Does Luverne need a larger dog park?
A local task force is being formed to investigate and make a recommendation on that question. 
The Luverne Area Chamber of Commerce and the Luverne Initiatives for Tomorrow (LIFT) Board are inviting community members who are interested in the topic of a potential second dog park to join the task force. 
The first meeting is Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. in the basement of the Chamber of Commerce in Luverne. 
“All are welcome to serve on the task force,” said Chamber Executive Director Jane Lanphere. “The more participants and involvement, the better the outcome.”
Lanphere said people can join the task force at any time, and she expects the group will meet six to twelve times over the next eight months. 
“The first meeting will be a ‘dream session’ where everyone has a chance to share what they think should be included if a dog park is constructed in Luverne,” Lanphere said. 
According to Lanphere, the task force will evaluate the need for a possible park as well as potential design, location, funding, policies, volunteer opportunities and more.
The group will then present its findings to the LIFT Executive Board, the Chamber Board and, possibly, the city council for potential further action. 
The task force is being organized as a result of local residents expressing the need for a larger dog park that would accommodate open areas for larger dogs to run as well as a separate area for smaller dogs, according to Lanphere.
There is also interest in having a dog park closer to residential areas of town than the current facility at Rotary Park. 
At their booth at the Rock County Fair last week, Chamber staff solicited feedback on a possible dog park. Lanphere said a majority of the feedback was positive.
“We probably had about 60 to 70 people visit with us about a dog park,” Lanphere said.
“Two people who don’t have dogs were a hard ‘no’ and said it was a waste of time and money. About four others said a dog park isn’t needed, but instead the city should just allow dogs to run free in the city park and the LOOP. The rest of the conversations were positive and supportive of the idea of a dog park.”
Construction of a new dog park could be completed in 2024, 2025 or later, depending on location, funding and community support. 
“There are just so many factors involved,” Lanphere said. 
Anyone interested in serving on the task force is encouraged to call the Chamber at 507-283-4061 or email the office at luvernechamber@co.rock.mn.us

Meetings
Beaver Creek Township Board will meet at 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 14, in the township hall. 
Battle PlainTownship Board will meet 7:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 14, in the Edgerton Ag conference room.
Sanford Luverne Pink Ladies will meet at 1 :30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 14, in the Blue Mound Room at Sanford Luverne. Attendance is important at this meeting when critical decisions will be made. Call Sharon Zinnel, 507-227-3321, with questions.
 
Palisade Pie and Ice Cream Social Aug. 13
Palisade Lutheran Church Annual Pie and Ice Cream Social will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. following 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 hamburgers or hot dogs, salad, chips and homemade pie with ice cream. Outdoor lawn games and watermelon will follow.
 
Blood Bank at Sanford Aug. 14
Sanford Luverne Medical Center will host a community blood drive from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 2:30 to 5 p.m. Monday, Aug. 14. Donors can schedule donations at www.cbblifeblood.org. Select “events,” and Aug. 14, or call 605-331-3222. Walk-ins are welcome; appointments are preferred. All donors receive a McDonald’s gift card. 
 
Beginner band lessons start Aug. 15
Free beginner band lessons for fifth-graders start Aug. 15 in the Luverne Elementary Music Room. Lessons are not mandatory, but they provide instrument experience before the school year starts.
Lessons are Tuesday through Friday, Aug. 15-18, and Monday through Thursday Aug. 21-24, with individual instruments scheduled for specific times of day.
Students will need instruments and instruction books for lessons. Orders through Schmitt Music will be delivered to school in time for the first day of summer lessons. Contact a.swenson@isd2184.net or 507-283-4491, ext. 2670.
 
Mobile dental clinic Aug. 17
The mobile dental clinic will be in Luverne Thursday, Aug. 17, at ATLAS of Rock County (use Community Room entrance) for adults and children of all ages. Call 612-746-1530 to schedule an appointment. All forms of insurance are accepted. Organized by #Luv1LuvAll's Rock County Oral Health Task Force.
 
Bloodmobile in Luverne Aug. 22
The American Red Cross Bloodmobile will be in Luverne from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22, at Living Rock Church on East Main Street. The Red Cross especially needs Type O negative, Type O positive, Type B negative and Type A negative blood, as well as platelet donors.
Schedule an appointment at RedCrossBlood.org, 800-733-2767 or through the Red Cross Blood Donor App. Donors will  receive a $10 e-gift card to a movie merchant of their choice.
 
