SAIL classes began May 13
A new session of SAIL classes are 9:30-10:30 a.m. every Monday and Thursday, now until Aug. 29 at American Reformed Church in Luverne. Contact Linda with any questions, 507-283-5064.
Beaver Creek Memorial Day services May 27
Beaver Creek will sponsor Memorial Day services Monday, May 27, at the First Presbyterian Church beginning with coffee
hour at 9:30 a.m. with services to follow at 10:30 a.m. Cemetery services with Honor Guard will follow at 11:30 a.m. Everyone is welcome.
American Legion needs volunteers on May 27
The American Legion is seeking volunteers to put up flags at Maplewood and St. Catherine cemeteries for Memorial Day. Meet at either cemetery at 7:30 a.m. Monday, May 27, to help. Call 507-920-5197 for more information.
Buffalo Days Run for a Cause June 1
The Buffalo Days Run for a Cause will be June 1 in the Luverne City Park. Registration is at 7 a.m. and races begin at 8 a.m. There are 5k and 10k chip-timed races (walkers and hikers welcome), plus a 1-mile family fun run and a 1-mile “Carson’s Wheelies” event (bicycles, rollerblades, strollers, etc.) that circles the city park. Register at runsignup.com or at the event. All proceeds benefit Carson’s Cause, a local non-profit working to reframe community brain health dialogue.
UMC hosts annual pie and ice cream social June 2
The United Methodist Church will kick off Buffalo Days with a pie and ice cream social from 5-8 p.m. Friday, June 2, in the United Methodist Church courtyard.
Game Plan 4 Hope event date has changed
A free speaking event, “Faith, Friendship & Community in Confronting Adversity,” will now be at 4 p.m. Sunday, June 2, in the Hills-Beaver Creek High School gymnasium in Hills.
Trenton Bass will speak publicly for the first time in his home community since his injury in 2017. He’ll be joined in a panel conver-sation with his family, football coach Rex Metzger and friends Luke LaRock and Easton Harnack.
Gym doors open at 3:15 p.m. A freewill offering will be accepted for Game Plan 4 Hope.
Suicide loss support group to start June 3
A Suicide Loss Survivor Support Group will meet from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Monday, June 3, in the Rock County Community Library basement in Luverne.
The group, which will meet monthly on the first Monday of each month, is open to individuals over the age of 18. Meetings are guided by trained facilitators. Email bereavement24@gmail.com prior to attending to connect with group leaders on the process.
ATLAS will host GriefShare Support Groups
ATLAS of Rock County will host a summer session of GriefShare Support Groups from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Mondays June 3 through Aug. 26 in the ATLAS Community Room.
Join one or all sessions that feature 30-minute GriefShare videos followed by guided group discussion. No RSVP needed. Contact mdnath1989@gmail.com.
Community Ed
Register for the following classes and activities by calling the Community Education office at 507-283-4724.
Kids who attend grades 1-6 during the 23-24 school year will have fun at Paint and Snack classes on May 16, June 20, July 18 and Aug. 15. Sign up for one class or for all four. Fee is $35/class.
Bucket Drumming begins June 4. This 10-session class leads up to a performance on Hot Dog Nite! Fee is $57 and includes the drumsticks. Thank you to Bomgaars for donating the buckets!
Join the Rock County Master Gardeners for a Bus Trip on May 28. Stops planned during the trip include Silo Ridge Peony Farm in Milford, Iowa, Ferguson Garden Center in Spirit Lake, Iowa, and Round Lake Vineyards and Winery. Fee is $65.
Students grades 3 and older (as attended during 23-24 school year) will receive training that can prepare them to be Home Alone on May 29. Fee is $15.
Register by May 30: Join Matthew Nath with Dingmann Funeral Home as he educates you about death and dying and discusses the importance of Exit Strategies on June 6. No fee, but registration is required.
Blue Mound State Park offers activities
Join the naturalist on a search for blooming wildflowers and attend Colors on the Prairie Hike from 2-3 p.m. Friday, June 28, and learn the basics for identifying these leafy treasures. Be prepared for up to one mile walking on moderate terrain with supportive shoes, water and sun protection. Meet at the picnic area.
President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal was a big deal for Blue Mounds State Park. Attend Dam! WPA History Tour from 7-8 p.m. Friday, June 28, and take the naturalist-led walking tour of WPA worksites and learn how they shaped the area’s history. The tour is one mile of moderate walking, departing from the Amphitheater parking lot and ends at the bridge over Mound Creek near the picnic area.
The Burr Oak groves of Blue Mounds State Park represent a unique ecosystem where prairie meets forest. Join the naturalist for Living on the Edge: Burr Oak, from 2-4 p.m. Saturday, June 29, for a hike and discover what it takes to live on the edge. Be prepared for a 3/4-mile hike on rough terrain. Meet at Eagle Rock Vista.
Gather around the campfire and cure your curiosity about Blue Mounds State Park’s landscape, history, geology, flora, fauna and special quirks and attend Campfire for the Curious from 7-8 p.m. Saturday, June 29. Bring a chair, your stories and your burning questions. Pun intended. Meet at the picnic shelter.
If you need an accommodation, please contact park staff at bluemound.statepark@state.mn.us or 507-283-6051, two weeks prior to the event.
Prairie Ally seeking vegetable garden volunteers
Volunteers needed for planting and weeding. Ongoing weekly commitment is ideal at a time and day that works for you. Food produced in the garden is available to volunteers and distributed to the public. Any questions call Kim, 605-951-0227.
Rock the Edge seeks Service Over Self projects
Rock the Edge will once again host Service Over Self, Rock County’s local mission week, this summer June 24-27. We are looking for projects (to have a project considered, call 507-227-1978), youth (for youth registrations call 507-283-2316), and adult volunteers (to volunteer call 401-500-3427). Youth who have completed grades 8-12 may participate. Join us as we serve our community this summer!
Library happenings
For more information about library happenings, call 507-449-5040 or email rockcountystaff@gmail.com.
Author visit: Candance Simar, an award-winning Minnesota author, will be at the library at 6 p.m. Wednesday, June 12.
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.