10 years ago (2009)
•When Luverne’s airport reopens this summer, the runway will be twice as long, and it will have hangar space for up to 24 aircraft.
Anticipating increased air traffic and service business, Luverne’s new fixed based operator and management team are already preparing for opening day.
Darrell Gilmore of Great Planes Avionics Services Inc. has expanded his Tea, S.D., avionics and maintenance business in Luverne.
He said Luverne’s airport has a promising future, thanks to $3 million in improvements on site.
25 years ago (1994)
•Area students celebrated what administrators hope will be winter’s last hurrah April 29.
A seven-inch snowfall made soupy messes of gravel roads and sent countless vehicles sliding off paved roads. The Luverne School Board meeting was postponed from Thursday to Friday.
The unexpected snow day won’t be made up with extra days this year. Luverne Superintendent Norman Miller said the district has conducted classes for 168 school days during the year. While the state requires 170 days, the two-day difference will be made up by using averaging of time.
50 years ago (1969)
•”If the weather man cooperates and with the big machines most farmers have now, all corn in Rock County should be planted by May 10,” Kent Ringkob, Rock County agent said Monday afternoon.
Soil temperature is now about 40 degrees and should be 50-55 degrees before planting. The corn will not germinate when the soil temperature is in the 40s. A person can test the soil temperature by placing an ordinary thermometer about two inches into the soil.
“What we need now is just a lot of sunshine to warm up the ground,” the county agent said.
Ringkob also said that the soil condition has made amazing progress in the last few days.
75 years ago (1944)
•Theft of an alarm clock and a pitch pipe, and damage to furniture in school district No. 4, 2 1/2 miles south of Luverne, and damage to three mail boxes on the intersection near the school building Saturday night was reported this week by Sheriff Roberts.
Meanwhile, Postmaster Ohlsen announced that he would offer a reward of $25 which would lead to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons implicated in tampering with the mail boxes.
According to Sheriff Roberts, the vandalism occurred after 11 p.m. Saturday, because at that time, Jerry Stroh had stopped to get his mail out of one of the boxes which was later tipped over.
Entrance to the school building was made by breaking in a panel in the door, and crawling through the opening. Seats and desks were upset, and papers strewn around, but only the alarm clock and the pitch pipe were missing.
Ole Lee of the state department of criminal apprehension was here Monday investigating the case.
100 years ago (1919)
•Three of Rock county’s live stock breeders on Wednesday paid $6,000 for three registered Duroc Jersey boars with which to head their respective herds.
Those who made these purchases were Phil Ordung, of the firm of P. C. Ordung & Son; Rudolph Juhl, of the firm of Juhl Bros., and Ralph Fitzer. All the boars were bought from P. C. Dexheimer, of Spencer, S. D.
The Messers, Fitzer, Juhl and Ordung, accompanied by H. A. Sexesmith, of Omaha, were at Spencer and selected the hogs and in each instance the price paid was $2,000. All three boars are sons of the famous Pathfinder’s Giant, owned by Mr. Dexheimer. Mr. Juhl and Mr. Fitzer secured fall boars, and Mr. Ordung a yearling. …
Mr. Dexheimer is credited with having sold Duroc Jerseys for a total of $86,000 in 1918, and submits sale records in substantiation of this claim.
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