By Lori Ehde
It's been more than three months since Luverne's Carrie Nelson was murdered while working at Blue Mounds State Park, but the case remains a top priority for both local and state investigators.

"All leads are taken, and all are followed up on," said Assistant County Terry Vajgrt. "It's a very methodical process."

The latest update to the story is a possible increase in the reward money offered for information leading to an arrest. The amount currently stands at $15,000.

Vajgrt said he and local law enforcement met in St. Paul Aug. 24 to review evidence to date with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.

"We have no significant developments and sometimes that's the hardest news to release," Vajgrt said Tuesday. "But without question, the case continues to be a top priority."

He said the St. Paul meeting involved himself, Rock County Sheriff Ron McClure, Investigator Clyde Menning, eight to 10 BCA agents and a representative from the Minnesota Attorney General's office.

"Forensics scientists at BCA are working hard on the case examining physical evidence," Vajgrt said.

"At least one BCA agent at all times is working exclusively on the case - and that's in addition to the forensics scientists.

"Our local investigator, Clyde Menning, is working almost exclusively on the case, following up on leads."

Nelson, 20, was found beaten to death at the Blue Mounds State Park entrance building in the afternoon of Sunday, May 20.

Still key to solving the murder is information on the watch found at the scene of the beating.

Investigators think the watch was worn by the person responsible for the robbery and murder.

The digital watch face bears the logo "Field Ranger" and is silver. The watchband is tan with brown leather accents.

Anyone with knowledge of a person wearing a watch matching this description is asked to call the tip line at (507) 283-1301.

By Sara Quam
Almost 200 state workers in the immediate area are prepared to strike Sept. 17 if negotiators fail to agree on a new contract by Sept. 16.

The American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees announced Saturday that its members voted to authorize the strike, and a second union, Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, announced the same decision Tuesday.

Rock County would see strikes at the Minnesota Veterans Home, state park and Department of Transportation, for example.

Local AFSCME president David Meyer said, "It's something we have to do to get what we want."

The union now has to prepare for a strike - setting up headquarters and forming specific committees - and the state has to come up with a contingency plan.

Gov. Jesse Ventura ordered the Minnesota National Guard in August to begin preparing for a potential strike by state employees in September. The order calls for Guard personnel to be trained to care for "vulnerable citizens," which would include residents at the Vets Home.

Locally, the Vets Home is sending a letter to all residents and staff as an update to the strike possibility and to assure residents that care will still be a priority.

The points of contention between the two sides are insurance costs and wages, but Meyer said the insurance proposal hits most the hardest.

State health insurance premiums have increased 20 percent in each of the last two years, and the state anticipates about 10 percent next year.

The state proposed a new plan to control costs. It would reduce employee premiums but require workers to share the costs of services. Now it requires employees to make only co-payments for some services and doesn't impose a deductible.

Under the proposal, employees would take on more of the costs through higher co-payments and deductibles for those who use the services.

A co-payment is an amount the employee pays for each service provided. A deductible is the amount the employee pays before insurance will pay for services. Co-insurance is the percentage the employee pays after the deductible is paid.

More employee co-payments that charge those using medical services is what the state is pushing for in exchange for low premiums.

But the unions don't buy that. They don't want sick people to put off treatment to save money. The maximum out of pocket expenses would rise to $1,900 for individuals and $3,800 for families.

The union says that will cause lower paid workers to spend as much as 25 percent of their take-home pay on insurance costs.

As for wages, the state and unions are far apart on that, too. The state has offered increases of 2.5 percent for two years while AFSCME wants 6.5-percent annual pay raises.

New signs welcoming people to the city of Luverne were put up Tuesday afternoon on the north and south entrances to town. Above, Luverne Public Works Director Darrell Huiskes and contractor Okie Honken guide the sign into place. The Luverne Convention and Visitors Bureau purchased the signs and worked on the process over a two-year period. CVB presidents during those years were Diana Hensley and Amy Dispanet VerSteeg.

Photo by Sara Quam

Harlin Rozeboom, Hills, gets a little closer to God Tuesday as he works on the bell tower shingles of Holy Trinity Episcopal Church, Luverne. Rozeboom works with Beaver Creek Lumber, which is also reshingling the church roof. On the Minnesota State Historical Register, the church was built on the corner of Luverne and Cedar streets in 1891 of locally quarried Sioux quartzite stone.

Photo by Sara Quam

By John Rittenhouse
Like a poor guest, the Edgerton baseball team treated Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth rudely in Hills Thursday by sweeping a double-header from the hosts.

