By Lori Ehde
After receiving no rainfall during the critical growing periods of July and early August, things looked bleak for Rock County corn and soybean producers.

"We were predicting a 35 percent yield loss for corn and 30 percent for beans," said Rock County Extension Educator Fraser Norton.

Thirty-percent losses qualify for disaster aid, so local officials applied to get Rock County designated a drought disaster area.

The day Rock County applied for federal drought relief, it rained.

And it continued to rain until the final tally for Aug. 21 came to nearly 6 inches in Rock County.

Rock County Emergency Management Coordinator Kyle Oldre mailed the drought disaster that day, and he joked that he better get started on the flood disaster application.

The rain was a welcome sight, but as far as most people knew, it was too late to help the drought-beaten crops.

Rock County’s average rainfall during the growing season of May 1 through Sept. 30 is 16.76, but by the second week in August, local fields had seen less than half that amount.

"We had almost no rain in July, when corn needs it, and we had no rain in early August, when beans need it," Norton said.

Yields are ‘average’ despite disaster prediction
Hind sight is 20-20.

He was right about the Aug. 21 downpour having little effect on the yields, Norton and most local crop producers underestimated the power of good soil and improved genetics.

With the local harvest nearly complete, average yields this fall are coming in right in line with Rock County’s four-year average (1998-2001): 148 bushels per acre for corn and 46 bushels per acre for soybeans.

"I have heard people say time and time again how surprised they are at both soybean and corn yields," Norton said.

"Beans have been in the 50s in some fields and corn has been in the 170s."

He said this year’s growing conditions in most regions would have resulted in a drought disaster.

"But we’ve got good, rich soil here," he said. "And it’s amazing how genetics have progressed. This would have never turned out this way in the old days."

Rock County’s heavier soils are in the southwest townships, and that’s where the higher yields are reflected,

Dave Leenderts, agronomy production specialist at Hills-Beaver Creek Co-op, Hills, said corn yields there averaged 140-175 bushels per acre, and soybeans were in the upper 40s to upper 50s.

Those yields are typical for Hills, but Leenderts said farmers were bracing for the effects of drought.

"It was a lot better than what we anticipated," Leenderts said. "The guys were pleasantly surprised."

He said soybean yields dropped in the second week of September when a hail storm in the southern half of the county dropped yields by at least 15 percent.

Though the soil is typically lighter in northern Rock County, some fields there also showed some surprising yields.

Lloyd Bergman, who farms land near Kenneth, said corn yields varied from 20 to 150 bushels per acre on their land.

"I’ve never seen anything like it," Bergman said. "On the good soil, we saw good yields, but on the poor soil, we didn’t do so good."

He said stalks growing in lighter soil got too dry during pollination, but those that were able to pollinate produced large, full ears.

Considering the county was headed for disaster, Norton said the end result is positive.

"People are so happy with their yields because they were writing off getting anything from some fields, and even those produced something," Norton said.

"I’m certainly not seeing a disaster here."

Prices are up
To top it off, market prices are higher this year than they were last year at this time.

"Corn and beans are well above what they were a year ago," Norton said.

According to Monday’s data, the price of corn was $2.12 per bushel, and soybeans were at $5.29 per bushel. That compares with last year’s data on the same date of $1.69 corn and $3.99 beans.

"We’re well above the loan rate, so there’s risk in storing. Last year was a year for storing. This year is not," Norton said.

"Sell at harvest and don’t store … especially for soybeans. They’ll pay you more today than they will in January, and they’ll pay you more in January than they will in February. Get rid of it and move on."

Disaster aid
approved Friday
Despite the positive outcome of this year’s harvest, some producers, may qualify for low-interest emergency loans through the Farm Service Agency.

In an FSA statement released Friday, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Ann Veneman encouraged qualified producers to apply.

FSA will consider each loan application on its own merits, taking into account the extent of losses, security available and repayment ability.

Producers who don’t qualify for the emergency aid may benefit from other FSA programs. For example, earlier this year, Veneman authorized emergency grazing on Conservation Reserve Program acres.

Signup for the Livestock Compensation Program ends Dec. 13.

