Public forum addresses city charter amendment question on Nov. 3 ballot
Luverne voters will be asked in the Nov. 3 general election if they support an amendment to change their city’s government charter.
County proposed tax levy to increase 5% instead of 7.46%
After initially looking at a tax levy increase of 7.46% for 2027, the Rock County Board of Commissioners has reduced the proposed tax levy amount to increase 5%.
Merc to receive EDA grant for facade improvements
The Luverne Economic Development Authority approved a $15,904 façade improvement grant for Luverne Initiatives for Tomorrow (LIFT) for work on The Merc.
Generations celebrates 56 years, honors Neva Claussen
Generations celebrated its 56th anniversary on Sept. 12 with an open house, which included recognition for Neva Claussen who served the organization for 35 years.
Public forum to address city charter amendment
Luverne voters will be asked in the Nov. 3 general election if they support an amendment to change their city’s government charter.
Meals on Wheels faces funding shortage
A recent funding reduction has forced southwest Minnesota’s local Meals on Wheels program to scale back its services, prioritizing those with the highest needs.
News
By Lori SorensonFebruary 26, 2025It’s been just over a year since Steve and Jacinda Walker started their business, SouthWest Excavating in Luverne. The couple broke off from the family business, W&N construction, in January 2024 to specialize in dirt moving services and excavation. Steve grew up working with his parents, Tom and Twila Walker, and their partners Bryce Niessink and Janice Fick, in W&N Construction. He…- By Mavis FodnessFebruary 26, 2025Final plans are almost set for the construction of a new 500,000-gallon water tower on the west side of the Rock County Rural Water System (RCRW). A public informational hearing occurred Feb. 18 in the Rock County Library to answer questions and concerns about the $2.7 million project. No one from the public attended the hearing, but representatives from Rural Water, the Rock County Board of…
- February 26, 2025The Minnesota Department of Transportation will end winter load increases in the metro, south, and southeast frost zones at 12:01 a.m. Friday, Feb. 28. Seasonal load limit zones and restricted routes can be found on the MnDOT load limits map. Start and end dates and other load limit information are shown atmndot.gov/loadlimits. Overweight permits for more than 80,000 pound gross vehicle weight…
By Mavis FodnessFebruary 26, 2025Rock County Commissioners approved the five-year highway plan presented by county engineer Mark Sehr Feb. 18. The plan calls for nine highway and bridge projects to be completed this year, estimated to cost about $5.2 million, including the department’s annual road maintenance costs. “We used last year’s pricing, and we turned out pretty close,” Sehr said. On average, the highway department…
February 26, 2025The Parents Partners in Education (PPIE) sponsored a Family Reading Night Monday in the Luverne Elementary commons. All pre-school through fifth-grade students and their parents were invited for 90 minutes of everything books and reading as part of the school’s “I Love to Read Month” activities. Participants rotated through several activities that included completing a story walk, building a…
By Lori SorensonFebruary 26, 2025The Blue Mound Ice Arena received a donation this week from participants in the “FIT25: Becker’s Love Health and Fitness Challenge” in memory of the late Craig Becker. Each year Tashia Klosterbuer organizes a fitness and weight loss challenge to raise money for a local cause. This year participants supported the Luverne Hockey Association in memory of Becker, who died Dec. 13, 2024. He was a…- By Mavis FodnessFebruary 26, 2025A strong showing by the Luverne High School speech team at the Montevideo Thunder Hawk Speech Invitational was displayed Saturday. Twelve teams competed at the event with Luverne placing fourth with 34 points. Russell-Tyler Ruthton won the event with 73 points. Eleven LHS students were recognized with medals or ribbons. Results include: • Xavier McKenzie, second, great speeches. • Tyler…
By Mavis FodnessFebruary 19, 2025A fundraiser to supply Hills-Beaver Creek sixth-grader Sophie Gehrke with a new Slinky every day for 12 months ended Feb. 13 with a supply that will last the 12-year-old for almost 18 months. The H-BC Student Council organized the Slinky donation event, offering attendees a free bag of popcorn for each Slinky brought to the girls’ basketball game. The council’s goal was to collect 365 Slinkys…
By Mavis FodnessFebruary 19, 2025The last of three City of Hardwick-owned lots were sold Feb. 11 just as the city conducted a public hearing to change the lots’ zoning classification. Five people attended the hearing with no one commenting on the zoning classification change. Council members unanimously approved changing the rural service district classification to one residential parcel and two commercial parcels. Hardwick’s…
By Lori SorensonFebruary 19, 2025Hills City Council members discussed possible improvements to the Hills Rez Park during their regular meeting Tuesday, Feb. 11. Council member Dusty Seachris shared information about a DNR grant that could support funding to dredge the rez and make improvements to the adjacent creek and catch pond that could improve water quality in the long term. “We just started coming up with things we…- By Mavis FodnessFebruary 19, 2025Rock County will rejoin the Buffalo Ridge Drug and Violent Crime Task Force after pulling out of the organization more than a decade ago. Commissioners agreed Feb. 4 to rejoin with a 2025 payment of $43,668. Rock County joins member counties Pipestone, Murray and Lincoln and cities of Slayton and Fulda. The payment is based on Rock County’s population of 9,704. March 1 is the official start…
- By Lori SorensonFebruary 19, 2025Beaver Creek City Council members heard from a medical marijuana dispensary owner during their meeting Wednesday night, Feb. 12. Ben Nesselhuf, North Sioux City, requested time on the council agenda to discuss a municipal-owned cannabis dispensary in Beaver Creek. He shared with council members a sample contract where the city would get a municipal license and contract with Nesselhuf to operate…
By Lori SorensonFebruary 19, 2025The city of Luverne no longer burns piles at the tree dump south of town. Instead, branches and other untreated wood waste are ground into wood chips that get sold for other uses. They’re used for animal bedding in area feedlots, turned into landscape mulch, and used as boiler fuel for wood-burning heat systems. Mueller Pallets, Tea, South Dakota, services community tree dumps in the tri-…- February 19, 2025The Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs received a donation of $80,000 from the Department of Minnesota Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) Charles McLaughlin Post 906 in Hutchinson. This is the third year in a row that Post 906 provided a donation of this level to our eight state veterans homes located in Bemidji, Fergus Falls, Hastings, Luverne, Minneapolis, Montevideo, Preston and Silver Bay…
By Mavis FodnessFebruary 19, 2025The Hills and Luverne volunteer fire departments were recalled to a hog barn in Clinton Township Friday afternoon, Feb. 14. A caller to the Rock County Sheriff’s Office at 1:50 p.m. indicated a fire had reignited at a barn at 1153 41st Street northeast of Steen and that someone was unaccounted for and possibly still inside the barn. Fortunately everyone was out of the barn and accounted for…
By Mavis FodnessFebruary 19, 2025Three Luverne sixth-graders were honored by the Luverne Rotary Club for their essay entries in the organization’s Four-Way Test for inspiration. Clara Sandager, Logan Kempema and Hanna Hess earned the first- through third-place cash prizes respectively for their essays. Sandager, who won the top prize of $75, will represent Luverne in the upcoming District 5610 essay contest. All the students…
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