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
By Lori SorensonMay 06, 2026The Luverne Convention & Visitors Bureau invites anyone to enter the 2026 Red, White and Blue photography contest. The contest period covers May through October with three judging deadlines to delineate entries. Jane Lanphere at the Chamber is again coordinating the local photo contest and said the “Red, White and Blue” title is a nod to this year’s observance of America’s 250th birthday…- By Minnesota Secretary of State's OfficeMay 06, 2026Despite the national headlines – executive orders, court cases, proposed laws, and redistricting battles in other states – nothing has changed about how you vote in Minnesota. Your voting options, your rights, and the process remain the same. Election integrity and security remain the same. You can still register and vote early, by mail or on Election Day. And you can trust the system that’…
May 06, 2026Luverne kindergarteners perform “Old MacDonald” during their music program “A Day in the Country” on Friday, May 1, in the school performing arts center. The program was directed by Christine Thorson. A total of 71 kindergarteners were in the performance. Nicole Ronchetti photo.- May 06, 2026ITC Midwest will be conducting aerial patrols of high-voltage transmission structures and lines throughout its service territory from approximately May 11 – May 22, weather permitting. Helicopter patrols provide an overall status of the overhead transmission system owned and operated by ITC Midwest. These patrols are a North American Electrical Reliability Corporation (NERC) requirement for…
May 03, 2026A Rock County man was taken into custody April 30 following an online police sting originating in Rochester. According to court documents, 48-year-old Jared Leroy Peterson of Steen faces felony charges after his alleged participation in an online conversation with undercover officers posing as a 14-year-old girl. Reports state that Rochester law enforcement conducted a “proactive operation” on…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 29, 2026A celebration and benefit event for Shawn Kinsinger and his family will be Saturday, May 2, in Luverne. Kinsinger has been a key figure in Luverne’s performing arts as a director, actor, musician, board member and more. He received a cancer diagnosis earlier this spring. To support Kinsinger and his family during a difficult time, friends, colleagues and former students have planned a night…
April 29, 2026Eighteen young professionals were honored Monday night as graduates of the first cohort of Rock County’s Future Leaders Network. “You’re the beginning of a momentum that we can continue to build on,” program founder Ron Honken told the group of 20- and 30-somethings. “The results of your efforts are going to be simply immeasurable.” Honken, a 1983 LHS graduate, returned to the area five…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 29, 2026Nine hundred thousand dollars from the Federal Emergency Management Agency intended for Rock and Nobles counties is currently inaccessible due to the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security. The funds would reimburse counties for damages to their jointly owned railroad that occurred during flooding in 2024. “We ended up suffering a lot of damage (to the railroad),” said Rock…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 29, 2026Rock County Rural Water received approval from the county board to submit an application for a $250,000 loan to build a storage shed. The loan will be through the Minnesota Rural Water Association, with systems director Ryan Holtz explaining the need to the county board during its April 21 meeting. “Right now, we have an oversized double garage out there, (but) it’s just plain too small,” he…
By Lori SorensonApril 29, 2026Rock County officials worked fervently on damage control Friday after they learned a county email had been hijacked by scammers. According to Rock County Administrator Kyle Oldre, a township official called Auditor-Treasurer Ashley Kurtz Friday afternoon questioning an email he had received from her office. It requested election information and instructed him to reply. He instead called Kurtz…
April 29, 2026Luverne’s long-time elementary principal Stacy Gillette officially announced her retirement on April 23 as a part of the district’s regular school board meeting. Gillette has been with the Luverne School District for 24 years and has served as the principal for Luverne Elementary School for 22 years. “It’s hard to narrow down what’s been most rewarding about my experience,” Gillette shared…
By Lori SorensonApril 29, 2026There were two power outages affecting Luverne and Rock County and the region over the past several days. Both were due to outages affecting L&O Power, which is the company that provides electrical transmission to the city of Luverne, Sioux Valley Energy and other local providers. The outage on April 20 occurred in the early morning hours and lasted several hours. The outage on Sunday,…
By Lori SorensonApril 29, 2026Rock County native Candace (Schilling) Adams will return “home” on May 6 to bring her story about “The Compassionate Way” to the community. Adams will share her message in Luverne at the May 6 Ecumenical Coffee of the Presbyterian Church. The event is at 9:30 a.m. and includes a light breakfast for attendees. The Rev. Dr. Adams grew up in Rock County, attending school and church in…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 29, 2026After nearly two months of deliberation, the Luverne School Board has approved a calendar for the 2026-27 school year. At its work session on April 9, school board members discussed two primary contenders and the differences between them. Afterwards, Superintendent Craig Oftedahl created a third calendar based on their feedback. This option blends a calendar first presented to the board on…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 29, 2026The Luverne School Board approved a one-year contract for Superintendent Craig Oftedahl during its April 23 meeting. The contract covers the 2027-28 school year, and comes after Oftedahl announced his retirement earlier this year to allow himself to begin drawing from his pension. Oftedahl expressed a desire to be rehired, but also offered the board alternatives to seek a replacement. School…
April 29, 2026The first of the bison calves arrived last week at the Blue Mounds State Park where staff expect between 20-25 calves this year. “It will just depend on how many cows actually have calves,” said park naturalist Tiffany Muellner. “We do have a handful of older cows in their 20s who may not calf.” She said this will bring the total to approximately 81-86 animals this summer during the July-Aug…
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