Rock County FSA director Roger Carlson can be reached at 283-2369. More information about the drought disaster relief can be found at www.fsa.usda.gov.

By Lori Ehde
Nearly 20 years ago, Luverne’s Lona Klosterbuer took a call at home from Ione Bush at Rock County Family Services. She wanted to know if Klosterbuer could do some Christmas shopping for a local family who needed some help.

Bush had received an anonymous cash donation at the office to be used for that purpose, and Klosterbuer remembers taking that envelope of cash around town and seeing how much she could buy with it.

"I never knew who gave her my name," Klosterbuer said. "I guess someone must have thought I’d have some time to do that."

As it turns out, Bush picked a good errand runner, because Klosterbuer has been taking lists and running errands every December since then. "Little did I know …" she said.

It was the start of what is now a Christmas charity tradition in Rock County that serves hundreds of families with thousands of dollars in donated cash and items.

A system of caring
In the early years it didn’t have a name, but it was the start of Sharing Hearts Are Helping Everyone, or SHARE.

By definition, SHARE Inc. "is a program whose purpose is to administer, by means of volunteers, the collection of donations and distribution of Christmas gifts and food to persons in Rock County."

Last year, SHARE provided 121 families, consisting of 176 adults and 175 children, with groceries, clothing and toys. An undetermined number of persons benefited from clothing and other items from used and new tables at the Luverne Armory, where donations are distributed annually.

The program is uniquely Rock County’s and it helps Rock County’s own. "All of the money is spent here and it all stays here," said Mary Tilstra, another long-time volunteer.

"If every county in the United States took care of its own, everyone would have something at Christmas."

In the months following Klosterbuer’s first shopping trip, Family Services staff kept their eyes open for additional local people who might need extra help, and accepted donations from local people who wanted to help out these families.

Tilstra joined the effort in 1985 and recalls an early grocery shopping experience with Klosterbuer.

"Ione gave us $300 cash to buy groceries for 19 families," Tilstra said, "and we jumped into Lona’s little car and drove to Kenny’s Super Foods."

The carts filled up with fruits, vegetables, meats and other perishables not typically available at the local food shelf.

"We had no system whatsoever," Lona said. "We just had our cash and a couple of carts and headed down the aisle."

The two women laugh when they recall their haphazard methods.

"Larry (Goebel) opened a register for us and we kept asking how much money we had left to spend," Tilstra said. "And then, when we were done, there was this huge pile of groceries, and all we had was Lona’s little car."

As it turned out, Goebel delivered the goods (to Family Services) with the store van, and that was the start of his longtime involvement in the program as well.

"I still remember the apples and oranges rolling around the human services building as we tried to divvy up the grocery into 19 bags."

Well-ordered system
The women soon developed a system for taking and filling orders, not only for groceries, but for clothing, household supplies and gifts as well.

Today, families fill out forms that ask what they’re in need of (food, clothing, toys, etc.), the number of household members, and the age, gender and size of family members requesting specific items.

Former Family Services employee Norma Stewart is credited for coming up the name for SHARE, which incorporated in 1986.

"She told me years ago that she had a dream of coming up with a good system of helping needy people at Christmas time," Klosterbuer said. "And she wanted to call it SHARE."

The point of the program would be to provide things not typically covered by welfare and for families that may not qualify for welfare.

SHARE offered something extra for the holidays.

"Ione knew there were these people who needed help but who fell through the cracks, and there were all these people who wanted to help," Tilstra said.

She said SHARE especially mobilized in 1987, with the help from Del Brakke,who retired that year from Family Services. Brakke had an inside track to the families who needed help, and was able to connect SHARE resources where they were needed most.

At its peak, SHARE served 550 people in 1991, but the average number of people helped through the years is 350.

Strong core of volunteers
The volunteer board now includes 12 people, and those core members enlist help from their spouses and anyone willing to lend a hand.

Many of today’s volunteers are the same ones who helped start the program 20 years ago.

It’s often stressful work to match needy families with an adequate amount of donated cash and items and to get it all distributed in an orderly manner.

