By John RittenhouseThe Luverne girls advanced to the championship game of the Luverne Cardinal Basketball Holiday Classic by defeating the Southwest Star Concept Quasars 48-36 during Thursday’s semifinals.Luverne overcame a sluggish offensive performance with balanced scoring and an outstanding effort at the charity stripe. The Cards made 80 percent of their free throws and outscored SSC 20-2 at the line."We won the game at the line," said LHS coach Phelps."They played a zone defense, and we didn’t get into a very good offensive flow. We did have nice balance in scoring and gave a good defensive effort."The teams exchanged leads in the early stages of the game before the Cards opened a 21-14 halftime advantage.Luverne cashed in on its free throws late in the game to outscore SSC 28-24 in the second half to win by 11.Mindy Nieuwboer scored 13 points, collected seven rebounds and charted six steals for LHS. Maggie Kuhlman chipped in 13 points and five assists. Samantha Gacke recorded a double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds.Box scoreKlein 1 0 2-2 4, Nieuwboer 2 1 6-6 13, Snyder 0 0 4-6 4, Kuhlman 1 2 5-5 13, Hoiland 0 0 0-2 0, Vogt 1 0 2-2 4, Gacke 5 0 1-2 11.Team statisticsLuverne: 13 of 61 field goals (21 percent), 20 of 25 free throws (80 percent), 26 rebounds, 10 turnovers.SSC: 18 of 51 field goals (35 percent), two of three free throws (67 percent).

By John RittenhouseThe Luverne boys reeled off two straight wins to capture the championship of the Luverne Cardinal Basketball Holiday Classic late last week.Luverne survived a triple-overtime scare to best Southwest Star Concept by six points during Thursday’s opener. The Cards won the title with a five-point victory over Lake Benton Friday.Luverne, 9-0 overall, plays in Redwood Falls Friday before hosting Lennox, S.D., Tuesday.Luverne 68, LB 63The Cardinals overcame a rough start to best the Bobcats by five points during Friday’s title tilt.After falling behind 15-5 in the first 6:29 of the game, Luverne battled back to outscore LB 63-48 the rest of the night to secure the championship.Luverne’s comeback started late in the first half, when reserve post Andrew DeBoer came off the bench to score eight consecutive points and knot the score at 24 with 4:33 remaining.A three-point play by Marc Boelman gave the Cards their first lead at the 2:16 mark of the first half, and Derek Boeve extended the difference to six points (35-29) with 53 seconds remaining before LB scored the final two points of the half to trail 25-31.Jake Hendricks, who hit five three-point shots and scored all 18 of his points in the second half, buried a pair of threes in the first minute of the second half to give the Cards a 41-31 advantage. Luverne led by 13 (54-41) when Hendricks canned a three at the 10:15 mark of the half before LB trimmed the difference to five with a three in the final seconds of the contest.Boelman and Boeve finished the game with 17 and 13 points respectively. Nick Heronimus and Jake Clark collected six rebounds each. Boeve and Hendricks contributed six and four assists to the winning cause.Box scoreBoelman 6 0 5-6 17, Miller 1 0 0-0 2, Hendricks 0 5 3-8 18, Clark 0 2 1-2 7, Boeve 5 1 0-0 13, DeBoer 4 0 0-0 8, Heronimus 1 0 0-0 2.Team statisticsLuverne: 25 of 45 field goals (56 percent), nine of 16 free throws (56 percent), 23 rebounds, 12 turnovers.LB: 26 of 55 field goals (47 percent), three of six free throws (50 percent), 16 rebounds, 13 turnovers.Luverne 60, SSC 54The Cardinals faced the prospect of receiving their first loss of the season before winning a triple-overtime thriller against the Quasars during Thursday’s tournament opener.Luverne, which trailed 25-23 at halftime, battled back to tie the game at 48 before regulation play was complete.The Cards matched SCC’s scoring output in the first two overtime sessions before outscoring the Quasars 6-0 in the third overtime to notch a 48-minute, six-point win."We didn’t play our best basketball," said Cardinal coach Tom Rops."This was a hard game to get motivated for, and I think that showed. Give SSC credit because it controlled the tempo, handled our pressure and was able to get the ball inside to make it a close game."The Quasars led by seven points with less than seven minutes remaining in the second half before the Cards came storming back to move in front 47-46 with a steal and a layup from Jake Clark.The Cards led 48-46 before SSC’s 6-9 junior post James Granstra tied the game with a field goal with 16 seconds remaining.Luverne, which led 50-48 in the first overtime, appeared to be in trouble with the score tied at 50 late in the session.The Cards were holding the ball for a final shot when Coach Rops was whistled for a technical foul after touching the arm of one of his players when the game was in progress. SSC’s Trevor Leopold