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By Betty Mann, president, Rock County Historical SocietyMarch 23, 2021The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on June 24, 1892. Death and Disaster One Death in the County and Serious Injuries to Buildings and Crops Occasioned by the Storm Monday Evening Between four and five o’clock last Monday afternoon one of the severest storms of wind and hail ever known in this section swept over a narrow strip of country in the southern part of the county and…
By Lori Sorenson, editorMarch 16, 2021The community received long-awaited news last week from the Sheriff’s Office that suspects had been arrested in connection with the holiday vandalism at the city park. Businesses, organizations and individuals had put careful, creative consideration into their lighted displays, not to mention long hours and personal expense. And it paid off in a big way. Anyone who showed up for the fireworks and…
By George Bonnema, Luverne HorticulturalistMarch 16, 2021It’s Monday and I am thinking of all the pruning I got done last week. Now I’m looking at a blanket of the whitest and heaviest snow we have seen in awhile. But hey, the frost came out of the top layer of soil so this will be wonderful moisture to help replenish the deficit from last year. So, we get a couple of days off but we do want to get the pruning done whenever we get the chance because…
By Mavis Fodness, reporterMarch 09, 2021Author Theodor Seuss Geisel has taken readers on whimsical journeys through Whoville, Kaverns of Krock and the Jungle of Nool, and many other fictional places since the publishing of his first book in 1937. We know Mr. Geisel better by his pen name Dr. Seuss. March 2 is “I Love to Read Day” and is celebrated locally as well as nationally with Dr. Seuss books taking center stage during the day. Dr…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistMarch 09, 2021I have just finished up my northern pike spearing season here in Minnesota. From an opportunity perspective I had a pretty good year. I made it out to the spearing house about 15 sits. To me a sit is a spearing opportunity that lasts anywhere from about 3-5 hours. I spear-fished on four different bodies of water this winter. A few weekends were spent up in Crow Wing County near Brainerd and the…
By Brenda Winter, columnistMarch 02, 2021There are two types of clean at my house: “clean” and “Dutch lady clean.” My husband and I coined the phrase “Dutch lady clean” after observing a trio of Dutch ladies clean a public restroom at a Christian music festival. With gloves, buckets, rags and spray bottles in hand, the ladies stormed the filthy bathroom like troops storming Normandy, leaving behind a sparkling path of defeated germs,…
By Rick Peterson, general managerFebruary 23, 2021I’m not sure I have ever written about shoes before, so this week seemed to be a good fit to do so. At the Peterson household we have had more than a few discussions about the number of shoes that take up space in the house when they’re not where they belong — on our feet. I won’t get into the number of shoes Mary currently has in her inventory. If I did, that would result in one of those shoes…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistFebruary 23, 2021How many of you have a license plate on your car or truck that has more than a few letters and numbers? The answer is a lot of you do. The Habitat License plate has been around for a long time and every vehicle I have owned since their inception has one on it. The first one was a light brown plate with a few deer depicted on it. They now come in many different varieties including moose, bees…
By Mavis Fodness, reporterFebruary 09, 2021How well do you remember those U.S. history lessons? If you’re like me, I don’t remember those intricate details necessary to receive my U.S. citizenship. Luckily I don’t have to pass the test now in effect for those who are seeking citizenship. Out of curiosity I tried to answer the questions the New York Times used in its recent story about the new citizenry test questions. Below are 10…
By Rick Peterson, general managerFebruary 09, 2021So have you had a heart attack lately? Hopefully your answer is no, and just because February is heart month, that is no reason to have one. But if you happen to have a heart attack any time soon, Rock County is a pretty good place to have one. If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of suffering from a heart attack, your chance of surviving such an event is largely affected by how fast…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistFebruary 09, 2021This is one of those times of the year when you are trapped between watching fishing shows on TV and wondering why the fish don’t bite nearly as well as they did back in December. I have an idea for a project for one of the next weekends when the temperatures are expected to hover around that 0-degree mark. It is a project that very few people ever do, and if they do, they don’t get thinking…
By Brenda Winter, columnistFebruary 02, 2021ATLAS of Rock County and Redeemed Remnants, the ATLAS-sponsored thrift shop, plan to soon be under one roof in the former Luverne Kawasaki building. (That’s the former Bargain Center for you old-timers, the former Kenny’s Super Valu for you really old-timers.) The planned move has been the worst-kept secret in Rock County for about four months. Real estate negotiations require a level of secrecy…
By Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota Highway PatrolFebruary 02, 2021Question: I am getting my 4 place snowmobile trailer ready for a trip. Do I need brakes on all the axels? Answer: Brakes are required on all trailers with a gross weight of 3,000 pounds or more. If brakes are required, they need to be on all wheels of a trailer manufactured after June 30, 1988. Trailers equipped with three or more axles and manufactured prior to July 1, 1988, are not required to…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistFebruary 02, 2021It was a little over six weeks ago that I shared with you the trials and tribulations of raising a high energy Labrador puppy. My pint-sized powerhouse is not all that little anymore. He is 7 1/2 months old and has lost the cute puppy breath and replaced it with the “you should have seen what I found and ate in the back yard” breath. When I am picking a puppy from a litter, I always try to…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistJanuary 25, 2021Winter finally looks like it has arrived. So far, the wildlife of Minnesota has had a pretty easy go of it due to unseasonably warm temperatures and not a lot of snow. Mild winters can benefit a whole host of different animals, but not all animals see those same benefits. What benefits some wildlife will negatively impact others. I have often wondered how different species survive deep snow and…
By Lori Sorenson, editorJanuary 25, 2021In my early days at the paper, my friend and fellow writer, Carole Olson, wrote a Star Herald column about the NIMBY phenomenon — Not In My Back Yard. I don’t remember what the issue was — perhaps the airport runway expansion, and the nimbys had been articulate. They supported the project in general, as long as it didn’t affect them directly. The words in Carole’s column gently reminded us that a…
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