‘Living Well with Diabetes’ starts Aug. 23
Living Well with Diabetes Workshop will be at 9:30 a.m. Wednesdays, Aug. 23 and 30, and Sept. 6, 13, 20 and 27, at A.C.E. of SW MN Rock County, 102 Estey St. Luverne. Learn how to manage diabetes with simple lifestyle changes. Call 507-283-5064
 
Youth prayer breakfast Aug. 24
Rock The Edge will host its third annual Community and Youth Prayer Breakfast on Thursday, Aug. 24, at Luverne High School.
Breakfast is at 6:30 a.m. in the commons and the program is at 7 a.m. in the performing arts center with guest speaker Sioux Falls Mayor Paul TenHaken.
Make reservations by noon Aug. 21 by calling 283-4061. Donations will be accepted. The public is invited to attend.
 
Community Ed
Community Education will offer the following classes in the next few weeks. Call 507-283-4724 to register.
Register now for Discovery Time preschool starting in September for ages 3-5. Early Learning Scholarships may be available to those who qualify.
 Boys and girls in grades 2-7 (as attended in 2022-23) can compete in Punt, Pass and Kick on Aug. 16. Fee is $10.
Adults age 65 and older can register by Aug. 18 for MN State Fair Trip on Aug. 28. Fee is $90 per person for this chartered bus trip, including entrance fee.
 Taking Defensive Driving Classes allows adults 55 years of age and older to save on insurance premiums.  After the beginning 8-hour class, every three years drivers take a 4-hour refresher class. The Beginner Class is Sept 11 and 18 (4 hours each evening).
 
Free summer events at Plaza
Super Summer Books “Super Summer Books,” a child reading outreach, is hosted by the Rock County Community Library at the Plaza on Main from 10 to 10:30 a.m.Tuesday, Aug. 15.
Yard Games & Fellowship Free fun activities will be available at the Plaza on Main from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Thursday, Aug.17, hosted by Rock County Opportunities. Wildflowers Food Truck will be available for lunch.
Music on the Plaza Bruce Dysthe will sing from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 17, at the Plaza. Enjoy the great sounds of one of the area’s finest vocalists. Wildflower’s Food Truck will serve from 5 to 6:30 p.m.
Crazy Summer Fun for Kids |This event is hosted by Luverne Chamber at the Plaza on Main from 10 a.m. to noon Friday, Aug. 18. Free lunch will be served for kids. Reservations are requested by Aug. 16. Call the Chamber at 507-283-4061.
Sip & Ride Golf Cart Coffee Tour This event is hosted by Luverne Chamber at the Plaza on Main. Rides depart at 8 and 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, for the Tales of the Graves golf cart tour. Reserve your seat by calling the Chamber at 507-283-4061.
Stick Fitness This is a free exercise class hosted by Luverne Aquatic & Fitness at the Plaza on Main from 10 to 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 21.
 
Library Happenings
For more information about library happenings, call 507-449-5040 or email rockcountystaff@gmail.com.
Books on Tap takes place at 6:30 p.m. the first Monday of each month at Take 16 in Luverne.
The 50 State Challenge for adults and older teens is currently underway where patrons are encouraged to read a book set in one of each of the 50 states through Jan. 1, 2024.
Summer reading program for youth and adults is currently underway now through Aug. 15. Youth can pick up the “Find Your Voice” reading log to earn prizes for the number of books read. In the adult program, for every five books read, patrons may enter their name to win one of three gift baskets.
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.
 
Living Works Safe Talk Sept. 30 in Hills
Learn the warning signs of suicide and how to prevent it at a four-hour workshop, Living Works Safe Talk, Saturday, Sept. 30, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Hills. Call Diana Buffington, 507-920-2506, for registration information.
 
SAIL classes in Luverne through Sept. 28
New SAIL classes meet from 9 to 10 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays from July 11 through Sept. 28 at Generations Event Center in Luverne. The free classes, Stay Active and Independent for Life, improve strength and balance. Call A.C.E. of SWMN manager Linda Wenzel, 507-283-5064 or A.C.E. volunteer Corey Ziegler, 507-920-0587.
 
