July
oMidwest Canine opened a new dog boarding and training facility with room for 40 dogs and six "doggie" suites. The suites offer a private suite with a bed, a television and a basket of doggie toys.
oThe Hills City Council began discussions with Rock County Rural Water on how to address the city’s water needs.
Discussion stemmed from a Tuesday, June 25, incident when the city water tower was pumped dry.
oThe Hills-Beaver Creek School District was awarded a $20,000 grant from the Southwest Minnesota Foundation.
The grant funded the Book of the Week program offered to students over the summer, the Kid Care after school program and reading, writing and math nights at the school during the school year.
oWendell Erickson announced his retirement after 37 years in politics.
Erickson’s career began in 1964 with a bid for the Minnesota House of Representatives.
Erickson served on the Hills-Beaver Creek School Board for six years beginning in 1987.
He ran for Rock County Commissioner, and won, taking office on January 1, 1995.
August
oOn Friday, July 26, officers executed a search warrant at the rural Hills residence of Donald Fredrick Wilson.
The warrant didn’t yield a substantial seizure of drugs, but all evidence of a methamphetamine lab was there, including paint thinner, lithium batteries and drug paraphernalia, according to Rock County Sheriff Ron McClure.
oThe Rock County Sheriff’s Department, after an agency-wide assessment, is transitioning into a new style of law enforcement called community policing.
Community policing is a different structure of organization, emphasizing problem solving and partnerships – partnerships with the community.
oThunderstorms rumbled through the region Wednesday, Aug. 21, dropping six inches of rain. Prior to August, rainfall in southwest Minnesota was three to six inches below normal.
September
oAfter 30 years on the Hills Fire Department, Fire Chief Alan Top announced his plans to retire as fire chief.
oJesse Leuthold and Angie Bush were crowned king and queen at homecoming coronation at Hills-Beaver Creek High School.
October
oM & M Repair, Steen, owned by Melvin and Minnie Van Batavia, celebrated 25 years in the auto repair business with an open house.
oBodyguard Dan Heidt spoke to Hills-Beaver Creek students about making the right choices, about drug abuse and about defusing potentially violent situations.
oThe Hills-Braver Creek School Board approved payment of a $3,500 fee to Group II Architects, Sioux Falls, S.D., to begin the process for new high school locker rooms.
oThe Hills-Beaver Creek- Ellsworth-Edgerton Boys’ Cross Country Team won the Section 3A championship.
The team advanced to the Minnesota State Class A Championships. This was the first time in team history they advanced to state championships.
oA representative of the group Parents: The Anti drug and Violence Task Force attended the Monday, Oct. 28, Hills-Beaver Creek School Board meeting.
She told the board that a serious drug problem exists in Rock County and that the group advocates a drug officer in schools and supports offering Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous to students returning from treatment.
November
oThe Hills-Beaver Creek- Ellsworth-Edgerton Boys’ Cross Country team placed sixth in the Minnesota State Class A Championships.
oPolitical races in Hills, Beaver Creek and Steen ended November 5.
Keith Elbers and Linus Svoboda beat out Wendell Bengtson and David McGuire, to win the two open seats in Hills.
In Beaver Creek, Carolyn DeBoer beat Daryl Furstenberg.
In Steen, Robert Sandbulte and Brad Bosch won the two open seats.
oThe Hills City Council approved a $219,000 project to improve water service to Hills.
The proposed improvements, through Rock County Rural Water, included installation of a six-inch water line from two miles north of Hills to the northern edge of town.
oPublic officials met with concerned citizens for a community watch planning meeting.
December
oTwenty Hills-Beaver Creek students signed up for an educational adventure to Costa Rica, Central America, in June.
Students will see endangered rain forests, the Arenal Volcano and wildlife reserves with populations of rare wildlife.
oThe Hills City Council had many unanswered questions concerning the proposed $219,000 rural water improvements.
The council requested official plans and specifications on the project and that a representative from Rock County Rural Water attend the next council meeting.
oThe Hills-Beaver Creek School Board reviewed cost estimates on the high school locker room project.
Initial cost estimates for the project, without a weight room, ranged from $398,144 to $439,552.
A weight room added $113,302 to $127,512 to the cost of the project, handled by Group II Architects, Sioux Falls.