioux Falls, a mighty frigid 37 degrees below zero, according to Darrell Strassburg, who keeps  readings here for the Weather Bureau.
Whether this is a record low for Luverne or not is not known, because records aren’t available for every day, dating back to the beginning of the town’s history.
It’s definitely colder than it was at any time last year. Record set in 1969 was -25 on January 4.
Sioux Falls Weather Bureau repots the lowest temperature ever recorded there was -42 on Feb.9, 1899. A check through Star-Herald files resulted in the finding of a news story referring to a 40 degree below zero reading here — and at Ash-creek — on that day.
 
75 years ago (1945)
•Rock county farmers will be paid $5 per acre up to the acreage goal set for their farm for all flax raised during 1945, according to information received by Leonard A. Arp, county AAA chairman.
In order to increase flax production, the raising of which is vital to the war effort, the government has offered incentive payments of $5 per acre on goals which will be fixed at approximately the same figure that prevailed during 1943. At that time, about 32,000 acres were planted to flax. During 1944, the acreage dropped to about 11,000, the decrease being attributed in part to the adverse weather conditions last spring.
Mr. Arp cautions that because of the shortage of good seed, farmers contemplating raising flax this year should make arrangements to obtain their needs as soon as possible.
 
100 years ago (1920)
•Special attention is to be hereafter given by the Luverne Motor Truck Co. to direct from factory local sales, and Rock and surrounding counties will be covered by factory salesmen and demonstrators. As a consequence, Luverne will materially benefit from having the sales headquarters here, through the fact that this arrangement will bring many people from a distance to Luverne, who would not otherwise come here.
Two years ago the Luverne Automobile Sales Company, of Sioux Falls, contracted for the entire sale of the Luverne line of motor trucks to be handled and delivered from Sioux Falls.
The arrangement was a big success in taking care of South Dakota customers, and for a time the entire production of the factory was required to fill South Dakota orders.
It was found, however, that the trade from Iowa, Minnesota and the Dakotas could be handled more advantageously from the factory than from Sioux Falls.
During the past year there has been a rapidly growing demand for Luverne farm trucks from all parts of the United States, all of which could best be handled direct from the factory.
To meet the situation the new Luverne Motor Truck company, with ample capital, was organized and the manufacturing and storage facilities were largely increased, so that a large stock of trucks can be carried on hand at the factory at all times.
The Luverne Auto-mobile Sales Company, of Sioux Falls, distributors for South Dakota, have contracted for a quantity of farm trucks to be delivered at the rate of a certain number each month for two years, and will aim to carry a stock on hand and make all deliveries in the Dakota territory from Sioux Falls.
A nation-wide advertising campaign will be carried on by the Luverne Motor Truck company and agencies will be established in all parts of the United States.

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