Not guilty pleas entered in lcoal case of murder, homicide
Jayson Delfs, Hardwick, appeared in Rock County District Court Monday on charges of third-degree murder and vehicular homicide related to last year’s fatal crash northwest of Beaver Creek.
North Highway 75 now closed in Luverne
Highway 75 closed this week in Luverne between Main Street and Dodge Street for the highway reconstruction project set for April through October.
Smile - you're about to graduate!
Jim Juhl (far left) of Myhre Studio photographs the Luverne High School Class of 2026 on Main Street Tuesday morning under the marquee of the Historic Palace Theatre.
Flower Shop Dispensary now open
There’s a new kind of flower shop on Kniss Avenue in Luverne, but instead of roses customers can purchase a different kind of “bud.”
FFA hosts tractor parade for elementary students
Students in Luverne’s Future Farmers of America chapter organized a tractor parade for elementary students on Friday, April 10, in front of the Luverne Elementary School to celebrate “Drive Your Tractor to School Day”
Patriot Pals Child Care sees steady growth
Now entering its fifth month of operation, the Hills-Beaver Creek childcare program is steadily growing.
News
By Lori SorensonApril 15, 2026Jayson Delfs, Hardwick, appeared in Rock County District Court Monday on charges of third-degree murder and vehicular homicide related to last year’s fatal crash northwest of Beaver Creek. The hearing, conducted remotely before District Court Judge Kayla Johnson, lasted only a few minutes — long enough for Delfs to enter not-guilty pleas on all counts. He faces felony charges on three counts…
By Lori SorensonApril 15, 2026Highway 75 closed this week in Luverne between Main Street and Dodge Street for the highway reconstruction project set for April through October. The Main Street and Dodge Street intersection will remain open for the first phase of the work. Traffic will be detoured on Main Street and Blue Mound Avenue to 131st Street north of the hospital. Access to homes, businesses and the school will be…
April 15, 2026Jim Juhl (far left) of Myhre Studio photographs the Luverne High School Class of 2026 on Main Street Tuesday morning under the marquee of the Historic Palace Theatre. It’s tradition in Luverne High School to take a group photo of seniors ahead of graduation at landmark locations in the community. This year’s senior class has 94 students who are set to graduate at 2 p.m. ceremonies Sunday, May 24…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 15, 2026There’s a new kind of flower shop on Kniss Avenue in Luverne, but instead of roses customers can purchase a different kind of “bud.” The Flower Shop Dispensary, which opened its doors on March 12, sells all things cannabis — from marijuana buds and edibles to vapes and bongs. “We pride ourselves on having everything,” said owner Peter Dikun. The store offers “deli-style,” shopping, which…
April 15, 2026Students in Luverne’s Future Farmers of America chapter organized a tractor parade for elementary students on Friday, April 10, in front of the Luverne Elementary School to celebrate “Drive Your Tractor to School Day” ahead of the spring planting season. Participating students were Lucas Madison in a Farmall 400, Olivia Lund in a Farmall B (donated to the LHS Ag Department this year by Ron Honken…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 15, 2026Now entering its fifth month of operation, the Hills-Beaver Creek childcare program is steadily growing. Patriot Pals, which serves infants, toddlers and preschoolers, has grown to just over 40% capacity since it opened on Dec. 3. “We’re filling a need for our families, and they should stop by and see us in action,” said H-BC superintendent Todd Holthaus. “I’ve heard rave reviews from the…
April 15, 2026City utility staff Brian Remme and Braydon Ripka spent time Friday attaching new America 250 banners to city light poles in Luverne. The banners are among dozens of ways local communities are commemorating the 250th anniversary of the nation’s independence, observed all year. Remme said the banners will be hung on more than 40 light poles, with two two-sided banners per pole. Brian Remme spent…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 15, 2026The property values for 2026-27 are out for Rock County, and while the value of most of the area remains relatively steady, the townships of Springwater and Beaver Creek saw sharp decreases. Rachel Jacobs, director of the Rock County Land Records Office, presented numbers during the Rock County Board meeting on April 7. Springwater Township saw a 32% decrease in property values, and Beaver…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 15, 2026The Rock County Sheriff’s Office will purchase 16 new handguns after receiving approval from county commissioners during their April 7 meeting. Sheriff Sorenson said the request is part of his effort to standardize the firearms issued to deputies. He said his office currently has 12 handguns, which is not enough for the department’s 15 employees. As a result, some deputies are using their…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 15, 2026Following Luverne Superintendent Craig Oftedahls’ retirement announcement, the school board plans to retain Oftedahl in the role following his official retirement. Oftedahl made it clear when the announcement was made that he hoped to stay on as a contracted superintendent. At the April 9 school board work session, Oftedahl said retirement would be a formality to allow him to begin…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 15, 2026The number of expansions and new permits for feedlots in Rock County is remaining steady, though the numbers still haven’t recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Brandon Bosch, from the Rock County Soil and Water Conservation District, provided an annual report on feedlots to the Rock County Board during its April 7 meeting. The report shared that the county has approximately 610 feedlots,…- April 15, 2026The Rock County Historical Society last week announced the induction of six new members to the Rock County Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame Committee met on April 2 and chose the following six Rock Countians for this honor: Dale Frakes, Hugo Goehle, Marvin Helling, Elmer Hovland, Emily Lodine-Overgaard and Harrison White. Harrison White fought in the Civil War and is considered the father of…
April 15, 2026Healthy firefighters make healthy communities, and Luverne Fire Chief David Van Batavia knows that he and his crew need to take care of their mental and physical health to be their best when responding to fires and other emergency situations in the community. To carry this message for the public, Van Batavia is on a billboard near Marshall for the organization MnFIRE, which the Luverne Fire…
By Lori SorensonApril 15, 2026By Lori Sorenson This week, April 12-18 is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and the Rock County Sheriff’s Office is honoring local professional telecommunicators. They include Brooke Walgrave, Nikki McLendon, Trisha Hoogeveen, (back) Ryan Connor and Jay Kelly. Every year during the second week of April telecommunications personnel in the public safety community nationwide are…
April 15, 2026The Luverne Ukulele Group is made up of ukulele student players through the Luverne Street Music program, which operates in the former Carnegie Cultural Center building on North Freeman Avenue. The players are students under the direction of Luverne Street Music instructor Jesse Booker and the group frequently perform for audiences of all ages at small venues throughout the community. Pictured…
By Lori SorensonApril 08, 2026The Rock County Planning and Zoning Commission last week approved a permit request by Northern Con-Agg for a gravel pit expansion near the Blue Mounds State Park. The board voted on the measure Tuesday, March 31, following an hour-long public hearing that involved nearly 30 people in the Law Enforcement Center community room. The proposed expansion would be northeast of Luverne on property in…
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