guest editorial
- By Bob Worth, Lake Benton mayor and president Minnesota Soybean Grower's AssociationMay 26, 2020Farm stress is certainly not a new concept. My father saw rural suicide rates spike in his farming days in the 1930s. When I was a young farmer just getting started in the ’80s, I became super depressed. Interest rates were as high as 21 percent, while land and machinery values plummeted. Farmers were being foreclosed on, and once again mental health in ag communities declined. I didn’t want to…
- By Sara Wahl, executive director of Southwest Crisis CenterApril 28, 2020Earlier this month, Minnesota Governor Walz reported that two-thirds of police calls over the weekend were related to domestic violence. As individuals are coping with the uncertainty of the COVID- 19 virus, loss of income and staying in their homes, the stress can be overwhelming. Abusers often resort to the use of manipulation, power, control and violence, correlating to higher incidence of…
- By Jane Wildung-Lanphere, Luverne Area Chamber directorMarch 10, 2020Luverne and Rock County are unlike 95 percent of the small towns in America. While tens of thousands of small communities see businesses closing and people moving away, we are at the brink of what can be the most exciting growth in decades. I remember in the early 1960s when Mid-Pack came to town. That plant was the “spark-plug” for community growth in both the residential and business sector.…
By Jennifer Lindsey, Southwest Crisis Center, LuverneOctober 01, 2019October is often a busy month with school sports, fall festivals and harvest season upon us. Easily forgotten is that October is Domestic Violence Awareness month. In the past year, the Southwest Crisis Center in Rock County has provided services for 88 individuals who experienced domestic and sexual violence. To help bring awareness that domestic violence does happen here in Rock County, the…- By Evan Verbrugge, Rock County SheriffSeptember 24, 2019With the new school year beginning, I thought that it would be a good idea to review the driver’s responsibility for when they see children getting on or off a school bus, as well as the Hwy Pedestrian Crossing Lights. The Law states in MN Statute 169.444 Safety of School Children: Duties of Other Drivers. Subdivision 1. Children getting on or off school buses. When a school bus is stopped on a…
- By Craig Oftedahl, Luverne Public Schools SuperintendentSeptember 10, 2019This is somewhat an unusual title to an article in September, but each year at school, we get to experience a new beginning in September. Our tremendous staff members are busy prepping for the return of students and anxiously await the arrival of friendly faces, smiling students, giddy parents and the giggles and laughter that signal another school year. One of the great things about school is…
- By Jason W. Swanson, director, Minnesota River Area Agency on AgingAugust 13, 2019It’s time we have “that talk” with our loved ones — whether a spouse, parent, in-law, grandparent or a friend — about establishing a plan as they age. We plan careers, vacations, weddings, get-togethers and retirements, but we often don’t take time to plan the things we’ll need help with as we age and the different types of services we may require. It’s difficult to make these decisions in a…
- By Julia Silvrants, respiratory therapist, Sanford LuverneJuly 16, 2019We are seeing a new national epidemic in our teenagers regarding E-cigarettes and vaping, and they are starting at earlier ages than even with cigarettes. Statistics show that many start at 13 or even younger and that since 2014 the number of teenagers using e-cigarettes has increased over 50 percent, according to the Minnesota Department of Health. Even though the legal age to buy them is 18 (…
- By Sen. Tina SmithJune 04, 2019If you don’t live in rural America, you may well have some preconceptions about what it’s like “out here” in the heartland. It’s true, the news hasn’t been good: the worst farm economy in a generation, never-ending wet weather that has kept farmers out of the field when they can least afford it, and tariffs that are ripping apart the trading relationships that Minnesota ag producers have spent…
- By Michael Walgrave, Rock County Land Management technicianMay 28, 2019Local Rock Beast The American bison is the national mammal of the United States and is native to Rock County. It is one of the heaviest land animals in the Americas with wild bulls weighing up to 2,800 pounds and semi-domestic bulls weighing up to 3,800 pounds. The Lakota Native Americans called the bison “tatanka,” which means “he who owns us.” There are other explanations for this title, but…
- By Jim Pumarlo, Minnesota News MediaOctober 03, 2017Nothing is more satisfying to an editor than reviewing a day’s edition — whether in print or digital format — and quietly proclaiming, “We connected with our readers.” A newspaper’s relationship with its readers is at the heart of National Newspaper Week. Newspapers, at their best, are stewards of our communities. News columns are a blend of stories that people like to read and stories they…
By Jane Wildung LanphereAugust 01, 2016In the dictionary, synergy is defined as the interaction of elements that, when combined, produce a total effect that is greater than the sum of the individual elements, contributions, etc. Synergy is the reason that every single business in Luverne and the surrounding area is important for the success and growth of our community. Just recently I stopped to purchase gas and there was someone…- By Chris Kunkle, Wind on the WiresDecember 01, 2015In November community and industry leaders gathered in Slayton to celebrate the contributions that wind energy has made to southwest Minnesota. As the representative of the state’s wind industry, I couldn’t have been happier to deliver a ceremonial “big check” in the amount of $7,224,246, which was paid out earlier this year, based on production in 2014. (Rock County received $896,430 this year…
- October 12, 2015Guest Editorial by Jim Zachary, director of the Transparency Project Last week marked the 75th anniversary of National Newspaper Week, and the theme, “The Power of the Press,” points to the importance of watchdog journalism, accurate reporting, strong editorials, comprehensive public notices and a free, open public forum. In 1841 Thomas Carlyle wrote about the power of the press, conjuring the…
- June 01, 2015The Star Herald reached out to the local state senator to recap the recently completed 2015 legislative session, highlighting areas our Rock County readers might care most about. By Bill Weber With the regular session of the 2015 Minnesota legislative session behind us and the prospects for a special session in front of us due to the governor’s veto of bipartisan bills, these are just a few…
- June 01, 2015The Star Herald reached out to local state representative and senator to recap the recently completed 2015 legislative session, highlighting areas our Rock County readers might care most about. By Joe Schomacker I, of course, am going to start out by noting the nursing home rate reform bill that I carried through the legislature this year. We completely overhauled the way we fund our nursing…
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