The Luverne Economic Development Authority is planning for the city’s newest residential development, the Lopau Addition.
At Monday morning’s first EDA meeting of 2023, the board reviewed a feasibility report and concept layout of the new addition.
The development, estimated to cost more than $2 million, will accommodate 24 residential lots.
Nineteen lots will be designated for single-family homes and five will be multi-family lots for twin homes (10 units on the north end).
Plans and specs for the street and utility projects will be finalized this month, and a bid letting will be in February.
According to discussion at Monday’s meeting, construction of infrastructure and utilities will start this spring and should be substantially complete this fall.
The utility and infrastructure construction project includes installing an 8-inch sanitary sewer main and 6- and 12-inch water mains to serve the 24 residential lots.
The existing property will be graded to accommodate a variety of houses, which include slab on grade structures, walk-out basements, garden window basements and full basements.
Lots will be accessed by 36-foot-wide asphalt streets, and drainage will follow curb and gutters, drainage swales in backyards and a storm sewer system that outlets into a detention basin on the east side of the extended North Walnut Avenue.
The detention basin will retain a portion of storm water on site that will drain through a filter before out-letting upstream of Poplar Creek and will reduce the proposed runoff flow rate.
“This will also serve any future residential growth,” EDA Director Holly Sammons said. “This water detention area was an important part of planning.”
The board discussed the “stub street” of north Walnut Avenue and the fact that it cannot be connected to the Uithoven Addition to the north.
“There’s a spring that goes through there and it’s very wet. The engineers said there’s no way we can put a road there,” Sammons further explained.
“It would have been nice to connect the street there, but with the waterway there, it won’t work. This will remain a water detention area.”
The LEDA owns the lots and will host a public hearing to set lot prices and establish protective covenants later this year.
The lots will be on the market in 2023 and will be available for new home construction in 2024.
LEDA will use a combination of cash reserves and the revenue from lot sales to make bond payments.
“As the older lots are sold and paid off, they’ll start paying for new development over here,” said Mayor Pat Baustian who serves as EDA president.
 
Background
In the fall of 2020, the city paid Lynn Lopau $661,500 for 10 acres of land — $475,000 for the house, garage and two acres, and $186,500 for the rest of the eight acres, including two outbuildings.
After remodeling and updating the home, the city later sold the house, garage and two acres for $498,000 to Greg and Janet Burger.
 
Future housing needs
According to remarks in the feasibility study for the Lopau Addition, “It is imperative that new lots are available to meet current needs and attract others to the city of Luverne.”
That assumption is based on projected growth and limited residential lots available for sale in the city.
“The city of Luverne is continuing to grow as it is a clean, safe, well-maintained city with an excellent school system and medical network,” the feasibility report states.
“New businesses continue to choose the city of Luverne as their home, and existing businesses are expanding to meet growing needs. As the population of the city of Luverne continues to rise, the tax base continues to grow, and residents spend their money locally to support local businesses; all of which benefits the community.”
 
Updated housing study
Because of recent housing development and the potential for more than 150 new jobs in the industrial park, Maxfield Research will update Luverne’s housing study later this year 2023.
The last study was completed in 2019, and since that time, the Uithoven Addition was added to include 15 single-family and twin home lots.
Also, 54 market rate rental units (PrairiE Loft) have been constructed, and four luxury-size lots north of town were annexed into the city limits in the Schmuck Addition.
In addition to the Lopau Addition’s 19 single-family and five multi-family lots, another lot or two may be added to the Reisch Addition, which is on the stub of Walnut Avenue north of RCO and Mary Jane Brown.

