Remember When

10 years ago (2013) •Luverne High School art students, Josey Kockelman-Radtke, Nikki Severson and Cora Mumme put the finishing touches a large 8-by-10-foot mural in a stairwell landing near thehigh school lobby Thursday afternoon, March7.The students are all taking a senior highindependent art class with Chris Nowatzki and collaborated on this project, which combines the impressionistic style of…

10 years ago (2013) •A pair of Luverne High School athletes wrapped up the 2012-13 season at the Minnesota State Class AA Individual Wrestling Tournament at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul over the weekend. Senior Eli Dooyema and sophomore D.J. Reker earned the right to represent Luverne at the state tournament for the first time since 2009 when they placed second in their weight classes at…

10 years ago (2013) •The Luverne High School gymnastics program needs a permanent home, and School Board members discussed proposals at their Feb. 21 meeting. Before the start of the Luverne 2012-2013 gymnastics season, the district was informed that after 22 years of the gymnastics team’s use of the Luverne Armory for practice and meets, the facility did not meet state safety standards. A…

10 years ago (2013) •Luverne High School choir member Kira Graber joined an all-star cast of choral students from across the state when she performed at Benson Great Hall at Bethel University for the Minnesota Music Educators Mid-Winter Conference last week. Graber, a junior, tried out for the All-State Choir last March. Her audition included singing a solo, vocal memory exercises checking for…

10 years ago (2013) •Forty-seven members of the Blue Mound Figure Skating Club competed at the Frosty Blades competition at the Schwan Super Rink in Blaine Feb. 8-10. The BMFSC successfully defended their 2012 championship by topping the 20-team field with 767 points. Second place went to NSC Schwan Rink with 55 skaters and 581 points. Third place went to Sioux Falls with 32 skaters and 504…

10 years ago (2013) •Matt Christensen stepped out of his comfort zone in August—about 8,000 miles out. He said the four months he spent in Tanzania, which is centrally located on the east coast of Africa, taught him that the people there are generous, welcoming, “and just the nicest people.” Christensen spent fall semester on the study abroad assignment with a group of students studying with the…

10 years ago (2013) •The Luverne Hockey Association is celebrating the completion of its major remodeling project at the Blue Mound Ice Arena. Fundraising began nearly a year ago, with a great deal of support coming from local corporate sponsors. Those contributors were honored Tuesday night during a Cardinal varsity hockey game. The $750,000 project features a two-story 112-by-32-foot addition…

10 years ago (2013) •Northwestern College senior Kelby Robinson is on a mission — a music mission. Robinson and fellow college band members are traveling to Cuba in February with the goal of bringing the Christian gospel message to musicians there. Band members are also collecting musical instruments in good working order to bring along with them. Robinson is an elementary education and music…

10 years ago (2013) •Members of the Hills Fire Department put their lives on the line Saturday to train in the cold weather of the Hills Rez. Retired firefighter Dan Bernardy traveled to Hills from Inver Grove Heights to train the local firefighters on water and ice rescue techniques and equipment. The day started with several hours of classroom training at the fire hall. After learning how to…

10 years ago (2013) •A new business is coming soon to the former Renfro Variety store on Main Street. David and Stacy Riphagen, Luverne, purchased the building this fall and will reopen the doors next spring as “Dragonfly,” a custom furniture and interior design boutique. The business will feature custom-designed furniture built to clients’ personal tastes and specifications. For example, an…

10 years ago (2013) •Rock County Commissioners approved $100,000 for the purchase of pictography services from Pictometry International Corp. The New York-based company provides high-resolution aerial photography from images taken at a 40-degree angle from low-flying airplanes. The photographs show buildings, infrastructure and land parcels from all sides at a resolution more than three times…

10 years ago (2012) •Students at Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary spent the month of December collecting food items for the Rock County Food Shelf. The 1,211 items collected were part of the Holiday Outreach Project organized by the student council. Each grade level kept track of the number of items collected. The class with the most items on Dec. 20 would be declared the winners and receive prizes…

10 years ago (2012) •Rock County residents and their holiday guests are encouraged to visit the third floor of the Rock County Veterans Memorial Building this month. The Herreid Military Museum Task Force announced this week that the Heritage Gallery — the third floor exhibit — will close on Dec. 31. The displays on the third floor of the former jail building next to the courthouse were set up to…

10 years ago (2012) •Voters living in the Hills-Beaver Creek School District voted to increase the district’s operating referendum to $1,521 per pupil unit. Nearly 60 percent, or 389 voted to increase taxes and approve the referendum during the three-hour Tuesday evening vote. The 651 voters of 1,259 registered voters came out to vote after a day of moving snow to get to the polls. The new…

10 years ago (2012) •More than $900 was raised for the Rock County SHARE program during photos with Santa at the Winterfest Craft Show Saturday at Luverne Elementary School. Rodger and Dianne Ossenfort played the part of Santa and Mrs. Claus for their 26th year. They posed for pictures, listened to requests for gifts and gave treats to children who came to see Santa. One child said, “Kind of,”…

10 years ago (2012) •The Christensen girls are on a mission to bring affordable, high quality, gently used, upscale clothing to Luverne’s Main Street. Sisters Sue (Christensen) Hoffman and Amy (Christensen) Cowell are opening Sassy Seconds, a used-clothing store, Dec. 1 in the former Roberts Barber Shop at 119 East Main. Hoffman owns and operates Great Planes Travel located next door, so she said…