Relay for Life looks forward to second big year
After a phenomenal first year, committee members are preparing for their second Rock County Relay for Life.
In their inaugural year, participants raised more than $49,000.
Last year 41 teams and 535 walkers were registered, but many more decided to walk at the last minute.
This year the event will be June 14 and 15, at the Luverne High School track.
The ceremonies will begin the 14th, with supper starting at 5:30 p.m.
Booths will open between 6 and 7 p.m. for hair cutting, massages, pies and other fund-raising.
At 7 p.m. the opening ceremonies will start, to honor local cancer survivors.
From 6 to 9 p.m. several local and area groups will provide entertainment.
At dusk, the luminary ceremony will take place, and from midnight to 6 a.m. the team games and fun will continue.
Last year there were more than 1,700 luminaries.
Sunrise services and closing ceremonies will begin at 6 a.m.
A breakfast will be open to the public, beginning at 7 a.m.
Rock CountyÕs Relay for Life is one of more than 3,000 Relay for Life ceremonies that take place throughout the country.
The event was started in 1985 by Dr. Gordon Klatt, a colorectal surgeon from Tacoma, Wash.
Tidbits from the Capitol in St. Paul
A few bills made their way into law this session that may affect you.
Increase earnings at farmer's markets
Minnesotan's who sell homemade goods at Farmer's Markets will be allowed to pocket up to $5,000 per year, up from $1,000 under a new law.
The law became effective May 21.
Homemade goods, sold at farmerÕs markets, will not have to have a state health inspection but will need a label indicating the name and address of the person who prepared and sold the items.
The bill passed both houses unanimously.
Biodiesel mandate enacted
Minnesota will become the first state in the nation to mandate that all diesel fuel sold contains a vegetable oil or animal fat additive.
The new law requires that all diesel fuel contains the biodiesel blend by March 1, 2005.
Soybean producers had urged the passage of the bill as a way to boost the crop's lagging prices.
The additive is expected to tack on a few cents to the cost of diesel fuel. Opponents had argued the bill would hurt MinnesotaÕs truck stop operators because truckers will refuel in other states.
The law also calls for at least 50 percent of the biodiesel to be produced in the state.
The United States Senate is also considering including biodiesel incentives in its energy bill.
Labeling e-mail messages
A bill attempting to limit unsolicited commercial messages, commonly known as "spam," was signed into law May 22.
The law will require certain unsolicited commercial e-mail messages to be labeled as "ADV" for advertisements and "ADV: Adult" for those containing adult material.
The new law will also protect the privacy of consumers by preventing Internet service providers from distributing personal information, except as needed to conduct business or with the consent of the consumer.
The measure will also require all unsolicited commercial messages to contain a return e-mail address or toll-free telephone number so recipients can request to be removed from the company's list.
It also bans false or misleading e-mail commercial messages.
Violators who send misleading messages could be fined $25 for each message, or $35,000 per day.
Publisher Roger Tollefson can be contacted by e-mail at
tolly@star-herald.com