Hills

Edge-of-town farmers who had previously sought detachment from the city of Hills have reached an agreement during mediation with city officials. The two agricultural parcels amount to nearly 90 acres and comprise roughly 20% of Hills’ geographical area. The parcels will become rural service districts with a reduced tax rate to reflect the fact that they do not receive municipal services. The…

The 2026 midterm election in Rock County was noted for early voting participation, according to Rock County election official Ashley Kurtz. Of Rock County’s 6,444 registered voters, 70% participated in the 2026 election. That’s down from 74.58% in the 2022 midterm election. Of those, 381 utilized Minnesota’s early, in-person voting method, which was new in the 2026 election. “There was a lot…

The conflict between the city of Hills and edge-of-town farmers continues, as the parties have entered a period of mediation. Three landowners who filed for separation from the city had their requests denied by the Hills City Council earlier this year. Since then, the city has reversed course on a 2.4-acre parcel owned by Diane Boatright, and the council has agreed to let the property be…

The Hills Fire Department received permission to purchase a drone on Oct. 13, with total related expenses at $13,315. The drone would have thermal imaging capabilities and would be used to monitor fires, how they spread and if hot spots remain after the flames are extinguished. The model will be a DJI Matrice 4TD drone, which costs $9,820. Four batteries will cost an additional $1,720. In…

The Hills City Council set its preliminary levy to increase 2.31% during its meeting on Sept. 21, following discussion on the proposed budget. In total, the budget for the city of Hills in 2027 is projected to be $549,720, or an increase of $3,480 from last year. This includes $22,450 in general government expenses, $64,510 in public safety, $150,010 for public works, $84,310 for parks and $…

The Hills City Council adopted a resolution setting fees for public data requests during its Sept. 21 meeting – however, Minnesota Newspaper Association attorney Mark Anfinson has weighed in with concerns that the fees could be illegal. In approving the resolution, the Hills City Council adopted a 25-cent-per-page fee for physical copies of requests for public data that are 100 pages or fewer,…

The Hills City Council received the city’s audit results from Meulebroack, Taubert & Co. during a special session held on June 30 and also adopted a resolution for data practices. Amy Mollberg, a partner with the accounting firm that conducted the audit, told the council that the audit came back healthy, despite some funds where expenses exceeded revenue. For example, the general fund was…

During the Hills Friendship Days on June 12 Deon Carriere raised $2,360 for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation by grilling burgers and bratwurst through his business, Brody’s Bar.  It’s his third year of fundraising for the cause, but at this year’s event, he met 6-year-old Lilly Sandager, a little girl who is living with cystic fibrosis.  They took a photo together, and her family thanked him for…

The owners of three parcels of agricultural land within Hills’ city limits are requesting separation, providing the formal paperwork to the city con June 9. The farmers had previously come before the council in May with a request to transition the land into rural service districts, which would have kept the land in city limits but lowered the tax rate to account for its agricultural use.…

The community of Hills was filled with food, music and fun with the annual celebration of Friendship Days over the weekend. The event, hosted by the organization Helping Build Communities Stronger, began on Friday, June 12, and ran through Sunday, June 14. It featured a cruise-in, street dance, live music and a parade among other activities so that community members of all ages could enjoy…

A public forum during the May 12 Hills City Council meeting drew over 60 people, the majority of whom were there to express support for the city council and city clerk amid an expected lawsuit. Hills Area Chamber of Commerce president Kris Gagnon has said he is filing the lawsuit alleging that the City of Hills and City Clerk Connie Wiertzema have failed to provide public data when requested in…

Three landowners with agricultural property inside of Hills city limits are requesting that their parcels — a total of approximately 91 acres — be designated as rural service districts.  The designation, common in rural cities throughout the state, would allow the land to be taxed at a lower rate since it does not receive the benefits of city services.  “It’s taxed at a much higher rate than…

Hills resident Allen Saakyan presented a demonstration of what a new city website could look like during the city council meeting on April 14.  The presentation brought council members on a tour of the potential website, which Saakyan said would be simple to transfer to city ownership.  “I put together a little demo of what a beautiful, modern city website can be,” Saakyan said, showing the…

Hills City Council members heard a recommendation to establish a fire escrow account during their April 14 meeting. The account would provide financial protection for the city in the case of a property owner abandoning a damaged structure after a fire.  “How we’ve seen this play out in other areas is there’s some kind of structure fire or building explosion, and the property owner takes the…

For Dennis Hartman, the best projects aren’t just blueprints, they’re a story. That’s why when Brian and Wendy Carlson approached him with a stack of ash wood and a vision, he didn’t hesitate. The wood wasn’t sourced from a lumber yard. Instead, it came from the Carlson’s own acreage northwest of Beaver Creek just into South Dakota. When they knew the ash trees on the property had to come down…

Since founding Rock Ranch as a nonprofit organization in 2016, Marie LaRock is still building on the vision she saw for her grandparents’ farm located west of Hills. “I could see what we could do here, but I didn’t want to just serve people with disabilities,” she said. “I wanted to be able to serve all abilities, and I wanted to incorporate everybody together in a Christ-filled setting.”…