From parched to drenched
Harvest is in full swing for much of Rock County this week, marking the final stretch of what’s arguably been a challenging growing season.
Highway 75 project proceeds (almost) on schedule
Contractors have been given a five-day extension on completion deadlines due to September’s frequent rainy weather.
H-BC School Board Candidates share priorities
There are five candidates seeking election to four open seats on the Hills-Beaver Creek School Board.
The Loft after-school program helps kids find community
Starting at 3:20 p.m. on the dot, the quiet halls of First Presbyterian Church in Luverne start to fill with the noise of children.
Luverne preliminary levy set to rise 7.12%
Luverne City Council members are proposing a 7.12% levy increase for taxes payable in 2027.
Adrian reporter to contribute to Star Herald
The Rock County Star Herald is expanding its coverage area east toward Adrian, and Deb Kroon will be the face of those stories for the Star Herald news team.
News
- By Jason BerghorstAugust 21, 2024Local voters narrowed down the candidates on the November general election ballot during the primary election Tuesday, Aug. 13. Luverne voters selected the final two candidates for mayor and North Ward city council races. In the mayor’s race, incumbent Pat Baustian and challenger Isaac DeBoer were the top two vote getters to advance to the general election. Baustian received 475 votes,…
By Lori SorensonAugust 21, 2024A former Luverne Public Schools teacher is leading an effort to start an income-based Christian school by September 2025. Brooke Van Essen left her 10-year Luverne Elementary School teaching job in June to pursue what she describes as a calling. “God has been speaking since 2019 to start a Christian school in Luverne that looks a bit different than the options we have in our area,” Van Essen…
By Lori SorensonAugust 21, 2024Kids Rock! Inc. nonprofit board has hired Dina Brown as executive director to oversee licensure and facility startup. Brown has nearly 30 years of experience in the child care industry and expertise in child care center administration. Her background is in early childhood education. She started as a preschool teacher and soon became a center director. Kids Rock! Board President Emily…
By Mavis FodnessAugust 21, 2024A childhood experience with her younger brother led to a 33-year career in education for Luverne’s Lynette Stensland. Stensland retired from Luverne Public Schools at the close of the 2023-24 school year after spending 21 years in the Luverne School District. Her interest in education was sparked by a favor to her mother. “One summer my mom asked me to tutor my younger brother, which I really…- By Mavis FodnessAugust 21, 2024Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) disaster survivor assistance teams are currently canvassing damaged individual properties in Rock County. The canvassing of damage began Aug. 16 and is expected to take 10 to 12 days to complete. Damage would have occurred from weather events occurring June 16 to July 4, 2024. Local homeowners and renters could be eligible for damage reimbursement…
By Lori SorensonAugust 21, 2024Minnesota Congressman Brad Finstad (R-Dist. 1) was in Luverne Wednesday for discussion about soil health as it relates to the federal Farm Bill and legislation to boost renewable fuels. "I was impressed by the locally led effort of farmers trying to improve their land using sound practices and science,” Finstad said after the meeting. “Their acknowledgement of what works on one farm might not…- By Lori SorensonAugust 21, 2024Hills-Beaver Creek School Superintendent Todd Holthaus sent a letter to Beaver Creek City Council members about the future of the current elementary school once the new one opens next year. “I’m writing formally to communicate the Hills-Beaver Creek School District’s interest in exploring the possibility of transferring ownership of the existing elementary school building … to the city of Beaver…
August 21, 2024Former Luverne Elementary School teacher and children’s author Shirley Harrison made an appearance Aug. 13 at the Plaza on Main in Luverne as part of the community’s series of summer afternoon downtown events. She read her message, “We All Need,” and gave away 75 signed copies of the book. Tammy Johnson, one of Harrison’s former students, attended the event with her granddaughter, Gracie…
By Mavis FodnessAugust 14, 2024Workers finished pouring concrete footings for the 57,400-square-foot new Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary School in Beaver Creek last week as they transition to erecting the large pre-cast walls for the pre-K through fifth-grade facility. According to site construction supervisor Michael Beach, the individual pre-cast concrete panels will be trucked in and lifted into place by the crane now on site…- By Jason BerghorstAugust 14, 2024Fans attending Luverne High School games and events this school year will need to pay with the online GoFan app or website. No cash will be accepted for tickets. The first event using online tickets will be the home varsity volleyball game with Southwest Christian Aug. 27. “This is a system that has been used at state and section tournaments for a few years now, and more conference schools are…
By Mavis FodnessAugust 14, 2024For $1 the city of Luverne and/or Rock County can be the new owners of the former Minnesota National Guard Armory on Freeman Avenue in Luverne. A letter from the state Department of Military Affairs dated Aug. 2 offered the 20,898-square-foot facility to either government entity at the reduced price. The offer came from Don Kerr, military affairs executive director. Recent legislation “now in…
By Lori SorensonAugust 14, 2024Certified nurse practitioner Jonathan Pap will soon move his Freedom Family Clinic from Sioux Falls to Luverne with a Sept. 4 opening date. “I have a strong patient base in southwest Minnesota, so it made sense to come back to Luverne,” said Pap, who lives in Edgerton with his wife, Darci, and their children. “I feel it’s an honor caring for people I know and love and maybe even grew up with…
By Lori SorensonAugust 14, 2024When fall semester starts at Minnesota West Community & Technical College in Luverne, the medical lab technician program will be missing its longtime leader, Dr. Rita Miller. Miller retired this summer, marking the end of a 30-year career in higher education. “There is nothing more rewarding than educating students; watching them graduate, find a job, and pass the National Board…
By Lori SorensonAugust 14, 2024The Luverne Chamber Board announced Tuesday a new leadership arrangement in the Chamber Office. The board hired Luverne native McKenzi Wenninger Klein as the new executive director, and current director Jane Wildung Lanphere will move into the Chamber’s assistant position. On Monday, Aug. 12, the board signed the employment agreement with Klein, who recently moved back to Luverne after living…
By Lori SorensonAugust 14, 2024Members of the “Coffee and a Book” club gathered at the Rock County Library Monday morning for their regular monthly meeting and to dedicate a set of Jim Brandenburg prints in memory of Dee Harner, one of the original book club members. The prints were purchased with money gifted to the club by Harner’s family after she died in August 2023. Pictured are (front, from left) Cheryl Rust-Lugo, Mary…
August 14, 2024Rehabilitation of the historic Spring Brook Bridge in Beaver Creek is complete, and the gravel road east of town is now open. The bridge had been showing signs of wear — cracking, pitting and some erosion underneath — and the Rock County Highway Department received grant funding to repair the historic structure. At their Aug. 6 meeting, Rock County commissioners approved the final payment for…
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