Luverne School District custodial staff members are the first installment of the Star Herald's weekly school feature, "Cardinal Hall Monitor." Pictured are (front row, from left) Dave Eberlein, Kay Umbreit, Todd Mann (groundskeeper), Fred Cook, Michael Wessels, Carrole Horn (back row) Mark O'Toole, Greg Hurst, Don Mitchell, Darrell Brown, Larry Van Grootheest and Marv Doering (maintenance). Not pictured is Larry Roos, supervisor. While students clear out for summer vacation, custodial staff members roll up their sleeves for a busy three months of getting the district buildings ready for another school year. This includes scrubbing and buffing 400,000 square feet of floors and hallways - and that's just the inside work. The district owns 120 acres that also require daily upkeep.

The Cardinal Hall Monitor will provide weekly features of those who work in the district. It will also include some of the Star Herald's regular school features on interesting activities among the district students.

Vernie Edmundson, 99, died Monday, Sept. 23 at Palisade Manor Nursing Home in Garretson. Visitation begins at 2 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 25 with the family present from 7 to 8 p.m. at Minnehaha Funeral Home, Garretson. Committal services will be Thursday, Sept. 26 at 1 p.m. at Palisade Lutheran Cemetery. Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. at Palisade Lutheran Church with Rev. Ray Heidenson officiating.

By John Rittenhouse
Cross country programs from Luverne and Adrian High Schools received some action at the Marshall Invitational Monday.

The Luverne boys placed a strong second in a 10-team varsity field with 91 points. Adrian placed 10th with 242.

LuverneÕs girls placed fifth out of all teams in varsity competition. Adrian was incomplete.

Nick Otten led the Cardinal boys to their second-place finish by placing 10th individually with a time of 17:49.

Jake Studer (13th in 18:11), Jesse Kuhlman (17th in 18:25), Ruston Aaker (24th in 18:58) and Dusty Antoine (27th in 19:12) capped the team scoring for LHS.

Jesson Vogt and Devin Goembel placed 34th and 58th in 19:13 and 20:35 without influencing the scoring.

Paul Honermann and Brandon Bullerman led the Dragon boys by finishing 34th and 35th in 19:11 and 19:12.

Chad Janssen (55th in 19:59), Ethan Wieneke (61st in 20:37) and Kelly Seeman (68th in 23:01) contributed to Adrian's team total.

Sadie Dietrich set the pace for the Cardinal girls by placing 11th in the varsity race in 16:54.

Victoria Arends (18th in 17:21), Amanda Saum (26th in 17:57), Kelsey Dooyema (43rd in 18:46) and Brianna Studer (75th in 21:51) padded Luverne's team tally.

Jessica Willers placed 78th in 22:29 without affecting the scoring.

Adrian had three girls compete in the varsity race.

Krissi Thier placed 46th in 18:58, McCall Heitkamp 51st in 19:12 and Kelly Banck 53rd in 19:17.

Adrian and Luverne will run at the Worthington Turkey Trot Saturday. Here is a look at the team standings and other individual results from the Marshall Invitational.

Boys' standings: Marshall 21, Luverne 91, Jackson County Central 96, Canby-Minneota-Lincoln HI 102, Redwood Valley 145, Southwest Christian 161, Springfield 163, Windom 183, Worthington 207, Adrian 242.

Girls' standings: C-M-LH 64, Tracy-Milroy-Balaton 68, Marshall 90, JCC 97, Luverne 160, RWV 185, Southwest Star Concept-Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster 192, Murray County Central 195, Windom 197, Springfield 204, Worthington 252.

Junior varsity boys
Luverne: Trevor Maine, sixth, 15:56; Travis Halfmann, 13th, 16:11; John May, 20th, 17:20; Grant Oldre, 25th, 17:09; Brent DeGroot, 33rd, 17:33; Michael Nelson, 55th, 19:58; David Nelson, 59th, 21:16.

Adrian: Eldon Vaselaar, 62nd, 23:27.

Junior high boys
Luverne: Eric Kraetsch, sixth, 7:31.
Adrian: Aaron Mormann, 16th, 8:12; Dustin Lonneman, 24th, 8:39; Collin Lynn, 27th, 8:50; Tim Zaske, 30th, 8:52.

Junior high girls
Luverne: Lexi Heitkamp, first, 2:54; Justine Heintzman, seventh, 8:40, Amanda Kannas, 20th, 9:13.
Adrian: Megan Henning, ninth, 8:41; Kaitlin Leinen, 19th, 9:02.

By John Rittenhouse
The coveted Battle Ax trophy switched hands when Luverne squared off against Pipestone Area in the Southwest Conference football opener in Pipestone Friday.