drained both free throws resulting from the technical foul to give the Quasars a 52-50 edge with 21 seconds remaining, but Luverne stole SSC’s ensuing in-bound pass to set up a game-tying field goal by Marc Boelman with 11 seconds left.Luverne’s Jake Hendricks came up with another steal after Boelman’s basket, but the Cards missed two free throws with 1.4 seconds remaining to force a second overtime.Andrew DeBoer gave the Cards a 54-52 lead at the 2:28 mark of the second overtime after turning an offensive rebound into a field goal. SSC tied the game moments later, and a third overtime was needed when the Cards missed a last-second shot to end the second overtime.The game’s momentum favored Luverne when DeBoer drew Granstra’s fifth personal foul with 3:15 remaining in the third overtime.DeBoer sank one of two free throws to give the Cards the lead, and Clark hit a field goal with 1:14 remaining to make it a 57-54 game. Hendricks hit one charity shot and Boelman added two more in the final 30 seconds of the game to ice a six-point win for LHS.Hendricks led the Cards with 19 points and six steals in the game. Derek Boeve netted 11 points and recorded four steals. Clark scored 11 points and Nick Heronimus pulled down a team-high seven rebounds.Box scoreBoelman 2 0 5-5 9, Miller 0 1 0-0 3, Hendricks 3 3 4-6 19, Clark 3 1 2-211, Boeve 1 2 3-4 11, DeBoer 1 0 1-2 3, Heronimus 2 0 0-3 4.Team statisticsLuverne: 19 of 61 field goals (31 percent), 15 of 24 free throws (63 percent), 27 rebounds, 11 turnovers.SSC: 22 of 48 field goals (46 percent), nine of 11 free throws (82 percent), 24 rebounds, 18 turnovers.

SWMF micro loan makes Coffey Haus purchase possibleWhen Tammy Makram decided to purchase the Coffey Haus in Luverne, like any new business owner she had to decide how to finance it.To make her dream come true, Makram became the first business owner in Rock County to use the Micro Enterprise program of the Southwest Minnesota Foundation.Connie Connell serves as a local representative on the SWMF board.Along with the loan for the purchase of the business and extra equipment, Macram received support and training as part of the program as well.The Micro Enterprise program is available in 18 counties and offers loans of up to $35,000 for start-up or existing for-profit small businesses located in southwest Minnesota.The program receives funding assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration, as well as from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Otto Bremer Foundation.The SWMF is an independent, nonprofit organization that has contributed nearly $38 million to date through its grant and loan programs in southwest Minnesota. It has helped more than 350 businesses start or expand through its business finance programs, which have created or retained more than 6,250 jobs to date in the 18 counties of southwest Minnesota.A vote for appropriate cell phone useI am an avid cell phone user. I feel lost if I leave my phone at home or at my desk at work. However, some places are inappropriate for these wonderful devices.I find myself almost having a panic attack when I’m at a wedding or funeral and realize I forgot to turn my cell phone off. Fortunately, I haven’t had one of those embarrassing moments yet.In that line of thought, I was pleased to read in the Minneapolis Star Tribune that the National Association of Theatre Owners has petitioned the FCC for permission to block cell phone signals in movie theatres.What a great idea. I think people can revert back to the old way of life for a couple of hours.Now, let’s keep cell phone use off airplanes …Meth cookers cleaning up their own mess?Thanks to a new law effective Jan. 1, people convicted of manufacturing or attempting to manufacture methamphetamine or similar drugs may be required to pay restitution to police and firefighters or any other government agencies involved in an emergency response to their criminal activity.Currently, the owners of the property have to bear the burden of the cleanup. The new law addresses that issue also.The legislation, sponsored by Rep. Steve Smith (R-Mound) and Sen. Jane Ranum, (DFL-Mpls.) requires meth makers to pay restitution to any property owners who "incur removal or remediation costs" as a result of their crime.The sites must be cleaned up according to Department of Health guidelines, and anyone selling property that formerly housed a meth lab must inform potential buyers that meth production occurred on the property.Publisher Roger Tollefson can be reached by e-mail at tolly@star-herald.com

