column
- By Brenda Winter, columnistFebruary 05, 2025The key to successful New Year’s resolutions is to make them so vague that success is ensured no matter the effort. Which is why, after six weeks, I’m keeping all of my New Year’s resolutions for 2025. One of my resolutions for the year was to go to the gym. All I have to do is “go to the gym.” That’s it. Find a parking spot. Boom. I am at the gym. My commitment “to work out” begins if I…
- By RIck Peterson, general managerFebruary 05, 2025I never considered myself much of a hat guy. That was until I was searching for a column idea, and as I looked around in my garage, I counted 13 hats and four more in the house … 17 hats in all, so that might make me a hat guy. With the exception of a couple of those hats, I have worn the rest at least once this past year. Four of the hats are for cold weather use. My snowblowing hat is one of…
- By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistFebruary 05, 2025Can you remember the very first game animal you ever harvested? I certainly can remember the first goose I ever shot, and I can tell you exactly where I was when I harvested my first duck. But for the life of me, I cannot remember my first rooster. I can remember my first rooster shot over a trained hunting dog. I have been blessed to have been part of many firsts for other new hunters. Most…
- By Lori Sorenson, editorJanuary 29, 2025My sisters and I — all five of us — recently returned from a short Florida beach vacation. Cheap airline tickets in November prompted a flurry of last-minute travel plans, and our Allegiant, Airbnb and Turo reservations were quickly secured. We chose Fort Myers, because January temperatures are typically in the 70s, and our stretch of beach on Estero Island was restored from Ian in 2022 and…
- By Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State PatrolJanuary 29, 2025With the holidays upon us, I wanted to share a message about distracted driving. Here is some information we recently shared on our Department of Public Safety blog. “It was supposed to be a routine trip for 20-year-old Megan Severson. On Oct. 17, 2019, Severson was driving from Preston in southeastern Minnesota to visit her boyfriend in North Dakota. But when she reached Highway 52 in St. Paul…
- By Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, St. John Lutheran Church, LuverneJanuary 29, 2025Imagine a book that is at once beautifully bound and yet deadly to hold? Such a book would be quite the epitome and symbol of deadly knowledge, wouldn’t it? Like a cursed object one might encounter in a fantasy novel. But this isn’t fiction, it’s real and there isn’t only one. Thousands of such books, bound with vibrant green covers, were produced in the 19th century. Their unique and tantalizing…
- By Mavis Fodness, reporterJanuary 22, 2025Madi Oye’s kindergartners embarked on a special lesson this month. She’s seeking your help in garnering postmarks from all 50 states via the mailing of Valentine’s Day cards to her Luverne classroom. So far, her students have received 17 cards and have checked a dozen states off the 50-states list. With Feb. 14 three weeks away, we need to get our cards sent to the kindergartners sooner rather…
- By RIck Peterson, general managerJanuary 22, 2025I have a little bit of this and a little bit of that for you this week. First, I have to admit until the Caitlin Clark phenomenon, I didn’t pay much attention to girls’/women’s basketball. I watched as Clark took women’s college basketball by storm. I followed her throughout her first year in the WNBA. What I came to realize is that women at the college and professional level can really shoot…
- By Betty Mann, Rock County HistorianJanuary 22, 2025The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on Jan. 1, 1932. New auto licenses to be ready tomorrow 1932 plates are maroon and gold; penalty for delay begins February 15th; many apply early The time for the purchase of the 1932 automobile license plates will soon be here. New plates to early applicants will probably arrive some time this week. They are sent direct to the applicant…
- By Brenda Winter, columnistJanuary 15, 2025On New Year’s Day my sister sent me a video of our 86-year-old father ripping down the driveway on his new Honda Monkey. The big bike was getting to be a little much, so Dad thought it wise to downsize. He’s usually a safety guy, but in the video Dad – with no helmet – spins his baseball cap around backward and tears off the farm yard. The video records my sister giggling and saying, “There…
- By Betty Mann, Rock County HistorianJanuary 15, 2025The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on Jan. 1, 1932. Majority of 1931 tax rates are below 1930 Reflects action taken by local tax units of Rock County levying lower budget for coming year Tax levies for 1930 are given for comparison Total tax rates for any division of county may be computed from accompanying figures With a few exceptions, the 1931 tax rates, to be…
- By Lori Sorenson, editorJanuary 08, 2025My dad in the 1970s sold O’s Gold Seed Corn and often wore a bright orange windbreaker and cap to advertise his farming side-gig. As a little girl I didn’t give much thought to seed corn, but I could always spot Dad in a crowd in his orange cap. Today, it’s not just the ag salesmen wearing the labels. It seems everyone who buys feed, seed, chemicals, tools or machinery has a matching wardrobe…
- By RIck Peterson, general managerJanuary 08, 2025There are always a few of those “changing over to the New Year” tasks that need our attention. Getting used to writing 2025 on checks usually takes a check or two to get in the swing of the New Year. I know you’re probably thinking, “Who writes checks anymore?” I probably write two, maybe three checks a month. We get about eight different weekly newspapers at the office. All eight are from…
- By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJanuary 08, 2025I started out the new year with a spearing trip to northeast South Dakota. I was looking to do a little pike spearing, and southern Minnesota is not the greatest place to do that. For one, we only have a few lakes that have a decent pike population and even fewer lakes that have water clear enough to make spearing enjoyable. Some of only decent pike lakes had frozen out two years ago, and even…
- By Mavis FodnessDecember 30, 2024Amid the excitement of this spring’s NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, I purchased matching “You break it, you own it” Nike T-shirts for my 6-year-old Iowa granddaughter and me to wear. The slogan was a nod to Caitlin Clark’s record-breaking basketball season. Neither of us is a diehard basketball fan — we just appreciate Clark’s athleticism and love of the game. An added bonus is that Clark…
- By Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State PatrolDecember 30, 2024Question: Hello, I am looking at getting my kids an e-scooter for Christmas. I was just curious before making the purchase what are the laws and rules for these things. Answer: Motorized foot scooters (also termed “electric scooters” or “e-scooters”) have seen a marked increase in use recently, primarily due to their introduction in fleets of shared rental offerings in cities throughout the…
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