Meetings
Beaver Creek Township Board will meet at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12, in the township hall in Beaver Creek.
Battle Plain Township Board will meet at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12, at the Edgerton Ag conference room.
Springwater Township Board will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13, at the township hall.
Vienna Township Board will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 13, in the Kenneth Community Center.
Take 16 ‘Pint for a Pint’ blood drive
The Community Blood Bank will host a blood drive from noon to 5 p.m. Friday, Aug. 9, at Take 16 Brewing Co., 509 E. Main Street in Luverne. All who donate will receive a free stainless steel growler and a certificate for a pint of brew. To schedule an appointment, visit cbblifeblood.org or call 605-331-3222. Drink plenty of fluids and bring an I.D.
Palisade Lutheran Pie and Ice Cream Social Aug. 11
Palisade Lutheran Church Annual Pie and Ice Cream Social will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 11, following a 10 a.m. outdoor worship on the lawn at the church in rural Rock County (corner of County Road 5 and Highway 23) west of Luverne.
Menu includes grilled hamburger or hotdog, salad, pickles, and homemade pie with ice cream. There will be outdoor lawn games, church tours and tales from the grave from 12-2 p.m.
Sanford hosts community blood drive
The Community Blood Bank will accept blood donations from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 12, at Sanford Luverne Medical Center with registration located inside the hospital main lobby. To schedule, visit cbblifeblood.org or call 605-331-3222. Drink plenty of fluids and bring an I.D.
Grace Lutheran block party
Gather with Grace Lutheran Church at their community block party from 5:30-7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 14, in the church parking lot. Bring a lawn chair! Inflatables, corn hole, bingo and yard games will be available. Rib ticklers (from the Rock County Pork Producers) hot dogs, chips, cookies and water will be served. Freewill donation – everyone is invited!
Ag Appreciation Day Aug. 17
Take 16 Brewery will host Agriculture/Farmer Appreciation Day at 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17. This event is free and open to the public. Enjoy a free meal, door prizes, inflatables, games and live music. A full bar will also be available through The Bull Pen.
Rock the Edge Prayer Breakfast
Rock the Edge will host its 4th Annual Community and Youth Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, Aug. 22, at Luverne High School. Guest speaker is Ty Eschenbaum. A breakfast will be served at 6:30 a.m. in the commons with a program at 7 a.m. in the performing arts center. Freewill offering. RSVP to 507-283-4061 by Monday, Aug. 19, at noon. The public is invited to attend.
SATURDAY, AUG
Blue Mounds State Park offers programs
•President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal was a big deal for Blue Mounds State Park. Meet for Berm to Berm: WPA History Tour from 7 to 8 p.m. Friday, Aug. 23, for a one-mile walking tour of WPA worksites and learn how they shaped the area’s history. Meet at the amphitheater parking lot.
•A prairie may seem like a simple landscape, but there is a complex network of plants and animals beneath your feet. Visit this exhibit-style program anytime between 2 and 4 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24, and ask the naturalist about Going Underground. Meet at the picnic area.
•Impact: Story of Sioux Quartzite is a history of planet earth from pre-life to modern ways of making a living and the impact of Sioux quartzite on the past, present and future. Meet at the amphitheater at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 24. and bring a chair as seating is limited.
•This time of year, the grasses of the eastern prairies reach up and touch the sky. Making up 80 percent of the plant life on this landscape, the grasses have unique, colorful and genius ways of thriving and spreading. Stop by this pop-up exhibit of Touch the Sky Nature Cart from 8:30-11 a.m. Sunday, Aug. 25, and ask the naturalist about the realm of prairie grass.
•Attend Mammal Mania from 2 to 3:3o p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31, to see and touch some furs and skulls of the different mammals found at the Blue Mounds. Meet at the picnic area.
•Meet from 7 to 8 p.m. at the amphitheater on Saturday, Aug. 31, for Creatures of the Night: Owls. From silent flight to night vision, owls have fascinated people for centuries with their incredible adaptations. Bring a chair, as seating is limited
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Community Ed
Register for the following classes and activities by calling the Community Education office at 507-283-4724.
Play Dates at the Park give parents and their children birth to 5 years an opportunity to connect informally by meeting at Evergreen Park (change in location due to flooding at City Park) at 10 a.m. on Wednesdays: Aug. 7, 14, & 21. No fee, but please call Community Ed to register.
Kids who attend grades 1-6 during the 23-24 school year will have fun at Paint and Snack class Aug. 15. Sign up for one class or for all 3. Fee is $35/class.
Does your child enjoy reading? Book Club may be for them! Students in grades 2-4 (as attended during the 23-24 school year) will meet on Aug. 12, 13, 14 & 15. A snack and book will be provided. Fee is $30.
Taking Defensive Driving Classes allows adults 55 years of age and older to save on insurance premiums. As of July 1, 2024, you are able to take a 4-hour class to receive the discount, and then repeat the class every three years to continue receiving the discount. An 8-hour class is no longer required for beginners. The four-hour class for Luverne is Aug. 12.
Students, grades K-6, will learn skills and techniques at Learn How to Play Chess on Aug. 20 & 22. Open to all skill levels! Fee is $15.
Library happenings
For more information about library happenings, call 507-449-5040 or email rockcountystaff@gmail.com.
Fourth-graders can receive a free one-year National Parks pass. The pass is good from Sept. 1-Aug. 31 of the fourth-grade year. Visit the website http://everykidoutdoors.gov/index.htm
Trivia Night is at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of every month at Take 16 in Luverne. Team registration is at 6 p.m.
Census info needed for preschoolers
Families new to the community are encouraged to call Luverne Community Education at 507-283-4724 with information on children ages 0 up to kindergarten.
The district uses the information for planning purposes and to alert families about school opportunities. Families with 4-year-olds not yet screened for preschool should call to schedule a screening prior to kindergarten.
A.C.E. respite care available, volunteers needed
A.C.E. of SW Minnesota (A.C.E.) offers respite care services in Rock County for those needing a break from caring for a loved one.
The respite program offers short-term (1-3 hours), temporary care for families and caregivers by providing a brief period of reprieve from the daily cares they provide to their loved one.
Volunteers provide non-professional supportive services to caregivers to give them time for themselves, relieve their stress and help them remain healthy.
Respite care volunteers are also needed. Trained A.C.E. volunteers provide respite care to family caregivers of adults age 60 and older who are suffering from long-term health conditions.
Contact Linda Wenzel at 507-283-5064 or ace.rock@co.rock.mn.us.
CoffeeBreak Storyhour meets Tuesdays
CoffeeBreak meets at 9:30 a.m. each Tuesday to study the Bible, starting with Mark 9-16. StoryHour is for children 3 years old through kindergarten. Nursery is available for the littlest ones. There is no charge or no prior Bible knowledge is necessary. All faiths and all ages are welcome. Call Kristi Stroeh at 507-227-5102 with questions, or email kristi.stroeh@hotmail.com
Food Shelf evening hours
The Rock County Food Shelf is open for an additional evening shift from 5 to 6 p.m. the first and third Thursdays of the month. Call Mary at 507-227-5548 or Katie at 507-227-3531.
