October 09, 2024
Volunteers with the Luverne Fire Department spent Monday afternoon talking fire prevention with the kindergarten through fifth-grade students in the Luverne Elementary School parking lot. The 494 students rotated through four stations set up by the volunteer firefighters. Stations included information on what to do in the event of a fire in your house; how to be safe while biking, boating and…
By Lori Sorenson
October 09, 2024
The Minnesota Department of Transportation (MnDOT) is seeking public input on the impact of a 2026 road construction project on the intersection of Main Street and Highway 75 in Luverne.
Specifically, the flag park at the southeast corner of the intersection will be affected by wider shoulders resulting from the project.
The project will temporarily impact 0.11 acre of the park and permanently…
By Mavis Fodness
October 09, 2024
Khloe Susie of Hills is still smiling from a trip to Europe where she played international softball for the United States.
Susie, 14, a freshman at Garretson High School, was asked this summer by acquaintances associated with area fast pitch softball associations if she wanted to play games in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium through USA Athletics (USAA) International Softball.
The players…
By Mavis Fodness
October 09, 2024
Members of New Vision and Crystal Valley cooperatives voted against a proposed merger of the two companies.
Results of the vote were announced Oct. 2.
Exact voting numbers were not released.
New Vision needed two-thirds of its 2,200 members to approve the unification vote.
Crystal Valley needed a simple majority of its 2,700 members for the merger to go forward.
Both cooperatives will…
October 09, 2024
The Rock County Pheasants Forever chapter hosted its 40th annual banquet Thursday night at Big Top Tents and Events in Luverne. By many measures, local chapter members reported a record evening with over 250 in attendance and record receipts from fundraising and donations. Dan LaRock emceed the event which included live and silent auctions, games and kids’ raffles. According to information shared…
By Lori Sorenson
October 09, 2024
The Kid’s Rock Inc. nonprofit board has reopened the hiring process for an executive director after Dina Brown left Luverne for a family need in New York.
Board president Emily Crabtree said the turn of events was disappointing, but she said Brown had accomplished a great deal in the short amount of time she served as director.
“Dina has helped us administratively get many parts of our services…
By Mavis Fodness
October 09, 2024
Three candidates are seeking election to two open seats on the Magnolia City Council in the Nov. 5 general election.
Robert Somnis filed for re-election to his seat on the council, and Mary Smook is not seeking re-election. Newcomers Justin DeGroot and Sam German Vasquez are also seeking election to the four-year seats on the council.
The Star Herald asked each candidate three questions,…
By Mavis Fodness
October 09, 2024
Three candidates are seeking election to two open seats on the Hills City Council in the Nov. 5 general elections.
Both seats are four-year terms.
Current council member Ross Metzger is not seeking re-election.
Council member Alan Leenderts, who is filling the unexpired term of Stacen Burgers, is also not seeking election to the council.
Filing for the council positions are Joseph Streeter,…
By Lori Sorenson
October 09, 2024
Beaver Creek City Council members approved their preliminary 2025 budget and levy during their Sept. 10 meeting.
The proposed levy was set at $160,496 for taxes payable in 2025. That’s an 9.6-percent increase over the current levy of $146,342.
The amount will help bridge the gap between Beaver Creek’s revenues of $147,157 and its expenses of $307,653 in 2025.
A new fire truck is one of the…
By Mavis Fodness
October 09, 2024
Hills-Beaver Creek School District’s levy will decrease .37 percent in 2025, according to action school board members took Sept. 23.
In the preliminary setting of the 2025 levy, the state-tabulated amount will total $4.010 million, down $15,080 from the prior year.
The state earmarks three areas — general fund, debt service and community service — for which the H-BC district can use the local…
By Mavis Fodness
October 09, 2024
The Rock County Sheriff’s Office recently passed the Minnesota Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) audit, a compliance review that takes place every five years.
Sheriff Evan Verbrugge praised his staff at the Sept. 17 County Board meeting, where a copy of the passed review notification was viewed.
“We have a pretty good crew that makes sure that the training is updated,” he…
By Mavis Fodness
October 09, 2024
At Monday night’s Homecoming coronation ceremony at Hills-Beaver Creek, Emma Deelstra and Lukas Hubbard were selected to reign over Homecoming as queen and king.
Completing the Homecoming royalty court are seniors Gracie Fagerness, Bailey Spykerboer, Harli Rozeboom, Cameron Allen, Gate Lacey and Talon Steensma.
Class attendants include freshmen AnnMarie Wiersema and Garrett Blank, sophomores…
October 09, 2024
Adam Holmstrom, a University of South Dakota, Vermillion, physical therapy student, presented to local pickleball players Monday morning with Jobi Colwell, clinical instructor and physical therapist at Sanford Luverne Medical Center.
They visited local teams playing at the new National Guard Readiness Center in Luverne Monday morning to offer physical therapy tips.
Holmstrom said proper warmups…
By Lori Sorenson
October 02, 2024
The Rock County Star Herald hosted a livestreamed and recorded candidate forum Wednesday, Sept. 25, from the new Star Media studio.
The forum featured candidates vying for election to mayor and city council — in both the north and south wards.
Isaac DeBoer is challenging incumbent Pat Baustian for election as mayor, and Josh Gangestad is challenging incumbent Dan Nath for election to the North…
By Lori Sorenson
October 02, 2024
More than 70 Luverne residents attended Monday night’s “town hall meeting” in the Generations building to learn more about the mysterious yellow-brown substance that’s been staining their properties.
Mostly they were hoping to hear a source had been identified and action would be taken to stop the problem.
About halfway through the meeting, however, it became clear the investigation was still…
October 02, 2024
The first student council-organized “ABC” parade drew 53 Luverne High School students who drove “Anything But Cars” in the inaugural event Friday morning from the Luverne Ice Arena north on Donaldson Street to the school campus. Motorcycles were the most common ABC mode of transportation. Other modes included tractors, scooters, golf carts and even a race car, a bulldozer and a dump truck.