Disaster declared in Rock County
Preliminary estimates are over $2 million in public infrastructure damage as a result of the June 21-22 flood event.
Some areas receive 12+ inches of rain
Multiple rounds of torrential rain in Rock County and the tri-state area created significant flooding over the past week, wreaking havoc on properties and public infrastructure.
Farmers tally losses of flood event; full impact on crops unknown until harvest
When floodwaters finally receded over the weekend, area farmers had a chance to assess the damages of crops under water and or washed away.
Service over self volunteers build, donate beds for 'Sweet Dreams' mission
This week, dozens of local teens involved with Rock the Edge are performing public service projects in and around Luverne for their annual “Service Over Self” local mission work.
Early voting for Luverne primary starts June 28
Early voting for the Aug. 13 primary election is from June 28-Aug. 12.
Introduction to fishing
Representatives from the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources spent two hours Friday morning at The Lake in Luverne instructing youth about fishing, fishing r
News
- By Mavis FodnessNovember 23, 2015There may be a permanent solution to the ongoing drinking water issues at the Blue Mounds State Park. That’s according to a pending agreement between Minnesota DNR and local officials at the Nov. 17 Rock County Board meeting. Under the agreement, a study will be conducted to determine the feasibility of connecting the park to the county’s rural water system in the future. Specifics of the joint…
- By Mavis FodnessNovember 23, 2015A California man’s search for the history of his restored 1956 Packard Clipper would have ended earlier this month if not for a pen and a mechanical pencil found lodged in the vehicle’s defroster. “I had all but given up finding information on the car,” said Mike Hammerberg of Pinole, California. “The Packard Club had no record, and I couldn’t even locate the ad in the car magazines of the era. I…
- By Lori SorensonNovember 23, 2015The Council for Arts and Humanities in Rock County (CAHRC) recently terminated its lease for the Carnegie Cultural Center in Luverne, and a new fine arts group is interested in using the space. Officers of the non-profit Luverne Street Music attended the City Council meeting Tuesday, Nov. 16, to present plans for how they'd utilize the building, which is owned by the city of Luverne.…
- By Mavis FodnessNovember 23, 2015The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources is recommending the dam at the Blue Mounds State Park be replaced and the pond restored. According to the construction timeline, however, the Lower Mound Lake won’t be reestablished and open to the public until 2018, more than four years after flooding destroyed the concrete structure. The recommendation to replace the dam came from state DNR…
- By Mavis FodnessNovember 23, 2015More deputies may be patrolling Rock County in 2016 if commissioners decide to include the additional monies in next year’s final budget. The discussion will take place during the county’s Truth-in-Taxation hearing at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 1. The hearing allows the public to learn where tax dollars will be spent next year. The meeting will take place in the commissioners’ room at the Rock County…
- By Mavis FodnessNovember 23, 2015In a rare split vote, the Luverne School Board decided not to continue starting classes before Labor Day. Three of the seven board members supported reapplying for another three-year Flexible Learning Year calendar format. The format allowed Luverne to begin classes before the state-mandated start after Labor Day. The final vote took place Thursday night, Nov. 19, during the board’s regular bi-…
- By Lori SorensonNovember 23, 2015Christmas is a joyful time of year, but for those grieving the loss of a loved one, it can also be a difficult and painful holiday. For 20 years Sanford Luverne Hospice has hosted a holiday tree-lighting ceremony to honor and remember loved ones — both living and dead. While hospice sponsors the trees and lighting ceremonies, the program has always been open to the public to participate in. It is…
- By Mavis Fodness and Lori SorensonNovember 16, 2015Nine members of the Arthur Moeller American Legion Post 478 were recognized for 50 or more years of continuous membership during their annual Veterans Day Program Wednesday night, Nov. 11, in Hardwick. Lowell Ahrendt (58 years), Donald Etrheim (58), Harold Etrheim (58), Harold Graphenteen (60), Bill Holling (59), Harold Kindt (56), Wes Pierson (50), Larry Rolfs (50) and Russell Wenzel (59) earned…
- By Mavis FodnessNovember 16, 2015Hardwick’s Board of Zoning and Adjustments recommended granting a variance for a resident to move in and expand a storage shed on his residential property. Hardwick City Council members supported that recommendation at their Nov. 12 meeting but didn’t formally grant the variance. The group, minus mayor John Javner, who was absent, wanted time to decide on what stipulations, if any, should be…
- By Lori SorensonNovember 16, 2015The last section of 24-inch pipe was laid Wednesday, Nov. 4, for the long-awaited Lewis and Clark Regional Water System connection to Luverne. Carstensen Contracting out of Pipestone is the contractor for this portion of the project, which includes 18 miles of 24-inch pipe from the Minnesota-Iowa border. The substantial completion deadline in early December. Luverne will start taking Lewis and…
- By Mavis FodnessNovember 16, 2015Four months after contract talks between representatives of the Luverne School District and the Luverne Education Association stalled, a two-year agreement was reached earlier this month. School board members unanimously approved the 2015-16 and 2016-17 contract at a Nov. 9 special meeting. The total package over the two years equates to $595,638. “Negotiations went well,” reported board member…
- By Lori SorensonNovember 16, 2015Luverne City Council members approved a payment of $443,018.94 to Duininck, Inc. for the latest round of improvements on South Highway 75. Work done this payment period includes: •removing old paint markings and applying new paint for the three-lane markings, •sodding, •mobilization, •removing old pavement and curbs and installing new curbs and driveways, •installing bridge railings, and •…
- By Lori SorensonNovember 16, 2015Ron McClure will be remembered in Rock County for his kind demeanor and compassion for humanity, especially during his years wearing a badge. McClure worked 33 years in law enforcement, 25 years in Rock County and 12 of those as sheriff in the county he grew up in. “I loved my job. I loved helping people,” McClure told the Star Herald in a Jan. 20, 2003, story about his retirement. In all those…
- By Mavis FodnessNovember 16, 2015The former Family Dollar Store just off Main Street in downtown Luverne will soon be known as a special events place. Mike and Wanda Jarchow of Luverne recently purchased the 11,500-square-foot former retail and grocery store. The couple plans to remodel the building into a community events center. “We want it to be a space where the customer walks in and says, ‘This is what we want,’” Mike…
- By Mavis FodnessNovember 16, 2015For more than three decades, Luverne’s high school students have boarded school buses and made the short field trip to the Maplewood Cemetery just west of town. The field trip on Monday, Nov. 2, by the ninth-grade class continues an activity begun by retired instructor Katie Hemme. “I thought, based on my own experience, that kids should be exposed to a funeral,” said Hemme, who saw lesson…
- By Mavis FodnessNovember 16, 2015Amidst tears and laughter, Theresa Graff accepted the Luverne Education Association 2016 Teacher of the Year award. LEA annually honors one of its own at a celebration on the Monday of American Education Week. The local honoree will be submitted to the state for their Teacher of the Year program. Becky Rahm, the 2015 LEA Teacher of the Year, made the announcement using comments from the…
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