From parched to drenched
Harvest is in full swing for much of Rock County this week, marking the final stretch of what’s arguably been a challenging growing season.
Highway 75 project proceeds (almost) on schedule
Contractors have been given a five-day extension on completion deadlines due to September’s frequent rainy weather.
H-BC School Board Candidates share priorities
There are five candidates seeking election to four open seats on the Hills-Beaver Creek School Board.
The Loft after-school program helps kids find community
Starting at 3:20 p.m. on the dot, the quiet halls of First Presbyterian Church in Luverne start to fill with the noise of children.
Luverne preliminary levy set to rise 7.12%
Luverne City Council members are proposing a 7.12% levy increase for taxes payable in 2027.
Adrian reporter to contribute to Star Herald
The Rock County Star Herald is expanding its coverage area east toward Adrian, and Deb Kroon will be the face of those stories for the Star Herald news team.
News
January 31, 2024This week students at Luverne High School participated in various activities to combat the winter doldrums including dress-up days, special activities and the coronation of a Snow Week king and queen on Monday afternoon. Ten seniors made up this year’s royalty, selected by high school teachers and staff for their positive leadership in the classroom. Candidates for queen included Jenna DeBates,…- By Mavis FodnessJanuary 31, 2024The Hills-Beaver Creek School Board ratified a two-year contract with teachers Jan. 24, giving the 30.5 full-time-equivalent teachers a 10.38 percent increase through the 2024-25 school year. Teachers receive a 5.83-percent raise for the 2023-24 school year and a 4.55-percent increase for 2024-25. The percentages include increases in salary, health insurance and steps in education. An extra 2-…
- By Mavis FodnessJanuary 31, 2024Saturday marks the start of the 2024 high school speech season with Luverne traveling to Worthington in the first of 11 varsity events. Returning coaches Gavin Folkestad and Joseph Stearns are leading this year’s team. “We have about 25 currently signed up, which is slightly more than last year,” Folkestad said. “We only graduated two seniors, and we have a good number of new seventh- and…
By Mavis FodnessJanuary 31, 2024The Business Professionals of America (BPA) chapter at Luverne High School doubled its membership for the 2023-24 school year. As a result, the chapter is sending its largest group of members — 22 in all —to the state convention in Minneapolis March 14-16. Adviser Katie Kopp credits previous members for the interest and recent BPA Region 8 success. “The program had great senior leadership last…
January 24, 2024Luverne music students, families and volunteers hosted their classic Winter Carnival Saturday night in the high school gym. Students manned carnival games, face painting, cake walks and more while volunteers helped with concessions, cotton candy, Bingo and other fundraising activities. According to Music Boosters organizers, crowds were steady Saturday night despite frigid temperatures. The event…
By Mavis FodnessJanuary 24, 2024Friday’s celebration of the Hills Day Care Project allowed community members to tour the first-of-its-kind building and meet providers leasing space for family day care businesses. Donna Bernhard and Kassie Haak will open family day care businesses once their special licenses are issued through Southwest Health and Human Services in Luverne. The providers have signed agreements with the city of…
By Lori SorensonJanuary 24, 2024Rock County’s School Resource Officer Jeff Stratton updated Luverne City Council members on his role with local students during their meeting Tuesday night, Jan. 23. “I’m building relationships with kids,” he told council members. That’s specifically what he was hired to do when the program started with the 2022-23 school year. The goal was to have a liaison between the Sheriff’s Office and…
By Mavis FodnessJanuary 24, 2024Luverne High School engineering technology students combined a history lesson with three- dimensional printing to build a model of the war plane flown by the late Quentin Aanenson, a recent Luverne Alumni Hall of Fame inductee. Teacher Bill Thompson wanted students to wrap up his engineering class by building replicas of the P-47 Thunderbolt plane flown by Aanenson when he was a fighter pilot in…
By Lori SorensonJanuary 24, 2024Luverne’s future Kids Rock! Child Care Center is currently a gutted office building awaiting renovation this spring. Meanwhile, the Kids Rock! non-profit organization that will operate the center took some major steps in the past week with strategic planning of its board. At a Jan. 16 retreat, the group decided on the organization’s function and priorities as it moves into its next phase of…- By Mavis FodnessJanuary 24, 2024Commissioners scheduled a public hearing for Tuesday, Feb. 6, to consider possible changes to the county’s tobacco sales and use ordinance. The hearing begins at 9 a.m. in the commissioners’ room at the Rock County Courthouse. A committee appointed by commissioners at their Jan. 2 meeting recommended four changes to the current ordinance and presented them at the Jan. 16 County Board meeting…
By Lori SorensonJanuary 24, 2024A good way to measure growth over time is to track the number of building permits issued for construction. Luverne building official Chad McClure compiled numbers for 2023 when he issued 177 permits valued at $10,105,595. Of those, seven were for single-family home construction valued at $1,369,625 and comprised 13.5 percent of permit valuations last year. McClure points out that these…- By Lori SorensonJanuary 24, 2024Phone numbers with the 507 area code are running out, so new numbers assigned in southern Minnesota will begin with a 924 area code. The area code won’t be assigned for new phone numbers until Aug. 30, but the Minnesota Public Utilities Commission is telling callers in the region to begin using the prefix 507 when dialing starting Jan. 30. For example, Luverne City Hall at 449-2388 has been…
- January 24, 2024Snowshoeing is the perfect way to beat cabin fever, bringing people outside for fresh air and providing a connection with nature that is beneficial for physical and mental health. Snow came late to Minnesota this year, and although there are still areas of the state with little snow cover, there are also many locations in northern and southwest Minnesota with enough snow for snowshoeing. There…
By Mavis FodnessJanuary 17, 2024Sparks flew last week during Chris Louwagie’s Power Mechanics class at Hills-Beaver Creek High School. A $60,000 grant from the Frank Boon Trust allowed the school to upgrade the electrical infrastructure in the shop area and double the number of welding stations available for students’ use to 12. An iron-working machine was also purchased, allowing the students to easily pinch, cut, drill and…
By Lori SorensonJanuary 17, 2024Longtime Luverne educator and community member Elmer Menage died last week, prompting former students and athletes to reminisce about their beloved teacher, coach and mentor. “He was one of the best coaches I ever had,” said Luverne’s Burdell Braa who played football under Coach Menage in 1972, ’73 and ’74. “He was one of those guys who always had a smile on his face and a one-liner ready. He’d…
By Lori SorensonJanuary 17, 2024Construction is due to start in April on the new elementary school in Beaver Creek, and city and school officials are still discussing water options for the facility. Blayne Parkos is director of mechanical engineering for ATSR, the Minneapolis firm handling construction for the Hills-Beaver Creek School District. He addressed Beaver Creek City Council members at their Jan. 10 meeting to…
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