Opinion
By Lori SorensonJuly 15, 2026Jeane Leslie stopped in last week to deliver some columns she had clipped from the Star Herald through the years. There were some for Brenda, Mavis, Rick and me, each small stack organized by our bylines and neatly paperclipped under handwritten notes from Jeane. Some from 20 years ago I’d long forgotten, but it pleased me that she thought enough of them to clip and keep them. I’m guessing the…- By The National Alliance on Mental IllnessJuly 15, 2026NAMI Minnesota (the National Alliance on Mental Illness) is sounding the alarm over newly issued federal Medicaid regulations that will make it significantly harder for people with mental illnesses to maintain health coverage. This puts thousands of Minnesotans at risk of losing access to essential mental health services. The new rules implement provisions of the 2025 Congressional Budget…
- By Deon Carriere, Candidate for Rock County Commissioner District 3July 15, 2026To the editor: I would like to begin by thanking the Star Herald for its continued commitment to local journalism. Your coverage of local government, community events, and, most recently, the upcoming elections provides voters with the information they need to make informed decisions. In an era when local newspapers across America continue to disappear, the Star Herald remains the lifeblood…
By Rick PetersonJuly 15, 2026My column countdown continues with just one more remaining after this one. I know you’re probably thinking enough already. As I think back about my newspaper career I can’t help but remember how it all started. It all started with Scott Rall. Yeah, that Scott Rall. He was working at the Worthington Daily Globe way back then and he knew I was looking for work and he called me and told me about…- By Mayor Pat BaustianJuly 08, 2026A five-person citizen group has submitted a petition for a ballot question about amending Luverne’s City Charter to create a Municipal Services Commission. The proposed amendment shifts supervision, management, employment and all financial oversight of the city utilities to a separate governing commission. The petitioners, spearheaded by Isaac DeBoer, said they drafted their charter amendment…
By Brenda Winter, columnistJuly 08, 2026At 10 a.m. Saturday, July 18, on South Highway 75 the largest nutcracker in the world will be dedicated in alignment with a pretty significant birthday. Mine. In a way, the Luverne nutcracker and I will now share a birthday. In my 63 trips around the sun I’ve had some pretty amazing birthdays. One or two have fallen on Hot Dog Night. Forty years ago, I was a bride-to-be. Thirty-two…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJuly 08, 2026There are dozens of stories swirling around the “Roadless Rule”. The Roadless Rule was put in place back in 2001 by the president Bill Clinton. The rule was put in place by a wilderness regulation and not by a bill passed in the congress. It prohibited the construction of roads across 59 million acres of forests. It basically made these acres wilderness. No roads, no development and no extraction…
By Jason Berghorst, reporterJuly 01, 2026Be careful what you wish for. I’m pretty sure I’ve written columns with this theme before. It’s one of the “life mottos” I try to live by. Or at least remember at times when I think I really want something to happen. That phrase has come to my mind a few times this summer as a result of our busier than normal Main Street and downtown. This is, of course, a result of the Highway 75…
By RIck Peterson, general managerJuly 01, 2026I announced my pending July 31 retirement back in May and the time is sure flying by. I have this month to tie up loose ends and clean out my office. Reflecting back on the last 21 years and my time here has occupied a fair amount of time each day leading up to my last day. Following are personal highlights I have been lucky enough to experience during my time here. In 2007 the Ken Burns…- July 01, 2026To the editor: As members of the Petition Committee we are writing to provide key context regarding the Proposed City Charter Amendment to establish a Municipal Services Commission. The Petition Committee did not approach the process in an unorganized or uninformed manner, quite the opposite in fact. The committee had several discussions with community members about the concept and also…
- By Mike and Cheryl Cox, LuverneJuly 01, 2026To the editor: The purpose of this letter is to express our concern with the petition regarding having a separate Municipal Services Utility Commission proposed by a group of citizens. We have seen the proposal and believe it is unwarranted for a public vote. There will be additional costs in operating a new commission. Having a city council and a utility commission seems to be additional…
- By Rebecca Walgrave, LuverneJuly 01, 2026To the editor: We have had visitors from all over the world just this week. They ask what to do in Luverne and we send them to the Herreid Military Museum, Brandenburg Gallery, the History Center (they LOVE Betty) and Blue Mound and Touch the Sky Prairie, depending on what they are interested in. I have to remind myself about the bike trail. We get questions about restaurants and other…
By Nicole RonchettiJune 24, 2026For anyone who’s gone through trauma, it’s as though there’s never a perfect time to start living again. I think I’ve had to learn that the hard way. For the past two-and-a-half years it feels like I’ve been battling one medical condition after another. During the worst of it, I could hardly stand up or walk more than a few feet at a time. Before getting sick I was very active, hiking and…- By Star Herald EditorialJune 24, 2026The Star Herald had received a number of suggestions for a “thumbs up, thumbs down” editorial, and this week we’re sharing those submissions. Thumbs up — to a new place in town to get ice cream. Cowbells Meats and Treats opened earlier this month, and the homemade ice cream selection is fabulous (as are the waffle cones and other options.) Thumbs down — to parking on the street in front of…
By Calla Jarvie, Rock County Library DirectorJune 24, 2026The library is thrilled to announce, in partnership with the City of Luverne, the Rock County Community Foundation, the Friends of the Library, and Sioux Valley Energy, our Story Trail is up and running! First of all, what is a Story Trail? A Story Trail is an interactive outdoor reading experience that combines early literacy with physical activity. Pages from a children’s book are separated…
By Lori SorensonJune 17, 2026I recently hiked the Flatiron Trail in the Arizona Superstition Mountains. The view from the summit was spectacular, as were the views going up and coming down. But that’s not why I chose to hike it. I did it because I could. (I hoped I could and was thrilled to discover I could.) According to Google AI, the Flatiron summit is a “renowned, strenuous” hike via the Siphon Draw Trail in Lost…
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