City of Luverne union employees are about to start a new three-year contract, which was approved at the Dec. 20 City Council meeting.
The new three-year labor agreement calls for a 4.5 percent increase in 2023, a 3.5 percent increase in 2024 and a 3.5 percent increase in 2025.
Council members acted on year-end finance resolutions that included other wage adjustments for 2023.
The city’s non-union, administrative and department heads will also receive 4.5-percent salary increases effective Jan. 1.
The following increases include step and lane changes and account for additional duties where applicable.
City Administrator John Call retired at a salary of $140,431. His replacement, Jill Wolf, is starting at $130,000.
Finance director Barb Berghorst retired at $117,499 in July. Her replacement, finance director Robyn Wessels, will receive a salary increase from $96,470 to $101,982.
Water and wastewater supervisor Al Lais retired at $104,187. His replacement, Darrel Ykema, will receive a salary of $88,899.
Public works supervisor John Stoffel’s salary increased from $95,202 to $100,651.
City clerk Jessica Mead’s salary increased from $80,850 to $85,654.
Accountant Candy Reese’s salary increased from $86,195 to $91,250.
Building official Chad McClure’s salary increased from $85,072 to $90,085.
Pool manager Sam Honerman’s salary increased from $80,850 $85,654.
EDA director Holly Sammons’ salary increased from $79,727 to $84,469.
Liquor store manager Kenny Rolling’s salary increased from $78,603 to $83,304.
Peggy Adams filled the position of deputy finance clerk when Wessels was promoted. Her salary increased from $70,720 to $75,088.
Assistant pool manager Michelle DeKam’s salary increased from $57,242 to $60,986.
Electric department salaries are paid from the city’s $600,000 contract with Missouri River Energy Services.
Those workers — Brian Remme, Mike Gangestad, Mike Buss and Jeff Bechthold — are MRES employees, and their salary information is not public. The department is currently hiring for an open position.

Thumbs up — to snowplow drivers and snow removal crews fighting a non-stop battle this winter.
Thumbs up — to law enforcement, first responders, utility workers and others who work in winter conditions to keep people safe.
Thumbs down — to those who drive on closed roads in the winter. They put themselves and others at risk by doing so and can delay the opening of the roads if they become stranded. 
Thumbs up — to modern-day technology and policies that allow working and learning from home during this "old-fashioned" winter we’ve been experiencing this year. 
Thumbs down — to uneven sidewalks and cracks that stop my snow shoveling abruptly.
Thumbs up — to the “good neighbors” who helped each other recover from the weekly weather occurrences.
Thumbs up — to the great opportunities for winter recreation, such as sledding, snowmobiling, snowshoeing, etc. The snow creates the opportunities; all we have to do is take advantage of it.
Thumbs up — to creative individuals who organize ways to get us outside such as the Hills-Beaver Creek eighth graders and their Little Free Sled Library.
Thumbs up — to Blue Mounds State Park naturalist Tiffany Muellner who hosted the New Year’s Day hike and wildlife talks and is facilitating the upcoming candlelight hike.
Thumbs up — to the organizers, supporting businesses and attendees of the 41st Annual Music Boosters Winter Carnival on Saturday. It's a great tradition and it seems like a smaller number of volunteers each year work hard to make it happen.
Thumbs down — to the poor condition of Highway 75. It’s already in full pothole mode and it’s supposed to last until 2025 when the state is planning its reconstruction.
Thumbs up — to school officials who juggle and reschedule class time, bus schedules and extracurricular activities because of weather related cancelations.
Thumbs up — to the Luverne’s Minnesota Veterans Home for being recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of America’s Best Nursing Homes. 