When Tiffany Muellner isn’t talking about Blue Mounds State Park as part of her job as park naturalist, she’s busy visiting other parks.
“It is almost kind of funny that when I am not at work at the park, I am visiting parks for vacation,” she said.
Her life goal is to visit each Minnesota State Park and all of the national parks.
She’ll enjoy each park visit for various reasons.
“I literally can’t pick a favorite park because they are so unique and different. There is something I have loved at every park I have ever worked in or ever been to,” she said.
Muellner became the park naturalist at Blue Mounds in June. She was immediately drawn to the area’s Sioux quartzite rock outcrops.
“It’s small in earth scale but it’s so unique to here,” she said. “It is a really cool rock, which is a weird thing for a farm girl to say — I’ve picked a lot of rocks — but this one’s pretty.”
Muellner’s rock picking was at the family’s dairy farm near Sauk Center, in central Minnesota. On her days off, she often finds herself helping her mom and dad along with her brother on the farm.
“Whatever I can do to be outside, that is the main goal,” she said.
In high school Muellner knew she didn’t want a career in agriculture. She found a possible focus in the natural resources field, while attending the state FFA convention one year.
“I knew I wanted something that would allow me to be outdoors and something that, at least, sometimes worked with animals,” she said.
Muellner competed in the FFA fish and wildlife contests for several years, and her interest in wildlife and natural resources has only grown.
She attended the University of Minnesota Crookston, receiving degrees in natural resources and wildlife management. For nine years she worked in various resource positions before coming to Luverne full time.
“I’ve pretty much been in every corner of the state,” Muellner said. “Between school, living and working I’ve been around the state. Luverne is the farthest south I’ve been.”
And she wants more people to experience the Sioux quartzite in southwest Minnesota and the bison.
“I’ve learned so much about bison in my first position and there is so much more to learn,” she said. “It has been incredible to come and work and see these big beasts outside my window.”
Muellner will share her bison knowledge from Memorial Day through Labor Day as she leads the scheduled 10 tours a week. Her predecessor, Amber Brooks, secured the bison buggy and launched the tours two years ago.
“All the logistics are here and I can make the tour my own for visitors to meet such a cool animal,” she said.
Last fall and now into the winter season, Muellner has organized education classes through Luverne Community Education and has conducted or will conduct different educational events at the state park.
Her more recent was the New Year hike on Jan. 1.
She has several more events scheduled before and after the snow melts that include beavers, a candlelight hike and possibly an activity with her favorite bird, the red-tailed hawk.
“To me, if I pique people’s interest, that’s a win,” she said. “And if I make them think of something that they may never have thought about before, I feel like I’ve done my job.”

About a dozen people gathered in the basement kitchen of Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Hills Saturday.
For several hours the group dismantled the 1950s kitchen and removed walls ahead of a $155,000 remodeling project that will improve the outdated kitchen.
From now until April, the kitchen will be transformed into an open concept commercial cook’s room with adjoining serving/buffet area and two handicapped-accessible bathrooms.
Planning began more than a year ago.
“We looked at our needs as a church and what’s in the community,” said Rebecca Spykerboer, who serves on the kitchen remodel committee.
“In Hills we don’t have a place where big meals can be prepared and big events at the same time.”
Once finished, the kitchen and adjoining fellowship hall (already remodeled) will be available to the public for rent.
Pastor Nita Parker said church members talked for several years about remodeling the kitchen and the one bathroom located in the east end of the basement.
Fundraising began last year to gauge interest, and enough money was raised to start the remodeling Saturday.
The committee is $40,000 from reaching the fundraising goal.
To stretch the budget, volunteers (like those gathered Saturday) will complete as many tasks as they can in the next couple of months until the project is finished through a contractor.
“Our hope is to have the work done by Easter,” Parker said.
The new kitchen and adjoining area will match the paint and wood finishes used in the fellowship hall.

The Luverne girls’ basketball team played two big games against tough opponents this past week.
The Cardinals won a nailbiter against Marshall on Friday, Jan. 6, and they suffered their first loss of the season to Montevideo on Saturday, Jan. 7.
Luverne, now 7-1 for the season, was scheduled to host Worthington Tuesday, Jan. 10, and will travel to St. James Friday, Jan. 13.
 
Luverne 46, Marshall 42
Luverne hosted conference rival Marshall Friday, Jan. 6, and came out on top of one of the most exciting contests so far this year.
“Facing a perennial AAA powerhouse like Marshall is always a tough task,” LHS head coach TJ Newgard said.  
“These girls came into the game knowing that if they played their game and battled, they would have a chance to win.”
Luverne was able to outshoot Marshall in the paint, posting 30 points under the net to Marshall’s 14 points.
The Cardinals were also able as a team to outrebound the Tigers 31-17.
Marshall exploited the parameter, sinking five of 15 3-point shots.
The game came down to fouls and free throw attempts in the second half.
Luverne made 73 percent of their free throws in the game.
Junior Kira John had a big night inside for the Cardinals. John posted 13 points, eight rebounds, one assist, one steal and two blocked shots.
Senior Elizabeth Wagner was also on fire, making 17 points, seven rebounds, three assists and one steal.
Senior Jocelyn Hart was a scrapper in the game, finding herself on the floor several times fighting for the ball. Hart posted six points, two rebounds and two steals.
Senior Christina Wagner played a solid game with five points, seven rebounds, one steal and two blocked shots.
In the end, the Cardinals’ energy dictated the pace of the game and pressured their Marshall opponents, despite modest team stats.
“I am really proud of how they competed for 36 minutes and knocked down some big free throws down the stretch,” Newgard said.
 
