rock county

Social services and public health programs in Rock County, may be looking at a $2.1 million dollar funding shortfall, due to federal and state cost shifts. The Rock County Board of Commissioners learned how these shifts will affect local budgets during their July 7 meeting with Southwest Health and Human Services. Agency director Stacey Timm outlined the numbers and requested additional funding…

The early morning storms of Sunday, June 28, caused significant damage in some areas of Rock County.  In Hardwick high winds downed trees that damaged properties and blocked roads, with community members spending much of the next day in clean-up efforts.  Nearby farms and acreages also reported storm damage, with trees on structures, rooftops ripped off buildings and crops flattened and twisted…

Now that the filing period for county and large city elections has closed as of 5 p.m. Tuesday, June 2, local races have started to take shape.  Here are the candidates who are seeking election to positions in Rock County and the city of Luverne.  Rock County District 2  Two candidates have filed to compete in District 2 for a seat on the Rock County Board of Commissioners. Stan Williamson,…

Since the start of 2026, use of Rock County GAP Fund has increased by over 200%, bringing affordable mental health care to county residents who otherwise might not be able to access it. Angela Nolz helped found the initiative in 2024 and updated Rock County Commissioners at their May 19 meeting about the project’s importance and its recent growth. “There are two reasons people don’t get…

The Rock County Board of Commissioners approved an order for a new dump truck during its meeting on Tuesday, May 5.  The equipment will be a 2026 MAC GU 713 tandem axle dump truck and plow, with attachments.  Due to the extended production time, the new dump truck wouldn’t arrive in Rock County until spring of 2027.  “We’re asking to reserve a slot,” said county engineer Mark Sehr. “They only…

Nine hundred thousand dollars from the Federal Emergency Management Agency intended for Rock and Nobles counties is currently inaccessible due to the partial shutdown of the Department of Homeland Security.  The funds would reimburse counties for damages to their jointly owned railroad that occurred during flooding in 2024.  “We ended up suffering a lot of damage (to the railroad),” said Rock…

Rock County Rural Water received approval from the county board to submit an application for a $250,000 loan to build a storage shed.  The loan will be through the Minnesota Rural Water Association, with systems director Ryan Holtz explaining the need to the county board during its April 21 meeting.  “Right now, we have an oversized double garage out there, (but) it’s just plain too small,” he…

Rock County officials worked fervently on damage control Friday after they learned a county email had been hijacked by scammers.  According to Rock County Administrator Kyle Oldre, a township official called Auditor-Treasurer Ashley Kurtz Friday afternoon questioning an email he had received from her office.  It requested election information and instructed him to reply. He instead called Kurtz…

Rock County officials are working fervently on damage control today after they learned a county email has been hijacked by scammers. According to Rock County Administrator Kyle Oldre, a township official called Auditor-Treasurer Ashley Kurtz this afternoon questioning an email he had received from her office. It requested election information and instructed him to reply. He instead called Kurtz…

The property values for 2026-27 are out for Rock County, and while the value of most of the area remains relatively steady, the townships of Springwater and Beaver Creek saw sharp decreases.  Rachel Jacobs, director of the Rock County Land Records Office, presented numbers during the Rock County Board meeting on April 7.  Springwater Township saw a 32% decrease in property values, and Beaver…

The number of expansions and new permits for feedlots in Rock County is remaining steady, though the numbers still haven’t recovered to pre-pandemic levels.  Brandon Bosch, from the Rock County Soil and Water Conservation District, provided an annual report on feedlots to the Rock County Board during its April 7 meeting.  The report shared that the county has approximately 610 feedlots,…

A culvert in Judicial Ditch No. 2 will be replaced with a larger one, despite pushback from landowners downstream.  That’s according to a March 3 Rock County Board decision based on engineers’ recommendations and a hydrologic study.  The decision comes after a Feb. 3 public hearing about upgrading a 60-inch culvert under 221st Street in Rose Dell Township with a 72-inch culvert.  The current…

  Rock County and local governments nationwide could soon face increased costs as unfunded mandates in the federal HR1, known as the “One Big Beautiful Bill” go into effect.  During their regular March 3 meeting, Rock County commissioners heard an annual report from Southwest Health and Human Services, which administers social services and public health programs for Lincoln, Lyon, Murray,…

Feb. 11 •Complainant on Main Street reported a fire call. •Complainant on Evergreen Drive reported a scam. •Complainant on S. Summit Avenue in Hills reported fraud/forgery/counterfeit. •An outage was reported. •An outage was reported. •Complainant on US Highway 75 at mile marker 9 reported a pedestrian. •Rock County Sheriff’s Department assisted another department on 51st Street near…

At their Tuesday, Feb. 17, meeting, Rock County commissioners unanimously approved an ordinance to remain a shotgun-only deer hunting county. The ordinance was unanimously approved following a public hearing that morning when several local people weighed in on the issue. Trae Davis, for example, said he supported rifles over shotguns because hunters can be more precise with a rifle than a…

Rock County Commissioner Greg Burger has resigned from his seat on the County Board, effective Feb. 28. He made the announcement at the Tuesday, Feb. 17, regular board meeting when commissioners accepted his resignation “with regret.” In his official resignation letter to the board, Burger said it has been “an honor and privilege to serve the county citizens” during these past nine years. He…