Columns
By Brenda Winter, columnistJuly 08, 2026At 10 a.m. Saturday, July 18, on South Highway 75 the largest nutcracker in the world will be dedicated in alignment with a pretty significant birthday. Mine. In a way, the Luverne nutcracker and I will now share a birthday. In my 63 trips around the sun I’ve had some pretty amazing birthdays. One or two have fallen on Hot Dog Night. Forty years ago, I was a bride-to-be. Thirty-two…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJuly 08, 2026There are dozens of stories swirling around the “Roadless Rule”. The Roadless Rule was put in place back in 2001 by the president Bill Clinton. The rule was put in place by a wilderness regulation and not by a bill passed in the congress. It prohibited the construction of roads across 59 million acres of forests. It basically made these acres wilderness. No roads, no development and no extraction…- By Star Herald EditorialJuly 01, 2026We’re in the height of summer travel and vacation season and thousands of people are motoring cross-country along Interstate 90. As they enter Minnesota many will stop at the Beaver Creek Travel Information Center, but they won’t find travel information thanks to an unpopular decision by Explore Minnesota earlier this summer. Explore Minnesota Deputy Director Beth Helle reached out to…
By Jason Berghorst, reporterJuly 01, 2026Be careful what you wish for. I’m pretty sure I’ve written columns with this theme before. It’s one of the “life mottos” I try to live by. Or at least remember at times when I think I really want something to happen. That phrase has come to my mind a few times this summer as a result of our busier than normal Main Street and downtown. This is, of course, a result of the Highway 75…
By RIck Peterson, general managerJuly 01, 2026I announced my pending July 31 retirement back in May and the time is sure flying by. I have this month to tie up loose ends and clean out my office. Reflecting back on the last 21 years and my time here has occupied a fair amount of time each day leading up to my last day. Following are personal highlights I have been lucky enough to experience during my time here. In 2007 the Ken Burns…
By Nicole RonchettiJune 24, 2026For anyone who’s gone through trauma, it’s as though there’s never a perfect time to start living again. I think I’ve had to learn that the hard way. For the past two-and-a-half years it feels like I’ve been battling one medical condition after another. During the worst of it, I could hardly stand up or walk more than a few feet at a time. Before getting sick I was very active, hiking and…
By Calla Jarvie, Rock County Library DirectorJune 24, 2026The library is thrilled to announce, in partnership with the City of Luverne, the Rock County Community Foundation, the Friends of the Library, and Sioux Valley Energy, our Story Trail is up and running! First of all, what is a Story Trail? A Story Trail is an interactive outdoor reading experience that combines early literacy with physical activity. Pages from a children’s book are separated…
By Lori SorensonJune 17, 2026I recently hiked the Flatiron Trail in the Arizona Superstition Mountains. The view from the summit was spectacular, as were the views going up and coming down. But that’s not why I chose to hike it. I did it because I could. (I hoped I could and was thrilled to discover I could.) According to Google AI, the Flatiron summit is a “renowned, strenuous” hike via the Siphon Draw Trail in Lost…
By RIck Peterson, general managerJune 17, 2026My column for this week is about things I have never taken for granted. Those things remind meof how lucky I have been to work in an office setting for the past 40 years. The hot muggy days recently give me reason to be thankful I work in an air-conditioned office. The same is true in the middle of a subzero cold spell in the dead of winter to be working in an office with the thermostat set at…
By Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State PatrolJune 17, 2026Question: I know you talk about the importance of tires when it comes to the winter months but I think it’s just as important to talk about it in the spring with rain and wet roads. Thank you. Answer: It is always a good time to talk about tire safety. Tires must support your vehicle’s weight and grip the road properly. Inspect tires regularly for cuts, cracks, uneven wear, bald spots, bulges…
By Brenda Winter, columnistJune 10, 2026As I enjoyed lunch with a friend, I suggested I might have a second biscuit when she (lovingly) pinched a bit of flubber on my waistline and said, “I think you’ve had enough biscuits.” This was shortly after another friend told me of the success her co-workers were having with weight loss drugs and (lovingly) suggested, “You could try it.” My shirts and pants had been sending the same (loving…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJune 10, 2026The past few weeks have been pretty frustrating for this outdoor guy. It is hard to have so much work on my to-do list and each day passes and none of it is getting done. The work I am referring to is my list of prescribed grassland fires. That list has been accumulating since last May and for most of those projects it needs to be completed by May 15. There are always lots of calls and…
June 03, 2026Sometimes I’m proud to be “old school.” I didn’t get a cell phone until 2006. And I still haven’t adopted the use of GPS or other personal navigation technology. That’s right; when I travel I use my trusty “mental map” or look at Google Maps to plan ahead. I don’t let anyone or anything on my phone or car tell me where to go. This is especially true when the route is familiar. Why…
By RIck Peterson, general managerJune 03, 2026The column count has now entered June, leaving just five columns left, counting this one, before my retirement on July 31. One of the joys of this job is being involved in a whole host of community events. This weekend is Luverne’s annual Buffalo Days, and because of the Highway 75 construction some of the traditional events have detoured to different locations. For example, the Friday Night…
By Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State PatrolJune 03, 2026Question: In last week’s article you wrote about e-bikes. Can you also just provide a reminder on all around bicycle safety? Thank you. Answer: If you’re riding a bicycle, you must: •Obey all traffic control signs and signals, just as you would when driving. — The only exception is that bicyclists may treat stop signs as yield signs when the intersection is clear. •Use signals, if able, to…
By Scott Rall, Outdoor ColumnistJune 03, 2026It was a few months back that I wrote about how hard it is to say goodbye to your dog. It really doesn’t matter if that dog was a world class hunting dog or your tiny lap dog. Their last days or last day to be precise is a really hard one. I do think that dog owners who have spent thousands of days with their hunting partners do have a deeper bond than other dog owners. Just my opinion. My…
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