Rick Peterson celebrates 20 years at the Star Herald office on February 10. He answered a few questions about his time at the Star Herald.
1. How did your journey with the Star Herald start?
My newspaper career started at the Worthington Daily Globe in the mid-1980s. Louie Seesz was the publisher of the Globe at the time and our newspaper careers crossed paths a number of times over the…
Pastor Lori Bonkoski’s call to Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Hills brings the Mountain Lake native closer to home in more ways than one.
The move to Hills this month ended what she called an extended journey from Christ the King Lutheran Church in Sumner, Washington.
“I served there for 38 years and the congregation (numbers) ebbed and flowed,” she said.
“It finally became too small to keep…
Sophie Gehrke is a sixth-grader at Hills-Beaver Creek Secondary School and will undergo open heart surgery later this month.
As a get-well gift, the H-BC student council wants to collect 365 Slinkys during the Thursday night, Feb. 13, volleyball games at the school in Hills.
For each Slinky turned into the concession stand, a free bag of popcorn will be given as part of the “Slinkys for Sophie…
The Rock County Star Herald brought home seven awards from the Minnesota Newspaper Association Annual Convention last week.
The Star Herald was recognized for excellence in seven categories of the MNA Better Newspaper Contest, conducted annually to recognize the talent of news and design staff at newspapers statewide.
“We have always been an award-winning community newspaper,” Star Herald…
Luverne volunteer firefighters were called to a grass fire Monday afternoon, the third in the past eight days.
According to fire chief Dave Van Batavia, Monday’s grass fire at 151st Street and 180th Avenue in Vienna Township was small, extinguished in about 20 minutes.
The call came in at 1:35 p.m., and its cause is unknown, but it was the third grass fire call the Luverne Fire Department…
Twelve local businesses are serving up specialty drinks for February’s “Rock County Battle of the Beverages,” a new Chamber initiative similar to recent Burger Battles.
“It’s something that more businesses can get behind that doesn’t involve food and they can participate in during the slower months,” said Luverne Area Chamber director Kenzi Klein.
She updated a group of local businesses…
The American Reformed Church will host classes for Equipt, a K-5 income-based tuition Christian school starting in Luverne.
School organizers are mostly ARC members who have so far garnered interest among families of 30 potential students who would start Equipt classes in September.
A Feb. 24 meeting will offer updates on staffing and fundraising for Equipt, which has a goal of providing…
Rock Veterinary Clinic has another veterinarian on staff after Dr. Jaden Austin recently started in the Luverne clinic.
She joins existing staff veterinarians Dr. Erin deKoning, Dr. Jason Johnson, Dr. Michelle Engen and part-time small animal vet Dr. Logan Harris.
Austin earned her Doctor of Veterinary Medicine at Iowa State University, Ames, in May following an undergraduate degree in biology…
Luverne High School seniors Sage Viessman and Maria Rops were crowned Monday afternoon as the school’s Snow Week 2025 king and queen respectively.
Viessman is the son of Tricia and Scott Viessman.
Rops is the daughter of Jodi Rops and Tom and Teri Rops.
Ten seniors were chosen as this year’s Snow Week royalty.
Anna Banck emceed the event with Ella Schmuck.
“During today’s coronation, we…
The Luverne speech team competed in their first meet of the 2025 season Saturday in Worthington, placing fifth out of 14 teams.
“We were only four points away from taking fourth place as a team,” said assistant coach Morgan Van Holland.
Nine LHS students placed at Saturday’s Worthington Invitational Speech Tournament.
Results according to category include:
•Great speeches, first, Xavier…
The Luverne Music Boosters hosted their 43rd annual Winter Carnival Saturday night in the Luverne High School Gym, featuring carnival games, prizes, bingo, raffles, face painting, cotton candy, a cake walk, food and more.
According to organizers, attendance was up this year compared to previous years with over 300 families participating, and the event dispersed over $7,000 in raffle prizes and…
Feb. 5 is the sign-up deadline for naloxone training sessions on Thursday Feb. 13.
Naloxone, also known by its brand name Narcan, is an opioid overdose reversal medication that blocks the effects of opioids in a person's system, helping to restore breathing.
Sanford Luverne and the Luverne Area Chamber will host two training sessions on Feb. 13 at the trailhead building on the corner of East…
Local law enforcement officials have taken into custody a suspect believed to have been involved with a vandalism spree that occurred earlier this month.
According to information from the Rock County Sheriff’s Office, there were 12 cases of vandalism reported, and 10 of them were called in Saturday morning, Jan. 18.
The reports were similar in that they involved spray painting on buildings and…
The Luverne City Council is working toward a cannabis ordinance that may or may not include a municipal dispensary.
During their Jan. 21 meeting, they reviewed information from a cannabis business study and heard comments from residents.
Tyler Klimas with Leaf Street Strategies in Nevada presented a feasibility study via zoom outlining potential customers, roadblocks and timelines.
“The goal…