Montevideo 61, LHS 51
On the heels of their big win over Marshall, a tired Cardinal team traveled to Montevideo the next day, Saturday, Jan. 7, to take on a tough Thunderhawks team.
The Cardinals lost 61-51 to a strong Montevideo team that was a state contender in 2021-22.
“They won our section for a reason last year. They have one of the top players in the state and she proved that Saturday night,” Newgard said.
“Our execution, particularly on the defensive end, was very poor, and I thought that was the difference in the game.”
 Christina Wagner had a big night for the Cardinals posting 23 points, grabbing three rebounds and two steals and blocking two shots.
Senior Emma Beyer contributed eight points, three rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Elizabeth Wagner had six points, nine rebounds and two assists.
Kira John had four points, eight rebounds, three assists and one steal.
Senior Averill Sehr and junior Sarah Stegenga added five points each.

The Luverne boys’ basketball team had a busy week on the hardwood with a big conference victory and two losses, putting their season record at 4-4.
The Cardinals won a big game, 58-57, against conference rival Marshall at home Jan. 6 before dropping a game the next day, 52-48, to Montevideo and falling to the Trojans, 65-54, Monday in Worthington.
The Cardinals will travel to St. James Friday, Jan. 13, to Estelline, South Dakota, Saturday, Jan.14, and to Jackson on Tuesday, Jan. 17.
 
Luverne 58, Marshall 57
Luverne basketball fans were treated to an exciting game Friday night in the Cardinal Gym when the LHS boys edged a tough Tigers team by one point.
“That was one of the most fun games in recent history for us. We haven’t beaten Marshall since 2012, so it was fun to finally beat them,” head coach John Sichmeller said.
“The kids played their best defensive game of the year and executed our game plan perfectly.”
Both Luverne and Marshall played physical ball with several lead changes in the fast-paced game.
The Cardinals found themselves down 27-24 at halftime but didn’t relent in the second half when they kept the score close.
Marshall fell behind and committed several fouls in the last few minutes of the game, giving Luverne a chance to step to the foul line for the 58-57 win.
To cap off the night, senior Gannon Ahrendt broke Luverne’s career all-time scoring record with attitude, dunking the ball over Marshall senior Andrew Elton.
Ahrendt passed Brett Heronimus, who had the record since 2013 with 1248 points.
Ahrendt ended the night with 30 points, eight rebounds and one assist.
Junior Carter Sehr helped out with 11 points, five rebounds and two assists.
Junior Gavin DeBeer played a solid game inside netting 10 points, grabbing three rebounds, two assists and one steal.
Also contributing to the win for the Cardinals were seniors Riley Sneller and Tyson Cowell with two points apiece and Marcus Feit with one point.
 
Montevideo 52, LHS 48
Coming off the big win against Marshall Friday night, Luverne suffered a heartbreaking 52-48 loss to the Thunderhawks at Montevideo Saturday, Jan. 7.
“The game was close the entire time and could have gone either way,” Sichmeller said.
“We got down five or six points and fought back to tie the game at 48. We couldn’t quite come up with the big play at the end to put us over the top.” 
Gannon Ahrendt led the Cardinals with 16 points, seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and two blocked shots.
Sehr also posted 16 points, grabbed three rebounds, made three assists and one steal.
DeBeer made five points, muscled 11 rebounds and one assist.
Sneller added four points, two rebounds, two assists and two steals.
Cowell also had four points plus three rebounds and two assists.
 
Worthington 65, LHS 54
The Luverne boys’ basketball team dropped a 65-54 game to the Trojans at Worthington Monday, Jan. 9.
The Cardinals, having already played two tough teams in the past five days, fell a bit flat, getting outrebounded and outhustled in the paint.
Sehr came up big for the Cardinals, scoring 25 points and nabbing two rebounds, two assists and four steals.
Ahrendt had a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
DeBeer contributed 10 points, two rebounds, one assist and one steal.
Other Cardinals scoring against the Trojans were Marcus Feit with three points and Trevor DeBates sinking two points.