Luverne had possession of the prize when it made the trek north on Highway 75, but the Arrows took the trophy away from the Cardinals when the hosts rode a strong second half to a 21-7 win.

It appeared the Cards would bounce back from a rough loss to New Ulm during the first week of the season. They sported a 7-0 halftime lead and took a 7-6 edge into the fourth quarter, but it didn't work out that way.

Arrow tailback Nick McNab rushed for 161 yards and three second-half touchdowns while carrying his team to victory.

After being limited to 39 total yards without picking up a first down against NU, Luverne displayed some evident offensive improvement against the Arrows.

Unfortunately for the Cards, they were unable to score points in the final three quarters of the contest. That opened the door for McNab and the Arrows, who raised their record to 2-0 with the victory.

"Yes, we showed some improvement," Oye said of his team's performance. "Now we've got to do it for four full quarters. We came out slow in the second half and couldn't get anything going."

The Cardinals did display some offensive promise in the game's early stages.

LHS picked up its initial first down of the season during its opening possession before being forced to punt four plays later.

An even more positive sign came during the second offensive possession.

After the Cardinal defense forced Pipestone to punt, Luverne took over on its own 46 and recorded its first points of the season when Marcus Walgrave dashed 54 yards for a touchdown on the first play of the possession. When Adam Kurtz added the extra point, LHS took a 7-0 lead with 3:32 remaining in the stanza.

A pair of turnovers crippled Luverne's chances to increase its lead by the intermission.

The Cards advanced the ball inside PipestoneÕs 10-yard line before losing possession with a fumble early in the second quarter.

An interception and a 55-yard return by Cardinal defender Cody Gehrke gave Luverne the ball inside Pipestone territory late in the first half, but the Arrows returned the favor by picking off a pass on its own 10 in the final minute of the second stanza.

McNab, who was sidelined with a slight hamstring injury most of the first half, took control of the game in the second half.

McNab capped a short drive by the Arrows to start the second half with a six-yard touchdown run at the 9:18 mark of the third quarter, and scored at 10:44 of the fourth quarter with a one-yard plunge.

The Arrow leader displayed his athletic ability during a five-play, 69-yard drive when he broke loose on a 59-yard scamper that gave the Arrows a 21-7 cushion with 7:09 left to play in the game.

"We were doing okay until their tailback (McNab) started getting big chunks of yardage in the second half. He's very fast, and he got around end for that last touchdown to put them up by 14 points," Oye said.

The Cards did drive the ball deep inside Pipestone territory following McNabÕs third touchdown, but an interception in the end zone ended the threat.

"Turnovers killed us," Oye offered. "All three of our turnovers came deep in their territory."

Things won't get any easier for the 0-2 Cardinals Friday night, when they host Windom for Luverne's 2002 version of Parents' Night.

Windom, which placed second in Class 2A during last season's state tournament, is 1-1. The Eagles battled Worthington to a draw at 21 in the first half of last FridayÕs game in Windom before falling 45-21 in the end.

"Windom is a running team that has a lot of experienced players coming back from a team that placed second in state last year. We'll have to stay with our (defensive) keys because they like to run a lot of misdirection plays," Oye said.

Team statistics
Luverne: 116 rushing yards, 72 passing yards, 188 total yards, eight first downs, six penalties, three turnovers.

Pipestone: 188 rushing yards, 61 passing yards, nine first downs, eight penalties, one turnover.

Individual statistics
Rushing: Walgrave 16-112, Jared Pick 5-22, Smedsrud 7-minus 21, Tyler Elbers 1-2, Aaron Schmidt 1-1.
Passing: Smedsrud 7-23 for 72 yards.

Receiving: Ben Cornish 4-38, Joey Pick 2-24, Walgrave 1-10.

By Lori Ehde
Lisa Dinger is the new Guide at Luverne Elementary School. She is full-time, replacing two part-time guides who ran the program last year.

Child Guide is a program implemented last year in Luverne designed to connect students with positive things in their communities.

"All these assets are in your communities, but the problem is children aren't connected to all these good things," Marlyn Benson told Luverne School Board members when she introduced the program last year.

Benson works with the Southwest-West Central Service Cooperative to coordinate the program in area districts.

"We don't provide the assets," she said. "We connect kids to programs and programs to kids."

In school districts that use Child Guide, teachers and staff are asked to keep their eyes open for students who may be struggling - either from problems at home or with their peers.

Child Guide doesn't do the work of a school psychologist or counselor but works on referrals from them.

Help is often as simple as a cheery greeting to a student in the morning or offering special praise for a minor accomplishment.

In many cases, students' self-confidence can benefit from involvement in 4-H or Scouts, but parents don't have the time or funds to enroll the child - or don't see the need.

In that case, a Child Guide representative might make a friendly contact with the parents about the advantages of involving the child in a certain activity.

