Columns
By Calla Jarvie, Rock County Library directorSeptember 03, 2025September is a great month at the library – but then again, every month is a great month at the library. What makes September so special? I’m glad you asked. It’s Library Card Sign-Up Month! There are almost 3900 people who have library cards with the Rock County Community Library, which is fantastic. However, we always have room for more! Check your wallet: do you see a green library card…
By Scott Rall, Outdoor ColumnistSeptember 03, 2025I was watching the sunset a few nights ago, and as the light faded, I was able to enjoy the tail end of the firefly season. Who as a child was not enthralled by the glowing green flashes these creatures emit? I can remember one specific night when my now 40-year-old son Brandon and I sat on the tailgate of my Mazda pickup at the boat landing of Little Spirit Lake when he was about seven years…
By Sgt. Troy Christianson, Minnesota State PatrolAugust 27, 2025Question: I was driving in the metro area the other day and I witnessed a bus driving on the shoulder. Is this allowed? Answer: Transit buses and metro mobility buses are permitted to use the shoulder of a freeway or expressway. Buses can use the shoulder only when main-line traffic speeds are less than 35 miles per hour. Bus drivers on the shoulder may not exceed the speed of main-line traffic…
By Scott Rall, Outdoor ColumnistAugust 27, 2025How many times can you go to the same place and still be amazed by what you find there? I made my fifth trip out to the Samuel R. McKelvie National Forest near Valentine, Nebraska, last week. This is 218,000 acres of national forest of which 216,000 acres has absolutely no trees whatsoever. It was dedicated by my favorite president, Teddy Roosevelt, back in the late 1800s. It is not a forest at…
By Lori Sorenson, editorAugust 20, 2025In the days following my husband’s appointment as sheriff, friends and acquaintances have, in gest, called me the future “First Lady” of Rock County. While I was flattered, something about the title for a sheriff’s wife didn’t ring true, so I asked Siri. In short, “first lady” is typically reserved for the wives of presidents, governors and mayors, but not for the wives of sheriffs. By…- By Rick Peterson, general managerAugust 20, 2025August is a busy family celebration month at our household. We have three birthdays and two anniversaries on the calendar this month. One of the birthdays belongs to me, and one of the anniversaries reminds Mary and me it’s been 48 years since the “I do’s” were exchanged. Those of you who have 48 years or more of marriage under your belts probably already know there are only so many ways to…
By Scott Rall, Outdoor ColumnistAugust 20, 2025I can remember back in the mid ’80s when seeing a pheasant was a really big deal. This is how my life worked back then. If you went pheasant hunting and saw one bird, it was a total success. It did not matter if you saw it fly across the road on your way to a spot or if you flushed it. Just seeing one was a win. Years progressed, and as small fragments of grasslands returned to southwest…
By Calla Jarvie, Rock County Library directorAugust 13, 2025In case we don’t know each other, allow me to introduce myself. I’m Calla Jarvie, your friendly neighborhood library director. I have lived in Luverne since 2013, and I have been lucky enough to be the Rock County Community library director since 2018. Rock County is a wonderful place, but hands down, my favorite spot is the library. First of all, it’s got working air conditioning (most of the…
By Greg Hoogeveen, Time OutAugust 13, 2025Where did July go? Feels like we just celebrated the Fourth of July last week. Oh well, we go through this every year … so many activities, celebrations, vacations and more crammed into one month. Now we’re into the last month of summer – and August ushers in back-to-school preparations and the start of a new school year of sports activities. With summer sports in the review mirror, it’s time…
By Scott Rall, Outdoor ColumnistAugust 13, 2025After years of failed attempts, I might actually get a food plot that might actually result in food for wildlife. Food plots work to attract wildlife, but they seldom work very well unless they are at least a few acres in size. That being the case, food plots might attract wildlife, but they do not necessarily get them close enough to get a shot. I am a wildlife guy and certainly do not qualify…
By Mavis Fodness, reporterAugust 06, 2025I noticed the angels surrounding me beginning late afternoon on July 11. They’re not angels as supernatural beings with actual wings, but angels in the sense of the compassion and care they displayed in the three weeks following my husband’s motorcycle accident and resulting funeral on July 26. I’ve offered a personal thank you to many of these angels, while some I’ve yet to meet and maybe I…
By RIck Peterson, general managerAugust 06, 2025The first week of August is in the books, and the back-to-school shopping season is well underway. It’s fair to say back-to-school shopping isn’t what it used to be. Granted, I am out of the loop when it comes to back-to-school shopping. For this column I reached out to my two granddaughters for their help with the “must have” back-to-school clothes, shoes and school supplies. Brooke is a soon-…
By Scott Rall, Outdoor ColumnistAugust 06, 2025I was out on a wildlife ride yesterday to look at the native wildflowers at their very peak for the season. For whatever reason this is about three weeks later than a normal year. Nobody can really explain why that happened this year. During this trip I came across several monarch butterflies that were hanging out on a yellow cone flower that was in full bloom. As I watched these creatures, I…
By Brenda WinterJuly 30, 2025Jim and I were enjoying a blistering hot summer evening on the Take 16 patio when our out-of-town guests asked casually, “So what’s with all the nutcrackers?” An eerie silence fell over our table, and the free-flowing conversation was stalled by the question no one can answer. We took small, nervous sips of our ice-cold beers, eyes darting from side to side. The air was thick enough to cut…
By Betty MannJuly 30, 2025The following appeared in The Rock County Herald on March 14, 1963. Teachers will get pay raises here next fall The Luverne school board Monday night approved a raise in salaries averaging $357 for grade school teachers and $381 for high school teachers. The lowest increase was $200 and the maximum increase amounted to $527 for teachers. The starting salary for a teacher with a bachelor’s…
By Lori Sorenson, editorJuly 23, 2025The longer I live, the more I believe everybody hurts … often beneath the surface of polished social media profiles. And those who have been hurt by life-and-death loss tend to emerge as different people, permanently affected by grief. While tragedy can be cruel, I also believe it offers opportunity for growth — in a meaningful sense not experienced by everyone. For example: We learn what…
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