It’s been four months since we lost our Carson to suicide, and I haven’t yet made an appointment with a grief counselor.
I’m grateful for professionals who can guide a conversation, and I fully intend to have that conversation. I just haven’t felt the right moment or the right reason.
But that doesn’t mean I haven’t had therapy.
Webster defines therapy as “treatment intended to relieve or heal …” By this definition, I’ve already had more than my share of free therapy.
I find therapy in long, meaningful hugs. A grieving parent at the grocery store recently assured me the pain gets easier with time. There’s a certain comfort in shared tears, even if they escape in the produce aisle.
I find therapy in long walks on gravel roads — either alone with my thoughts or in the company of a good friend (who is also a good listener).
I find therapy in Chance’s thick, furry scruff. Dogs are also good listeners … he seems to understand the tears when I’m stroking his velvety, floppy ears.
I find therapy in deep snow and frosty mornings, knowing how much Carson would have enjoyed snowmobiling this winter. (Cold air and bright sunshine are good for fresh tears.)
I find therapy in church. I silently cried during a recent sermon about a mom (Mary) in Bible times who also lost her grown son under the most difficult of circumstances.
A cardinal sang to me one morning during our recent Florida vacation. I’ve never seen a cardinal in person and now wonder if it’s true that “when cardinals appear, angels are near.” Was it a message from Carson?
If nothing else, that little red bird and her beautiful song were therapeutic.
Tears, I’m told, play an important role in healing because they release stress hormones, like cortisol, and encourage the production of endorphins, which naturally relieve pain.
Holding back tears, therefore, isn’t healthy, and given that I’m not a “crier,” I assumed I’d need professional help in grieving for Carson.
Fortunately, the tears have found ways to escape. And fortunately, I’ve been blessed with the right people and the right opportunities in my grief process so far.
A friend on Saturday asked how I’ve been able to write columns in the Star Herald about such a devastating personal loss.
“It’s my therapy,” I said.
Thank you, dear readers, for sharing this journey with me and for being such great therapy.

In a little over two weeks a number of brave souls will be taking the Luverne Leap into freezing waters at The Lake in Luverne.
The leaping starts at 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11.
So far, the list of leapers include Flipper Man, Joshua Crabtree with Sanford, Sheriff Evan Verbrugge, Mike Davis, Dave Duffy, Luverne Mayor Pat Baustian, Jason Oye of Sunshine Foods, state trooper Joel de Cesare, Tim Gust with Rotary, Amanda McDonald of Take 16, Brady Dinger of Dinger Sales and Service LLC, Pat Saum with the Child’s Remembrance Garden, deputy Jeff Stratton, James Roby with Herman Motor, Commissioner Jody Reisch, Knute Oldre with Security Savings Bank, and Reece Carlson of Edward Jones.
For those of you on the fence deciding whether to leap or not, you don’t have to jump for a business. You can go alone like Flipper Man or get a group of friends together and do the unthinkable for a good cause, Luverne Area Community Foundation.
Each leaper has filled out the legal paper work assuring everyone that they are doing this of their own free will and are assuming any risk. That alone should tell you something about the leapers.
Each leaper paid the $25 leaping fee and has to raise at least another $75 in donations for the foundation.
So, if you are an alumnus of the school of common sense and would rather just donate money to the cause, by all means get the checkbook out or Venmo. Or, as always, cash is king.
You can donate to any of the leapers, but, just an FYI, if Flipper Man can raise a $1,000, he has an anonymous donor that will match that $1,000. As of the writing of this column Flipper Man has secured $650 in donations.
Donating is easy.
The old-fashioned way is to just call Emily Crabtree at the LACF office 507-220-2424 and she’ll be happy to help you. You can make your donation in the names of any of the leapers to help them reach their goals.
If you would like to donate in the name of Flipper Man you can drop that off at the Star Herald office or call the office 507-283-2333 and ask for me. I’ll make sure Flipper Man gets it and he’ll get it to the foundation office.
By the way, the public is welcome to come down to The Lake on the day of the leap and cheer on the leapers.

