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Public forum in Hills draws large crowd, heated comments

Nicole Ronchetti

May 15, 2026

A public forum during the May 12 Hills City Council meeting drew over 60 people, the majority of whom were there to express support for the city council and city clerk amid an expected lawsuit.

Hills Area Chamber of Commerce president Kris Gagnon has said he is filing the lawsuit…

Hills City Council opts to keep current city website

Nicole Ronchetti

May 15, 2026

Against the backdrop of a contentious public gathering, the Hills City Council on May 12 rejected a pro bono offer by Allen Saakyan to modernize the city’s website.

At the council’s…

Green space vs housing

Lori Sorenson

May 15, 2026

Members of the Luverne Convention and Visitor’s Bureau are asking the city of Luverne to reconsider plans for housing development in the downtown corridor.

Specifically, they’re requesting the half-block south of the History Center be reserved for green space instead of housing.…

Agri-Energy Ethanol Plant comes online

Lori Sorenson

May 13, 2026

Luverne’s Agri-Energy started producing ethanol last month and is ramping up to near capacity production, according to plant general manager Mike Stanley.

“We’re about 80 percent there,” he said on April 30, as trucks lined up outside the facility to deliver corn.

He said the…

Everything's coming up flowers

Lori Sorenson

May 13, 2026

Dozens of flower stems were collected at downtown businesses and artfully assembled into Mother’s Day bouquets Saturday during Luverne’s Mother’s Day Flower Walk.

Community members were invited to visit each business between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. to collect a flower and other treats so…

Sports

Greg Hoogeveen photo/redbirds1 Redbirds Derek Lundgren rounds third base against Lakefield Sunday, May 10, in Luverne. Luverne wins their opening game of the season 12-2 to start off their 2026 campaign.

Redbirds fly to home opener win

Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor

May 13, 2026

The Luverne Redbirds opened their 2026 Minnesota Baseball Association (MBA) campaign taking down the Lakefield Horned Frogs 12-2 Sunday, May 9, at home. Back to Class C The Redbirds moved back down to Class C this season after spending last season in Class B. After missing a state birth last…

LHS senior Hannah Woodley, left, winds her way to the line to throw the discus at the Big South Conference meet in Luverne.

LHS girls’ track and field team captures Big South Conference Title, boys finish second

Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor

May 13, 2026

Luverne girls’ track team captured the Big South Small School Conference Title Thursday, May 7, in Luverne. LHS edged out six other teams in 18 events for top team honors. The Luverne girls team accumulated 188 points beating out Redwood Valley with 130 for second, Jackson County Central with 109…

Greg Hoogeveen photo/lhsbaseball1 LHS senior Josh Hansen sends a pitch to the plate against St. James May 7 in Luverne. Hansen got the win in Game 2 on the road.

Cardinals baseball team wins two games, lose one to jump to 14-2 season record

Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor

May 13, 2026

The Luverne Cardinals baseball team goes 2-1 the past week to improve to 14-2 for the season. LHS beat Jackson County Central 13-1 on the road Tuesday, May 5, and split a double header with St. James at home Thursday, May 7, at home. Luverne fell 6-3 to the Saints in Game 1 and won Game 2 by a 6-…

Greg Hoogeveen photo/softball1 LHS senior Allie Kracht throws to first base from her knees after diving for a grounder against West Central May 7. Luverne fell 9-7 to West Central in the game.

Softball team loses three games to strong competition

Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor

May 13, 2026

The Luverne girls’ softball team played strong but fell in three games this past week. LHS lost a 9-7 game to West Central at home and fell 3-2 and 12-5 to Redwood Valley on the road Monday, May 11. The Cardinals were scheduled to travel to Worthington Tuesday, May 12, and will host Marshall…

Greg Hoogeveen photo/tennis1 Eighth-grader Hudson Seifert returns a serve against Vermillion May 7.

Tennis team falls 7-0 to Blue Earth on the road

Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor

May 13, 2026

The Luverne boys’ tennis team fell 7-0 to Blue Earth on the road Tuesday, May 5, giving up three matches by forfeit. LHS forfeited the No. 4 singles, No. 2 doubles and No. 3 doubles matches against the Buccaneers. Luverne senior Elijah Henrichs fell 6-0, 6-0 in No. 1 singles action. Senior…

Patriots golf team plays strong on local links

Greg Hoogeveen, sports editor

May 13, 2026

The Hills-Beaver Creek golf teams played strong on the links this past week. The boys’ and girls’ teams competed in Week 3 of the Red Rock Conference Meet and took on Adrian-Ellsworth in nine-hole head-to-head play Tuesday, May 5, in Tyler. The H-BC boys’ team placed second out of eight teams at…

Columns

How drivers and pedestrians can use roundabouts safely

Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State Patrol

Question: In my community and on my daily commute I encounter two roundabouts each morning, others that I work with will encounter three roundabouts in less than five minutes. Please use your platform to remind drivers how to safely and properly use a roundabout.

I see…

May 13, 2026

Therapy for brains is no different than rehabbing for sports injuries

Lori Sorenson

As the child of a farmer, wife of a farmer and mother of a farmer, this week’s Farm Bureau editorial content resonated with me.

Farming is among the most physically and mentally hazardous occupations in the world, yet farmers are the least likely to reach out for care when they need it…

May 13, 2026

Road Closed

Highway 75 through Luverne is closed.

The highway, for those unfamiliar, is not just a road. It is — the — road. It’s the road that gets us to church, school, the Tasty Drive In, the world’s largest half-of-a-nutcracker and I-90.

Highway 75 is the road we take if we’re going…

May 06, 2026

Reflecting on a long career in newspapers

Rick Peterson, general manager

I started my 40-year newspaper career in 1985 at the Worthington Daily Globe. It was called the Daily Globe back then because it was six days a week, so close enough.

I have a handful of columns left to write before I punch out for the last time on my July 31 retirement date.

…

May 06, 2026

Obituaries

Catherine Lewis

May 13, 2026

Catherine Anne Lewis, age 75, of Ellsworth, died Tuesday, May 5, 2026, at the VA Medical Center in Sioux Falls, S.D.

Visitation was from 4-7 p.m. Friday, May 8, at St. Adrian Catholic Church in Adrian; and also one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday.

Funeral…

Steven Earl

May 06, 2026

Steven “Steve” Dale Earl was born on Nov. 2, 1945, in Sioux Falls, S.D., to Dale and Myrttus (Skattum) Earl. In his early childhood, from 1945 to 1950, he lived in Luverne where his parents owned and operated a local butcher shop. During the Korean War, his father was called to active duty, and…

Janet Jessen

April 29, 2026

Janet Kae Jessen was a mother, a sister, a daughter, a wife, a friend, a woman who lived with love and happiness, and left behind a legacy of cookie recipes and fishing stories.

Janet was born a twin on Jan. 29, 1947, to Ervin and Evelyn (Titus) Boone in Madison, Wis. At a young age,…

Ronald Baumhoefner

April 29, 2026

Funeral services for Ronald “Buzz” Baumhoefner, 83, of Luverne, Minn., formerly of Fulda, will be 11 a.m. Friday, May 1, 2026, at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in rural Fulda, Minn.

Visitation will be 4 to 6 p.m. Thursday April 30, at the Totzke Funeral Home in Fulda and one hour prior…