Guilty plea entered in vehicular homicide case
Twenty-three-year-old Jayson Delfs, Hardwick, entered a guilty plea Monday morning in Rock County District Court to the charge of criminal vehicular homicide.
Murder case proceedings on hold
Legal proceedings for Luverne murder suspect Melvin Frazier are suspended following a Rule 20 motion that was granted in Rock County District Court Monday.
Administrator announces retirement
After 33 years on the job, Rock County Administrator Kyle Oldre officially submitted his notice of retirement during the Aug. 18 county board meeting.
Oldre’s final day of service will be Feb. 28, 2027.
Charter amendment measure advances
Luverne voters will be asked in the Nov. 3 general election if they support an amendment to change their city’s government charter.
Peterson wins election for county commissioner
Rick Peterson won the special election for Rock County’s District 3 and is set to join the county board of commissioners early next week.
PowerOn Midwest narrows routes
PowerOn Midwest has narrowed its preferred route for a proposed high-voltage transmission project, and one of its choices would cut through Rock County within one mile of the Blue Mounds State
News
By Nicole RonchettiApril 15, 2026There’s a new kind of flower shop on Kniss Avenue in Luverne, but instead of roses customers can purchase a different kind of “bud.” The Flower Shop Dispensary, which opened its doors on March 12, sells all things cannabis — from marijuana buds and edibles to vapes and bongs. “We pride ourselves on having everything,” said owner Peter Dikun. The store offers “deli-style,” shopping, which…
April 15, 2026Students in Luverne’s Future Farmers of America chapter organized a tractor parade for elementary students on Friday, April 10, in front of the Luverne Elementary School to celebrate “Drive Your Tractor to School Day” ahead of the spring planting season. Participating students were Lucas Madison in a Farmall 400, Olivia Lund in a Farmall B (donated to the LHS Ag Department this year by Ron Honken…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 15, 2026Now entering its fifth month of operation, the Hills-Beaver Creek childcare program is steadily growing. Patriot Pals, which serves infants, toddlers and preschoolers, has grown to just over 40% capacity since it opened on Dec. 3. “We’re filling a need for our families, and they should stop by and see us in action,” said H-BC superintendent Todd Holthaus. “I’ve heard rave reviews from the…
April 15, 2026City utility staff Brian Remme and Braydon Ripka spent time Friday attaching new America 250 banners to city light poles in Luverne. The banners are among dozens of ways local communities are commemorating the 250th anniversary of the nation’s independence, observed all year. Remme said the banners will be hung on more than 40 light poles, with two two-sided banners per pole. Brian Remme spent…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 15, 2026The property values for 2026-27 are out for Rock County, and while the value of most of the area remains relatively steady, the townships of Springwater and Beaver Creek saw sharp decreases. Rachel Jacobs, director of the Rock County Land Records Office, presented numbers during the Rock County Board meeting on April 7. Springwater Township saw a 32% decrease in property values, and Beaver…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 15, 2026The Rock County Sheriff’s Office will purchase 16 new handguns after receiving approval from county commissioners during their April 7 meeting. Sheriff Sorenson said the request is part of his effort to standardize the firearms issued to deputies. He said his office currently has 12 handguns, which is not enough for the department’s 15 employees. As a result, some deputies are using their…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 15, 2026Following Luverne Superintendent Craig Oftedahls’ retirement announcement, the school board plans to retain Oftedahl in the role following his official retirement. Oftedahl made it clear when the announcement was made that he hoped to stay on as a contracted superintendent. At the April 9 school board work session, Oftedahl said retirement would be a formality to allow him to begin…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 15, 2026The number of expansions and new permits for feedlots in Rock County is remaining steady, though the numbers still haven’t recovered to pre-pandemic levels. Brandon Bosch, from the Rock County Soil and Water Conservation District, provided an annual report on feedlots to the Rock County Board during its April 7 meeting. The report shared that the county has approximately 610 feedlots,…- April 15, 2026The Rock County Historical Society last week announced the induction of six new members to the Rock County Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame Committee met on April 2 and chose the following six Rock Countians for this honor: Dale Frakes, Hugo Goehle, Marvin Helling, Elmer Hovland, Emily Lodine-Overgaard and Harrison White. Harrison White fought in the Civil War and is considered the father of…
April 15, 2026Healthy firefighters make healthy communities, and Luverne Fire Chief David Van Batavia knows that he and his crew need to take care of their mental and physical health to be their best when responding to fires and other emergency situations in the community. To carry this message for the public, Van Batavia is on a billboard near Marshall for the organization MnFIRE, which the Luverne Fire…
By Lori SorensonApril 15, 2026By Lori Sorenson This week, April 12-18 is National Public Safety Telecommunicators Week and the Rock County Sheriff’s Office is honoring local professional telecommunicators. They include Brooke Walgrave, Nikki McLendon, Trisha Hoogeveen, (back) Ryan Connor and Jay Kelly. Every year during the second week of April telecommunications personnel in the public safety community nationwide are…
April 15, 2026The Luverne Ukulele Group is made up of ukulele student players through the Luverne Street Music program, which operates in the former Carnegie Cultural Center building on North Freeman Avenue. The players are students under the direction of Luverne Street Music instructor Jesse Booker and the group frequently perform for audiences of all ages at small venues throughout the community. Pictured…
By Lori SorensonApril 08, 2026The Rock County Planning and Zoning Commission last week approved a permit request by Northern Con-Agg for a gravel pit expansion near the Blue Mounds State Park. The board voted on the measure Tuesday, March 31, following an hour-long public hearing that involved nearly 30 people in the Law Enforcement Center community room. The proposed expansion would be northeast of Luverne on property in…
By Nicole RonchettiApril 08, 2026Misbehaving students beware — the scary substitute teacher Miss Swamp is coming to the Palace Theatre later this week. Performed by the Green Earth Players community theater group, the play “Miss Nelson is Missing’ will tell the tale from the classic children’s book of the same name. It’s about the mischievous students from Room 207 as they set out to find their beloved Miss Nelson after an…
April 08, 2026Luverne’s downtown was hopping with families Saturday for the Chamber’s Easter Bunny activities with 13 participating businesses. The day started with a free children’s movie at the Palace Theatre where roughly 150 children picked up their Easter bags and then strolled the streets of Luverne to gather Easter eggs. The event was free, thanks to local business sponsors. Luverne Area Chamber…
April 08, 2026The Luverne chapter of Family, Career and Community Leaders of America won several awards during the State Leadership conference held in Bloomington March 27-28. Twenty-five Luverne students attended the event where they accepted three awards for their chapter. They received the Region STAR Events Recognition trophy for having three or more members advance from regionals; the State STAR…
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