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County OKs gravel permit, pending DNR approval

Lori Sorenson

April 08, 2026

The Rock County Planning and Zoning Commission last week approved a permit request by Northern Con-Agg for a gravel pit expansion near the Blue Mounds State Park.

The board voted on the measure Tuesday, March 31, following an hour-long public hearing that involved nearly 30 people in…

'Miss Nelson is Missing' opens April 10

Nicole Ronchetti

April 08, 2026

Misbehaving students beware — the scary substitute teacher Miss Swamp is coming to the Palace Theatre later this week.

Performed by the Green Earth Players community theater group, the play “Miss Nelson is Missing’ will tell the tale from the classic children’s book of the same name. …

Hoppy Easter!

April 08, 2026

Luverne’s downtown was hopping with families Saturday for the Chamber’s Easter Bunny activities with 13 participating businesses. The day started with a free children’s movie at the Palace Theatre where roughly 150 children picked up their Easter bags and then strolled the streets of Luverne to…

Luverne FCCLA takes home multiple awards at state conference

April 08, 2026

The Luverne chapter of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America won several awards during the State Leadership conference held in Bloomington March 27-28.

Twenty-five Luverne students attended the event where they accepted three awards for their chapter.

They received…

H-BC opens bidds for partial track, project may be complete by fall

Nicole Ronchetti

April 08, 2026

After practicing in parking lots and fields, the Hills-Beaver Creek track athletes will soon have dedicated place of their own.

Bids have opened for Hills- Beaver Creek’s project to construct a partial track west of the current secondary school, with superintendent Todd Holthaus sharing…

Sports

Patriot freshman Trinity Olson, left, and junior Brynn Bakken finish strong in the 60-meter finals. Olson placed fourth and Bakken finished first with a time of 7.69.

H-BC opens track and field season at Dakota Wesleyan University Invite

Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor

April 08, 2026

The H-BC Patriots track and field athletes flourished at the Dakota Wesleyan University Invite where they captured 11 top 10 finishes. The Patriots were among 32 teams participating in the indoor event Tuesday, March 31, in Mitchell, South Dakota. “It was nice to get on the track again to start…

H-BC sophomore Maddox Metzger , left, and senior Abigayl Olson both placed second March 30.

Patriots golfers tee off season in Pipestone

Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor

April 08, 2026

The Hills-Beaver Creek High School golf team opened the 2026 golf season taking on Pipestone and Russell-Tyler-Ruthton at the Pipestone Country Club Monday, March 30. In team play H-BC placed third with a team score of 193. Pipestone prevailed on the home course with a team total of 177 and RTR…

LHS and H-BC all-conference basketball players announced

Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor

April 08, 2026

All conference honorees have been announced for Luverne and Hills-Beaver Creek high schools boys’ basketball teams. LHS senior Jaydon Johnson and junior Coy Thone were selected to the Big South All-Conference Gold Division team. H-BC seniors Micah Bush, Jamin Metzger, EJ Wegener and sophomore…

H-BC players celebrate their first-ever Class A boys’ basketball state championship Saturday, March 28, in Williams Arena. The No. 5 seed Patriots took down Southland, the No. 4 seed, 72-69 in the state quarterfinals March 26 at Target Center. H-BC knocked off the No. 1 seed and undefeated the Henning Hornets March 27 at Williams Arena and demolished the No. 2 seed Janesville-Waldorf-Pemberton Bulldogs 64-33 March 28 in Williams Arena to collect the state title.

Patriots crowned state champions

Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor

April 01, 2026

The Hills-Beaver Creek Patriots collected their first-ever boys’ state basketball championship beating three solid teams in the tournament March 26-28 in Minneapolis. H-BC came into the tournament as the fifth seed and left as the state champion in Class A action. “I’ve been around this game a…

Greg Hoogeveen photo/LHSSB1 Luverne senior Allie Kracht snags the softball for an out before it goes foul against Adrian-Ellsworth Monday, March 30, in Luverne. The Cardinals beat the Dragons 15-5 in the game.

Cardinal softball team opens season with win

Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor

April 01, 2026

The Luverne girls’ softball team opened the season with a win Monday. The Cardinals closed the game with the 10-run rule after the fifth inning beating the Dragons 15-5 at home. The game was scheduled to be played March 31 but was moved up due to weather. Clean-up batter Rylee Kurtz led the…

Luverne Taekwondo competes in South Dakota championship

Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor

April 01, 2026

The Luverne Taekwondo program sent six competitors to the 35th Annual South Dakota State Taekwondo Championships in Tea, South Dakota, Saturday, March 21. They joined over 160 competitors from more than 20 clubs representing five states: South Dakota, North Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa and Nebraska.…

Columns

'When Life Gives You Tangerines'

Nicole Ronchetti

I’ll admit that I cry very easily. If a book or a movie has a bittersweet ending, my friends and family know to have a box of tissues on standby.

But I don’t think I’ve ever cried as hard as when I watched “When Life Gives You Tangerines.”

That might not sound like a winning…

April 08, 2026

April is Earth Month

RIck Peterson, general manager

April is Earth Month and earlier this week we hosted a Star Media Conversation with Shannon Dwire, president of Millennium Recycling in Sioux Falls.

Starting this Thursday, you can watch that episode on our Star Media YouTube page, www. starmedia.today website, the Star Media Facebook…

April 08, 2026

Headlights and how to use them

Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State Patrol

Question: Can you write about the laws on headlights on when they are to be used? It would probably be a good idea to mention the rules of dimming one’s bright lights. Thanks.

Answer: When you are within 1,000 feet of an oncoming vehicle or following…

April 08, 2026

It is an uncertain time – Minnesota gun laws up in the air

I follow. I research. I investigate. I cross reference. I consult multiple sources and when I am all done, I can’t say for sure what, if anything is going to happen with gun laws in Minnesota this session. I can certainly remember the old adage, “don’t believe everything you hear and only half…

April 08, 2026

Obituaries

Rita Mae Robinson

April 08, 2026

Rita Mae (Kafka) Robinson of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, passed away March 30, 2026, following a lengthy cancer battle.

She was born Aug. 31, 1949, in Luverne to Joe and Rose (Musil) Kafka. Her mother died when she was seven, and Rita contracted polio at a young age.

She…

Joe Olsrud

April 08, 2026

Joe Olsrud, age 88, of Luverne, Minnesota, passed away on Sunday, March 29, 2026, at the Minnesota Veterans Home in Luverne.

A celebration of life gathering will be held at a later date.

Arrangements have been entrusted to the Hartquist Funeral Home in Luverne. Please visit www…

Dorothy Rosenberg

April 08, 2026

Dorothy Rosenberg, age 97, of Luverne, Minnesota, died on Saturday, March 28, 2026, at the Good Samaritan Society - Mary Jane Brown Home in Luverne.

Funeral service was at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 7, 2026, at First Presbyterian Church in Luverne with visitation held prior from 9:30- 11 a.…

Sharon Hoffman

April 08, 2026

Sharon Kay Hoffman, age 89, of Luverne, Minnesota, passed away peacefully on March 10, 2026.

Sharon was born on January 2, 1937, in Avoca, Minnesota, to Carl and Julia Hagen. She grew up in the Avoca area and graduated from Slayton High School in 1955.

On June 30, 1956, Sharon…