column
By Brenda Winter, columnistJuly 09, 2025Rain does not dampen community spirit. Rain was in the forecast, but it was July Fourth and this is ’merica. As the sun began to set, the mood at Luverne’s annual Fourth of July celebration at The Lake was jovial. An elderly gentleman sitting in front of us succumbed to the music when the band started playing “Fishin’ in the Dark.” Pushing his seed corn cap back on his head, he grabbed his…
By Rick Peterson, general managerJuly 09, 2025Is it just me, or are there a lot more distractions while driving on the city streets these days? I am not referring to texting while driving or fiddling with all the knobs, dials, buttons and switches that cars and trucks come with these days. What I am getting at is all the other modes of transportation vying for space on the streets. Cars, trucks, motorcycles, mopeds and UTVs all have to be…
By Betty Mann, Rock County HistorianJuly 09, 2025The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on Feb. 7, 1963. Sportsmen plan fox hunt here on Sunday The Rock county sportsmen’s club is sponsoring a fox hunt this Sunday, it was announced by Louis Shelby, president of the club. The hunt is slated to begin at 1 p.m. sharp. Anyone wishing to participate may do so by being at the sportsmen’s club by 1, according to Shelby. Only shotguns…
By Lori Sorenson, editorJuly 02, 2025I rescued some clearance-priced begonias at Bomgaars a few weeks ago, despite completing spring planting in mid-May. The perky pink blossoms are the perfect spot of color in the wicker planter near our patio door. Especially after the ones intended for that spot are long dead. I have a poor track record for keeping flowers alive in that location at our home. Year after year I peruse the “…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJuly 02, 2025It was that time of year again when I needed to take the herd of dogs I own to the vet for some routine shots. Not that this is a new thing by any means. I normally have had at least four dogs at my house since 1995. The most dogs I have ever had at one time was six, and at the low point in my hunting past I was for a short time down to zero. I had sold a starter dog in May of that year, and…
By Mavis Fodness, reporterJune 25, 2025An email landed in my inbox last fall simply titled “Wind Turbine Visit.” The author was a Maple Grove dad whose daughter is enamored with wind turbines. Yes, that’s right. Those 300-plus-foot tall white metal towers affixed with three Fiberglas blades that spin to generate electricity. A turbine is a rather unusual item for a 5-year-old to like, but Deviana is not your typical kindergartner…
By RIck Peterson, general managerJune 25, 2025At the time I am writing this column, the topic idea is just that – an idea. With Hotdog Night just around the corner, some of the staff in our office had the brainy idea of putting together a short video centered around tossing a hot dog and catching it with a bun. Two-person teams representing each department at The Star Herald have been established, and they are as follow: Our front…
By Jason Berghorst, reporterJune 18, 2025It seems to be happening more often. I say or think or do something and then quickly realize, “Wow, I’m getting old.” Three weeks ago I finished my 23rd year as a teacher and began my 12th summer working part time at the newspaper. That means I’m (hopefully) well past the halfway point of my career and solidly in my “midlife” years, if I’m blessed enough to live past the average longevity of…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJune 18, 2025It has been a very long time since I last laid eyes on a creature I saw last night. For the first time in over five years, I saw a small juvenile red fox. This animal used to be quite common around southwest Minnesota, but for reasons I mention a little later, they have for all practical purposes vanished from my area. The red fox is in the upper quartile of foxes for size around the world. They…
By Brenda Winter, columnistJune 11, 2025It’s been a long time since anyone dared me to do a trick on my bike. I was the lucky winner of a new Townie Electra at the Take 16 bike drawing last Thursday. (Thank you, Lineage Logistics!) My 10-year-old nephew rode over on his bike to invite my husband and me to join him on a test drive of my flashy new prize. He wanted to “see what she could do.” I thought he meant the bike. Once we hit…
By RIck Peterson, general managerJune 11, 2025This is the last of four columns about my take on the abundance of choices we have when it comes to selecting and purchasing a simple item. I wrote about the number of choices on the shelf for the perfect barbecue sauces at our local Sunshine Foods store, the plethora of paint colors and sheen to choose from at the Luverne ACE Hardware store, and the aisle after aisle of choices of dog food at…
By Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State PatrolJune 11, 2025Question: I read your last article about road construction and work zones. Can you talk about the zipper merge? It seems like a lot of people don’t know what it is or can’t figure it out. Thank you. Answer: The “Late Merge - Zipper Merge” is a driving strategy that requires drivers to change their mindset about merging. Traditionally, drivers have been taught to merge early when a lane is ending…
By Mavis Fodness, reporterMay 28, 2025Imagine running 437 miles across the state of South Dakota. In September my nephew-in-law is doing just that — running a relay race from Rapid City to Sioux Falls in five days. Izzo is one of 12 runners selected for the 437 Project, an awareness and fundraising event for the Helpline Center based in Sioux Falls. Izzo, a former Marine, is bringing attention to his fellow veterans and current…
By RIck Peterson, general managerMay 28, 2025This is the third installment in my series of columns about what I consider growing trends of having too many choices in making simple decisions. I so far covered barbecue sauces and paint, and now we’ll cover dog food. Pet food choices are off the charts, and for this column I am zeroing in on dog food. Our local Bomgaars is where I buy my dog food, so I did my research there on the plethora…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistMay 28, 2025There seems to be a new sheriff in town when it comes to operating a boat or personal watercraft in Minnesota waters. There are new regulations starting July 1, 2025. These new rules require both youth and younger adults to be certified in watercraft safety if you were born after 2004. The new rules are being phased in. If you were born after 2004, the requirements begin on July 1 of this year…
By Brenda Winter, columnistMay 21, 2025When Marcella Prokop, co-owner of The Cidery at Blackshire Farms near Beaver Creek, called and asked if I, Brenda Winter, could judge a rhubarb contest at the Cidery on Saturday, June 7, I said I could not, but I knew who could – Marlene and Darlene. Marlene and Darlene are two imaginary elderly sisters created for the stage by DJ Luethje and me. The sisters hail from Leota, Minnesota. They…
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