If costs or transportation are an issue, Child Guide might connect the family with local sources of revenue or with volunteers to drive or carpool.

Child Guide came about when the Legislature took aim at reducing juvenile corrections costs. It asked the Southwest-West Central Service Cooperative to design a program to help kids before they get into trouble.

The cooperative and Southwest Minnesota Foundation developed Child Guide as a result.

After piloting the program for six years in the Willmar School District, Kandiyohi County Family Services reported a noticeable decrease in juvenile-related caseloads.

Dinger, who has already started in the halls of Luverne Elementary School, said sheÕs excited about the program and is eager to meet the students.

"The Child Guide program is an excellent program to be utilized by the school and community for all children in meeting their needs," she said, "and not any one specific group."

Dinger said the existing Child Guide activities, such as Kids in Commons and the elementary newspaper will continue, and she'll start a new one if interest is there.

She and her husband, Don, live in Luverne and have children in Luverne Public Schools.

Child Guide in Luverne is funded through the Rock County Collaborative, Blandin Foundation, SW/WC Service Cooperatives, Southwest Minnesota Foundation, Minnwest Corporation and The Sheltering Arms Foundation.

No district funds are spent on the project. Child Guide representatives will be employees of the Service Cooperative. All the district is asked to do is provide desk space.

Rock County Transit Director Terrie Gulden, standing, and full-time dispatcher Elaine Vanden Berg work at the dispatching center Monday. They are testing new digital equipment that would prevent rider information from being broadcast over public airways. One of the potential vendors estimates a new system would cost about $8,000.

By Sara Strong
Heartland Express, Rock County's busing system, may change its dispatching methods this year.

There's nothing particularly wrong with the current radio system, but Rock County Transit Director Terrie Gulden wants to improve it for Heartland Express passengers.

He's seeking funding for a more secure system of dispatching that would prevent people with scanners from hearing private or sensitive information.

Gulden said his concern wasn't prompted by specific problems with the current radio system.

"There's just heightened security everywhere," he said. "My push is to look at things we can do here, proactively - I'd like to do something if we can."

A change in dispatching would mean better security through a more private radio system.

Heartland's busing isn't on a schedule with times and locations on a route, like many other public transits. Here, customers call when they need a ride, and one of three or four buses accommodates them.

Gulden is concerned about security, but funding is also a concern.

In 2001, legislators voted to stop counties from being able to levy for transit, and Gulden expects state funding to be flat this year with probable cuts in the future.

"We're finding that it's not enough," Gulden said.

He's applied for a grant to help fund a communication system upgrade, but heÕs also looking for funds locally.

"I'm not going to wait for [the state] to say no in January," Gulden said.

He's hoping for local or state organizations with community grant money available to help pay for a change in dispatching system.

Because of its limited funds, Heartland Express is increasing passenger rates for the first time in four years, starting January 2003. A ride in Luverne will increase 25¢, up from the current $1.25; countywide rates will increase 50¢, up from the current $2.50.

This year Heartland Express will complete an estimated 30,000 rides.

By John Rittenhouse
Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth began defending its 2001 Southwest Ridge Conference football championship with a win in Hills Friday.

The Patriots entertained Southwest Star Concept, a talented team that is expected to be one of H-BC-EÕs top challengers in the league this year.

SSC put up a good fight in Friday's game, but the Quasars never had a lead in the game that went to the Patriots by a 23-14 margin in the end.

The game was close most of the way, but H-BC-E dominated the contest statistically while avoiding mistakes that could have turned the contest into an upset.

"It seemed like we had the ball most of the time," said Patriot coach Dan Ellingson. "The score was close in the end, but we seemed to be in control of the game most of the time."

SSC quarterback Tyler Leopold passed the ball for 87 yards and two touchdowns in the game, but it was the three interceptions he threw early in the game that helped the Patriots build a lead they would never relinquish.

Leopold threw interceptions to end each of SSC's first three offensive possessions, and H-BC-E ended up scoring 10 points off the turnovers.

Cody Scholten's first of two picks of the game, which ended SSCÕs first possession of the tilt, didn't lead to any points.

Leopold's second interception went to Zach Wysong, who returned the ball 21 yards into Quasar territory. When H-BC-E's ensuing drive stalled, Wysong was called upon to boot a 27-yard field goal that gave the hosts a 3-0 cushion.

According to Ellingson, H-BC's field position after plays like WysongÕs defensively tilted the game in favor of the hosts.

"I think the big key in this game was field position. We were able to force them to do some things they didn't want to do because of where they were at on the field. That was a big advantage for us," he said.

Scholten's second interception of the game late in the first quarter came back to haunt SSC as well.