"We’re so relieved at that point," Klosterbuer said. "I’d go home and bawl sometimes, it was so stressful."
"We prepare for months, and then it all goes out the door in about an hour," Tilstra said.

But there’s a reason they continue to do it year after year: for the personal rewards of seeing families benefit from their efforts.

"I remember one year we had all these donated Pound Puppies, and some little kid came along and saw a Pound Puppy sticking out of a bag. He was so tickled to get that Pound Puppy," Klosterbuer said.

Tilstra remembers the year Dayton’s donated Santa Bears. "I remember a little kid came along and hugged the bear through the bag," Tilstra said.

To donate to SHARE:
Drop off items from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, Dec. 13, and from 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Dec. 14, at the Luverne Armory on South Freeman Avenue.

Items needed include new and used clothing (only seasonal items), toys and household items. Prior approval is required for donations of large household items or large appliances.

Do NOT wrap either new or used gifts.

Cash donations can be mailed any time of year to SHARE, P.O. Box 792, Luverne, MN, 56156.

Distribution will be from noon to 2 p.m. Monday, Dec. 16, at the Luverne Armory.

The form must be completed and mailed by Dec. 7 to SHARE, P.O. Box 792, Luverne, MN, 56156.

For information call 283-4310 or 283-2810.

By Sara Strong
The Luverne airport drew a crowd Monday as final plans were the subject of a public meeting in Luverne council chambers.

The airport expansion has been a long-time goal of the city of Luverne, meeting with objection from some of its rural neighbors.

Engineer plans are ready for the Airport Board to review and recommend to the Luverne City Council. From there, the Planning and Zoning Board will determine whether the expansion project will continue.

Federal funding of 90 percent for the $2 million project is secured for the expansion, which would almost double the length of the runway.

Luverne City Councilman David Hauge also serves on the Airport Board. He said, "Right now we have funding. … Luverne’s trying to make itself more hospitable to businesses and anything we can do to be more appealing in negotiations is an asset."

Even though businesses are a motivator to getting a bigger airport for bigger planes, Rock County Commissioner Ron Boyenga pointed out that the county’s biggest business is agriculture.

Part of the objection to the location of the airport is the closing of a township road just south of the current airport. The township road runs east and west and is reportedly used heavily as access to Highway 75 to the east and to farm area to the west.

People at Monday’s meeting said moving the airport even farther south would keep that road open and keep the airport farther from town and potential development areas.

The Airport Board reasoned that no matter where the runway is constructed, a gravel road will have to be closed. It’s just a matter of moving the problem to a different group of rural residents if it were moved farther to the south as Monday’s group favored.

If the airport were farther south, however, it would probably lose federal funding.

Federal funding is given to airports certain distances away from each other. With Sioux Falls, Rock Rapids, Pipestone and Worthington, Luverne’s current location is ideal for guaranteed federal funding.

"We’re trying to take care of as many people as we can," Pat Baustian, Airport Board Chairman, said.
The plans allow room for growth closer to the interstate.

Ray Sleiter attended the meeting. He said, "I don’t like how [the federal government] can dictate to people how the money will be spent. I don’t like it and I don’t think it’s fair. We’ve got people here who can spend money just fine."

Sleiter would like the county to be involved in setting the location, but realized the federal funding could be lost if the location was changed.

The township road
Other implications of closing the township road would be heavier wear and tear on the existing smaller roads. Farm equipment operators don’t necessarily want to drive across Highway 75, so traffic would probably be diverted to other township roads.

They may have to be widened or built up to some extent to handle the heavier use and likelihood of large vehicles meeting on the roads.

The township road is recommended to be closed with, or without, the runway extension.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation has cited the airport for the liability to the township and the city the road poses.

If an accident were to happen between a plane and anything on that road, the township and city of Luverne would be held liable because at least three years of inspections have noted the clearance problem on the road.

Baustian said, "Even if we don’t do this, MnDOT will close the road anyway."

The Airport Board is also waiting for an environmental study that will find whether the airport is in the 100-year flood plain or just on the edge of it, as it now appears.

Airport facts to pull
Luverne’s airport was first built in 1959.