Kits available at library
Libraries in the Plum Creek Library System have Storytelling Kits in a wide range of subjects from ABCs to Zoos. Each of the more than 130 kits contains a variety of materials based on the kit’s theme. Some include Wonderbooks, puppets, music CDs and DVDs. Various learning activities can also be found in the kits.
Reminiscence Kits are available featuring various topics such as gardening, pets, baking, sewing, farming and hunting. The kits are designed to use with a loved one experiencing memory loss, encouraging loved ones to open up about activities they once loved in the past.
STEAM kits are also available checkout. Motion, lights, hydropower, robotics and magnets are among the kits.
 
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.
 
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.
 

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is now accepting applications for the Agricultural Growth, Research, and Innovation (AGRI) Livestock Investment Grant. This annual grant opportunity is open to Minnesota livestock farmers and ranchers looking to improve their operations, supporting long-term development in Minnesota’s $8 billion livestock industry.
MDA anticipates awarding approximately $1.5 million in fiscal year 2024 for Livestock Investment Grants using a competitive review process. Grant funds are available for equipment purchases and physical improvements used to help start, improve or expand livestock operations in Minnesota.
Reimbursable investments include but are not limited to buildings or facilities for producing livestock, watering systems, fencing, feed equipment and waste management equipment used for raising livestock.
All principal operators of livestock farms in Minnesota are invited to apply, including those who have received grants in the past. Only one application will be accepted per farm. Preference will be given to applicants or farms that have not previously been awarded a grant.
Applicants may apply for up to 10 percent of their project’s total cost, with a minimum expense of $4,000 and a maximum expense of $250,000. Grant awards can range in size from $400 to $25,000. Only expenses incurred after the grant contract has been signed by all parties are eligible for reimbursement. The MDA expects to have contracts to grantees by early 2024.
Applications for the grant will be accepted until 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 12, 2023. Applicants must use the MDA’s online application portal to apply for the grant at https://www.mda.state.mn.us/business-dev-loans-grants/agri-livestock-inv....
Additional information can be found on the AGRI Livestock Investment Grant webpage.
 

Hills-Beaver Creek School District Superintendent Todd Holthaus continues to “meet expectations,” according to the annual evaluation by H-BC School Board members.
Holthaus’ overall average rating was 3.67 out of 4, falling on the four-point scale between “meets” and “exceeds” expectations.
The board met in closed session June 26 to discuss Holthaus’ performance in six areas.
They accepted and approved the evaluation July 11.
The evaluation was for the 2022-2023 school year. The seven-member board rated Holthaus using a common group evaluation rather than on an individual member basis.
A scale from 1 to 4 in each of the evaluation areas was used.
A “1’ indicated “unsatisfactory,” a 2 “needs improvement,” a 3 “meets expectations” and a 4 “exceeds expectations.”
Individual scores in the six areas included:
•policy and governance 3.5
•planning and assessment 3.67
•instructional leadership 3.5
•organizational management 3.85
•communications/community relations 3.75
•professionalism 3.75
Holthaus completed his second year of the current three-year contract. His contract ends on June 30, 2024.
For the 2021-22 school year, Holthaus received an overall average rating of 3.4.
He has been H-BC superintendent since 2011.
In other personnel matters, the board
•accepted the resignation from Katie Schreurs for part-time nursing-related services.
•assigned Lydia Scruggs as middle level communications arts/literature teacher for the 2023-24 school year. Her salary will be $47,422.
•hired Allesia Kolles as K-12 vocal music teacher for the 2023-24 school year at a salary of $44,970.

