By Lori Ehde
The Luverne High School junior charged with stabbing a girl has been expelled for the remainder of the school year, according to action taken at a special School Board meeting Wednesday, Jan. 9.

Seventeen-year-old Sarah Elizabeth Smook, Luverne, was charged Jan. 4 in Rock County District Court with two counts of second degree assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of fifth degree assault.

According to school weapons policy, Smook was initially suspended for five days, and the Wednesday meeting was scheduled.

Present at the meeting were Luverne School Board members and school attorney Don Klosterbuer. Smook and her parents did not attend the meeting on advice of her legal counsel.

Superintendent Vince Schaefer said the school weapons policy states that after the five-day suspension, it's up to the board whether or not the student can remain in school.

But he said there wasn't much hesitation in deciding to expel, in this case. "It's gotten to the point with violence in schools that I think 95 percent of situations will go that route," Schaefer said.

He said the board also discussed what its approach should be to the alleged harassment and bullying that precipitated the stabbing.

"Things happen for a reason," Schaefer said. "We need to get down to what the reason was here."

He wasn't specific, but he said there may be penalties imposed on students accused of harassing and bullying Smook.

"We're interviewing students and parents, trying to get to the bottom of this," Schaefer said.

The board and administration urges students and parents to alert the school of conflicts before things get violent.

"If you don't tell me, how do I know how to help you?" High School Principal Gary Fisher said Tuesday.

He said he frequently squashes minor disputes among students, and if he'd known about this one, there's a chance the stabbing may have been prevented.

"It's better to call me and get it off your chest than to stay home and be mad about it," he said, directing the comment at both students and parents.

He said he's not going to be able help in all cases, but it's always best to let him or another school staff member know.

Smook appeared in Rock County District Court Monday and entered a plea of not guilty.

According to the Rock County Attorney's Office, entering a not guilty plea on a first appearance is quite common, because it allows time for attorneys to review reports and discuss matters with clients.

Smook will take classes at Minnesota West Community and Technical College through the Post Secondary Option at Luverne High School.

Shirley Harrison's kindergarten class is the featured class of the week this week. Pictured are (front row, from left) Jennifer Kruse, Brandon Balsavage, Kurdt Kramer, Hailey Sommers, Jonathan Reisch, Jeffrey Morrison, (second row), Kenda Blomgren, Dalton Meester, MaKenna Hadler, Andrew Jelken, Tyler Wessels, Kelsey VanderPoel, Dominick Brien, (back) Jim Vink (foster grandparent), Nicole Thode, Brooke Theilbar, Cassondra Brands, Christopher Hoogland, Amanda Williams, Cole Walgrave, Bryan Stanley, Bob Ginthendu/Rogers and Mrs. Harrison.

The students are busy working on letters and their sounds, as well as sight words, according to Harrison. They are involved in interactive writing so they may begin to write on their own soon. They are reading Jan Brett's books this month and plan to act out the story, "The Mitten." They are finishing up a unit on counting and collecting and will begin working with shapes and patterns, even doing a little paper quilting. Books on friendship are being read, as they are learning the qualities of a good friend and how to be one.

By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek girls' basketball team opened the 2002 portion of its schedule by posting a trilling 44-42 win over Southwest Star Concept in Okabena Thursday.

Trailing 39-30 with 4:30 left to play, the Patriots needed a big rally down the stretch to pull out a win and got one.

H-BC, which outscored the Quasars 16-10 for the period, went on a 14-3 run in the second half of the fourth quarter to post a two-point win.

The rally came against an SSC team that made 63 percent of its field goals in the game.

"It wasn't a pretty game for us by any means, but we survived a night in which they shot the ball really well," said Patriot coach Tom Goehle.

"We hung around and were able to pick it up a notch when we had to in the fourth quarter. It always doesn't work out that way."

Erin Boeve and Becky Broesder, who led the Patriots with 16 and 10 points respectively, came up big down the stretch.

Boeve capped a 10-point second half with a field goal that gave the Patriots a 43-42 lead. Broesder added a free throw in the final minute to make it a two-point difference in the end.

SSC led 7-6 after eight minutes of play before boasting four-point advantages (22-18 and 32-28) at the next two quarter breaks.

Boeve had 10 rebounds and seven steals to go along with her 16 points.

Cassi Tilstra added four assists and four steals to the winning cause.

Box score
B.Rozeboom 2 1 0-0 7, Olson 0 0 0-0 0, Rentschler 2 0 1-2 5, Tilstra 1 0 0-0 2, Broesder 4 0 2-4 10, S.Rozeboom 1 0 0-0 2, DeNoble 0 0 2-2 2, Boeve 7 0 2-4 16.

