Not guilty pleas entered in lcoal case of murder, homicide
Jayson Delfs, Hardwick, appeared in Rock County District Court Monday on charges of third-degree murder and vehicular homicide related to last year’s fatal crash northwest of Beaver Creek.
North Highway 75 now closed in Luverne
Highway 75 closed this week in Luverne between Main Street and Dodge Street for the highway reconstruction project set for April through October.
Smile - you're about to graduate!
Jim Juhl (far left) of Myhre Studio photographs the Luverne High School Class of 2026 on Main Street Tuesday morning under the marquee of the Historic Palace Theatre.
Flower Shop Dispensary now open
There’s a new kind of flower shop on Kniss Avenue in Luverne, but instead of roses customers can purchase a different kind of “bud.”
FFA hosts tractor parade for elementary students
Students in Luverne’s Future Farmers of America chapter organized a tractor parade for elementary students on Friday, April 10, in front of the Luverne Elementary School to celebrate “Drive Your Tractor to School Day”
Patriot Pals Child Care sees steady growth
Now entering its fifth month of operation, the Hills-Beaver Creek childcare program is steadily growing.
News
By Nicole RonchettiMarch 25, 2026The Rock County Board of Commissioners reviewed the next several years of county road and bridge projects and approved a five-year construction plan. Rock County Highway Engineer Mark Sehr presented the plan during the March 17 County Board meeting. The plan outlined eight projects coming up in 2026, including: •Bituminous mill/overlay on 11 miles of County Road 20 from Highway 23 to…- March 25, 2026The Rock County Sheriff’s Office issued the following information Tuesday afternoon regarding its involvement in the investigation of the case of the Sioux Falls 14-year-old McKenna Wendel: On March 23, 2026, the Rock County Sheriff’s Office was mentioned in the Sioux Falls Police Department press briefing in reference to the McKenna Wendel investigation. The Rock County Sheriff’s Office had…
March 25, 2026Local emergency responders were dispatched to a personal injury crash Tuesday morning on Highway 75 in the area of the Luverne Public Schools. According to the report, Beverly Hoogland, 72, was driving a 2018 Ford Edge southbound and she collided with Dominic Maras, 76, who was driving a 2015 GMC pickup northbound. No further information was available as of press time.
March 25, 2026March 16-20 was Farm Week at the Rock County Community Library, which hosted several days’ worth of community activities and programs. On Monday, there were farm-themed crafts and a scavenger hunt. Tuesday brought a tractor from Titan Machinery and cookie decorating. Wednesday included a tractor from C&B Operations and storytime with local farmers as guest readers. Thursday included a…
March 25, 2026The 21st Annual Luverne Heroes Behind the Badges blood drive on Jan. 19 successfully boosted the local blood supply, providing crucial support during the challenging winter season. The event, a friendly competition between the Luverne Fire Department and the Rock County Sheriff’s Office and EMS, encouraged community members to rally in support of their community heroes, and provide a lifesaving…
By Nicole RonchettiMarch 18, 2026Members of the Hills City Council heard a no-cost offer to modernize the city website, adding online billing, information on city financials, and archives of council minutes and meetings. Allen Saakyan, a resident of Hills and member of the Hills Chamber of Commerce, spoke to the council during its March 10 meeting, highlighting the importance of government transparency and website…
By Lori SorensonMarch 18, 2026Rock County was part of a major Midwest snowstorm that dropped several inches of snow that was accompanied by fierce wind that created blizzard conditions Sunday. Following a pattern that has been repeating over the past several weeks, the bulk of the heavy snow hit north and east of Rock County. However, this time, the weather system caught just enough of southwest Minnesota to close roads…
By Lori SorensonMarch 18, 2026For the third year in a row, wind energy production taxes will exceed $1 million in Rock County. In fact, the amount will be the most paid ever at $1,133,665. The five wind production farms in Rock County will pay $71,461 more in 2026 than they did in 2025. That’s according to an update provided to the Rock County Board of Commissioners at their March 3 regular meeting. The 165 turbines…
By Nicole RonchettiMarch 18, 2026The Blue Mound Area Theater board experienced a shake-up during its annual meeting on March 12 when three long-time directors were replaced with five new board members. The annual meeting is open to the public, but it usually sees only a handful of attendees. Thursday’s meeting drew a crowd of over 40 people. At the start of the meeting, former BMAT president Ben Vander Kooi made a motion to…
March 18, 2026Rock County Sheriff Matthew Sorenson on Tuesday announced his intention to file for election to office in the fall general election. Since October of 2025 he was hired by the county to fill the unexpired term of Evan Verbrugge who resigned from his position in the spring of 2025. Sorenson, 58, retired from the Minnesota State Patrol in December 2022 after 34 years in law enforcement. He…
By Nicole RonchettiMarch 18, 2026Continuing discussion from their last meeting, Luverne School Board members narrowed in on their preferred calendar for the 2026-27 school year during their work session on March 12. Of the options presented, board members decided on a clear favorite that would maintain a similar structure to years past. The favorite calendar would have 168 student days and begin on Sept. 8 before ending on…- March 18, 2026In a March 10 Senate Agriculture Committee hearing, ranking member Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) renewed calls to make E15 available to sell year-round. Since the outbreak of war in Iran, she said gas prices have risen sharply, causing pain at the pump for Americans. “With gas prices spiking, now’s the time to make E15 available year-round,” said Klobuchar. “It will help lower costs and decrease our…
By Lori SorensonMarch 18, 2026A culvert in Judicial Ditch No. 2 will be replaced with a larger one, despite pushback from landowners downstream. That’s according to a March 3 Rock County Board decision based on engineers’ recommendations and a hydrologic study. The decision comes after a Feb. 3 public hearing about upgrading a 60-inch culvert under 221st Street in Rose Dell Township with a 72-inch culvert. The current…
By Lori SorensonMarch 18, 2026Tree removal scheduled to begin this week on Highway 75 in Luverne was postponed until next week, due to Sunday’s snowstorm. The contractor, Husky Construction, was facing travel obstacles in getting to Luverne from Eden Prairie this week, and icy conditions weren’t conducive for tree removal. The work will now begin Monday, March 23, and continue for approximately a week, according to…- March 18, 2026Did you know it takes over 30,000 election judges to run elections across Minnesota? That’s a small army. These trained local residents work at more than 4,000 precincts statewide to help voters check in, answer questions and ensure ballots are counted accurately. They’ve stepped up to help democracy run smoothly, working before the polls open and staying until after the last ballot is…
By Lori SorensonMarch 18, 2026Renovation work is continuing on the former National Guard Armory building on Freeman Avenue in Luverne — months past the promised completion date. This means the contractor working on the project is now in “penalty phase,” according to County Administrator Kyle Oldre. “Again, last week they didn’t have anyone on site,” Oldre said at the March 3 County Board meeting. “They want to do a…
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