Guilty plea entered in vehicular homicide case
Twenty-three-year-old Jayson Delfs, Hardwick, entered a guilty plea Monday morning in Rock County District Court to the charge of criminal vehicular homicide.
Murder case proceedings on hold
Legal proceedings for Luverne murder suspect Melvin Frazier are suspended following a Rule 20 motion that was granted in Rock County District Court Monday.
Administrator announces retirement
After 33 years on the job, Rock County Administrator Kyle Oldre officially submitted his notice of retirement during the Aug. 18 county board meeting.
Oldre’s final day of service will be Feb. 28, 2027.
Charter amendment measure advances
Luverne voters will be asked in the Nov. 3 general election if they support an amendment to change their city’s government charter.
Peterson wins election for county commissioner
Rick Peterson won the special election for Rock County’s District 3 and is set to join the county board of commissioners early next week.
PowerOn Midwest narrows routes
PowerOn Midwest has narrowed its preferred route for a proposed high-voltage transmission project, and one of its choices would cut through Rock County within one mile of the Blue Mounds State
News
By Mavis FodnessOctober 22, 2025Kate Anderson wants her healthcare students to know they will soon play a vital role in their communities’ well-being. Nineteen of her high school students spent Thursday, Oct. 16, a day off of school, volunteering at Poplar Creek and The Oaks assisted living facilities in Luverne. The students, who attend school in Luverne, Hills-Beaver Creek, Pipestone and Adrian, spent the afternoon hosting…
October 22, 2025A Luverne teen is in custody of the Nobles County Jail following an alcohol-related assault that hospitalized a victim. According to law enforcement documents, 18-year-old Maysn Akkerman, Luverne, faces fifth-degree assault charges due to the incident that reportedly resulted in “substantial bodily harm.” The charges stem from an incident earlier this month when Akkerman reportedly assaulted a…
October 22, 2025The Rock County Corn & Soybean Growers Association recently donated SoyFoam to local fire departments. “The SoyFoam is a much safer product for fighting fires when foam is required,” said Lucas Peters of the Corn and Soybean Growers. He said the product was developed from soy flour and replaces an existing product that contains potentially dangerous chemicals. “It’s a unique new use for…
By Mavis FodnessOctober 22, 2025Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary students took advantage of the pleasant fall temperatures Friday, Oct. 10, to repaint the city of Beaver Creek snow plow blades for the upcoming winter season. Dylan Gehrke’s 33 fifth-grade students took turns painting the blades under the supervision of H-BC art instructor Isabel Sylvanie. Sylvanie said students created the designs under the “Be a Hero” theme…
October 21, 2025Lori Sorenson celebrates 32 1/2 years at the Star Herald office on October 21. She answered a few questions about her time at the Star Herald. How did your journey with the Star Herald start? I have a journalism degree from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, where I wrote for the Minnesota Daily campus newspaper. After an internship at the Hastings Star Gazette, I landed at the…
By Mavis FodnessOctober 15, 2025Luverne High School seniors celebrated the start of the school year with the news that their spring MCA math test scores ranked the fifth highest in the state. The students who tested as juniors in May were 72.1 percent proficient, meaning 72 percent of the class met or exceeded the state’s math standards. Minnesota’s average for 11th-grade math proficiency is 35 percent and the Luverne juniors…
By Lori SorensonOctober 15, 2025New options for affordable housing in Luverne will soon be available thanks to a grant through the Southwest Minnesota Housing Partnership. The Luverne Economic Development Authority during their Monday meeting reviewed progress on three twin homes (six units) that will be constructed on three lots in the Reisch Addition. The addition is located near the newly developed Lopau Housing Addition…
By Lori SorensonOctober 15, 2025The Luverne Economic Development Authority recently approved three more façade improvement projects representing investments of more than $60,000 in downtown properties. Last month, board members approved applications for the Rock County Historical Society and for Bruce and Cody Henrichs, and on Monday, they approved one for Revel Kitchen and Cocktails. History Center project The Historical…
By Lori SorensonOctober 15, 2025The highly anticipated opening of downtown Luverne’s Revel Kitchen and Cocktails drew nearly 900 patrons in its first few days of business. “We dove right in,” manager Rich Rislov said about opening night on Thursday, Oct. 9. “We cooked the full menu for staff the two nights before opening, and there is quite a variety of food. But it was well worth it, and it ended up being great.” The…- By Mavis FodnessOctober 15, 2025Increased enrollment and inflation were behind the state’s decision to raise the Hills-Beaver Creek School District levy by 2.89 percent. The percentage raises H-BC’s local levy from $4.01 million to $4.1 million for 2026. The additional $115,996 is split between the district’s general, community service and debt service funds. The general fund will receive $924,905 or an increase of 17.37…
- By Mavis FodnessOctober 15, 2025Luverne School Board members approved a preliminary levy of $4.529, which is the amount recommended by the state for district taxes payable in 2026. The increase of $197,255, or 4.55 percent, over the current levy, is due to anticipated expenses in the district’s long-term facility maintenance plan approved in July. “That’s the reason we are seeing a little increase,” said Superintendent Craig…
By Greg HoogeveenOctober 15, 2025Thirty-five athletes competed in the 2025 Duff Dog Backyard Ultra challenge Saturday, Oct. 11, through Sunday, Oct. 12, in the Blue Mounds State Park. Local runner Amy Feit, 45, won the competition, completing 120.843 miles in 29 hours. Jerry Kyte, 43, of Sioux Falls got the assist (second place), going 116.88 miles in 28 hours. Wikipedia defines the event as “a form of ultramarathon race…
By Mavis FodnessOctober 15, 2025Sunday marked six years since two Hills families created an organization to assist families in times of crises. Game Plan 4 Hope (GP4H) began as a simple idea in 2019 by Missy and Jeff Bass and Heather and Aaron Erickson. Under the theme of “Harvest of Hope,” the families thanked the 80 supporters attending Sunday’s event at The Cidery at Blackshire Farms in Beaver Creek. “Game Plan 4 Hope was…
By Mavis FodnessOctober 08, 2025Twenty-five children and their parents attended the Early Childhood Family Education (ECFE) “Pumpkins & Pals” south of Luverne Sept. 30. Luverne Community Education director Lisa Nath said ECFE organizers plan a special event every month, and a pumpkin patch has become a fall tradition. “We want to give families the experience of picking a pumpkin from a pumpkin patch,” Nath said. “Other…- By Lori SorensonOctober 08, 2025Roughly $3 million worth of capital improvements are under consideration at the Luverne Municipal Airport over the next five years, according to a plan approved by the city council. At their Sept. 23 meeting, Luverne City Council members approved a five-year Airport Capital Improvement Program (CIP) as part of a requirement to qualify for Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and state grant…
- By Mavis FodnessOctober 08, 2025Hills City Council members voted to increase the levy by 2.21 percent for an additional $3,250 to be collected from property owners within the city limits in 2026. The city projects spending $545,210 in 2026 with $541,960 expected in revenue. The proposed 2.21 percent levy increase will cover the budget shortage due to rising costs. In 2025 the city collected $147,191 from local property taxes…
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