Team statistics
H-BC: 18 of 57 field goals (32 percent), seven of 12 free throws (58 percent), 33 rebounds, 10 turnovers.
SSC: 17 of 27 field goals (63 percent), seven of 16 free throws (44 percent), 33 rebounds, 26 turnovers.

Donald "Paul" Slagel, 75, Mesa, Ariz., formerly of Magnolia, died at home Saturday, Dec. 29, 2001.
Services were Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2002, at All Saints Catholic Church in Mesa. Burial will be in Fort Snelling National Cemetery, St. Paul.

"Paul" Slagel was born to Clarence and Jessie Slagel on April 22, 1926, in Magnolia. He graduated from Magnolia High School and spent his career as a construction superintendent. He joined the U.S. Navy on April 17, 1944, and served aboard the USS Catskill during World War II.

He married Mary Ann Berning on Sept. 15, 1947. In 1951 they moved to Bloomington, to Faribault in 1973, and then to Mesa in 1982.

Survivors include his wife, Mary Ann Slagel, Mesa; six children, Randy (Gloria) Slagel, Farmington, Tom (Pam) Slagel, Gilbert, Ariz., Kathy (Glenn) Myers, Lakeville, Russ Slagel, Chisago, Therese (Rick) Hoelzer, Mesa, and Kristi (Emery) Maher, Dennison; 11 grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and two sisters, Pat Wachter, St. Paul, and Thelma (Carl) Sherer, Eagan.

Mr. Slagel was preceded in death by his parents and one sister, Marilyn Nelson.

By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek girls let a Red Rock Conference game slip away in Hills Tuesday.

Playing their first home game in 2002, the Patriot girls were looking to bounce back from a three-point loss in Pipestone when they entertained the Westbrook-Walnut Grove Chargers.

The Patriots played well enough in the first half to earn a three-point lead, but the Chargers outscored them 26-15 in the second half to pull out a 45-37 victory.

For H-BC coach Tom Goehle, the loss was disheartening because of the way it happened.

"They outplayed us, they outhustled us and wanted to win the game more than we did," he said.

The teams battled to a draw at 11 in the first quarter before H-BC used an 11-8 scoring edge in the second period to gain a 22-19 halftime lead.

W-WG moved in front 31-30 before the third quarter was complete and pulled away from the Patriots in the fourth quarter by outscoring them 14-7.

The Chargers shot the ball better than H-BC did during the game, and that proved to be the difference.

W-WG outscored the Patriots 17-4 at the free-throw line and made 42 percent of its field goals compared with H-BC's 33-percent night.

Erin Boeve scored 12 points to lead H-BC, which slipped to 5-5 with the setback.

The Patriots play a road game against Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin tomorrow.

Box score
B.Rozeboom 1 0 0-0 2, B.Olson 3 0 1-2 7, Rentschler 2 0 0-0 4, Tilstra 0 1 0-0 3, Broesder 4 0 1-2 9, S.Rozeboom 0 0 0-0 0, DeNoble 0 0 0-0 0, Boeve 5 0 2-2 12, A.Olson 0 0 0-0 0.

Team statistics
H-BC: 16 of 48 field goals (33 percent), four of six free throws (67 percent).
W-WG: 13 of 31 field goals (42 percent), 17 of 23 free throws (74 percent).

Hills-Beaver Creek senior forward Brad Haak shoots over Lincoln HI's Jared Beck (44) during Monday's boys' basketball game in Hills. Haak scored 21 points and snared eight rebounds during a 72-63 win for the Patriots.

By John Rittenhouse
The Hills-Beaver Creek boys' basketball team posted successive wins for the first time this season when it entertained Lincoln HI in Hills Monday.

Coming off a 16-point win at Edgerton Public School on Friday to snap a three-game losing skid, the Patriots are in the process of turning things around after toppling the visiting Rebels 72-63.

The win evened H-BCÕs record at 5-5 for the campaign. The Patriots will go for three straight wins when they host Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster Tuesday.

Monday's game with LH was competitive.

H-BC did outscore the Rebels in every quarter, but LH had two-point leads in the third quarter before falling behind for good late in the stanza.

H-BC raced to a 7-1 lead to start the game before LH rallied to pull within two points (16-14) of the hosts at period's end.

The Rebels gained a pair of one-point leads in the first three minutes of the second quarter. H-BC's Brad Haak converted a three-point play in the final minute of the first half to give the Patriots a 35-29 advantage at the intermission.

After H-BC scored the first two points of the second half, LH rallied to take a pair of two-point advantages in the first five minutes of the third quarter. The Patriots countered with a 9-2 run that was capped by a steal and a layup by Haak late in the period to take a 52-45 lead into the final eight minutes of play.