This year there has been 4,000 flights out of the airport.

The runway is the shortest in the state at 2,500 feet.

The runway condition is in the 70th percentile, meaning it’s structurally sound.

Mark and Deb Emery harvest their last stand of corn last week northwest of Kenneth, marking the close of the 2002 growing season. Like many local producers, they said their yields varied dramatically this year, depending on soil type of each field. Heavier soils held moisture better than the lighter soils. Story inside.

Photo by Lori Ehde

Luverne senior Maggie Vanden Hoek fights for control of the puck with New Ulm’s Sam Richter during Friday’s season-opening girls hockey game at the Blue Mound Ice Arena. The Eagles scored 10 unanswered goals to best the Cardinals 10-1.

By John Rittenhouse
The Luverne girls’ hockey team stumbled to an 0-2 start to the 2002-03 season by dropping a pair of games since last Friday.

The Cardinals scored six seconds into their home opener against New Ulm to take an early lead before falling by nine goals in the end.

LHS skated to a draw with Mankato East for two periods Tuesday in Mankato. The hosts, however, prevailed by three in the end.

Luverne attempts to break into the win column tonight when it hosts Marshall. The Cards play a road game in Fairmont Tuesday.

ME 4, Luverne 1
The Cardinals played better in their second game of the season even though the final result was the same.

Luverne battled Mankato East to a draw at one through two periods during Tuesday’s tilt in Mankato before succumbing to a three-goal surge in the third period by the hosts.

"Luverne just wasn’t clicking," said Cardinal coach Dave Siebenahler. "We couldn’t find our game."
The teams exchanged goals in the first period.

East opened the scoring to take an early lead, but the Cards knotted the score at one at the 9:02 mark of the stanza.

Taylor Nelson netted Luverne’s counter. Stephanie Morgan received an assist for the tally.

Neither team could find the net in the second period, but that changed in the final 15 minutes of play.

ME scored one power-play goal and two even-strength counters during a three-goal period that settled the issue.

Cardinal goalie Alyssa Wieneke displayed some dramatic improvement in her second varsity start.
After facing 32 shots and allowing 10 goals in Friday’s opener, Wieneke stopped 42 of 46 shots in Mankato.

NU 10, Luverne 1
A promising start turned into a disastrous finish when the Cardinals opened the 2002-03 season against New Ulm at the Blue Mound Ice Arena Friday.

It looked like LHS might be on its way to a win when the Cardinals scored their first goal of the season six seconds into the contest.

The mood, however, changed quickly as the Eagles scored four times in a 2:12 span as the opening period progressed and ended up scoring 10 unanswered counters while coasting to a nine-goal victory.

Led by Tiffany Hoffman, Jocelyn Janni and Amber Reinhart, New Ulm dominated play offensively while doubling (32-16) Luverne’s output in shots on goal.

Six different Eagles scored goals in the game, led by Hoffman’s hat trick. Jannie and Reinhart added two goals each.

Luverne’s brightest moment came at the start of the game. The Cardinals won the opening face off, and the puck ended up on the stick of sophomore wing Natalie Domagala. Domagala skated into the New Ulm zone and buried the puck into the net for a 1-0 lead at the 14:54 mark of the opening period.

The rest of the period belonged to New Ulm.

Janni ignited a string of four goals in a span of 2:12 when she tied the game at one with 13:29 remaining in the period.

Danielle Fischer and Ashley Dietz scored for New Ulm before Janni struck again to make it a 4-1 game with 11:17 remaining in the first stanza.

When Reinhart scored her first goal with 3:17 left in the first period, the Eagles had a commanding 5-1 advantage.

Hoffman put the game away by scoring twice in the second period (at 8:41 and 5:47) before opening a three-goal third period with a counter at 9:17.

Liz Bode and Reinhart capped the scoring with tallies with 5:40 and 1:44 remaining respectively.

Making her first varsity start as goalie, Luverne’s Alyssa Wieneke stopped 22 of 32 shots. After allowing an early goal to Domagala, New Ulm’s Jenny Neveln ended the game by making 15 consecutive saves.

