column
By Nicole RonchettiAugust 19, 2026I have a confession to make: I own too many houseplants. Not by my estimations, of course, but maybe by others. The greenery brings me peace, as does the careful care each week of checking their water levels, their leaves and their health. That’s why when I moved to Luverne I thought it was fitting to buy a new houseplant in honor of the move. I knew the species I wanted, shopped around, and…- By Pastor Bob Junak, Rock River Community Church, LuverneAugust 19, 2026If you’ve lived in Luverne longer than 10 minutes, you already know we’re in the middle of what the Bible might call “tribulation,” and what the rest of us call “construction season.” Highway 75 is shut down, Main Street is the detour, and now they’re closing the intersection we all actually need. I don’t know who’s in charge of cone reproduction, but they’re fruitful and multiplying far…
By Lori SorensonAugust 12, 2026We said goodbye last month to our beloved Chance, who was such a good boy — the best of all good boys among dogs. And he made us better human beings after showing what true love, loyalty and devotion look like. He lived to be nearly 15 years old, and we were lucky enough to become his adoptive family through Tracy Area Animal Rescue when he was 3 years old. We were told he was a well-behaved…
By Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State PatrolAugust 12, 2026Question: I saw your last article was about stopping. With school just around the corner, can you talk about stopping for the school bus? Answer: I certainly can and with last year’s law change it’s a good reminder. Previously, the law required drivers to stop for a bus’s red flashing lights and extended stop arm. Alarmingly, this could create a situation where some drivers might pass the bus…
By Brenda Winter, columnistAugust 05, 2026I’m going to teach the Life Skills class at E q u i p t Christian School in Luverne this fall so I’ve spent a lot of time lately pondering which life skills are most important to students in grades K-6. Big Picture skills come to mind such as “how to maintain committed relationships” or “how to manage money.” Last year the students studied carpentry, farming, sewing, cooking, party planning…
August 05, 2026Question: With summer being upon us, can you get some information out in regards to motorcycle safety? Answer: Operating a motorcycle requires different skills than driving a car, so there are some additional requirements for motorcycle riders: •Motorcyclists are entitled to the full use of their lanes and have all the rights and duties of other drivers. •Operators must have a valid license…
By Jason Berghorst, reporterJuly 29, 2026It all began at the pre-trip meeting. As chaperone for a church youth trip to Colorado, I was given a waiver to sign. The waiver released the owners of the ranch from any responsibility if a planned horseback trail ride in the mountains ended poorly. Horseback ride? No way. Guys my size with limited animal experience are not meant to ride horses on flat ground, let alone on hillsides. …
By Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State PatrolJuly 29, 2026Question: I’m seeing more and more vehicles in Minnesota with dark tinted windows. I thought there was a law prohibiting dark tinted windows on both the driver and passenger windows but back windows can be dark. Unless the laws changed and I didn’t know. Thank you. Answer: In Minnesota, you can have your windows tinted to a light transmittance of 50 percent, but not less. Light transmittance is…
By RIck Peterson, general managerJuly 29, 2026My column countdown is at the end of the road. This will be the last one. For over 20 years every other week I hunted and pecked out a column. At the top of each of those columns was the heading “For What It’s Worth,” but I’m not sure what the “worth” was of most of the columns. I was more interested in them being entertaining or humorous, often times poking fun of myself and sometimes Mary…
By Calla Jarvie, Rock County Library directorJuly 29, 2026Want to know what one of the keys to having a successful library is? I know you do: it’s partnerships! Here at the Rock County Community Library, we are incredibly fortunate to have amazing partners all across the county, state and even the country. The partnership I want to talk about today is a new one: it’s with Rock County Extension and 4-H. We have teamed up to do four incredible programs…
By Nicole RonchettiJuly 22, 2026There’s no place like home, except maybe Camp RYLA. It’s a youth leadership camp for high school juniors and seniors sponsored by local Rotary clubs. While our regional Rotary District 5610 sponsors a camp held in Nebraska, the RYLA that’s closest to my heart is in my home district of 5580 and is held in Crookston. Each year nearly a hundred teens from North Dakota, Minnesota, Wisconsin and…
By Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State PatrolJuly 22, 2026Question: Hello, I live in “cabin country” and it never fails, during the summer months with the influx of traffic, there are always arguments regarding traffic “laws” or “it’s just being Minnesota nice”. There’s been several near misses and I can see both sides of the argument and wondering if you can help clear up an ongoing discussion. At a single-lane intersection, the roadway is…
By Rick PetersonJuly 15, 2026My column countdown continues with just one more remaining after this one. I know you’re probably thinking enough already. As I think back about my newspaper career I can’t help but remember how it all started. It all started with Scott Rall. Yeah, that Scott Rall. He was working at the Worthington Daily Globe way back then and he knew I was looking for work and he called me and told me about…
By Brenda Winter, columnistJuly 08, 2026At 10 a.m. Saturday, July 18, on South Highway 75 the largest nutcracker in the world will be dedicated in alignment with a pretty significant birthday. Mine. In a way, the Luverne nutcracker and I will now share a birthday. In my 63 trips around the sun I’ve had some pretty amazing birthdays. One or two have fallen on Hot Dog Night. Forty years ago, I was a bride-to-be. Thirty-two…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJuly 08, 2026There are dozens of stories swirling around the “Roadless Rule”. The Roadless Rule was put in place back in 2001 by the president Bill Clinton. The rule was put in place by a wilderness regulation and not by a bill passed in the congress. It prohibited the construction of roads across 59 million acres of forests. It basically made these acres wilderness. No roads, no development and no extraction…
By Jason Berghorst, reporterJuly 01, 2026Be careful what you wish for. I’m pretty sure I’ve written columns with this theme before. It’s one of the “life mottos” I try to live by. Or at least remember at times when I think I really want something to happen. That phrase has come to my mind a few times this summer as a result of our busier than normal Main Street and downtown. This is, of course, a result of the Highway 75…
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