I received an e-mail suggestion for a New Year’s resolution that I have been considering for 2006. "Life should not be a journey to the grave intending to arrive safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid into the coffin with a martini in one hand and a chocolate bar in the other, body totally worn out and screaming ‘Whoa, what a ride!’ " This is tricky. You wouldn’t want to skid into the coffin too soon. If you drank martinis and ate chocolate all day every day, you might skid into the coffin at 50. Nobody wants that. But if you drink V-8 juice and eat apples all day every day, you might bore yourself to death at 50. It’s difficult to get a full grasp of this concept. In fact, I need a lot more time to deliberate on such a proposition. Until then I’m going to stick to the basics: take my mother shopping more, be more like Martha, exercise, go more places and do new things, help others, spend more time with family and friends, eat sensibly, clean the house, learn something new, get organized, and read more. Speaking of … A brand new book budget is in place for 2006 and just in time for the adult winter reading program, "Cold Hands, Warm Books." Be sure to come in this week to register and get busy reading. "Every Breath You Take" by Judith McNaught. High atop a snow-covered hill, the stately old Wyatt mansion is perched like a crown, its stained glass windows glowing like colorful jewels. Such opulence surely means success and happiness. But on the eve of Cecil Wyatt’s 80th birthday, all the money in the world won’t bring back his missing grandson, William Wyatt. The only thing for certain: Foul play was involved. The family, the police, and the media have tried in vain to discover the young man’s fate. Now suspicion has turned toward William’s own half-brother, the distant and enigmatic Mitchell Wyatt.Kate Donovan never dreamed that a chance romantic encounter on a tropical island paradise would tag her as a suspect in a high-society murder case. But after Kate tangles with the darkly charismatic Mitchell Wyatt, she finds herself cast in a shadow of guilt and mistrust. As the Chicago police tighten their net, it will take all of Kate’s ingenuity to clear her name. With her calm, cool wit and the help of a man who may or may not be a dangerous catch, Kate vows to claim the life and love she desires. "Mad River Road" by Joy Fielding. After spending a year in prison, Ralph Fisher has explicit plans for his first night of freedom: tonight, someone will be held accountable. He goes to murderous lengths to obtain the address of his former wife — the woman he blames for his fate and against whom he has sworn vengeance. Determined to bring her to his idea of justice, Ralph's next step is to travel to Dayton, Ohio, where his ex-wife is struggling to make ends meet on Mad River Road. In Florida, Jamie Kellogg is a pretty, but unaccomplished, 29-year-old woman in a dead-end job, with an ex-husband in Atlanta and a virtual stranger in her bed. But this stranger is everything the previous men in her life weren't: tender, attentive, and adventurous. After convincing Jamie to quit her miserable job, he proposes a romantic getaway. While Jamie wonders if this thrilling man might finally be her Prince Charming, they plan a road trip to visit his son, who lives with his mother on a street called Mad River Road ...

Resolutions help us come clean on what needs changing in our livesThere is great power in confession.That’s why it feels good to make New Year’s resolutions: we admit to what we need to improve and make a commitment to change for the better.The first week of the New Year, with a fresh calendar reminding us that we are literally starting over, is the perfect time to resolve to change.The list varies a little by source, but the most common resolutions are: 1. Lose weight (According to the American Heart Association, 107 million American adults are overweight and 44 million are considered obese.)2. Stop smoking 3. Stick to a budget 4. Save or earn more money or get out of debt 5. Find a better job 6. Become more organized 7. Exercise more 8. Be more patient at work or with others 9. Eat better 10. Become a better personMaybe your resolution will be to learn something new or fix a relationship or even finish a project. A good one might be not to start something new, but to bring back something old.The odds are simply stacked against a New Year’s resolution turning into a permanent improvement.A 1998 study from the University of Scranton showed the success rate of resolution makers was about 19 percent two years later no matter what the resolution was. Most are kaput by June.Making a resolution is difficult because it’s almost a sure way to set ourselves up for failure when, by the act of making a resolution, we’ve just admitted to failing.It’s only Jan. 5, so hang in there with whatever resolutions you were brave enough to make. Maybe you’ll be among the 19 percent who are successful. And if, like me, you haven’t made a resolution yet, maybe now is the time to confess our shortcomings and try to do better in 2006.

