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Remember When April 8, 2021

10 years ago (2011)
•Many of Rock County’s bridges are nearly 70 years old, and those structures are not only showing wear, but they’re not safe for heavy loads.
During Tuesday’s Rock County Board meeting, commissioners received a list of bridges that are posted as unsafe for heavy loads.
Of the 320 bridges in Rock County, 27 are considered unsafe for loads normally allowed on roadways and bridges up to 80,000 pounds. …
County Highway Engineer Mark Sehr said the bridges are safe for normal traffic, but they are posted with signs prohibiting heavy loads.
“These bridges were built in the 1940s and ’50s with timber supports and pilings, and they weren’t designed for the truck types, heavy equipment and machinery we use today,” he said.
“Those supports are rotting at the water level and are showing their age; they’re deteriorating faster than we can replace them.”
 
25 years ago (1996)
•Luverne is again making its mark on foreign lands — this time in the southeastern European country of Turkey.
Izmir, a city of 3 million people located on the Aegean Sea, has contracted with Luverne Fire Apparatus, Brandon, S.D., to purchase 20 pumpers, two rescue trucks, two tankers and one aerial ladder.
The contract is one of the biggest orders the business has ever filled, according to Steve Reedy, vice president of Luverne Fire Apparatus.
“It’s going to have a real positive impact on the whole operation of our company,” Reedy said.
At noon on Friday, five men from Turkey visited Brandon to inspect their first shipment. They also met with Luverne Fire Chief Jim Johanssen to learn how a volunteer fire department works in a rural community.
 
50 years ago (1971)
•The names of Vickie DeGroot and James Johnson, Luverne High School band members, were omitted in a news release printed in last week’s Star-Herald concerning scholarships to participate in the annual Dorian Music Camp at Luther College in Decorah, Ia., on June 20-26.
The scholarships were awarded students who performed in an outstanding manner for the 22nd annual Dorian Instrumental Festival at Luther in March.
 
75 years ago (1946)
•Mrs. Ralph Duba announced that she had purchased the fixtures and equipment of Etta’s Café from Mrs. Etta Dehmlow. She stated that she planned to dispose of the fixtures at a public auction Monday.
Mrs. Duba has rented the location, formerly occupied by Mrs. Dehmlow, and in the near future would open a ladies ready-to-wear store there.
Mr. Duba emphasized that the ladies ready-to-wear store will be solely his wife’s and that he would continue to operate his Duba’s Service Station and Café.
Mrs. Dehmlow stated that she had no definite plans for the future, other than that she was going to take a vacation. She had been in the café business here for the past six years, the last three of which were spent in her present location.
 
100 years ago (1921)
•According to present expectations, try-out work preliminary to the organization of the American Legion baseball club that is to represent Luverne during the coming season is to start about April 15th, or as soon thereafter as weather conditions will permit.
An organization to take charge of the project has been effected, with Ray Engan, Esq., as business manager and secretary; A. T. Suurmeyer, treasurer, and Leo Dressen, manager-player. At the present time there are about twenty-six candidates for positions on the team.
So far as possible the club is to be composed of members of the American Legion, who with the exception of possibly the pitching staff, are to be non-salaried players, and is hoped to be able to avoid asking the public for any direct donations for the maintenance of the team.

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