World's largest nutcracker dedicated
The World’s Largest Nutcracker, “Verne,” was dedicated and named Saturday morning with a ribbon-cutting celebration at the nutcracker’s base on South Highway 75 in Luverne.
'On Golden Pond' coming to Luverne's Palace Theater July 24
A classic play centered on the complex relationships of families, the realities of aging and finding acceptance and reconciliation is coming to the Palace Theater in Luverne.
What should we do about e-scooters?
Luverne recently launched a civic assembly group for residents to help shape local decisions about electric scooters.
Luverne's Bull Pen Sports Bar and Grill featured on America's Best Restaurants
The Bull Pen Sports Bar and Grill in Luverne will host national media and marketing company America’s Best Restaurants (ABR) for an on-site visit next month as part of an upcoming ABR Roadshow.
This young pro became a licensed operator at age 18
Ryker Johnson became one of Minnesota’s youngest wastewater operators when he earned his Class D license at age 18.
Wiener dogs highlight Luverne's Hot Dog Night
Dozens of wiener dogs and their proud human companions gathered in Luverne Thursday night for the 23rd annual Wiener Dog Races and 18th annual Wiener Dog Beauty Contest.
News
- April 29, 2026Calving season is upon us. Each spring the Blue Mounds bison herd expands as the cows give birth to little red calves. Attend bison babies nature cart and stop by the naturalist’s table anytime from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. Saturday, May 2, to learn about growing up as a bison and hopefully catch a glimpse of a newborn through the spotting scope. *Bison are wild and unpredictable. Viewing them…
April 29, 2026As spring arrives in Minnesota, it’s time for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) to kick off its popular program that relies on Minnesotans to monitor our 12,000+ lakes and 92,000+ miles of streams: the Volunteer Water Monitoring Program. The MPCA is currently recruiting volunteers to measure water clarity in numerous lakes and streams across the state and then report the data back…- By Minnesota Secretary of State's OfficeApril 29, 2026This week, the Minnesota Secretary of State Office is highlighting some of the updates to Minnesota election laws that have taken effect in recent years. These changes help modernize election systems and ensure Minnesotans continue to have access to free, fair and secure elections. •Pre-registration of 16- and 17-year-olds: Young Minnesotans can now pre-register to vote so they’ll be ready to…
By Lori SorensonApril 29, 2026Middle school students involved in the Hills-Beaver Creek Robotics program are preparing for competition at the international level after earning placement at events earlier this year. The annual “FIRST LEGO League (FLL) Open Invitational event will be June 12-14 at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in Worcester, Mass. It’s often referred to as WAFFLE — WPI Annual FLL Event, which…
April 29, 2026Luverne observes 'Aces and Excellence' One of the most anticipated high school events of the year came to Luverne Saturday with prom arriving in all of its glitz and glamour. Following a casino night theme, junior and seniors dressed up to celebrate a year nearly complete, holding a grand march through the gym and performing arts center at 7 p.m. on Saturday, April 25, to share the special…
By Lori SorensonApril 24, 2026Rock County officials are working fervently on damage control today after they learned a county email has been hijacked by scammers. According to Rock County Administrator Kyle Oldre, a township official called Auditor-Treasurer Ashley Kurtz this afternoon questioning an email he had received from her office. It requested election information and instructed him to reply. He instead called Kurtz…
April 22, 2026Several of Luverne’s biggest community celebrations will be affected by the Highway 75 reconstruction and its Main Street detour this summer. “We intend to have all of our events, but they’re going to be a little different, only for this year,” said Jane Wildung Lanphere of the Luverne Area Chamber of Commerce. “We’re trying to do the best we can with the cards we’re dealt.” Buffalo…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 22, 2026Three 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…
By Lori SorensonApril 22, 2026Warm, dry conditions are allowing local crop producers to get a head start on planting for the 2026 growing season. In fact, many farmers are putting in soybeans ahead of corn this year, according to local producer Brian Bergman, who was planting corn west of Luverne Tuesday morning. “This is unbelievable,” he said of this year’s planting season. “A lot of guys have most of their beans in…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 22, 2026Hills 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…
April 22, 2026Luverne city employees are in the throes of Luverne’s annual spring clean-up, which gives residents the opportunity to dispose of large or unwanted household items. According to Public Works Director John Stoffel, 17 workers have been making quick work of the project using one payloader, four trucks, four side-by-sides and one rear-loader garbage truck. They were scheduled to complete…
April 22, 2026
April 22, 2026All the body parts of Luverne’s giant nutcracker are now ready to be assembled on the nutcracker’s base — which currently holds the boots, legs and torso — at Those Blasted Things in Luverne. Once it’s fully constructed on its concrete base, the nutcracker will tower 73 feet in the air — the tallest in the world. According to co-organizer Katie Walgrave, the pieces will likely be assembled early…- By Minnesota Secretary of State's OfficeApril 22, 2026It’s fair to want our election system to be secure, we all do. The good news is that the data show it already is. According to the Heritage Foundation Election Fraud Map, from 1982– 2025 there were just three convictions for noncitizen voting in Minnesota. That’s about 0.0000057% of ballots cast. A separate study, Needles in Haystacks, by a University of St. Thomas researcher found three…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 22, 2026Hills 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…
By Lori SorensonApril 22, 2026Saturday, April 25, is National Prescription Drug Take Back Day, a nationwide effort of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to properly dispose of medications. The Rock County Sheriff’s Office is encouraging community members to participate in the effort by bringing their unused medications to the Rock County Law Enforcement Center on Saturday. “We want to prevent drug misuse by keeping…
You must log in to continue reading. Log in or subscribe today.
