guest editorial
- By American Heart AssociationJuly 22, 2026As summer heat intensifies across the U.S., the American Heart Association warns that soaring temperatures don’t just make people uncomfortable — they can put serious strain on the heart and increase the risk of life-threatening complications. Although tragic deaths from major disasters like hurricanes and tornados may get the most news coverage, extreme heat is actually the leading weather…
- By Mayor Pat BaustianJuly 08, 2026A five-person citizen group has submitted a petition for a ballot question about amending Luverne’s City Charter to create a Municipal Services Commission. The proposed amendment shifts supervision, management, employment and all financial oversight of the city utilities to a separate governing commission. The petitioners, spearheaded by Isaac DeBoer, said they drafted their charter amendment…
By Matthew Sorenson, Rock County SheriffJune 17, 2026Our office has received several notifications regarding a scam call or text currently going around the county. The message is sent by an individual acting like they are a lieutenant or sergeant advising that a friend or family member is currently incarcerated, and that money is needed to be sent for their bond. Other variations of the same message have been reported as well. One example we…- By Linda Wenzel, Program Manager of A.C.E. of SW MN Rock CountyJune 03, 2026As we recognized Older Americans Month in May, it was an opportunity to celebrate the contributions, wisdom and resilience of older adults in our communities while also reflecting on the importance of supporting healthy aging for all. This year’s national theme, “Champion Your Health,” emphasized prevention, wellness and personal responsibility as key components of aging well. It serves as a…
- By Tom GetmanMay 20, 2026What does one who is in public life in a nation’s capital do when despair undermines hope? Often discouragement abounds from exceptionalist imperialistic governance, illegal warring foreign policy, lack of support for beleaguered farmers, with many communities suffering emergencies without adequate relief. There is heartbreak because of diminished attention to suffering people oppressed at…
- By Linda Wenzel Program Manager, ACE of Southwest MinnesotaApril 29, 2026Volunteer Appreciation Week was last week, April 19-25, when we recognize the individuals who quietly, consistently, and generously strengthen our communities. Here in Rock County, that spirit is alive and thriving thanks to the remarkable efforts of local volunteers. A.C.E. of Southwest Minnesota – Rock County is proud to celebrate 751 dedicated volunteers who, over the past year,…
- By the Minnesota Secretary of State's OfficeApril 01, 2026Sen. Alex Padilla of California and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota were joined by three Secretaries of State for a recent virtual press briefing to discuss the potential impacts of the SAVE America Act on elections. Secretary Steve Simon (Minnesota), Secretary Steve Hobbs (Washington), and Secretary Stephanie Thomas (Connecticut) discussed the impacts to voters, election administrators, and…
- By Tom Getman, guest editorialFebruary 11, 2026Over the past months I presumed insights from Washington were helpful for you friends back home. Now I must admit that in the presence of heavy clouds of the climatic and political winter of 2026 it is family and friends in Minnesota who are sources of salvatory wisdom and light in the persistent darkness. With appropriate pride I point to pastoral, political and personal leaders from home…
- By Linda Wenzel, A.C.E. of SWMNFebruary 04, 2026As America’s senior population grows, families are increasingly facing difficult decisions about health care, finances, and final wishes — often during moments of crisis. Experts say much of that stress can be avoided with proper planning and a small set of essential legal documents. For caregivers, understanding and helping organize these documents can make the difference between chaos and…
- By Tom GetmanDecember 03, 2025November was Indigenous Peoples’ Month, a time to recognize and respect the history, spirituality and culture of those on whose territory we reside. We not only have recounted the traumatic history of our pre-colonial “first (Sioux and Piscataway) residents’’ but have begun to deepen our awareness and alter our own Pipestone, “Indian” and Pilgrim stories and are finding new ways to seek healing…
- By Thomas Getman, Guest EditorialJuly 16, 2025Congress recently passed one of the biggest peacetime military funding increases for the military “to protect the country and make us better.” This burgeoning war fund takes inequitably from Americans and the world’s poor by cutting Medicaid, foreign assistance and food aid. It also affects farmers’ capacity to raise and sell crops and is estimated to cost 17 million lives. As Jewish scholar…
- By Amy Klobuchar, U.S. SenatorMay 28, 2025
- By Nikki FrakesMay 14, 2025A Minnesota native deeply moved by nature, I must have been in high school when I had the unforgettable opportunity to work with renowned National Geographic photographer Jim Brandenburg. On a frigid winter night, we ventured into the untouched wilderness near Ely, Minnesota. The cold was biting and the silence — vast and consuming. An audio technician placed microphones on the frozen lake, and…
- By Rev. Tim Olsen, LuverneApril 02, 2025Last summer Rock County was impacted once again by an extreme weather event in the form of heavy rains that flooded fields, basements and public places. My wife and I have lived in Luverne for more than 20 years. In that time we have witnessed at least three “100-year floods” with the most formidable being the Father’s Day flood of 2014. Our autumns are trending warmer and drier, and we have…
- By Thomas GetmanMarch 26, 2025I’m sincerely grateful —even proud — each week when I open the digital Star Herald, and I look forward to later lingering over the print edition. It amazes me to see the large sports section with the many fine athletes and their accomplishments both at LHS and HBC. Sports experiences at LHS provided larger-than-life influence on me and many others. The coaching mentors undergird the ethics and…
- By Eric Sage, executive director, Rock County Opportunities, LuverneDecember 11, 2024This year Rock County Opportunities (RCO) is facing a new challenge that affects not only work opportunities for our clients, but local seniors who have benefited from a service that helps them remain independent, living in their own home. RCO recently received a notification from one of our long-standing partners that the funding to provide free laundry and cleaning services for seniors will…
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