Opinion
By Jason Berghorst, reporterJuly 31, 2024“Everything in moderation … including moderation.” I like to think I’ve been living out this famous quote by Oscar Wilde this summer. As a teacher, my time is more flexible in the summer. Although it feels like my days are mostly filled with this part-time job, online classes I’m taking, and meetings for church and other organizations I’m involved with, there’s no doubt I have more time to…
By RIck Peterson, general managerJuly 31, 2024You may or may not agree with me, but August is one of my two favorite months of the year. Sure, the clock is ticking toward the end of summer, but let’s face it – after the Fourth of July summer is in its final chapter for the year. So why does August rank in my top two? For selfish reasons – my anniversary and birthday are in August for starters, and football season is gearing up for another…- July 31, 2024Jarvie reflects on her move from South Dakota To the Editor: This letter is in response to Karen Tolkkinen’s article about whether or not Rock County feels Minnesotan, especially now that we’ve been added to the Sioux Falls metro area. I will say without hesitation that Rock County is absolutely Minnesotan. Tolkkinen spoke with Mayor Pat Baustian, who mentioned people who have moved to…
- By Karen Tolkkinen, Star Tribune columnistJuly 24, 2024Rock County is now considered part of the Sioux Falls, S.D., Metropolitan Statistical Area. What it means is the U.S. Office of Management and Budget has determined that based on 2020 census data, Sioux Falls, population 202,000, and Rock County, population 10,000, have a high degree of economic and social integration. Columnist Karen Tolkkinen shared her thoughts in a July 19 column in the…
By Lori Sorenson, editorJuly 24, 2024We celebrated a 70th wedding anniversary for Matt’s parents Saturday, and I kept thinking what an amazing gift it is to reach that milestone. Arden and Mary Ellen were married on July 17, 1954, at the tender ages of 20 and 19, which sounds terribly young today, but they fit right in with their peers at the time. To be married at that age also gave them a better shot at reaching a 70-year…- July 17, 2024This is the week, folks, the “be a george week” in honor of the late George Bonnema who would have turned 75 on July 18. The T-shirts have been distributed, and if you bought one (or three), now’s the time to wear it. If you committed to the mission, now’s the time to ‘be a george.’ It’s an exciting week in Luverne and Rock County, where people are already known for their generosity. If you…
By Mavis Fodness, reporterJuly 17, 2024Standing in the middle of Main Street Luverne during Thursday’s Hot Dog Night, I heard a small voice ask, “Are you a newspaper reporter?” Mary (Galagan) Arnold, LHS Class of 1972, was the voice behind the question. With an affirming smile she explained that nine members of her family came to Luverne. One, her son-in-law Kendall Rhyne, set attending Hot Dog Night as a bucket list item. He wasn…
By RIck Peterson, general managerJuly 17, 2024“Be a george” week has been underway for a few days now. I am just checking to see if you have been a george or if you have been the recipient of a george act, or maybe both. As I am typing this column, I am trying to be a george, but my computer is testing me. Every time I type the name George with a small “g,” my computer changes it to a capital “G.” While this is frustrating, it’s another…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJuly 17, 2024With a break from the rains, I was willing to venture outside a bunch this past week. My rain gauge in Nobles County had 15.2 inches of rain over the past few weeks. The grass is tall, the mosquitoes are as big as fighter jets, and there are certainly a lot of them. With all of my food plots tended to and much of the “to do” list completed, I opted for an afternoon of clay bird shooting. A…- By Heather Johnson, founder of Luverne's 'Be a george' initiativeJuly 10, 2024In case you missed Lori's lovely article in the paper a couple of weeks ago, or if you need a reminder, “Be a george” Week is coming July 14-20. Next week will be your opportunity to do something for someone else for no other reason than it’s the right thing to do. If you knew George Bonnema, you know he was always doing something for others … often without them even asking. In case you…
By Brenda Winter, columnistJuly 10, 2024Melvin was not really a stray cat. He was obviously a cat that someone had loved and lost or, God forbid, loved and dumped at the edge of town. I introduced him to you in April. “It was just after the Big Chill a few weeks ago that Melvin appeared by our back door. The big orange tabby was also a few feet from death’s door. He had a cut on his face, a broken tail, a gimpy leg and hadn’t had a…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJuly 10, 2024There is nothing else to talk about in southwest Minnesota except flooding. I have lived in this part of the state for 50 years and have only seen it this bad a few other times. Lives are changed and fortunes ruined. The only light at the end of this tunnel is that the waters are receding and most of the roads that were once closed are now open again. I was blown away about how fast the gravel…- July 03, 2024It’s been a rough start to the summer of 2024, as many in Rock County have suffered the effects of devastating flooding. Some of us are reeling from crop losses, water-damaged homes and other flood-related disaster, and the realities of extreme weather are coming into focus. While it’s easy to get discouraged, the July 4 holiday is a good time to recenter life perspectives. Despite our recent…
By Jason Berghorst, reporterJuly 03, 2024I recently spent five days in New York City — my third trip there but my first time staying in the heart of Manhattan near Times Square. I think few vacation destinations in the United States can be more different from Luverne than Midtown Manhattan. The height and number of buildings. The crowds and constant rush of the people. The traffic jams and nonstop, pointless honking. The sheer…- June 26, 2024Words can send a powerful message, and this is especially true during an election season. But sometimes words — thoughts and ideas — are shared in a way that can be hurtful or damaging. Sometimes the truth is detrimental to somebody, and that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t share truths. But deliberately harming someone out of spite is counterproductive, and it seems social media and its anonymous…
By Lori Sorenson, editorJune 26, 2024Betty Mann, our beloved community historian, is a self-proclaimed crier. “I cry at the drop of a hat,” she says. “I cry when I’m sad, I cry when I’m glad and I cry when I’m mad.” She said if her husband encountered her in tears, he’d ask, “What is it this time?” She jokes about her tears, but as a self-proclaimed non-crier I’m a bit jealous, because I’ve learned the benefits of a good cry. I…
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