Editorials

This year Rock County Opportunities (RCO) is facing a new challenge that affects not only work opportunities for our clients, but local seniors who have benefited from a service that helps them remain independent, living in their own home.   RCO recently received a notification from one of our long-standing partners that the funding to provide free laundry and cleaning services for seniors will…

The events and activities of Sunday night in Luverne were another great reminder of all the wonderful opportunities at our fingertips in this community. We’re lucky to have world-class events at a small-town scale all year round, but Sunday night was another reminder of how lucky we are. The Star Herald photographed the events and visited with people standing in line to see Santa and mingling…

On four days each year, all Minnesota state parks and state recreation areas offer free admission to everyone, with no vehicle permits needed. Friday, Nov. 29, is the next free parks day, and it couldn’t come at a better time, considering Thanksgiving celebrations are typically all about food and sedentary gatherings. While there’s nothing wrong with indulging in gravy and pumpkin pie, we could…

On Monday night the Luverne Area Community Foundation hosted its annual “Friends of the Foundation Celebration of Philanthropy” at Take 16. The event recognizes and celebrates businesses, nonprofits and individuals who benefit from and support the foundation’s mission of strengthening the community. Among the groups and individuals at the packed Take 16 event center were people from diverse…

Even a joyous holiday season can be stressful, and many turn to alcohol as a stress reliever. According to the American Psychological Association, nearly nine in 10 Americans say that concerns such as not having enough money, missing loved ones and family conflict cause them stress during this time of year. Unfortunately nearly two in five adults who experience stress during the holiday…

By the time our Star Herald subscribers read this, the 2024 general election will be in the books, and voters will be acclimating to results and their expected impact. As with every election, we can participate, but we can’t control outcomes. What we can control is how we respond to those outcomes. Will we trust our free and fair elections? Will we respect our local elections officials if the…

As we close out October and Domestic Violence Awareness Month, I would like to reflect on several terms and definitions surrounding domestic violence, intimate partner violence and coercive control. By defining something, we validate it and the reality it represents. The term coercive control encompasses a pattern of power, control, intimidation and oppression that one experiences at the hands…

As voters seek information on candidates, they are inundated with misinformation (false or inaccurate information) and disinformation (false information deliberately intended to harm and mislead). Minnesota Secretary of State Steve Simon calls disinformation “the conscious spread of knowingly false information” which shouldn’t be confused with political “disagreement.” When weaponized, Simon…

Opinion vs facts in campaigns To the Editor: As we have observed and been engaged in the local election cycle, we can’t help but notice a difference in the approaches to campaigning. Some have called it “partisan.” We call it a stark difference in philosophy on spending, specifically the level of appropriate government spending. On one side you have the “challengers” who have been putting out…

We observed National Newspaper Week last week, and it’s the time of year we consider why the Star Herald is worth the price of a subscription. •We are the only news outlet that covers your school boards, city councils and Rock County Board of Commissioners. These elected officials, dear readers, are the ones who spend your tax dollars and take action on building projects, commercial…

This week is National Fire Prevention Week, and the 2024 campaign focuses on educating families about the importance of having working smoke alarms in the home. According to the National Fire Protection Association, the majority of U.S. home fire deaths continue to occur in homes with no smoke alarms or no working smoke alarms. “Smoke alarms can make a life-saving difference in a home fire, but…

Wednesday night’s candidate forum, livestreamed from our Star Media studio, was a milestone for our Star Herald We knew it could be done, but we didn’t know if we could do it. We wanted to do it. So we practiced doing it, and we practiced again and again. We wrote a script, read it out loud, rewrote it, read it again, and rewrote it again. We solicited candidate questions from the community…

Linda M. Rust, age 66, of Rock Rapids, Iowa, passed away Friday evening, Sept. 27, 2024, at the Sanford Hospice Cottage in Luverne, Minnesota. Visitation was from 5-7 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 2, at the Jurrens Funeral Home in Rock Rapids. A funeral service will be at 11 a.m. Thursday, Oct. 3, also at the Jurrens Funeral Home of Rock Rapids, with Fr. Sunny Dominic officiating. There will be a…

We at the Star Herald understand elections can be confusing, and we know there are many competing voices trying to influence votes. That’s why we publish candidate questionnaires in the paper and online for voters to read, and that’s why we host candidate forums for voters to learn from conversations live and recorded in podcasts. Luverne Mayor Pat Baustian is being challenged by Isaac DeBoer…

During National Suicide Prevention Month in September, it’s important to recognize the connection between substance use and suicide. Drug and alcohol addiction significantly increases the risk of suicidal ideation, attempts and death, and they are generally the most implicated substances in suicide risk. The risk of suicidal thoughts and behavior is elevated with acute alcohol intoxication and…

September is Suicide Prevention Month — a time to raise awareness of an urgently important crisis. The goal this month is to shift public perception, spread hope and share vital information with people affected by suicide. Ultimately, we want to ensure that individuals, friends and families have access to resources they need to discuss suicide prevention and to seek help. How can you help?…