The Rebels pulled within one point (52-51) of H-BC with a six-point run early in the first quarter, but H-BC countered with a six-point surge of its own and never let LH come any closer than four points of tying the game the rest of the night.

Haak, who had 15 points in the first half, led H-BC with 21 counters. He also had eight rebounds and three steals.

Lyle DeBoer scored 10 points in the second half to finish the game with 16 counters. Matt Buck scored 10 points, grabbed 13 rebounds, blocked four shots and passed for six assists. Darin DeBoer added three assists and 10 points to the cause, while David Top chipped in 12 counters.

Box score
D.DeBoer 1 2 2-2 10, Van Maanen 0 0 1-2 1, Haak 9 0 3-6 21, Leuthold 0 0 1-2 1, L.DeBoer 7 0 2-2 16, Van Wyhe 0 0 1-2 1, Top 3 0 6-8 12, Buck 4 0 2-6 10.

Team statistics
H-BC: 26 of 68 field goals (38 percent), 18 of 30 free throws (60 percent), 37 rebounds, 12 turnovers.
LH: 22 of 58 field goals (38 percent), 10 of 15 free throws (67 percent), 23 rebounds, 21 turnovers.

By Jolene Farley
Music Instructor Brent Steinert took on the struggling instrumental music and secondary vocal music programs in Hill-Beaver Creek schools last fall.

Steinert teaches a mixed choir group with 24 students. This includes seventh- and eighth-grade music (a general music appreciation course with performances), the high school band with 16 students and junior high band with 25 students.

"It's going very well. There's a lot of improvement and a lot of talent," Steinert said.

Along with plenty of talent, Steinert said there is never a lack of work to do on the program.

"There are 80 kids in music, and each of them has their own music," he said. "My goal for them would be that they learn how to share that (music) in an enjoyable, fun and rewarding way."

A perfect music program for Steinert would include a "program where each musician is allowed to express their music ... to know they performed a song and expressed it. They said what they wanted to say."

He said he has heard nothing but good comments from parents about his teaching, and he appreciates the feedback.

He is looking forward to further improvements in the programs and eventually hopes to start an audition group to perform jazz music.

"My hope is that kids see they can be involved," he said.

"A lot of small steps make a journey, and we are looking at an excellent journey ... I expect to see some outstanding musicians come out of H-BC. They are good kids."

A graduate of Northern State University, Aberdeen, S.D., Steinert previously taught at Avon High School in Avon, S.D.

Hills-Beaver Creek Knowledge Bowl season is in full swing with teams participating in meets around the region. Questions to bowl participants could be about movies, history, math, science or any subject. High School Knowledge Bowl participants were required to pass an exam before joining the team. Seventh- and eighth-grade team members, however, are not required to pass an exam. The adviser for the Knowledge Bowl teams is Jeanette Vanden Hoek.

Members of the High School Knowledge Bowl teams are (back row, from left) Trey Van Wyhe, Kevin Van Batavia, Matt Buck, David Top, Tyson Metzger, Clint Roozenboom, (second row) Jennifer Hoffenkamp, Brittney Olson, Jody Rentschler, Jeremy Elbers, Dustin Bonnema, Chris Reid, (front row) Lee Jackson, Lee Walraven, Patrick Nelson and Justin VanMaanen.

By Jolene Farley
Rick and Lori Scholten, parents of Derek Ehde, filed a complaint on June 15, 2001, with the Minnesota Board of Teaching, but they are uncertain if they will pursue a civil case against former Hills-Beaver Creek Superintendent Tom Knoll.

Knoll was accused of assaulting then 19-year-old Derek Ehde on Thursday, April 26, 2001, at Hills-Beaver Creek High School.

The Rock County Sheriff's Department investigated the incident, and after reviewing statements from six students and two teachers, Assistant County Attorney Terry Vajgrt determined there was not sufficient evidence of criminal wrongdoing to prosecute.

According to Minnesota assault statute, it must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt the perpetrator intended to cause harm or fear of harm.

After exhausting local avenues, the Scholtens decided to file a complaint with the state agency.

The Minnesota Board of Teaching has statutory authority to revoke, suspend or deny licensure in the state of Minnesota.

"I have no doubt he will probably end up losing his license," said Lori Scholten. "What hurts me is we never received an apology from anybody."

Knoll left H-BC in July after eight years for a position in the Hayfield district, located about 25 miles southwest of Rochester.

"I'm really happy he's out of our district, but I don't want him to continue doing in other districts what heÕs done in the past," Scholten said.

Investigations by the Minnesota Board of Teaching can vary in length from a few months to years, according to representative Nancy Triplet.