Dry conditions fuel grass fire
Fire departments from three different communities were on the scene of a grass fire north of Beaver Creek last week for over three hours last week.
Children hunt for Easter eggs in Beaver Creek
More than 1,200 eggs were “hidden” on the grounds of the Cidery at Blackshire Farms in Beaver Creek Saturday morning.
Luverne community mourns loss of world-acclaimed artist and native son
National Geographic photographer, filmmaker and environmentalist Jim Brandenburg died last week at age 79.
Construction work moves inside of H-BC Elementary
Eleven months after dirt work began for the new Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary School in Beaver Creek, workers are focused on the inside infrastructure for the 57,4
PMP solar panels connected and producing electric power for pork processing plant
A 5,400-panel solar array is now producing electricity for Premium Minnesota Pork in Luverne.
News
- By Mavis FodnessApril 09, 2025Livestock permits issued in Rock County are at a five-year high, according to local feedlot officials. Nine permits have been requested for 2025, and that number could grow with eight more months left in the year. Two of the 2025 permits are for new hog barn sites. The other seven are for six cattle feedlot expansions and one dairy expansion. “(Nine) is the most we have had preseason since…
- By Mavis FodnessApril 09, 2025A lawsuit filed against Rock County five years ago was dismissed in early March when the plaintiffs failed to appear in Minnesota Tax Court. Chief judge Jane Bowman issued the dismissal March 10 when the case came up for trial on March 4. Bowman stated the reason for the dismissal was due to the fact that “the court received no paperwork.” SARP LLC of Sioux Falls, owners of Econo Lodge in…
By Mavis FodnessApril 09, 2025Doug Bos, Rock County Land Management assistant director, tenured his retirement to county commissioners Tuesday morning. Bos’ retirement is effective Sept. 2. In his letter to the commissioners, Bos reflected on his time with the Land Management Office (LMO) and the Rock County Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD). “I have very much enjoyed serving 29-plus years in the capacity of…
By Mavis FodnessApril 09, 2025A Hills-Beaver Creek Secondary School teacher will receive a special surprise April 17 as part of the middle school robotics team’s “Pie Your Teacher in the Face” fundraiser. The middle school robotics program is raising money for a team of 10 students to compete at the national WAFFLE (Worchester Annual First Lego League Event) June 13-15 in Worchester, Massachusetts at the Worchester…
April 09, 2025April 13-19 is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week, a time to recognize those who serve the public in their jobs. Rock County dispatchers include Nikki McLendon, Jason Kelly, Brooke Walgrave, Ryan Connor and Tricia Huiskes. Rock County Sheriff Evan Verbrugge calls them unsung heroes. “We want to recognize the individuals that sit in the hot seat 24/7, 365 days a year,” Verbrugge said. “…
By Mavis FodnessApril 09, 2025Four teams and 23 students competed Saturday in the Southwest Minnesota Spelling Bee. Fifth- and sixth-grade students from Adrian, Hills-Beaver Creek, Worthington and Luverne competed in Luverne at the annual event. Sophia Von Holtum, a sixth-grader from Adrian, won the event. DaLonnie Cummings, a Worthington fifth-grader, was second. Joss Johnson, a sixth-grader from Luverne, was third.…
April 09, 2025Librarians at the Rock County Community Library planned five days of fun this week in honor of National Library Week April 6-12 with the theme of “Drawn to the Library.” On Monday Hector Curriel of “Caricatures by Hector,” Sioux Falls, kicked off the activities with drawing free portraits of library patrons. The book illustrator and former editorial cartoonist was sponsored by the Minnesota Arts…
By Lori SorensonApril 09, 2025Luverne’s Braydon Ripka, 21, is working this week in Window Rock, Arizona, with a team of volunteers for the 2025 Light Up the Navajo Nation initiative. Ripka, a 2022 Luverne High School graduate, works for Luverne’s electric utility, which is a member of Missouri River Energy Services (MRES). Light Up Navajo is an initiative of the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority, in coordination with the…
April 02, 2025More than 300 people attended the 2025 Tack Swap and Vendor Fair Saturday at Rock Ranch near Hills. The four-hour event featured 27 vendors and three guest speakers sharing information about horse care and horseback riding. The event raised $2,400 for the Rock Ranch equine-assisted therapy program and is slated to take place again next year. Speakers included Jerry Jones from Garretson showing…- By Mavis FodnessApril 02, 2025Five full-time teachers and four full-time support staff members will lose their jobs at Luverne Public Schools at the end of the 2024-2025 school year. The decision was reached in a regular meeting of the school board March 25 and will be further discussed at the special school board meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, April 10. Administrators will present a list of names to the board to include three…
By Lori SorensonApril 02, 2025Homicide charges have been filed in the case of the fatal crash on Highway 23 in western Rock County March 27. According to the criminal complaint filed Tuesday morning, 21-year-old Jayson Delfs, Hardwick, faces felony charges of criminal vehicular homicide. He's accused of operating a vehicle with negligence — under the influence of alcohol, resulting in the death of a 47-year-old rural Jasper…- By Mavis FodnessApril 02, 2025Property owners can question assessed market values during annual Board of Appeal and Equalization (BOAE) meetings beginning next week. (A list of the scheduled meetings is printed on page 7. Most cities conduct BOAE meetings during their regular monthly meeting times.) Property owners have one last appeal meeting when Rock County Commissioners conduct their BOAE at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, June 18…
By Lori SorensonApril 02, 2025Stan and Tracy Wieneke, Adrian, are the new owners of the Luverne Taco John’s franchise, which has been part of the community for over 30 years. They purchased Wildflowers Coffee Boutique in downtown Luverne in July 2019 and will continue to own and operate both the coffee shop and Taco John’s in Luverne. “Nothing is changing at Wildflowers. We have very capable people there,” Tracy said. “They…
By Lori SorensonApril 02, 2025ATLAS of Rock County hosted an open house Wednesday, March 26, to celebrate 10 years as an independent ministry. The organization now boasts dozens of volunteers and several paid staff to operate five ministries that are housed under one roof in downtown Luverne. Pastor Michael Blank said the past 10 years of growth are worth celebrating, but at its core, ATLAS still has the same mission: “…
By Mavis FodnessApril 02, 2025In Disney’s “Toy Story 3” animated film, Andy gives his cherished childhood toys to a little girl named Bonnie when he leaves home to attend college. Priscilla Nath of Luverne, is organizing a “Toy Swap” and is now collecting gently used toys to pass on to the next generation. “Give these toys their ‘Bonnie,’” she said. Anyone can drop off toys, games and/or stuffed animals at the Luverne…
By Lori SorensonApril 02, 2025A Luverne man is facing felony charges after being arrested over the weekend for domestic assault. According to the complaint filed Monday in Rock County District Court, 31-year-old Justin Voorhees was arrested Sunday after law enforcement was called to his girlfriend’s home. She had called around 2 a.m. Sunday to report Voorhees had beat and strangled her. Law enforcement arrived at her home…
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