When Mother Nature makes snow, the Sno-Masters Snowmobile Club makes trails — 110 miles of groomed trails in Rock County.
And last week’s 15 to 20 inches of snow created excitement among local snowmobile enthusiasts.
“I can say this is the first year the ditches have been this full in my 13 years running the groomer,” said Greg VandeVelde, Sno-Masters Club leader.
“This is by far the most snow we’ve had in a long time.”
That’s why he spent most of Saturday grooming the trails so local riders could enjoy them.
Club member Dave Severtson also helped with some trail grooming over the weekend.
“This is the best snow base we’ve seen in the last four or five years,” he said.
Single-digit temperatures kept some snowmobilers from hitting the trails over the weekend, but Severtson said they’ll have plenty of time to ride on them.
“It should be good for the rest of the season,” he said.
He and VandeVelde urged riders to register their machines and join the Sno-Masters Club to support their efforts.
“Minnesota Snowmobiling [through the DNR] funds all state trails, so the money that is spent on registrations, joining a club and joining the state club MNUSA … all that money is dispersed to all the clubs in Minnesota,” VandeVelde said.
The SnoMasters Club gets $24,000 per year (based on trail miles) and it’s used for fuel expense, trail maintenance, equipment and most recently the clubhouse in Luverne that was finished in 2019.
“All these things cost money, that’s why it’s imperative that people join their local clubs and pay their dues,” VandeVelde said.
“We have 35 active members, and I know there are way more snowmobilers out there using the trails. … That’s OK, but if you live in Rock County and own a snowmobile, you should think about joining the Sno-Masters.”
He can be reached at 507-920-5189 for information about the club and how to join.
The Sno-Masters Facebook provides updates on trail conditions and special events, like the upcoming Butch Connell memorial ride.

Rock County residents awoke Monday morning to more of nature’s artwork after a foggy Sunday night resulted in a generous coating of ice crystals on grass blades, tree branches and fence lines. These images were captured east of the Luverne City Park along the east bank of the Rock River. Hoar frost derives from the old English word “hoary,” meaning getting on in age. With this thought in mind, many trees, especially evergreens, did present a "hair-like" appearance resembling white, feathery beards.
 

Meetings
Battle Plain Township Board will meet 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, in the conference room at Edgerton Ag, 1300 Mechanic St. No. 4408.
Blue Mound Cemetery Association will meet at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 19, in the home of Dick and Dolly Remme.
 
Blue Mounds State Park offers January activities
•Meet in the Picnic Shelter from 10 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 14, to learn about beavers, nature’s architects and America’s largest rodents.
Discover how these critters use their unique adaptations to play a valuable role on the landscape. The program will conclude with a short walk down to the creek to look for beaver activity.
•Meet in the Picnic Shelter from 1 to 2 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 28, for Winter Birding: Owls. Winter can be a great time to view owls. Find out what makes these wonderful birds so special and discover what species are in the backyard.
 
Story time starts Jan. 17 at library
Story Time with Bronwyn at the Rock County Library is at 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays beginning Jan. 17 through April 25, and at 10 a.m. Fridays beginning Jan. 20 through Apri/ 28. Stories and make-and-take crafts are the same at either event.
For more information call 507-449-5040 or email rockcountystaff@gmail.com.
 
Winter Carnival Jan. 21
Luverne Music Boosters Winter Carnival will be from 5 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 21, in the Luverne Classic Gym. The event features food, games, prizes, Bingo, a cakewalk and more to benefit music education in Luverne Schools. 
 
Online Extension offerings
The University of Minnesota Extension will offer two distance education opportunities.
•Introductory farm transitions and estate planning is each Wednesday through January. Register at https://z.umn.edu/23FarmTransition to receive a link to each session. Call 507-372-3900 ext. 3906 for info.
•Sowbridge, the distance education series for managing and caring for sows and/or their litters and boars are scheduled for the first Wednesday of the month from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. There is a cost.
Register by Jan. 20 at z.umn.edu/SowBridgeRegistration.
 
Free tax preparation at library
AARP volunteers will offer free tax preparation for low-income individuals and seniors at the Rock County Library on Mondays starting Feb. 13 through April 15.
Call 507-449-5040 for appointments. Bring documents, including last year’s tax return and a form of identification to document social security number. Tax returns for 2021 will be prepared if requested.
 
