Luverne senior Amber Top steers a putt toward the hole on the fourth green at the Luverne Country Club Tuesday. Top and the Cardinal girls edged Canton, S.D., by one stroke to raise their unbeaten golf record to 9-0.

By John Rittenhouse
The Luverne girls' golf team raised its season record to 9-0 by posting three home wins since last Thursday.

The Cardinals remained unbeaten in Southwest Conference play by beating Redwood Valley by 11 strokes at the Luverne Country Club Thursday. LHS then posted non-conference wins over Lincoln HI and Canton, S.D., at the LCC Friday and Tuesday respectively.

Luverne is scheduled to play four events in the next six days. The Cards play in Pipestone today and in the Spencer, Iowa, tourney Saturday. Luverne hosts Red Rock Central and Jackson County Central tomorrow and Tuesday.

Luverne 183, Canton 184
The Cardinals needed to make every shot count to nip Canton by one stroke at the LCC Tuesday.

Melissa Kopp shot a three-over-par 39 to win the medalist honor while Gabe Van Dyk added a 42 to lead the charge.

Kim Bennett carded a 49 for the Cardinals. Amber Top, Cara Wynia and Mindy Lysne all turned in 53s.

Chelsea Zomer shot a 42 to lead Canton.

Luverne topped Canton 220-239 in the B match. Stephanie Morgan shot a 50 to pace the Cardinals.

Luverne 181, LH incomplete
The Cardinal girls played a nine-hole round against an incomplete LH team at the LCC Friday.

LH had two players competing at the varsity level, leaving it two players short of recording a team score.

Luverne fielded a complete team that recorded a 181-stroke total that was led by Gabe Van Dyk's five-over-par 41-stroke round.

Melissa Kopp and Kim Bennett recorded 45- and 47-stroke rounds, Cara Wynia and Amber Top shot 48s and Mindy Lysne a 50.

Luverne's B team recorded a 220-278 win over LH. Stephanie Morgan carded a 51 to lead Luverne.

Luverne 186, RWV 197
The Cardinal girls improved to 4-0 in Southwest Conference play with Thursday's 11-stroke home victory over RWV.

Luverne's Melissa Kopp toured the course with a four-over-par 40 to secure the meet's medalist honor while leading the Cardinals to their seventh straight win of the campaign.

Amber Top, Gabe Van Dyk and Cara Wynia shot 47-, 49- and 50-stroke rounds to cap the scoring for LHS.

Kim Bennett and Mindy Lysne carded 54- and 62-stroke scores without impacting the team effort.

Alecia Prins and Jessica Bennett led RWV with 45s.

Mulligan variance hearing set for May 13
NOTICE OF A PUBLIC HEARING FOR A VARIANCE TO THE CITY OF LUVERNE ZONING ORDINANCE
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN by the City of Luverne Board of Appeals and Adjustments that a public hearing will be held in the Council Chambers at City Hall, Luverne, Minnesota, at 5:00 p.m. on May 13, 2002, to consider a variance, as requested by Richard Mulligan, to City Code Section 11.35, (3) (b) to allow less than the required 10% side yard setback for installation of a new attached garage in the R-2 Multiple Family Residential District on property located at 511 S. Donaldson St., Luverne, Minnesota.

All persons wishing to be heard in favor or in opposition to the variance request should be present at the hearing or present written comments prior thereto to the City Clerk. Anyone needing reasonable accommodations or an interpreter should contact the City ClerkÕs office, 203 E. Main St. (507) 449-2388.
MARIANNE PERKINS
CITY CLERK
(5-2)

Overgaard probate
DISTRICT COURT
FIFTH Judicial District
Probate Court Division
ORDER AND NOTICE OF HEARING ON PETITION FOR PROBATE OF WILL AND APPOINTMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE IN SUPERVISED ADMINISTRATION AND NOTICE TO CREDITORS
STATE OF MINNESOTA
COUNTY OF ROCK
In Re: Estate of
Gordon Overgaard
Deceased
TO ALL INTERESTED PERSONS AND CREDITORS:
It is Ordered and Notice is hereby given that on the 13th day of May, 2002, at 9:00 o'clock A.M., a hearing will be held in the above named Court at Luverne, Minnesota, for the formal probate of an instrument purporting to be the will of the above named decedent, dated June 17, 1983, and for the appointment of Mabel Overgaard, whose address is 1009 N. Jackson Street, Luverne, MN 56156 as personal representative of the estate of the above named decedent in supervised administration, and that any objections thereto must be filed with the Court. That, if proper, and no objections are filed, said personal representative will be appointed to administer the estate, to collect all assets, pay all legal debts, claims, taxes and expenses, and sell real and personal property, and do all necessary acts for the estate. Upon completion of the administration the representative shall file a final account for the allowance and shall distribute the estate to the persons thereunto entitled as ordered by the Court, and close the estate.

Notice is further given that ALL CREDITORS having claims against said estate are required to present the same to said personal representative or to the Court Administrator within four months after the date of this notice or said claims will be barred.