Minnesota Vikings’ owner Zygi Wilf didn’t waste any time in shaking up his team when the season came to an end for the purple and gold on New Year’s Day.I just hope he’s equally efficient discarding some of the underachieving players who helped make the 9-7 campaign another mediocre one.I wasn’t naive enough to think Coach Mike Tice would be offered a new contract after four less than stellar seasons at the helm of the Vikings’ ship. At the same time, I didn’t think he would be canned less than one hour after Sunday’s 34-10 win over Chicago.Still, Wilf made his decision with little haste, and I can’t argue with his choice to dump the head coach. Tice simply didn’t get the job done.During a press conference on Monday, Tice said he was proud of the fact that Minnesota and Seattle are the only two NFC teams to finish with a .500 or better record in each of the last three seasons.As an avid Vikings fan, I can’t remember being proud of any Minnesota team in the last three years. With 9-7, 8-8 and 9-7 records, we were no better than an average team in what has been the NFL’s weakest conference this decade.While Tice’s mediocre tenure in Minnesota will not land him in the Hall of Fame, to lay all of the blame on his lap simply isn’t fair. At some point, the players need to be called on the carpet for their lack of play-making ability on the field and their reckless indifference off it.In the wake of the "Love Boat" scandal, it was a tough time to be a Minnesota-backer. The Vikings were the laughing stock of the league, and we, as Minnesotans, were dragged into the mess with every joke cracked by comedians on the late night talk shows.So, if Wilf really wants to shake things up, it’s time to chase the riff-raff out of the Vikings’ locker room.Giving pink slips to the four players (Moe Williams, Bryant McKinnie, Fred Smoot and Daunte Culpepper) with pending misdemeanor charges would be a good start.Williams is nothing more than a third down running back with veteran status. Replacing his name on the roster would be easy.Smoot, who played a role in arranging the ill-fated boat cruise in early October and who talks a better game than he plays (remember when Carolina’s Steve Smith burned the trash-talking cornerback time and time again during a game in late October), would be even easier to replace. I think Brian Williams made more big plays as a reserve cornerback than Smoot ever did when he was healthy.Cutting loose McKinnie as an offensive tackle, or any other members of the offensive line, wouldn’t be a big loss either. I’m kind of sick of watching the defensive ends we play run around McKinnie as if he were buried up to his hips in sand.And then there’s Culpepper, who was anointed the team’s leader when Randy Moss was traded to Oakland the year before.The problem is, there’s a big difference between having someone tell a player he is a leader and actually being one.Instead of making me forget about Randy Moss, Culpepper in his early-season performance (six touchdown passes and 12 interceptions during a 2-5 start) made me long for the return of Wade Wilson.If Wilf truly wants to field a championship team, it’s time to close the book on the Daunte Culpepper era in Minnesota. With No. 11 in line to earn a $10 million dollar bonus for just being on the roster March 1, when will there be a better time than now to let him go.I’m not saying Brad Johnson is the answer at the quarterback position, but he proved he’s more than capable to handle the job for a couple of years while a suitable replacement is found.One thing I learned from this season is that Culpepper (we went 7-2 without him) is not the franchise quarterback some people have billed him to be.Cut him loose, and use the $10 million earmarked for his roster bonus to start rebuilding a lethargic offensive line. If Wilf and the Vikings brass follow that path, we could be playing meaningful January games in as early as next year.

Well, the first group of Big Losers made it through the holidays. Many of the Big Losers lost a few pounds over the holidays, some stayed the same and a couple gained a pound or two. But there is no doubt we are all weigh (nice play on words wouldn’t you say?) better off than we were three months ago. This week all the Big Losers were weighed and measured and had their blood work done. We’ll compare those numbers to the weights and measurement taken 16 weeks ago and let you know the results in next week’s Star Herald. In addition to the new numbers will be new pictures for the before-and-after comparisons. To date, the 12 Big Losers combined have lost more than 350 pounds and hundreds of inches.As of this week, Terry Reisch is pretty much a lock to be the overall Big Loser. If you take Terry’s total weight lost combined with his percentage of weight lost, he has 72.09 points. Terry Connell is close behind with a total of 62.75 points. Rumor has it that Connell has been logging extra time on the elliptical machine in an effort to catch Reisch. You’ll just have to wait until next week for the final results.

