March 19, 2019
As disability service providers in Minnesota continue to address significant challenges in staff recruitment and retention, they joined with individuals they support for a rally at the Capitol Rotunda in St. Paul March 12.
Their top concern is the push for a “competitive workforce factor” to address the shortage of direct support professionals (DSPs) serving people with disabilities.
This adds a…
March 19, 2019
Three Rock County 4-H’ers were among 52 youth across the region who attended the daylong Southwest BLU leadership retreat March 2 at Southwest State University in Marshall.
Janica Oechsle and Emma Deutsch attended as participants while Josie Scholten, a Minnesota State 4-H Ambassador, assisted with leading the retreat.
BLU — Building Leadership and Understanding — encouraged youth to make and…
March 19, 2019
Eleven Rock County 4-H’ers in grades kindergarten through high school shared their communication talents Feb. 28 at the annual 4-H Communication Arts Contest in Luverne.
Members participated in photojournalism, creative writing, interpretive reading and photojournalism.
Contest goals included developing effective skills in both written and oral communications, developing poise and self-…
March 19, 2019
Good Samaritan Society Luverne was deficiency free in 2018, according to Providigm, a company that specializes in quality assurance and performance improvement (QAPI) in health care.
It recently recognized the Mary Jane Brown Home in Luverne with its Embracing Quality Award, which is given to facilities with deficiency-free state surveys for the entire calendar year.
State health departments…
March 19, 2019
Luverne High School band and choirs presented their March concert Saturday, March 16, in the high school gym following their work with expert clinicians. The band worked under the direction of John Aboud, Algona, Iowa, and the choirs were scheduled to perform with Dr. Michael Culloton from Concordia College, Moorhead. Culloton, however, was unable to travel to Luverne for the event, so Luverne…
By Lori Sorenson
March 13, 2019
Several county roads and an unknown number of township gravel roads in Rock County are closed this morning due to flooding.
They join dozens of other flooded roadways — including I-90 near Luverne — in southern Minnesota that are making travel difficult for motorists.
Emergency officials warn to remind motorists to be watchful for flooded areas as water can rise quickly.
Culverts plugged with…
By Lori Sorenson
March 12, 2019
Local public works officials took advantage of Monday’s thawing temperatures to catch up with snow removal and prepare for possible flooding.
“We spent all day clearing storm gutters to get ready for the two inches of rain we’re supposed to get,” Luverne public works employee Matt McClure said Monday.
He and his co-workers were putting in extra hours to clear frozen slush from alleys and curbs to…
By Lori Sorenson
March 12, 2019
An ag shop building collapsed Saturday afternoon at Ahrendt Bros. feedlot after several inches of snow on the roof became too heavy for the structure to support.
Jeff and Troy Ahrendt had just finished feeding cattle that afternoon around 3:30 when the roof fell in on top of the equipment stored inside the 52-by-100-foot shop.
“It’s an older building, but it’s where we park our pay loaders, feed…
By Mavis Fodness
March 12, 2019
Extensive repairs and equipment upgrades will be completed within the Rock County Rural Water System over the next five years.
System manager Ryan Holtz outlined the 2019-2023 capital outlay plan to county commissioners who gave him the green light to apply for a low-interest loan to speed up the repairs and upgrades to the 41-year-old pipeline.
The plan outlines a total of $586,200 for…
By Lori Sorenson
March 12, 2019
When Luverne School District residents approved a $23 million bond sale for building improvements, it passed on the first try with an overwhelming majority.
While it came as welcome news at the time, it turns out Luverne was an anomaly during 2017 when only 25 percent of bond issues passed in schools across Minnesota.
Of those, most were in the Twin Cities metro districts where farmland isn’t…
By Mavis Fodness
March 12, 2019
An age-old activity is a much sought-after student reward at Luverne Elementary School.
Show and tell is an activity where children bring items to school and describe them to their classmates.
For third-grade teacher Dana Wolf, the students know show and tell is conducted the last Friday of the month.
“It provides a time in our busy schedule to focus on other important life lessons, like being a…
By Lori Sorenson
March 12, 2019
By Lori Sorenson
Hills deer farm operator Greg Leenderts recently traveled to St. Paul to visit with lawmakers about how proposed legislation would affect his business.
“Chronic wasting disease has become a hot topic the last year and legislators are looking for someone to blame,” Leenderts said.
“Deer farmers agree that CWD is a disease that needs to be monitored; however, this bill has nothing…
By Mavis Fodness
March 12, 2019
Before her recognition as the Sub-Region 10 Triple ‘A’ winner, Luverne High School senior Gabi Ferrell opened the Pipestone versus Luverne boys’ basketball game Feb. 21 by singing the national anthem.
Then she graciously smiled for the crowd, posed for pictures and silently disappeared into the crowd.
Ferrell was the LHS female student representative for the program that honors students for their…
March 12, 2019
It’s common for workers to set their withholding when they start a job and never revisit it. For many, this may have worked year over year if their income and life changed very little, leading to a usual, expected outcome when filing.
But then tax reform happened.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) adjusted tax withholdings from employee paychecks last year, throwing a wrench in the plans of many…
By Lori Sorenson
March 05, 2019
Friday, March 1, was the first day of meteorological spring, but the mercury in the thermometer and the ever-growing snow piles on the ground tell another story.
While the long winter has created hardships on many fronts, some obvious complications are surfacing on city streets.
Piled high boulevards — upwards of 6 to 10 feet high in some places — and narrow pathways on sidewalks give residential…
By Mavis Fodness
March 05, 2019
Luverne wrapped up the 2019 Mock Trial season with its fifth-consecutive trip to the state tournament.
Team results have not been released, but two individuals were recognized for their performance at the Duluth tournament on Feb. 28-March 1.
Senior Jessica Anderson was named All-State Attorney and junior Jordan Winter received the All-State Witness award.
For Jessica Anderson and seniors Jadyn…