After taking over near midfield, the Patriots advanced the ball inside the SSC 10-yard line before Chris Reid, who ran for 153 yards in the game, scored on an eight-yard scamper at the 9:14 mark of the second quarter. WysongÕs extra point made it a 10-0 game.

SSC got back into the game late in the first half, when Leopold hooked up with Eric Joens for a 16-yard touchdown pass with 2:24 left in the second quarter. Javier Jemenez added the extra point to make the difference 10-7.

Good field position helped the Patriots again when Wysong returned the kick following SSC's first touchdown 44 yards into Quasar territory.

The big return set up a drive that appeared to be in trouble when the Patriots faced a fourth-and-goal situation with two seconds left, but quarterback Curt Schilling delivered an eight-yard touchdown pass to Reid as time ran out in the first half. Wysong booted the extra point to make it a 17-7 game at the intermission.

SCC trimmed the difference to three points (17-14) with its first possession of the second half. Leopold hit Stephan Mathias for a 21-yard score at the 6:12 mark of the third quarter, and Jemenez's extra point followed.

The Patriots got six of the points back late in the third quarter, when Schilling tossed a 13-yard touchdown pass to Brant Deutsch with 19 seconds left in the period. Wysong's extra-point attempt was blocked, leaving the Patriots with a 23-14 advantage they were able to keep by blanking SSC in the final 12 minutes of the game.

"It was a close game, and we knew it would be," Ellingson said. "With the guys SSC had coming back, we knew this game would be a good test for us. We were happy to come out on top."

The 2-0 Patriots will play 1-1 Lake Benton in their first road game of the season Friday.

The Bobcats lost a 26-6 game to Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster last Friday, but Ellingson said the Bobcats will offer the Patriots a challenge.

"Defensively, Lake Benton always is one of the hardest hitting teams we'll face all season. That's something weÕll have to be prepared for. Offensively, they like to run plays out of a full-house backfield. TheyÕll run power-running plays out of the full-house set. They also like to get their running backs involved in the passing game," he said.

Team statistics
H-BC-E: 213 rushing yards, 61 passing yards, 274 total yards, 13 first downs, four penalties for 26 yards, one turnover.

SSC: 54 rushing yards, 87 passing yards, 141 total yards, four first downs, two penalties for 20 yards, three turnovers.

Individual statistics
Rushing: Reid 26-153, Schilling 11-25, Jesse Leuthold 8-21, Wysong 1-5, Dusty Seachris 1-9.
Passing: Schilling 7-13 for 61 yards.

Receiving: Tyson Metzger 5-39, Reid 1-9, Deutsch 1-13.

Defense: Schilling 11 tackles, Wysong four tackles and one interception, Scholten three tackles and two interceptions, Leuthold one tackle.

Hills-Beaver Creek junior hitter Erin Boeve tips the ball past a Sibley-Ocheyedan blocker during Monday's volleyball match in Hills. Boeve had eight kills and six blocks during a 3-0 loss to the Generals.

By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek volleyball team was unable to shake what now stands as a four-match losing skid to start the 2002 season when it hosted Sibley-Ocheyedan, Iowa, Monday.

The Patriots played a pair of strong games after a rough start, but it wasn't enough to keep the Generals from walking away with a 3-0 win.

S-O took control of Game 1 by turning a 3-2 edge into an 11-2 cushion with an 8-0 run.

Erin Boeve, who led the Patriots with eight kills and six blocks in the match, ended S-O's run with an ace block. The Generals, however, scored the next four points to prevail 15-3.

Games 2 and 3 were much more competitive.

One service point by Brittney Rozeboom and two more from Angie Sjaarda gave the Patriots a 3-0 lead early in the second game, and the difference was four points (6-2) when Sarah Rozeboom served a point as the game progressed.

S-O moved in front 7-6 with a 5-0 run and led 10-8 when Boeve served a pair of points and one ace and Cassi Tilstra served a point to give the Patriots a 12-10 advantage.

The score favored H-BC 13-11 when S-O reeled off four straight points to clinch a 15-13 victory.

A three-point service run by Boeve gave H-BC a 5-2 lead in the third game before S-O countered with a 6-0 run to move in front 8-5.

Two kills and a tip by Boeve tied the game at eight, but the Generals scored four straight points to gain a 12-8 cushion.

One block, one ace serve and one point from Boeve trimmed the difference to one point (12-11) before S-O scored three straight points to prevail 15-11.

Tilstra (six of six), Sjaarda (eight of eight with one ace) and Brittney Rozeboom (five of five with one ace) were perfect at the service line for H-BC.

Sarah Rozeboom provided three kills. Kelly Mulder had four blocks and one kill.

H-BC hosts Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin tonight before playing at the Central Lyon Tournament in Rock Rapids, Iowa, Saturday.