Community Ed
Community Education will offer the following classes in the next few weeks. Call 507-283-4724 to register.
Luverne students grades 8 and older may register for Winter or Summer Driver Education for $365, which covers 30 hours of classroom and six hours of behind-the-wheel instruction. Winter session begins Jan. 23. On Jan. 16, out-of-district students may register for open spots.
Children ages 0-5 years and parents can enjoy Preschool Fun Time on Jan. 24 or 26. There’s no fee, but register for morning or evening.
 Kids in the Kitchen (grades K-6) will make Superbowl Snacks on Jan. 26.  Fee is $21.
 Students (grades K-5) can learn to decorate Valentine’s Day Cookies at B's Bakehouse on Feb. 2. Register by Jan. 27. Fee is $30.
ECFE Classes for children ages 0-5 years and parents offers information and support to parents and provides activities for parents and children to explore together through classes that meet once a week throughout the school year. 
Defensive Driving 8-hour class provides a 10 percent premium discount on auto insurance to anyone 55 years of age or older. The 8-hour class needs to be taken once and the insurance discount is good for three years. A 4-hour refresher class can be taken every three years to remain eligible for the insurance discount.
Beginning 8 Hour Classes are April 17 and 24 (4 hours each evening)
Refresher 4-Hour Classes are Jan. 23, Feb. 13, March 13, April 3
New Residents: Census Information Needed for Preschool Children. Call 507-283-4724 with information for children ages 0 to kindergarten. The school district uses the information for planning purposes, mailing out information on school events, including the state-mandated Preschool Screening for all 3-year-old children.
 
Library Happenings
For more information about library happenings, call 507-449-5040 or email rockcountystaff@gmail.com.
Story Time with Bronwyn is 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays beginning Jan. 17 through April 25, and at 10 a.m. Fridays beginning Jan. 20 through Apri/ 28. Stories and make-and-take crafts are the same at either event.
Winter Book Club is currently being organized to meet at different local restaurants during January, February and March.
The 50 State Challenge for adults and older teens is currently underway where patrons are encouraged to read a book set in one of each of the 50 states. The challenge ends Jan. 1, 2024.
The annual Plum Cleek Library System winter reading program, “Get Wrapped in Reading,” goes now until March 31.
Trivia Night is at 7 p.m. the first Thursday of every month at Take 16 in Luverne. Team registration begins at 6 p.m.
Reminiscence Kits are available featuring various topics such as gardening, pets, baking, sewing, farming and hunting. The kits are designed to use with a loved one experiencing memory loss, encouraging the loved one to open up about activities they once loved in the past.
 
Food Shelf evening hours
The Rock County Food Shelf is now open for an additional evening shift from 5 to 6 p.m. the first and third Thursdays of the month. Call Mary at 507-227-5548 or Katie at 507-227-3531.
 
CoffeeBreak Bible Study meets Tuesdays
CoffeeBreak Bible Study meets each Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. at the Christian Reformed Church in Luverne. There will be StoryHour Bible stories and playtime for ages 3 to kindergarten, and a nursery is available. It’s free for all faiths and no prior Bible knowledge is necessary. Call Kristi Stroeh at 507-227-5102 or email atkristi.stroeh@hotmail.com
 
A.C.E. respite care available, volunteers needed
A.C.E. of SW Minnesota (A.C.E.) offers respite care services in Rock County for those needing a break from caring for a loved one.
The respite program offers short-term (1-3 hours), temporary care for families and caregivers by providing a brief period of reprieve from the daily cares they provide to their loved one.
Volunteers provide non-professional supportive services to caregivers to give them time for themselves, relieve their stress and help them remain healthy.
Respite care volunteers are also needed. Trained A.C.E. volunteers provide respite care to family caregivers of adults age 60 and older who are suffering from long-term health conditions.
Contact Linda Wenzel at 507-283-5064 or ace.rock@co.rock.mn.us.

At the first meeting of the new year, the Hills-Beaver Creek School District Board of Education repeated the oath of office along with newly-elected members Eric Uittenbogaard and Travis Helgeson led by Board Chairman Arlyn Gehrke (far left). Pictures counterclockwise from Gehrke are Chris Harnack, Tami Rauk (clerk), Tim Bosch (vice chair), Ethan Rozeboom (treasurer), Travis Helgeson and Eric Uittenbogaard.