Emily Matthiesen, 59, Luverne, died Wednesday, Dec. 28, 2005, at Sioux Valley Luverne Hospice Cottage. Services were Saturday, Dec. 31, at Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne. The Revs. Maurice E. Hagen and Dell B. Sanderson officiated. Burial was in Maplewood Cemetery, Luverne. Emily Harms was born to Arthur and Gert (Blom) Harms on Dec. 14, 1946, in Montevideo. She graduated from Clara City High School in Clara City, and Northwestern College in Orange City, Iowa. She received her master’s degree from Augustana College in Sioux Falls, S.D. She married Lyle Matthiesen on April 9, 1979, at Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne. After their marriage the couple farmed southeast of Magnolia. They moved to Luverne in 2001. She was a teacher at Luverne Public Schools from 1968 to the present. Mrs. Matthiesen was a member of Grace Lutheran Church in Luverne, the Minnesota Education Association and the National Education Association. She enjoyed reading, fancywork, baking and volunteering at Sioux Valley Luverne Hospital. Survivors include her husband, Lyle Matthiesen, Luverne; one son, Jed Matthiesen, Luverne; her mother, Gert Harms, Montevideo; four stepchildren, Collette (Chuck) Springman, Sioux Falls, S.D., Kim Burton, Crooks, S.D., Jodi (Mike) Haas, Searles, and Scott Matthiesen, Champlin; eight stepgrandchildren, Nicole and Jason Scheidt, Lindsay and Alissa Springman, Trevor and Brittney Burton, and Morgan and Brock Matthiesen; one brother, Stan (Faye) Harms, Clara City; and one sister, Elaine Harms, Luverne.Mrs. Matthiesen was preceded in death by her father, Arthur Harms,A tree will be dedicated in memory of Emily Matthiesen by Sioux Valley Luverne Hospice.Dingmann Funeral Home, Luverne, was in charge of arrangements.

A boy, Shawn Ryan, weighing 7 pounds, 14 ounces, was born to Ryan and Kelli Lakeman, Plymouth, on Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005, at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis. He is the couple’s first child. Grandparents are Gerry and Sue Schlueter, Lake Park. Shawn is their first grandchild. Other grandparents are Linda and Leroy Lakeman, Felton. Shawn is the first great-grandchild of Luella Schlueter of Hills. Janine Solberg, Champlain, Ill., came to Hills Dec. 23rd to visit her parents, Ron and Jan Solberg. They went to Fosston to spend Christmas with Jan’s mother, Hattie Walz. Janine left from there to go to her home in Champlain. She teaches at the University of Illinois in Urbana, Ill. Carol Lonkey came from Brooklyn Center Dec. 22 to the home of her mother, Martha Lindrud. They both went to Carole’s home Friday, Dec. 23, where Martha visited until Thursday, Dec. 29, when Carole brought Martha back to Hills. Henrietta Schouwenberg returned home Thursday after spending a week visiting her daughters. In Williston, N.D., she visited Evelyn and Richard Le Clair and family, and on her return trip she spent time with Karen and Robert Visser and family at Afton. There were 15 family members present at the home of Howard Hoyme for Christmas Eve supper. They were Holly Willmer and son, Kevin, Cheyenne, Wyo.; Neal and Kathy Hoyme and Katie, Pierre, S.D.; Michael Hoyme, Pierre; Nicole Hoyme and Clint Hoffman, Bellflower; Jessica Hoyme, Milford, Iowa; and Eric and Wanda Hoyme and children, Hills.Harriet Skattum spent Christmas Eve in the home of her granddaughter, Gretchen, and her husband, Phil, Franklin, in Sioux Falls, S.D. She accompanied the Duane and Margo Edwards family, who were also present, to their home in Forestburg, S.D., and spent until Dec. 27 with them.Dan and Marie La Rock and Luke and Allison spent Christmas in the home of Dan’s parents, Jim and Beatrice La Rock, in Elk River. Also present were Dan’s brother and wife. Marilyn Nelson and the German exchange student, Christina Flory, along with the La Rock family, had their Christmas gathering Dec. 23 in the Mark and Michelle Nelson home. All the children and grandchildren of Chuck and Rheta DeBoer spent four days in their home to celebrate the holiday. They numbered 21 in all.Dennis Roning motored to Big Fork on Dec. 23 to spend until Monday, Dec. 26, in the home of Bill and Deniese Swanson. All of their children and family were also present.David and Char Kolsrud had a Christmas gathering with supper at their home in Beaver Creek on Dec. 26. Present were Andy and Stacey Bommersbach and family of Holly, Mich.; Jill Kolsrud, Charlotte, N.C.; Harland and Bonnie Kolsrud, Worthington; Mary Kelling and Jason Bloom; Kent and Paula Kolsrud and children, all of Sioux Falls, and Alice Kolsrud, Hills.All of the children of Dean Greenfield spent Christmas here with him. They are Scott Greenfield and family, Des Moines, Iowa, Troy Greenfield, Mitchell, S.D., and Leah Teveldal and family, Lamberton.