By Jolene Farley
Beaver Creek, Hills and Steen public officials met with concerned citizens Thursday for a community watch planning meeting.

Council member Carolyn DeBoer explained to more than 20 in attendance that the Beaver Creek City Council began to explore the idea of a community watch program after citizens raised concerns about suspected drug use and manufacturing in their community.

DeBoer introduced Rock County Sheriff-elect Mike Winkels, who started off with a brief explanation of community policing, which will involve more public involvement in law enforcement.

Community policing is more preventative than enforcement orientated and encourages communication between officers and the public.

"Rural Minnesota, for the most part, does community policing," he said.

What is currently missing from law enforcement in Rock County, he said, is informing those who call in suspicious activity to the sheriff’s department what action is taken after their call.

He added a call about suspicious activity at a house isn’t enough to take action, because it’s not illegal to have people coming and going from residences.

Winkels passed around the room confiscated drug paraphernalia and a list of ingredients used to manufacture meth.

He said that drug labs are not always in houses anymore. Dealers are manufacturing meth, about a six-hour process, in fields around Rock County.

Winkels advised residents to get to know their neighbors, particularly the elderly who are more likely to be home during the day.

"Walk the streets, be aware, get to know people in the community, get to know what everyone is doing," he said.

Winkels, D.A.R.E. officer for the Hills-Beaver Creek School district, also warned that alcohol and marijuana are gateway drugs for teenagers.

"I found that alcohol increased, especially among the gals, between the junior and senior years," he said.
Alcohol use tends to increase for boys in their freshman year, according to Winkels.

"Be a responsible parent, and ask where they (your children) are going to be …" he said.

"Don’t be afraid to search your kids’ cars, their rooms," he said.

Winkels discouraged parents from allowing teenagers to carry cell phones, because they’re used to pass the word about parties and other activities.

Meth dealers, he said, are a very close-knit group and very paranoid. Outsiders cannot walk up to them and buy.

"You have to know them, and they have to know you," he said.

Winkels explained the concept of a McGruff House, a community house designated as a safe house for children.

"If a child needs help, it’s a house they can go to when they feel in danger," he said. Adults can also utilize the house if they need help.

The Sheriff’s Department will fingerprint children or perform safety checks on houses if requested, according to Winkels.

A citizen at the meeting asked what the sheriff’s department does when someone calls in about suspicious activity.

"When we hear of activities, we are driving in the area," he said. Calls are listed in internal law enforcement files on individuals, but the identity of the caller is always kept confidential, according to Winkels.

Winkels reiterated that calls from citizens about activity are not enough to obtain a search warrant, according to Winkels.

A survey was distributed to those in attendance asking about interest in the McGruff Program, a senior watch, a community watch program or if the person filling out the survey thought the area had drug problems.

Winkels said he will encourage officers to stop at local elevators and coffee shops to talk with citizens.
"I don’t mind the guys stopping and talking," he said. "You meet people."

Another meeting will be planned for after Christmas.

The Hills-Beaver Creek girls’ basketball team will open the season with six returning letter winners from the 2001-02 season. They are (left to right) Melinda Feucht, Erin Boeve, Cassi Tilstra, Amanda Olson and Brittney Rozeboom. Missing is Sarah Rozeboom.

By John Rittenhouse
Hills-Beaver Creek will not put the oldest girls’ basketball team on the floor during the 2002-03 season, but that doesn’t mean the Patriots will lack experience.

With an 11-player preseason roster that consists of five players in the ninth or 10th grade, it appears Patriot coach Tom Goehle will lead an untested squad into battle.

In this case, appearances are deceiving.

H-BC has two starters and four other varsity letter winners from the 2001-02 campaign back in the mix.
Throw in some new players hungry for playing time, and the Patriot coach has reason to be optimistic about the upcoming season.

"I’m really excited about this group," Goehle said. "As a coach, it’s hard not to be excited about your players at this time of year. We have a tremendous amount of potential. We have the type of players who love the game, which is evident by the time they put in to get better."

The Patriots are coming off a solid 2001-02 campaign during which they placed third in the Red Rock Conference Western Division with a 9-7 record, and completed the regular season with a 12-11 mark.

