Locals travel to path of totality to view 2024 eclipse
The highly anticipated 2024 total eclipse of the sun occurred Monday, April 8, across North America, and several groups of Rock County residents traveled to experience the once-in-a-lifetime ev
Student perform 'Legally Blonde The Musical'
When the LHS production of “Legally Blonde, the Musical” opens next week for six evening performances, audiences will be surprised at what they see.
Roeman retires from 38-plus years with county FSA
Stacey Roemen celebrated her retirement from 38 years with the Rock County Farm Service Agency Saturday night at Take 16, which was crowded with family, friends and well-wishers.
Thone wins spelling bee C-H-A-M-P-I-O-N-S-H-I-P
Twenty-three of the best spellers in southwest Minnesota participated Saturday morning in the 2024 SW MN Spelling Bee hosted at the Luverne Middle School.
History Center to host April 18 celebration
The Rock County History Center’s construction project is complete, and staff and volunteers are hosting a celebration from 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday, April 18.
Palisade Lutheran Church celebrates 150 years of worship
Palisade Lutheran Church will celebrate its 150th anniversary Sunday, April 14, at the corner of Minnesota Highway 23 and 121st Street (County Road 5).
News
- March 06, 2024Agricultural producers who have not yet enrolled in the Agriculture Risk Coverage (ARC) or Price Loss Coverage (PLC) programs for the 2024 crop year have until March 15, 2024, to revise elections and sign contracts. Both safety net programs, delivered by USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), provide vital income support to farmers who experience substantial declines in crop prices or revenues for the…
March 06, 2024All Minnesotans are invited to a statewide virtual public meeting to view the potential changes and improvements to Minnesota’s Capitol Mall. The designs are based on community input gathered through a statewide online survey with over 1,400 responses and following a four-day design process which included in-depth meetings with over 75 Minnesotans. A statewide virtual public presentation is at…
By Mavis FodnessFebruary 28, 2024Opponents of Rock County’s first large-scale solar farm say the 1,500-acre business will change the rural ways of living. Three concerned citizens talked with county commissioners at their Feb. 20 meeting about how the large number of solar panels will harm the environment, ruin the rural landscape and take needed farmland out of production. Grant Binford and Jane Nelson of Magnolia Township…
By Mavis FodnessFebruary 28, 2024Although the comment, “bigger nutcracker than Luverne” was made in jest, Hills residents weren’t shy about sharing ideas on where they see their community in 10, 15 or 20 years from now. The Hills City Council is currently developing a strategic plan with the help of the Southwest Regional Development Commission (SRDC). The plan will guide the city in long-term projects and where resources…
By Mavis FodnessFebruary 28, 2024A state grant will provide funding for a new surface on the 4.2-mile Blue Mound Trail in 2025. At their Feb. 20 meeting, Rock County Commissioners approved a cooperative agreement with the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources to cost share in the project. The Blue Mounds State Park’s cost share will be up to $100,000, based on the three miles of trail located in the park. Rock County will…
By Lori SorensonFebruary 28, 2024Hills Beaver Creek High School students are wrapping up a monthlong campaign to raise awareness of teen brain health ahead of World Teen Mental Wellness Day on March 2. Student council members took the lead on the effort that included T-shirts, fundraising, district-wide communication and a halftime message at the Feb. 26 home basketball game. “We wanted to promote mental health and recognize…
By Lori SorensonFebruary 28, 2024Local organizers are planning a “Woofstock” event for dogs and their owners on Sunday, Sept. 8, at the Luverne City Park. Luverne Area Chamber Director Jane Lanphere approached city council members at their Feb. 13 meeting to request permission for use of the public park for the event. “We have people interested in a dog park and we’re slowly looking into the possibility of that,” Lanphere told…
By Mavis FodnessFebruary 28, 2024Kwik Trip, the new convenience store on South Highway 75 in Luverne, was welcomed Feb. 21 by the Luverne Area Chamber. “The professionalism, the quality of service, the service that you bring to the convenience store business and food service business is outstanding,” said chamber director Jane Lanphere. “We’ve heard of your reputation from places we’ve stopped as we’ve traveled and all of us…- By Mavis FodnessFebruary 28, 2024Luverne took first place at Saturday’s Redwood Valley Speech Invitational in Redwood Falls. Nineteen Luverne students participated with eight students receiving medals. Luverne placed first in the small team division (under 20 entries.) “The team did great on Saturday,” said coach Gavin Folkestad. Those receiving medals by category included: •Discussion: Tyler Hodge, first; Makayla Oechsle,…
- February 28, 2024The Minnesota Department of Transportation started spring load restrictions in the south, southeast and metro frost zones Feb. 26, as winter load increases have already ended in these zones. Seasonal load limit zones and restricted routes can be found on the MnDOT load limits maps on mndot.gov/loadlimits. Start and end dates and other load limit information are shown online. Overweight permits…
By Mavis FodnessFebruary 28, 2024Hills-Beaver Creek middle-schoolers earned recognition at the South Dakota State First Lego League (FLL) Competition Feb. 17 in Sioux Falls. The students nearly swept the video awards category, according to coach Lexi Moore. “There were three video winners, and H-BC took two of them,” she said. For the season, the students earned five FLL awards. As part of the competition, each H-BC team…
By Lori SorensonFebruary 21, 2024Soldiers aren’t the only ones training at the Luverne National Guard Readiness Center that opened in December. Five mornings a week, dozens of pickleball players gather in the facility’s assembly hall, which is divided into three separate courts to accommodate simultaneous games. Greg Antoine is president of the Luverne Area Pickleball Association that organized in December, and he has 56…
By Mavis FodnessFebruary 21, 2024At their Tuesday meeting, Rock County commissioners gave their support for a proposed $25 million transload facility near Magnolia. The Buffalo Ridge Regional Rail Authority (BRRRA) will apply for a federal RAISE grant to pay for the project. RAISE (Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity) provides funding for capital investments in surface transportation that will…
By Mavis FodnessFebruary 21, 2024The 19 volunteers on the Hills Area Fire Department responded to 61 calls in 2023, four fewer than in the previous year and 18 fewer than the highest number in the past decade (79 in 2021). Hills Area Fire Chief Jared Rozeboom presented the fire department’s 2023 report to the Hills City Council on Feb. 13. Representatives from Martin Township, who operate the fire department with the city, were…
By Mavis FodnessFebruary 21, 2024When sled dog racers gather next week for the 2024 Iditarod mushers banquet, a Luverne student’s poem will be front and center. Sixth-grader Inge Gangestad’s words will be used as encouragement for the 40 mushers participating in this year’s 975-mile race from Willow, Alaska, to Nome, Alaska. “I was so touched by the writing you sent for the Trail Mail project,” said Jane Holmes, Iditarod…- By Lori SorensonFebruary 21, 2024A new position will be created in the Luverne Public Works Department to be in charge of city-owned buildings and facilities, according to action at the Feb. 13 City Council meeting. The primary focus of the new “General Maintenance Assistant” job is “performing, fixing, monitoring and planning for public facility maintenance and improvement projects,” according to the job description. This…
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