10 years ago (2011)
•The Rock County Star Herald is once again challenging fairgoers to a friendly competition for the 2011 version of the Rock County Fair.
Star Herald General Manager Rick Peterson announced this week the creation of a Star Herald paper medallion that will be hidden on the fairgrounds to be turned in for a prize. “I’m hiding it myself and I’m not telling anyone where it is,” Peterson said Tuesday as he started putting together rhyming clues.
“I’m the only one who will know where it’s hidden.”
25 years ago (1996)
•An abandoned rural school building burns Thursday afternoon while firefighters from Hills prevent its spread to nearby trees. The fire call came shortly after 5 p.m. but by the time firefighters arrived, the former school District #39 or Sunnyside School building was a total loss. The cause of the fire wasn’t stated, but onlookers speculated it had been deliberately set. There was no electricity in the building, and weather conditions seemed an unlikely cause. The school was consolidated with Hills in 1941. The building was located in Martin Township, three miles north of Hills, just east of the Burlington Northern tracks on property owned by Lyndon Severtson. The first school building on the site was constructed in 1881. The building that burned Thursday had been built in 1918. It featured a basement and a furnace and cost $5,835. The last teacher at the school was Emma Engebretson.
50 years ago (1971)
•Last month, 12-year-old Brad Remme, son of Mr. and Mrs. Gale Remme, Luverne, came into the Star-Herald with his largest discovery added to his collection of old bottles and jars.
Brad proudly displayed an old soft drink bottle labeled “Bottling Works of Luverne.” He and a companion had uncovered the bottle near his home at the southwest edge of Luverne. …
Mrs. Smith, who still resides in Luverne, recalls the company made several flavors, but distributed them only locally. …
A check with a few of the city’s longtime residents revealed the following information: John Engebretson recalls that the most popular flavor was the “red one” (strawberry). Mrs. Smith remembers that they also made orange, root beer and a lemon drink. Charles Soutar says he remembers drinking “Luverne Pop” as early as 1906.
In regards to Brad’s bottle, Mrs. Smith was very definite that there weren’t any manufactured while she and her husband had the operation. This would date the bottle back to the Goettsch era or pre-1930.
75 years ago (1946)
•Unless you want to be arrested for violation of the law — don’t handle young birds and animals found in woods and fields!
This warning is issued by Frank Blair, game supervisor for the Minnesota Division of Game and Fish, as a result of numerous complaints that have reached his office relative to persons “adopting” strayed fawns.
Apparently abandoned young wildlife is rarely deserted and, if left alone, will be adequately cared for by its parents, Blair said. Efforts of persons inexperienced in the rearing of wildlife species to care for game picked up along paths, trails and highways usually end in wasteful failure and are likely to lead to trouble with federal or state law enforcement agents.
If you see a fawn along the road — leave it alone! The doe will be around somewhere.
100 years ago (1921)
•The seventy-foot steel crane at Hanlon & Okes loading plant on Blue Mound avenue crashed across the Rock Island tracks in a broken and bent mass Friday noon, when the extreme weight of the derrick uprooted one of the anchor supports of the crane.
The accident happened ten minutes to twelve, and fortunately none of the numerous workmen usually engaged around the crane were in the path of the falling tower. The men at work directing the course of material being unloaded happened to be in the corner of a car out of harm’s way.
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