A bipartisan bill, the Community News and Small Business Support Act, has been introduced in Congress to help both newspapers and local businesses that have faced economic challenges in recent years.
Local newspapers make a difference in their communities, and that’s why Claudia Tenney, a New York Republican, and Suzan DelBene, a Washington Democrat, introduced the bill.
According to the bill authors, hometown news, unlike national media, is non-partisan and fundamental to the fabric of our local communities.
However, local newspapers, like other small businesses, continue to face significant economic challenges. On average, two newspapers are closing each week in the United States. 
The act would save local reporting jobs in community newsrooms by allowing local newspapers to maintain newsroom staff through a series of payroll tax credits. Here’s how it works:
•A five-year refundable tax credit is available to local newspapers and other local media to use for the compensation of journalists. The credit may be used on compensation up to $50,000 a year.
•The credit covers 50 percent of compensation, up to $25,000, in the first year and 30 percent of compensation, up to $50,000, in the subsequent four years. 
•A local newspaper may claim up to $25,000 per journalist in the first year and up to $15,000 per journalist per year in the next four years.
The act strengthens main street businesses by allowing businesses that invest in local newspaper advertising a non-refundable tax credit based on their advertising investment. The more they advertise, the stronger their business.
•This five-year non-refundable credit provides businesses with fewer than 50 employees up to $5,000 in the first year and up to $2,500 in the subsequent four years to spend with local newspaper and local media.
•The credit covers 80 percent of advertising costs in the first year and 50 percent in the next four years. To receive the full $5,000 in the first year, a business will have spent at least $6,250 on advertising in local newspapers and local media. 
The act fosters healthier communities by increasing access to information that reflects hometown values.
More local reporting means more access to hometown news citizens rely on, and stronger newspapers mean stronger advertising vehicles for local businesses.
We encourage you, our readers, to contact legislators and urge them to enact this legislation. For Rock County, our federal legislators are:
U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, 425 Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510,
202- 224-3244
U.S. Sen. Tina Smith, 720 Hart Senate Office Building, Washington, DC 20510,
202- 224-5641
U.S. Rep. Brad Finstad, 1605 Longworth House Office Building, Washington, DC 20515, 202-225-2472

“Thanks for coming!”
Maybe you’ve heard or said those words recently or often in your life.
I sure have. I’m a “thank you” sayer. 
I’ve thanked police officers after pulling me over and even said thank you to another driver who hit my car in a parking lot. 
To be fair, the thank you was at the end of our interactions after the accident. I was thanking the man for taking responsibility, working together as we filed the report, etc.
But still … I thanked a stranger who just backed into my car. Think of that. 
I believe saying thank you is both important and beneficial. 
The older I get, the more I want to thank people for the things they do, for their time, for sharing an experience, or even just being a part of my life. 
Saying thank you tells someone they are valued and that they matter. 
I’ve been noticing a certain type of thank you more lately, like the times I’m told, “Thanks for coming.”
That type of thank you is one of my favorites.
Last winter I went to a junior varsity hockey game that my friend was coaching.
After the game my friend sent me a short text from the locker room saying, “Thanks for coming,” realizing that attending a JV game in which I know none of the players would not otherwise be on my to-do list. 
Sometimes when I attend LHS events, I’ve had parents say, “Thanks for coming,” as if I were there to watch only their child. Of course, I’m there to support many students, but I appreciate the sentiment just the same.
Showing up matters and showing appreciation to those who show up matters. 
When I attend my niece’s and nephew’s youth sporting events, their mom sometimes reminds them to tell Uncle Jason thanks for coming.
A couple of weeks ago, my niece thanked me for coming to her lacrosse game without her mom around. She’s learned well. 
Last month I went to Junior Legion baseball games that my friend’s son was playing in. Isaac was the only player I knew, but it was fun to see him play and spend time with his parents while watching. 
And he knew I was there to support him. 
After the game we went out for pizza with his team and their families. While there, Isaac sat with his teammates, and I didn’t get to talk to him much. 
As I was leaving the parking lot, though, I put down my window as he walked toward his dad’s pickup. He looked over, gave a big smile and said, “Thanks for coming!” (without his parents telling him to). 
That thank you sure felt good. I knew that it mattered that I drove to his games that day, that I matter to him and that he knows he and his family matter to me. 
Showing up matters. People matter.
Thank you for coming, indeed.

Keitel: 'Our water has become tainted'
Letter to the Editor:
I grew up in rural Luverne and understood crops, birds, rivers, streams, beaver, muskrat, snapping turtles, river bottoms and sand pits. I utilized the spring water that flowed out of the earth like a gift from God.
My first spring water was from the Blue Mounds where a pipe came out of the side of a hill and filled glass gallon jars that we brought home. The spring ran continuously.
My next spring water experience was near Adrian along the Kanaranzi River where clean water flowed directly out of a hillside along County Road 4, known to us as “Old Highway 16.”
People would plan their trips to stop and fill canteens, crockery and in later times fill glass jugs with ice-cold, clear water.
In the early 1990s high nitrate levels made the water undrinkable, and the spring was closed to the public.
But this didn’t happen overnight.
When we transitioned 6,000 years ago from hunters and gatherers to agrarian, we lost our height along with our varied diets as we became dependent on limited grains and a life of agrarian toil.
We planted, weeded and harvested crops, expending nearly twice the calories than when we hunted and gathered, and our life expectancy dropped.
Once we became farmers, we “pooped in our bath water” with domesticated animals and farming practices polluting water.
As long as you lived upstream and had no neighbors higher on the watershed, you were healthy, but your livestock and farming practices meanwhile polluted water for those downstream.
Our hunter and gatherer friends slowly died off because they could not produce offspring as fast as our sedentary agrarian friends. (Hunter gatherer ovulation cycles ceased while carrying a baby or toddler on the move).
Where human population was limited, springs and artesian wells were still functional.
I am fortunate to have grown up in a time when you could still appreciate clear, cold water flowing from a hillside, but in the blink of an eye, my children know nothing of this phenomenon.
Human population has grown along with agrarian practices of tilled soil and livestock feedlots depositing nitrates upstream from flowing water tables.
Our population has flourished, but our water has become tainted by corn, soybeans, cattle, hogs and chickens.
Our children and grandchildren are well fed and nourished, but alas, they know nothing of the spring water flowing from the hillside.
 
