Columns
By Rick Peterson, general managerMarch 22, 2022In the span of less than two weeks we turned our clocks ahead an hour, pretended to be Irish for a day, and celebrated the first day of spring. All good signs of longer, brighter, warmer days ahead. All of those are signs that the outdoor grilling, smoker and flat top griddle season is here. Remember the good old days when all you had for outdoor cooking was a round charcoal grill on a flimsy…
By Betty Mann, president, Rock County Historical SocietyMarch 22, 2022The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on July 4, 1902. Condition of the Crops. The Reports are Generally Encouraging Recent Rain and Warm Weather Have Given Vigorous Impetus to the Growing Grain and Wrought Marked Improvement in the General Crop Conditions—Interviews with Well-Informed Farmers and Land Owners. Another heavy rain Tuesday night, followed Wednesday by sunshine and higher…
By Brenda Winter, columnistMarch 15, 2022Like most of you, I’ve been keeping a pretty sharp eye on world news lately and it doesn’t look good. That’s why I’ve started reading books written for preppers. Preppers are people who prepare for long- or short-term emergencies by having storage closets full of food, bunkers in the woods and ammo. For a few days or a few months, preppers desire to be prepared when “the stuff hits the fan.” (…
By Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota Highway PatrolMarch 15, 2022Question: I am a new parent and I am not sure if I am doing this child car seat thing properly. Is there somewhere I can go to find out if I am doing it right? Thank you. Answer: Congratulations on parenthood! I know the feeling and there will only be more questions as time goes on. For child passenger safety, the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Office of Traffic Safety has a map that you…
By Betty Mann, president, Rock County Historical SocietyMarch 15, 2022The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on June 13, 1902. Relic hunters have been busy the past week unearthing Indian skeletons which were discovered by a road crew engaged in excavating a road through Kanaranzi hill, about two miles north of town, says the Rock Rapids Review. “The skeletons found are similar to those found in the mounds on the Sioux river in the west part of the county…
By George Bonnema, Luverne HorticulturalistMarch 15, 2022We are predicted to have a week of wonderful spring weather, and I am sure some of you really want to plant some seeds to get a head start for your vegetable garden. But I beg you to wait until early April. I don’t have a weather crystal ball, but I do have knowledge about starting seeds too early, resulting in spindly, weak plants you will have to “baby” to survive when you plant them in the…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistMarch 15, 2022When out on my wildlife rides, I routinely stop at bridges to check water clarity and to see if northern pike can be seen getting ready to spawn. Pike are about the first fish in our area to spawn and will often stage in the shallows under the ice when there is open water near shore. This happens even when the lake is still ice-covered. This time of year, most of the water I see is usually pretty…
By George Bonnema, Luverne HorticulturalistMarch 08, 2022My last “Know It and Grow It” column gave you some information about how our indoor plants respond to the photoperiod or lengthening days of early spring. After being nearly dormant for four months, they are eager to start active growth. If you have a plant that is getting too tall, now is when to do a little pruning to get back to where that plant will look balanced and proportioned. Often…
By Lori Sorenson, editorMarch 08, 2022Our Esther Frakes arrived back in Luverne last week after galivanting through the southern United States with her friend Betty. It sounds like she had a grand time, and as such, probably didn’t miss us at the paper. We, however, missed her dearly. Esther is our proofreader, which is a humble term for the person who makes the news department look better than we are. She catches misspelled names,…
By Rick Peterson, Tollefson Publishing general managerMarch 08, 2022From time to time the Star Herald runs a “Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down” editorial. Almost all of the “thumbs” are based on local issues or events. We try to run a balance of ups and downs, and I’m guessing the “thumbs up” outnumber the “thumbs down.” So, with “thumbs” in mind, I thought I would share a few thumbs of my own that are life- and product-related and not necessarily local. First, “thumbs…
By Betty Mann, president, Rock County Historical SocietyMarch 08, 2022The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on May 23, 1902. Luverne Was Victorious At the Inter-Scholastic Athletic Meet The Luverne High School Team Captured Everything Worth Having and for the First Time Wrested the Championship from Marshall—Special Credit for the Victory Due to Hyke and Hulett—Royal Reception for the Victors. Luverne’s High school team returned from the 4th annual field…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistMarch 08, 2022The number of outdoor issues in the Minnesota news these days is mind-boggling. They won’t often show up where you might be reading, but there are game- and fish-related bills all over the place this legislative session. Some of these are going to be hitting a little closer to home than normal for the average outdoor person. The one I think will get the biggest fight is whether the state should…
By Mavis Fodness, reporterMarch 01, 2022I’ve had a comfortable seat for this winter sports season thanks to modern technology. Last week my stint as the sports reporter for the Luverne High School gymnastics team came to an end. Thanks to live broadcastings and online scoring, I was able to cover the team’s away meets with ease — much easier than my predecessor did. Coach Phoebe Flom introduced me to the world of live, online scoring.…
By Betty Mann, president, Rock County Historical SocietyMarch 01, 2022The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on March 28, 1902. Money for the Schools March Appointment of the School Fund Made on a Basis of $1.43 for Each of the 2,281 Scholars in the County The semi-annual apportionment of public school funds was made by County Auditor C. S. Bruce and Treasurer P. O. Skyberg according to the provisions of the statutes on the 26th of this month. The total…
By Scott Rall, outdoors columnistMarch 01, 2022So, wolves are again in the top headlines of natural resource issues across the nation. A few weeks back, a judge from California reinstated protections for gray wolves across most of their range. It is the same rally cry heard over and over by pro-wolves activists. They claim that wolves have not recovered enough to be delisted from the endangered species list or protected status, depending on…
By Brenda Winter, columnistFebruary 22, 2022You may remember actresses and sisters Marlene and Darlene from Leota, Minnesota. (They drive to Luverne in their Toyota.) DJ Luethje and I created the elderly characters who performed a show, “Marlene and Darlene Present the Nutcracker,” at Luverne’s Palace Theatre in December of 2018. It was a fundraiser for the construction of a new senior citizens building. The show raised $15,000 in spite of…
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