The Flying Dutchmen picked up a 5-1 victory in Game 1 before holding off a late charge by the Patriots to prevail 12-10 in the finale.

Edgerton scored the first four runs of the opener in the first three and one-half innings of play.

H-BC-E made it 4-1 with consecutive singles by Tyson Metzger, Matt Buck and Paul Jess in the bottom of the fourth, but Edgerton got the run back in the top of the fifth to win the six-inning game by four runs.

David Top tossed the first two and one-third innings to take the loss in the opener. Justin Van Maanen worked three and two-third innings in relief of Top.

Metzger led the Patriots with two hits in the opener.

The Patriots sported a 4-2 lead in Game 2 before falling to a pair of big innings produced by the Flying Dutchmen.

With Kevin Van Batavia and Lyle DeBoer slapping two-run singles in the top of the third inning, H-BC-E took its first lead of the day at 4-2.

Edgerton, however, countered with four runs in the bottom of the third before adding six runs in the fourth to take a 12-4 advantage.

H-BC-E did score three runs in the fifth and sixth innings but couldnÕt recover from Edgerton's big innings.

Jess singled home a pair of runs and Zach Wysong added an RBI single as the Patriots made it a 12-7 game in the fifth inning.

DeBoer, Van Maanen and Jess all drove in runs with one-out singles in the top of sixth, and H-BC-E had runners on first and third after Jess' single. Edgerton, however, got out of the jam when a relief pitcher fanned the next two Patriot batters.

DeBoer worked the first two and two-thirds innings on the hill and was saddled with the loss. Top tossed the final inning and one-third.

Jess, Metzger, Van Batavia, Top, Lyle and Darin DeBoer had two hits each for the Patriots, who ended the day with a 3-9-1 record.

The Patriots drew the 12th seed for the Section 3A Tournament. They play No. 5 Ortonville at 12:30 p.m. Saturday in Granite Falls.

By John Rittenhouse
Steen will be the site for a Labor Day Weekend Fast-Pitch Softball Tournament.

The 11-team, single-elimination event begins Saturday. The final three rounds are set for Monday.

In the upper bracket of the tournament, the Hills Indees meet Carmel at 7:30 p.m. Saturday, with the winner to take on RCI at 12:45 p.m. Monday.

Ellsworth Town takes on Lester, Iowa, in another upper bracket game set for 9 p.m. Saturday. The winner advances to Monday's semifinals.

Steen and NWIA meet in a 9 a.m. game Monday to open the tournament in the lower bracket. The winner of that game meets the winner of a 10:15 a.m. clash between the Ellsworth Indees and Bosch's at 2 p.m. Monday.

Beaver Creek meets the Rock Rapids (Iowa) Merchants at 11:30 a.m. in Monday's final lower bracket game. The winner advances to the semifinals.

The upper bracket semifinal tilt is set for 3:15 p.m. Monday, with the lower bracket semifinal to follow at 5 p.m.

A consolation game will be played at 7:30 p.m., with the title tilt to follow at 8:30.

By John Rittenhouse
The taste of success has left the members of the Hills-Beaver Creek High School volleyball team hungry for more.

After compiling a winning, 14-10 season in 2000, the 2001 Patriots would like to expand on that performance.

"I know the girls were really excited about finishing last year with an above .500 record, and they would like to improve on that this year," said second-year H-BC coach Nicole Fey.

"I think they have a good chance of doing that," she added. "We have four of six starters returning from last yearÕs team, so that should help."

Fey and the Patriots do have reason to be optimistic entering the new season.

H-BC lost four seniors to graduation, but the Patriots should be able to counter the loss with a strong senior class and a talented sophomore who could develop into one of the area's top hitters in 2001.

The first thing Fey must do is replace last year's seniors, who had their careers end in a disappointing way. H-BC earned the No. 4 seed for the 2000 Section 3A South Tournament, where it lost a 3-0 decision to No. 5 Fulda in the quarterfinal round.

Shanna Tilstra leaves the biggest shoes to fill. A player who rarely left the floor during her senior season, Tilstra played her way onto the final All-Tri-County Conference Team.

Jamie Arp, a right-side hitter, is another senior who graduated from the 2001 team.

Back row specialist Jamie Brandt and hitter Rachael DeHaan were the other senior members of the team that placed third in the T-CC with a 4-4 record one year ago.

As much as the 2000 seniors meant to last year's team, a new group of seniors will be in charge of leading a new band of Patriots into battle this fall.

Tonya Leenderts, a left-side hitter, has to be considered one of the team's top returnees from the senior class.

