10 years ago (2010)
•In its first year of existence in Luverne, the Backpack Program is meeting hunger head-on outside of the school day.
The BackPack Program sends discreet packages of food home with students on Fridays so they can return on Mondays read to learn.
Program initiator Carrie Soto said already the program has cut down the percent of Rock County students who have had to skip meals in the past.
According to the “Missing Meal Survey” by Second Harvest, 16 percent of Rock County residents were missing a meal due to poverty compared with 12 percent statewide.
“With this data, we could see that there were gaps in our services. We have a great community but there were still needs,” Soto said.
In Luverne, 35 percent of students (nearly 200) receive free or reduced meals. Based on the result of the survey, the beginning goal was set to serve 75 students for the 2009-10 school year.
25 years ago (1995)
•When Ron Rauk opened doors for business at Rauk’s Texaco Store at 8 a.m. Sunday, he noticed credit card information was strewn all over the counter and floor.
More noticeably, the cash register was missing, and there were muddy footprints leading from the back door to the front counter.
Sometime that night after he and Marlys closed at 9:30, someone pried open the back door and burglarized the store. Missing were 27 cartons of cigarettes valued at $529.20.
Also, Marlys said it appeared that the burglars had tried to gain access to the cash register, but when they failed, they took the entire machine. She said there was only a small amount of change in the machine. “It doesn’t take too many brains to figure it out,” she said. “The key was right in the keyhole.”
She said muddy tracks led to the office where the drawers had been rifled through, but nothing else was taken.
The most expensive loss from the burglary, however, is damage to the back door, which will cost about $1,000 to fix.
Ron and Maryls opened the new Texaco Store in January. ...
The Rauks plan to install a security alarm in the near future.
50 years ago (1970)
•“I believe teaching to be one of the most rewarding professions,” says Mrs. Joe (Grace) Fink, who was named Hills-Beaver Creek’s Teacher of the Year for 1970. Mrs. Fink knows whereof she speaks. She has been an elementary teacher for 46 years.
She received her Bachelor of Science degree from Southern State College and extra credits to receive her supervisor’s certificate.
Mrs. Fink has been teaching at Beaver Creek for 20 years. Before that she taught in District 20 of Rock County, in Itasca County and in South Dakota.
Prior to the merger of the Hills and Beaver Creek schools, Mrs. Fink was teaching principal of the elementary department. She also helped supervise practice teaching at Southern State during summer sessions.
When asked about her achievements, she remarked “Nothing outstanding — just doing my utmost day by day so that youngsters will have profited by having been in my classroom.”
75 years ago (1945)
•An early planting season, such as is in prospect at the present time, will do much to offset the farm help shortage.
This was the opinion expressed yesterday by County Agent Simon during a discussion of the 1945 farming prospects for Rock county. …
This week, with temperatures ranging up to 60 degrees, much of the frost was leaving the ground. On some of the land with south slopes, the topsoil was drying nicely, and the county agent said if the weather does not change the remainder of the week, the farmers will be out in force Monday.
100 years ago (1920)
•A meeting of base ball players and fans will be held at the Luverne Commercial club rooms this evening, and every base ball player in this section is especially urged to be present.
The purpose of the meeting is to ascertain what steps will be necessary to organize a base ball club for the coming season, and to find out how many Rock county players will be available for positions on the team.
Most of the county seat towns in this section will be represented by fast clubs during the coming season, and the more ardent local fans feel that it is time that steps were taken to organize a club here.
The tentative plans provide for a salaried battery, with the remaining positions filled with Rock county players.
You must log in to continue reading. Log in or subscribe today.