Question: Can someone please tell dealers or inform people that their auto lights do not work during daylight hours? Or put it on those digital signs along the interstates? I did not know this when I bought my ’05 Vibe and someone told me that. So when we had these storms and fog, there are people driving without lights at all or no taillights and when it is a white or silver vehicle makes it worse.
Answer:   We have been fighting that battle for many years now, and I hear about it all the time from people. I have always taught motorists to drive with their headlights on at all times, even during the day, so they can avoid the whole issue of when to have headlights on. Even if you think you have headlights on all the time, you might not. Turn them on manually; then you will know for sure.
Daytime running lights cannot be used in lieu of actual headlights during the times that actual headlights are required to be on. During those required times of headlights, all the other lights also are required (e.g., taillights, marker lamps, etc.). Those other lights are not always on when the so-called “automatic” lights are on either. 
You can avoid a ticket — and a crash — if you simply buckle up, drive at safe speeds, pay attention and always drive sober.  Help us drive Minnesota toward zero deaths.
If you have any questions concerning traffic-related laws or issues in Minnesota, send your questions to Sgt. Troy Christianson – Minnesota State Patrol at 2900 48th Street NW, Rochester MN 55901-5848.  (Or reach him at, Troy.Christianson@state.mn.us)

Dispatch report
Jan. 13
•Complainant reported an outage.
•Assistance from another department was requested.
•Complainant west-bound on Interstate 90 offramp, Luverne, requested­­ roadside assistance.
•Complainant on US Highway 75 and 91st Street, Luverne, requested roadside assistance.
•Complainant on E. Fletcher Street reported an assault.
•Complainant on 11th Street and 20th Avenue, Hills, reported a driving complaint.
Jan. 14
•Complainant on US Highway 75, Luverne, reported an abandoned vehicle.
•Complainant east-bound on Interstate 90, mile marker 1, Valley Springs, South Dakota, requested assistance from another department.
•Complainant west-bound on Interstate 90, mile marker 14, Luverne, reported a driving complaint.
•Complainant on E. Fletcher Street reported theft.
Jan. 15
•Complainant requested assistance from another department.
•Complainant west-bound on Interstate 90, mile marker 23, Magnolia, requested assistance from another department.
•Complainant on N. Kniss Avenue reported a parking issue.
•Complainant on W. Luverne Street reported an assault.
Jan. 16
•Complainant on N. Kniss Avenue reported a runaway.
•Complainant on N. Kniss Avenue reported a runaway.
Jan. 17
Complainant on W. Hatting Street reported theft.
•Complainant on Main Street and Estey Street reported a parking complaint.
•Complainant reported suspicious activity.
•Complainant on Luverne Street and East Park Street requested assistance from another department.
Jan. 18
•Complainant on 61st Street, Magnolia, reported a fire.
Jan. 19
•Complainant on County Road 4, near Interstate 90 ramp, Beaver Creek, requested assistance from another department.
•Complainant on N. Cedar Street and E. Fairway Drive reported a parking complaint.
•Complainant reported a civil issue.
•Complainant on S. Buckingham Street, Hardwick, reported a parking issue.
•A warrant was issued in Sioux Falls, South Dakota.
•Complainant on Interstate 90, mile marker, Beaver Creek, requested assistance from another department.
•Complainant reported harassing communications.
Jan. 20
•Complainant on Highway 75 and Warren Street reported visibility issues and snow.
•Complainant east-bound on Interstate 90, mile marker 10, Luverne, requested assistance for a tow.
•Complainant westbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 18, Luverne, requested assistance from another department.
•Complainant eastbound on Interstate 90, mile marker 17, Luverne, reported a driving complaint.
•Complainant on S. Walnut Street, Ellsworth, reported a civil issue.
•Complainant on 90th Avenue to County Road 11 and 100th Avenue, reported road closure.
In addition, officers responded to 13 motor vehicle accidents, 15 vehicles in the ditch, 4 escorts, 15 ambulance runs, 9 paper services, 2 animal complaints, 1 fingerprint request, 15 burn permits, 3 background checks, 1 gas drive-off, 4 alarms, 7 purchase and carry permits, 4 stalled vehicles, 27 traffic stops, 12 abandoned 911 calls, 3 welfare checks, 1 report of cattle out, 5 follow-ups.