Dated: April 5, 2002

TIMOTHY K. CONNELL
Judge
/s/ SANDRA L. VRTACNIK
Court Administrator
Attorney Walter A. Tofteland
109 North Cedar
Luverne, MN 56156
507-283-2112
MN Atty. Lic. No. 110279
(4-28, 5-2)

City's Board of Review meets May 14
NOTICE OF BOARD OF REVIEW
FOR THE CITY OF LUVERNE
The Board of Review of the City of Luverne will meet on Tuesday, the 14th day of May, 2002, in the Council Chambers of City Hall, 203 E. Main Street-2nd floor, starting at 4:00 P.M. to 5:00 P.M. Property owners who wish to appeal the valuation or classification of their property are hereby notified to appear at this meeting.

The Board of Review cannot act on current year property taxes. They can only act on the evaluation or classification of property for the 2002 assessment year for property taxes to be paid in 2003.

MARIANNE PERKINS
CITY CLERK
(5-2)

Pool and Fitness Center proposals set for June 3
REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the County of Rock and the City of Luverne, Minnesota, requests proposals for the sale, lease, or management contract of the Rock County Community Pool and Fitness Center. Details of the request are contained in the Request for Proposals document available through the City Office, 203 East Main Street, Luverne, MN. (507) 449-2388.

Proposals must be received by 4:00 p.m., Monday, June 3, 2002, by the City Office. All proposals shall be clearly identified as "Pool ProposalÑRock County Community Pool and Fitness Center."

MATTHEW L. HYLEN
CITY ADMINISTRATOR
(4-25, 5-2, 5-9)

Hoff applies for
feedlot permit
PUBLIC NOTICE
In accordance with amended Minnesota State Statutes 116.07, Subdivision 7a
I Chad Hoff do hereby give notice that I have applied for an animal feedlot permit for new construction. The construction will consist of a 41' X 248' total confinement barn to house 1200 head equivalent to 360 animal units.

The feedlot will be located in the SW 1/4 of section 18 in Mound township of Rock County.
Nearest State, County, or Township Road: County Rd 20

Construction Location: SW1/4 Sec 18, 3 & 7/8 miles west of intersection of County Rd 20 & Hwy 75
The Rock County Land Management Office will be conducting the permitting process.

311 West Gabrielson Road
Luverne, MN 56156
(507) 283-8862 Extension #3
(5-2)

By Lori Ehde
Rock County law enforcement is working with Minnehaha County investigators in South Dakota on a burglary that Luverne native Tony Bosch stumbled on Sunday morning.

Shortly after leaving his rural Brandon residence Sunday morning, Bosch reportedly returned home after realizing he'd forgotten a set of keys.

Upon his return, he witnessed a burglary in process at a storage building on his property. It was about 6:45 a.m.

Burglars fled the scene and Bosch reportedly followed them in his vehicle. "It was like the Dukes of Hazzard," he said. "It was just crazy."

Investigators are purposely tight-lipped about details of the case while the investigation remains active.

So far no one has been arrested for the burglary, but in a case that police say is unrelated to the burglary, 19-year-old Mark Duane Lafrenz (no address given) was arrested at a rural intersection north of Brandon later that morning.

No information was available on what type of vehicle, if any, Lafrenz was driving.

He faces charges of possession of controlled substance.

By Sara Strong
A new class at Luverne High School could impact area businesses and organizations looking to set up a Web site.

Graphic arts teacher Bill Thompson will teach a Web design class next fall, which is a first for Thompson and the school. The accredited class, which meets state grad standards, has 16 students enrolled.

Without competing with current local Web designers, Thompson hopes the class will offer a service to people wanting Web sites. And the class will also serve students who want real-world examples of how to design them.

"We have a good number to start with and hope we can get bigger," Thompson said.

The class came about largely because of $8,000 funding for new textbooks, software and licensing from the School to Work Committee.

Wade Hiller, a technology specialist for the school, backed the idea of the class from the beginning. While talking with former Luverne Economic Development Authority Director Tony Chladek about the School to Work Committee, Hiller said a Web designing class would fit into its agenda.

After some research with the school the Committee decided to use its funds for the class.

School to Work will lose funding starting in 2003, so Chladek said the timing was good.

"School to Work gets federal funds through the states and helps businesses connect with teachers and funds activities that make other connections," Chladek said. "The kids get something out of it, businesses get something out of it and it really gets communication going."

This kind of class is what the School to Work Committee wanted from the start - something that connected young people with local businesses and could foster future employment opportunities.

Hiller said the program used in the class is practical. The Dreamweaver system is a professional-level design program that will benefit students who may go on to a technical college and learn some of those same elements.

Learning to work with text, graphics and video fits in with some of what Thompson already teaches in his graphic design classes.

But teaching this specific kind of class will be new "I know about [Web pages] on a limited basis so I'm just beginning as well," Thompson said.

He plans to spend much of the summer going over the textbook and curriculum.