Leenderts is a returning starter who earned a spot on the All-T-CC squad as a junior.

Brittney Olson and LaDonna Sandstede also drew starting assignments as juniors.

Fey is looking for Olson to add some firepower to the team as a right-side hitter, but the coach will have to wait three or four weeks before putting Sandstede on the floor.

A full-time setter for the 2001 Patriots, Sandstede underwent surgery to have her appendix removed early last week. She's not expected to return to the floor until late September.

"We'll be without LaDonna for up to one month, which will hurt us. She was our No. 1 setter all of last season, and our hitters were used to her sets. ItÕs a bad deal, but we're fortunate this happened early in the season. At least now we have some time to work with a new setter before playing our first match," Fey said.

Sophomore Melinda Sandstede is expected to fill in for LaDonna to start the 2001 season.

Jana Hup, a player who Fey said has improved her game since last year, rounds out the 2001 seniors.

Hup, who picked up some playing time as a junior, will make an impact as a left-side hitter.

Erin Boeve, a 6-1 sophomore, returns as a starter from 2000. Boeve led the team in hitting as a freshman, making the All-T-CC team at season's end. She should be even more of an impact player this fall.

Fey is counting on Boeve and the seniors to take over the leadership roles for a team with a lot of potential.

"With four starters and five letter winners from last year's team coming back, we do have a lot of experience. What I like about them is that they are hard workers who do a good job of pushing each other in practice. They seem to be a lot more aggressive than they were last year, and I know a lot of them put time in during the off-season playing JO (Junior Olympic) volleyball or attending summer camps," she said.

Coach Fey will be counting on six juniors playing varsity volleyball for the first time to produce this fall.

Fey feels Jody Rentschler, a middle hitter, and defensive specialist Sarah Rozeboom are juniors who should help the team right away.

Right-side hitters Angie Bush and Melissa Fagerness and left-side hitters Angie Sjaarda and Kelsey Hansel will get the chance to produce at the varsity level, too.

As well as having some new players, the 2001 Patriots will be playing in a new conference. H-BC, Southwest Christian and Edgerton have joined the Red Rock Conference this year.

"Being in a new conference means playing a lot of different teams we haven't played before. We'll play every team (10 matches overall) in our conference once," Fey said.

The Patriots open the campaign by playing a road match against Sibley-Ocheyedan Tuesday.

By John Rittenhouse
Fielding a veteran team should benefit the 2001 Hills-Beaver Creek-Ellsworth football team this fall.

Coming off a 6-4 2000 season with a team that received on-field contributions from four seniors, the Patriots will put a more experienced team on the field this time around.

H-BC-E has six players returning as starters on both sides of the ball from a team that tied for third place in the Southwest Ridge Conference a year ago.

In the game of nine-man football, that leaves the Patriots with two-thirds of their starters back in the ranks.

Patriot coach Dan Ellingson hopes the experience pays off in the form of a better regular season and a longer postseason compared with the 6-0 win over Southwest Star Concept that was followed by a 7-6 defeat to Nicollet in the semifinal round of the Section 2 Playoffs last October.

"In setting goals, we always want to do a little bit better than we did the year before," Ellingson stated. "That's what we're looking at again this year. We have (defending state champion) Westbrook-Walnut Grove in our conference and section. They lost a lot of kids but have some key players coming back, so they have to be the favorites.

"As far as finishing position goes, we want to be right up there with them in the conference. We tied for third place and lost three games in the conference last year. We want to finish at least in third place this year, and to lose more than two conference games would be disappointing."

The 2001 Patriots will need to replace last year's seniors before they improve as a team.

Scott Hansel was a senior who missed last season due to illness, but classmates Lance Crawford, Chris Willers, Stephen Swayze and Branden Domeyer played key roles for the 2000 team.

Crawford, a starting offensive end and linebacker, and Willers, a starting wingback and defensive back, played their way onto the All-SRC Team.

Swayze, a starting offensive guard who played some downs as a defensive tackle, received honorable mention from the SRC coaches. Domeyer started on the defensive line.

The players Ellingson has returning to his offense should make the Patriots a more explosive team in 2001.

"We have some good overall quickness," he said. "Back Chris Reid made it to state in the 100-meter dash in track last spring, and Jesse Leuthold and Lyle DeBoer are right behind him. Brad Haak also is a good runner. We have good quickness, so we’ll have to take advantage of that."

Reid and DeBoer, seniors who weigh 180 and 182 respectively, started at tailback and fullback respectively for H-BC-E last fall. DeBoer made the All-SRC team.

Leuthold, a 180-pound junior, can play either of those positions, too.

