Cowbells opens at Highway 75 and Main
Cowbells Quality Meats & Treats opened in Luverne this week at the corner of Main Street and Highway 75 in the building formerly occupied by Fareway Meat Market.
Renovation continues on 'The Merc' fundraising continues for nonprofit
Organizers and volunteers working to renovate the “Smith Mercantile” building downtown continue to raise money toward a goal of opening this year.
Luverne scales down to two principals
The Luverne School District will operate with two principals instead of three following the retirement of Elementary Principal Stacy Gillette on June 30.
'Hidden in Plain Sight' teaches parents, community how to spot drug use
Each item held up by Lt. Edison Dengler, a member of the Buffalo Ridge Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, looked like an everyday object – shaving cream, pens, hair brushes and more.
Luverne teachers, administration agree on new contract
Ten months after negotiations began, the Luverne School Board has reached an agreement with the teachers’ union, providing final approval during its meeting on May 28.
Buffalo Days set for this weekend in Luverne
One of the biggest events of the summer is coming to Luverne starting on June 4 as the community celebrates its annual Buffalo Days weekend.
News
- By Minnesota Secretary of State's OfficeMay 13, 2026Minnesota voters serving in the military or living overseas can still vote from anywhere in the world through UOCAVA voting. UOCAVA stands for the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act. It helps eligible Minnesotans receive and return their ballots electronically while away from home. College students can use UOCAVA this fall as they study abroad. Military members, their…
May 13, 2026Fifth graders in Luverne and Hills-Beaver Creek schools recently graduated from Drug Abuse Resistance Education, or DARE, an educational program that teaches young people about the dangers of drugs and alcohol. DARE was founded in Los Angeles, Calif., in 1983 and its programs can now be found in school districts across the United States. Rock County Deputy Jeff Stratton served as the educator…
By Lori SorensonMay 13, 2026For the eighth consecutive year, the Southwest Minnesota Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities (CEO) program showcased student-developed businesses in its annual showcase event. This year’s trade show was Wednesday, May 6, at Big Top Tents and Events in Luverne. The 2025-26 program involved 18 young professionals from Nobles, Rock and Pipestone counties. Kaitlyn Taylor shares smaples from…
By Nicole RonchettiMay 08, 2026For the first time in Rock County’s history, video-recorded meetings of the board of commissioners will be shared online. Hills resident Allen Saakyan provided a brief presentation to the board during the Tuesday, May 5, meeting, offering to record meetings and post them to a county-owned YouTube channel free of charge. “(It’s) for transparency and community engagement,” Saakyan said. “The…
By Lori SorensonMay 08, 2026The community is mourning the loss of 21-year-old Caden Metzger, Sioux Falls, who died in a semi rollover accident Thursday, May 7. He and his passenger, Matthew Renken, 24, Hills, were hauling water and farm chemicals to tender a sprayer in a field. According to the Rock County Sherriff’s Office, they were traveling north on County Road 11 when the semi rolled over into the east ditch 4…
May 06, 2026Rock County DFL volunteers completed an Adopt a Highway project on I-90 Saturday, May 2, near Luverne. Pictured are (from left) Chuck Tweet, BJ Aanning, Lois King, Terry King, Carmen Schempp, Suanne Ohme, Mark Lundgren, Larry Nelson, Lona Klosterbuer, Carol Serie, Sue Dispanet, Rhonna Jarchow, Carol Morgan, Rich Morgan, Pat Baustian and Dave Svingen. Not pictured is Carol Svingen. (contributed…
By Nicole RonchettiMay 06, 2026Luverne residents hoping for an easy beach day this summer may be in for disappointment. Low water levels at The Lake mean that the shoreline has receded several feet, leaving sandy ground where there used to be water. As water levels continue to drop, community members are increasingly focused on one question: why? Various theories have been raised to explain The Lake receding, from recent…
By Nicole RonchettiMay 06, 2026Members of Luverne’s art community came together Saturday night to reflect a lifetime of generosity back to one of their own. The benefit for Shawn Kinsinger raised nearly $20,000 to help him and his family following a cancer diagnosis earlier this spring. A total of 65 performers took the stage to put on a two-and-a-half-hour concert filled with musical numbers, band performances and…
By Nicole RonchettiMay 06, 2026The City of Beaver Creek has a tentative agreement with the Hills-Beaver Creek School District to purchase the former elementary school for $1 and then demolish it. “We have a proposal that both sides have come to, and we’re just working out the small details,” said Josh Teune, mayor of Beaver Creek. He said the motivation for the purchase would be to prevent the building from becoming an…
By Lori SorensonMay 06, 2026An isolated neighborhood near the Highway 75 construction work was without water for roughly five hours Wednesday afternoon, April 29. Affected customers were notified ahead of time and were also notified when water service was resumed. Henning Construction is the contractor for the work, and Brent Henning said the work took longer than planned, because last week’s rain created wet conditions…
By Lori SorensonMay 06, 2026Luverne Elementary School’s second grade Bookin’ Buddies program observed its 25th anniversary last week with cookies and a year-end story time in the elementary library. The program began in the 2000-01 school year after Connie Connell brought the idea to Luverne following her Blandin Community Leadership training. “I love meeting a new second grader each year and getting to know them,” she…
By Lori SorensonMay 06, 2026The Luverne Municipal Airport is under new management, according to an agreement discussed at the April 28 City Council meeting. GeeUp LLC, Laura and Ryan Gee, along with their daughter, started May 1 as the new airport managers. They replace Ben and Lori Baum who have managed the airport for the past 15 years and opted not to renew their contract this year. At Tuesday’s meeting, City…- May 06, 2026Mother’s Day bouquets will get a special twist Saturday during the Luverne Area Chamber’s “Mother’s Day Flower Walk” in Luverne on May 9. “For the second year in a row, Luverne merchants are inviting all mothers and mothers-to-be to celebrate the holiday with a stroll through town,” said Jane Wildung Lanphere with the Chamber. “Nineteen Luverne businesses and organizations will be giving away…
By Lori SorensonMay 06, 2026A Rock County man was taken into custody April 30 following an online police sting originating in Rochester. According to court documents, 48-year-old Jared Leroy Peterson of Steen faces felony charges after his alleged participation in an online conversation with undercover officers posing as a 14-year-old girl. Reports state that Rochester law enforcement conducted a “proactive operation”…
By Lori SorensonMay 06, 2026Four local young people have taken the oath to serve in the Minnesota Army National Guard, and they were celebrated during a ceremony Friday, May 1, in the Minnesota National Guard Readiness Center in Luverne. The recruits include: •Leif Engebretsen, a Luverne graduate currently attending Minnesota West Community and Technical College; •Kinsie Nelson, a Southwest Christian graduate…
May 06, 2026The ladies from the Presbyterian Church in Luverne performed for the residents of the Mary Jane Brown-Good Samaritan Center with a singalong on Tuesday, April 28. With pianist Barb Antoine at the keyboard, vocalists mingled around the room while singing with residents. Pictured above are (front, from left) Dorothy Klosterbuer, Ruth Stoakes, Sheryl Heronimous, Theresa Wessels, Gloria Rust, (back)…
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