By Lori Ehde
The Luverne High School junior charged with stabbing a girl pleaded guilty to second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon during a hearing Friday in Rock County District Court.

Seventeen-year-old Sarah Elizabeth Smook had previously pleaded not guilty to two counts of second-degree assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of fifth-degree assault.

She was charged Jan. 4 with the felony crime and was expelled Jan. 9 for the remainder of the school year.

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

Smook allegedly stabbed another 17-year-old, Danielle Cook, after a dispute between two girls and their friends escalated to violence.

Cook has since recovered from the stab wound incurred by a seven-inch steak knife.
Smook's next court appearance is set for June 13.

By Lori Ehde
The results are in on Minnesota's eighth-grade Basic Skills Tests in reading and math, and Luverne students passed with flying colors.

Of the Luverne eighth-graders who took the tests, 92 percent passed the reading portion and 81 percent passed in math.

This compares to statewide results of 80 percent passing in reading and 74 percent passing math.

"We're doing tremendously well," said Luverne's Curriculum Coordinator Jan Olson. "Our scores have been consistently in the top of our conference for the past three years."

She said it's especially encouraging to see the high percentage of Luverne students passing the math test, considering Luverne recently implemented what she called a controversial integrated math curriculum.

To what does she attribute Luverne's success?
"Our teaching staff should be recognized for that," she said. "We do offer remediation classes in the winter and summer prior to the test dates, and teachers - especially in eighth-grade English and math - work really hard to prepare students."

Minnesota Public School students are required to pass these two tests and a 10th-grade writing test in order to graduate.

By Lori Ehde
The Luverne Farm Store has signed a purchase agreement with Tony Bosch for the former Jubilee Foods building in Luverne.

The 11,500-square-foot structure has been empty since Jubilee moved into its new facility in August 2000.

According to Nate Golla, the Farm Store intends to use the facility for a hardware store and a Purina Mills "pet and companion" animal store.

The hardware supplier has not yet been determined, but Golla said there's definitely a need for those products and services in Luverne.

"Growing up in this town there's always been a hardware store, and it's almost always been True Value," Golla said.

"Just hearing the rumors around town, obviously there's excitement about having that type of business here again."

He added that the location just off West Main Street will be good for the downtown retail district.

"Luverne is a pretty good retail area waiting for customers to come in a shop," Golla said. "I guess my hope is that we'll help strengthen Main Street and the retail business in Luverne."

The Purina Mills part of the business will likely be structured similar to the Farm Store's former Premier Specialties store on Highway 75.

"It will be nice to get that focus for pets back here in Luverne," Golla said. "I think there's a definite need."

He said the term "pet and companion" has come to describe businesses that cater to pet owners and hobby farmers.

"This is for people with dogs and cats or a few chicks or a few goats or for horse people," Golla said.

"We've got some Purina Mills products and services we carry now, but they'd have a better focus in a store where there's more convenient access."

The option of offering grooming services is still just a consideration, Golla said, as are many aspects of the business so far.

"We're still in the process of naming it and setting it up," he said.

Also undetermined are who will manage the business and how many employees are needed.

The Farm Store is named as the owner on the purchase agreement, signed April 25.

It is expected to take possession June 1, and the opening of the new retail facility will likely be later this year.

By Sara Strong
A program that could help the city clean up its East Dodge Street dump won't work out after all.

The city of Luverne hadn't pursued the program much further than continuing to study it, but it now knows that the dump doesn't qualify for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency's special offer.

John Moeger of the MPCA said, "The volume is excessive and would cost considerably more than expected."

The city and county were approached earlier this month about old dumps in the area.

The county's landfill is being recapped this summer. As MPCA has the county landfill uncovered, the city and county were told they could deposit old landfill material in the current transfer stationÕs dump without the usual tipping fees.

The city was considering taking the opportunity to clean up the dump at the end of town, east of the intersection of Phyleon Drive on East Dodge Street.

The MPCA said it could accept only about 40,000 cubic yards of material before it recaps the county landfill.

Tests on the East Dodge Street location have shown that about 60,000 cubic yards of waste are buried there, and what could be close to that much is also under what is now the privately owned land of Jim and Cathy Rockman.

But other residents' back yards might also border the old dump or contain a portion of it.

Under the MPCA's offer, only governmentally owned landfill plots could have been redeposited in the county's landfill.

To put 60,000 cubic yards of material into perspective, Moeger said it would take up to six weeks of constant semi trailer loads to haul the old dump to the landfill.

The smaller county landfills would have been more suitable en masse, but the Rock County Board of Commissioners didn't want to pursue the cost of uncovering and hauling the material to the transfer station, which could have cost as much as $150,000. That figure doesn't consider clean-up costs if hazardous materials had been uncovered.

Moeger said he understood the county and city's cautious approach to unearthing landfills. "It's your nickel if you strip, uncover, excavate and transport the material," he said.

But with water a concern in the area, Moeger said, "We are concerned about the city well field and the groundwater."

The MPCA will start uncovering the county landfill, lining it and recapping it in June and could continue through September.