Ellingson said senior wing back candidates Chris Tiesler and Kevin Van Batavia have the potential to play the tailback and fullback positions, too.

The 130-pound Tiesler and 160-pound Van Batavia will start the year bringing in the plays from the coach while sharing the wingback position.

H-BC-E also will be experienced at the quarterback position as senior David Top returns as a starter.

At 6-4, Top usually has an unobstructed view when looking into the opposing secondary in passing situations. He also can run the ball when pressured.

Although Top has Haak, a 173-pound senior, returning as a starter at end, he lost his leading receivers in Willers and Crawford to graduation last spring.

One of the keys to the offense will be how potential receivers Matt Buck (200-pound senior), Darin DeBoer (160-pound senior) and Brant Deutsch (215-pound junior) progress at the position.

"We threw for more than 900 yards last year, but we lost our two top receivers," Ellingson said.

"Our passing game will depend on what our inexperienced receivers can do this year. As far as our ground game, we’ll run plays out of the I-, split-back formations and out of the T-formation in short yardage situations."

H-BC-E's three interior line positions will be manned by two returning starters and other senior prospects.

Kyle Braun, a 205-pound returning starter at guard, drew honorable mention from the SRC coaches in 2000.

Van Maanen, a 173-pound senior, returns as the starting center. He’ll be backed up by Pat Nelson, a 200-pound junior.

Other senior guard candidates include Ryan Ranschau (230 pounds), Randy Krull (245) and Lee Walraven (165).

Ellingson wants to see improvement from his offense this fall.

"We need to be more productive on offense this year. We got a lot of yards last season, but we would sputter when we got near the end zone. We need to address that and improve as a scoring team," he said.

H-BC-E should be able to take advantage of its quickness on defense, too.

"I think we'll be taking more chances rather than playing teams straight up because we have the personnel to do that. We’ll be more aggressive, like sending more linebackers on blitzes. With good size up front, we hope to control the line of scrimmage against most teams," Ellingson said.

The Patriots have three players returning to the defensive line.

Braun is one of the major contributors back from last year. He is expected to man a defensive tackle position.

Look for Nelson, Krull, Ranschau or Walraven to play the other defensive tackle position.

In Van Batavia and Deutsch, H-BC-E has both of its starting defensive ends back in the ranks.

Buck will play the end position as well.

Depending on the situation, Ellingson will use as few as two or as many as four linebackers on the field at the same time.

Reid is the lone returning starter at linebacker.

Van Maanen, Leuthold and Curt Schilling, a 183-pound sophomore, are other potential linebackers.

A situation could dictate the Patriots to play as many as four and as few as two defensive backs in the secondary.

Haak and Lyle DeBoer are returning starters.

Ellingson likes to have Haak guard the opposing team's best receiver as a cornerback, and he can play the safety position. Lyle DeBoer is a cornerback.

When H-BC played three defensive backs last season, Darin DeBoer usually was the third back.

Top, Tiesler and Clint Roozenboom, a 153-pound junior, are other potential defensive backs.

"The thing I like about our defense is we have a large number of kids who are similar in ability. If some of the kids are playing on offense, too, we should be able to give them a break for a couple of plays without losing much," Ellingson said.

The Patriots open the season by playing a non-conference game against Lakeview in Cottonwood tomorrow night.

By Jolene Farley
When Rick and Lila Tatge purchased Beaver Creek Lumber in June 1995, neither was a stranger to the lumber business.

Rick graduated from Hills-Beaver Creek High School on a Friday evening in 1971 and began working at Beaver Creek Lumber the next morning.

Lila worked as an employee at the lumber yard.

Rick managed the lumberyard for 25 years before the couple decided to buy the business from a cooperative ownership.

The Tatges' sons are carrying on the family tradition by also working at Beaver Creek Lumber. Shannon works full-time and Jeff part-time, while he attends college.

The business has one employee besides family members. It is "truthfully a family business.

Besides selling construction materials through the lumberyard, the Tatges do all types of construction work, new or remodeling.

According to Rick, remodeling is more of a challenge than new construction. "You go on your reputation," he said.

The couple eventually hopes to purchase another storage building in Beaver Creek, but there isn't a lot of property for sale near them.

"You keep accumulating but donÕt have a place to put things," said Lila. "There are always more products to have."

Both Rick and Lila (Doorneweerd) were born and raised in Beaver Creek and graduated from Hills-Beaver Creek High School. "We are very proud of our community and our school district," said Rick. "You should be if you live in a community."

Beaver Creek Lumber is open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. and Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to noon.