Bill Keitel,
Worthington

Today, Thursday, our youngest grandchild, Ellee, turns 6. Like all grandparents, Mary and I are proud as punch of all our grandkids.
Those of us that make up our morning coffee group that are grandparents share stories (brag) about our grandkids at least once a week. Most of the stories are sports-related or how old they are or what grade they are in school, or recently, where they might be going to college.
The story I shared (bragged about) at coffee this week was about Ellee’s birthday party.
Like most 6-year-old girls, Ellee had given a fair amount of thought as to what kind of birthday party she wanted to have. With the Barbie craze going on, one might think the Barbie theme would take center stage, but thankfully that was not the case.
I was sure her party theme request would be balloons, games and inflatables, but once again not the case.
Early on, Ellee knew where she wanted to have her birthday party. One would think maybe Pizza Ranch or Dave and Buster’s, but nope, Ellee’s rather odd request for her birthday party location was at the Hartford Dog Park. I know that threw me for a loop, too.
This past summer Ellee and her 8-year-old sister, Brooke, hosted a couple of lemonade stands, and they decided to use the proceeds from those stands to buy 50 Pup Cups at the Hartford Dairy Queen.
Ellee, with her parents’ help, put together a social media post announcing an open invite to Hartford residents to bring their friendly dog to the Hartford Dog Park on Ellee’s birthday. The first 50 dogs will be treated to a Pup Cup, courtesy of Ellee and Brooke, and Dairy Queen donates the Pup Cup proceeds to the local Animal Rescue. How cool is that?
Did I just do a little proud grandparent bragging? Probably, … but it feels so good.

Dispatch report
July 28
•Complainant at the Verne Drive-In requested an unlock.
•Complainant east-bound on Interstate 90, mile marker 11, Luverne, reported a driving complaint.
•Complainant on E. 1st Street, Beaver Creek, requested assistance from another department.
•Complainant on S. Fairview Drive reported theft.
•Complainant in Luverne reported a family/child civil issue.
•A warrant was issued on Oak Drive.
•Road closure on Highway 75, Luverne.
•Extra patrol was requested at the fairground.
•Complainant on 190th Avenue and 21st Street
July 29
•Complainant on S. Church Avenue reported property damage.
July 30
•Complainant on 21st and 90th, Edgerton, reported fleeing.
•Complainant westbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 18, Magnolia, reported a driving complaint.
July 31
•Complainant on W. Veterans Drive reported theft/larceny.
•Complainant on 150th Avenue and 41st Street reported suspicious activity.
•Complainant on 1st Street, Leota, requested assistance from another department.
Aug. 1
•A warrant was issued on Crawford Street and Oakley Street.
•Complainant east-bound on Interstate 90, mile marker 13, Luverne, reported debris.
•Complainant on E. Main Street reported suspicious activity.
•Complainant on Highway 75, mile marker 18, Hardwick, reported road and drive law issue.
Aug. 2
•Complainant in Hills reported a driving complaint.
•Complainant on 31st Street, Hills, reported weapons.
 
In addition, officers responded to 4 motor vehicle accidents, 2 transports, 2 transport, 1 escort, 13 ambulance runs, 3 parking violations, 3 paper services, 4 animal complaints, 3 fingerprint requests, 1 burn permit, 1 background check, 1 drug court test, 2 purchase and carry permits, 4 stalled vehicles, 36 traffic stops, 10 abandoned 911 calls, 2 welfare checks, 1 report of cattle out, 1 curfew check and 1 follow-up.