H-BC beat long-time rival Southwest Christian 44-43 in the quarterfinal round of the South Section 3A Tournament before its 13-12 year ended with a 47-39 loss to Fulda in the semifinals. Fulda went on to win the section championship and place fourth at state.

Three senior starters helped make last season a good one for H-BC.

Becky Broesder, a guard, tops the list. Broesder was named to the All-RRC Team at season’s end.

Guard Brittney Olson and forward Jody DeNoble also started for the Patriots during their senior seasons.

While last year’s seniors will be missed, Goehle is confident the 2002-03 Patriots will overcome their absence in time.

"I expect us to get much better as the season goes along. I’m not so sure what type of start we’ll get off to, but I expect us to be a tough team to beat after Christmas," he said.

The return of starters Erin Boeve and Cassi Tilstra gives the Patriots instant credibility.

Boeve, a 6-1 junior forward, made the All-RRC team after leading the Patriots in scoring and rebounding last season. Boeve has played at the varsity level since she was in the eighth grade, and her leadership skills and physical presence demand respect from all opposing teams.

Tilstra, a 5-9 sophomore guard, drew honorable mention status from the RRC coaches last winter. Tilstra is the type of player who likes to attack the basket and provides an outside scoring threat.

Sarah Rozeboom, Amanda Olson, Brittney Rozeboom and Melinda Feucht return with letters from last year and are expected to play bigger roles for the 2002-03 team.

Sarah Rozeboom, the team’s lone senior, is a 5-5 guard. Rozeboom brings experience and aggressiveness to the table. Goehle hopes her intensity rubs off on the rest of the team.

Olson, a junior post, has developed into a solid player in the paint area. Olson should be able to take some of the rebounding and scoring pressure off Boeve this season.

Brittney Rozeboom and Feucht are 5-5 and 5-7 sophomore guards. Feucht also can play as a forward. Rozeboom, a pesky defender, is a good ball-handler who will be H-BC’s floor general. Feucht is extremely quick, and she uses that trait to her advantage on defense.

The remaining five players on the roster will be competing at the varsity level for the first time. Kelly Mulder, a 6-0 sophomore post, leads the group.

"Kelly Mulder could be the most improved player in our program," Goehle said. "She put herself in a position to help us this year with hard work. As for the other girls, at any given time and in different situations, there will be a place for them to contribute if they keep working hard and improving."

Juniors Alissa Hoyme, Jessi Wassenaar and Melinda Standstede could make an impact at the varsity level. Hoyme is a 5-10 forward, Wassenaar a 5-9 forward-center and Sandstede a 5-6 guard-forward.

Stacy Bush, a 5-4 freshman guard, rounds out the roster.

With a blend of quickness and size, H-BC can have the best of both worlds on offense and defense.

"We have more overall quickness than we ever had before, so we should be able to get out and run. We also have as good of a post presence as we’ve had in a long time, so we can slow things down and work the ball inside, too. We’ll score quickly if we can. If not, we’ll try to be patient and make our opponents work hard defensively," Goehle said.

"I expect us to play hard on defense, and I also think we’ll be a smart defensive team. A big key for us defensively will be knowing where to be and how to get there."

The Patriot coach lists Fulda and Westbrook-Walnut Grove as the teams to beat in the RRC and the South Section 3A this season.

The Patriots open the campaign by hosting Ellsworth tomorrow.

By John Rittenhouse
A pair of Hills-Beaver Creek High School volleyball players were honored by the Red Rock Conference coaches last week.

One H-BC athlete was selected to the 2002 All-Red Rock Conference Volleyball Team. Another Patriot player drew honorable mention from the league’s coaches.

The All-RRC roster consists of 24 team members. A total of 15 athletes drew honorable mention.

Erin Boeve, a junior hitter, is H-BC’s entry on the All-RRC roster.

Sarah Rozeboom, a senior hitter, drew honorable mention.

Conference champion Westbrook-Walnut Grove drew four all-conference selections.

Seniors Shanell Amundson, Katie Hansen, Becky Schultz and Katie Swanson represent the Chargers.

