column
By Jason Berghorst, reporterMarch 24, 2020‘So many things I never thought I’d see happening right in front of me.’ Seldom do the lyrics of a country song ring more true than those words do now. The refrain of Brad Paisley’s 2009 song, “Welcome to the Future” includes that phrase. The lyrics of the song highlight how things change over time and how surprising those changes are when looked at over a lifetime. …
By Scott Rall, outdoor columnistMarch 24, 2020It was back in the spring of 2016 that I was able to participate in one of the most memorable wildlife projects of my life. Nobles County Pheasants Forever had recently purchased an 80-acre tract as an addition to Lambert Prairie Wildlife Management Area. This was only a few months after I lost my wife to breast cancer, and as a living memorial to her, I made a contribution to the habitat…
By Brenda Winter, columnistMarch 17, 2020The coronavirus isn’t all bad. It might take awhile, but here are 10 good things I think will come after the corona virus is no longer front page news. #1. The United States will end its insane reliance on foreign countries to produce our drugs and medical supplies. #2. Bringing those drug and medical supply factories home to U.S. soil will result in more high quality manufacturing jobs for…
By Rick Peterson, general managerMarch 10, 2020It’s been five days since the “spring ahead” time change, and I am now just starting to adjust. Not sure why, but I struggle with the loss of an hour. Maybe it’s because I am a morning person and the added hour of darkness in the morning messes with me. That said, the good certainly outweighs the bad with the time change. The past weekend reaffirms that warmer days are coming. I saw my first…
By Lori Sorenson, editorMarch 10, 2020Mahatma Gandhi once said, “The greatness of a nation can be judged by the way its animals are treated.” Paul McCartney further said, “You can judge a man's true character by the way he treats his fellow animals.” If this is true, it’s safe to say we have a great community blessed by people of solid character, given the outpouring of support for the upcoming “Paws for a Cause” event. Anyone…
By Betty Mann, president, Rock County Historical SocietyMarch 10, 2020Rock County will celebrate its 150th Anniversary this year. The news will be the history of Rock County, townships, and communities. The following appeared in the Rose History of Rock County, printed in 1911. County and Township Organization — 1870-1878 (continued from 03-05 edition) Beaver Creek The third town to begin local government in Rock county was Beaver Creek. There was quite…
By Mavis Fodness, reporterMarch 03, 2020Leap Day rolls around every four years, and I was excited about this year’s Feb. 29. Similar to daylight saving time, when we push our clocks back an hour in the fall, I see the 2020 Leap Day as a 24-hour bonus because it occurred on a weekend. What would I do with a whole extra day? Not only that, but a day where temperatures were predicted to reach 50 degrees, an outdoor warmth we hadn’t…
By Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota Highway PatrolMarch 03, 2020Question: I see a lot of people that have their fog lights on, and when I am meeting them on the road, some are very bright and make seeing the road very difficult. Some of them appear to be out of alignment and are blinding. What is the law that covers this? Answer: If the fog lights are aimed too high and/or are too bright, they are illegal, even if they are in compliance with the rest of the…
By Rick Peterson, general managerFebruary 25, 2020So February is about in the books for another year. Even with an extra day it seemed to blow by. So to keep you up to speed on my 2020 bucket list accomplishments, here’s where I’m at after two months. First, just to refresh your memory, the list includes wash a load of clothes at the Laundry Room Laundromat; get at least one haircut at five different salons in Luverne; swim in The Lake; attend a…
By Brenda Winter, columnistFebruary 25, 2020“Sir?” a voice asked from the golf course. “Sir?” My husband and I were sitting with two friends under a canopy by a pool near a palm tree next to a fairway in Arizona. We all turned toward the voice, expecting to see a golfer asking if we’d seen where a ball landed. Instead, we saw five or six SWAT team members, ARs and handguns drawn, being dragged down the fairway by an enthusiastic German…
By Lori Sorenson, editorFebruary 18, 2020I enjoyed taste-testing chili last week at Schomackers Home Galleries where family members (who happen to be business partners) competed for bragging rights to the best recipe. Brothers Joe and Tony Schomacker and their dad, Randy, were chili cooks, and Sharon baked sweets to sell on the side. The whole thing raised money for local charity. To make it more interesting, the three crockpots of…
By Jason Berghorst, reporterFebruary 11, 2020I’m in the process. And let me tell you, it’s been a real process. If you haven’t heard, our “normal” Minnesota driver’s licenses will no longer qualify as adequate identification for boarding a domestic flight after Oct. 1. At least that’s how I understand it. When my driver’s license renewal notice arrived in December, I realized this was my chance to upgrade to my “real” ID. I had two months…
By Rick Peterson, general managerFebruary 11, 2020Friday is Valentine’s Day. Truth be told, that is not one of my favorite days. Valentine’s Day puts undue pressure on me to be romantic — not one of my strong suits. I can be compassionate, caring and downright sentimental, but romantic not so much. To make matters worse, Mary will find herself sitting in the dentist’s chair to start her day. In the past, I’ve done the standard Valentine gift…
By Mavis Fodness, reporterFebruary 04, 2020More than a year ago local readers were introduced to Ryan and Martha Tofteland. The young couple and their children, Finn and Liv, were visiting Ryan’s parents, Steve and Julie Tofteland, and his childhood home in rural Luverne for Thanksgiving 2018. It was a bittersweet visit for the young couple. Two years prior, in August 2016, Ryan was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or Lou…
By Rick Peterson, general managerJanuary 28, 2020A few weeks ago we published the salaries of city department heads and the increases they were going to receive. We do the same with county and school personnel. The fact that we publish such information was the topic a conversation one day at coffee. Most at the table found it important while others (just one) really felt it was unnecessary. The argument against publicizing the salaries was that…
By Brenda Winter, columnistJanuary 28, 2020I’ve spent most of my life trying to avoid exercise and I think I’ve been fairly successful. The time that so many of you have spent running, walking, biking and hiking, I’ve spent trying to avoid exercise. I may have burned nearly the same number of calories. One of my favorite exercise memories is the time in high school my sister and I were going to “run around the section.” (That’s four…
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