A good way to measure growth over time is to track the number of building permits issued for construction.
Luverne building official Chad McClure compiled numbers for 2022 when he issued 160 permits valued at $29,450,362.
Of those, four were for single-family home construction valued at $757,134 and comprised 2.6 percent of permit valuations last year.
McClure points out that these valuations don’t reflect actual cost; they’re based on formulation for permitting purposes only.
Major projects permitted in 2022 include: 
•Lineage Logistics construction valued at $25,703,126. (That number reflects construction only. The project — with all equipment included, is valued at rougly $50 million)
•Fareway Meats retrofit and remodel valued at $365,000
•Minnesota Veterans Nursing Home east side window replacement and moisture damage repair $295,903.
As a point of interest, McClure noted that Sioux Falls permitted construction last year totaled $1 billion.
Considering the city’s 210,00 residents, that’s roughly $4,763 per resident.
By comparison, Luverne’s $29,450,360 worth of permitted construction for its nearly 5,000 residents computes to approximately $6,000 per resident.
McClure said this speaks well for Luverne’s progress.
“Making the tough decisions to preemptively have a developed industrial park with the required infrastructure updates in place gives the city and economic development office the ability to capitalize on development opportunities,” he said.
The 160 permits in 2022 valued at $29,450,362, compares with 129 permits in 2021 valued at $26,077,990. That number includes the $11 million city power plant generation improvement project completed in 2022.
The power plant permit was pending at the end of 2021, and when it was processed in 2022 it repopulated back to 2021.
Other major projects permitted in 2021 were the Luverne Aquatics and Fitness commercial addition and remodel valued at $4.3 million, Kemp Electric new commercial building in the industrial park valued at $180,000, PrairiE Loft Apartments valued at $7 million and Luverne Storage Rentals new commercial building in the industrial park valued at $230,000.

Eugene Marshall of the Blue Mound Area Theatre Board (left) accepts a $500 check from Bill Stegemann of CenterPoint Energy recently at the Palace Theatre in Luverne. The gift was generated through CenterPoint Energy’s Give Grant program that allows current and retired employees to earn funds with their volunteer hours. (Submitted photo and information)

Yes, we have lots of deep snow, and yes, we have cottontail rabbits, and yes, the rabbits get hungry when their food source is buried by the snow, and yes, they will eat most anything palatable they can find, and no, they don’t ask your permission to ruin the plants they choose to eat in your landscape.
As a rule, they will not dig down into the snow to find something to eat, but they will eat whatever they like right down to the snow line. For many plants that is not a problem unless that particular plant blooms on old (last year’s) growth, ie. weigela or lilacs.
What I see them eating in my yard right now are the barberry shrubs and roses. I would ordinarily prune these shrubs back in the spring anyway so getting help with the task means instead of branches to pick up and haul away, I get rabbit poop.
The real damage comes from their eating the bark of young trees, most specifically fruit trees. As compared to other trees, fruit tree bark is their preference, and once they have girdled the tree, they have killed it.
Trees can be protected with vinyl tree wraps or paper wrap. Shrubs can be protected with fencing, provided it is high enough.
The option other than these physical barriers is to change the flavor of what they are eating so they leave it alone. If you Google natural rabbit repellent, you will find recipes using cayenne or chili pepper, garlic, dish soap, Tabasco sauce, eggs, and water in varying units added to water to spray on the stems at the level the damage is happening.  Depending on weather conditions, these natural sprays are pretty effective.  The egg and/or soap acts as an adherent to give longer residual protection. 
There are commercial rabbit repellent sprays available made with the same ingredients if you prefer not to make your own. That being said, you still will have to reapply periodically … and you successfully moved the rabbit population to your neighbor’s yard.
To me, the biggest threat is still coming later in the season. When tulips emerge in the spring, that tulip sprout is a rabbit treat, and they will totally ruin not only this year’s potential for flowers, but the bulb itself.
Therein lies the reason I have no appreciation for the critters. I trap them using a catch ’em alive trap baited with cracked corn. Yes, I have to release birds from the trap because they think the corn is for them.   And yes, the squirrels check out the free food, so there’s competition for the feast.
To eliminate the other visitors, I set the trap at dusk because rabbits feed at night.