Murray County Central, Mountain Lake-Butterfield-Odin and Fulda drew three selections each.

MCC seniors Mandy Dierks and Shelly Halbur and junior Cara Counter, ML-B-O senior Carissa Haglund, junior Mikkala Junker and sophomore Tracey Hildebrandt, and Fulda seniors Rachel Gunderman, Katrina Kramer and Erin Oakland grace the roster.

Southwest Christian, Sioux Valley-Round Lake-Brewster and Red Rock Central picked up two all-league selections each.

SWC seniors Rebecca Raak and Danielle Vander Woude, SV-RL-B seniors Ashley Janssen and Rosa Malenke and RRC seniors Katie Furth and Lindsay Olson are members of the team.

Rounding out the All-RRC roster are Adrian senior Jenna Honermann, Edgerton senior Amber Poppen, Comfrey senior Holli Pederson and Southwest Star Concept senior Brianna Liepold.

Joining Rozeboom as honorable mention selections are Adrian junior Kylie Heronimus, MCC seniors Kayla Johnson and Kim Spartz, Fulda senior Jamie Goedtke and junior Susan Grandgeorge, SWC seniors Bethany Anderson and Juliet Spronk, SV-RL-B senior Erin Haberman and freshman Molly Eichenberger, W-WG junior Jenny Heinich, RRC junior Andrea Kirchner, Edgerton sophomore Kendra Van’t Hof, Comfrey senior Jessica Schumann and SSC sophomore Brittany Cranston.

Christmas at the Palace
The Luverne Chamber of Commerce is again sponsoring Christmas at the Palace.

The concert will at the Palace Theatre, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 13

Each year the Chamber sponsors the event, which features local talent.

Last year the event was used to raise money for Habitat for Humanity. This year the proceeds will go to benefit the Palace Theatre.

So far, participants include the choirs from the American Reformed Church, Grace Lutheran Church, New Life Church, First Baptist Church, First Presbyterian Church and St. Catherine Church.

Other local talent will include Joe Dorhout, Carol Zwaan, Luverne High School Brass, Wendy and Heidi Sandbulte and Amy Donth, Jack Leslie, Sue Sandbulte.

Admission to the event will be $5.00 or $3.00 with a food shelf donation.

Work progresses on new Dollar Store
Construction work on the new Dollar General Store is on schedule and should be completed between May 15 and June 1, according to Lee’s Construction, Alexandria.

The 7,500 square foot store is being built on the site of the former Lampert Lumber building at 303 S. Kniss.

A spokesperson for Dollar General, described the merchandise the company sells as "moderately priced basic merchandise for family and home needs."

Most items are priced below $10.

Family Dollar headquarters are located in Charlotte, N. C.

The company was started in 1955, and currently has 5,500 stores and seven distribution centers, primarily in the middle and southeast United States.

New North Star Web site for all things Minnesota
Monday was the debut date for the new North Star Web site.

The site replaces the former North Star site, which served as the state’s main Web portal for the past five years.

Over the past two years the number of visits to North Star has increased 50 percent to an average 1.2 million monthly.

That number is expected to increase to 2.2 million visits a month by 2003.

When you get to the new site, the state services and information are divided into easily recognizable themes: living and working, learning and education, health and safety, government, business, travel and leisure, and environment.

The address for the remodeled site is the same: www.state.mn.us.

Why is Minnesota Growing?
We keep hearing that Minnesota is one of the few states in the upper Midwest that is continuing to grow. Why?

As is turns out, it’s because people are staying here and are also migrating here.

The increase in Minnesota’s population during the 1990s was due to the arrival of new residents from other states and from foreign countries. According to a new report by Minnesota Planning, migration is a major factor in Minnesota’s population growth.

The trend, according to the report, is a departure from previous decades, when more people left the state than moved in.

According to Dean Barkley, former Planning Commissioner and now U.S. Senator from Minnesota, the greatest amount of new migration was among adults, ages 25 to 44 and children, ages 5 to 19.

The increase in migration helped all the counties in the state. Even the counties that lost population, lost less than in previous decades.

Publisher Roger Tollefson can be contacted by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com