By Mavis Fodness
September 14, 2015
Dennis and Benji Kellenberger will double the size of their swine operation within a mile of Steen city limits, thanks to Rock County Board approval on Sept. 8.
The father and son operation will increase their existing feedlot from 720 animal units to 1,440 just south of Steen in Section 32 of Clinton Township.
Because the expansion is greater than 1,000 animal units, the Kellenbergers were…
By Lori Sorenson
September 14, 2015
Luverne’s levy is set to increase by 5.04 percent for taxes payable in 2016.
That’s according to Luverne City Council action at the Sept. 8 meeting when the preliminary levy was set at $1,633,623, which is $78,433 more than the current levy.
This includes $1,275,000 for the General Fund, and $358,623 for debt service as required in the various bond resolutions including $40,000 to partially fund…
By Lori Sorenson
September 14, 2015
A “Low Stress Cattle Handling Seminar” in Rock County Tuesday morning showed area livestock producers new techniques for moving animals.
Sponsored by the Beef Quality Assurance (BQA) program, stockmanship expert Curt Pate was at BlacX Farms in Beaver Creek Township to demonstrate better ways to handle livestock.
The first thing to know about cattle, he said, is that they’re not human and don’t…
By Mavis Fodness
September 14, 2015
Steps will be taken as soon as next week to stop bats from inhabiting the Rock County Courthouse.
At their Sept. 8 meeting, Rock County Commissioners unanimously agreed to hire Prestige Services, Canby, to bat-proof the entire structure.
Cost will be $34,500.
The board’s action is in response to a Sept. 3 letter from Court Administrator Denise Brandel to County Administrator Kyle Oldre.
“This…
September 07, 2015
Rock County Big Buddies mentor Carla Van Santen and her friends and family hosted a carnival for the Big and Little Buddies at her home in Luverne Saturday, Aug. 22. Some of the games included bobbing for pickles, a cakewalk, football toss, tattoos, face painting, ring toss and marble relays. Peer helpers from Luverne were also present to help with games and prizes.
For information about how to…
September 07, 2015
A magical world of mushrooms is sprouting up in the boulevard and on the yard of Dave and Rosie Paquette’s house at 201 N. Estey Street. Dave stopped at the Star Herald office last week and encouraged a photographer to capture the oversized toadstools to share with readers. The large white mushrooms were worth the effort, with the largest one measuring over 10 inches across its canopy. To…
By Lori Sorenson
September 07, 2015
Rock County Red Arrow recently wrote checks for $2,500 each to the Rock County Senior Center and Luverne Street Music, two new organizations Red Arrow now supports.
“We came into some extra money after the books were closed,” said Martha Morse of Red Arrow. “We do not keep it on hand; we like to disperse it if we can.”
Senior Dining and Luverne Street Music join a list of local non-profit…
By Lori Sorenson
September 07, 2015
A Luverne manufacturing company has acquired recent business accolades for workplace satisfaction and sales records.
According to Prairie Business Magazine, “Midwest Fire demonstrates a commitment to being great and understands employees are its greatest asset.”
The magazine named the Luverne business to its list of 50 Best Places to Work, which is compiled through nominations by anonymous…
By Lori Sorenson
September 07, 2015
It’s been a busy summer for Rock County Rural Water, which is improving and expanding its system in the western and northwest part of the county and connecting to Lewis and Clark on the south end.
Both projects, which happened to come together at the same time, will make the system stronger and more viable in the future, according to Rural Water officials and engineers.
Northwest expansion
The…
By Lori Sorenson
September 07, 2015
A Worthington man is facing burglary charges for stealing fuel and other items from the Luverne Municipal Airport this summer.
According to a criminal complaint filed Wednesday, Sept. 2, in Rock County District Court, 54-year-old Bradley Daniel John was allegedly recorded on security surveillance at the airport on several occasions in August.
The complaint states that on Aug. 20 airport manager…
By Lori Sorenson
September 07, 2015
Little by little, the orange cones are disappearing on Highway 75 in Luverne as the 2015 construction season comes to a close.
Sidewalk crews have been working in earnest to catch up with last week’s surface work.
A final step in the project will be to restripe the highway from four lanes to three all the way through town, from the hospital to I-90. That is slated to begin Sept. 21.
The $2.7…
By Mavis Fodness
September 07, 2015
The Rock County Historical Society will conduct its annual meeting Tuesday, Sept. 15.
As part of its agenda, it will elect four of the 12 board members with expiring three-year terms.
“We all agreed to run,” said Historical Society President Betty Mann, whose term is expiring along with Jane Lanphere, Merlyn Lopau and Ron Feucht. “My intention was to retire, but I will take another three-year…
By Mavis Fodness
September 07, 2015
Each spring the Tri-State Band Festival Committee partners with the Luverne High School graphic and fine arts departments to develop designs for its annual band festival button.
The purchase of the button allows admittance into the festival’s afternoon field competition event on Sept. 26.
This year’s design winner is Akseli Hatakka, Luverne High School’s 2014-2015 exchange student.
The Helsinki,…
August 31, 2015
Baby Kallista Van Grootheest was born Aug. 5 to Matthew and Katie (Ailts) Van Grootheest. She’s pictured in the arms of her great-great-grandfather Virgil Staeffler. Her great-great grandmother was the late Marjorie Staeffler. Her great-grandparents are Geraldine (Staeffler) and Jim Haraldson, and her grandparents are Maryln (Haraldson) and Mike Van Grootheest. The Staeffler generation members…
August 31, 2015
Lewis & Clark Rural Water System hosted members of the House Capital Investment Committee for a construction tour Thursday, Aug. 27. Rep. Joe Schomacker, who is not a member of the committee, joined his colleagues. Bonding bill requests go through this committee and their counterpart committee in the Senate. The group toured construction of the 24-inch pipe south of Luverne, as well as the…
August 31, 2015
Van Aartsen Construction began work removing the old façade on the Main Street Financial offices on East Main Street in Luverne. Darrel Van Aartsen (left) and his son Mark remove the wood covering the historical buildings on Friday, Aug. 14. Six days earlier, the two removed the brick. The estimated $45,000 project received $31,000 in grant and loan funding through the Luverne Historical Façade…