Park visitors enjoy First Day Hike on New Year's Day
More than 50 people showed up at the Blue Mounds State Park Thursday afternoon for the annual First Day Hike hosted by interpretive naturalist Tiffany Muellner.
Fareway Meat Market to close local store Jan. 17
In an after-hours announcement Monday, Fareway corporate outreach staff dropped a press release and social media post that the Luverne store will soon close.
County to replace e911 address signs
The Rock County Highway Department will replace faded rural address signs this year, following recent funding approval by the County Board.
Tuff Home celebrates McGaffee's 50th year of making residents smile
Glenda McGaffee is in her 50th year of working at Tuff Memorial Home in Hills, a milestone she will celebrate with co-workers and residents on Jan. 15.
Swimmers enjoy 'Flick and Float' at pool
Community members were invited to “Flick and Float” at Luverne Aquatics and Fitness Tuesday, Dec. 30, when they enjoyed free pool admission, a movie and a goodie bag with T-shirts and treats to take home them.
Luverne teacher goes to Washington, D.C.
Luverne Middle-High School social studies teacher Sam Goldsmith was chosen to share one of her classroom lessons at the National Council for Social Studies in Washington, D.C., earlier this month.
News
- By Mavis FodnessOctober 29, 2025A $3.47 million construction project for a 500,000-gallon water tower in Clinton Township will continue, despite federal funds frozen by the government shutdown. Rock County commissioners approved withdrawing up to $1.2 million from the Rock County Rural Water allocation account. Those funds will be repaid once federal government reopens and the $3.09 million USDA grant for the water tower is…
By Lori Sorenson, editorOctober 29, 2025The Rock County Historical Society hosted its annual meeting Monday night, Oct. 27. The evening included refreshments, a business meeting and a presentation about the North Star Story Map. The Story Map, a project of the American Institute of Architects Minnesota, is an interactive website featuring locally sourced stories about buildings of meaning around the state. Ann Mayhew of the…
October 29, 2025Hills native Jayme (Plimpton) Wiertzema was recently recognized as South Dakota Elementary School Art Teacher of the Year. Wiertzema, a 2011 graduate of Hills-Beaver Creek High School, was nominated for Art Teacher of the Year for her work in the Harrisburg School District. “Jayme embodies everything one could hope for in an educator: she is creative, kind, calm, genuine and deeply committed to…
October 29, 2025Dean Luethje of Luverne is the newest member of the South Dakota Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is a member of Surfin’ Safari, and the band was inducted into the hall of fame at a ceremony Oct. 10 Luethje is the band’s current drummer. Surfin’ Safari organized in 2004 as a ’60s rock and roll band and has since performed hits from the ’60s in the four-state area. According to South Dakota…
By Lori Sorenson, editorOctober 29, 2025Great River Energy, ITC Midwest and Xcel Energy are planning a series of electric transmission projects anchored by a 765 kV transmission line. Known as “PowerOn Midwest,” the project will connect eastern South Dakota and southern Minnesota substations to improve grid reliability and meet energy demand. Project organizers will host a series of public open house meetings across southern…
By Lori SorensonOctober 29, 2025Rock County farmers are hauling in a bumper crop — potentially record-breaking — this harvest season, according to local reports. “This is the biggest harvest I’ve ever seen,” said Miles Brown who manages the Chandler Feed and Grain elevator in Hardwick. Many local producers have seen corn yields this fall of 225 to 275 bushels per acre (upwards of 290 in some fields). Brown said local fields…
By Lori SorensonOctober 22, 2025A young singer-songwriter from Hills is creating soulful music that speaks from a higher place. On Oct. 24, 22-year-old Allison LaRock will release her first single, “Beauty,” which she said came from a vulnerable place. “This world doesn’t make sense sometimes, and we wrestle with what the Lord says and how to trust that he’s actually in control of things,” she said about the song. “It’s…
By Lori SorensonOctober 22, 2025Two new weather stations in Rock County are recording real-time data for local users, according to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture. The MDA announced last week that its Minnesota Ag Weather Network (MAWN) recently expanded with the launch of three new weather stations in southern Minnesota. One is located on Rock County Rural Water property south of Luverne, one is on private land on…
By Lori SorensonOctober 22, 2025Two Luverne churches, Grace Lutheran and First Presbyterian, will sponsor a four-week series, “God’s Gift of Soil Soup Study,” about Christian environmental stewardship. The study, starting Sunday, Oct. 26, is based on the Feikema Farms award-winning documentary, “From the Heartland.” The film follows the decade-long journey of Rock County’s Shawn and Becky Feikema as they transitioned from…
By Mavis FodnessOctober 22, 2025Theater fans will find the set for the Luverne High School fall play to be sparse at best. “With minimal sets and props, this show makes the actors rely on their skills to tell the story,” said director Shawn Kinsinger. The students will present “Trap,” by Stephen Gregg, Thursday through Saturday, Oct. 23-25, in the school’s performing arts center. Performances begin at 7 p.m. “Trap,” which…
October 22, 2025Editor Lori Sorenson and graphic designer Heather Johnson earned national recognition last week for their work at the Rock County Star Herald. The National Newspaper Association convention was held in Minneapolis Oct. 9-10 when winners of the NNA Better Newspaper Contest were honored. Sorenson earned first place in the category of Best Serious Column for her Sept. 26, 2024, entry “We’re on the…- By Mavis FodnessOctober 22, 2025Dennis Boese will join the Hills City Council in November to fill the unexpired term of Cory Metzger who moved from the community. Boese was among three Hills residents interested in filling the remainder of Metzger’s four-year term that ends in December 2026. Metzger resigned July 11, and Boese was appointed at the council’s Oct. 14 meeting on a unanimous vote by council members Vickie…
By Mavis FodnessOctober 22, 2025Kate Anderson wants her healthcare students to know they will soon play a vital role in their communities’ well-being. Nineteen of her high school students spent Thursday, Oct. 16, a day off of school, volunteering at Poplar Creek and The Oaks assisted living facilities in Luverne. The students, who attend school in Luverne, Hills-Beaver Creek, Pipestone and Adrian, spent the afternoon hosting…
October 22, 2025A Luverne teen is in custody of the Nobles County Jail following an alcohol-related assault that hospitalized a victim. According to law enforcement documents, 18-year-old Maysn Akkerman, Luverne, faces fifth-degree assault charges due to the incident that reportedly resulted in “substantial bodily harm.” The charges stem from an incident earlier this month when Akkerman reportedly assaulted a…
October 22, 2025The Rock County Corn & Soybean Growers Association recently donated SoyFoam to local fire departments. “The SoyFoam is a much safer product for fighting fires when foam is required,” said Lucas Peters of the Corn and Soybean Growers. He said the product was developed from soy flour and replaces an existing product that contains potentially dangerous chemicals. “It’s a unique new use for…
By Mavis FodnessOctober 22, 2025Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary students took advantage of the pleasant fall temperatures Friday, Oct. 10, to repaint the city of Beaver Creek snow plow blades for the upcoming winter season. Dylan Gehrke’s 33 fifth-grade students took turns painting the blades under the supervision of H-BC art instructor Isabel Sylvanie. Sylvanie said students created the designs under the “Be a Hero” theme…
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